Chapter 271: Chapter 270: Sweet Dreams, Boss Xu
What was meant to be a simple questioning turned into a confrontational exchange under Su Qingâs verbal attacks, which felt like a street argument.
Of course, how can a conversation between civilized people be called a street argument? This is the art of language.
At this moment, Xu Fengâs eyes were fixed on him, seemingly accumulating anger. It was unclear whether he would Q to heal or W to unleash a Raging Fist, which left Du Qiang on the side somewhat apprehensive.
After all, they are civil servants, and during such interviews, they shouldnât engage in conflicts with others. At worst, it would end in disagreement, and their investigation would be hindered. At worst, they would be complained about and disciplined from above.
"Itâs nothing, just speaking from my feelings. Isnât it true, Mr. Xu?" Su Qing remarked with a light smile from the leather sofa.
On hearing this, Xu Feng stared at him fiercely and, after a long pause, let out a deep breath, then relaxed entirely and responded with a smile: "Officer Su, you have a point. However, I assume that you two didnât come here just to preach. If there are any questions, please ask quickly; I have things to do."
He did choose to Q-heal; Xu Feng is a smart person. He knows what he wants and what situation heâs currently in.
His current state cannot afford any mistakes. The company is on the edge of a cliff; any mishap could lead to irreparable consequences. Only by getting through this hurdle can he let go, and right now, he cannot act impulsively.
If he said anything wrong and the person in front of him got hold of it, linking him to Jiang Hongâs deathâeven if later proven innocentâthe mental exertion would be insurmountable.
The company needs him to make decisions constantly at this moment. If he wasnât there and something happened, there wouldnât be anyone to decide. He absolutely cannot reveal any flaws right now.
"Brother Qiang, letâs have you ask the professional questions!" Su Qing turned to Du Qiang.
Du Qiang nodded at this and then spoke:
"Mr. Xu, when did you meet the deceased Jiang Hong, how many times have you met, and where were you the day before yesterday and yesterday..."
Du Qiang threw out question after question, all standard and procedural. Xu Feng also calmed down and responded fluently, as in truth, Jiang Hongâs death had nothing to do with him.
They only met once, which was last Tuesday through an introduction by Gu Qiaoqiao. As for what happened that Tuesday night, Xu Feng said he met a new friend; they drank and chatted, and he refused to disclose more, citing personal privacy, absolutely not mentioning how much fun he had.
Although he didnât say it, both Su Qing and Du Qiang knew what was going on. Moreover, as he said, the police indeed have no right to intervene in peopleâs private lives, unless there is evidence of illegal transactions involving prostitution.
Gu Qiaoqiao admitted it, but itâs been nearly a week; where is the evidence? As the saying goes, catch an adulterer in the act, apprehend a thief with the loot. Without catching it on the spot, Xu Feng wouldnât admit it, even if Gu admitted it, he would have a way to muddle through. Both he and Du Qiang knew this, so they merely asked a few simple questions.
Du Qiang finally nodded to him, indicating there was nothing more to ask, as the case was already very clear, and coming to Xu Feng was essentially unnecessary.
"Brother Qiang, if thereâs nothing else, why donât you head down first. Mind if I have a few words with Mr. Xu alone? Donât worry, not in an official capacity; itâs not during office hours." Su Qing said with a smile.
Du Qiang hesitated, as it was somewhat against protocol, but since Su Qing was merely a consultantânot directly under police jurisdictionâhe remained silent.
On hearing this, Xu Feng instinctively wanted to refuse, but he thought about it and nodded in agreement. After all, he was anxious, and instead of remaining uneasy, it might be better to talk and see what the other party wanted, so he could be prepared.
Seeing his agreement, Su Qing glanced at Du Qiang, and the two nodded at each other, then Du Qiang turned and left the room for the two of them.
After Du Qiang left, Xu Feng was the first to speak: "I wonder what Officer Su wants to talk about?"
"I already said not as an officer; just call me by name," Su Qing replied with a smile, continuing: "I wonder how Mr. Xuâs company is doing lately, certainly not easy holding on? What? Havenât you asked your affluent lady friend for more money?"
He shifted the conversation directly from the case to the company, leaving Xu Feng momentarily shocked, yet deeply surprised. He knew the companyâs situation, but it was not publicly disclosed, not even told to his current girlfriend, Wang Shanshan, so how did the person in front know?
"This tactic of getting information is new to meâjust asking directly?" Xu Feng remarked bluntly, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
In his view, such a straightforward approach was like a newbieâs, without any subtletyâwouldnât even some pretense work?
Looking at Su Qingâs age, he was further convinced of Su Qingâs inexperience; the only thing that worried him was how Su Qing learned about his companyâs issues.
On hearing this, Su Qing didnât beat around the bush: "You used my bossâs companyâs single channel to try to get a hold, hoping to make up for your companyâs financial shortfall, but wasnât it that your company is merely an empty shell now?
By the way, let me guess, did you try to pursue Shen Yi back then to carve a way out for your company? Itâs just that Shen Yi didnât fancy you, right?"
