Chapter 103: A Great Bargain (1/2)

In the afternoon, we planned to go to the real estate agency and gather some information about the mansion owner. When we arrived, a salesperson warmly greeted us and asked if we were looking to buy or rent. Xiaotao showed him her police badge and answered, “Neither. But we’d like to ask you some questions!”

The salesperson invited us into an office. After explaining our intentions, the salesperson pulled out a thick hard-cover book and flipped through it.

“I’m sorry, officers, but the mansion you’re inquiring after is no longer under our management.”

A few days ago, the owner suddenly called and requested to decrease the price of the mansion from the original three million to one million. By doing that, the company would receive fewer commissions, so naturally they were unwilling to grant the owner’s request. To their surprise, the owner paid the company twenty thousand yuan in cash on the spot to terminate the contract.

Xiaotao asked, “Do you have the mansion owner’s contact information?”

“Yes. Please give me a second.” The salesperson pulled out another book and flipped through it.

The name of the owner was Jin Baoshan. It was exactly the same name that Lao Yao had found.

We went to his company directly. On the way, Dali remarked, “Only one million yuan for a two-story mansion! What a great bargain!”

“Yeah,” I replied. “There must be a reason behind Jin Baoshan’s sudden change of heart.”

We arrived at Jin Baoshan’s company and was greeted by the man himself. He was a mild-mannered middle-aged man who remained calm even after he knew that we were with the police. He smiled and asked, “How may I help you, officers?”

“Are you the owner of the property at No. 81, Xinjian Road?” Xiaotao asked.

“I used to, but I sold it two days ago,” Jin Baoshan replied.

“For how much did you buy the property, and how much did you sell it for?”

Jin Baoshan frowned. “Excuse me, officers. But isn’t that my personal business?”

“We just need your help to make sense of a certain situation. We hope you can cooperate!” Xiaotao urged firmly.

Jin Baoshan said he bought it at the price of two million yuan and sold it for three million yuan. This lie was so easy to see through that I didn’t even need Cave Vision.

Xiaotao told him that we had already been to the real estate agency. Jin Baoshan calmly replied, “Well, I admit that I made a deal that cost me some money. But it’s my fault because I wanted to try my hand at real estate investment even when I should’ve known that I’m not business savvy enough. I admit that I’ve been unlucky. But isn’t that my personal business?”

Xiaotao sneered, “The police have nothing to do with how much people pay for a house or how much they sell their house for, but when dead bodies are found inside the house, then it becomes our business!”

Jin Baoshan was shocked. “What? Dead bodies? Officer, you must be joking!”

I discreetly observed him with my Cave Vision. That surprise was absolutely fake, but he was a little nervous.

Jin Baoshan kept trying to ask about the dead bodies, but we naturally did not disclose any further information.

“Mr. Jin, I’d like to know why you suddenly decreased the price so drastically.”

“For no particular reason,” he answered. “I have a hunch that the property bubble in China will soon burst, so I had to sell the house at least for some money before it crumbled into dust in my possession.”

It was obviously a made-up answer, but no matter how Xiaotao questioned him, he kept leading us in a circle. I noticed that the man was quite sly. An idea popped up in my mind and I gave Xiaotao a look, signaling that I wanted to ask a question.

“Mr. Jin, what is your shoe size?” I asked bluntly.

Jin Baoshan was visibly unnerved. “My shoe size? What does that have anything to do with the sale of my property, Officer?”

He kept refusing to answer. I looked under the table and hazarded a guess. “It’s 39, right?”

Jin Baoshan hid his feet immediately. I deliberately asked Xiaotao, “Didn’t we find a size 39 shoeprint at the crime scene?”

Xiaotao froze for a moment then replied, “Yes!”

It was just a tactic to scare him, of course. There were more than a dozen shoe prints at the crime scene, and we weren’t able to analyze them all yet. I stared into Jin Baoshan’s eyes and asked again, “Have you been to the crime scene, Mr. Jin?”

He broke out in cold sweat. “I’ve been swamped with work lately. There’s no reason why I should waste my time going there!”

He was really stubborn. Xiaotao threatened him, “If that’s the case, then please come back with us to the police station.”