Fengcheng fliegender General

Kapitel 26

Gao Jinze did as instructed and called Officer Qu.

He also tried to call Lin Shouzi, but his phone was always off; he was probably still asleep.

The police finally stopped making phone calls.

Gao Jinze and Qi Qi enjoyed a rare moment of peace.

The sun rises.

Gao Jinze suddenly made a rare joke: "Everyone else waits for the sunrise on the top of Mount Tai. We, on the other hand, wait for the sunrise on the top of a fake mountain."

Qiqi laughed and said, "Then let's go to the top of Mount Tai to wait for you one of these days."

Gao Jinze's eyes lit up, and he said, "It's a deal! After the Tianyuan Apartment matter is over, I'll take you to Mount Tai to watch the sunrise!"

Qi Qi smiled as she looked at the rising sun, remaining noncommittal.

The sunrise today was absolutely beautiful in Qiqi's eyes.

Because this is the sunrise on August 12th.

What's more, it was the sunrise on August 12th that I saw together with Gao Jinze...

Lin Shouzi's phone was finally able to be reached.

Gao Jinze told him to quickly buy a plane ticket for the morning and fly back, saying that Tianyuan Apartment was in complete chaos and he had to come back immediately to take charge.

A while later, Lin Shouzi called Gao Jinze and said that he had changed his flight to the fastest one and could get back to Shanghai before noon.

Gao Jinze breathed a sigh of relief and said to Qiqi, "It's good that Linzi came back early. He's the most capable. He manages everything in the Shanghai branch. There's nothing he doesn't know."

Qi Qi said with some concern, "He's good at everything, so won't you become just a figurehead as the general manager of Shanghai Qianqiu?"

Gao Jinze chuckled: "Don't worry, I'm going to take over my dad's position as chairman of Qianqiu. I'm just hoping that the Shanghai branch will have such a talent so that I can be directly promoted to general manager of Qianqiu Shanghai in the future, without having to find someone else."

Qiqi shook her head and remained silent.

Gao Jinze then called Officer Qu, saying that as soon as Vice President Lin returned, he asked him to go to the police station to cooperate with the police investigation.

Looking at the still-calm Tianyuan Apartment Building C, Gao Jinze sighed, "Is the power of the 'Great Void' really that great?"

Qi Qi said, "A single 'Great Void' won't cause a building to collapse. But when several bad factors combine, it's hard to say. Feng Shui always likes to sensationalize things, but if it doesn't, it won't attract people's attention... I often hope that feng shui pronouncements about major misfortunes will never come true, and only auspicious ones will. But in reality, the opposite is true, alas!"

Gao Jinze said sincerely, "No matter what, thank you, Qiqi."

Gao Jinze drove Qiqi to "Sihai Youlong" on Lotus Road to eat pan-fried dumplings and drink beef soup.

Qiqi really likes the food at this restaurant. Although the portions aren't large, everything is very well-prepared. The beef soup even has several large chunks of tenderly cooked beef.

It was past midnight when they finished eating. Gao Jinze took out his phone and looked at it, saying, "That Lin boy, he should be here by now. Why didn't he call me?"

Just then, the phone rang. Qiqi thought it was Lin Shouzi calling, but it turned out to be Officer Qu.

As Gao Jinze listened, his expression changed, and his eyes went blank.

Qiqi, unaware of what had happened, looked at him anxiously.

Gao Jinze hung up the phone blankly, still in a daze.

Qiqi asked anxiously, "What happened? Jinze, tell me quickly!"

Gao Jinze didn't say anything, grabbed Qiqi, and rushed towards the Porsche parked at the door.

After the car started, Gao Jinze said, "We're going to the police station. Linzi has been arrested by the police. They say he's a suspect in the murder. I want to bail him out, but that's impossible!!"

Officer Qu received Gao Jinze and Qi Qi in his office at the Minhang Public Security Bureau.

"President Gao, please don't get agitated. We, the people's police, will not wrong an innocent person, nor will we let a guilty person go free!"

Officer Qu said in a very grand manner.

"You must have made a mistake. This is ridiculous. Would the vice president of Qianqiu Real Estate's Shanghai branch really kill a construction worker who has nothing to do with the company? Is it really worth it!"

