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Su Ning didn't know how Liang Wuyun had been persuaded by her father, who suddenly pulled a complete reversal and desperately tried to convince Su Ning to accept the mission.

Moreover, he used all his sincerity to persuade Suning, and in the end, he still managed to get Suning to compromise again.

Liang Wuyun's slender fingers gently traced Su Ning's chest, her voice as soft as willow catkins in spring: "Jian Fan, just agree! My dad said this case is an opportunity for you; if you handle it well, you might be promoted directly to captain."

Su Ning closed her eyes, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Your dad? Wasn't Director Liang transferred from the Miyang branch because of this case? Now look what's happened, I'm being asked to handle this hot potato."

"Oh dear! Why are you so stubborn!" Liang Wuyun rolled over and pinned Su Ning down, her long hair falling onto his face. "Precisely because of this, if you investigate thoroughly, won't that better prove my father's innocence?"

Su Ning opened her eyes and looked at the exquisite face in front of her.

Liang Wuyun's eyes gleamed with an unusual light under the dim bedside lamp. He knew that once this woman made up her mind, she would not give up until she achieved her goal.

“Do you know how complicated this case is? How many people are involved?” Su Ning sighed. “Zeng Guowei’s disappearance, the theft of cultural relics, Song Zhiming’s car accident, Pei Xiangdong’s suicide… each one is a dead end.”

Liang Wuyun's fingers had already slid to Su Ning's waist: "That's why we need a detective like you..."

Her voice grew softer and softer until it finally disappeared from Su Ning's lips.

……

Then Zeng Nan and Su Ning began to analyze the case.

Zeng Nan stated that all the evidence points to Mr. Li as the most likely suspect.

However, Suning said that all the inferences were just speculations, and they could not make any judgments without concrete evidence.

Moreover, Mr. Li's wife, Tang Lianqing, is not to be underestimated. Although they haven't had much contact, they always feel that Tang Lianqing is the mastermind behind the scenes.

Zeng Nan hopes that Suning can do its best to investigate the case from back then and seek justice for her father, Zeng Guowei.

However, Su Ning was troubled upon hearing this, because the case involved many people, was complex, and was very difficult to handle.

Moreover, he himself might get into trouble during the process of handling the case.

With that in mind, he refused Zeng Nan's request.

Just then, Zeng Nan suddenly pulled out a cookbook from his pocket, which was the authentic recipe for "Thin as a Wing".

Su Ning's eyes lit up when he saw it, and he hoped that Zeng Nan would give it to him.

"Thin as a Wing" is the most famous old-brand braised meat near the capital, renowned for its paper-thin texture and lingering fragrance.

It is said that the recipe for this dish has been passed down for over a hundred years and has always been a treasure sought after by the owners of Heda Restaurant.

It was because of this "thin as a wing" fragment that I formed an inextricable bond with Jiang Dijia.

Actually, even though Su Ning has already broken up with Jiang Dijia, he has long since developed the bad habit of being a womanizer and has always been thinking about whether he can make Jiang Dijia his second wife.

At this moment, Zeng Nan suddenly became mysterious, and she once again expressed her wish that Su Ning could help her solve the case.

Upon hearing this, Su Ning hesitated for a moment, but still said he could consider it.

After Zeng Nan left, Suning immediately became very busy.

In the following days, he stayed in his kitchen every day, focusing on making "thin as wings".

Because he had seen a few words in the recipe book that Zeng Nan had shown him before, he wanted to use that part of the content to restore the authentic secret recipe of "thin as a wing".

However, since he hadn't finished reading the entire book, the dishes he prepared fell far short of his expectations, and he had to give up in frustration.

……

Three days later, in the conference room of the Municipal Public Security Bureau.

"After deliberation by the Party Committee of the Bureau, it has been decided to establish a special task force for the 'December 23 Cultural Relics Theft Case,' with Comrade Su Ning serving as the temporary team leader, to be fully responsible for the case review." Deputy Director Lü Fangming's voice echoed in the conference room.

Su Ning sat in the corner, feeling the gazes coming from all directions.

There was curiosity, schadenfreude, but mostly—pity.

This case was known within the police department as the "ghost case," and whoever got involved was considered unlucky.

"Team Leader Jian, please share your thoughts," Lu Fangming called out.

Su Ning stood up and looked around: "First, I need all the case files from back then, including information on all the people involved. Second, I want to meet with the parties involved who are still alive."

Lu Fangming nodded: "Brother Jie will cooperate with your work. He participated in the preliminary investigation back then."

After the meeting, a robust man in his fifties walked over and extended his hand: "Team Leader Jian, I am Zhang Jie, everyone calls me Brother Jie."

