Helping Each Other
"What happened?" Lin Qi could feel Vera's body trembling slightly, so he gently helped her up.
Vera took a deep breath. Perhaps it was because she saw Lin Qi's arrival and had a blind trust in Lin Qi —given that Lin Qi had always miraculously solved many problems in the past, it was easy for people to fall into a state of worship for Lin Qi's "miraculous" abilities.
She began to explain the situation: Gepu received a phone call and left in a hurry, and now the police have arrived.
Lin Qi comforted her for a few moments and walked with her toward her home. The simplest way to find out what had happened was to ask the police.
When the two returned to the house, another police car arrived. This police car was different from ordinary police cars; its design gave people a feeling of... higher cost. However, most people could recognize it as an Federal Bureau of Investigation vehicle.
Two detectives, dressed in trench coats and sunglasses, whose identities could be easily recognized by anyone, were chatting with a policeman by the car. When they saw Lin Qi and Vera arrive, the policeman chose to end the conversation and leave.
One of the agents lifted his trench coat, revealing a clip tucked into an inner pocket with his identification on it. "Federal Bureau of Investigation Senior Agent..."
His gaze swept past Vera and landed directly on Lin Qi. Lin Qi took a small step forward and stood in front of Vera.
He may still be very young, but this step made his back look like a majestic and towering mountain in Vera's eyes, which calmed Vera's previously flustered emotions down instantly.
"May I know why you're here?" Lin Qi asked, looking directly at the agent. Another agent whispered something in the agent's ear, roughly revealing Lin Qi's identity. The agent in front of Lin Qi immediately understood the situation.
Although he didn't show any obvious changes, the shift in his gaze from scrutiny and impatience to calm and peaceful was enough to demonstrate his understanding of Lin Qi's situation.
There's no way you can not know him. He's Mark's partner, a good friend of the mayor, and has good relationships with several Lin Qi. No one in society would want to offend such a person easily, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Local protectionist policies left them helpless against Lin Qi, while Lin Qi could constantly cause them trouble. Therefore, the Bureau of Investigation was unwilling to offend these wealthy individuals unless absolutely necessary, since they were different from the Revenue Service.
The Bureau of Investigation can only investigate a person or event after a major case has occurred, but the Revenue Service... they can endlessly harass a wealthy person under the guise of tax investigation until the person backs down.
The detective didn't hesitate for long before nodding. He knew this kind of thing could be found out elsewhere; there was no need to hide it. "This woman's husband is suspected of..."
The detective's gaze passed over Lin Qi and landed on Vera. "I'm sorry, ma'am, Mr. Gepu is suspected of forcibly having sexual relations with a woman while she was incapacitated, along with others, and is also suspected of indecent assault and assault."
The case is not actually that simple; it's just that some things are not convenient to say, especially with the wife of the person involved present.
In an instant, Lin Qi felt that the arm supporting Vera was bearing more weight, and he had to use both hands to support Vera, which looked like he was hugging her, but it wasn't.
"Can we know more about this?" Lin Qi pressed, but the agent shook his head.
He looked around and said, "Mr. Lin Qi, and Ms. Vera, we won't reveal any more information until there are further developments in the case, and even if I did say this..." He smiled and didn't continue, but everyone knew what he meant.
Lin Qi glanced at him. "I've recently run into some trouble with criminals and their crimes. Perhaps you could offer me some advice?"
The agent hesitated for a moment, but finally took out his business card and handed it over, saying, "You can call me outside of working hours."
After accepting the business card, Lin Qi said goodbye to the detective and helped Vera back to her house.
At this moment, the police also noticed Lin Qi's arrival. One of the officers, who was obviously more slick, immediately said something to the police chief who was conducting the search. The chief also showed a knowing look, and their search became more relaxed and gentle.
The two sat on the sofa in the Living Room. Lin Qi held Vera's hand and could feel the woman's helplessness. Her palms were cold and clammy.
About twenty minutes later, the lead policeman came to the Living Room room. He looked at Lin Qi, then at the slick policeman next to him, who quickly spoke up, "Gentlemen, we found a safe in the study. We hope Ms. Vera can provide the password, and we also hope Mr. Lin Qi and Ms. Vera can witness our opening process as witnesses."
