51st oil painting

Chapter 31

"Oh dear, how can you explain something like this? Even an upright official can't settle family disputes, but..."

Lao Chou winked, looking a little sly.

"I have a wife, though we don't live together. We've been married for over ten years, as you all know. That kind of thing... you know, sex, it's all lost its appeal. I'm not even interested in finishing the job anymore. So, I occasionally have a little fling outside, just a little fling, like picking a couple of wildflowers, smelling their fragrance, and then throwing them away. Someone like me would never keep a mistress. First, I can't afford it, and second, if my wife found out, she'd kill me like a pig. My father-in-law used to be a pig butcher in the countryside."

I often go to those little roadside hair salons, where the girls are all from out of town, eighteen or nineteen, in their early twenties, so young and fresh. A back massage costs 150 if you want a really good one; a handjob is cheaper, only 50, they'll let you touch their whole body as much as you want, hehe, not bad at all…”

Oil painting No. 51: 773 Horror Series 13

Section 78: A Safe and Romantic Way to Date

"I took Hong Bentao there a few times. At first, he was hesitant and would turn off his phone as soon as he went in. Later, he got bolder. Sometimes when his wife called, he would answer the phone, stare wide-eyed, and lie, 'Um, I'm at the shop in Xinzhuang, counting the cash. It seems like I'm short 100 yuan. I'll call you back later...' This guy is better at lying than I am."

Every time, I demand perfection, a real, hands-on approach. But he just masturbates, spending fifty or sixty yuan a day. That guy's a real money-grubber.

"What does 'masturbation' mean?" Ah Hu couldn't help but ask.

Just as Lao Chou was about to speak, he saw Nuonuo roll her eyes at him, so he pulled A Hu aside and whispered to him, "Masturbating is like helping you masturbate. It's like shooting down a perfectly erect airplane. Hey, I don't know who invented that term, but it's so fitting!"

Ah Hu has certainly learned a lot.

"Later, I don't know how it happened, he suddenly lost interest. I dragged him along, and he actually said he didn't want to touch those women who would let you touch them as much as you wanted just by paying. I told him that a certain hair salon had a new lady who was very voluptuous, but he wasn't interested at all. I was so puzzled; this guy must have found another way to release his pent-up desires."

"What do you mean?" Ah Hu asked.

Old Chou chuckled and patted Ah Hu on the shoulder: "Little brother, you're too naive. He has another woman!"

Hong Bentao and Zoe are already living together, so it's impossible that they haven't had a sex life. Perhaps Zoe is the one he truly loves, but for men, sex is like for women, clothes—the old is never as good as the new. Therefore, the only possibility for Hong Bentao's sudden loss of interest is that he has another woman besides Zoe and is deeply captivated by her body.

This is how Du Yaofeng analyzed it.

The infighting within the clinic, the spreading rumors via text messages, the harassment with pornographic emails—if Zoe had committed suicide because of these things, she should have left a suicide note, cursing the rumor-monger, writing curses like "I'll haunt you even in death," addressed to everyone in the clinic, to her parents, her sister, and Hong Bentao, giving everyone an explanation. But instead, she left not a single word before leaping from the 31st-floor balcony.

Could Zoe's death be related to Hong Bentao's "other woman"?

Director Chen took out a city map and pointed to the entire route of Metro Line 1 for everyone to see:

The "Lai Lai Wang Wang" milk tea shop has five chain stores, each with two employees. As the owners, Lao Chou and Hong Bentao commute between these five stores every day by subway. To reduce transportation costs and travel time, they each take charge of a section. Lao Chou, who lives in the western part of the city, is in charge of the stores at Xinzhuang Station, Wanti Stadium Station, and Hengshan Road Station, while Hong Bentao, who lives in Luwan City Garden, naturally manages the stores at Huangpi South Road Station and Xinzha Road Station.

This woman will definitely go to the shop to see Hong Bentao. She will never appear at the shop near Huangpi South Road Station, because it faces Huaihai Road and is not far from White Clinic.

The most likely place for her to appear is the shop near Xinzha Road Station. It's the least popular spot on the entire Line 1. It's close to the Suzhou River, so taking a walk along the riverbank after leaving the shop would be a safe and romantic way to have a date.

Although we have not yet met Hong Bentao in person, our psychological analysis of him has reached a very deep level.

"I don't think Hong Bentao is the type of man who's promiscuous. If he were, Zoe would have definitely noticed after years of dating. Secondly, Hong Bentao's failed investment in the decoration company was a major blow to his life. Now, he has nothing left but Zoe. He lives in the house Zoe bought, and everything he eats, uses, and spends depends on Zoe's earnings. Even if the bubble tea shop is doing well, the money he earns has to go towards paying off his debts first."

Director Chen agreed with Du Yaofeng's words.

"You're right. Hong Bentao is trying to relieve his mental stress through physical stimulation. Whether it's a roadside hair salon or another woman, it's just a different way of venting. But there's one thing he absolutely doesn't want Zoe to find out. If Zoe finds out that Hong Bentao is sleeping with another woman, given Zoe's personality, she'll break off the relationship with him, and then Hong Bentao will truly be all alone."

