Chapter 493

Wang Jianqiang's engagement is set for the 24th day of the second lunar month, which is Saturday, April 13th, on the solar calendar.

The next day is Sunday, and the students and faculty of Jingda are on holiday.

When the public security personnel arrived at Jingda, Li Ye was naturally not in his dormitory, so they had to go through the trouble of finding his counselor, then Sun Xianjin, and then Wen Leyu.

Therefore, by the time Li Ye and his grandfather leisurely returned to Jingda, it was already past the lunch hour.

Upon arriving at the school's security office, Li Ye discovered that there were several school security staff and teachers inside, as well as two uniformed public security officers and three outsiders.

Those three outsiders were all wearing suits; two of them looked at Li Ye with unkind expressions, while the other appeared to be an interpreter.

Additionally, Zhang Zhiqiang, the counselor for the Class of '82 World Economics major, was also on the scene.

After seeing Li Ye, Zhang Zhiqiang immediately spoke up first: "Student Li Ye, these two public security comrades want to find you to understand some situation. You must answer truthfully but don't be nervous; it's just a routine inquiry."

Li Ye smiled and nodded: "I understand, Zhang Laoshi. I've caused you trouble on a Sunday."

Zhang Zhiqiang also smiled: "What kind of trouble is this? You are the most worry-free student in the class. If you didn't trouble me occasionally, I would start to wonder if I, as a counselor, still had any use."

"."

Zhang Zhiqiang was Li Ye's counselor, but for the past two years, there had been basically no interaction between them because the head teacher, Mu Yunning, had handled almost all of Li Ye's affairs, making Zhang Zhiqiang seem as if he had no place to be of use.

However, today Zhang Zhiqiang spoke to Li Ye first and immediately reminded him that "it's just a routine inquiry," clearly also fulfilling his duty to protect his student.

"Thank you, Zhang Laoshi."

"It's nothing, everyone from the school is here... You sit down!"

Zhang Zhiqiang patted Li Ye on the shoulder and pointed to a chair for him to sit.

Li Ye glanced at the position of that chair, directly facing the two uniformed officers, and understood that the other party was deliberately creating a sense of pressure.

It's just a pity that this kind of pressure is useful for ordinary students, but it has absolutely no effect on Li Ye.

However, before Li Ye could sit down, he saw the two men in suits mutter a few words in Japanese, and then the interpreter asked Li Zhongfa: "This old comrade, may I ask who you are?"

Li Zhongfa said calmly: "I am Student Li Ye's grandfather. I just happened to come over to spend Sunday with the child today, so I came over to listen in."

As soon as Li Zhongfa finished speaking, the interpreter said impatiently: "Then you go out for a moment; don't disturb our questioning and conversation."

"."

The interpreter's tone was quite rude, which left both Li Zhongfa and Li Ye stunned; even the counselor, Zhang Zhiqiang, frowned.

Li Zhongfa was fine; having served as a bureau chief for many years, he did not show his emotions, but Li Ye was young and vigorous and would not tolerate these bad habits of the other party.

"May I ask who you are?"

"Are you asking me?"

"Nonsense, if I'm not asking you, am I asking a dog?"

"."

Li Ye's words left everyone in the security office shocked.

This young man's tone was too aggressive.

However, the two uniformed personnel and the school teachers did not immediately scold Li Ye for being impolite.

Because in this security office, it was not the turn of an interpreter to boss people around.

This is Jingda, a deputy-ministerial level unit; what are you, an interpreter working for a foreign company, acting so arrogant for?

Li Ye also saw through this point.

Because if the other party were an interpreter sent by the domestic authorities, they would absolutely not be so disrespectful and disregard Jingda.

Several people in this room were at the section-chief or deputy-division level; was it your turn to speak first?

Therefore, the other party was just someone who had received a high salary at a foreign company and had become arrogant, thinking they were superior to others; there would be no consequences for snapping at him twice.

"You are too much! I want to tell your teacher on you, I want to..."

After the other party realized what happened, he became extremely angry, clearly having perhaps been subjected to similar snubs in his daily life.

But the interpreter was angry, yet Li Ye became calm instead and said: "Don't be so agitated first. I'm just asking you, who are you? What right do you have to be in this room? Does your presence here not affect the public security officers' inquiry?"

"I am Mr. Nakamura Hiroo's interpreter. Mr. Nakamura's son has gone missing, and you are a major suspect. Mr. Nakamura has the right to know the latest case details and the right to question you!"

