Stuck in a Chinese novel - Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Investigation (1)
Chapter 29

Chen Xian entered Wei Jun’s office and reported, “Young master, the auction for tomorrow is set. However…” He hesitated at this point. He had noticed the lack of interest his master had shown in his fiancée over the last few days. He would even treat her like a nuisance.

“What is it?” Wei Jun asked.

“It is actually about the dinner tomorrow.” Chen Xian replied.

“I don’t have any plans tomorrow.” Wei Jun said.

“Actually it is a message from the family head. He says that tomorrow is the dinner with the Yu family and everybody is to be present.” Chen Xian reported.

Wei Jun’s mood instantly turned distasteful. He wanted to make money through tomorrow’s auction but a dinner wasn’t something money could be made through.

“Tell the family head I apologize. I am busy these days with work. Besides, more important work starts Monday.” Wei Jun instructed Chen Xian. Although usually, Chen Xian would have advised against it, his master wasn’t usual nowadays so he did as he was told. Chen Xian left and Wei Jun busied himself with work and planning.

After a short while Chen Xian returned and said, “Young Master, there is a detective outside. He says he wishes to meet you regarding some case.”

Wei Jun didn’t worry about it and asked Chen Xian to let him in. The detective came in, dressed in jeans and an open shirt with a t-shirt underneath.

“Good evening, Mister Ruan. I am Zhao Hui, a homicide detective. If Mister Ruan doesn’t mind, may I ask you a few questions regarding a case?” Zhao Hui introduced himself and asked politely.

Zhao Hui was troubled. After a thorough checkup on Wei Jun, he had connected him with two murder crimes yet when he applied for a warrant for proper questioning, it was denied. After all, the evidence was circumstantial. And it wasn’t much to pin it on him in the first place. That left him no choice but to politely ask him questions and somehow using wordplay, make Wei Jun mess up which would allow him to apply for a warrant.

He was confident he could make Wei Jun slip in his statements, after all, he was quite young. Zhao Hui could easily mold the questions and find a way to involve him somehow.

“You have five minutes.” Wei Jun curtly replied while still focused on the papers on his table. Zhao Hui was taken aback at this attitude. Usually, when a detective comes like that, the youngsters or the guilty would show some sort of nervousness yet Wei Jun was far from that. Let alone nervous, he wasn’t even taking this subject seriously.

“I… I see.” Zhao Hui was speechless, so he got to it. He first began with the murder case a few days before where Wei Jun’s car had been spotted.

“Are you familiar with a motel in the hills, Sundown Motel?” Zhao Hui took a seat and asked.

“Yes. I was there on this Saturday.” Wei Jun replied, still busy with the documents on the table. Once again, Zhao Hui was taken aback. Usually, a murderer would deny being there and Zhao Hui would have then shown him the pictures of the CCTV of the motel to trap Wei Jun but Wei Jun accepted he was there.

“I see.” Once again, Zhao Hui was speechless but not all was lost. “Do you know there was a case of murder when you were there?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t stay there for long.” Wei Jun replied.

“How long were you there for?” Zhao Hui asked since the CCTV feed showed Wei Jun to be there for about twenty minutes.

“I have no perfect recollection but it must have been about ten to twenty minutes.” Wei Jun replied, exactly according to the camera feed.

“What were you doing there?” Zhao Hui asked.

“I felt like driving that day so I took my car to the hillside area. However, I got lost and my GPS wasn’t working so when I saw a motel, I stopped by to get directions.” Wei Jun replied, still not properly paying attention to Zhao Hui.

“Quite a long time to just ask for directions.” Zhao Hui remarked, thinking he had trapped him.

“That’s because there was no one at the reception. I had to wait quite a while because it was my only option.” Wei Jun gave a plausible reason that even Zhao Hui couldn’t deny.

“Can you describe the appearance of the man who gave you directions?” Zhao Hui asked, thinking he had lost this case.

