The Brain Science Case 132

Chapter 132:

“Yes, I was just thinking, when are you going to be honest?” her index finger on her glasses, the sharp gaze behind the lenses was unconcealed.

“What do you mean?”

“You and Li Yuejiao have a private relationship, don’t you, Director? Otherwise, an incident like Zhou Jingxun’s revenge would not have happened for no reason.”

Zhou Zengxiang was silent, and Yingli continued, “Not only that, but I have a feeling that we have never seen the full list. Facing Li Yuejiao, who has already committed a shocking crime, are you still planning to remain silent, Director?”

Fang Zijun couldn’t help but call out, “Director…”

“I understand Dr. Tang’s request…” Zhou Zengxiang gritted his teeth slightly, and after a moment, he let out a breath and said, “I admit that I have had a lot of contact with Li Yuejiao in the past.”

“D-Director.”

Besides Yingli and Fang Zijun, everyone else in the room was shocked. He said seriously, “Li Yuejiao, she once worked for the National Security Bureau… at that time, she was an outstanding special agent, specializing in undercover investigation. The list she requested was actually the list of agents from her time.”

“But why didn’t we see her information on the list?”

“I deliberately removed it. Knowing that she was once an agent would not have been of immediate help to the investigation, especially since it is also a fact that she intends to recruit or kill those who were also once agents.”

“Y-o-u a-r-e w-r-o-n-g, Director.” Yingli glared at him. “This relationship is a great help. Because she has worked with these members on the list, she can use this connection to persuade others to cooperate with her… what kind of undercover work was she in charge of?”

“Infiltrating and controlling information from gangsters and the nightlife industry.”

“I see… wait.” She covered her mouth. “So behind ‘Givenchy’… could it be that it was specially established by the National Security Bureau, or even the government?”

Zhou Zengxiang’s expression told her everything. “We all know that men are especially likely to tell the truth when they’re drunk… and pillow talk too.”

“Even I, who studies the brain, don’t know if this is a male instinct or a flaw.” She sneered. “So that’s how she was able to have a large amount of funds… you really raised a tiger in your own backyard.”

“It was a necessary evil.”

“Ha, a necessary evil… since that club has your financial support, why don’t you just withdraw the money?”

“Even if we withdraw it, it won’t help. ‘Givenchy’ has been in business for so many years, and it has already established a firm foothold. And Li Yuejiao has already secretly completed the transfer of ownership. The management and ownership are all in the hands of the current owner.” And Tan Ziying was completely on Li Yuejiao’s side.

She supported herself on the desk, looked around, and then returned to Zhou Zengxiang. “Alright, that’s all for her identity. What about you? What’s your explanation for your connection with her?”

Zhou Zengxiang stared at Li Yuejiao’s photo on the whiteboard, lost in thought. After a while, he finally, as if in defeat, blurted out, “I was once her direct superior. She worked under me until she took over ‘Givenchy’ and completely changed her identity.”

“D-D-Direct superior.” Chen Huomu couldn’t help but blurt out.

She raised an eyebrow. “Is there anything else?”

“That’s all I can say.” Zhou Zengxiang shook his head. “As for what missions we did together, that’s all classified. Knowing this should be enough, right? You can already understand why she’s targeting me and my family for revenge.”

“Ah, alright.” She lowered her head, her lips lightly tapping in thought.

“Director, if this news gets out to the media…” Fang Zijun trailed off.

“Yes, our special task force… no, including the entire Criminal Investigation Bureau, and even the National Security Bureau and other agencies, will probably be under a lot of pressure.”

The moment Zhou Zengxiang finished speaking, the entire team room was in a dead silence. What broke the silence was a phone call.

He answered with unconcealed surprise. “Yes, Director-General…” he answered in a low voice and left the team room, leaving behind the team members who were looking at each other.

“To have such a big case… it’s no wonder the Director-General called to check. Especially since the director has such a relationship with the mastermind…” Cai Yuwei said intermittently, and the atmosphere continued to be low.

“Once this kind of thing is exposed, the first to bear the brunt will be us, who are in charge of this case, and the director, who has worked with Li Yuejiao.” Yingli immediately thought of another possibility. “Once Li Yuejiao’s identity is exposed… I’m afraid even Officer Zhou will not be at peace.”

“That’s right. Jinglin is the mastermind’s…”

Standing in front of the whiteboard, Yingli added a note next to Li Yuejiao’s headshot, “Zhou Zengxiang.” “Wait a minute, Teacher, you’re writing that…”

“Understanding the interpersonal relationships is the first step to grasping the motive,” she marked the relationship between the two as former National Security Bureau and superior-subordinate, “but even so…” the whiteboard pen paused, “I still can’t see why Li Yuejiao would go to the trouble of killing Wei Yumin to get the information in the safe. Was her family involved in the turmoil of the martial law period? Were her parents political prisoners… no, if that were the case, she would never have been able to get into the National Security Bureau.”

