Le cadavre de la femme enveloppé dans le placard

Chapitre 3

Old Dong then spoke up: "I heard that there are many college students working as hostesses in the nightclubs in Binhai. Could you help me find a college girl?"

Wei Boxi: "That's easy. Foreman, go find a college student for my brother."

The foreman accepted the order and left. A short while later, he returned with a young woman wearing a white knee-length sundress. He said to Old Dong, "Brother, this is a student from the University of Science and Technology. Today is her first day working as a hostess. Please take good care of her."

Before she could finish speaking, Wei Boxi interrupted, "Don't talk nonsense here. Do you always claim to be a first-timer when you bring a prostitute? People who don't know any better would think this is a training camp for respectable women!"

Everyone laughed again. Before the supervisor could speak, Old Dong saw the new girl with bright eyes and white teeth, pure and lovely, standing in front of everyone with a timid look on her face, and quickly said, "She's the one."

Feng Junzi patted the seat next to Lao Dong and said to the girl, "Little sister, sit here quickly."

Everyone chose a lady they liked to accompany them, and they began to clink glasses, engage in lively conversation, hug and cuddle, and joke freely. Most of the conversation revolved around romantic topics, with the occasional mention of business matters. The lady in red sitting on the far left, accompanying Old Shi, was named Meng Chen. Next to Meng Chen was the lady in red accompanying Feng Junzi, named Yang Yang. The girl in white who had just entered was named Lulu, sitting between Feng Junzi and Old Dong. The lady next to Wei Boxi on the far right was named Wenwen; of course, these were just stage names used in the nightclub.

The group drank for a while longer and sang a few songs, some tuneless and some not. Wei Boxi seemed interested in Lulu's identity as a college student and asked her, "Are you really a college student? I don't believe it. Can you prove it? Why don't you show me your student ID? If you are, there will be a reward. If you are impersonating someone, you will be punished."

Feng Junzi joined in the fun: "You're from the University of Science and Technology? Then we're alumni! When I was in school, there weren't any girls as pretty as you. Have you heard that rhyme? — 'When a girl from the University of Science and Technology turns her head once, the King of Hell leads the ghosts to jump off a building; when a girl from the University of Science and Technology turns her head twice, the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers flow backward; when a girl from the University of Science and Technology turns her head three times, Halley's Comet hits the Earth…'"

Before Feng Junzi could finish speaking, everyone burst into laughter. Lulu also chuckled and said reproachfully, "Senior brother, you can't be so mean! It's not as exaggerated as you make it out to be!"

Wei Boxi persisted, even pulling out a wad of cash from his pocket and saying to Lulu, "I really want to know the truth today. If you can prove you're a student at the university, this is a tip. If not, you'll have to drink this whole pitcher of beer."

Old Shi interjected, "Then let's see the student ID."

Old Dong said, "These days, you can buy any fake document, so what's the point of looking at a student ID?"

Feng Junzi had originally intended to change the subject, but seeing Wei Boxi persisting on the matter, he became curious and wanted to know if Lulu was indeed an alumna. At the same time, he had always disliked people like Wei Boxi and thought that if it were true, it would be good to have Boss Wei pay for the tuition. After all, it's free money, so why not help this young girl?

So he said to everyone, "Since President Wei is willing to offer a bonus, I have a way to tell the real from the fake. Little sister, if you can answer a few questions I ask, you are probably a real college student. President Wei, please don't go back on your word since I'm the referee."

Upon hearing this, Wei Boxi became even more interested and said, "Am I the kind of person who doesn't keep his word? Xiao Feng, you can ask me."

Feng Junzi then turned to Lulu and said, "Listen carefully, the first question is, what is one-half of arcsin?"

Lulu: "30 degrees."

Feng Junzi smiled and nodded, saying, "Looks like you've at least finished middle school. Mr. Wei, here's the tip."

Wenwen took a banknote from Wei Boxi and handed it to Lulu. Feng Junzi then asked, "What is the derivative of X to the fourth power?"

Without hesitation, Lulu answered, "4 to the power of 3".

Feng Junzi nodded again and said, "Congratulations, you got it right! Looks like you went to university." This time, Wei Boxi took out two banknotes and had Wenwen hand them over.

Feng Junzi wanted to ask another question, but suddenly couldn't remember what to ask. He had been ignorant for many years, and after blinking for a long time, his gaze fell on Yangyang's open neckline, who was leaning against him. So he said, "The next question is about women's bust size."

