Rebirth 2014: I, the King of Criminal Investigation

Chapter 657 The Acquiring Party is a Woman?

"He's quite trustworthy..." Just from Xie Wei's description, Yu Dazhang could tell that the other party was very wealthy.

The fourteen deaf-mute girls were offered a purchase price of 140 million yuan.

This amount of money is undoubtedly a huge sum for ordinary people.

Many people could not save this much money even if they lived a lifetime of frugal living.

The other party seemed completely unconcerned, arriving with both money and face without the slightest hesitation.

Why is there such a high demand for women under 35?
Or rather, what does the other party want to do with these women?
Did they open a club and need female waitresses?
The practice of forcing women into prostitution is now very rare in China, but it is rampant abroad.

Is it possible to transport people abroad and then force them to sell silver?

will not.

Yu Dazhang immediately rejected this hypothesis.

The risk is too great.

The difficulty of transporting so many women together abroad is unimaginable.

Besides, the profit margin isn't that big.

The purchase price is as high as 100,000 per person. Even if the person can be successfully transported abroad, it will take a long time to recover the cost price.

If something unexpected happens, you could lose everything.

No one would do a business that is difficult, has low profit margins, and carries the risk of losing their head at any time.

Moreover, the people the other party bought with money are not very healthy.

These fourteen deaf and mute girls are alright, but they have some difficulty communicating.

Those twelve mentally disabled women are a bit unreasonable; such people are simply not fit to be waitresses.

Yu Dazhang couldn't even imagine what use the other party would have for these twelve mentally challenged women.

From your perspective, what is their purpose in spending money to buy so many women?

After asking his question, Yu Dazhang added:
"Say what you think."

Upon hearing this question, Xie Wei immediately looked thoughtful, seemingly stumped.

He thought for a full five minutes, then finally shook his head and said:
"I really can't figure out their purpose. Actually, I'm very curious too, and I don't think those women are worth that much money."

"Every industry has its own rules. It's a big taboo to inquire about other people's ways of making money, and besides, the other party won't tell you."

At this point, Xie Wei paused, hesitated for a few seconds, and then continued:

"If I had to make a guess, I think the most likely possibility is... long-term benefits."

This is the same as not saying anything at all... Yu Dazhang could tell that Xie Wei really didn't know.

However, his thoughts were the same as mine.

Just now, Yu Dazhang guessed that the other party was opening a clubhouse because of considerations of long-term benefits.

The profit from a one-off deal will definitely be lower than the long-term returns.

Only in this way will the other party offer a high price to acquire it.

Before Da Zhang could ask any more questions, the interrogation room door was pushed open, and a police officer walked in, bringing in a digitally altered cell phone.

Yu Dazhang took the phone and then went to Xie Wei.

"take it easy."

He took out a cigarette, lit it for Xie Wei, and waited for him to take a puff before saying:
"Just be natural, like you would when you trade."

Xie Wei nodded and took another drag of his cigarette.

"When I contact the other party, I have to go through an intermediary before they will call me back."

“We’ve contacted each other twice before, and each time the other person used a different phone number. I guess they bought one of those black cards with pre-paid credit.”

The real-name registration system for mobile phone SIM cards was officially implemented on September 1, 2015. Before that, many mobile phone service centers had people selling unregistered SIM cards outside their doors.

It's the kind of SIM card that doesn't require real-name registration and comes with pre-paid credit.

Usually, it's 20 yuan with 30 yuan of phone credit, or 30 yuan with 50 yuan of phone credit.

The larger the amount, the greater the discount.

Even after 2015, people were still selling these cards, and at wholesale prices.

"clear."

Yu Dazhang nodded:

"let's hit."

As a criminal investigator, he has seen many such black cards. Not to mention now, even ten years from now in 2025, these black cards will still exist.

There is one truth in this world that will never change.

Where there is profit, there will always be people willing to take the risk.

Throughout history, countless people have died from vices such as drinking, gambling, prostitution, smoking, swindling, cheating, and theft, yet these vices have never been completely eradicated. The reason is simple: they are profitable.

Xie Wei then searched through his phone's contacts and quickly found a number marked "Lao Li".

The call was answered quickly.

"It's me. I recently got another batch of goods."

Xie Wei got straight to the point:

"However, the price will have to be raised this time, as the quality of this batch is much better than the last one."

His words were completely honest; after explaining the purpose of the call, he then requested a price increase.

The person on the other end immediately replied:

"Didn't you say you'd just pull off one big heist and then stop? How come you're making moves again so soon?"

Xie Wei seemed to have anticipated this question and answered it as if it were perfectly natural:

"It's been years since I've encountered such a patron, so of course I'm striking while the iron is hot. Besides, I happen to have an opportunity, and I've managed to get another batch of good goods."

"That's true." The speaker was a man; judging from his voice, he was middle-aged.
"This is the first time I've seen someone so generous since I entered this industry. We really have to seize this opportunity."

"Okay, I'll ask them. You wait for their call."

After saying that, the other end of the phone hung up immediately.

Yu Dazhang noticed that the two men's conversation was mostly devoid of unnecessary words.

What seemed like a casual question from the other end was actually a test of Xie Wei.

Fortunately, Xie Wei answered smoothly without pausing, and his reasons were reasonable, so the other party had no doubts.

"Hold on."

Xie Wei placed his phone on the partition of the interrogation chair, then looked up and said:

"They'll call back in about a minute."

So fast? Yu Dazhang was surprised, but his face remained expressionless.

He lit another cigarette for Xie Wei, then sat back down opposite him.

Sure enough, just a minute later, the phone rang.

Xie Wei picked up his phone and pointed the screen at Yu Dazhang; it was an unfamiliar number.

Yu Dazhang nodded, signaling him to answer the call.

After the call connected, a woman's voice came from the phone:

"You're quick on the uptake. It's only been a few days, and you've already gotten your hands on more goods?"

A woman? Yu Dazhang was startled.

Why didn't Xie Wei mention this situation?
No, it's not his problem.

Yu Dazhang quickly realized where the problem lay.

It was my instinct to believe that a woman couldn't handle such a big case.

But in Xie Wei's eyes, women working as human traffickers was not strange at all; in fact, it was quite common.

Of all crimes, human trafficking is probably the only one where the male-to-female ratio is most balanced.

"As long as you can afford it, the goods are not a problem."

Xie Wei said in a confident tone:

"And I guarantee that the quality will be better each time, but the price will also need to be raised appropriately."

He didn't use speakerphone when he made the call.

Yu Dazhang did not ask him to do so.

Because the sound quality will definitely be affected when using speakerphone, the other party will notice something is wrong if they are observant.

However, Xie Wei's phone had been technically modified, and the officers in the observation room could hear the conversation through their headsets.

Yu Dazhang didn't even need an earpiece; he could clearly hear the voice coming from the phone in the interrogation room.

"Price is not an issue."

The woman on the other end agreed readily:
“We’ve taken all the deaf and mute girls you brought in last time. As long as your goods are good, the price is negotiable.”

The woman then changed the subject and asked:

How many people are there this time?

Upon hearing this question, Xie Wei immediately looked at Yu Dazhang.

Only then did the two realize that they had forgotten to discuss this detail before making the call.

Fortunately, Yu Dazhang reacted quickly and immediately made a "seven" gesture towards him.

(End of this chapter)