“Since she and the director were once superior and subordinate, it means the director has a certain understanding of her, right? Why did their positions have a 180-degree turn?” Chen Huomu asked in confusion.

“It’s not a disagreement in ideals, it’s probably a purge. But she doesn’t look like a target of a purge at all… so it must have been some event that caused a conflict in ideals between her and the unit.” Her black-painted nails lightly tapped the whiteboard, and she frowned. “What was it? And… I’ve noticed that so far, every time Li Yuejiao has appeared, she has been wearing an all-white suit.”

At this, everyone’s eyes widened and they stared at her.

“Right? Kidnapping Dr. Su, asking the director for a list… even when she was having plastic surgery.” and when Jinglin had seen her outside the “Givenchy” shop, Li Yuejiao had always appeared in a snow-white attire. “White… is she trying to hint at something with this image?”

“Teacher, with the current clues, can you write a criminal profile of Li Yuejiao?”

“Ah, I can…” she smiled, “but whether I can use this to predict her next move, or to determine her hiding place, that’s hard to say.”

His face immediately darkened. “Is that so?”

“It’s fine. I’ll still write it… by the way, Officer Jian.”

“Yes.”

“Can you please try to get the information on Li Yuejiao’s time at the National Security Bureau? I believe that before she ‘became’ the Li Yuejiao we know, she must have changed her identity several times. The details of the missions she has been on… if you can, find them all.”

Jian Minggui looked troubled. “This kind of information… without a certain level of authority, it’s probably very difficult to get.”

“But we’re investigating a case now,” she crossed her arms, “in any case, try it.”

“Hey.” Fang Zijun’s phone rang, and he answered, his expression becoming bright. “Oh, the results are out… okay, I understand.” He looked up at everyone. “The rifling mark test results are out.”

“How is it?”

“The results match.” He nodded. “It’s exactly the same as the bullet that hit the director before.”

Now, the evidence was conclusive.

**

Through a temporary press conference held by the Director-General of the National Police Agency, which was broadcast on several TV stations, it was broadcast at seven in the evening on the day of the incident.

In the press conference, besides mentioning Wei Yumin’s qualifications and praising him as an outstanding retired official, he also severely condemned the culprit who had planned the crime. The police had already set up a special task force and had tracked down the identity of the culprit. Although the motive for the crime was still not very clear, in the end, he still clearly stated that the police were working hard to investigate and emphasized their determination to solve the case.

“Could it be related to the case of the councilor Wei being kidnapped before?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Hey, they’ve already said that a special task force was set up before. What other one was set up besides that?”

Jinglin, who was eating, heard her colleagues’ mouths keep pointing at Tang Yingli’s seat, and her gaze couldn’t help but follow.

“Hey, be quiet. The teacher and the others are back…”

Yingli returned to her seat to organize her things, and a moment later, Chen Huomu approached and talked to her. She nodded, and when she turned, her eyes happened to meet Jinglin’s.

She raised an eyebrow, and Jinglin, who had understood, quickly finished her dinner.

The two of them left the office one after another. As soon as Yingli entered the parking lot, the anxious Jinglin asked bluntly, “So what happened?”

“Don’t be in such a hurry. We’ll talk in the car.”

The colleagues at the station still had the impression that their relationship had cooled, and the two of them didn’t bother to explain, but in private, their interaction had long since returned to normal.

After this turmoil, the only “benefit” Yingli could think of was that she no longer had to hide the progress of the “Mountain Wind” investigation from Jinglin. And Jinglin had also promised that as long as she could get the latest information, she would agree to discuss it with Yingli before taking any action.

To her, this was probably the biggest concession Jinglin could make. And Yingli also knew that rather than letting her run around like a headless chicken, it was better to ensure that Jinglin’s actions were within her grasp through an exchange of information.

“Was that really my mom who committed the crime?”

As soon as she closed the car door, Jinglin grabbed her hand excitedly. She took a deep breath. “I saw the news footage. Even though it was censored… the scene must have been very bloody, right? It was almost like an execution.”

“Yes, I won’t go into the details. You can get the autopsy report yourself after it’s out. I’ll just say that a bullet was left at the scene, and the rifling marks…” she bit her lip, “are exactly the same as the one that was taken from the director before.”

So it was the same gun. This is ironclad proof.

“The other police officers have also left work. Let’s go first…” Yingli buckled her seatbelt, but Jinglin was still in shock. “Officer Zhou?”