Hearing this, Xu Fengâs expression turned grim. Being seen through felt uncomfortable. At this point, he was already uneasy, because if the person in front knows, itâs clear that Shen Yi must also have suspicions, which he understood.
"What do you want to say?" Xu Feng asked, even though he was caught, he wouldnât admit it.
"Itâs nothing, I just wanted to let you know, initially you could have cut your losses and survived, but this time you might have to declare bankruptcy."
"Trying to scare me? When I first started doing business, you were probably still in elementary school."
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[Nine Five Eightâs heart trembled; he was a bit uncertain about his plan.]
Listening to the voice in his head, Su Qing couldnât help but laugh, "True, after all, Iâm still young and strong, at least not too soon. Hiss~~~ Nine Five Eight, do you think theyâd feel it, or maybe you finished and they havenât even started!"
Xu Feng: ...
Once again hitting a sore spot, his anger was almost uncontrollable, yet Su Qingâs way of speaking left him utterly confused.
With a foot in the air and one on the ground, one moment doubting his connection to a case, another moment mentioning problems with his company, and now even bringing up his physical flaws, left Xu Feng unsure of what the other party wanted.
Before Xu Feng could respond again, Su Qing continued, "Your girlfriendâs name is Wang Shanshan, right? The only daughter of Wang Zheng at West Suburb Jianyang Materials Company. What do you think will happen when he finds out you cheated money from his daughter? Will your companyâs tax issues remain under wraps then?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Feng immediately stood up, staring at him silently.
The funding problems at his company were something he was working to solve, but the tax issues were top secret, known only to himself; revealing this to anyone would be a bargaining chip.
The most crucial aspect was that his company now had no more funds, all invested in this contest with Shen Yi. If he won, everything would be back to normal; if he lost, he could break even and take other routes to maintain for a while, even recoup some losses. But not taxes, and now that an opponent knew, he didnât have any extra money for back taxes. This was an unsolvable problem.
Not to mention, the young man in front of him had already figured out Wang Shanshanâs identity, even knowing about him taking money from her.
"You investigated me?" Xu Feng said fiercely.
Su Qing shook his head, "Whatâs the big deal, know yourself and know your enemy, and youâll win a hundred battles. Havenât you ever investigated others? Didnât you investigate me when we first met? You think I didnât know? What, did you consider me an imaginary adversary?"
As he spoke, a layer of cold sweat appeared on Xu Fengâs forehead. With Su Qing speaking, it felt like he was exposed, standing there naked, without any secrets.
When he happened to meet Shen Yi at a restaurant and Su Qing appeared, after Xu Feng left, he had someone investigate him. Back then, he even considered pursuing Shen Yi, a matter known only to him and his assistant. He thought it was all unnoticed, but it turned out the person had already found out; what kind of identity and power was this?
"Who... who exactly are you?" Xu Feng asked with some fear. Su Qingâs display made him feel as if he had provoked someone significant, even if not a major figure, this person seemed not simple, especially considering his position as a police consultant, instantly filling Xu Feng with apprehension.
[Nine Five Eight is now intensely apprehensive about your identity, thinking you have already seen through his companyâs secrets, and is contemplating how to plug the tax leaky hole.]
"Just an ordinary young guy, why, did you think youâve been discreet? Donât be ridiculous. But I do want to see how you solve your companyâs tax problem. Hopefully, youâll hurry. Otherwise, when the relevant authorities come knocking and your company lacks liquidity, it might be seized directly." Su Qing stood up and spoke easily.
He intentionally let Xu Feng know they were aware of his companyâs tax issues, which would make him anxious and focus on solving this problem.
He wasnât worried about Xu Feng knowing because he didnât have the money to pay back taxes now; even selling his company wasnât something he could do quickly. When he couldnât produce the funds, he might end up inside.
As for evidence, it wasnât necessary; merely letting Xu Feng know was enough, he would fill in the blanks himself. After all, the issue was real, and a smart person like Xu Feng wouldnât take the risk, especially as they were adversaries.
"I always abide by the law; you neednât worry about that," Xu Feng replied flatly.
[Nine Five Eight is now in a hurry, thinking about borrowing money from his girlfriend Wang Shanshan, seeking loans from friends; in short, he urgently needs to raise funds.]
Hearing the voice saying this, he was suddenly reassured, as this was the outcome he wanted.
"If thatâs the case, Iâll be going then. Good luck!" With that, Su Qing turned to leave, but as he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and said:
"Boss Xu, tell me, if a manâs career is successful but he has issues in that area, might he be a bit perverted? Perhaps he has some peculiar hobbies, like spending money, indulging in BDSM, or using other means to fulfill his deviant desires?"
As he spoke, Su Qing suddenly turned back to look at Xu Feng, the topic looping back to Jiang Hong.
Faced with Su Qingâs sharp gaze, Xu Fengâs heart sank, but before he could speak, Su Qing smiled and said:
"When Jiang Hong left, her white nightgown was stained red with blood. If she could truly return as a vengeful ghost, I sincerely hope she could come back to see the person who made her suffer."
"Boss Xu, goodnight and pleasant dreams!"
...