The problem now is that even Hong Bentao can't be found, let alone "another woman".

Ahu and Nuonuo visited the "Lai Lai Wang Wang" milk tea shop at Xinzha Road Station for the second time. The male and female employees were still there. Nuonuo thanked them for relaying the message, gave the male employee a pack of cigarettes, and the female employee a box of chocolates. Ahu bought several cups of milk tea and two very unpalatable Taiwanese sausages. After leaving, these foods would likely end up in a trash can on Xinzha Road.

While the two shop assistants were in a good mood, Nono asked the question.

Boss Hong has already left. Feel free to share any anecdotes or interesting stories about him; no one will blame you for being nosy.

The female and male shop assistants looked at each other and began to reminisce, complementing each other's memories:

"I've seen a woman three or four times. The first time she appeared, Mr. Hong was fiddling with the cash register; the machine was malfunctioning."

"Boss Hong!" the woman called out to him.

Boss Hong looked up, appearing quite surprised: "Oh, it's you."

"I took the subway to my aunt's house. She lives on Beijing Road, which is very close to here. I didn't expect to run into you as soon as I got off the subway," the woman said.

"I've divided the work with others; I'm in charge of two shops, this one and the one on Huangpi South Road," Boss Hong said, sounding very interested. "I'll treat you to a milk tea; you can order whatever you like."

The woman ordered a cup of white fungus and barley milk tea. The two chatted for a while, and then the woman left.

Later, the woman came three or four more times. Boss Hong wasn't as enthusiastic as the first time. They smiled at each other slightly, didn't drink the milk tea, and after waiting for less than five minutes, Boss Hong left with her.

"What does that woman look like?" Ah Hu pressed.

Since I've seen him several times, I should be able to describe him... Ah Hu thought.

"She's a bit older, definitely not the young girl type," the male shop assistant said first.

Oil painting No. 51: 773 Horror Series 13

Section 79: Anecdotes and Interesting Stories about Boss Hong

The female shop assistant gestured and got more and more excited as she spoke.

"She was wearing a light red dress and carrying a black PRADA nylon bag. I immediately guessed it was a counterfeit she bought at the Xiangyang Road Market for a little over a hundred yuan. I heard the real thing would sell for four or five thousand yuan. She was also wearing a pair of pointed-toe sandals, which are very popular this summer. I saw them at the Pacific Department Store for 198 yuan a pair, but I couldn't bring myself to buy them."

Women have such sharp eyes when they look at other women, they seem to want to know every brand of underwear a woman wears... Nono thought to herself.

"Oh, by the way, she has a mole on her brow bone, a beauty mark!"

"That's not called a beauty mark. My grandma said that women with moles on their brow bones are ruthless and cruel, a sign of misfortune, called a murderous mole. The White Bone Demon had such a mole on her face," the male shop assistant said.

"Judging from your tone, it's as if you've seen the White Bone Demon in person?" the female shop assistant mocked the male shop assistant.

"Of course I've never seen her, but I know what she looks like because there's one standing next to me every day on my way to work."

"Get out of here!" The female shop assistant kicked him.

As they exchanged their words, the image of this woman gradually became clearer in Nuonuo and Ahu's minds.

The next day, Nuonuo came to the shop at Xinzha Road Station again, bringing a group photo from the clinic's opening. The female shop assistant looked at it carefully and pointed to the second row, right side.

"It's her."

"This is utterly fabricated, it's ridiculous!"

An Ruohong's reaction was somewhat surprised, and tinged with resentment.

"I don't even know Zoe's boyfriend's last name or first name, so why would I travel all the way to the milk tea shop on Xinzha Road to chat with him?"

An Ruohong's vehement denial was exactly what Nuonuo and Ahu had expected.

"Everyone says you and Zoe are the best of friends at the clinic. Has Zoe never mentioned her boyfriend? That seems unlikely, doesn't it?" Nono asked her.

"So what? That's just how Zoe is. She rarely talks about her private life, and I'm the same way. I never talk to others about my love life; it's purely a personal matter. Yes, Zoe and I are very close, but only at the clinic. After work, we go our separate ways and have no further contact."

"Do you remember? Once, the clinic had a happy hour, and you and Xiao Yu went shopping at the Nonggongshang Supermarket. A man was waiting for you at the terminus of bus route 146. He led you through the Luwan City Garden residential area and accompanied you shopping in the supermarket. That was Hong Bentao. You talked to him face to face. What, you've forgotten?" Ahu tried to remind her.

An Ruohong blinked and nodded: "Hmm...it seems like there is such a thing."

"We asked you about Zoe's boyfriend, but you didn't mention it at all?" Ah Hu had been wanting to ask this question for a long time, and finally brought it up today.

"I forgot, so what? Is that not allowed?" An Ruohong retorted, her tone turning unfriendly and her expression becoming impatient. "Why should I remember a man who has nothing to do with me?"