“Yes. It was a large bulky man. If I remember correctly, he had a scar beneath his left eye. It was quite striking. I could be wrong of course since I didn’t pay much attention and could be confusing him with someone else.” Wei Jun gave true and false information at the same time but also explained his reason for the false information.

Bulkiness was common but he could have seen the scar on someone else and was simply confusing it with the receptionist.

Zhao Hui was now sure he had totally lost. There was nothing putting Wei Jun at the scene with his full cooperation and all his explanations were plausible. Not to mention, no killer would describe the details so honestly.

“You have two minutes left.” Wei Jun said while Zhao Hui was in inner turmoil. He snapped out of it and asked, “Do you happen to be familiar with the name ‘The Club’?”

“No, I don’t.” Wei Jun replied.

“It is a strip club.” Zhao Hui said.

“I see. I don’t go to strip clubs frequently and those I do go to; I don’t bother remembering their names. It’s not like I’m there for the names.” Wei Jun replied.

“Where were you yesterday, between 9:30 and 10:00?” Zhao Hui asked.

“I was out. I had to pick up a prospect I’m trying to hire. He was supposed to be here at nine but I called him and found out that he was somewhere unknown because he was drinking last night. I don’t know how he ended there in the middle of nowhere but I had to go pick him up. Then I left him at a motel to ask him to clean up and meet me at the office by six.” Wei Jun gave a very detailed explanation that he had coordinated with Xiao Heiling.

“I see. Can I confirm that alibi?” Zhao Hui asked.

“Of course. But only in the presence of a lawyer. I can’t risk you pinning something on an actor of mine. He has a questionable history.” Wei Jun agreed and disagreed at the same time.

“Then please send him to the police station.” Zhao Hui said as he prepared to ask more questions only to be interrupted by Wei Jun.

“I will. And your five minutes are up. If you have any further questions, please schedule an appointment for a meeting with me.” Wei Jun kept his head down and kept on checking various documents while signing them.

Zhao Hui had no choice so he nodded and left after a greeting. When Zhao Hui left, Wei Jun didn’t show any reaction and still kept himself busy.

[I’m curious about something, host]

‘What?’ Wei Jun replied while still busy with the documents.

[You don’t go to strip clubs so why did you say you did]

‘Let’s face it. I’m in the body of a spoiled waste. There’s no way he hadn’t been to a strip club. If I had said I wasn’t, the detective could have pinned lying on me. If I could lie about one thing, I could have lied about others. So it is safe to remain on the side that I have been to the strip clubs.’ Wei Jun explained his reasoning.

[What if the previous owner had never been to a strip club?]

‘In that case, the possibility that I had been there secretly couldn’t be denied. Besides, I have money. I can ask any strip club manager to say that I was a frequent visitor should the need ever arise.’ Wei Jun relayed the solution to that possibility as well.

Regardless to say, Wei Jun was prepared through and through. As if he had done this thousands of times.

After a few minutes, Xiao Chen entered, curious about all of this but Wei Jun didn’t say anything. Instead, he shoved the papers he had on his table in Xiao Chen’s hand and instructed, “Book these venues for the next month. The shooting begins next Thursday. As for the actors that I have selected, call them to the villa on Monday. Prepare a hearty meal for them. Also, schedule a meeting with Xia Lu. Ask her if she can come here. If she can’t, then set an appointment at a good restaurant.” Wei Jun instructed.

Xiao Chen nodded but he didn’t leave. He seemed to be hesitating to say something.

“What is it?” Wei Jun asked.

“I have relayed your message to the family head but he is insistent that your presence is a must tomorrow.” Xiao Chen responded, a worried expression on his face.

“Did you tell him I was busy?” Wei Jun asked.

“Yes.” Xiao Chen swiftly replied.

“Then it can’t be helped. What are the timings of dinner and the auction?” Wei Jun asked.

“The dinner is scheduled at 8 pm while the auction begins at 10 pm sharp.” Xiao Chen replied.

Wei Jun nodded and instructed Xiao Chen to leave while he dialed a number on his phone.