Chapter 96: Stupid Man

Liu Tong drank coffee leisurely and said without beginning or end: "Yun Shen Secret Realm, this name is too awkward, I can't say it a second time."

Zhong Kui listened and smiled sweetly at Liu Tong: "That's good."

At the press conference the next day, the focus of all media was on the dramatic death of two female leads in the sequel of *Divine Strategy of the Tang Dynasty*. As for the location and truth of Hong Mei's death, the official refused to disclose it on the grounds of investigation needs.

The pursuit of the truth about Hong Mei's death was soon replaced by the overwhelming drafts about the sister-brother love between Hong Mei and Pang Shuai. A combination that was actually each getting what they needed was touted as a touching love, making Pang Shuai, a little-known small actor, top the headlines of major hot searches.

In the eyes of the public, the infatuated one was just an important suspect in Hong Mei's case in the eyes of the police.

Accompanied by his agent, Pang Shuai arrived at the Nancheng Police Bureau carefully under the cover of night.

In the entertainment industry where handsome men and beautiful women are like clouds, Pang Shuai has a strong body, but his looks are not outstanding. If it weren't for the scandal with Hong Mei, it's hard to say whether he could get ahead.

For the matter of relying on hype and the love of the dead to get ahead, it was clear that Qi Fei couldn't agree.

"You know we took samples from you before. The comparison result with Hong Mei's child came out today," Qi Fei threw the paternity test report in front of Pang Shuai. It was no surprise that the child was Pang Shuai's.

Pang Shuai tried hard to make a sad and crying expression at the report, but no matter what, the tears wouldn't come down. It seemed that this person not only had average looks, but his acting skills were also not very good.

"Forget it, if you can't cry, don't cry," Qi Fei said impatiently. "On the night Hong Mei died, where were you?"

Pang Shuai didn't feel embarrassed either, put away his clumsy performance, and said: "I didn't have work that night, and went to a bar with a few brothers to drink."

"We checked Hong Mei's phone. She called you that night. What did you talk about?"

"Oh, right, at 11:00 that night, she suddenly called me. I asked her what was the matter, and she said something like the scenery in the mountains was so good, but I wasn't by her side. She didn't sound very happy. I was in a bar, it was very noisy, and I couldn't hear what she said later. She hung up by herself after a few words," Pang Shuai said lightly, not feeling at all that this was likely the last call Hong Mei made before she died.

"Did she often call you at this time before?" Qi Fei continued to ask.

"That's not it. You are police, I dare not lie to you. My relationship with Sister Mei was purely that kind of relationship, you know." Pang Shuai said, even grinning like a handsome guy, not knowing what he was proud of.

Qi Fei sank his brow and said expressionlessly: "I don't know."

Pang Shuai looked at him and suddenly leaned his hand on the back of the chair and said: "We are all men, don't pretend. Do you have to make me say it so bluntly? We were just a pure physical relationship, each getting what we needed. She wouldn't call me in the middle of the night with such emotional investment. I really don't know what she encountered that night. Sister Mei is at an age like a wolf or a tiger, and that fat and ugly old man Huang Daqiu couldn't satisfy her at all, okay? When she was on the set, she was flirting with me, and it looked like she was empty, lonely, and cold. I just went with the flow. I didn't know I would win the prize at all, okay?"

Pang Shuai's sloppy appearance was enough to show that everything he said was the truth. If there was any emotion, Hong Mei died inexplicably, and he couldn't be not sad at all.

"Do your fans know that the infatuated one in their hearts is actually like this?" Qi Fei said contemptuously.

Hearing this, Pang Shuai looked very helpless: "I don't know which netizen with a big brain wrote the essay." Then he pretended to be hypocritical, "It made me cry."

"Stop playing dumb, if it wasn't you taking the opportunity to hype, who else could it be?"

"It's really not me, if you don't believe me, ask my company!" Pang Shuai defended, looking like he wasn't lying.

"Don't worry, we will go and ask. I don't care what kind of pure relationship you and Hong Mei had. Regarding her murder, do you have anything possible related to it that you can explain?"

"Speaking of this, it seems useless to say it now," Pang Shuai pursed his lips. "It's just that the director of *Divine Strategy of the Tang Dynasty* originally planned to give the role of Xian Yao to someone else when filming the sequel. Sister Mei was so angry that she went to Huang Daqiu to cry. The result was that Huang used his money power to put pressure on the producer, letting Hong Mei continue to star. I heard Wang Wu call Sister Mei once. I was on the side. The other end of the phone said how ugly it was. It made Sister Mei throw the phone. She said if it weren't for the director and screenwriter huddling together, she would have let Huang Daqiu replace the director. I know she wasn't joking. Didn't they tell you? We in the circle have always known that Sister Mei is difficult to serve. As long as someone offends her while filming, whether it's a director, photographer, or makeup artist, she can make a fuss until the other party is fired. But there's no way, our industry is whoever is popular has the final say, and everyone is used to it."

However, this news didn't have much significance for Qi Fei. Because, the entire crew of *Divine Strategy of the Tang Dynasty*, including Wang Wu, were filming in Lian Hu during the time Hong Mei died, and their alibis were very sufficient. However, listening to Pang Shuai, there were quite a few people Hong Mei offended.

Outside the police station, the rain was pouring. I don't know where the news leaked. When Pang Shuai left, the outside was already full of entertainment reporters and self-media waiting, chasing and intercepting him to ask about Hong Mei, which was the treatment of a superstar.

In this era of making money by relying on attention, Pang Shuai gained a lot of attention that some peers might not be able to gain in a lifetime overnight.

In the rainstorm, Pang Shuai wore sunglasses, dodging and avoiding the flashes. This was the scene he had dreamed of for a long time, but the location was not the red carpet but outside the police station late at night.

Qi Fei stood in front of the window on the second floor, watching this chaotic scene happen. Zhong Kui didn't know when she had arrived by his side: "It seems I was overthinking. Yun Shen Secret Realm is indeed a secret realm, the means are really brilliant."

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"I watched Pang Shuai's interrogation in the observation room. This person's brain can't turn so fast to think of using his relationship with Hong Mei to sell an infatuated persona."

"He said it wasn't the agency that did it, then who would be helping him?"

"Who said this is helping him?" Zhong Kui turned her head and raised her hand to knock on Qi Fei's forehead.

Zhong Kui used a clever bit of force with this blow; it didn't look heavy, but in reality, it hurt so much that Qi Fei clutched his head and cried out, "What are you hitting me for?"

"Hitting you for being a guy as stupid as Pang Shuai!" Zhong Kui retorted.