Yangyang snuggled into Feng Junzi's arms, snuggling against him and saying in a spoiled tone, "Handsome guy, you're so naughty!"

Feng Junzi chuckled mischievously, saying that Lu Shan had groped Yang Guifei's breasts, and then asked, "If a woman's bust size is a random variable, what law does it follow?"

Lulu seemed a little embarrassed by the question and said softly, "Normal distribution."

Feng Junzi immediately followed up with, "The two parameters of the standard normal distribution..."

Before Feng Junzi could even finish asking, Lulu had already answered, "Zero and one."

Feng Junzi sighed, "You got it right, you've learned to answer first!" Then he turned to Wei Boxi and said, "I'm now certain that she's a college student, most likely a science or engineering major."

Wei Boxi took out three more banknotes this time, then raised his glass and said, "Miss Lulu, I'd like to toast you."

Old Dong also put his arm around Lulu's waist and raised his glass with his other hand, saying, "Come on, I suggest we all drink together."

Nothing eventful happened that night; everyone had a great time, so details are unnecessary. However, when everyone was leaving after Lao Shi paid the bill, something unexpected happened. Lao Shi wanted to take Meng Chen out, and they agreed on a price without any problems. But Lao Dong wanted to take Lulu back to the hotel, which Lulu resolutely refused. She told Lao Dong, "Brother, I only sit on the platform here; I never go out. I'll find you a better girl."

But Lao Dong seemed to have a crush on Lulu and tried every means to persuade her to go out with him. Later, Wei Boxi got angry and said to Lulu, "What kind of person doesn't go out with others? Just name your price, or you can ask your boss to name his price."

Feng Junzi originally didn't want to get involved, but seeing that Wei Boxi was genuinely angry, and knowing that Wei Boxi had connections in both the legitimate and underworld circles in Bincheng, he was someone a hostess couldn't afford to offend. He had already decided that Lulu was an alumna and felt a desire to protect her. He took the opportunity to go out and find the manager, and soon returned with another hostess.

The young lady Feng Junzi brought this time was indeed stunningly beautiful and incredibly alluring, yet possessed a touch of innocence amidst her sexiness, somewhat similar to Lulu. In terms of sheer captivating charm, she was absolutely top-tier. Feng Junzi pulled the young lady into Old Dong's arms and said, "Old Dong, this is Miss Shuangshuang, a star performer at Midnight. What do you think of her?" He then leaned close to Old Dong's ear and whispered a few words mysteriously.

Old Dong's eyes lit up and he said, "Really? Then I'll take her away tonight, and Lulu will come with me too. You two can fly away together."

Seeing that Lao Dong still wouldn't give up, Lao Shi, who was standing nearby, also advised, "You've had quite a bit to drink tonight, and you have a meeting to attend tomorrow. You should take care of your health. This girl Xiao Feng found is really nice; just take one home."

Old Dong listened to Old Shi's advice and stopped, leading Shuangshuang out. When they were almost at the door, Feng Junzi said to Old Shi, "You go with President Wei and President Dong first, I'll stay a little longer."

Old Shi laughed: "Didn't you have enough fun with that lady earlier? Now you want to have some alone time with yourselves. Well then, we'll be going now."

After Lao Shi and the others left, Feng Junzi asked for a small private room and sat down by himself. At this time, Supervisor Chen came over and asked, "Handsome guy, don't want to leave? Shall I call Yangyang over to sit with you at another table?"

Feng Junzi: "Bring me a fruit platter and two bottles of wine. Don't call Yangyang over. Call Lulu over and have her sit with me at another table."

A short while later, Lulu came in and was surprised to see Feng Junzi sitting alone in the private room. She asked, "Why didn't you leave with them? Let's go to another room and continue drinking. Haven't you had enough yet?"

Feng Junzi patted the sofa next to him: "Come, come, sit with your senior brother for a while. I specially stayed to chat with you. You won't refuse, will you?"

Lulu walked over and sat down, saying to Feng Junzi, "How could I not want to? Besides, what kind of customers don't we hostesses accompany? I'd be happy to sit with you, handsome guy! You don't have something to ask me, do you? Let me tell you, I really don't go out with clients."

Feng Junzi: "Whether you go out or not is none of my business. It's best if nothing happens. I'm staying because I don't want anything to happen."

