Chapter 59: Let Me Tell You a Deduction—Just Treat It as a Story

Lin Xiaosu said, “Why don’t you have your driver come over? Ask him face to face? Who knows, maybe he’s done something behind your back.”

Du Lifeng’s brows furrowed slightly. “Xiaojuan, call Dongzi and have him come here.”

The secretary, Xiaojuan, immediately dialed the number.

Soon, the office door opened, and a man walked in—someone Lin Xiaosu had observed very closely through “Temporal Reversal.” He was around thirty, thin, and rather handsome.

“Boss, you wanted to see me?” His voice was calm, his manner refined.

“Dongzi, answer all the questions Detective Lin has for you, truthfully,” said Du Lifeng.

“All right, boss.”

Lin Xiaosu turned to Dongzi. “Deputy Director Liu Dong from the City Public Security Bureau says that around eight o’clock last night, you delivered fifty thousand yuan to him and asked him to find a way to shut down my Fengcheng Detective Agency. Is there any truth to this?”

Dongzi looked confused. “City Public Security Bureau? Liu Dong? I don’t recall. Giving him money? Impossible. I don’t even know him. Besides, I’m not familiar with Fengcheng Detective Agency either…”

“Where were you at eight o’clock last night?” Lin Xiaosu asked.

“Eight o’clock last night… I was with the boss until a bit after seven, then I went back to my room, probably showering? I forget. Anyway, once I left the boss, I went straight back to my room and didn’t come out again.”

Every movement, every expression—Zhou Mei, holding her teacup, observed with clarity. Even the most subtle changes in his eyes. She had to admit, she saw nothing suspicious. She herself almost doubted whether Lin Xiaosu had made a mistake.

Lin Xiaosu fell silent as well.

“Detective Lin, anything else you wish to ask?” Dongzi inquired.

“No, that’s all.”

“Then, boss, I’ll head out.” Dongzi said.

Du Lifeng nodded gently.

Lin Xiaosu stood up, smiling, and extended his hand. “Sorry to have you make this trip.”

“No problem.” Dongzi smiled too, shaking his hand.

A light handshake, perfectly normal, but Dongzi’s eyelids suddenly twitched; he felt Lin Xiaosu’s grip—unusually strong.

The force vanished as quickly as it appeared. Lin Xiaosu turned, gently touched his head, and sat back down on the sofa.

Dongzi hesitated for a moment, then left the office.

A brief silence settled over the room.

Du Lifeng smiled softly. “Detective Lin, it seems this was just a misunderstanding.”

Lin Xiaosu slowly raised his gaze, quietly watching him.

Du Lifeng continued, “As businessmen, we value harmony and prosperity. We’d never make enemies without reason. You and I have never crossed paths before—today is our first meeting. If you think about it, you’ll realize I have no reason to target you. Isn’t that right?”

That statement closed the argument logically.

Zhou Mei wasn’t sure how others saw it, but she herself was nearly convinced.

Indeed, what reason could Du Lifeng have to target him? There was no motive…

“Boss Du, I’m a detective. We detectives are used to reasoning things out. I have a theory—let’s discuss it. If I'm right, don’t be angry; if I’m wrong, just laugh it off as a ridiculous story. How about it?”

“Detective Lin, you certainly have a refined taste. Let’s hear it!” Du Lifeng chuckled.

“Boss Du says we’ve never intersected, and in a physical sense, that’s true. But, to be honest, you’ve entered my field of vision in past events.”

Zhou Mei’s heart leapt. This was the crux of the matter.

Du Lifeng’s brows knit. “Oh? Go on.”

Lin Xiaosu said, “There was a case seven days ago—the case involving Wang Changfa, the head of Hongxing Pharmaceuticals. That case is now known throughout Fengcheng—you must have heard of it.”

Du Lifeng nodded lightly.

“The key figure in the case, Li Yufeng, applied a new kind of toxic agent called P39 to a certain part of herself. This drug can be transmitted sexually. She infected Wang Changfa, who then passed it to other women he was involved with. At first, we thought it was simply a mistress scheming for status. But then we realized it wasn’t that simple. Her real goal was to cultivate Wang Changfa’s dependence on the drug, thereby seizing his billions in assets.”

Zhou Mei’s heart pounded…

Why bring up this case now?

What does it have to do with Du Lifeng?

Du Lifeng sighed. “I did hear about the case, but like everyone else, I thought it was just a mistress vying for position. I didn’t expect such a convoluted plot behind it. This explanation, though intricate, is more logical.”