Officer Qu lit a cigarette, took a leisurely puff, and said, "We wouldn't have suspected anything otherwise, but it's all thanks to you, Mr. Gao, who provided such a very useful clue..."

"Me? What clue did I provide? The 'Tiangong' construction company?"

"No, it was that security guard, Xiao Wei. Xiao Wei helped us confirm that the body dug out of Building C of Tianyuan Apartment was his fellow villager, Zheng Wu! Moreover, the night before Zheng Wu disappeared, Xiao Wei accidentally saw your Vice President Lin doing something on the scaffolding at the Tianyuan Apartment Building C construction site when he got up to relieve himself... Then the next night, news of Zheng Wu's disappearance spread... We have already summoned General Manager Xiao of 'Tiangong' Construction Company, and he has admitted that Zheng Wu died when the scaffolding collapsed during construction that day, falling into hot cement slurry. Your Vice President Lin instructed him not to make a fuss, and based on this alone, he cannot escape responsibility!"

Gao Jinze still couldn't believe it.

Qiqi stayed with him, waiting for news on a bench in the bureau's corridor.

Officer Qu humanely gave each of them a glass of water and then left.

Around 4 p.m., Officer Qu excitedly appeared before Gao Jinze and Qi Qi and invited them back to his office.

He didn't say anything, but simply tossed a three- or fourphotocopy of the transcript in front of Gao Jinze.

Gao Jinze picked it up and looked at it with slightly trembling hands.

Qiqi also came over to take a look.

…………

Interrogator: Security guard Xiao Wei and Manager Xiao from Tiangong have both confessed. We have witnesses and physical evidence. Confess and you will be treated leniently! Here are their statements. Take a look!

Lin: I never imagined this day would come...

Interrogator: Were there any accomplices?

Lin: Yes, yes, I wasn't the mastermind!

Interrogator: If you confess to being the mastermind, I can plead with the judge for a lighter sentence.

Lin: Okay, I will definitely confess!

Interrogator: Did you loosen the screws on the scaffolding that night?

Lin: Yes.

Interrogator: Why?

Lin: It was at the behest of our Chairman Xu. He was the mastermind behind my murders.

Interrogator: Mr. Xu, is this from your company? What's your name?

Lin: Xu Qin is the major shareholder and executive director of Qianqiu Real Estate.

Interrogator: Why did he make you do this?

Lin: The foundation mortar for Building C of Tianyuan Apartment just won't solidify, it's way over budget, I can't deliver... Chairman Xu is knowledgeable in feng shui, he told me that this land has too much water energy, we must find someone born in an earth year, earth month, earth day, earth hour to push it down, and the problem will be solved immediately. He said this is an unspoken rule in the real estate industry, many builders know it.

Interrogator: So why did you choose Zheng Wu?

Lin: I asked Mr. Xiao from "Tiangong" for the resumes of all the construction workers on the site, and even had them fill in their birth dates. It turned out that Zheng Wu really was born in the year, month, day, and hour of the Earthly Branch. He was always standing at the center of the scaffolding at the foundation, responsible for passing tools. So I loosened the screws and wires in his section and used a hacksaw to cut several load-bearing parts…

Interrogator: Do you know this is murder?

Lin: No, no, no, Chairman Xu told me to do this! I wasn't the mastermind!

Interrogator: You killed someone just so the foundation could solidify? Human life is a matter of life and death, not a game!

Lin: ...No...Chairman Xu said...that I should manage Tianyuan Apartments well and let the results speak for themselves. He would nominate me at the board meeting to be the general manager of Qianqiu Real Estate's Shanghai branch, replacing that "rich second-generation," incompetent bookworm Gao Jinze...Chairman Xu also said that he and Gao Jinze's father had started the business together and worked hard for many years. Now, Gao Jinze's father wants Gao Jinze to be the chairman of Qianqiu's headquarters instead of him, which he finds disappointing. He wants to support me to compete with Gao Jinze. If I help him become the chairman of Qianqiu Real Estate, he will promote me to the headquarters as a vice president...No one can resist such a temptation...

Upon seeing this, Gao Jinze turned pale and closed his eyes tightly.

Officer Qu, still leisurely puffing on his cigarette, joked, "So the vice president you trusted so much was actually plotting to take your place. You business people, especially in real estate, always have so many shady dealings. Miss Cai should expose them properly. It should even be made into a TV series, like 'Dwelling Narrowness,' and broadcast nationwide so that ordinary people who can't afford houses can get some relief!"

