I slept with my sister's classmate, and she turned out to be my boss.

Five o'clock in the afternoon.

The "Nightfall" bar is not officially open yet.

Only a few lights were on behind the bar, and the bartender was wiping the glasses.

When Lin Chen pushed the door open, Liu Hao was sitting next to the bar reviewing the previous day's accounts.

He looked up and saw Lin Chen, and paused for a moment:

"Lin Chen? Why are you here so early? We haven't even opened for business yet."

Lin Chen walked to the bar and tossed a pack of cigarettes over:

"I need to talk to you about something."

Liu Hao took the cigarette, glanced at it, and put it aside: "Just say what you need to say, why bring anything?"

Lin Chen pulled out a high stool and sat down: "I want to ask about something."

Seeing that his expression didn't seem like he was there to drink, Liu Hao put down the ledger in his hand: "What is it?"

"Has Bai Jiangfei been coming here often lately?"

Upon hearing the name, Liu Hao's expression subtly shifted: "Why are you asking about him?"

Lin Chen replied casually, "Just asking."

Liu Hao glanced at him, clearly not quite believing him.

"Just asking?"

Lin Chen lowered his voice: "I'm asking around for a friend."

Liu Hao paused for a moment, as if weighing something.

"I've been a regular customer for the past few months, coming five or six times a month, and each time I spend quite a bit."

He paused for a moment, then lowered his voice.

"Once when I was paying the bill, I saw that the card he took out wasn't in his name."

Lin Chen leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "Could you help me get his spending records for the past three months? I don't need the whole thing, just a quick look at the receipts is fine."

Liu Hao hesitated for a moment:

"Why do you want to see this?"

Lin Chen reassured him, "Don't worry, I'm just taking a look, it won't harm you."

Liu Hao remained silent for a few seconds, seemingly considering the consequences.

Lin Chen casually urged him on.

"Just give me a straight answer: will you let me see it or not?"

Liu Hao stared into Lin Chen's eyes and confirmed it again.

"Are you sure you're just going to look at it and not use it for anything else?"

Lin Chen nodded: "Of course, we're all old acquaintances, I wouldn't harm you."

Liu Hao then spoke up: "Wait for me a moment."

After saying that, he turned and went into the office inside. A few minutes later, he came out with several printed A4 sheets of paper and handed them to Lin Chen:

"Hurry up and look, I'll destroy it after I'm done."

Lin Chen took it and quickly flipped through it, his gaze lingering on one line.

The transaction amount was 47,000, the checkout method was marked as "transfer settlement", and the payer was listed as "Huarong Investment".

He took out his phone, snapped a picture, and handed the paper back to Liu Hao, saying, "Thanks."

Liu Hao was stunned.

"You little brat, I said I was just looking, why did you take pictures?!"

Lin Chen smiled.

"Why be so stingy! I'll bring more people to spend money next month."

Liu Hao was speechless, but there was nothing he could do about Lin Chen.

This guy is a rich second-generation, and sometimes he acts like a devil.

"Hurry up and leave, I didn't see anything today."

As he spoke, he raised his hand to shoo people away.

Lin Chen patted him on the shoulder.

"That's kind of you, I'll remember that."

After leaving the bar, Lin Chen stood by the roadside and took out his phone to look at the photo again.

Huarong Investment —

He had never heard of this company before.

He messaged Chen Dapeng: "I've got Bai Jiangfei's spending records, and one lead points to a company called Huarong Investment. I'll continue investigating and let you know when I have the results."

After sending the message, Lin Chen found Lao Xiao's number at the Provincial Administration for Industry and Commerce and dialed it.

It rang three times before being answered.

"Old Xiao, help me investigate a company. It's registered in Beijing, called Huarong Investment. Just need to know the legal representative and shareholder structure."

"It's troublesome for me to investigate companies in Beijing; I'd need to ask someone for help. Are you in a hurry?"

"The sooner the better, but don't let anyone know it's you investigating."

"Okay, I'll ask around for you. The earliest we'll have a result is tomorrow."

