Xiao Lou strode over and peered through the gaps in the crowd at the crime scene— Uncle Zhong's death was clearly due to poisoning. Judging from the time of death and the condition of the body, the poison used to kill Uncle Zhong was likely a highly potent and fast-acting substance.
□□ is a controlled substance, which is very difficult for ordinary people to buy, and a few grams is enough to be fatal.
Uncle Zhong was sitting at table number 1, sharing a table with seven other people: his nephew He Rong, Song Dongping, the Song siblings, and five prominent local business owners. Throughout the meal, Xiao Lou had been keeping a close eye on this table. They were using the same tableware and eating the same food; if poison had been added to their food, everyone else would have been affected.
The only possibility for Uncle Zhong's death is that he was poisoned in his tea or wine glass.
Uncle Zhong's tea was poured by a waitress who was also serving water to everyone at the table, making it impossible for her to poison him alone. The most likely culprit was the red wine. Several people had been toasting Uncle Zhong earlier, and some had brought their own wine. If the wine had been poisoned, Uncle Zhong could easily have died quickly after drinking it.
Xiao Lou whispered to Yu Hanjiang, "The murderer poisoned the wine bottle, killing only Uncle Zhong. It's very likely that the poison was put in the wine brought by the last few people who were toasting. The murderer probably didn't have time to leave the scene yet."
Uncle Zhong had just collapsed. The murderer, who killed him by poisoning, would definitely have confirmed Uncle Zhong's death before leaving.
The police ID was in his shirt pocket, so Yu Hanjiang could use his police identity to approach and investigate directly. According to Xiao Lou's deduction, the beer-bellied "General Manager Zhang" who toasted Uncle Zhong at the end was highly suspicious, but it was obvious that General Manager Zhang wasn't the one who poisoned him.
Yu Hanjiang frowned, his sharp gaze quickly sweeping across his surroundings.
Suddenly, he noticed a waiter, about 1.7 meters tall, carrying a plate, walking into the side door from the corner of the hall. The figure looked somewhat familiar, reminding Yu Hanjiang of the dark night when he first entered the secret room, the figure who jumped out of the window and escaped after being shot in the abdomen.
Yu Hanjiang narrowed his eyes and whispered in Xiao Lou's ear, "Find Xiao Ye and Lao Mo, and wait for me at the coffee shop across from the hotel."
After saying that, he turned around and strode after him.
Xiao Lou was stunned for a moment. When he turned around, Yu Hanjiang's figure had already disappeared through the side door of the hall. He quickly realized that Captain Yu had likely identified the suspect.
Xiao Lou's stamina was inferior to Yu Hanjiang's, and he certainly couldn't keep up if he chased after him now. If the police arrived later, his "fake" waiter status might arouse their suspicion. After thinking for a moment, Xiao Lou took advantage of the chaos to leave the hotel through the back door and went to the restroom to change his own clothes.
He left Drone in an inconspicuous corner of the banquet hall so he could observe the police investigation later.
Police cars and ambulances arrived together. After getting out of the ambulance, Doctor Nurse examined Zhong Yongqiang's body on the spot. Uncle Zhong had already missed the best time for rescue, and his pupils were dilated.
Upon hearing the news of Uncle Zhong's death, many guests at the scene gasped in shock.
Local police quickly cordoned off the area and began checking each guest who had attended the birthday banquet. The accompanying forensic doctor quickly concluded it was poisoning, and the most likely culprit was the glass of wine Uncle Zhong had drunk from.
The red wine was taken back for testing as evidence.
Mr. Zhang, the last person to toast Uncle Zhong, was so frightened that his legs trembled, and he shook his head like a rattle drum, stammering, "No, no, it wasn't me! I have no grudge against Mr. Zhong, how could I possibly poison his wine?!"
The police officer asked with a stern face, "Where did you get this glass of red wine from?"
