Only after her death did I realize that she was the white moonlight of a billionaire CEO.

Chapter 153 Bold guess

When Li Xi returned to the apartment, Xue Ni was putting on makeup.

Seeing Li Xi return, he pulled her to sit down with him. "Come on, I'll give you a hot smoky eye makeup look today. I guarantee it will make Zhen Ge fall head over heels for you."

Li Xi pouted, "Forget it, these men can't even tell the difference between light and heavy makeup, and they have no aesthetic sense when it comes to makeup."

"But we girls know what's wrong with what those stinky men like."

"Right."

Li Xi sat obediently while Xue Ni did her makeup, and she finally had time to open her phone and surf the internet.

"what?"

Li Xi exclaimed, "Teacher Wufeng has a new role! Xue Ni, look!"

Teacher Wufeng is a well-known female cosplayer who has enjoyed enduring popularity in the cosplay community.

She not only has a supermodel-like height, but also naturally exudes a mature and sophisticated aura. The characters she cosplays are highly accurate, which has won her a large number of loyal fans.

Li Xi and Xue Ni are her fans.

Upon hearing that Teacher Wufeng had a new role, Xue Ni quickly put down what she was doing, sat down next to Li Xi, and watched Teacher Wufeng's new work together.

Teacher Wufeng is cosplaying the super popular male protagonist from an urban suspense comic, who has a slim waist, long legs, and loves to wear shirts with armbands.

On the screen, Teacher Wufeng changed her usual mature and sophisticated appearance, hiding her long hair and replacing it with a black slicked-back hairstyle.

She wore a white shirt and black trousers, and her tall figure, with her back to the bar, was enough to drive fans wild, as she only showed her profile throughout.

If you didn't know the other person was a woman, no one would be able to tell that this cosplayer is actually a lady.

Xue Ni exclaimed in shock, "Teacher Wufeng actually dressed up as a male character this time!"

"XiXi, Teacher Wufeng is absolutely amazing! Her cosplay of 'Jian Chen' is so realistic, it's like she stepped right out of the comic book!"

"Correct."

Li Xi was amazed. "Teacher Wufeng's attempt this time can be considered a successful breakthrough. We can try it more often in the future."

After saying that, Li Xi immediately left a comment, liked and saved the post.

*

Officer Zhou handed Gu Huaizhou a glass of iced Americano. "Here you go."

Gu Huaizhou took the cup, took a sip, then frowned almost imperceptibly and put it down.

Noticing his reaction, Officer Zhou gave a half-smile, "What? Not to your liking?"

Gu Huaizhou said, "It's a bit too sour." He prefers a slightly bitter taste.

Officer Zhou shook his head, unable to resist teasing him, "Professor Gu, this shabby office of mine isn't your boundless island. I usually drink instant coffee; it's only because you came that I specially dug out my treasured bag of beans..."

Upon hearing this, Gu Huaizhou asked, "It's not the same bag of beans you opened when I came to see you last time, is it?"

Officer Zhou: "Yeah, we can't find anyone as fussy as you in our entire criminal investigation team. Who else but you would want those beans?"

Gu Huaizhou: "..."

No wonder it smells weird.

Seeing Gu Huaizhou's hesitant expression, Officer Zhou chuckled twice and took away the cup of coffee. "Alright, alright, young master, I'll get you a cup of tea instead."

As Officer Zhou handed the steaming cup of tea to Gu Huaizhou, he couldn't resist teasing him: "Just make do with it, stop being so pretentious. I don't have any Imperial Eighteen Dragon Wells tea here..."

Once, when Officer Zhou went out to handle a case, he took Gu Huaizhou with him as a medical consultant. After they finished, they were hungry and planned to just find a restaurant to eat at.

But Gu Huaizhou dragged him to the Bamboo Sea Restaurant, where they ate a lavish meal that only ripped off the rich, and even drank a cup of Imperial Eighteen Trees Longjing Tea, a delicacy reserved for the most unfortunate souls...

Since then, Officer Zhou has quietly changed Gu Huaizhou's WeChat nickname from 'Professor Gu' to 'Gu the Pretentious'.

Gu Huaizhou was very accommodating this time, taking a couple of sips of tea before getting straight to the point: "Have you thoroughly investigated the identities of the 39 benefactors under Chen Rudong's name?"

When this matter was mentioned, Officer Zhou's expression turned serious. "We've found out everything."

Officer Zhou handed a brown paper bag to Gu Huaizhou. "In principle, these documents should not be disclosed, but you are the only survivor of that murder case."

"Besides, the people you keep are no less capable than the people I have. It'll be more efficient if we investigate together."

"Thank you."

Gu Huaizhou opened the kraft paper bag and took out a thick stack of information files.

Each recipient's identity file was stapled together, totaling 39 copies.

The first one is Chen Cheng.

The photo of Chen Cheng on the document is the one used on her ID card.

