Chapter 246: Is There Such a Thing as Losing Money and Getting Addicted to It?

During this period the two had been in contact many times, yet Liu Miao hadn't been able to get any useful information.

Originally Yu Dazhang wanted him to give up, but Liu Miao kept saying to give him a little more time.

In the end, this dragged on for over a month.

Now that a task force had been set up here, Yu Dazhang decided to have him come over and handle the case as well.

Since they couldn't find a lead, they'd set it aside for now — you can't keep shearing the same sheep forever.

Wouldn't that be just like Ding Feng, charging headlong into a dead end?

The moment Yu Dazhang made the call, the other end picked up right away.

Liu Miao's voice came through:

"Dazhang, what's up?"

"That line should be mine to say." Yu Dazhang replied, a little displeased:

"It's been way too long. If you really can't find anything, forget it — come back and rejoin the team first."

Ever since the cold-case unit was formed, he and Liu Miao had been working together, so they knew each other fairly well.

He also understood the other's personality — not the type to give up easily.

And he was diligent and meticulous in his work, hating most anything done without rhyme or reason.

So even though the investigation had dragged on for over a month, Yu Dazhang had never once suspected Liu Miao of slacking off.

"I've already picked up a few leads."

Liu Miao said at once from the other end:

"Give me one more day. This time I promise I'll dig up every last detail about him."

That sounded oddly familiar… Yu Dazhang thought it over for a moment, then said:

"I remember last time you said Li Yong's banking records were clean as a whistle, and even his wife's spending history was crystal clear."

"Did you find a lead somewhere else?"

He couldn't quite understand why Liu Miao was so obsessed this time.

Back when he first said to look into Li Yong, he never said they had to dig something up no matter what.

In reality, an investigation turning up nothing is perfectly common.

"It's precisely because there's nothing wrong that it's the biggest problem." Liu Miao explained:

"Li Yong's equestrian club in Songhai is conservatively worth over a hundred million, and even the grounds are his own property."

"Yet an owner like that has not a single big-ticket purchase on his bank records."

"He seems to be deliberately keeping his bank flow under control."

Hearing Liu Miao put it that way, Yu Dazhang also felt something was off.

With Li Yong's wealth, plus a business that size, no one would bat an eye at a one-off splurge of a few million.

He also knew a bit about equestrian lessons — you could safely say they're outrageously expensive.

For a high-end equestrian club like Li Yong's, a single course package runs at least tens of thousands.

Earning but never spending — that really doesn't add up.

"So what exactly is the lead you're talking about?" Yu Dazhang pressed.

He was starting to see Liu Miao in a new light.

Spotting something unreasonable in something that looks reasonable — that in itself is no small feat.

And the fact that he'd actually found a lead showed Liu Miao really had the chops.

"Li Yong has made a few investments over the years, but word is they all flopped — the kind where you lose every last cent."

Liu Miao answered quickly:

"I've already traced where two of those investments went, and I'm looking into the others now. I'll have results soon."

"Give me one more day. Once it's done I'll head straight to you."

Failed investments, total losses… Yu Dazhang caught the key point in his words.

A man like Li Yong who wouldn't even treat himself to a single big purchase — and he was putting money into investments?

There's a saying: investing carries risk; enter the market with caution.

Which goes to show investing is itself a form of gambling.

A miser like Li Yong throwing money into something that risky — that alone is abnormal.

And he'd done it several times, losing everything every single time.

Gambling addicts all start by winning — that's what keeps them at the table.

Someone who loses from the get-go doesn't develop a gambling habit.

Let alone with stakes that large.

Something fishy's going on!

No wonder Liu Miao had kept digging till now — something this contrary to common sense really is worth a second look.

"Go ahead and dig. One day's not enough, take two. Be thorough."

This time Yu Dazhang didn't push him either, and his tone softened considerably:

"Once you've wrapped it up, come on over. I'll pick you up at the station."