Su Ning grasped the calloused hand: "Just call me Jian Fan. Brother Jie, did you witness the crime scene yourself back then?"

Brother Jie's eyes suddenly became complicated: "I've seen it before. It was the most bizarre scene I've ever seen in my life. The safe was open, there was blood on the ground, but Zeng Guowei was nowhere to be found."

Then, the police officer named Zhang Jie analyzed the case for everyone.

It turns out that Wang Weimin, Song Zhiming, and others were all criminal police officers back then, and on the day the cultural relic smuggling case was cracked, they were the ones who handled the placement of the cultural relics into the warehouse.

That evening, the rest of the police station staff had dinner at a restaurant, presided over by Deputy Chief Lu.

However, on the same night, Song Zhiming was hit and killed while driving home.

The next morning, everyone discovered that the police station's evidence warehouse had been robbed. The guard, Pei Xiangdong, had been knocked unconscious and tied up, and the artifacts and Zeng Guowei had also disappeared.

According to Qiao Xiaobo, the gatekeeper of the police station, he only saw Zeng Guowei's vehicle leave the police station on the night of the incident.

Later, the police found Zeng Guowei's vehicle 30 miles from the city, which was covered in blood.

……

Su Ning sat in the municipal bureau's conference room, opposite Zeng Guowei's daughter, Zeng Nan.

"Jian Fan, thank you for coming." Zeng Nan was in her twenties, dressed in an elegant cheongsam.

His eyes and brows exuded an imposing aura, making it impossible to tell that he was asking for a favor.

"You're too kind. It's a case personally assigned by Director Liang, so of course I take it seriously." Su Ning took a sip of tea; the flavor was mellow and sweet, it was top-quality Longjing tea.

Zeng Nan took an old wooden box out of her bag and pushed it in front of him: "This authentic 'Thin as a Wing' recipe is yours."

“…” Su Ning’s fingers trembled slightly.

As a seasoned food enthusiast, he knew all too well the value of this wooden box.

If this is the real secret recipe, Jiang Dijia would definitely jump for joy.

"Like it?"

"This... is too valuable." Su Ning suppressed the urge to open the box immediately.

Zeng Nan's eyes suddenly reddened: "Compared to my father's innocence, what is this? Officer Jian, my father is not a thief, much less would he abscond with stolen goods! He must have been framed!"

Su Ning paused for a moment: "Mr. Zeng, I will investigate the case, but I cannot accept this. There are regulations in the police force..."

“Consider it a loan for your research,” Zeng Nan interrupted him, suddenly realizing how hypocritical Su Ning was. “Return it to me once the case is solved.”

That evening, in the kitchen of Suning's apartment.

"Whip the egg whites until they can stand upright on chopsticks... The broth needs to be made with old hen and Jinhua ham..." Su Ning carefully followed the recipe. The kitchen was already piled high with successful test samples.

The phone suddenly rang. It was Brother Jie: "Team Leader Jian, I found out that on the night of the incident, President Li did indeed arrange a blind date with Song Zhiming, and the girl he introduced was named Zhu Xiaochun, who is still working at the Li Group."

Su Ning put down the whisk: "We'll go meet this Miss Zhu tomorrow. By the way, have you found Qiao Xiaobo's address?"

"Found out, they live in the old town. Shall we go together tomorrow?"

……

The low, dilapidated bungalows in the old town stand in stark contrast to the high-rise buildings not far away.

Qiao Xiaobo lived in one of the most dilapidated houses.

The person who opened the door was an elderly man with a hunched back, who looked at least twenty years older than his actual age.

Upon seeing the two police officers, Qiao Xiaobo's eyes immediately filled with panic.

"Master Qiao, we're here to learn about the case of the theft of cultural relics back then." Brother Jie showed his identification.

Qiao Xiaobo's hands trembled violently: "So many years have passed, I've said everything I needed to say back then..."

Su Ning looked around. The room was simple but clean, and a faded family photo hung on the wall: "Master Qiao, back then you said that you only saw Zeng Guowei's car leave the police station on the night of the incident?"

"Yes, yes, I only saw Captain Zeng's car." Qiao Xiaobo's eyes darted around.

Su Ning opened her notebook: "But according to the duty log, Zeng Guowei left work at 6 p.m. that day. The incident happened after 10 p.m., so why did he return to the police station?"

Qiao Xiaobo's face turned deathly pale instantly: "I... I might have remembered wrong..."

“Master Qiao,” Su Ning suddenly raised his voice, “giving false testimony is a criminal offense! Especially in such a serious case!”

"I didn't! I really saw it!" Qiao Xiaobo exclaimed excitedly, then coughed violently.

Brother Jie handed him a glass of water: "Old Joe, was someone threatening you back then? It's not too late to tell us now."