“Are you sure… she did it herself?”

“From the traces at the scene, the possibility is very high.”

Jinglin’s hands trembled as she started the engine. “Also,” Yingli pushed up her glasses, “there’s one suspicious point about your aunt’s identity that has finally been confirmed.”

“What confirmation?”

“We’ll talk on the way… or do you want me to drive?”

Jinglin bit her lip and shook her head. “No, I can.” The small white car quickly backed out of the parking space and left the parking lot.

Joining the traffic, Yingli kept an eye on her condition and then told her what Zhou Zengxiang had confessed.

“She was a secret agent.” Jinglin’s heart suddenly sank. “You’re not kidding, are you?”

“I don’t think so.” Yingli had wondered before how a club owner could have accurately shot Zhou Zengxiang in the shoulder with just one shot. And from the way she had cut off his fingers and pulled the trigger, it was not hard to imagine what kind of rigorous training she had been through. “The director once said she was very outstanding. I’m sure your aunt is not only skilled in combat, but her psychological quality is also superhuman.”

Jinglin suddenly smiled, her hands on the steering wheel trembling. “I had no, no idea she had this kind of experience… and now it’s you who’s telling me. It’s just… so ironic.”

“But in this way, your aunt’s concealment of you also has the best explanation… her experience and her past are too complicated. And you just happened to choose a profession that is completely opposite to her position.”

“When I chose to take the police exam, she didn’t stop me.”

“You’re not the type to give up just because someone stops you.” At this, Jinglin was suddenly speechless. Yingli smiled. “Like mother, like daughter.”

“You’re right about that… oh.”

With a mixture of apprehension and contradiction, Jinglin returned to Yingli’s residence. In the elevator, she was still in shock.

“Are you better?”

“My own mother committed such a crime. How could I be better?” she wiped her face, “what’s next? Are you guys going to put a bounty on her and thoroughly investigate her whereabouts?”

“That’s what they say, but it’s not easy to pinpoint their exact whereabouts.”

“What about Wu Jianxiong? He has a company.”

Yingli’s mouth was slightly open. “Ah, that’s another place we can start. But I think your aunt must have been well-prepared when she decided to commit the crime.”

“How will we know if we don’t try?”

“That’s true.”

Opening the door, Yingli casually took two bottles of sparkling water from the fridge.

“Thank you.” Jinglin took a big gulp and then let out a loud hiccup.

“Drink slowly.” Yingli said with a smile.

“Besides killing someone, my mom also took something, right?” The news had mentioned that the victim’s safe had been emptied.

“Yes, this incident can be seen as a continuation of the previous kidnapping of the councilor, where the goal was not achieved. The director was once your aunt’s direct superior, and although he was unwilling to reveal the details of their work before, it can be expected that they had a conflict in ideals.”

She gave a wry smile. “Wait… my mom went from a club owner to a secret agent… and the director was once her direct superior? I really can’t imagine.”

“Yes, but it’s a fact.” Taking a sip of the cold sparkling water, Yingli suddenly thought of another suspicious point. “Officer Zhou, do you know what your aunt usually wears… does she have a particular preference for white?”

“White?” another hiccup. She covered her mouth. “What do you mean?”

“Ever since ‘Mountain Wind’ began to act, your aunt has always appeared in a white suit. Whether it was at the cosmetic surgery clinic, when she kidnapped Dr. Su, or when she met you at ‘Givenchy’… I was just wondering if this outfit is trying to convey some kind of message.”

Jinglin frowned. “White… white… no.”

“You mean she doesn’t have a particular preference?”

“No, I mean I have no impression of my mom ever wearing white clothes.”

Yingli was taken aback. “Not a single one?”

“I remember so.” Jinglin put down her sparkling water. “Do you want to check? Whether it’s my rental place or my new home in Taoyuan, her clothes are still there.”

Her index finger on her glasses, after a moment’s hesitation, Yingli immediately nodded. “Okay, let’s go and check.”

“Let’s go.”

**

Opening the closet, her fingers lightly slid over each hanger.

As a club owner, Li Yuejiao had so many clothes that she needed a dedicated large closet to store them, and because she was slender, many of her clothes were specially tailored.

Among the many clothes, only one was a gift from someone else.

She reached out and took out the dress, which was covered in a dust cover, and unzipped it. “Ah… although the style is a little outdated,” she stroked the collar and spread it out in the light, “just looking at it, I can’t help but think of the past.”

Li Yuejiao rolled up the cheongsam and took it with her. As she walked to the living room, she couldn’t help but look at the coffee table, where there was a photo of her and her daughter. The corners of her lips lifted, and she quietly left.