Lulu poured a glass of wine and held it to Feng Junzi's lips, saying softly, "I'd like to toast you." Feng Junzi took the wine and drank it all in one gulp, saying, "Let's drink slowly. The wine here is too expensive, and there's no one else to pay the bill now."

Feng Junzi and Lulu drank, chatted, and sang. While talking, Feng Junzi kept looking towards the door. Lulu asked him, "Are you waiting for someone?"

Just then, the supervisor knocked on the door and called out, "Lulu, someone is looking for you."

Lulu was about to get up when Feng Junzi grabbed her and pressed her back onto the sofa. Feng Junzi called out to the door, "Manager Chen, if it's someone from President Wei's group outside, just let him in. I'll treat him to a drink."

The person who came looking for Lulu was indeed Chen Xiaosan, an employee of Wei Boxi's company. Chen Xiaosan was originally a fishmonger who had sworn brotherhood with three other men, known as the "Four Great Warriors," who dominated the seafood market. Chen Xiaosan was ranked third among them. Later, the leader of the Four Great Warriors lost his life, the fourth went to prison for some reason, and the second disappeared. Chen Xiaosan somehow ended up working a sinecure at Wei Boxi's company, essentially a henchman and driver.

When Chen Xiaosan saw that the person sitting next to Lulu was Feng Junzi, he was also a little surprised. He said to Feng Junzi, "I was wondering why this girl wasn't going out with someone else. It turns out she's your lover, Lao Feng. Why didn't you say so earlier? We almost had a misunderstanding."

Feng Junzi: "Brother Chen, did Boss Wei send you to warn her?"

Chen Xiaosan: "Brother Feng, I know what happened now, it was just a misunderstanding!"

"Let's not talk about misunderstandings. Come on, Brother Chen. It's not easy following the boss around every day. Sit down, have a drink, and chat with a lady."

And so, Feng Junzi went to two nightclubs at Midnight Club in one night, and didn't go home until almost midnight.

2-2, A chance encounter with her

"Brother Feng, please do me a favor for the sake of these students' thirst for knowledge!"

"They asked your finance university professors for help, why are you asking me? I'm not an expert or professor, I'm not fit for such a high-level position."

"Brother Feng, as you know, the teachers at our school are just all talk and no action. What students want to hear is something that connects to real-world practice. Wouldn't sending them there be misleading them?"

"Professor Song, do you even know what it means to mislead students? Don't use your thirst for knowledge as an excuse. I know that the teachers at your school are all very busy, busy doing side jobs to make money. They wouldn't do something that doesn't bring them any profit. They only think of coming to me for something that doesn't benefit them!"

“Brother, it’s just giving a lecture at the Light Industry College, it’s no big deal, why are you making such a fuss?”

"Wait! Old Song, are you talking about the Light Industry College? Okay, when is it?"

"It's tomorrow, scheduled for 4 PM. As soon as the market closes in the afternoon, I'll have Director Sun from their finance department send a car to pick you up. How much do you want for the lecture? Don't ask for too much, just a token amount will do."

"Lecture fee? Charging too little would lower my status, and charging too much would probably be unacceptable to the school. So, to save face for both them and myself, I'll give it to them for free. Consider it my duty."

"That's wonderful! Thank you on behalf of Director Sun!"

"Old Song, don't thank me yet. I only agreed because I have something to do at the Light Industry College. You also need to ask Director Sun to do me a favor."

"So you have the means? What kind of help do you need?"

"I want to check the files of two students from the class of '97 at their school, one named Qiao Fangsi and the other named Han Shuang."

This is a phone conversation between two people: Feng Junzi and his friend, Professor Song Zhaonan from the University of Finance and Economics. It turns out that Director Sun of the Finance Department at Binhai Light Industry College asked Professor Song to invite an expert to give a lecture on practical securities investment to their students. Professor Song thought long and hard and then thought of Feng Junzi. Feng Junzi was initially reluctant to take on such a task, but upon hearing that it was at the Light Industry College, he immediately remembered the request made by the ghostly woman Piaopiao in Jimo. He figured this would be a good opportunity to inquire at the Light Industry College, so he agreed.

The next day, when the stock market closed, the car from the Light Industry College was already waiting at the brokerage office. The driver, surnamed Zhang, exchanged a few brief pleasantries with Feng Junzi before heading directly to the college. On the way, Feng Junzi asked Mr. Zhang, "How many years have you been working at the school, Mr. Zhang?"

Mr. Zhang: "It hasn't been too long, maybe four or five years."

