Rebirth 1983: Building My Business Empire-Chapter 116 - 110 Starting the Investigation

Chapter 116: Chapter 110 Starting the Investigation

After dinner, Master Qian asked Lu Jiaxin what she wanted him to do. Gu Wenfeng had told him that Lu Jiaxin needed help with something, but didn’t specify what it was. Mainly because Gu Wenfeng himself wasn’t clear, so naturally, he couldn’t tell him.

“Come in with me.”

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Once they were in the study, Lu Jiaxin asked, “Do you know anyone in the Forty-nine City?”

“I know quite a few people. What kind of help are you looking for?”

Lu Jiaxin didn’t hide it from him and said, “I need to investigate Ding Jing and her family. Ding Jing is the woman my dad married later, and also my best friend from high school, Kang Tongtong, and her family.”

Gu Wenfeng had informed Master Qian about Lu Jiaxin’s family situation. Investigating a stepmother and her family was understandable, but looking into a high school friend was out of the ordinary: “What did your classmate do to tick you off?”

Lu Jiaxin said, “It was her who persuaded me to go back to my hometown to relax and told me not to tell my dad or my family. That way, my dad would be really worried and realize my importance.”

Master Qian looked at her with a scrutinizing gaze and said, “Investigating these people will cost a lot. Do you have enough money to cover it?”

Before coming, he hadn’t doubted Lu Jiaxin’s financial capability because Gu Wenfeng was very reliable in his mind. But this girl had been nearly deceived to death by a few sweet words, which didn’t seem too promising!

“Don’t worry, I made some money in Yangcheng City.”

Master Qian looked at her and said, “Miss Lu, for Ah Feng’s sake, Xiaoxiao and I can work for you a few days for free, but my friends can’t. They risk their lives to investigate for you, and they won’t do it without sufficient compensation.”

Lu Jiaxin went back to her room, took out a stack of Great Unity RMB, and put it on the table, saying, “Here is five thousand. That should be enough, right?”

In those days, five thousand was a very large sum of money.

Hearing is believing, but seeing is more convincing. Seeing her easily take out five thousand yuan, Master Qian also felt reassured. He asked, “What exactly do you want to investigate?”

Lu Jiaxin said, “Ding Jing wears gold bracelets and necklaces at home. I’ve seen them several times, and the styles of the bracelets are all different. My dad said he never bought them for her, so where could they have come from? They could only have come from bribery.”

Women all like jewelry, but given Lu Hongjun’s status, wearing gold in public would surely lead to reports. Unable to show off outside, Ding Jing wore them at home to satisfy her vanity. The original body was still a child when she saw these and didn’t think much of it. Due to her upbringing, she wouldn’t discuss family matters with outsiders, so Ding Jing hadn’t been cautious.

Master Qian looked at her, puzzled, “You deduced that Ding Jing took bribes from the jewelry. Why then did a few words from your classmate manage to trick you into going home alone, where you nearly got abducted?”

Lu Jiaxin showed a mocking smile, “I’ve been to the King of Hell and back, so if I don’t become wiser and am still as foolish as before, it would be a waste of the King of Hell’s decision to let me return.”

Master Qian, having experienced much, comforted her, “Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise for you. However, how are you so sure that it’s the Ding family helping with the bribery?”

Lu Jiaxin said, “There are many loose tongues in the family compound. If people were always coming to our house, it would surely arouse suspicion. Ding Jing’s older brother is a loudmouth who can’t wait to blab every little thing to the world; her younger brother is a researcher, appearing amiable but actually a hardcore schemer.”

Master Qian took note of all this and then asked, “What about your classmate? Why do you think she wanted to harm you?”

Lu Jiaxin had given this matter careful thought and she said, “Kang Tongtong’s father is the director of a building materials factory, and the family is quite well-off. Material inducements won’t sway her, so that only leaves threats. However, she’s lively and cheerful, gets along very well with everyone, and is focused on her studies, so it’s unlikely that she has any vulnerabilities or blemishes. Ding Jing must have found some leverage over her parents. I’ve met her mother, who is a very virtuous woman, so the problem is likely with her father.”

Master Qian asked, “Should we start by investigating Ding Jing, Little Brother Ding, and Kang Tongtong’s father, these three people?”

“If Kang Tongtong’s father has no issues, then we’ll check her mother,” Lu Jiaxin said. The probability was low, but some things can’t be judged by appearances.

The next day, Master Qian set out early and didn’t return until evening. He found Lu Jiaxin and told her he had found someone willing to investigate these three individuals, though the cost would be rather high.

Upon hearing the quote, Lu Jiaxin lost her composure, “A deposit of five thousand, and another five thousand after the job is done? Is your friend trying to slaughter me like a fat sheep?”

This wasn’t just high; it was outrageous! Now, pork costs only one yuan and twenty a catty, and nobody wants vegetables even at a few cents a catty. The three people we want to investigate aren’t any big shots; even if they find out, they wouldn’t dare to silence us—why such a high fee?

Clearing his throat, Master Qian said, “I’ve spoken to them. We’ll pay five thousand upfront, and the rest will depend on how the investigation goes. If it’s easy to find evidence of guilt, we won’t have to pay more; but if it’s well concealed and the investigation is long and risky, then we’ll add more to the sum.”

This was acceptable to Lu Jiaxin, and she said, “Fine, we’ll start with five thousand. But I can’t show my face in this. My dad still has some connections in the Forty-nine City, and it would be troublesome if he noticed.”

Looking at her, Master Qian said, “As husband and wife are one, are you sure you really want to investigate that woman? If her bribery is confirmed, your dad won’t be able to escape blame either.”

Lu Jiaxin’s expression was very cold, “As long as he hasn’t done anything illegal or discipline-breaking, he’ll just retire a couple of years early. If he’s been corrupted like Ding Jing, getting caught would serve him right.”

Master Qian reminded her, “If your dad ends up in jail, you won’t pass the political examination and might not even be able to attend college.”

Lu Jiaxin hadn’t thought about this problem before and said, “Policies are more relaxed now than before; if I’m admitted, I should be able to attend.”

“Don’t rely on optimism,” Master Qian said. “I think even if you want to deal with Ding Jing, you should wait until you’re in college before acting. It’s not worth jeopardizing your future for such a woman.”

Both Mrs. Lu and the original self’s wish was to attend college; she definitely planned to take the exams and would attend if admitted. Lu Jiaxin said, “Right now, we don’t have any evidence. It’s too early to discuss this.”

Master Qian was concerned she hadn’t considered these aspects and reminded her. Having decided to proceed anyway, he couldn’t be blamed.

The next morning, Xue Mao found an opportunity when Xiaoxiao and Lu Jiaxin were alone and said, “Sister Xin, I’ve noticed that Fifth Sister-in-law doesn’t seem to like Master Qian and Xiaoxiao; she hasn’t let Qiangqiang and Xiao Feng come out these last two days.”

“Don’t worry about it; it won’t be long before she moves out,” Lu Jiaxin replied casually.

“But she hasn’t even secured a house yet; where would she move to?”

Lu Jiaxin said with a smile, “Her coming back late yesterday and today is because she’s been house-hunting. She has plenty of money on hand, so she should be able to pick out a house soon.”

From the moving incident, she had realized Ma Lili sometimes couldn’t prioritize matters properly. After getting married, one should prioritize their own nuclear family, yet she always put her birth family first. Under the indulgence of Father Ma and Mother Ma and the mockery of Ma Dahua, even as Fifth Brother strongly demanded to move out, even staying overnight outside rather than returning home, she wouldn’t relent until the formal adoption was finalized. She endured even if her husband was wronged and her children bullied.