Insights Chapter 17: Hetu Trading Association

Chapter 17: Hetu Trading Association

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

In the early morning, outside the City Bureau, Gu Yanchen didn’t wait for Zhong Zhichun to react; he continued questioning, “For example, that afternoon when you made the call to Fang Zhirong… According to the medical examiner’s autopsy results, Fang Zhirong might have already passed away at that time. So, who would you have been talking to?”

Zhong Zhichun remained silent.

Gu Yanchen stopped there and continued, “Also, why was it so coincidental that you and Fang Zhirong were discussing modifying the will at the villa, just in time for Fang Jialiang to overhear? Why were all the drivers and maids arranged to be out of the house that afternoon? And our officers heard that a few days ago, there was an argument between someone and Fang Zhirong by the lake.”

Zhong Zhichun asked, “Captain Gu, what do you mean by saying all this?”

Gu Yanchen said, “While gathering information, I came across a lead. Mr. Zhong, you married Lan Jie’s cousin, and the child is due in half a month, right?”

Zhong Zhichun heard this and chuckled silently, “Captain Gu, my relationship with Fang Zhirong’s death is not direct.”

“So, there’s an indirect connection?” Gu Yanchen paused, turned to face Zhong Zhichun directly, “As a wealthy second generation like Fang Jialiang, not very bright, and Lan Jie, an actress with limited education. Once you get to know them, you can understand everyone’s temperaments.”

Zhong Zhichun became a bit displeased, “Captain Gu, what do you expect to hear from me?”

Gu Yanchen slowed down his pace and said, “I suspect someone orchestrated this case.”

Who sowed discord between father and son? Who informed Fang Jialiang and Lan Jie that Fang Zhirong intended to modify his will? Who hinted to Lan Jie that drowning in the same water would make it difficult even for a medical examiner to discern? And who, that afternoon, arranged for all the drivers and maids to be away, while Fang Zhirong, who went fishing, coincidentally encountered Lan Jie and Fang Jialiang having an affair?

Further investigation revealed that Lan Jie’s cousin had been arranged to enter the company, since she was a young and beautiful girl. Zhong Zhichun was paving the way for someone, and when the child was born, a simple paternity test would claim a significant portion of Fang Zhirong’s inheritance. So, it seemed that everything about this case was unrelated to Zhong Zhichun, but all the clues pointed to him.

Zhong Zhichun was familiar with the people around him. Suspicion, instigation, control—it wasn’t difficult. Even the rekindling of the old flame between the two suspects might have had his influence. Having money meant nothing. The entire family was manipulated.

Zhong Zhichun played his cards right, but these questions were based on deductions from the clues and weren’t suitable for the interrogation room. Even if there were issues, they were not enough to convict him because the thoughts of murder had long been ingrained in the minds of the two suspects. Their confessions didn’t even mention Zhong Zhichun, who was clever enough not to leave any concrete evidence.

So, Gu Yanchen chose this moment after the interrogation to corner Zhong Zhichun. It was only now that Zhong Zhichun realized that Gu Yanchen deliberately avoided asking these questions in the City Bureau’s interrogation room.

Turning to the young and handsome detective captain, Zhong Zhichun pursed his lips. For a moment, Zhong Zhichun wished the car would arrive sooner, but his wish was not granted.

Gu Yanchen fell silent, staring at his prey like a hunter. A silent pause was a bit unnerving.

Zhong Zhichun asked, “So, Captain Gu, there must be a reason for murder. According to your analysis, what would be my motive?”

Gu Yanchen said frankly, “On this point, I have made a few guesses—for money, out of jealousy, possibly for revenge, or for emotions.”

“Emotions?” Zhong Zhichun laughed, “I’m not interested in those women.”

“At first, I couldn’t figure it out either,” Gu Yanchen took out a photo from his phone and showed it to Zhong Zhichun, “until I found this photo.” 

The photo was old, with yellowed colors, depicting three young people—two men and a woman. One man was Fang Zhirong, the other was Zhong Zhichun, and the shyly smiling girl had Fang Zhirong’s arm affectionately around her shoulder, while Zhong Zhichun looked at them. In youth, the gaze of someone in love was unmistakable.

Without denying or confirming, Zhong Zhichun finally spoke as he lifted his gaze to the distant night sky, “I’ve lived more than half my life, and life is often unspeakable. In fact, back then, the idea of selling water was something I suggested to Fang Zhirong. It’s just that his family had the money to buy equipment, and he also knew Huang Yun, who owned a chain of small supermarkets. We partnered, and that’s how we made our first fortune.” He paused and added, “I feel sorry for Huang Yun.”