Mr. Zhang said, "There's a row of red wines on that counter over there, I just grabbed one..."
The police officer went over and saw a row of red wine bottles on the counter, all identical. Mr. Zhang couldn't tell which bottle he had just picked up. The officer asked, "When you picked up that bottle, did you open the cap?"
Mr. Zhang said, "It seems to be open."
The policeman asked, "Where's the cup?"
After thinking for a moment, Mr. Zhang said, "I asked the waiter for an empty wine glass."
The police then approached the hotel manager: "Who was in charge of the drinks for this birthday banquet?"
The manager said innocently, "The drinks were all brought over by General Manager He in advance and handed over to us; they weren't purchased by our hotel."
The police officer asked, "Where are the cup and cutlery?"
The manager hurriedly explained, "These were prepared in advance by our hotel and disinfected this morning. I guarantee that there will be absolutely no problem when the tableware is placed on the table! Officer, our hotel has no grudge against Mr. Zhong, so please don't suspect us!"
As Xiao Lou watched the scene through the drone monitor, his brows furrowed deeper and deeper.
According to the police evidence, the poison was placed in the last glass of red wine Mr. Zhong drank. Mr. Zhang stated that he simply grabbed a bottle of red wine, asked a waiter for an empty glass, poured half a glass, and went to offer a toast. Given the randomness of the guests taking their wine, it was highly likely the perpetrator would have poisoned the wrong person if they had poisoned the wine beforehand. The best way to accurately poison Mr. Zhong was to put the poison in his wine glass.
At table number 1 sat Mr. Zhong and the most distinguished person in the room. Changing Mr. Zhong's wine glass would easily attract attention. Therefore, the murderer chose Mr. Zhang, who was about to toast Mr. Zhong, and smeared poison in the glass Mr. Zhang was holding.
The person who has the easiest access to the wine glass is, of course, the waiter.
Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou, disguised as waiters, infiltrated the banquet hall to investigate. Clearly, the assassin, also disguised as a waiter, had smuggled the highly poisonous substance into the venue; all he needed to do was... (the sentence is incomplete and ends abruptly).
Apply a small amount of [unspecified substance] to the cloth beforehand, and then gently wipe the wine glass with the white cloth before Mr. Zhang picks it up.
Local police quickly deduced this result and asked Mr. Zhang to identify the waiter at the scene who handed him the wine glass.
Mr. Zhang looked around and scratched his head blankly: "The waiters were all dressed the same, I really can't remember... I only remember that he was a young man with short hair, about 1.7 meters tall, about the same height as me."
The hotel staff wore uniforms, making it difficult for the owner to clearly remember their faces. The police had no choice but to take the staff back for further investigation and also asked the hotel to retrieve the surveillance footage from the corridor outside the banquet hall.
He Rong followed the police with a livid face, and his uncle's body was sent back to confirm the cause of death.
Xiao Lou put away the drone and turned to go to the coffee shop across from the hotel.
The person who poisoned Uncle Zhong was definitely an assassin sent by the organization, using Boss Zhang as a front. The waiter has already left the hotel, and for the police to investigate is like looking for a needle in a haystack. They can only pin their hopes on Yu Hanjiang, who chased after him immediately.
There weren't many customers in the coffee shop in the afternoon. Xiao Lou found a spot with a good view by the window, sat down, and ordered a coffee.
The coffee was served quickly. Xiao Lou was in a state of panic. He was worried that Yu Hanjiang would get into trouble if he chased after him alone, but his physical strength and speed were far inferior to Yu Hanjiang's. If he followed him now, Yu Hanjiang would have to take care of him, and he might end up becoming a burden to the other party.
Captain Yu is experienced in tracking criminals in real life, so he should be able to escape even if he encounters danger, right?
Xiao Lou comforted herself with this reason.
After drinking the hot coffee, he calmed down a bit and decided to contact Mo Xuemin first: "Old Mo, where are you and Ye Qi?"
