Chapter 221: The Foot Reflexologist’s Godfather (1/2)
The next thing to do was to wait. The three of us headed out for a meal but Dali ended up skipping lunch entirely, all to make room for our seafood feast tomorrow. Before leaving the restaurant, we made sure to take away Bingxin’s lunch.
Xiaotao had some formalities to complete but Dali and I found ourselves at leisure. We decided to take a stroll outside since running to an internet cafe didn’t exactly encourage the exemplary image we were going for.
It was already early spring and the mellow afternoon sun caressed the skin and warmed the body.
Dali asked me about my plans after graduation–take the postgraduate admission exam, sit for the civil service exam or look for a job? I suddenly felt a wave of melancholy wash over me. In a few months, I would say goodbye to my campus life and head out into society. I hadn’t even considered what I would do in the future. According to the Song family rule, I could never take the civil service exam, yet I had no other skills apart from solving crimes. In other words, I was a highly intelligent loser.
”Song Yang, don't you want to work in an office?” asked Dali as he lightly slapped me on the shoulder.
”It's not a question of whether I want to or not,” I sighed. “I still have to worry about my livelihood. A good-for-nothing like me can only be an office worker.”
”Would you like to start a business with me?” he asked, eyes glistening with eagerness.
”Start a business?” I said. “What sort of business? Selling mutton skewers?”
Dali tsked loudly in disapproval. ”Just look at how short-sighted you are! You’ve got to take a long-term view. There are still many business opportunities to explore in Nanjiang City!”
As far as I could tell, Dali‘s flexibility and versatility gave him every chance at success if he decided to start a business. I grinned, ”If you start a business, take me on and I’ll work for you. How about that?”
”Why the hell are you being so polite with me?” he said. “You’ve broadened my horizons but I’ve not really returned the favor. I feel guilty man. I wish I could be your financial support. When I’ve established my own career, I'll make you manager. You don't have to do anything, just solve your crimes and get paid. That’s the best way I can support you as a buddy!”
”CEO Wang,” I teased. “Can you tell me what business you’re planning to start?”
Looking up into the sky, Dali boldly declared, ”The Wang Barbecue Co.! What do you think of that?”
“Will you only sell barbecues?” I asked. “What about edamame and beer?”
”Other projects can be slowly developed in the future,” explained Dali with great seriousness. “Right now, I’ve just established the company so my current focus is on Series A financing. Failure or success depends entirely on whether my father beats me to death.”
This goofball was actually pulling a fast one on me. At the time, I truly believed that he wanted to start a barbecue stall. Who would’ve thought it was another one of his tricks? In truth, he already had a business plan for some time. When his business eventually took off with a bang, we were all thrown into shock.
Right then, I received a call from Xiaotao who shouted excitedly into my ear, ”Song Yang, there’s been a big discovery. Guess what?”
”The old man is related to the dead woman?” I calmly voiced my conjecture.
Xiaotao exclaimed in surprise, ”You guessed it all along, didn’t you? Well, Great Detective Song, please come to the conference room on the third floor. We’re waiting to hear your opinion!”
When we entered the conference room, everyone was already there. The officers reported all the clues they had gathered. The printing factory had been closed for many years and its old employees had all been laid off. The person in charge was uncontactable so they couldn’t confirm if Madam Hu had actually worked at the printing factory.
Meanwhile, the identity of the dead woman had been determined. Her name was Tang Xiaojuan and she hailed from Yundian Province. A few years ago, she came to Nanjiang City to work as a masseuse in a foot reflexology center. She didn’t have any friends or a boyfriend, keeping mostly to herself, but she did have a Godfather.
Tang Xiaojuan’s Godfather was a retired veteran soldier whom she met with on public holidays. Many of her colleagues suspected that she was being kept by a sugar daddy and privately laughed at her for being so blinded by money she was willing to sleep with such an old man.
”Who is her Godfather?” I asked the officer who had discovered this lead.
”I wasn’t able to find out his identity!” He smiled wryly.
The other lead we had was Bingxin's major discovery–the old man and the dead woman’s DNA was 99% similar, indicating they were immediate family members. That is to say, Tang Xiaojuan's ”Godfather” was actually her biological father.
Additionally, the phlegm we found at the scene was consistent with the DNA in the saliva enzymes discovered on the human skin kite, which confirmed that the person who spat at the scene was the murderer.
”How did you guess that the old man was related to the dead woman?” asked Xiaotao.