NOVEL NEXT Chapter 597 - 597: 304 Clues (First Update)
Chapter 597: 304 Clues (First Update)
“Baitou Mountain, and then?”
Li Chan no longer spoke, her eyes closed, seeming to have no breath left.
Zhou Xue narrowed her eyes and put her finger under Li Chan’s nose to check for breath.
The breath was very weak.
This woman was probably not going to make it.
Zhou Xue slowly stood up and walked out.
Following Zhou Xue, the two men dressed in black looked at each other. One of them, with a square face, stepped forward and whispered, “Sister Zhou, last time when Brother Two and I went to Siji Town, it was at the foot of Baitou Mountain. Is she lying to us again?”
“No, for the sake of her sister, she would tell the truth.”
“But isn’t her sister…” The other man, with an inch-long scar on his left cheek, had just started to speak when the other man glared at him and interrupted.
Zhou Xue spoke unhurriedly: “At that time, the number of corpses exactly matched. Later, when we checked the records, we discovered that the one who died in the fire that night was the neighbor’s child. There is only one possibility.”
Li Juan was still alive.
The one who slipped through the net that year.
At the time, she hadn’t joined Madam’s side yet, and another person was handling these matters. He was too careless, making mistakes in not just one thing – eventually displeasing Madam.
After she came to Madam’s side, she gradually began to take care of these matters. That person left quite a mess, and Li Juan was just one of the problems.
She’s not sure how much Li Juan knows about what happened that year, but as long as she is alive, she’ll always be a potential threat.
“But Brother Two and I asked around in Siji Town, and there were no clues. Baitou Mountain is as bald as it gets, with nothing but a nunnery… “.
Zhou Xue suddenly stopped, and the two men behind her also stopped.
In the cold underground passage, a chill wind blew, and faint ghostly howls echoed. The lights above flickered dimly, sending a shiver down one’s spine.
“What did you just say? Nunnery?” Zhou Xue suddenly asked.
The man’s Adam’s apple moved, stuttering: “Bai… Baitou Mountain, there is only one nun…nunnery.”
“Jiyue Temple?”
The man’s eyes suddenly brightened, “Sister Zhou, you know?”
Zhou Xue’s gaze darkened. How did her investigation lead her back to Jiyue Temple?
Ming Jing came from Jiyue Temple, and Madam had high hopes for her.
As the head of the institution, when he saw the woman walking out with a gloomy face, he bowed respectfully.
“Take good care of her. If she dies, so will you.” The woman’s cold voice came, causing the director’s heart to pound, quickly responding with agreement.
He grabbed an umbrella from the corner and handed it to her with both hands: “It’s raining outside and don’t get wet.”
Zhou Xue stepped outside, where a drizzle accompanied the chilly wind. The night was dark and cold.
The endless night, stirring cold wind and rain, made her feel even more burdened.
She pulled out her phone from her bag and dialed a number: “Check, Jiyue Temple, all five sisters there.”
Zhou Xue walked into the rain, and Xie Wei hurriedly opened the umbrella above her head.
Suddenly, a cell phone rang.
Zhou Xue stopped, took an old cell phone out of her bag.
One for work, one for personal use.
The ringtone was a sweet, naïve song sung by a little girl, cute and full of spiritual energy. But when heard in this gloomy madhouse, it gave off a strange feeling.
Xie Wei shivered involuntarily.
In an instant, Zhou Xue’s cold eyes became gentle as she answered the call: “Fangfang, you’re still up so late.”
She didn’t know what the person on the phone said but the woman laughed and said, “You growing up healthy and happy is the best birthday gift for your aunt.”
“Darling, go to bed early, and your aunt will come to see you when I’m done.”
After hanging up, Zhou Xue got in the car and said, “Go home.”
Xie Wei closed the umbrella, and they both got into the car. Just like when they arrived, they left silently.
The rain grew heavier, and the director stood under the eaves, watching the car gradually disappear into the rainy night like a dim ghost fire.
A young nurse next to him whispered, “Director, who is she?”
The director turned back with his hands behind his back and snorted, “Someone you don’t want to mess with.”The woman lying silently on the ground suddenly moved her fingers.
——
That night, heavy rain fell in Jiangzhou, lasting for three days.
