Chapter 96 - Escape Goat

They got to the hotel before the detective did. Qing Chen had already caught up with the things he missed during his leave when Feng Xuan was injured. Not much had happened with the hotel. The stock prices were slowly rising again and that put things in order. He had also gotten a look at their smaller hotels and motels, but they remained smooth sailing as ever. It was only just The Kingly that had always been problematic anyways.

Finally, after twenty minutes a knock came to the door and the detective came in. "Good morning," he greeted, looking at each of them in turn.

"Good morning, have a seat," Qing Chen said and twined his fingers together. "I see that fate has brought us together again, Detective. What can I do for you today?"

"As you have already seen in the papers, there is a new body."

Qing Chen nodded. "What about it? Is it somehow related to us?"

The detective did not answer the questions. "The body was identified as Mr. Zhang's. According to witnesses, he was last seen here."

Qing Chen's eyebrows lifted. "Witnesses? Who are those?"

"I cannot disclose that information."

He shrugged. "Where are you getting at with this, Detective? A lot of people come and go here. After all, this is a hotel. It'll provide any of your needs for a price."

"This is the second time that a victim had been associated with this hotel."

Qing Chen raised the morning paper and his eyes quickly scanned the article. "I don't think the hotel was mentioned in this, though. You seem to just think that we have something to do with it just because they were last seen here. If we're going to kill somebody, do you think we'd be that stupid?"

The Detective's eyes hardened on him as his eyes scanned the room. "Who is that?" he asked about the form on the couch, who was just listening to the conversation.

"The new bodyguard," Wuming answered with a smile and Qing Chen had to purse his lips to not laugh. Qing Lok, however, failed.

The Detective's eyes narrowed at Wuming's face. The resemblance was uncanny to the one sitting behind the desk. He seemed to have been lost for words. Who was this guy?

"In addition to your endless suspicions with The Kingly, you are conducting an unauthorized inspection." Qing Chen smiled. "I received a call this morning informing me that you had already been released from the force. You had been AWOL for a while. And I heard a case about insubordination? They had to let you go."

The Detective froze in his seat.

"Oh, you haven't heard about that just yet?"

Just then, his phone started ringing. He fished it out of his pocket and saw that it was his partner calling, probably to inform him of the news. His hands suddenly shook. When he first met Qing Chen he just seemed stressed and had a dark mood that he seemed to carry around. But now, he had this energy that made his eyes brighter and his voice stronger.

"I suggest you go to the station right now, Detective. Tell your captain," then this seemingly new person smiled, a wolfish one, "The Qings said hello."

**

Senator Chang Yan had been wanting to pull his hair out of its roots because of the issue in Dong Yi. It had been going on for so long that the press had already gotten involved. The citizens took it upon themselves to make it nationwide news, posting in social media what was really happening in their land.

It was said that the water contamination was already under control and they were doing their best to locate its source. He did not even remember the last time he fell asleep. He spun in his seat with his eyes closed, wondering if he could just disappear for a few days and let his campaign go up in flames.

But no.

The doors of his office burst open and in came a disheveled looking officer—Liao Chun (he had finally learned his name), his hair was sticking up in all directions and there were bags under his eyes. He had lent them his bas.e.m.e.nt for their "secret operation" about the Qings.

The senator honestly thought it would lead to nothing, but it was better than leaving stones unturned. "What is it?"

"I found something." His eyes were tired but they were wide. The officer pointed at things at the papers but his words were all tuned out in the senator's ears.

Chang Yan grabbed the papers. He manipulated these two policemen into looking at papers in Dong Yi and the Qings—hoping there would be something. The chances were slim that was why he was shocked that there had been leads. Talk about hitting two birds with one stone.

There were no evidences that could point to the Qings—at least, not yet, but he had been asking around some of the senators about them, and most offered good words and turned away or immediately shifted to another topic. He had thought of it himself, just how far above the Qings were of the law? But one them had mentioned that Qing Zihao had been interested with investing in alternative energy recently, in the hopes of helping with lessening of the usage of oil. 

On the papers, there was a recent purchase of contract of windmills near Dong Yi. Most of them were not yet working and were in the middle of construction.

"We managed to access the records with your IT person and when we searched for this name, nothing came up. Not even in the government system," explained the young officer.

"Does this person have a picture?"

"No."

"Wait for the detective and head to this address. Let us see if this is going to result to something."

The officer nodded and the Senator grinned. He might be able to peacefully sleep tonight.

He finally found his escape goat.