Bai Ci paused, her tone sincere. “That Jia Woyi, my blind date today—I could feel that his aura was very off. He didn't seem like a good person.”
“He made me feel even more uncomfortable than Wa Yeyao did. And as you said before, none of my blind dates have been good people.”
“So I'm even more certain that he's definitely up to no good.”
Telling the truth was out of the question, so she had to spin some logical explanation on the spot.
“Also, I suspect there's some kind of connection between him and the Yuanxin Matchmaking Agency,” Bai Ci added with certainty.
“I've been on blind dates with six matches in total, and I've watched the matchmaker's attitude toward each male guest every time.”
“In comparison, her attitude toward Jia Woyi was respectful, even carrying a hint of obsequiousness. It was completely different from how she treated the others.”
An Shu calmed down slightly, pondering Bai Ci's words. “Could it be because Jia Woyi is very rich?”
“After all, matchmaking agencies need to make a living. It's normal to have a better attitude toward wealthy clients.”
“No, that's not it,” Bai Ci shook her head, firmly refuting the idea.
“I had a blind date named Wa Yeyao who was also very rich, with a substantial net worth. Yet, the matchmaker's attitude toward him was merely enthusiastic, not respectful. It was different from her attitude toward Jia Woyi.”
“So rather than money, I believe there are other mutual interests between them.”
Chen Quan's expression grew increasingly solemn. If Bai Ci's suspicions were correct, then Xiao Wen's current situation was highly dangerous.
“Miss Bai, do you feel there's anything anomalous about the Yuanxin Matchmaking Agency itself?”
From her bag, Bai Ci pulled out an introductory brochure for the Yuanxin Matchmaking Agency and handed it to Chen Quan.
As Chen Quan looked at the brochure, he intentionally angled it to give An Shu and Glasses room to see. The two of them took the hint and flanked him on either side.
Seeing that they weren't impatient but were reading it seriously, Bai Ci quickened her pace of explanation.
“There's one very strange thing: the agency's fees.”
“When I went to register, I asked Cheng Yin and looked at their fee brochure. Their charges are incredibly cheap, even much lower than ordinary matchmaking agencies on the market.”
“You can look at this brochure. The services listed are very comprehensive, and I've actually seen them in action at the agency.”
“These services aren't just empty shells used for promotion; they are actually fully functional. The corresponding staff members are highly skilled, so their salaries shouldn't be cheap.”
“Moreover, the agency is in a prime location, beautifully decorated, and has quite a large staff. All of this requires significant overhead.”
Bai Ci continued her analysis. “Such low fees aren't nearly enough to cover their operating costs.”
“So I'm certain they must have other sources of income, and this channel is highly likely to be shady.”
After saying this, Bai Ci added a disclaimer. “But Captain Chen, let me make it clear first that these are just my speculations.”
“I don't have any concrete evidence at the moment. These are just some conclusions I've drawn based on my observations and feelings during this period, solely for your reference.”
Chen Quan said with certainty, “Your speculations are highly valuable. We will focus our investigation on these suspicious points.”
He turned to the glasses-wearing investigator and instructed, “Glasses, take Miss Bai back first. Escort her to her neighborhood gates, and only return once you've confirmed she's safely gone upstairs.”
“Understood, Captain,” the glasses-wearing investigator immediately responded.
Chen Quan then looked at An Shu. “An Shu, go find Old Liu immediately and request personnel from other units to conduct a full-scale search for Xiao Wen's whereabouts.”
“Focus on the areas where Jia Woyi might appear, as well as the Yuanxin Matchmaking Agency. We must find Xiao Wen as quickly as possible.”
“Understood.” With a solemn expression, An Shu immediately began contacting her mentor investigator to coordinate.
Finally, Chen Quan looked at Bai Ci, his tone warm yet serious. “Miss Bai, during this time, try not to go out alone, and do not accept any more blind dates arranged by the agency.”
“If there's any anomaly, or if you receive any strange messages, call me immediately.”
As he spoke, he handed Bai Ci a business card with his private phone number on it.
“Alright, thank you, Captain Chen. I'll be careful.” Bai Ci took the card and put it away.
Afterward, Bai Ci left the Bureau of Investigation with Glasses and headed to the parking lot.
Meanwhile, Chen Quan hurried to the Chief's office, and An Shu led her team to begin a comprehensive search for Xiao Wen.
Since this involved a newcomer who had just joined the Bureau, the atmosphere instantly became tense.
At the same time, in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city, a few old light bulbs emitted a dim glow, illuminating a corner of the warehouse.
Xiao Wen was tied back-to-back to a thick iron pillar, his equipment stripped away, his hands tightly bound with rope.
He had obvious bruises on his face, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. He looked in a miserable state.
Standing around him were several tall, fierce-looking men, each holding a weapon, staring at him with cold eyes.
And directly facing Xiao Wen was a woman.
It was someone he recognized: Lin Jie, the person in charge of the Yuanxin Matchmaking Agency.
She was currently sitting on a simple chair, her arms crossed, looking at Xiao Wen with a sinister expression.
“Speak! How on earth did the Bureau of Investigation discover Jia Woyi? How many clues do you have? Have you already started investigating the matchmaking agency?”
Lin Jie's tone carried an unquestionable pressure.
Xiao Wen was completely unaffected—because his head was a total mess, with nothing but the words “holy crap” looping frantically.
He couldn't understand how he had ended up in this situation just by following An Shu's orders to tail Bai Ci's blind date, Jia Woyi.
He had no idea Jia Woyi was a criminal, let alone that there was collusion between Jia Woyi and Lin Jie.
He was just a rookie who had recently joined, his mind filled with nothing but completing his task. He hadn't thought about anything else.
Recalling the earlier scene, Xiao Wen still felt a lingering fear.
After following Jia Woyi out of the cafe, he watched him walk toward the city outskirts. The path grew more remote, and the surroundings became increasingly desolate.
A sense of unease had gradually welled up in Xiao Wen's heart, but by the time he realized something was wrong, it was already too late.
Several tall men had suddenly rushed out of the roadside bushes, completely surrounding him.
Xiao Wen had instinctively wanted to run and had fought back fiercely, but the opponents were too numerous and ruthless. He was no match for them.
Moreover, the equipment he carried was mostly meant for dealing with anomalous forces, which was of little use in this situation.
Before long, he was subdued, bound, and brought to this abandoned warehouse.
What he expected even less was that shortly after he was brought here, a commotion broke out outside.
He caught a snippet of their conversation: Jia Woyi had suddenly died, a bizarre death that also looked like an accident.
As a result, he—the person tailing Jia Woyi—became their prime suspect for murdering him.
Rate on N.U.