Feng Junzi: "Two years ago, a big incident happened at the Light Industry College. A female student suddenly died just before graduation. Have you heard about it?"

Mr. Zhang was taken aback and asked, "Teacher Feng, how did you know? Something like that did happen at the school, but the school leaders gave instructions not to spread it around, and the news media didn't report it either, so not many people know about it. I just know that something like that happened, but I don't know the specifics. The school doesn't allow us to talk about it."

Feng Junzi felt a pang of sympathy upon hearing this. It seemed that what the female ghost Piaopiao had said was true. Such a thing would be a scandal for the school, and it was normal for them to try to cover it up. It looked like Master Zhang wouldn't know any more. They traveled in silence and soon arrived at the Light Industry College.

Director Sun was very enthusiastic towards Feng Junzi, but there were too many people in the office, so it was not appropriate to ask about Piaopiao. When the lecture time arrived, the group entered the small auditorium. After a brief introduction and applause, Feng Junzi began his lecture.

Feng Junzi was once a student himself, so he knew what these people didn't learn in class and what they wanted to hear. Therefore, he didn't prepare any special handouts. He just picked up the textbooks used by students and talked about a few simple concepts. Then he started to combine some specific and interesting events in the market. The students in the audience listened with great interest.

Generally speaking, the more engrossed the audience is, the more enthusiastic the speaker becomes. Feng Junzi, who lectures every day to gloomy stock market investors, was getting a bit tired of it. But today, facing so many eager eyes, he perked up. As he spoke, a glance out of the corner of his eye caught sight of a female student in the audience who looked very familiar. He looked closer, and suddenly a thought flashed through his mind—he recognized her—it was Lulu, the hostess he'd met at the Midnight Club a few days ago.

Lulu clearly recognized Feng Junzi as well. When his gaze fell upon her, she unconsciously averted her eyes, lowered her head, and pretended to take notes, her fair face suddenly turning red. Feng Junzi thought to himself, "Sure enough, few words spoken in the world of pleasure are true. I thought I was clever enough to assume she was my junior, but I was still fooled. She's not a student at the University of Science and Technology after all. She is indeed a university student, but why would a student from the Light Industry College impersonate a student from the University of Science and Technology in a nightclub?... It seems she recognized me too..."

Feng Junzi suddenly stopped his eloquent speech. The students and teachers in the audience watched as Feng Junzi suddenly fell silent, staring blankly at a certain spot in the audience. They all felt a little strange and looked in the direction Feng Junzi was looking. At this moment, Lulu lowered her head even further, and her face seemed to be even redder.

Feng Junzi's reaction just now wasn't intentional; he was simply taken aback. Seeing everyone looking in Lulu's direction, he immediately realized his lapse and quickly tried to smooth things over: "Classmates, I suddenly drifted off during the lecture. The reason was that I suddenly remembered an announcement released today by a listed company regarding asset restructuring. We just discussed the issue of share transfer in joint-stock companies. Now, I'd like to present a practical case study: how can one acquire a listed company without spending a single penny? How many methods are there to achieve this goal?"

The audience was indeed very interested in the question Feng Junzi was asking, and they all turned their attention back to him. Feng Junzi felt slightly relieved and continued, "Let me first talk about how Weida Shares in this city implemented a management buyout back then. Take a look at the blackboard. Actually, the process is very simple—Weida Shares' management registered another shell company, Weida Group, and then used related-party transactions to create 300 million yuan in accounts receivable from Weida Group. In effect, it was as if Weida Group had used 300 million yuan of Weida Shares' funds. Finally, Weida Group used 300 million yuan to buy Weida Shares from the Binhai Municipal Government. This management buyout implementation model is using the listed company's money to buy the listed company. Of course, the process I described is the simplest model after simplification. The actual situation is much more complicated, but the basic idea is like this."

Seeing that everyone was listening intently, Feng Junzi continued, "Management buyouts, in order to use the listed company's money to buy another listed company, can be achieved through several methods, such as the credit method, profit transfer method, and share pledge method. For example, we could have Weida Shares or its affiliated companies provide loan guarantees to Weida Group, which could then use bank loans to acquire Weida Shares. Alternatively, we could delay payment at the time of acquisition, and then pledge the shares to a bank after obtaining them, using the pledged loans to pay for the acquisition. Or, management could intentionally create financial losses for the company, reducing its net assets, and use the transferred profits to acquire the listed company. For cases where major shareholders have occupied a large amount of the listed company's funds, they can acquire shares through debt swaps, that is, assuming the debts of the original shareholders, exchanging debt for shares, and then returning the assets to the listed company after valuation. These methods can all be explained with diagrams..."