When celebrities appear in public, they are always wearing makeup. Chen Cheng, with her full makeup, is a beautiful, charming, and elegant woman.

Surprisingly, Chen Cheng's appearance on the ID card was quite delicate, with a small face, bare skin, and a few dark circles under his eyes.

Gu Huaizhou continued reading...

"There are 39 people in total. The oldest is now 60 years old, and the youngest is 32 years old. Just as you and I guessed, all 39 people sponsored by Chen Rudong have achieved great success in their studies and have made remarkable achievements in various fields."

"Do you remember the information of the recipient I marked as number 12?"

Gu Huaizhou had an exceptional memory; he remembered the information clearly even after only reading it once. Without hesitation, he said, "Number 12 is called Min Hanlin."

"Correct."

“This Min Hanlin is the oldest recipient of the aid.”

Gu Huaizhou pulled out the file of recipient number 12 and looked at it again. He pointed out, "This person's identity information is only a few words. Hmm, is this person a police officer?"

"...Um."

Noticing that Officer Zhou's attitude was a bit strange, Gu Huaizhou asked thoughtfully, "Do you know him?"

Officer Zhou remained silent.

He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, only to find that there wasn't a single one left.

Gu Huaizhou took out his cigarettes and handed them to him.

Gu Huaizhou also smokes, but he is not addicted. He only smokes one cigarette to relieve his emotions when he is in a bad mood.

Officer Zhou didn't stand on ceremony with Gu Huaizhou. He took out a cigarette, lit it, and silently took two puffs before saying, "He's one of my seniors, a narcotics officer who received one third-class merit and one second-class merit during his career..."

"Just two years ago, he sacrificed his life during an undercover operation."

After listening, Gu Huaizhou also fell silent.

"To be honest, I was quite shocked when I saw this information." Officer Zhou exhaled a long puff of smoke and said with emotion, "Senior Min is a true hero."

But this martyr who sacrificed his life for the fight against drugs may also be implicated in the kidnapping case of the Gu family 12 years ago.

After tapping his fingers on the table a few times, Officer Zhou said absentmindedly, "These dozens of people who received assistance from Mr. Chen Rudong are indeed all very outstanding talents."

"Take Su Hui, number 9, for example. She is now a professor in the Department of Mathematics at Zhenhai University. Wang Bowen, number 22, is the founder of Fengxing Investment Company. Zhou Ye, number 28, is a super popular online writer."

"Jing Ruan, number 32, was once a long-distance running champion in the sports world, but now he has switched careers to become an actor."

...

Officer Zhou looked at Gu Huaizhou with a rare hint of hesitation. "Do you really suspect that the kidnapping case back then was a revenge operation carried out by this group? If that's the case, then it's far too complicated."

Gu Huaizhou remained silent.

Silently extinguishing his cigarette, Officer Zhou grabbed his car keys and stood up. "I'll go and pay a visit to Professor Su, number 9, right now."

"Officer Zhou."

Officer Zhou stopped, turned around, and looked down at him.

Gu Huaizhou looked up at him, his gaze sharp, his tone calm yet firm: "Officer Zhou, what I want is the truth."

Officer Zhou was taken aback.

As a criminal investigator, uncovering the truth of every case is his duty. Yet, he had just felt a pang of pity for Senior Min because this case involved him.

This is a big no-no.

Nodding solemnly, Officer Zhou promised Gu Huaizhou, "Huaizhou, please believe me, I will definitely bring the truth to light."

Gu Huaizhou then picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Thank you."

*

When Gu Huaizhou returned to his apartment with the stack of documents, it was only a little past five o'clock.

Li Xi and Xue Ni are still at home.

Gu Huaizhou sent Li Xi a WeChat message, asking her to come upstairs.

"Gu Huaizhou is back and told me to go upstairs to find him."

Li Xi, holding her bag and phone, instructed Xue Ni, "Xue Ni, I'm going upstairs first. I'll call you when I leave."

Xue Ni was still fixing her hair. Without even looking up, she replied, "Okay."

When Li Xi arrived at 2301, the door opened from the inside just as she was about to knock.

"Waiting for me?" Li Xi asked, tilting her head.

"Yes."

Gu Huaizhou bent over and unlocked the electronic lock with administrator privileges. "Xixi, put your fingerprint here."

Li Xi smiled and, without being coy, quickly entered her fingerprint into Gu Huaizhou's combination lock.

After the recording was completed, Li Xi said, "I'll record your fingerprints at my home again when I get back tonight."

"it is good."

After recording her fingerprint, Gu Huaizhou had Li Xi try it herself. Seeing that she could successfully open the door, he then led her straight into the study.

Upon entering the study, Li Xi saw the stack of documents on the pearwood desk.

"These are the records of the 39 orphans that Mr. Chen sponsored."

Li Xi raised an eyebrow, "You found it so quickly?"