Huang Yun was Fang Zhirong’s first wife. At that time, the three started from scratch, leading to the success of the Zhirong Group. Huang Yun’s contributions were significant.

Zhong Zhichun lowered his head. In his youth, he was poor and unwilling. The only person he truly liked was Huang Yun, but in the end, she married Fang Zhirong. With the help of his wife’s family, Fang Zhirong expanded the business in the supermarket channels. Despite all his success, Fang Zhirong never appreciated what he had, spending lavishly without caring for his wife. Even when Huang Yun fell ill, he didn’t take care of her. When Fang Jialiang wanted to marry Lan Jie to celebrate his mother’s recovery, Fang Zhirong took an interest in Lan Jie.

Knowing this, Huang Yun was furious, and her health deteriorated rapidly until she passed away. Immediately after the death of his first wife, Fang Zhirong married Lan Jie. Zhong Zhichun witnessed everything happening around this family. He felt regret for Huang Yun, resentment and jealousy towards Fang Zhirong, and hatred towards Fang Jialiang and Lan Jie.

Over the years, jealousy and injustice, when left to fester, could turn into the venomous fangs of a snake, producing lethal poison. In the end, he devised this plan. He hoped the police would solve the case, catching the murderer. In that case, Fang Zhirong would be dead, Fang Jialiang and Lan Jie would be in prison, and he would be the biggest beneficiary.

The car had finally arrived.

Zhong Zhichun was about to step forward when Gu Yanchen asked him, “Mr. Zhong, have you heard of the Hetu Trading Association?”

Zhong Zhichun smiled and looked at him, leaning closer to his ear, speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear, “What association? I’m not very clear about it.”

Although he denied it verbally, the calmness in his tone indicated that he knew something. Gu Yanchen’s narrow eyes squinted slightly, and he had already formed a conclusion in his mind.

Then Zhong Zhichun added, “Speaking of which, I’ve heard some things too. You used to work with the deceased Lin Xianglan?”

Since Gu Yanchen took on this case, Zhong Zhichun had been investigating him. Lin Xianglan had been dead for many years, seldom mentioned, but now, these words sounded like a threat. To Gu Yanchen, however, it suggested Zhong Zhichun was becoming anxious, revealing a flaw in his facade. With this statement, he could finally link Lin Xianglan’s death to the trading association.

After Zhong Zhichun finished speaking, he immediately separated from Gu Yanchen, laughed heartily, “Captain Gu, you’re a shrewd and honest cop. I hope I won’t encounter you again in the future.”

Zhong Zhichun then walked down the steps without looking back, someone opened the car door, and he got in.

Lu Ying, who had been listening to their conversation from behind, now understood everything.

He asked Gu Yanchen, “So, does this mean Zhong Zhichun could be the Teachermind behind this case? Now that Fang Zhirong is dead, Fang Jialiang and Lan Jie are in prison, won’t he be the one to benefit the most?”

Even if Zhong Zhichun had planned many things and triggered the incident, he hadn’t directly committed the crime. It was impossible to convict him based on that.

Gu Yanchen turned and walked towards the City Bureau, lighting a cigarette and smoking leisurely, “Where can you find something so cheap? That old fox Fang Zhirong, how could he not leave something to guard against Zhong Zhichun?”

He didn’t need Zhong Zhichun to be convicted of murdering Fang Zhirong; there were other ways to make him face judgment.

That night, the team found many things in the villa, all of which were reported to Director Ding. Some of these were deliberately left by Fang Zhirong. Zhirong Group had thrived in the market for many years, and many things that Fang Zhirong couldn’t personally handle were taken care of by Zhong Zhichun. Now that Fang Zhirong was dead, many pieces of evidence against Zhong Zhichun had been found.

Gu Yanchen took advantage of the dead man’s hand to make Zhong Zhichun pay as well.

Lu Ying understood, “With Fang Zhirong dead, Zhong Zhichun’s good days have come to an end.”

From beginning to end, these people were all harboring ulterior motives. There was not a single good person.

.

Late at night, the neon lights in the city lit up one by one, as if igniting a sky full of stars. Gu Yanchen finally returned home. Instead of rushing to rest, he opened the password-locked drawer on the coffee table and pulled out a file—a dossier on Zhong Zhichun. After Zhong Zhichun’s name, there was an asterisk followed by parentheses with four characters, “Hetu Trading Association,” and a question mark at the end. Having questioned him personally tonight, Gu Yanchen crossed out the question mark and put a checkmark instead.

According to his previous investigations, Fang Zhirong was not associated with this trading association, but Zhong Zhichun might be on its periphery.

