The police emerged from the office of the director of the Institute of High Energy Physics, carrying cardboard boxes.
“What are they doing?”
“Isn’t that Director Bai’s office?”
“…Didn’t you know? They came with a search warrant… Looks like Director Bai’s lawsuit isn’t going too well…”
The scientists and administrative staff at the Institute of High Energy Physics watched the stern faced policemen diligently scour Bai Jinyi’s office and deposit boxes of her items in front of the large van outside.
Gu Nianzhi wore a large pair of sunglasses and leaned her back against the car door. She crossed her arms and quietly watched the police bring Bai Jinyi’s belongings out from the Institute of High Energy Physics.
Zhao Liangze remained in the car and called the police through s headset. “Did you find the phone?”
“Yes, found it.”
“It’s just one phone, why are you bringing out so many boxes?”
“…There were also many algorithm drafts locked in the safe with phone, so we took those too.”
Zhao Liangze, “…”
Gu Nianzhi also had the same question but didn’t say anything else when she overheard their conversation. She opened the car door and was about to get in when she suddenly saw an unique navy Maserati parked at the end of the street from the corner of her eye. It was a sporty car, but appeared much more covert in the subdued hue. If it wasn’t for Gu Nianzhi’s keen eye, a normal person wouldn’t have immediately recognized it as a Maserati. Gu Nianzhi froze when she sw the car, and the person in it also seemed to also sense something amiss. The car door swung open and a tall man in a short navy wool coat emerged. He also wore large sunglasses that concealed all but half his face. Raising his head in Gu Nianzhi’s direction, he had a cold aura and nodded slightly to her with his hands folded behind his back. Gu Nianzhi froze– although the man wore sunglasses, she could tell it was He Zhichu. What was he doing here? Gu Nianzhi’s mind spun and just when she was hesitating whether or not to ignore him, the other side of the Maserati opened and Wen Shouyi walked out.
Gu Nianzhi hastily went inside her car without another thought.
When Wen Shouyi came out, Gu Nianzhi was already in the car and unseen by her. He Zhichu had shifted his gaze to the entrance of the Institute of High Energy Physics, while Wen Shouyi didn’t even notice Gu Nianzhi’s car.
Zhao Liangze also saw He Zhichu and Wen Shouyi. He immediately asked the driver to drive them away when Gu Nianzhi appeared unwilling to talk about it.
Gu Nianzhi and Zhao Liangze’s car drove past He Zhichu and Wen Shouyi, but He Zhichu didn’t even look at it. His head was cocked slightly as Wen Shouyi said to him, “…This is where the signal disappeared.”
He Zhichu looked around, then went back into the car. Wen Shouyi followed him and drove off.
…
When they returned to the Special Ops headquarters, Gu Nianzhi was surprised to see Chen Lie there. “Brother Chen is free today?” Gu Nianzhi happily offered him a drink, “Do you want tea or coffee?”
“Tea is fine.” Chen Lie giggled on the sofa, “I’m here to deliver the results of the DNA test to Boss.”
“Oh?” Gu Nianzhi quickly turned around and set a cup of black tea on the coffee table in front of Chen Lie, “The results are out?”
“Of course. DNA tests nowadays take no time at all?” Chen Lie chuckled again and snapped his fingers.
“What on earth is going on?” Gu Nianzhi was desperately curious.
“What else could be going on?” Chen Lie continued to laugh, “”Huo Jialan is not Huo Guanyuan’s daughter.”
“Really?!” Gu Nianzhi’s conjecture was confirmed, so she got so excited her cheeks turned red and the flush crept down her neck, “Then is she Luo Xinxue’s daughter?”
“Yep, she’s Luo Xinxue’s daughter, but not Huo Guanyuan’s.” Chen Lie collapsed on the soda, “…I’m so exhausted.”
“Are you sure you used my Uncle and Aunt’s blood samples?” Huo Shaoheng walked over and sat beside Gu Nianzhi as he shot him a glance.
“Of course. How can there be a mistake? Huo Guanyuan was a soldier, so his blood sample is at the Military General Hospital. As for Luo Xuexin… Hehe… I saved a vial of her blood ten years ago.” Chen Lie rubbed his hands together, the knuckles crackling.
“That makes sense.” Gu Nianzhi sighed, “The name of Huo Jialan’s father must be on the birth certificate Luo Xinxue left behind, and that’s why Huo Jialan didn’t want anybody to see it. She probably destroyed it long ago or hid it in a different place.”
“Does that mean she also has a motive to murder Luo Xinxue?” Zhao Liangze also joined the group and his imagination flew when he overheard the conversation…
Gu Nianzhi shook her head, “…I don’t think she would resort to that. So what even if she knew? Does killing Luo Xinxue mean that nobody would know that she’s not Huo Guanyuna’s daughter? She’s not that stupid. Also her mother locked the birth certificate in a safe and didn’t say a word for the six years after Huo Guanyuan’s death, so that means she would’ve never said anything.”
“So this was just an accident?” Chen Lie asked, “It can’t be a coincidence?”
“It certainll can’t be a coincidence.” Gu Nianzhi made a fist and rested her chin on it, “I have to think about this to see how we can solve for the truth.”
Seeing her look of concentration, Huo Shaoheng quietly glanced at her and gently smoothed her hair, “…It’s fine if you can’t figure it out, don’t stress yourself.” He stood up slowly from the sofa, “Little Ze come with me, there’s a tape that maybe you can find a way to recover. Chen Lie, you come with us too. There’s something wrong with your DNA report.”
Gu Nianzhi was left sitting in a daze alone on the sofa in Huo Shaoheng’s office. She stared at Huo Guanyuan’s mysterious texts on her computer and something clicked into place. They were going in a circle. Why only investigate Huo Guanyuan’s phone, but not Luo Xinxue’s? She instantly perked up and opened the Huo Shaoheng’s office door to shout, “Huo Shao! We should request the court to allow us to obtain Luo Xinxue’s phone records from the mobile company for that year!”
Huo Shaoheng, Chen Lie and Zhao Liangze all looked up at the same time. After a moment, Huo Shaoheng nodded, “Little Ze, you can help Nianzhi with this.”
“Roger, Chief!” With Zhao Liangze’s help, the matter was quickly resolved. By the same afternoon, Luo Xinxue’s phone records from the year of her death was delivered to Gu Nianzhi. She looked at the phone number repeatedly appearing on the call log a few days before Luo Xinxue’s death and laughed quietly. “Bai Jinyi, you’re dead.”
…
Huo Guanyuan’s personal phone was found in Bai Jinyi’s office. It was presented to the judge in charge of the case at the Imperial Capital Intermediate Court, alongs with the stack of algorithm drafts also found in her safe.
On the day of the trial, Gu Nianzhi held the phone and asked Bai Jinyi, “Physicist Bai, may I ask why you have this phone, which was Senior Colonel Huo Guanyuan’s personal belonging?”
Bai Jinyi’s face flushed, then blanched. Averting her eyes, she mumbled sheepishly, “…Luo Xinxue gifted it to me.”
“You liar! My mother would never give my father’s belongings to anyone!” Huo Jialan vehemently denied, “You clearly stole it from my mother! I saw you run out of her room the night before she died! The room was all messed up, you were the one to take my father’s phone!”