In the early hours of the morning, to explore the labyrinthine Tianya Club, Xiao Lou and Lao Mo temporarily connected to a " Telepathic Connection," with Lao Mo leading the way. The " Telepathic Connection " on the Qin Guan card refreshes its cooldown at midnight every day. After refreshing, the target can be changed, but once connected, it cannot be changed again within 24 hours.
He and Lao Mo were currently connected via Telepathic Connection, and using the mental channel to find Lao Mo was the fastest way.
To Xiao Lou's surprise, there was no response from Lao Mo in his mental world.
Xiao Lou paused for a moment, then continued calling out to Mo Xuemin: "Old Mo? Can you hear me?"
There was no mental fluctuation in my mind, like a calm, windless lake, without the slightest ripple.
Xiao Lou sensed something was wrong and immediately sat up straight, taking out her phone to call Lao Mo. A friendly female voice came through the phone: "Sorry, the number you dialed is temporarily unavailable."
He then called Ye Qi, only to be told, "Sorry, the number you dialed is temporarily unavailable."
A strong sense of unease gripped Xiao Lou's heart, burning like a flame, making him feel like he was sitting on pins and needles.
He got up and looked out the window.
The sky outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was clear and cloudless, and people were coming and going on the street, but there was no sign of Ye Qi and Lao Mo.
Xiao Lou really wanted to contact Yu Hanjiang, but he knew Yu Hanjiang was tracking the suspect, and calling him might interfere with Yu Hanjiang's operations. Lao Mo and Ye Qi had so many cards on hand; they wouldn't be easily in trouble. Besides, Lao Mo and Ye Qi's signatures were still intact on his contract book.
The signature is still there, proving that the person is still alive.
Xiao Lou took a deep breath, quickly calmed down, and dialed Shao Qingge's number.
Shao Qingge hadn't been feeling well these past few days, probably due to his surgery; he was particularly prone to fatigue. He had just woken up and was eating lunch when his phone suddenly rang. The woman across the table asked with concern, "Whose call is that?"
Shao Qingge glanced at the caller ID, smiled slightly, and said, "Mom, you eat first, I'll take this call from a friend." He picked up his phone, turned around, went to the balcony, closed the door behind him, and then pressed the answer button, saying in a low voice, "What is it, Professor Xiao?"
On the phone, Xiao Lou's usually calm and gentle voice revealed a rare hint of anxiety, with a slight tremor at the end: " CEO Shao, can you get in touch with Xiao Ye?"
Shao Qingge paused for a moment, then tried to contact Ye Qi using Telepathic Connection.
There was no response in my mind.
His eyes suddenly darkened, and he said, "We can't get in touch with them? How could this be?"
Xiao Lou then asked, "After the Telepathic Connection refreshed at midnight, did you establish a connection with Ye Qi?"
"He did establish it. Last night he told me that the four of you sneaked into the Tianya Club at night and found a secret passage behind the mirror on the third floor of the club. Inside was a warehouse with a lot of weapons." Shao Qingge was silent for a few seconds, and his face gradually turned ugly. " Ye Qi went to bed around 2 a.m. last night. I also went to bed at 2 a.m. and didn't get up until noon. Then I received your call."
"So, you didn't contact him today?" Xiao Lou held his breath nervously.
"Yes, I just woke up and haven't had a chance to contact him yet." Shao Qingge gripped his phone tightly. "Xiao Ye... has something happened to him? Why can't I get in touch with him?"
"I can't get in touch with Lao Mo and Xiao Ye either. The phone is busy, and the Telepathic Connection isn't working." Xiao Lou took a deep breath and said, " Once the Telepathic Connection establishes a communication channel, the two people connected can communicate directly through their minds. But in one situation, it will lose its effectiveness."
"What's going on?" Shao Qingge already had a guess in his mind, but he still couldn't believe it.