The slick policeman also produced some legal documents, saying, "The judge has agreed to allow us to search and inspect your private property, including items in safes, lockboxes, and other private security measures. We hope Ms. Vera will cooperate with our work, and we promise that these items will not enter the public sphere."
Lin Qi could sense the soft, pleading tone in his voice, but the content of his words was irresistible.
Lin Qi looked at Vera, Vera nodded, and the two followed the police upstairs.
Standing in front of the safe, Vera opened it without saying a word.
Firstly, even if she said something, she couldn't change the police's attitude, let alone make them give up the idea; she would eventually have to open the safe.
Secondly, she knew that Gepu had dealt with the contents before, and everything inside was very clean. At least she didn't think Gepu would be stupid enough to leave anything that couldn't be exposed in the light of day. Those things were all in her safe.
After the combination lock was turned a few times, the safe slowly opened with the sound of gears turning. Inside were many documents, some cash, and some Gold Bar.
Investing in precious metals is also one of Gepu's investment strategies. Compared to short- to medium-term bond and stock investments, precious metals are more geared towards the medium to long term.
In front of Lin Qi, Vera, and two Federal Bureau of Investigation agents, the police took everything out of the safe, placed it on Gepu's desk, and photographed it for their records.
Some of the documents were even put into an evidence bag and collected by the police after Vera signed them.
As for the money and gold, they put them back in the safe intact.
The entire search lasted until evening. As the search was about to end, the agent who gave Lin Qi his business card asked a question, "Ms. Vera, I noticed that you have packed some things, and there are obvious missing parts, such as bookshelves with almost no books. May I know if you have already shipped some things away, or if you have recently moved anything?"
Vera nodded, explained the situation, and the agent took notes before quickly leaving with his colleagues. They needed to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the Neighboring State to intercept the supplies and immediately check for any potential problems.
The search was actually a failure, as they found nothing of value. The contents of the safe were rather ordinary, mostly items related to the family, with few things connected to Listoan.
However, that's not important. The evidence is only meant to make Gepu more cooperative with the Investigation Team's investigation into Listoan, not simply to get Gepu to plead guilty.
After the police and Federal Bureau of Investigation agents left, the house suddenly felt somewhat empty.
Looking at the messy arrangement, Vera gripped Lin Qi's hand slightly tighter. She had never imagined such a thing would happen, and she felt ashamed because of her husband.
She didn't even dare to look Lin Qi in the eye; she didn't know how to explain the situation.
The wife of a female rapist? Lin Qi comforted Vera and had her make a phone call. Shortly afterward, Vera's mother rushed over.
This is a woman in her fifties. She is dressed nicely, and her makeup and attire are exquisite, indicating that she lives in a comfortable environment.
The woman was stunned when she saw Lin Qi, her eyes looking somewhat strange, but she quickly turned her attention to her daughter.
At this point, Lin Qi got up to say goodbye. It wasn't appropriate for him to stay here right now. Some things seemed simple, but they weren't actually that simple! Around 9 p. m., he dialed the number on the business card the detective had given him.
The person who answered the phone was a young woman, presumably the detective's wife. Shortly after he explained the purpose of his call, the detective's voice came through the receiver.
"I'm Lin Qi. I'm sorry to bother you at this time. I'm having some troubles related to the day, and I don't know who to consult. Perhaps you can offer me some help?"
The agent hesitated for a moment, but eventually nodded in agreement, and the two agreed to meet at a bar.
At around 9:40, the two met in a slightly quiet bar in the city center of Sabine City.
After they each ordered a drink, they found a secluded booth with poor lighting and sat down. Neither of them spoke until about half a minute later, when Lin Qi finally spoke.
"Sometimes when we encounter problems, we don't know how to deal with them, so we can only look for people who can help us."
"They provide me with some consulting services, and sometimes they will help me within their capabilities, provided that they do not violate their principles and bottom lines, or break the law."
"Helping is mutual. They help me solve some troubles and problems, and I help them solve some small financial problems."
"Would you be willing to accept this employment without a contract or any constraints, and become my consultant, sir?"