In Penang, the Hetu Trading Association was a mysterious organization. Some people had heard of its name, but very few had personally entered or knew much about it. Gu Yanchen had been investigating this association for years and only managed to gather scattered information. Those who joined this association were either extremely wealthy or influential, with members ranging from businessmen, celebrities, to politicians.

The Hetu Trading Association had no physical existence. It couldn’t be found in any police or business management records; it was a circle. It symbolized status, identity, and wealth. Even if a wealthy person wanted to join, they wouldn’t have a way in. Once inside, they would gain unimaginable privileges that ordinary people couldn’t fathom. Members could access an information network, obtaining the most accurate and rapid internal information from various countries, allowing them to amass great wealth. They could enjoy privileges that ordinary people could only dream of—exotic animals, beautiful women, advanced drugs, organs of unknown origin—and even the ability to discreetly carry out various actions beyond legal boundaries.

The Hetu Trading Association was extremely secretive. It was so secretive that even after Gu Yanchen investigated for a long time, he wasn’t clear on who was behind it.

Late at night, Gu Yanchen added some information, then locked the files away. After washing up, he turned off the lights, preparing to go to bed.

In the quiet Penang night, the entire city seemed engulfed in darkness. There were still people awake in the city. Those hidden pieces of information, unseen, unheard, and intangible, continued to circulate in the air. In An Nanonymous chat room, where everyone used pseudonyms, they discussed the recent cases in Penang.

“The water seller is dead.”

“That nouveau riche, I always had a bad feeling about him.”

“I heard the water seller was drowned by his son and wife together.”

“Killing two birds with one stone? Old Zhong, tell us, what exactly happened? Don’t tell me you couldn’t resist planning it yourself?”

As the discussion touched upon this point, an administrator suddenly appeared, taking some actions. The number in the group, already not many, decreased by one.

“Everyone, I just received news. Old Zhong is in trouble, temporarily cut off.” The person removed from the group was Zhong Zhichun.

This was a method of sacrificing a pawn to protect the king. Once this signal was sent out, he had become a disposable piece. The so-called cut-off meant they would completely eradicate this person from their circle, including any previous traces. Specialists would wipe out all information related to Zhong Zhichun’s phone, network, and even modify the bank system to tamper with account details. They severed all connections for this person, and even if someone asked or investigated, they wouldn’t find any trace.

After a while, someone lamented, “Does this mean he got himself entangled in it too?”

The administrator then issued another statement, “Be cautious in the near future. A new department has been established at the City Bureau, not easy to deal with. Old Zhong underestimated them and ended up trapped. It’s better for everyone to sincerely pray that nothing involving them happens in the near future.”

As the discussion reached this point, the chat room fell silent, and no one spoke anymore.

.

This was the first case taken over by the Special Criminal Division, and it was resolved quite cleanly. The police announcement was quickly issued. Qi Yi’an, while looking at his phone, lifted the corners of his mouth and used his alias to like every comment about quickly solving the case.

The case concluded smoothly, and the follow-up investigation regarding Zhong Zhichun was transferred to another team. After a day of completing the summary report, it finally reached a day off. Gu Yanchen woke up even earlier than usual. He changed into casual clothes, sneakers, then rode a bicycle, heading towards the north of the city. After riding for about an hour, Gu Yanchen finally arrived at the foot of a lush mountain.

This mountain was called Luming Mountain, a small mountain range approximately six hundred meters high. The mountain wasn’t tall, but the terrain was somewhat complex. Gu Yanchen chose a path and started climbing. He ascended quickly and, upon reaching the mountainside, stopped like an ordinary tourist, observing the plants along the way and taking a few photos.

There weren’t many people on the mountain. On his way, he passed by a platform and saw an elderly man who mined the mountain resting there. The old man recognized him and smiled, greeting, “Climbing the mountain again?”

Having climbed the mountain for several years, Gu Yanchen had long known the old man and nodded, saying, “It’s the weekend and I have nothing to do, so I am just relaxing.”

The old man chuckled, “Relaxing is good. Nowadays, you young people have too much pressure. The environment on the mountain is elegant. Exercise more, breathe fresh air.”

Gu Yanchen casually asked, “How many years have you been climbing this mountain?”

“I’ve been living at the foot of the mountain, living off the land for more than ten years,” the old man replied. Then, he sighed, “This place didn’t have so many trees in the past, and the environment wasn’t this good. Thanks to afforestation in recent years, the mountain has turned green again.” At this point, the old man waved his hand, “Enough talking, I need to get some digging done before it gets too hot.”

Gu Yanchen bid farewell to the old man and headed in another direction. He walked and stopped, and around 8 o’clock, he finally reached the mountaintop. Gu Yanchen looked down at the mountain, taking another set of photos. He didn’t come to the mountain for leisure. The reason for climbing here was Lin Xianglan’s last words before his death.