"The other party is unconscious." Xiao Lou gripped the edge of the table tightly, the veins on the back of his pale hand clearly visible. He suppressed his anger and said, word by word, " The Telepathic Connection can't reach them, which means…"
Lao Mo and Ye Qi both fell unconscious, and before they did, they had no time to resist or warn their teammates. They had been investigating in Qingshui Town for the past two days, which likely attracted their attention, leading to their being knocked unconscious and taken away.
"..." Thinking of the scene of 60-year-old Lao Mo and 7-year-old Ye Qi being knocked unconscious and taken away, Shao Qingge felt a sharp pain in his heart. He had just undergone heart surgery, and upon hearing this news, he almost had another heart attack in his anger. Shao Qingge pressed hard on his heart and frowned, saying, "I'm coming to Qingshui Town right away."
"No need." Xiao Lou noticed the change in Shao Qingge's voice and quickly said, "You just had surgery, so you can't get too emotional. Rest at home and continue to contact Xiao Ye using ' Telepathic Connection.' Let me know immediately if there's any response. I 'll think of a way to rescue them after Captain Yu comes back. I think we've probably found the organization's headquarters, and Xiao Ye and Lao Mo shouldn't be far away."
"Alright." Shao Qingge rubbed his temples helplessly. His heart would ache whenever he got emotional. If he had another heart attack halfway through the journey, wouldn't that be adding trouble for his teammates? It was better to stay at home.
"Also, Uncle Zhong just died," Xiao Lou said softly.
"What?!" Shao Qingge narrowed his eyes slightly. "Was he silenced again?"
"Hmm. I suspect the organization has been watching our movements for a long time, which is why they always manage to eliminate our key witnesses one step ahead of us. First it was Cheng Shaofeng, then Uncle Zhong, and next it might be He Rong..."
Thinking of this, Xiao Lou felt a chill run down his spine.
There was a pair of eyes watching them from the shadows. Whenever they found a crucial clue, they would cut it off. Liu Qiao went to follow Cheng Shaofeng, but Cheng Shaofeng got into a car accident; he went to Uncle Zhong's birthday banquet with Yu Hanjiang, but the banquet turned into a funeral.
When did Xiao Ye and Lao Mo slip up and get kidnapped at the same time?
Xiao Lou's head was throbbing with worry, but he couldn't afford to panic. Captain Yu was still tracking the suspect, so he had to keep his teammates calm and wait for Yu Hanjiang to return before discussing a plan. After all, Yu Hanjiang would have more experience handling situations involving "missing teammates."
Thinking of this, Xiao Lou quickly calmed down and said to Shao Qingge, " CEO Shao, contact Long Sen and Qu Wanyue and tell them not to go out today. Captain Yu and I will go find Xiao Ye and Lao Mo. Keep in touch by phone at all times."
Shao Qingge nodded: "Okay, I'll find Qu Wanyue right away and tell them to be careful."
After putting down his phone, Xiao Lou sat back down and drank a cup of coffee to calm himself down.
Time ticked by, but Yu Hanjiang still hadn't appeared.
Half an hour had passed, and Xiao Lou, worried, sent a message to Yu Hanjiang: "How's the situation on your end?"
Yu Hanjiang did not reply.
Xiao Lou waited a few more minutes, but still received no reply. He had no choice but to call Yu Hanjiang, only to be met with a gentle female voice: "Sorry, the number you dialed is currently switched off."
The phone is off?! Could something have happened to Captain Yu too?
We can't wait any longer; every minute we wait increases the danger to our teammates!
Xiao Lou's face turned pale, and she abruptly got up and left the coffee shop, walking quickly towards the hotel where she had stayed the previous night.
However, just as he turned the corner, a sudden numbness shot through his neck, like a mosquito bite, follow
ed by a wave of intense dizziness. Before collapsing, Xiao Lou saw a pair of shiny black men's leather shoes stop in front of him.
Immediately afterwards, he completely lost consciousness.