After finishing his water, Qiao Xiaobo suddenly burst into tears: "I...I can't say...my grandson is still in college..."

After leaving Qiao Xiaobo's house, Su Ning and Jie walked in silence for a while.

"What is he afraid of?" Su Ning lit a cigarette.

Brother Jie shook his head: "It's not just fear, it's terror. More than twenty years have passed, and he's still this afraid..."

The silence was broken by the ringing of a cell phone. It was Liang Wuyun: "Jian Fan, my dad said he wants to invite you to dinner tonight to talk about the case."

Su Ning frowned: "Your dad? Didn't he say he wouldn't get involved to avoid suspicion?"

"So he invited you in a private capacity! Just at home, just the three of us." Liang Wuyun's voice carried a hint of coquetry.

After hanging up the phone, Brother Jie gave him a meaningful look: "Director Liang's daughter? Team Leader Jian is really lucky."

……

The reception room on the 28th floor of the Li Group headquarters building.

Zhu Xiaochun was much younger than I had imagined, looking no more than thirty-five or thirty-six years old, and didn't seem like someone who had experienced the turmoil more than twenty years ago.

“Ms. Zhu, thank you for taking the time to see us.” Su Ning showed his credentials. “We would like to know about the circumstances of your blind date with Song Zhiming back then.”

Zhu Xiaochun's makeup was exquisite, and her smile was professional: "It's been so long, I can hardly remember. I only remember that it was Mr. Li who introduced us, and we had dinner together once and then we lost contact."

“As far as we know, Song Zhiming died in a car accident the very night of the blind date.” Su Ning looked directly into her eyes. “Don’t you think it’s too much of a coincidence?”

Zhu Xiaochun's smile froze for a moment: "Officer, what do you mean? It was just an accident, and the driver who caused the accident has already been brought to justice, hasn't he?"

"Tian Huilin, drunk driving, died drunk driving himself two years later." Su Ning opened his notebook. "Two drunkards, two car accidents, both related to you."

"What does this have to do with me?" Zhu Xiaochun's voice suddenly rose. "I don't know that Tian something at all!"

Brother Jie interjected, "Ms. Zhu, could you tell me about your whereabouts on the night of the incident? The night the cultural relics were stolen."

Zhu Xiaochun took a deep breath: "I met Song Zhiming at the restaurant arranged by President Li, around seven or eight o'clock. After that, I went home."

"Can anyone prove it?"

“I live alone, and I have no one to vouch for me.” Zhu Xiaochun stood up. “If there’s nothing else, I have a meeting to attend.”

Leaving the Li Group, Brother Jie glanced back at the towering building: "She's lying. The surveillance footage from the night of the incident shows she didn't leave the company until after nine o'clock."

Su Ning nodded: "And she looks too young. Check her real age and background."

Just then, a black Mercedes pulled up in front of them.

The car window rolled down, revealing the face of a refined middle-aged man.

"Officer Jian? What a coincidence! Do you have time for a cup of tea?"

"Okay!"

The tea room was quiet and elegant, and Mr. Li's tea-making movements were fluid and graceful, clearly showing that he was a master at it.

"I heard Officer Jian is investigating an old case from back then?" Mr. Li handed over a cup of Biluochun tea.

Suning took the teacup but did not answer immediately.

Mr. Li has a very commanding presence. He is over fifty years old, with slightly graying temples, but his eyes are as sharp as an eagle's.

"Mr. Li is very well-informed," Brother Jie said with a smile.

Mr. Lee smiled and said, "In Miryang, no secret can be kept for long."

Then he looked at Su Ning, "Especially the case concerning Zeng Guowei."

Su Ning put down his teacup: "President Li seems to know Captain Zeng quite well?"

“We’re old acquaintances.” Mr. Li’s gaze drifted into the distance. “Back then, we both pursued Zeng Nan’s mother, but in the end, she chose Zeng Guowei.”

"So you had a motive to frame him?" Brother Jie asked bluntly.

General Manager Li laughed loudly: "This police officer is really joking. If I wanted to harm him, why would I wait until he got married and had children? Besides..."

He lowered his voice, "I don't think Zeng Guowei is a thief at all."

Su Ning raised an eyebrow: "Oh? So, Mr. Li, who do you think is the thief?"

“That’s the problem.” Mr. Li poured himself another cup of tea. “Back then, not many people knew the value of cultural relics, and even fewer could open the police station’s safe. Officer Jian might want to investigate who suddenly had a better life after the incident.”

Leaving the tea room, Brother Jie couldn't wait to ask, "Who is he implying?"

Suning pondered for a moment: "Check the current situation of the people involved in the case back then, especially their economic situation."

"it is good."

...(End of chapter)