Having said all that, asking any further questions would be pointless.

"That milk tea saleswoman must have mistaken me for someone else! Sorry, I have to go to work now." After saying that, An Ruohong walked to her cashier to prepare for her work.

"Hey, did you notice?" Nono gently nudged Ah Hu.

What should I pay attention to?

"While you were talking, I was observing her. Her left hand kept touching her earring."

"So what? Everyone has their little habits, like picking their ears, touching their chin, pinching their crotch..." Ah Hu said dismissively.

"She never made these kinds of little gestures when we talked to her before. I read a psychology book that said people often make some subconscious movements when they are nervous." Nono's tone was like that of a psychologist.

"Do you think she's nervous?" Ah Hu pressed.

"In the animal kingdom, the chameleon is the best at disguise, and among humans, women are the best at disguise. Think about it, if she really had that kind of relationship with Hong Bentao, would she admit it?" Nuonuo analyzed logically.

Yes, even the police couldn't possibly take An Ruohong to Xinzha Road subway station and let those two shop assistants identify her.

As the saying goes, "to catch a thief red-handed, to catch an adulterer in the act," let alone something that happened a few months ago. Unless you have evidence like a videotape, what fool would admit it?

Having met with a rebuff from An Ruohong, what should they do next? Both of them were pondering this.

Looking out from the window on the tenth floor, you can see the endless stream of vehicles on the Inner Ring Road elevated highway. It's best to look through the window and never open it, otherwise the noise from the cars and the exhaust fumes from their exhaust pipes will rise with the airflow and ravage your lungs.

A hand-woven Persian tapestry hangs on the wall. Zhao Sande bought it during his layover in Istanbul, Turkey, while accompanying a financial delegation on a trip to Europe. It cost a little over a hundred US dollars, which was considered a bargain, but the same item would cost much more in Shanghai.

On his desk sat a bronze ox. Zhao Sande was born in the Year of the Ox. Lu Xun had described himself as a dairy cow, eating grass and producing milk, a sentiment Zhao Sande shared. Now in his fifties, he bore the immense pain of losing his son. If he could give up everything he had to save his son Zhao Sanwen's life, he would do so.

Zhao Sande received Nuonuo in his office. After exchanging a few greetings, they mainly talked about Biff, the English hunting dog that Sanwen had left behind. Nuonuo took out her newly purchased Sony Ericsson phone, which contained several digital photos of Biff. Biff was looking at the phone's camera with its head held high and ears perked up, very alert.

"It looks fatter, and it has a collar around its neck."

Seeing his son's dog, Zhao Sande seemed to see his son, and a smile spread across his face.

"Yes, it has a great appetite and runs up and down the stairs dozens of times a day—it gets exercise!"

During this time, Zhao Sande's secretary came in to remind him that he had an appointment with a certain client in half an hour.

"knew."

After the secretary left, Zhao Sande asked Nuonuo, "You said on the phone you wanted to see me about something?"

"Uncle Zhao, I need your help with something. Could you investigate someone's bank card spending records?"

Oil painting No. 51: 773 Horror Series 13

Section 80: Matthew in "The Last Supper"

"What...what do you need this for?"

This was a headache for Nuonuo. If she answered truthfully, it would take her an hour or two, and there was no guarantee that Zhao Sande would understand. So she used the simplest sentence possible.

"The background of this matter is quite complicated and cannot be explained in a short time. Uncle Zhao, I assure you that this matter will not have any adverse effects on you. It may be a small favor for you, but it is of great significance to me."

Zhao Sande frowned. Such an answer was tantamount to no answer. Nuonuo was right. This was indeed a small favor for a branch manager of a bank, but he would never easily agree to help with such a matter. It not only involved a person's privacy, but also many other aspects.

Nuonuo could tell that Zhao Sande was unwilling to agree easily, so she added, "Well, this matter might be related to Sanwen's death."

Zhao Sande leaned forward, his body rising from his seat, staring intently at Nuonuo, just like Matthew in Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper," hearing Jesus say, "One of you has betrayed me."

"Wasn't Sanwen's death a car accident? The police have already reached a conclusion, could things change?"

"Uncle Zhao, I only said 'maybe,' because there are still many details to clarify. I've been busy with this lately. Please believe me, Uncle Zhao, I wouldn't joke about something like this."

Zhao Sande hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "OK, write down that person's name and bank account number."

"I'm sorry, Uncle Zhao, I can only provide this person's name. His name is Hong Bentao. I don't think there are many people with the same name in the city. As for his bank account number, I don't know. Also, I can't guarantee that he has a bank card issued by your bank, Bank A."

In other words, the bank cards held by Hong Bentao may have been issued by the five major banks: Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of Communications, and Bank of China. They may also have been issued by smaller banks such as Shanghai Bank, China Merchants Bank, China Minsheng Bank, Huaxia Bank, China Everbright Bank, and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank. As long as the bank cards have the "UnionPay" logo, they are all subject to unified data exchange with UnionPay.