“Logical, yes, but the case still has unresolved doubts,” Lin Xiaosu said. “First, P39 was only added to police records this March; theoretically, it shouldn’t be circulating yet. How did Li Yufeng get it? Second, Li Yufeng herself didn’t get poisoned. Unless she has some rare physiological immunity—which is almost impossible—the only explanation is she took the antidote beforehand. But that’s even stranger. A brand-new drug, with the police not even done analyzing its composition, and she already has the antidote? Where did it come from?”

Du Lifeng scratched his head. “I really admire you detectives. Just hearing this, my mind is a jumble.”

“There’s a third point!” Lin Xiaosu smiled. “Our initial conclusion was that Li Yufeng wanted to cultivate Wang Changfa’s drug addiction to control him. But even that doesn’t quite add up. A billionaire doesn’t lose his fortune so easily—even if he’s addicted, Li Yufeng couldn’t manipulate him so easily.”

Zhou Mei’s heart raced.

Everything Lin Xiaosu mentioned were genuine police doubts.

Real doubts.

Could he solve them?

Du Lifeng said, “Detective Lin, your reasoning is impressive, but I’m afraid I’m not quick enough to follow it all.”

Lin Xiaosu replied, “These three doubts puzzled me too, until I saw a news report. Suddenly, a name popped into my mind—yours, Boss Du.”

Everyone in the room was stunned…

Du Lifeng’s eyes widened. “A news report made you think of me?”

He curled his finger, pointing at his nose, utterly incredulous.

“There was a news report on the government website: on March 17, Dell Pharmaceuticals negotiated with Hongxing Pharmaceuticals. The negotiation was led by county government departments, but the report mentioned no consensus reached. Therefore, I determined the negotiation failed—the two sides were too far apart. After careful searching, I found the project discussed was management rights over production bases…”

Hongxing Pharmaceuticals is a local company, its greatest advantage being possession of nine medicinal plant production bases.

Dell Pharmaceuticals is a foreign company, holding the latest technology.

If the two giants joined forces, it would open new horizons. This was the county government’s key reason for orchestrating the negotiation—to foster cooperation between the two major pharmaceutical companies for mutual benefit.

However, Hongxing Pharmaceuticals refused.

Why?

Because they knew that if Dell Group took over the management rights to these medicinal bases, they would genetically modify the herbs at the source, altering their genes—an extremely risky endeavor. One misstep, and the resulting properties of the medicines could be unpredictable.

The biggest obstacle at Hongxing Pharmaceuticals was Wang Changfa.

Wang Changfa, though licentious and reckless, still retained the basic principles of a pharmaceutical CEO. In fact, the other shareholders at Hongxing agreed to the plan, but Wang Changfa exercised his veto at the board meeting, stopping the project.

As a result, Wang Changfa became the final and only opponent to the project.

Zhou Mei sat rigid, unable to move.

He had already begun a follow-up investigation after the case.

And he had uncovered deeper secrets.

He had gone further than the police…

Du Lifeng’s expression finally darkened. “That project wasn’t a secret! We conducted thorough assessments, and the project’s safety passed expert review and was approved by government departments, otherwise…”

“The government’s intentions are good, but good intentions don’t guarantee good outcomes,” Lin Xiaosu said.

Good intentions don’t guarantee results.

No matter how strict the risk controls, people are always the links in the chain—and people can be bribed. Do you believe the expert group’s conclusions are always objective and fair? What if certain key members are compromised?

“That’s not for us to discuss,” Du Lifeng said.

“True enough. As I said, this is just reasoning! Suppose—just suppose…” Lin Xiaosu leaned forward, lowering his voice. “Suppose Li Yufeng is your agent, Boss Du. Then all three doubts are resolved. It would also explain why you paid Liu Dong to drive me out of Fengcheng—because I inadvertently disrupted your grand plan, and you worry I’ll sabotage your new project.”

Li Yufeng originally had no access to the latest P39, but Du Lifeng, as the boss of a company specializing in genetic pharmaceuticals, could easily obtain it.

Li Yufeng couldn’t have gotten the antidote, but Du Lifeng’s research team might have already developed it.

Li Yufeng using this new poison to try to drain Wang Changfa’s billions is fanciful, but what if her true aim wasn’t to take his assets, only to force him to comply? That would be a different outcome entirely. Think about it: Wang Changfa was already under immense pressure from all sides. Now, addicted and caught in a whirlpool crafted by others, could he withstand it? Ultimately, it’s predictable that he would give in.

Du Lifeng’s face turned truly dark. “Detective Lin, you…”

Lin Xiaosu laughed, cutting him off.

He raised his hand lightly. “Boss Du, we agreed—this is just reasoning. If I’m right, you can’t be angry; if I’m wrong, just treat it as a story.”

Everyone was dumbfounded.