Gao Jinze slowly opened his eyes and said, "I would like to see Vice President Lin."

Officer Qu shook his head decisively: "No, he's a murderer—no, a criminal suspect. I just can't get it right, he's clearly a murderer... No one has the right to see him except his lawyer!"

Gao Jinze stood up and asked, "Then... will Xu Qin—the executive director of our Qianqiu Real Estate—be arrested and sentenced?"

Officer Qu shook his head decisively and said, "This is just the one-sided story of that murderer Lin. As long as there is no recording and Chairman Xu does not admit it, there is no way to convict him. Moreover, Chairman Xu did not personally participate in the murder."

Gao Jinze turned around and walked out, looking lost and dejected.

Qiqi quickly caught up and helped him up.

Chapter Twenty: The Decisive Strike

Once inside the Porsche, Gao Jinze buried his head in the steering wheel and remained motionless for a long time.

Qi Qi whispered, "You can know a person's face but not their heart... Don't be too sad."

Gao Jinze said in a low voice, "I'm not sad for Lin Zai, I'm sad for myself... Am I a 'rich second generation'? Am I, Qi Qi?"

Gao Jinze suddenly turned his head and stared at Qi Qi with bloodshot eyes, which startled her.

“You—of course not…” Qi Qi carefully chose her words, afraid of hurting him with any one of them: “Look, you graduated from the prestigious MIT architecture department, you’re a top student, you have real skills, right? You also designed the overall architectural plan for Tianyuan Apartments, right? Although… you like driving sports cars and having fun, that’s what young people like, right? Especially—I think you’re a very responsible man, just because you dared to live in Building C of Tianyuan Apartments, sharing life and death with your residents, and just now, at the most dangerous moment, you saved everyone with the fire alarm…”

Gao Jinze listened blankly, without saying a word.

Qi Qi gently stroked his hair. She felt that the tall and strong Gao Jinze was incredibly vulnerable at that moment.

“I’ve hated being called a spoiled brat since I was little, someone who only got in because of my dad. I studied hard to learn about architecture, I got into MIT, I graduated with excellent grades, and I worked diligently at my dad’s company… But why does Uncle Xu always dislike me, thinking I’m not qualified to be the chairman of Qianqiu Real Estate…”

Qi Qi hesitated for a moment and said, "Jinze... I don't know if I should say some things from the bottom of my heart..."

Gao Jinze grabbed her arm and said, "Quick, what bothers me the most is that there's no one to confide in, let alone tell me the truth!"

Qi Qi said slowly, "To be honest, Vice President Lin is indeed more qualified than you to be the general manager of Qianqiu's Shanghai branch. And Xu Qin is more qualified to take over your father's position as chairman of Qianqiu Real Estate."

Gao Jinze slammed his hand on the steering wheel.

Qiqi ignored him and continued, "I admit you're talented in architecture, but that only makes you a good architectural engineer at best. You're far from being a good real estate developer. Do you agree?"

Gao Jinze gritted his teeth and looked at Qiqi. Gradually, the muscles in his face relaxed, and he lowered his eyelids, saying, "You're right. I've heard this kind of thing before, my dad told me... Actually, I only like designing buildings, I like looking at floor plans and 3D renderings. I don't like construction sites filled with smoke and noise, and I don't like the backstabbing and deceit in the real estate industry..."

Qiqi smiled gently and said, "I believe you are smart and will soon be able to learn the ways of the business world."

"I don't want to learn!"

Gao Jinze flatly refused.

You must learn it!

Qi Qi's gaze was sharp.

Gao Jinze's gaze met hers.

"Because...you don't want Qianqiu Real Estate's splendid land to fall into the hands of a terrifying person like Xu Qin, right? So—you must learn!"

Gao Jinze slowly withdrew his gaze and lowered his head.

"Start with Tianyuan Apartment. Run Tianyuan Apartment well, and then run Qianqiu Real Estate's Shanghai branch well. Only then will you be qualified to openly compete with Xu Qin for the position of chairman of Qianqiu Real Estate! Now that Vice President Lin has been arrested, you must shoulder the heavy responsibility of Qianqiu Real Estate's Shanghai branch!"