"Officer Zhou's team is quite efficient."

Gu Huaizhou laid the stack of documents flat on the table and gestured to Li Xi: "Help me take a close look and see if there's anything unreasonable."

Li Xi then looked at them one by one.

After Li Xi finished reading, Gu Huaizhou asked, "Did you notice anything?"

Li Xi said almost without thinking, "At least one piece of information here is fake."

Gu Huaizhou's eyes brightened slightly, and he smiled approvingly, asking Li Xi, "How did you arrive at this conclusion?"

Li Xi stated bluntly: "If the terrorist kidnapping case was indeed a revenge attack orchestrated by multiple people, then the killer must be one of them. However, among the documents in front of us, there is no victim who fits the identity of the killer."

"Therefore, I suspect that at least one of these documents is problematic."

Nodding, Gu Huaizhou confirmed Li Xi's speculation, "I agree with you."

Li Xi pointed out, "Didn't Officer Zhou notice this strange thing?"

Officer Zhou has been a police officer for 12 years and is a very experienced criminal investigator. Didn't he notice the problem?

Gu Huaizhou took out the file numbered 12. "This narcotics officer surnamed Min was a senior officer whom Officer Zhou knew. He has already sacrificed his life."

"When Officer Zhou saw his identification information, he probably panicked."

When a person's mind is in turmoil, their thinking is not as sharp as usual.

"You suspect Officer Zhou?" Li Xi asked.

Gu Huaizhou shook his head and said, "I believe that Officer Zhou has really wanted to find out the truth about the kidnapping case all these years, but now the nature of the case has changed, and it involves people from all walks of life."

"There might be a deep bond between Officer Zhou and Officer Min. Do you think he might be deliberately giving me this pile of things, some real and some fake, to protect the image of his fallen friend?"

Li Xi pursed her lips and remained silent.

Seeing this, Gu Huaizhou felt somewhat uneasy. He asked Li Xi, "Do you think I shouldn't have doubted Officer Zhou?"

Li Xi shook his head and said, "No, your suspicions are valid, but I'm thinking about something else."

"what?"

Li Xi picked up the documents on the table again and carefully read them over and over again.

Finally, Li Xi handed the information of recipient number 35 to Gu Huaizhou, saying, "Look at this man named Chen Feng. He died 12 years ago. The cause of death was..."

"A landslide buried the bodies."

Gu Huaizhou didn't see anything wrong with the information. "What's wrong with this person's information?"

Li Xi hesitated for a moment, “Maybe I’m overthinking it. But we suspense writers can’t help but think about conspiracy theories. Generally, in our view, cases like this, where the body is buried after death, fall under the category of ‘missing and whereabouts unknown’.”

"In suspenseful plots, these kinds of people all have the power to be resurrected."

Gu Huaizhou understood what Li Xi meant, "You mean, if this number 35 hadn't died..."

Li Xi nodded: "Then he became an invisible hand in this revenge organization. Because he's 'dead,' who would have thought a dead man could kill?"

"That's a very bold guess."

Staring at the sallow and emaciated photo in file number 35, Gu Huaizhou frowned again. "But this kid looks so thin and malnourished. He doesn't seem like the kind of person who would do something like that."

"Besides, he's a man, and the killer is a woman."

Li Xi said, "Is it possible that the psychopathic killer deliberately used your appearance to lure you from the very beginning?"

"Besides, Chen Feng was in his early twenties when he died, but look at this child in the photo, he looks to be no more than ten years old."

"Ten years is enough to transform a weakling into a muscle man."

Gu Huaizhou listened, completely stunned.

Gu Huaizhou never expected Li Xi's speculations.

Gently flicking Li Xi's forehead, Gu Huaizhou said, "How did you come up with this brain? Your ideas are so bizarre."

Li Xi stuck out her tongue, rubbing her slightly aching forehead, "Could you be a little gentler next time?"

"Does it hurt?" Gu Huaizhou thought that Li Xi had really hurt herself by flicking the finger, so he quickly came over and blew on it to help her.

Catching Li Xi's sly smile, Gu Huaizhou knew she was acting, but he didn't call her out on it.

"Actually, I didn't expect these things before, but today I saw my favorite female cosplayer dressed up as a tall male character."

"At that moment, I thought of the woman in the white dress and red lips from your memory."

"You said that woman was very tall and very strong. Is it possible that she wasn't a woman at all, but a man pretending to be one?"

"He deliberately wore a white dress, a wig, and heavy makeup to conceal his true appearance. The moment you saw him, a shadow of fear was planted in your heart; how could you possibly think about whether he was a man or a woman?"

Gu Huaizhou suddenly had a profound realization.

"Yes."

"You also said that the woman you saw was wearing a fox mask and had blue eyes. But in my memory, her eyes were nothing special."

"If she's wearing colored contact lenses, then she's very likely a man who can disguise himself!"