Genius Detective

Editor Zhuo Xuan rejected. "No, if you have something to ask me, just say it!"

Chen Shi smiled, "It’s just a chat. Police are people too.”

"What are you doing here? Are you looking at our film? What do you think about the editing?”

"Well, I don't feel anything. I don't know much about montages or cutting videos."

Zhuo Xuan seemed to be quite satisfied with this answer. "That’s right. You shouldn’t be able to see the traces if the editing is good. You don't even know what it was like when it came to me. I had to cut and edit it bit by bit. Everyone else is a joke. What screenwriter? Director? Videographer? If you really gave them a script and asked them to shoot, they wouldn’t even know where to start. Only I have been studying editing techniques and picking up this dog shit for practice. My editing skills will allow me to go to a regular film company to apply for a job, if I do say so myself.”

"No wonder you don't want to be with them anymore."

"Birds of a feather flock together."

Chen Shi gave him a cigarette and Zhuo Xuan said a word of thanks. Chen Shi noticed that he used his left hand and asked, "Do you know who in the company is closest to Lu Zhendong?"

"It’s definitely not me. I never tried to associate with him. I just do my own work... Little Li, Little Xu, and Little Ma. They all have a good relationship with Boss Lu."

"So good that they would go to his house to play?"

Zhuo Xuan immediately showed caution in his eyes and said, "This should be regarded as a kind of corporate culture. Boss Lu would let the well-performing employees go to his mansion for dinner. Those fucking idiots felt like it was such a priviledge. I never ever went to those."

"Where were you on the evening of February 2nd?"

"Police officer, you really are straightforward. I was playing games at home."

"Then, what size of shoes do you wear?"

"Size 40."

"Okay, let’s exchange contact information. I will find you if needed."

Zhuo Xuan took out his mobile phone and gave his number. His mobile phone was then placed back into the left pocket.

Zhuo Xuan said, "I don't think we’ll see each other again. This matter doesn’t have anything to do with me. I need to go. I have an interview at a film company.”

"Good luck."

When he went back into the private room, Xu Xiaodong had already finished watching the copy of the film. He was panting on the sofa and moaning. "Mental pollution. I don't want to do this kind of work anymore."

"Let’s go and visit the heroine of this film."

Xu Xiaodong became energetic almost immediately. "Okay! The heroine is a beautiful woman!"

Chen Shi called Cheng Yan. Cheng Yan said that she was not at home. She was auditioning at a drama club. The two men rushed there directly and sat in the audience seats.

Cheng Yan dressed herself very beautifully today and went on stage to say hello to the judges. A judge asked her what her talents were. Cheng Yan said that she would sing, so she sang a song.

Cheng Yan’s singing could only be said to be average. The judges handed over a book and told her to read the lines.

So, she read aloud passionately. "Ah, love is like a candle. It gives you light and it will be blown out with a gust of wind. Love is like a bird, to decorate the scenery. It will fly away when the weather changes…”

Xu Xiaodong said, "She’s talking about herself!"

The judges exchanged opinions and told her to head back and wait for their notice. Cheng Yan curtsied and left.

Chen Shi waved to her and Cheng Yan walked over as she asked, "Is Lu Zhendong really dead?"

"Yes, we’re investigating this case at the moment. This can’t be leaked for the time-being."

"What do you want to ask? I’ll tell you everything I know.”

"We have been to his film company. They said that Lu Zhendong had been pursuing you recently but you never accepted. Was there such a thing?"

"Frankly, he is not the type I like at all. Even if he has money at home, I can't raise any interest in him."

“Some people say that you like girls? Is it an excuse?”

Cheng Yan glared at him. "Uncle, what era is it? Can you not be so awful? Do you have to label people’s sexual orientation? The person I like hasn’t appeared yet. It isn’t important to me whether they’re male or female. I just know that when I first see them, I’ll know that their heart will belong to me.”

Xu Xiaodong interjected, "Miss Cheng, I think your usual performance is a lot less stiff than your performance in movies."

"Is this nonsense? This is true to me. Do you know what a performance is? A performance is when you express joys, sorrows and the like externally. I know I still need practice and training in this acting thing. After all, I’m still young and my life experiences are limited.”

"Does Miss Cheng have a dream?"

"Of course! To be a big celebrity, just like Fan Bingbing[1]. I want to be the object of people’s obscene thoughts… Oh excuse me!” Cheng Yan hid her flushed cheeks behind her hands.

"Let's talk about the case, okay?" Chen Shi sighed.

"Go ahead."

"When was the last time you saw Lu Zhendong?"

Cheng Yan reached out and scratched her arm. She said, "About half a month ago. We went to the suburbs for a scene and the company crew was there as well.”

"You haven’t had contact with him ever since?"

"No."

"Is he not pursuing you?"

Cheng Yan scratched her arm again. Her sleeve was semi-translucent and Chen Shi noticed that the skin underneath was a bit red and swollen. Cheng Yan bit her lip and said, "No. Maybe he knew he couldn’t get me, so he backed off. He’s not a clingy sort of man anyway.”

Chen Shi looked at her face. "You don’t look very well."

"I have been busy with auditions recently and there’s been heat in my body[2], so I haven’t had a good rest."

"Why do you audition?"

"Police officer, are you talking nonsense? I’m looking for a job to support myself!"

"But didn’t you sign a contract with that film company?"

Cheng Yan panicked and said, "That money is not enough. There isn’t much to do right now anyway. I came out to look for a job. I didn’t break the law, right?”

"Thank you, we’ll take our leave now!"

After the two left and got in the car, Chen Shi took out a cigarette. Xu Xiaodong asked, "Brother Chen, where to next?"

"We wait!"

"Wait? What are we waiting for?"

"Leave some suspense!"

Cheng Yan came out from the drama club and walked very quickly away. Chen Shi started the car to catch up to her. She then entered an Internet cafe. Chen Shi and Xu Xiaodong also went up and watched from far away.

Xu Xiaodong said, "She is searching the web."

After waiting for five minutes, Cheng Yan continued to stare at the webpage without moving.

After waiting for another twenty minutes, something seemed to have popped up on the page. She typed a few words and then continued to stare at the screen.

Chen Shi said, "It’s a private message window of a forum or social media page. Can you see which website it is?"

"I can't see clearly!"

In the next half hour, Cheng Yan sent a total of more than a dozen messages, then turned off the webpage and shut the computer down. She waited until the computer screen went completely black before she checked out.

Chen Shi sneered. Sometimes questioning didn’t matter. Observing the attitude and actions of the person in question often gave more information. Chen Shi pondered, "She has a mobile phone, but she didn’t communicate with someone using it. Rather, she had to go to an Internet cafe to contact them.”

"Brother Chen, do you think there’s something she’s hiding in the shadows? But what did she say?"

"It is enough to know that she is suspicious. It’s time to go back!"

---

1. Chinese actress, model, producer and singer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_Bingbing

2. It’s not like she’s getting hot in a temperature sense. She’s saying that she’s just had a lot of “hot” foods/lack of sleep. This was explained in the early chapters.

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