He had a hunch that what Liu Miao was investigating might well be an important lead.

After hanging up, Yu Dazhang called Captain Xu.

"Bring your people, come to the third-floor conference room."

Then he went to the office and called Ma Jian and the others over.

Anything involving the specifics of an investigation has to be explained face to face, down to the last detail — no slip-ups allowed. So many cases fall apart simply because instructions weren't passed on correctly.

Five minutes later.

Inside the third-floor conference room.

Yu Dazhang looked at the police officers present.

Captain Xu had brought a total of eleven criminal investigators this time, three fewer than before.

And most of them were unfamiliar faces.

"Can the personnel present stay with the task force long-term?" Yu Dazhang asked directly.

This was very important.

If the investigation had to stop midway because of personnel issues, it would be better to lock in the current personnel from the very start.

"Of course."

!

Captain Xu hurriedly nodded and replied:

"The ones who cooperated with the investigation before were all from the main detachment, just temporary help."

"This time, the police officers were transferred up from below by order of the leadership, and can stay with the task force long-term."

The leadership really did think things through… Yu Dazhang couldn't help sighing inwardly.

From this alone, one could see the leadership had thought further ahead than him.

"Starting now, the two of you sitting next to each other form one team."

Yu Dazhang counted them up — including Captain Xu, there were twelve people, which could be divided into six teams.

"Get moving."

He raised his hand and gestured at the officers in front of him:

"Once you've confirmed yourselves as one team, keep your distance from the other teams so I can tell you apart at a glance."

As his words fell, all twelve people, Captain Xu included, sprang into action.

For a moment, the sound of chairs scraping kept ringing out inside the room.

Soon, all six teams had spread out and taken seats on either side of the conference table.

Ma Jian and his two companions even deliberately scooted a few seats toward Yu Dazhang's side, clearly trying to make room for them.

"These are the targets you're about to investigate."

Yu Dazhang picked up a file folder and waved it in front of them:

"Each team is responsible for one person."

As he spoke, he opened the file folder and took out the bound documents inside.

Nine copies in total.

They were the detailed circumstances of the nine wrongful cases he had investigated during his time in Province S, along with information on the related victims.

Seeing this, Captain Xu hurriedly stood up, wanting to come over and help distribute them, but was stopped by a raised hand from Yu Dazhang.

Nine documents, six teams — before handing them out, he still had to pick and choose.

The one on top was the wrongful case manufactured by Li Yong; the person framed was Liu Jinsong.

Yu Dazhang set that one aside.

Then he set aside two more, and only then stood up with the remaining six documents in hand.

He walked a full circle around the conference table, and at each team he left one document behind.

Strange to say.

Every time Yu Dazhang paused behind an officer, the seated officer couldn't help wanting to stand up.

He was clearly the one least like a police officer, yet he exerted an intense pressure on them.

It was a little better at a distance.

But once he got close, the pressure would come right along with it.

The feeling was as if…

A thousand-pound weight was pressing down on their backs, making it hard even to breathe, instinctively making them want to defend themselves.

When he finally reached Captain Xu, this battle-hardened middle-aged police officer hurriedly rose to his feet, as if someone might sneak up on him from behind.

Yu Dazhang handed him the last document, and didn't forget to say:

"Good work."

Captain Xu took the document, his gaze fixed intently on Yu Dazhang before him.

People who dealt with danger year-round all had extraordinarily sharp perceptive abilities.

This wasn't superstition — it was an ability humans were born with.

To put it bluntly: beast-like perception.

If one stayed in a safe environment long-term, this kind of perception would gradually fade, but the moment a critical moment arrived, it would reassert itself.

The instant Yu Dazhang had stood behind him just now, Captain Xu had felt a sense of crisis.

Intimidation!

The feeling was exactly like a ferocious beast appearing behind him, ready to attack at any moment.

This fatty has killed people!!

(End of chapter)