Stuck in a Chinese novel - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Under suspicion
Chapter 36

“Morning, Mister Ruan,” Zhao Hui greeted as he entered the office at ten am exactly. He had arrived fifteen minutes ago when he saw some people leaving the office. He recognized only one and he was surprised to see her there given she and Wei Jun had a previous history that wasn’t so secretive.

“Detective. We meet again.” Wei Jun replied as he closed the files in front of him.

“Not going to halfheartedly deal with me today?” Zhao Hui questioned since the last time they met, Wei Jun kept most of his focus on the paperwork.

“You have a proper appointment this time.” Wei Jun simply replied as he directed Xiao Chen to bring in some tea.

“So detective, what brings you here today?” Wei Jun asked once Xiao Chen left.

Zhao Hui took a moment to notice every detail about Wei Jun before he answered, “I met with your actor who also acted as your alibi. Everything checks out. Everything except for one thing.”

“And that would be?” Wei Jun asked.

“He has a history with the gang that was murdered. Very long history.” Zhao Hui spoke suggestively.

Wei Jun chuckled as he replied, “I assure you he can’t even snatch a candy from a child let alone murder a room full of gangsters. And not to mention, he was with me.”

Zhao Hui raised his prepared point here, “And you are the only alibi he has. Just as you are his.” Wei Jun and Xiao Heiling were each other’s alibi. There was no third party to corroborate. Awfully suspicious from a third point of view.

“Unfortunately I cannot help you with that. You can figure that out on your own.” Although Wei Jun had left a trail of paperwork corroborating his story, he was sure that if he was the one to point that out, it would seem even more suspicious. Better to let the detective figure that out on his own.

“I see.” Zhao Hui could do nothing about this aspect so he had no choice but to move on. He pulled out eight photographs from his pocket and placed them on the table one by one.

“Do you recognize these people?” Zhao Hui asked.

“Yes.” Wei Jun swiftly replied before he added, “These are the game developers I hired this Saturday. However, I never heard from them again. Is everything alright?”

Nothing about Wei Jun’s demeanor suggested that he was involved but Zhao Hui had a lot of experience backing him up. “They went missing. Just as they left your office, they were never heard from again. Their credit cards show a transaction for flights to different cities and countries but there is no record of any of them boarding any flight.”

“Swindlers have their ways.” Wei Jun replied. Wei Jun was meticulous in his approach. As per the contract agreement, he had transferred 100,000 to each of the developer’s accounts. There was no fact tying him to the scene. This was a simple swindler’s case from every point of view.

“They sure do.” Even Zhao Hui was aware of this fact. There were many ways to leave undetected from one city to another. There were similar ways to get out of the country that wouldn’t leave any record.

Seeing no other way, he had no choice but to be direct with Wei Jun. “However, isn’t it a coincidence that you were at the motel murder scene? Then your car was coincidently seen around the area of the club murder scene. And now this, eight people went missing after meeting you coincidentally. So many coincidences in one row.”

Wei Jun smiled, a smirk even as he replied, “I can’t help but think that your suggestion, detective, is quite direct.”

Then the smile disappeared as a serious expression appeared on his face as he asked again, “Tell me, detective, am I under arrest?”

Zhao Hui was taken aback by the serious expression and even more at the direct question, “No, you are not.” He had no choice but to reply so because there was nothing that could be done about this. He couldn’t ask questions directly because there was nothing but circumstantial about Wei Jun. Nothing evident.

“Then I believe we are done here.” Wei Jun replied, the seriousness still there.

Zhao Hui couldn’t do anything about it and simply stood up to leave. As he was going out, Chen Xian entered with tea in hand. “Thanks for the tea.” Zhao Hui said as he took a cup. Then he left and took the cup and saucer with him.

“What’s the report from the intelligence team?” Wei Jun asked after a while Zhao Hui had left.

“They have the data ready, Young Master.” Chen Xian reported.

Wei Jun smiled as he said, “Bring everything to my office. I want to know all of it before I am called for questioning again.”

“But the police have nothing on you.” Chen Xian argued.

“They don’t. But my lovely rivals don’t care about that. We are not the only ones who hold power in this city. There are three more and one of them is not on good terms with us.” Wei Jun simply replied as he busied himself with work.

The day passed by drowned in work as Wei Jun visited various venues and booked them. He also prepared all the necessary equipment. The money he obtained from the Qi crystals was eleven million out of which, ten million went into nullifying the contract of Xia Lu. Then he had to use some personal funds and some questionable funds for the rest of the work. The intelligence team helped to clean the money he obtained from the gang so money-wise, he wasn’t having much difficulties. Though he was running out of it and he knew he would soon run out of it. That was why he had decided on the movie before the serial.

At eight, everyone was present in the gym. Not only the bodyguard team but the actors as well. They stood in a line like soldiers as Wei Jun walked in front of them like an instructor. “There is a saying, ‘A healthy body is a healthy mind’ and a healthy mind is exactly what I need from all of you because one mistake, and we would have to do the scene again and we would be short on time.”

He first turned to the bodyguard team and then pointed to the wooden figurines in a corner that he had set up for the bodyguard team. “Bodyguard team. Over there.”

They didn’t hesitate and hurriedly made their way to the wooden figurines. Wei Jun turned to the actors and said, “Wait here.”

“Now, I am going to show you all a basic move. I need all of you to perfect it.” Wei Jun said as he got into a proper stance. He slowly began, “First, the base of your right hand’s palm strikes the neck of your opponent like this. Then, the elbow of your left arm strikes the ribs. While the opponent is on that, the elbow of your right arm strikes the other side of the ribs, neck, or side chest, depending on the height or the urgency of the situation.”

He paused and then moved his left palm, “Then your left palm would strike the same place of your opponent, the ribs to maximize the damage. Then, you grab the opponent by the neck and ram your left knee in the abdomen, stomach, or chest, again depending on the height or the urgency. And finally, a spinning kick of your right leg, preferably to the neck, the broken ribs, or the hip.”

He ended his explanation here as one of the servants recorded the video so he didn’t have to explain again. “Now, here’s what it looks like in the fast motion.” Wei Jun said as he struck the figure on the left side of the neck, then delivered an elbow strike to the right side, caving the wood slightly. He again struck the left side of the ribs using another elbow technique, breaking the wood slightly. He again delivered a palm strike to the exact same spot on the right ribs, breaking that part quite a bit now.

While the rest stood surprised, Wei Jun grabbed the figure but the neck and delivered a knee strike next, breaking the middle part before he spun in the air and delivered a kick on the neck of the figure, breaking the head entirely. The entire audience stood shocked. Wei Jun had broken a wooden figure that was hard for a normal person to do in less than four seconds. His execution of the moves was flawless and fast and nobody in the hall couldn’t help but be surprised about it.

“Master this move by the next week. Those who don’t, get to have extra lessons with me.” Wei Jun said and the last part was especially said with a smile that sent shivers down the spine of the bodyguard team.

He then moved on to the acting team who stood still astonished by Wei Jun’s martial arts. Wei Jun said, “Drop and give me fifty.”

“Pa… Pardon?” Xia Lu asked, unsure of Wei Jun’s instructions.

“I said drop to the ground and give me fifty pushups. And those who don’t do it, get to run three laps around the mansion.” Wei Jun said as he smiled and left to do his own workout.