"You are wrong. No matter which foreign guest it is, they have no right to directly intervene in domestic case investigations, nor do they have the right to interrogate a domestic citizen. On this land, only domestic agencies possess law enforcement power, so at most, you can only listen in."

"."

When Li Ye said these words, he had been quietly observing the expressions and reactions of the others in the security office.

The reason he acted so aggressively was not because he was being foolish, nor was it just because he disliked the interpreter's tone; more importantly, it was a test.

Old Song was taken away last night. Li Ye didn't know what Old Song had done, nor did he know if Old Song had "confessed." Therefore, he couldn't determine what the situation was today.

If Old Song hadn't just done it but also confessed, then it was estimated that these two investigators today wouldn't be so gentle. After all, Li Ye had a close relationship with Old Song, and being implicated would happen in a minute.

But after he sparred with that interpreter for half a minute, the two uniformed officers didn't scold him severely; even the younger comrade had a hint of a smile on his face.

【He is still smiling; is it not a "case to be solved within a time limit"?】

In the great capital city where "you're not a true Beijinger if you haven't lost a bicycle," the rumor that you could find a lost bicycle on the same day had been circulating for many years.

Therefore, Li Ye came today prepared mentally to be caught and have clues searched for to the death, but looking at the current situation, why does it seem like they are just "going through the motions"?

The young comrade smiled, but the other investigator was very stern and shouted coldly: "Stop arguing, everyone please keep quiet, don't affect our inquiry."

Li Zhongfa immediately found a place to sit down. The old comrade naturally understood that since they didn't drive him out, they were already leaning toward him during the argument between Li Ye and the interpreter.

The interpreter, who was still in a fit of anger, wanted to say something else, but the uniformed personnel had already pointed to the chair and said to Li Ye: "Student, please sit. We will just ask a few questions, and it will be over very soon."

Li Ye nodded and sat down.

"According to Mr. Nakamura Hiroo's report, Student Li Ye, you repeatedly had conflicts with Nakamura Naoto while at school, is that correct?"

"It wasn't a conflict, it was an academic debate. He believed Japan was stronger than us, and I believed we were stronger than them... There were many people present when we debated, and they can all prove that we didn't have any conflicts."

The investigator continued to ask without looking up: "According to our investigation, on March 4th of this year, which was the 13th day of the first lunar month, you met Student Nakamura Naoto at the animal park's foreign language training class. What did you talk to him about at that time?"

Li Ye said truthfully: "We didn't say anything. After graduation, Student Nakamura seemed to have become a big boss and looked down on us poor students. I vaguely remember that he was looking at people with his nose in the air that day."

"Then why were you at the training class at that time?"

"I have a classmate who works part-time at the training class, and a fellow townsman also seemed to be helping out there. I just happened to pass by that day, so I went in and chatted with them for a couple of sentences."

"Just happened to pass by? Then where were you originally going?"

"I had an appointment that day to go to the animal park to do photography with two classmates..."

"Things from nearly two months ago, why do you remember them so clearly?"

"Oh, going to the animal park with two girls, this kind of beautiful memory... is not easy to forget."

Li Ye was answering the investigator's questions very calmly, but he felt a bit strange inside. Why didn't they ask in detail about his relationship with Old Song? He had clearly mentioned the "fellow townsman" lead just now!

The most dangerous suspect, yet they don't ask? What is going on?

However, while Li Ye was pondering this question, the investigator suddenly asked: "Student Li Ye, according to what Mr. Nakamura Hiroo said, your grandfather is a veteran of the War of Resistance, and has a very strong hatred for the Japanese, is that so?"

"."

Li Ye was stunned for a moment, and his calm expression gradually became deep.

"My grandfather is indeed a veteran of the War of Resistance, and I have also watched many war movies since I was a child. If this can become evidence of suspicion, then they had better not step onto this land, because there are simply too many people like me."

"."

The young investigator glanced at Li Ye and lowered his head again to write something quickly, but that glance seemed to be warning Li Ye to be calm and not say too much.

And the investigator who asked the question also paused for a moment before continuing to ask: "Then after March 4th, have you seen Nakamura Naoto again?"

"I haven't seen him."

"Really haven't seen him?"

"Yes, I really haven't seen him."

"."

The subsequent questions were all about useless things. Throughout the entire inquiry process, that interpreter kept talking to Nakamura Hiroo, and Nakamura Hiroo kept urging something, making the interpreter extremely anxious.

Ten minutes later, the two investigators closed their notebooks, and the inquiry process ended just like that.

The interpreter immediately said anxiously: "Two comrades, how could it end so hastily? This Li Ye is the last eyewitness to Young Master Nakamura..."