Gu Yanchen vividly remembered the day Lin Xianglan died. He waited outside the emergency room, and when the doctor suddenly said the patient couldn’t make it, he had to inform the family. He called Lin Luo, entered the room, and saw Lin Xianglan covered in various medical devices.

In the last minutes of his life, Lin Xianglan asked the doctor to leave, tightly holding Gu Yanchen’s hand. He mumbled incoherent words, and he had to infer what he wanted to say from those sentences.

“Luming Mountain… there’s something crucial there…”

Frowning, Gu Yanchen asked Lin Xianglan, “What’s on the mountain?”

As if not hearing his question, Lin Xianglan continued speaking to himself, “Hetu Trading Company… after I die… be careful… investigate thoroughly… don’t compromise…”

Lin Xianglan’s complexion became grayer, gripping his hand tightly. Then, as if a sudden resurgence of vitality, his eyes regained focus, “Gu Yanchen, don’t investigate the cause of my death, and don’t let Lin Luo investigate this matter. You must take care of Lin Luo for me. That child is too stubborn. I can’t rest assured…”

He replied with a “okay,” and at that moment, Lin Xianglan choked up. Because of his work as a detective, Gu Yanchen had seen many dead bodies, but Lin Xianglan was the first person he witnessed dying.

Life ceased when that breath dispersed; it was as simple as that. Several sentences of unclear meaning and a few years, this was the entirety of the legacy he inherited from Lin Xianglan. Since then, Gu Yanchen felt that Lin Xianglan’s death might be related to the Hetu Trading Company. Facing Xu Chenghuang, the Bureau Chief, Lin Xianglan wasn’t afraid, but against the Hetu Trading Company, he had not yet discovered the core and was defeated.

A gun was easy to dodge but a hidden arrow was hard to guard against. The Hetu Trading Company was hidden and powerful. If they dared to secretly eliminate even a bureau chief, what wouldn’t they dare to do?

Following Lin Xianglan’s last words, he deliberately avoided his death, cautioned Lin Luo repeatedly, but he couldn’t openly tell him these things. Later, Lin Luo’s accident inevitably occurred.

Thinking about this, Gu Yanchen sighed, putting away his memories and looking down from the mountaintop. Ever since five years ago, he had been secretly investigating. He believed that if Lin Xianglan’s words had a meaning, the key to unraveling everything should be on Luming Mountain.

For years, climbing Luming Mountain on weekends had become his habit. He had climbed this mountain over a hundred times, taking different paths each time. He was familiar with every stone and tree on the mountain. He consulted relevant information, questioned people on and off the mountain, collected soil samples from the mountain, and searched for dried leaves on the mountain. Yet, to this day, he still couldn’t unravel the puzzle.

He couldn’t figure out what evidence there might be on Luming Mountain that Lin Xianglan wanted him to find. Was it pollution on the mountain? Depleted mineral deposits? A mountain fire from thirty years ago? Or buried bones?

This mountain forest had a self-healing ability, becoming more lush, with fewer traces. At this moment, Gu Yanchen stood on the mountaintop, looking down, with a vast blue sky and half the city in his sight. He thought, perhaps there was a possibility that Lin Xianglan himself didn’t know what he wanted him to find, hence leaving behind those ambiguous last words. But as long as he was alive, he would do his best to search.

.

On the weekend, Shen Junci also woke up early. He dressed in black, bought a bouquet of flowers from a flower shop, and then took a taxi to the cemetery. He was afraid of running into people he knew, especially Gu Yanchen, so he intentionally delayed his visit by a few days.

Although Lin Xianglan’s birthday had already passed, he still wanted to come and pay his respects. Compared to the anniversary of death, he preferred to celebrate Old Lin’s birthday. Birthdays seemed to tell people that the person was still alive in their hearts, while the anniversary reminded them repeatedly of the day and moment of death.

He arrived at the cemetery quickly, and the morning cemetery was very quiet with hardly anyone around. Shen Junci entered, and as Gu Yanchen had described, it was filled with greenery and beautifully landscaped.

Not far from Lin Xianglan’s tombstone was Lin Luo’s tombstone. There was a bouquet of flowers in front of Lin Xianglan’s tombstone, indicating that someone else other than just Shen Junci remembered this special day.

Shen Junci approached Lin Xianglan’s tombstone, crouched down, and placed the flowers. He looked at the photo on the tombstone, extending his hand to touch it. In the picture, Old Lin was dressed in a police uniform, smiling.

Feeling like he should say something, Shen Junci looked at the image of Lin Xianglan and said, “Dad, you were right. Gu Yanchen is indeed a good police officer.” With his help, they should be able to uncover the truth quickly.