147 Taking the Initiative to Take a Risk 1 (1/2)

Upon hearing that the team was there to collect information for further investigations on the case, the victim's uncle and auntie were quick to answer the questions An Xiaoning had asked. However, the two started to get a little tongue-tied when it got to the question about whether she had a boyfriend or not.

”We've never lived together with her in the past and only met her occasionally. So, we wouldn't know if she had a boyfriend or not. ”

”Well, then, do you guys know who her friends were or who she usually went out with?”

Shaking their heads in unison, the middle-aged couple answered, ”We're not quite sure about that.”

Unable to obtain any useful information from the session, An Xiaoning had no choice but to return to the police car and wait for the rest of her colleagues.

In fact, Gong Le, Zu Dong, and Ma Jianguo had questioned the victim's teachers, classmates, and close friends, who had all mentioned that they were not aware of the existence of her boyfriend. Because, well, the victim had never once mentioned that she had a boyfriend.

However, being the meticulous and alert person he was, Ma Jianguo had also managed to obtain all of the victim's social media usernames, including Weibo, WeChat, QQ, MSN, as well as her gaming account. Although he did not manage to get the passwords, they could at least continue investigating with the additional details of her life they now had.

They had ended up spending the entire day traveling to and fro around the city.

However, they did not waste any time slacking and managed to reset the passwords of all the social media accounts belonging to the victim, as well as her gaming account, which was reset with the help of the online video game company.

After much investigation, they finally found some new clues.

An Xiaoning looked through the victim's WeChat account and found that there were several flirtatious and ambiguous comments left on the latter's posts by a particular user. Thus, she instantly added the user who had left the comments using her private account.

She began chatting with the user using the false identity of an 18-year-old girl, only to find out that he was a local in the city who was currently residing in Benyang District.

It was a crucial piece of information that would aid them greatly in their investigations.

After making sure there were no more clues to be found from the other accounts, An Xiaoning decided to ask the man on WeChat out.

”Seriously, how could the victim have possibly had a boyfriend who was a local if she was just here for a vacation?”

”This man here is not her 'friend' on WeChat, don't you find that very suspicious? Besides, the victim had posted something on her account just before she arrived here in A City. At that point of time, she had mentioned in her post that they had already known each other prior to her arrival. One look and you can tell it's a cyber-relationship. She had come here to look for her online boyfriend, with the excuse of going on a vacation,” said An Xiaoning, pointing at her mobile phone.

Ma Jianguo's eyes lit up in a moment of enlightenment. ”In that case, does that mean we're really close to cracking this case?”

”We can't be too sure about that. What we have to do now is to verify if he's really her boyfriend. I'll be meeting him under the pretense of a female cyber-friend later,” said An Xiaoning, not wanting to promise anything.

”Is it safe for you to go alone? Why don't you get Zu Dong to go with you?” Ma Jianguo suggested.

”We might give it away easily, with an extra person around. Besides, the man would be more reserved and careful about leaking any information. I'll stay alert, just park the car somewhere nearby while I go meet him alone,” An Xiaoning instructed. Being well aware that it would be rather dangerous for a woman like herself to meet a stranger alone, An Xiaoning made sure to have eyes watching so as to ensure her own safety.

After dinner, the team of four drove towards An Xiaoning's house, after which she instructed the three of them to wait for her by the gate while she went inside to change into a set of youthful-looking clothes. She put on a pink parka and let her long locks down, which cascaded down her back, looking convincing enough for her to pass off as a teenager.

She was informed that Jin Qingyue had been waiting by the gate for her since morning but decided to leave after having waited for a long period of time.

However, An Xiaoning did not have much of a reaction to the piece of news.

She then left the house again and got onto the car. She took out the face mask she had bought for two million dollars from the bag she was carrying and put it on. ”Oh my, this is so convincing, you look just like a different person. It's no different from actual human skin,” said Ma Jianguo as he touched the mask carefully in utmost awe of how realistic it looked.

”You're not to breathe a single word about the fact that I own a mask to anyone, including my husband. Not a single soul. It'll be easier for me to carry out investigations that way. Got it?” An Xiaoning warned her colleagues.

”Got it!” the three of them chorused.

”But, Sis Xiaoning, the mask must've cost a bomb, didn't it?”

”Yes, I bought it for two million dollars.”

They were greatly taken aback by the hefty amount she had paid. ”Where did you get this? Don't you know the country is banning these?” asked Ma Jianguo.

”So what if they're banned? It's not like I'm using it to commit crimes. But, I heard the shop I patronized had closed down shortly after my purchase. I'm afraid it's going to be difficult to get our hands on masks of such great quality in the future,” An Xiaoning said nonchalantly.

An Xiaoning took out a handheld mirror and began looking at her own reflection while asking for their opinions, ”How do I look? Can't tell the difference eh?”