Three days later, on the 25th, the sky cleared.
It was a weekend and the birds were chirping merrily in the early morning.
Countless journalists rushed to Jiangzhou Shangdu Hotel, carrying their cameras and equipment.
Today was the news conference and the handover ceremony for the new president of the Jockey Club.
Generally, such formal events lack interest. Heavy on officialdom, the public usually finds them boring.
But this time, the new president was very popular online, ranking first among the younger generation.
She alone could dominate the entertainment, business, and livelihood sectors, outshining anyone else.
It was announced early on that this press conference would be livestreamed by Apple Video, a subsidiary of the Shenzhou Group. The public joked that Apple Video made a fortune from the traffic generated by their own girl. Certainly, they are close to the moon by having access to water and keeping the riches for themselves.
The press conference was scheduled to start at nine in the morning, but people got up early on weekends and started waiting in the live room at seven. In a short time, there were more than a million viewers in the cold winter morning.
At 7:30, hotel staff began to search every corner of the conference room. They had received a notice last night that the specifications of the conference were very high, with many leaders in attendance. They had to ensure the safety of the venue.
Moreover, the hotel also temporarily recruited additional security personnel. But before their allocation, the police arrived and took over the security in plain clothes.
Every reporter and cameraman entering the venue had their equipment and work permits checked, only being allowed in after registering.
Seeing such a grand scene, the media personnel felt a bit anxious.
Wasn’t this just a normal press conference? It seemed as if they were welcoming a bigshot.
——
Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, the sun was shining brightly. Jiang Chunlan took a sip of coffee, and the kitchen brought her bird’s nest soup.
In order to maintain her figure, she never eats refined rice or noodles. As a result, her skin remained as youthful as a twenty-year-old.
Jiang Jinchen came downstairs, “Good morning.”
Jiang Chunlan frowned at him: “Did you stay up late again last night?”
Jiang Jinchen pulled out a chair and sat down: “There’s a model competition in a few days. I looked up some literature and information overnight.”
His favorite breakfast was placed in front of him.
“Thanks, Huahua.”
Jiang Chunlan ordered, “Huahua, cook him some nourishing soup. You’re getting thinner without me looking after you for a few days.”
“Yes, madam.”
Jiang Jinchen glanced at Jiang Chunlan and saw her elegantly dressed. He asked, “Will you also attend today’s press conference?”
Jiang Chunlan nodded, glanced at him, and suddenly laughed: “What, are you interested too?”
Jiang Jinchen pursed his lips and lowered his head to eat his breakfast in silence.
Although Jiang Jinchen was not talkative, Jiang Chunlan knew her own son’s thoughts well. She smiled and said, “Clean up after breakfast and come with me. Today’s press conference has high standards, ordinary people can’t get in.”
Jiang Jinchen didn’t say anything, but he ate his breakfast more quickly.
At that moment, Zhou Xue walked in quickly and whispered something to Jiang Chunlan. Jiang Chunlan’s hand shook, and she almost spilled coffee on her expensive velvet cheongsam.
“Madam, be careful.”
Zhou Xue took the coffee cup and put it on the table.
Jiang Chunlan’s face darkened in an instant, “Follow me to the study.”
Jiang Jinchen watched the two hurriedly leave, his eyebrows furrowed.
He had good hearing and seemed to have heard a familiar name just now.
He put down his chopsticks, glanced in the direction of the kitchen, and quietly followed them.
——
“Madam, don’t be angry yet. There’s no evidence for now, as many things don’t make sense…but it should be certain that Ms. Ming Jing is not the Zhus’ real daughter.”
Zhou Xue had found the private detective hired by Lin Qing, who spilled everything after being bribed.
“Although she is not the real daughter of the Zhus, she may not be the person you’re looking for either. After all, their ages don’t match. I think Ming Jing’s twins might be more suspicious. They entered school at nine, but their height and appearance don’t resemble their peers at all. They started first grade in high school in September, with excellent grades. If we hadn’t purposely investigated, we would never have discovered that they are two or three years younger than their classmates.”
Zhou Xue took out a photo and placed it in front of Jiang Chunlan. In the photo were a pair of twin sisters with identical faces, wearing school uniforms. One was lively and lovely, the other calm and steady, both showing the grace of young girls.