Exposure

Chu Group headquarters.

"This is simply preposterous! What do you mean by 'insufficient evidence'? If we don't get a proper explanation for this, the Chu Group will absolutely not let this matter rest!" Chu Feng glared at Liu Guodong, who was sitting across from her.

"This... Chairwoman Chu, it's not that we aren't trying our best, but the case has absolutely no leads. We only have the corpse of a suspect linked to the Riyao Group, and we have no way to convict anyone! After all, everything must be based on evidence." Liu Guodong wore a bitter smile.

After speaking, he glanced at Chu Xiaoxiao and Ye Min, who were sitting nearby. "However, if Miss Chu and Captain Ye could cooperate with us for further investigation, I believe..."

Before he could finish, he was interrupted by Chu Feng. "Are you saying our Xiaoxiao hasn't been cooperating? She already said she was trapped in the cabin at the time and didn't know anything! Her personal bodyguard, Ye Min, can also testify to that!

Do you expect Xiaoxiao to play Sherlock Holmes and solve the case for you? If that's the case, what do we need the police for as law-abiding citizens?!"

Sweat appeared on Liu Guodong's face.

"Uh, that's not it, but if Miss Chu could provide a few clues as to why she went out to sea and who she met, I think it would be a great help to the progress of the case!"

"I already said, I just went out to sea to clear my head that day, right, Sister Ye?" Chu Xiaoxiao, sitting to the side, finally spoke up, winking playfully at Ye Min beside her.

Ye Min's mouth twitched, but in the end, she nodded silently.

Sigh, I've really boarded a pirate ship!

As soon as the case ended, Chu Xiaoxiao immediately bought out Ye Min's lifetime contract from Longquan Security Company. In other words, Ye Min's new boss was now a Chu!

The young mistress was ordering her to lie and threatening to dock her pay if she didn't cooperate; she was truly helpless!

On the other hand, Nie Yun was her savior. She really couldn't refuse this small request of his.

As for assisting the police in finding the real culprit? Anyone with eyes could see what was really going on; it was just a fig leaf. If exposing Nie Yun could bring the mastermind to justice, she would probably be happy to sell him out.

Liu Guodong felt frustrated by the two women's consistent answers. It was like this once, and it was like this twice—last time they refused to say anything, and this time they claimed to know nothing!

Could they not fulfill their civic duty and cooperate with the police investigation? Besides, she was the victim!

With the keen intuition of a veteran officer, he guessed there was definitely more to this, but what exactly were they hiding?

With Chu Xiaoxiao refusing to cooperate and providing zero leads, he couldn't make bricks without straw!

Thinking about the call he received from the provincial bureau today, urging him to downplay the incident, he felt another headache coming on. It was a case of "when dragons fight, the fish in the moat suffer," and he was caught in the middle.

Leaving the Chu Group empty-handed, Liu Guodong returned to the station. Just as he was bowing his head in deep thought, a subordinate officer ran over, looking excited.

"Chief! We have a lead on the case!"

"Hmm? Which case?" Liu Guodong asked.

"The kidnapping of the Eldest Miss Chu!"

"What did you say?!" Liu Guodong's spirits were instantly lifted upon hearing this.

"You're saying the lead is this person named Nie Yun?" Liu Guodong frowned as he looked at a document sealed in a transparent plastic bag and a photo of Nie Yun.

In the photo, Nie Yun looked dark-skinned and thin, appearing completely ordinary.

"That's right, Chief! We found this vessel purchase contract on the body of the deceased, Wu Jianye. He was a manager at the Chu Group who unfortunately perished while accompanying the Eldest Miss Chu out to sea. According to our analysis, he was killed by that group of Annam mercenaries."

(Manager Wu: Why... why on earth? Do I have to wait until I'm dead to get a full name!)

"Hmm, I was already wondering why the Eldest Miss Chu would bring a manager along just to clear her head. Continue!"

"Yes. According to this purchase contract, this person named Nie Yun bought a second-hand cargo ship from the Chu Group for 9.85 million. That in itself isn't much, but the key point is that the contract was signed on the very day of the incident!"

"What?!" Liu Guodong was moved now.

The contract was signed on the day of the incident? What did that mean? It meant Chu Xiaoxiao didn't just go out to sea for nothing; she went to meet this person named Nie Yun! And she sold a second-hand cargo ship to him!

That explained why she brought Manager Wu along—they were there to conduct a transaction!

But even so, there was no need to hide it, right? There must be something fishy going on! A glint of light flashed in Liu Guodong's eyes.

"Have you investigated this Nie Yun?" Liu Guodong asked.

"We've already checked the basic information in the citizen database using his ID number, but his records only show him as an ordinary fisherman at Nanwan Pier. He doesn't even have a registered permanent address."

"Good, good, good! An ordinary fisherman? Hmph! Can an ordinary fisherman pull out over eight million to buy a ship? I'm only worried if there's no problem; if there's a problem, that's perfect! Arrange for men immediately and investigate this Nie Yun in depth!"

"Yes, Chief!"

"Right, this matter is of great importance, and various factions are watching. Until we have results, do not leak any progress on the case, understand?"

"Understood!"

Han Family villa in Xia City.

"Hmm? You're saying the Eldest Miss Chu likely went to meet a fisherman named Nie Yun that day? Are you sure you aren't joking?" Han Yi stood before the massive floor-to-ceiling window, frowning.

A subordinate stood respectfully behind him.

"The news was sent back secretly by our contact in the police station. It shouldn't be wrong!"

"The Chu family heiress went all the way out to sea to meet a fisherman? Do you think today is April Fool's Day?" Han Yi said coldly.

Cold sweat broke out on the subordinate's forehead.

"This... your subordinate doesn't know the detailed reasons either, but I just conducted a preliminary investigation into this Nie Yun through some thugs at Nanwan Pier. The man is indeed an ordinary fisherman at Nanwan Pier, making a living with a small fishing boat."

Furthermore, someone once witnessed the eldest daughter of the Chu family appearing at Nanwan Pier on the eve of the first kidnapping incident, and the location of her first appearance after being rescued from that kidnapping was also at Nanwan Pier.

Therefore, the group's intelligence team speculates that this person named Nie Yun might actually know the eldest daughter of the Chu family!

"Oh!" Han Yi let out an exclamation of surprise.

He lowered his head to ponder for a moment, then looked up and instructed: "Immediately send someone to probe this Nie Yun, but do not reveal your own identity. If the other party has no backing, then use some methods to pry his mouth open! I want to know exactly what happened that day!"

"Yes! Young Master!"

Meanwhile, completely unaware that he had already been exposed to the eyes of two major forces, the police and Riyao Group, Nie Yun was leisurely basking in the sun, enjoying his island holiday.

As for high-end concepts like counter-surveillance awareness, for an elementary school student, hehe, it simply didn't exist...