Chapter 78: The Lonely Killer – 3
“Huh, me?”
Facing this sudden mission, Zhou Jinglin was a little surprised. “Was it the director himself who appointed me?”
“Yes. You remember the case where the scholar killed his assistant and then committed suicide, right?” Seeing her nod, Fang Zijun continued, “This time, the director’s daughter received an email, and it’s from the same person who sent the threatening letters to that mad professor.”
“What’s wrong with the director’s daughter? Could it be that the culprit’s target is actually the director?”
“We’ve thought of that too, but considering her special identity, for now, we’re still focusing on her.”
“Special identity?”
Fang Zijun smiled and took out a group photo of Keys. “You should know them, right?”
Zhou Jinglin nodded vigorously. “Is the director’s daughter in this group?”
“Yes, this one, Zhou Jingxun.”
Her gaze focused on the pretty girl. “So it’s her.” Fang Zijun secretly watched her reaction and saw her smile unconsciously. “Oh, so the director has a star daughter. He must be very proud.”
“Yes, they’re coming to Taiwan for a concert this spring festival.”
“I know, I know. Ah Wei was so happy when he got a ticket at noon… ah.” She covered her mouth, trying to hide her gaffe. “I didn’t say anything.”
“Even though it was a lunch break, it’s a bit much to be trying to get tickets in the office.” He put on a slightly stern face. “Oh, forget it. In any case, Ah Mu has already brought her back to the bureau.”
“Oh?”
“So, your mission is to stay by her side and protect her from now until she goes back to Korea.”
From now on… “That’s two weeks.” The concert was after the new year.
“Yes. Of course, to avoid you getting too tired, we will arrange for two other people to take turns with you, and we will be in constant contact by radio…”
“W-Wait a minute, Chief.” She suddenly looked troubled. “By protection, do you mean like a bodyguard, following her everywhere?”
“If possible.”
“Then what about my duties?”
“If it’s a case you’re in charge of, I’ll have Ah Wei and the new guy, Xiangrong, take over. Don’t worry.”
But she was in charge of more than just general cases. He saw Zhou Jinglin’s hesitation. “What’s wrong? Are there other difficulties?”
“I guess so…” she shrank her neck and asked without much hope, “are there any other candidates?”
Fang Zijun shook his head definitively. “You are the most outstanding female detective in our division… I thought of the teacher, but she’s not on the payroll.”
And Zhou Jingxun was a girl, so it was impossible to have a man follow her…
So she was the most suitable and “only” candidate.
Realizing this, Zhou Jinglin couldn’t help but close her eyes and whisper, “I just found a guesthouse I like…” My heart is bleeding.
“Hm?”
“Uh, it’s nothing.” She touched her forehead, helplessly accepting the fact that her new year holiday was ruined. “Then… where is Miss Zhou now? Can I meet her?”
“I’ll ask for you.” Fang Zijun immediately called the director’s secretary. “By the way,” while waiting for the call to connect, he asked, “Jinglin, have you met the director?”
“Not yet. Did the director say he wanted to see me?”
“Is that so? Not at the moment. I’ll let you know if he does… hello.” The call connected, and he asked the secretary, but got an unexpected answer. “What? The director’s daughter… ran away.”
He was dumbfounded, and the news continued to come in. “She just ran out the main door… okay, I understand.” Hanging up the phone, he and Zhou Jinglin looked at each other. “Not good. The director and his daughter had an argument, probably because she’s resisting his arrangements… she just left.”
“I’ll go after her immediately.”
“I’ll leave it to you. I’ll send others to support you.” Fang Zijun immediately turned on the radio. “Attention, everyone. There’s an emergency…”
Glancing at the beautiful face in the photo again, Zhou Jinglin tied her ponytail tighter and turned to leave.
**
At two in the afternoon, Su Huiquan got up from her lounge chair, took off her eye mask, and prepared to face her patient.
Three minutes later, the nurse informed her that the patient who had made an appointment had arrived. “I understand… please have her go to the lounge. I’ll be there shortly.”
The screen displayed the patient’s personal information and the cosmetic procedure she intended to have—of course, she had an absolute obligation to protect her patient’s privacy.
She put on her white coat and turned off her phone to avoid being disturbed, then took the private passage from the director’s office to the lounge.
The automatic door slid open, and as Su Huiquan stepped in, she was unexpectedly startled by a man standing by the door.
The man was in a sharp suit, but it still couldn’t hide his gangster vibe. He stared at her with sharp eyes, as if sizing her up.
A bodyguard? She nodded with a polite smile and turned to the middle-aged woman sitting on the sofa. “Miss Li? A pleasure to meet you.”
She was the patient who had made an appointment for surgery. According to her file, she was the wife of a city councilor from Tainan, and she had already spoken to her on the phone. She had said she had come because of her reputation. The procedures she wanted to have this time were not only micro-cosmetic surgery, but also a scar removal surgery on her abdomen.
She must have been injured or had surgery recently to request such a procedure. Su Huiquan only expressed her understanding and did not ask any further questions.
“You are Dr. Su?” The councilor’s wife took off her hat and sunglasses, her bare eyes looking her up and down. “As expected of the director of a cosmetic surgery clinic. Your figure and appearance are so well-maintained. I’m so envious.”