It seemed that the students and teachers in the audience had never heard of these things either. After all, the finance major at the Light Industry College had only been established for less than four years, and they hadn't even graduated their first batch of students yet. They even had to invite experts from outside the school to give lectures. Feng Junzi finished explaining the diagrams on the blackboard one by one, and finally drew a conclusion: "In fact, given the loopholes in the existing legal system, as long as someone gains decision-making power and control over economic resources, and lacks corresponding supervision and checks and balances, some people can use this power to seek personal gain, such as putting a listed company into their own pocket."

After Feng Junzi finished speaking, the teachers and students in the classroom began to discuss animatedly, commenting on the merits and demerits of entrepreneurs. Some started asking questions based on what they had heard, while others began to criticize certain social phenomena. Looking at the chaos in the classroom, Feng Junzi couldn't help but sigh, "The standards for judging right and wrong are not so simple. The market is not as well-organized as textbooks describe. In practice, it is difficult for us to distinguish between the virtuous and the wicked!"

Although Feng Junzi's voice wasn't loud, Lulu, sitting in the audience, heard it clearly. She lowered her head, her shoulders trembling slightly, and her previously flushed face suddenly turned deathly pale. Feng Junzi noticed Lulu's reaction and realized that his seemingly unintentional remark might have hurt Lulu's sensitive nerves. He then thought, "Did I really say that unintentionally? If I meant it, then I've been far too harsh."

2-3. It was her all along.

After class, there was another commotion. Feng Junzi and Director Sun, along with the others, chatted as they walked out with the crowd. Feng Junzi glanced at Lulu out of the corner of his eye and noticed she remained seated, seemingly waiting until everyone else had left. Lulu's face was still pale; she kept her head down, staring intently at the desk, lost in thought. Looking at her frail figure, Feng Junzi felt a strange pang of pity.

Although the lectures were free, meals were still required, and even if meals weren't eaten, drinks were still expected. After the lectures, Director Sun and another professor from the department invited Feng Junzi to dinner at a hotel near the school; Professor Song also attended. During the meal, they chatted about various things, and Feng Junzi asked Director Sun, "Your major hasn't been established for very long, but the textbooks seem quite outdated. The investment market, especially the domestic sector, is no longer what it's depicted in textbooks. Why is a newly established major using old textbooks?"

Teacher Wang, who came with Director Sun, chimed in, "Who can argue with that? The school's expansion is too rapid. There are almost twice as many students now as there were three years ago. Classrooms can be built if there's a shortage, but the shortage of teachers is a real headache. Most teachers like me who teach securities investment are self-taught. We just pick up a textbook, memorize the material, and go up on stage to teach. We can't worry about anything else. This is also a necessity for unconventional development."

Feng Junzi asked, "What did Teacher Wang teach before?"

"I used to teach Western economics, but I started teaching securities market investment last year because of teaching needs."

Feng Junzi: "These two courses may seem very similar to laymen, but in reality, they are quite different."

Teacher Wang: "Who can argue with that? But I have to listen to the leaders, and the leaders have to listen to the higher-ups. Today I listen to this leader, tomorrow I listen to that leader. How well the class goes depends on the students' own fate."

Seeing the complaints in Teacher Wang's tone, and not wanting to embarrass Director Sun, Feng Junzi changed the subject, saying, "Hehe, do you know what the three main reasons are for not doing a good job?"

Director Sun: "Oh? Mr. Feng, please tell us about it."

Feng Junzi laughed and said, "The first reason: widows sleeping together—no one above them; the second reason: prostitutes sleeping together—the people above them keep changing; the third reason: couples sleeping together—it's like family members having sex with each other..."

Everyone laughed. Professor Song took out his phone and said with a smile, "It's more insightful than what the teacher says in class," while rapidly typing on the keyboard.

Feng Junzi: "Old Song, what are you doing?"

"The joke you just told was a classic. I'll save it to my phone and send it as a text message."

After chatting for a while, Feng Junzi, still preoccupied with the matter of the female ghost Piaopiao, took advantage of Teacher Wang's trip to the restroom to say to Director Sun, "Director Sun, actually I came here today to ask you for a favor. This is just a small matter for you, Director Sun, I wonder if you could do me the favor."