"And he and his family clearly have a deep hatred for the Japanese; his suspicion is very high..."

"Ahem~"

Li Zhongfa, who had been silent all along, stood up coldly and said: "If it's according to what you say, then there are too many suspects. Back then, my company had 130 people, and only 17 survived until the end of the war..."

The interpreter was about to speak impatiently, but Li Zhongfa continued: "Additionally, I also know that just within the capital, there are at least tens of thousands of people like me. Should I take you to those veteran cadre sanatoriums to find suspects?"

"."

"If you can't find them in the sanatoriums, then it will be difficult, because in other places... my rank is not high enough to get in!"

"."

The interpreter stopped talking. His IQ wasn't low; how could he not understand what Li Zhongfa meant?

People who have risked their lives against the Japanese are not all dead yet! And many are still in positions. You guys are judging suspects based on this; do you have holes in your brains?

The interpreter hesitated for a moment but still translated Li Zhongfa's words to Nakamura Naoto's father, Nakamura Hiroo.

Then, Nakamura Hiroo's expression became very interesting. After a long while, he suddenly walked out and bowed to Li Zhongfa, very politely.

"I'm sorry, old gentleman. For the sake of an old man who has lost his son, please forgive our rudeness."

Li Zhongfa remained silent and didn't even nod his head; he was not polite at all.

Nakamura Hiroo had his secretary take out a few business cards and handed them one by one to Li Ye and the several Jingda teachers present.

"In order not to affect our friendliness, and for the sake of our friendship, please be sure to find my beloved son. I beg you."

Nakamura Hiroo bowed to everyone around him, his tone very sincere, but it felt awkward to hear.

Li Ye pinched the business card and glanced at it; it was marked with Chinese characters—Yokohama Nakamura Co., Ltd., Vice President Nakamura Hiroo.

Damn, just a president, and a vice one at that, and he dares to talk about friendliness?

The people from Jingda were still very polite. After the inquiry ended, they invited Nakamura and Li Zhongfa and others to the cafeteria for a meal, but both Nakamura and Li Zhongfa refused.

After the grandfather and grandson left the school gate, Li Ye carefully said: "Grandfather, you aren't angry, are you? I told you long ago that it was nothing serious; you didn't need to come at all."

Just now, when Li Zhongfa said "only 17 out of 130 survived," Li Ye was truly afraid that his grandfather would lose his temper and hit that Nakamura Hiroo.

"Angry? Do you think I came with you today to be insulted?"

Li Zhongfa smiled lightly and said: "I was afraid that you were young and didn't understand the routines within the system, so I followed along to listen to the tone."

"."

Li Ye was stunned, not expecting his grandfather to have similar thoughts, so he asked with a smile: "Then grandfather, did you hear anything?"

"I heard a little," Li Zhongfa said faintly: "This isn't some major case being supervised; it's just about the same as looking for a bicycle."

"Those few Japanese are still acting arrogant, wanting to force the public security department and Jingda to help them find their child! Who cares about them!"

"."

"Forcing Jingda to help them find someone?"

Li Ye had also sensed just now that it wasn't a big case, but he really hadn't thought about it in the way Li Zhongfa said.

Li Zhongfa glanced at his grandson and said proudly: "Xiao Ye, you are smart, but you have had too little contact with things on the surface. As long as I look at the attitude of the investigators and listen to the way and order of their questioning, I can guess what they are thinking."

Li Ye hurriedly played along: "Grandfather, what do you think they are thinking?"

Li Zhongfa said faintly: "Whether that Nakamura Naoto is missing or not doesn't matter at all; what matters is where he went missing. His company is in Pengcheng, so who knows if he has returned to Pengcheng in these two months?"

"If it were truly confirmed that he went missing in the capital, then the matter wouldn't be so simple. You have to see the person if they are alive, or the corpse if they are dead; it would be very troublesome."

"Jingda understands this; your counselor pointed it out to you as soon as he entered the door, and the investigators understand it too."

"So! No matter how urgent those few Japanese are, it's useless. It's a pity they still have old-fashioned thinking, thinking that if they just slap a label on you, you will anxiously help them find someone. They don't even look at what rank they are."

"These are all old tricks from forty years ago; they still have the nerve to bring them out to show off? It's truly wishful thinking."

"."

Li Ye swallowed his saliva and finally understood why they hadn't asked him about Old Song.

He also had to admire Li Zhongfa's shrewdness. He still had many things to learn in the future.

And these things would not be recorded in textbooks.

(End of chapter)