"No problem, contact me when you have the results."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Chen didn't rush to leave.

He went back to his car and looked at the photos of the purchase records on his phone again to make sure he hadn't misread the words "Huarong Investment" before putting his phone down.

He leaned back in his seat and went over the line in his mind.

Bai Jiangfei frequented high-end venues, and when settling large purchases, the payer was always a company.

This is not normal consumer behavior; someone is footing the bill for him.

Who paid the bill?

Why should I pay for his bill?

There's definitely something fishy going on here.

……

The next morning, Lao Xiao called.

Lin Chen answered the phone; Lao Xiao's voice was a little lower than yesterday:

"Lin Chen, I asked a friend to check it out."

The legal representative of Huarong Investment is Liu Shijie, who has registered seven or eight companies in Beijing.

The shareholder structure cannot be found; it appears to be held by nominees.

Lin Chen pressed further, "Can you find out who is actually in control?"

Old Xiao said with difficulty, "I can't find it. This kind of company is obviously just for bookkeeping. The legal representative is just a name, and the shareholders are all empty shells."

Lin Chen was startled:

"Does this company have any connection with the provincial capital?"

Old Xiao lowered his voice: "There is a piece of information—Huarong Investment participated in a real estate project in the provincial capital two years ago, but the specific project name cannot be found."

Lin Chen wrote down the message: "Thank you for your hard work. I'll treat you to a meal later."

Old Xiao's tone became serious.

"Don't give me that. Just don't tell anyone I was the one who investigated."

Lin Chen laughed and said, "Don't worry, don't you know how I handle things?!"

After hanging up the phone, Lin Chen organized the information Lao Xiao had given him and sent it to Chen Dapeng:

"Liu Shijie, the legal representative of Huarong Investment, is from Beijing and owns several companies. Shareholders are sometimes nominees, and the actual controller cannot be found. Additionally, Huarong Investment participated in a real estate project in the provincial capital two years ago, the specific name of which is unknown."

When Chen Dapeng received Lin Chen's message, he was organizing case materials.

He put down the documents in his hand and read through the message Lin Chen had sent him from beginning to end.

Then I opened the notebook and added a line below the name "Bai Jiangfei":

"Huarong Investment - Liu Shijie - Nominee - Provincial Capital Real Estate Project"

He searched for public information about "Huarong Investment" on his computer and found a press release from two years ago. The content was very short, only a few lines, mentioning that Huarong Investment had signed a cooperation agreement with a company in the provincial capital to participate in a real estate project in the provincial capital.

The press release did not specify the project name or the amount of the cooperation, but it did mention that the signing took place in the provincial capital.

Chen Dapeng stared at the line of text for a while, took a screenshot of the news page, and saved it to the folder containing the Bai Jiangfei case.

Then, he picked up his phone and dialed He Ying's number.

The phone rang twice before being answered.

"Sister Ying, there's been a new discovery on Bai Jiangfei's side."

After Lin Chen discovered that he had made a large expense, the payer was a company called "Huarong Investment," registered in Beijing, with Liu Shijie as its legal representative.

This company participated in a real estate project in the provincial capital two years ago, but the specific details of the project cannot be found.

He Ying paused for a moment: "Beijing?"

Chen Dapeng was very certain:

"Yes. Moreover, the shareholder structure of Huarong Investment is unclear, as if someone is holding shares on behalf of others. Lin Chen said that this kind of operation is not like that of an ordinary company, but more like someone doesn't want people to find out the actual controller."

He Ying didn't reply immediately, but spoke after a few seconds:

"Bai Jiangfei's money flowed to Beijing, coinciding with the timing of Lin Meijuan's case. Continue your investigation, but don't let the news leak out."

Chen Dapeng responded, "Yes, I will be careful."

After hanging up the phone.

Chen Dapeng placed his phone on the table and stared at the line on his laptop connecting Bai Jiangfei to Huarong Investment.

Then, he drew a dotted line.

From Huarong Investment, it leads to a place that hasn't even been named yet...