Chapter 6: The Unfaithful Employee

At present, it appeared that both Cai Fengnian and Wang Bo had harbored dissatisfaction toward Xu Li at some point. However, this alone did not prove anything. Even if they each had a motive, it was still necessary to determine whether they had the opportunity to commit the crime.

The board of directors convened as scheduled. Despite the vigorous objections of Xu Li and several other veteran board members, Cai Fengnian, having done his homework in advance, ultimately succeeded in being appointed as chairman.

“Hahaha... congratulations to us all! I’ll be relying on your support from now on, but rest assured, I won’t let anyone down! I’ll do my utmost to keep everyone’s wallets getting fatter and fatter! Hahaha…”

Cai Fengnian was surrounded by well-wishers. Su Tianmu and Xiao Wang stood aside, not keen to interrupt immediately.

As the crowd gradually dispersed, Cai Fengnian, his face radiant with joy, strode over to them.

“My apologies, Captain Su! Our meeting ran a bit long today. Sorry to have kept you waiting!”

Having just taken office, Cai Fengnian exuded a new air of confidence. He extended his hand in greeting with grand magnanimity, like a general preparing to review his troops.

“No worries, we simply arrived early,” Su Tianmu replied, exchanging pleasantries, though inwardly he could hardly stomach seeing the triumph of such a petty man.

“You know, since old Xu started resting at home, I’ve been run ragged! It seems this company really can’t do without him, haha…”

Cai Fengnian’s laughter was hollow, and he personally brewed tea for Su Tianmu and his colleague in his office, unable to conceal his glee—such a stark contrast to Xu Li’s devastated state. Clearly, he didn’t even bother to put on a façade anymore.

“Mr. Cai, we’d like to ask about your whereabouts in recent days. Of course, this is just part of routine procedure; everyone is being checked,” Su Tianmu said, bringing the brutal murder case squarely back into the conversation.

Cai Fengnian immediately realized his inappropriate exuberance, reined in his demeanor, and feigned a somber tone. “Yes, it’s been so long without progress. We’re all anxious about it.”

What a transformation—quicker than flipping a page!

“No problem. I’ll fully cooperate!”

It had been nearly a week since Xu Kexin’s kidnapping and murder. From the time she went missing to the discovery of the body, only three days had passed. Thus, the primary window for investigation was about ten days prior.

“Let me think… I believe I was out of town about ten days ago, attending a newly launched tech application expo. I went to see if there were ways to integrate their innovations with our home appliance production.”

Cai Fengnian leaned back and crossed his legs. “I’m sure you’ve heard, applying cutting-edge technology to household appliances is my lifelong pursuit!”

Again, the victor’s posture.

“All right. Please provide us with relevant documentation. If there are any further questions, we’ll get in touch,” Su Tianmu said. As disagreeable as the man was, he didn’t seem to be lying.

After verifying Cai Fengnian’s itinerary, they found no major inconsistencies. Thus, Wang Bo became the main focus of suspicion.

“Captain Su, after investigating, there seem to be a few discrepancies in Wang Bo’s schedule during that period,” Xiao Wang reported.

“On October 12th, he claimed to have been at the company all day. But security footage shows he left between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. He said he went out for lunch, but if he was alone, that’s quite a long time to be away.”

Xiao Wang flipped through his notes as he spoke. “On October 15th, he arrived at work two hours late. He claimed he overslept due to feeling unwell…”

“October 12th at noon?” Su Tianmu interrupted, frowning. “That was when the victim, Xu Kexin, disappeared.”

Su Tianmu took the documents from Xiao Wang and examined them carefully.

“Exactly! Old Ma, the driver, said he went to pick the young lady up from school at noon that day, but she never showed up. That’s when they realized she was missing!” Xiao Wang recalled.

“Should we bring Wang Bo in for questioning immediately?” Xiao Wang asked anxiously.

“Let’s wait. Aside from the timing, we don’t have any other evidence,” Su Tianmu said, setting down the documents. “Don’t alert him. For now, let’s question him again under the pretense of a routine inquiry.”

“Understood. I’ll arrange it at once.”

Meanwhile, Wang Bo grew anxious upon learning that Cong Xin’s matter had come to light. After all, he had shifted the blame for his own mistake onto a newcomer, and had even impersonated the chairman to fire him.

“Officer, I admit I was wrong!” Wang Bo blurted out before Su Tianmu could ask anything.

Su Tianmu and Xiao Wang exchanged glances but said nothing.

“Though the young man made a mistake, I shouldn’t have fired him outright! I didn’t consider things carefully, which is why Cong Xin kept coming to the company to cause trouble.”

His words had nothing to do with the case at hand, so Su Tianmu prompted him again. “You said you went out for lunch alone on October 12th? Why did it take so long—until three in the afternoon—before you returned to the office?”

At this, Wang Bo’s expression betrayed a flicker of panic, as if desperately trying to hide something.

“Oh, that day… Yes, I ate alone. But I also video-called my son during lunch, so it took longer than usual.”

The explanation seemed plausible, but his demeanor suggested otherwise.

“Your son’s studying in the United States, correct?” Su Tianmu asked, fixing him with a sharp gaze.

“You say you video-called your son at that time, but wouldn’t he have been asleep? It would have been the middle of the night in America.”

A bead of sweat appeared on Wang Bo’s brow as he tensed up. “Well, yes… it was… the middle of the night.”

His voice faltered, his mind scrambling for a convincing excuse.

“He’s usually very busy with studies, and that was a time we’d arranged in advance, so…”

Watching Wang Bo struggle to justify himself, Su Tianmu had already stopped believing a word he said. But what was he hiding? Why was he lying?

Could he really be the true perpetrator behind the kidnapping and murder?