Chapter 1549 — Yaoyao's Rebuttal, Part 1

"So you're a detective! I thought you were Song Fox's superior!" Shen Yushu curled her lip. "Song Fox, where did you dig this one up? Next time you need a case solved, call Detective Shu 007. No need for this arrogant fool!"

Though Shen Yushu had called her Song Fox, her tirade against Wang Hekan was deeply satisfying to Qiu Lingshan. She herself had grown thoroughly fed up with the man, who swaggered about on the strength of a few notable cases, behaving as though one word from him could name the murderer, as if this were some cartoon.

"You..." Wang Hekan was choked with fury.

Shen Yushu simply rolled her eyes, ignoring him completely. She strode straight to the washroom, brought back a basin of cold water, sat down beside Gu Mengyao, and began soaking her feet as if no one else were in the room.

Wang Hekan thought to himself, *Ill-mannered girl.* But he said nothing further. He knew that Qiu Lingshan and Liu Wangli were already displeased with him, and they would not take his side against this young woman. So Wang Hekan could only swallow his anger.

"Miss Gu, we have come regarding a case. Songshan City has seen a string of robberies recently, along with a number of assaults, affray, injury in the course of robbery, and indecent harassment..." This litany of charges gave Qiu Lingshan a headache of her own. How could Wei Zhao possibly have done all this?

"I know. But what of it?" Gu Mengyao asked.

Qiu Lingshan forced a bitter smile and glanced toward Liu Wangli. Having her announce that the prime suspect was Wei Zhao felt distinctly uncomfortable, so she left the task to Liu Wangli instead.

"We suspect... that all of these cases are connected to Wei Zhao..." Liu Wangli said. "May I ask, is Wei Zhao at home?"

"Ah!" Tang Yun cried out the moment she heard Liu Wangli's words.

"No, he's not!" Gu Mengyao, who had weathered far more than most, did not gasp. Her instincts kicked in instead. "Connected to Wei Zhao? How is that possible? Wei Zhao left long ago, and our household has already hired new bodyguards. Didn't you see?"

As she spoke, Gu Mengyao pointed at Wu Chengtian.

"Miss Gu, please do not be agitated. Of course, these are merely suspicions -- we are not saying Wei Zhao is necessarily the suspect!" Liu Wangli explained. "Only by finding Wei Zhao and learning the truth can we clear his name, can we not?"

"Why do you suspect Wei Zhao? He has done nothing wrong. What is there to clear?" Gu Mengyao shot back.

"Well... Miss Gu, perhaps you should examine the evidence we have gathered. I am sure that in the face of evidence, everything else is superfluous. Once you see it, you will understand why we suspect Wei Zhao." Liu Wangli paused in thought, then drew a laptop from her bag.

Whether it was Gu Mengyao or Shen Yushu -- or their bodyguard Wu Chengtian -- none of these people could be trifled with. If they refused to cooperate, Liu Wangli would have no way forward.

"What evidence?" Gu Mengyao frowned slightly. In truth, from the very first words Liu Wangli had spoken, she had sensed something was wrong. Although Qiu Lingshan had never been on especially cordial terms with her and little Shu, Gu Mengyao knew that this girl Song had always maintained a close relationship with Wei Zhao. If Wei Zhao were truly innocent, Qiu Lingshan would never have come in person.

The situation now suggested that the police really did hold some crucial evidence, and had come to their door because of it. So Gu Mengyao, unlike Shen Yushu with her antics, pressed her questions with composure and reason.

Liu Wangli opened the laptop and played several segments of the surveillance footage from the bank robbery for everyone present to see...

The moment the suspect appeared on screen, Gu Mengyao, Shen Yushu, and Tang Yun all widened their eyes at once. Even Wu Chengtian could not keep himself from gasping. The figure on the screen looked exactly like Wei Zhao -- people who lived with him daily could see at a glance that the person in the footage was, for all intents and purposes, Wei Zhao himself.

Still, though everyone was startled, they shared an unspoken understanding and said nothing, patiently watching the surveillance footage through to the end.

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Gu Mengyao asked after the footage ended.

"Miss Gu, we are all people of intelligence. Do you not think the person on the screen resembles someone?" Liu Wangli asked.

"Resembles someone? I'm afraid my eyes aren't sharp enough -- the image isn't very clear, and I honestly can't tell who it resembles. Could you be more specific?" Gu Mengyao, naturally, would not admit that the figure on screen was Wei Zhao.

"Then take a look at these photographs and the vehicle." Liu Wangli said nothing more. She opened the images taken by the photographer -- photographs of the vehicle -- and laid them out for all the women to see.

Having examined the set of photographs, Gu Mengyao knew that denial was no longer of any use. The images were extraordinarily clear: the license plate was captured in sharp detail, and even a single spot of mud on the body of the car was plainly visible.

"What exactly are you trying to say? That this man is Wei Zhao, and that this vehicle belongs to Wei Zhao?" Gu Mengyao pressed.

"Yes, Miss Gu. We believe the suspect is Wei Zhao. That Land Rover is the car Wei Zhao drives -- the license plate, the model, and the suspect's physical description all match perfectly." Liu Wangli replied.

"Oh? But there is one thing you have overlooked: Wei Zhao is not currently in Songshan City. He left long ago." Gu Mengyao said coolly. Despite all the similarities, she did not believe this man was Wei Zhao.

Never mind that Wei Zhao was now a shareholder in the Gu Group -- his own pharmaceutical company alone was raking in money hand over fist. What need would he have to commit robbery? And harassing young girls? What a joke! With a stunning girlfriend at home he does not flirt, nor does he flirt with little wife Shu who is practically waiting for him. And if all else fails... he could at least flirt with me!

So Gu Mengyao flatly refused to believe that Wei Zhao had gone out to harass young girls.

"He is not in Songshan City -- or at least that is what everyone believes. But whether he is really not there, you cannot say for certain either, can you?" Liu Wangli explained. "So -- are you able to contact him?"

"No, I can't reach him. But the suspect is definitely not him. For one thing, he is the second-largest shareholder of the Gu Group -- in other words, apart from my daddy, he is the richest person in the company." Gu Mengyao defended Wei Zhao. (To be continued)

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