Su Huiquan was in her late forties, but she looked like a woman in her late thirties. She was quite confident in her appearance, but it was rare to receive such a direct compliment from a patient.
“You’re the one. Miss Li is more qualified to be called a ‘beautiful witch’ than I am.”
“You’re too kind.” She touched her abdomen as she stood up, her posture a little strained, and handed her hat and other things to the man next to her. Su Huiquan reached out to help her, but she gently waved her away. “Without further ado, let’s get started, shall we?”
Even though the patient showed a hint of inexplicable hostility, Su Huiquan remained calm and smiled. “The operating room is ready. Please follow me.”
Her gaze was locked on Su Huiquan, and the corners of her lips lifted.
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
**
‘The number you have dialed is not responding…’
“What on earth is Mom doing?” Zhou Jingxun gritted her teeth and hung up, putting on a mask and continuing to run toward the MRT station.
This is ridiculous… ridiculous. Why would Mom agree? On the one hand, she was completely baffled, and on the other hand, she had a vague feeling that the attitude of the entertainment company, and even her mother, had long been controlled by Zhou Zengxiang.
Setting aside the company, facing the powerful and domineering Zhou Zengxiang, they would very likely hand over the responsibility and right to protect her to her parents.
But what about Mom? Why was she so submissive? And from the moment she had landed until now, she had not been able to have direct contact with her mother.
Su Huiquan had never been a silent, submissive traditional woman. In her memory, her parents’ relationship had never been very good, and the memory of them closing the door and arguing when she had insisted on going to Korea to pursue her dream was even more deeply ingrained in her heart. She and Zhou Jingting had both thought it was a miracle they hadn’t divorced.
Her parents, who had so many disagreements on how to raise their children, were now in rare agreement.
Although the nurse and her brother had both said her mom was in surgery, and it shouldn’t be wrong, she still felt that something was amiss.
A flash of yellow caught her eye. It was a taxi. She decisively waved her hand.
As soon as she got in the car, the strong smell of betel nut hit her, and Zhou Jingxun felt nauseous, but there were detectives chasing her from behind.
“Hello, miss. Where to?”
“Just drive.”
As the driver stepped on the gas, the group of people was immediately left behind. Zhou Jingxun let out a temporary sigh of relief. “Please take me here.” The phone screen showed the exact location of the cosmetic surgery clinic.
While waiting at a red light, the driver turned to confirm, and as luck would have it, the phone rang, and the caller’s profile picture clearly popped up.
Choi Eun-hee. The member of Keys she was closest to. She immediately pulled it back. “Hello?” she answered in Korean.
‘Jingxun.’ Choi Eun-hee’s voice was cheerful. ‘You should have arrived, right? How’s the weather in Taiwan…’
“Uh, it’s not bad.” She forced a smile. “Eun-hee, I’m a little busy right now… can we talk later?”
‘Oh, okay. Call me when you’re done. Remember.’
“I know. Goodbye.” She quickly hung up and met the driver’s almost rude gaze. “Uh… do you need to see it again?”
“I know that place. Please buckle up.” The light turned green, and he lightly stepped on the gas and pressed the central lock.
He gave a mischievous smile. “We’ll be there soon.”
Meanwhile, Chen Huomu, who was a step behind, shouted in frustration, “She got in a taxi.”
Zhou Jinglin heard the license plate number through her earpiece and turned to run to her car. “Senior, which direction did she go?”
‘City Hall Station.’
Starting the engine, the small car smoothly pulled out of the parking lot, and the other service vehicles also set out one after another.
‘Colleagues, this is Zhou Zengxiang.’
This voice… is it the director? *‘The places Jingxun would go are no more than her mother’s cosmetic surgery clinic, her home, and a few other specific locations. At most, a few of her old friends’ houses.
‘We are not yet sure in what way, when, or where the culprit will appear. All these unknown factors, plus her lack of cooperation, have caused everyone a lot of trouble. I apologize to everyone for that.’ Zhou Zengxiang took a deep breath and said sincerely, ‘In any case, nothing can happen to Jingxun. Her safety… I’ll have to trouble everyone to take care of it.’
After a few crackles, the voice changed to Fang Zijun’s. ‘You all heard that. The director has spoken. We absolutely cannot let him down. I will now divide you into groups. Everyone, go to your assigned targets and search…’
Zhou Jinglin frowned and accelerated through the intersection before the light changed.
**
Based on the license plate number Chen Huomu had seen, they quickly found the owner of the vehicle.
“He’s not part of a fleet. I’ll try to contact him directly.”
Cai Yuwei quickly typed in the phone number on the screen. The signal connected, but after about ten seconds of ringing, he shook his head. “No answer.”
“Try again.” Fang Zijun turned to the two assistants. “Have you contacted them?” One of them was contacting the entertainment company, and the other was calling Zhou Jingxun.
“I got through. The company said…”
“I can’t get through.” The assistant in charge of contacting Zhou Jingxun shook her head. “She hung up once, and then her phone was turned off.”
“I remember it’s not that easy to hail a taxi here,” Zhou Zengxiang said to Fang Zijun. “Of course, we can’t rule out that a car happened to be passing by, but for Jingxun to have just left the entrance and immediately run into an empty car without calling for one…”
“Ah Wei, don’t bother calling.” Fang Zijun picked up the radio. “Colleagues, we now have a high suspicion that that taxi… was very likely a setup by the culprit.”
