Chapter 31: A Suspect?

Chaoyang Public Security Bureau.

Slumped over his desk, feeling the heavy exhaustion of a civil servant, Shen Ting was jolted awake by Kiko’s message.

That’s it!

The character "冂" is just a part of the character "Tong" (桐).

The bodyguard must have been on his last breath; "Tong" was too complex to write, so he likely tried to simplify it to "Tong" (同), but couldn't finish it. In the end, he only managed to leave behind the ambiguous "冂."

Furthermore, Liu Qitong was indeed the greatest beneficiary following Liu Furen’s death. The entire Furen Group could effectively be called his.

Tang Ren: "Holy cow, girl, what you’re saying actually makes a lot of sense!"

Guan Hongyu: "Right. If the killer really is Liu Qitong, then there’s an explanation for why he didn’t take the billion-dollar gold vouchers. Once Liu Furen was dead, the entire Furen Group was his—what’s a billion compared to that? Going out of his way to collect it would only have added unnecessary risk!"

Forensic Pathologist Qin Ming: "Looking at Liu Qitong’s profile, he is clearly an elite among elites. He had stellar grades since childhood and graduated from an Ivy League university. Most children from such wealthy families just donate money to get into a management program and coast to a degree. But not Liu Qitong; he got in on his own merit. And he studied theoretical physics. The key is that his grades were excellent—he graduated with A+ in every subject. His intelligence is clearly very high. If he was the one who masterminded the planning of the Luohe kidnapping case, then such a complex crime is no surprise."

Guan Hongfeng (the elder brother): "This Liu Qitong is indeed a prime suspect, but there are still points of doubt. First, Liu Qitong seems to have no reason to pose the three victims in a kneeling, repentant stance. Second, looking at the internal documents of Furen Group after the incident, he didn't participate in the power struggle at the beginning."

Shen Ting had seen the documents regarding that second point. Shortly after Liu Furen went missing, many members of the Furen Group’s board of directors had caused trouble. They had long been dissatisfied with Liu Furen’s management style. Why give money to those at the bottom when it could be distributed as dividends to them? They pushed for new leadership and even hoped to seize power for themselves. Initially, it was Liu Furen’s eldest son, Liu Qianyuan, and second son, Liu Woyue, who joined forces to resist them, but they were no match. Just as they were about to fail, Liu Qitong, who had been living abroad after finishing his doctorate, returned home. He quickly turned the tide, not only taking full control of the Furen Group but also purging all those "rebellious" elders.

"But that doesn't prove anything. Judging by the perpetrator's methods, they are very calculating. Even if Liu Qitong is the killer, he wouldn't start by fighting for power. This kind of last-minute intervention actually fits the style of a killer even better. As for why he would make the three victims kneel and repent..."

Shen Ting immediately thought of the wealthy family dramas he had seen on television.

Was it a case of a mother being humiliated and the son seeking revenge? An illegitimate son separated from his mother and brought into the Liu family? Or perhaps a favorite concubine displacing the wife?

"Cough, that’s a bit melodramatic. But the lives of the wealthy seem to be simple, unadorned, and yet full of drama. The problem is, the documents don't show any of that."

Shen Ting directly shared the detailed files on Liu Qitong and the bodyguard who wrote the character. After thinking for a moment, he also shared the files on Liu Woyue, Liu Qianlong, and the board members who had tried to seize power back then.

Just because Liu Qitong was the ultimate beneficiary didn't necessarily mean he was the true culprit. It was possible the others were just too incompetent and botched the job.

Group Owner: "Everyone, take a look at these files and see if you can find any clues or anything related to '冂'."

The group members immediately began working!

At this moment, Xiong Beibei, who sat across from Shen Ting, answered a phone call. Her eyes lit up as she looked at him:

"Let's go, Captain Zheng is holding a case briefing! The technical team’s report on that Hummer is out!"