Free Web NovelChapter 207: How big?
The glass doors of one of the branches of the country’s largest news station gleamed under the afternoon sun. Detective Liwu adjusted her jacket, muttering her breath, "They are not going to tell us anything. Nothing is glued firmer than the mouth of a reporter when they smell blood."
Beside her, He Xiao Yi walked with his usual calm stride, eyes scanning the lobby as if everyone and their shadow could reveal a hidden clue. "Their colleague is missing, they will give us something to work with, I am sure."
Liwu snorted. "They are all tense. This is what happens when you work in a business with deadlines."
"We have a deadline too, only if we fail, our files go to the cold case unit." He Xiao Yi flashed his badge to a receptionist, saying with command, "Take us to the news editor."
They were ushered upstairs to meet the news editor in charge of Sleazy Han. The office they entered smelled faintly of ink and coffee, walls lined with awards and framed headlines from stories that made national news sometime in the past. All had the name of the name of one reporter, Qian Mihou, the current news editor.
She was sitting behind her desk, sharp eyed, with a streak of red in her hair that made her look odd, considering how professional everything else seemed to be. Her maroon suit was immaculate, and her expression was cold. "You are here about Han," she said, voice clipped but not unfriendly. "I am his editor, the one who has to deal with the trouble which comes with his stories. Great stories, but they push the envelope. If you can find him, I will be the happiest woman alive. I have a story I need him to work on."
Liwu leaned against the desk. "Before you think of new stories, how about helping us piece together the last one he was working on. We have no clue what he was up to before he went missing."
Qian Mihou sighed, folding her hands. "I am sorry dears, but I am going to have to disappoint you. Han is notoriously secretive about his stories. Each piece is guarded tightly like a precious jade.
Han is brilliant, and he has a system, added bonus. But he is troublesome. He has a habit of latching onto stories that others are afraid to touch because they come with consequences. Conspiracies, corruption, murder, the kind of things that make enemies.
Last year, he exposed a racketeering ring, got the CEO of a big pharmaceutical company fired, opened a can of worms which was bullying at Lingnan number one middle school that resulted in the firing of a dozen teachers, and an entire board." She threw her hands in the air, "Then, there was the story of Wen foods and their fake eggs. It cost them billions. He got many death threats around that time. I always knew he would end up in trouble. Only God knows where he is holed up now, writing an piece that will ruin someone else." freewebnoveℓ.com
He Xiao Yi tilted his head. "So, his disappearance is not unusual."
"Not entirely," she admitted. "It is not rare for him to vanish chasing a lead. He resurfaces later with a story that shakes the world. But the thing is...we have a scheduled check in time. I made it a policy after he was stabbed and dumped in a small clinic in a village six years ago.
He has been faithful to it. But not this time, I haven’t heard from him. I figured it was too soon to panic, it’s only been one night. Never the less, I can’t shake the feeling that something could be wrong. He said he had found something big...Bigger than the Wen foods and bullying scandal."
Liwu frowned. "Define big."
Mihou;s lips pressed into a thin line. "Something that would make the world lose their minds. But he didn’t say what it was. He wouldn’t even tell me where he was staying."
She opened a drawer and slid a stack of papers across the desk. "These came in last week, letters carrying hate. Threats. People promising he would pay for ruining their lives. He also received fan mail from those who admired his courage. I will locate and send them if you want to see them."
He Xiao Yi asked grimly, "Does he have an office?"
Mihou laughed. "And risk a colleague stealing a peek at his latest headline? No. He works from home. The boss does not mind, considering all the revenue he brings in."
Liwu flipped through the letters, her brow furrowing. "Die, die, die. I am going to shove a cattle prod up your ass." She shuddered. "Who talks like that?"
Mihou replied with confidence, "That would be Wen Tang, he writes the same thing over and over. He didn’t take it too well when his father was pushed out to take the blame for the fake eggs scandal. His branch of the family was affected. They were pushed out of Beijing and moved here to live on a farm. They oversee the cattle ranches the Wen group owns. If something has happened to Han, try him. Wen Tang is like a stalker, if anyone knows where Han was or what he has been up to, it could be him."
He Xiao Yi leaned down, staring intensely at Mihou. "Something that would make the world lose their minds. That is what Sleazy Han said to you. I look at your wall and see a glorious past. I look at your present and see a woman who was trying to dip her toes back in the field. Someone like you would not have resisted the temptation to sniff around Han’s latest story."
Mihou laughed. "I forgot you guys are SOB for a minute. They say you have lie lie detectors in your watchers."
Liwu and Xiao Yi didn’t respond. For a moment, it seemed like they were at a stand off.
Finally, Mihou handed over a worn leather journal. "I took him out for lunch two days ago and he forgot this. So, I kept it safe for him. I peeked inside...nothing made sense to me."
Liwu opened it, scanning the pages. Her eyes caught scribbled notes that looked like locations, names and times. They looked like covert meetings, arranged in secrecy. Some names were crossed out, others circled. Those saucy finger prints were all over the pages. "It’s his journal, alright."
He Xiao Yi grimaced. "Probably more surveillence. Let’s take it back and let the analysts figure it out."
****
Meanwhile, Linlin and Xuanji were presently standing in a gilded banquet hall, chandeliers glittering above, French diplomats murmuring corners.
"If Liwu were here, she would know what they are saying." Xuanji commented.
Liang Shunhua, the Silver tongue host walked to them with a smile that could melt steel. "Good afternoon, detectives! What an honor. Please, join me. Wine? Fruit? What would you like?" His words flowed like honey, each syllable designed to charm.
Xuanji muttered under his breath, already irritated. "Some answers. Cut the crap. We are here to see if you have seen this man." He touched the screen of his phone, showing Shunhua the picture.
Shunhua grinned. "The mighty Han, whose sword is a pen, sure, I have seen him. Two weeks ago, he came by my office hoping for a pass to this event. I gave him two and told him to bring a date. As you can see, he is not here."
"He was watching you, were you aware?" Xuanji asked.
Liang Shunhua laughed, waving a hand. "I walk in political circles, so of course, reporters watch me. They want to learn the secrets to my success."
Linlin leaned forward, playing along. "Secrets, huh? Like how you bend contracts? How you make presidents nod like schoolboys? Or how you sell peace for a fee?"
Shunhua’s eyes twinkled. "Ah, you flatter me. But truly, I am harmless. Words are my only weapons. Everything else you have heard is a lie."
Linlin snorted. "Word can kill faster than bullets in this new world."
Shunhua leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Detectives, I am sensing some hostility from you which is coming from a personal place. If this is because of my extra abilities, you need to understand something. The world is built on persuasion. Armies march because leaders convince them. Empires rise because tongues weave promises.
The Mighty Han knows this better than anyone. With his pen, he has convinced the world that he is the provider of justice. Many times, people have looked to him for answers on something, rather than the police. In my opinion, I am not as dangerous as he is. The man is a vigilante.
All because he cracked the code: words rule all."
Xuanji wanted to ask another question, but Shunhua was called away. He didn’t even say goodbye, just raised his champagne glass and sauntered away."
They left, with Xuanji spitting curses all the way back to the car. "That bastard is hiding something too. He is guilty of something, including using his charm on me!"
