Volume 1 Beginning of Summer Chapter 3: Bug House
Tang Butian walked into the police station.
Dark brown round-toed low-heeled leather shoes stepped on the marble. The ankles were white and slender.
She walked into the case handling center, went to the door of a small separate office on the right side, and pushed it open.
Ji Feng looked up and saw her. He said, "Sit down. How's the investigation going?"
Tang Butian put the wooden sword on Ji Feng's desk and sat down. "Not very good, how about you?"
"The above means that the case will be closed as suicide. As for the disputes between the other deceased and the company, let them sue themselves. It has nothing to do with us."
Tang Bu Tian nodded slightly and asked, "What kind of person is Liang Hao's landlord?"
"He was involved?" There was a hint of surprise in Ji Feng's voice.
“I don’t know.”
Ji Feng pulled out a document from the table and handed it to Tang Butian. "This is the transcript from yesterday morning. He arrived at about ten o'clock," Ji Feng recalled the process of taking the transcript. "When he was taking the transcript, his attitude was very natural. He didn't avoid questions or ask too many questions. He's a smart man."
Tang Butian took the document and asked, "Where is his information?"
Ji Feng tapped his fingers on the keyboard a few times , and Jiang You's information appeared on the computer screen.
Ji Feng read Jiang You's information to Tang Butian, "Jiang You, 27 years old, Han nationality, his parents died in a car accident 6 years ago, and left him a house after their death, in Lanxinyuan ..."
"Is this the one that Liang Hao rented?" Tang Butian interrupted Ji Feng.
"No, it's a large apartment."
"continue."
"He lost 130,000 yuan in compensation for the car accident. He was a junior at the time, studying at Jinkang University. After the accident, he dropped out of school. He has been staying in this city for the past few years and has never left. He is a pitiful man."
"What's his major?"
"computer."
"What is he doing now?"
Ji Feng opened another page. "He now runs a store on Wenhua Street. By the way, he now owns three houses and a store, and all the loans have been paid off."
Tang Butian's eyes lit up, and she closed the record, "Where did he get the money?"
"It seems like he really earned it himself..." Ji Feng pursed his lips, "He just mortgaged the house that his parents left him after the transfer was completed. After getting the money, he used it as a down payment to buy two small apartments in Lanxinyuan with a loan, and then mortgaged it again to buy three more small apartments and a shop..."
"How did he get the loan?"
"Five years ago, housing prices were at their lowest point, and banks were more lax in their review."
"What about the mortgage? How will he pay it back?"
"With no work experience, he probably lived off rent and savings, etc. At the time, he had 23 credit cards. Last year, he sold three houses and paid off all his loans and card debts. He sold them too early, so if he sold them now, he would get double the money."
Tang Butian put the documents on the table, she stood up and picked up the wooden sword.
"Give me his address."
"Okay. No. 42 Wenfeng Road." Ji Feng's eyes moved away from the computer screen and he looked at Tang Butian, "What about this case?"
"You guys handle it, I won't interfere."
"Understood."
Tang Butian counted the house numbers and walked to No. 42 Wenfeng Road.
She looked up and saw a plaque hanging on the gate, with two large Chinese characters in black script on a white background - Insect House. On the left side of the door was a flower stand, with two rows of sunflowers blooming in the sun.
She clenched the wooden sword in her hand, crossed the yard and walked into the store.
Clean.
This was her first impression of the bug house.
Exceptionally clean.
It's about 40 square meters. Very spacious.
There was only one customer in the store, a literary young woman with pigtails, wearing a linen shirt and indigo skirt. She sat at the long table in the middle of the store, writing postcards with her head down.
There was a half-drunk cup of milk tea next to him.
There are two transparent boxes on the long table, which contain colored pens, stamps, glue and other stationery for writing postcards. There are seven or eight small round chairs under the long table, which can be pulled out when needed.
There were shelves on both sides, with postcards arranged according to different themes. Tang Butian pretended to be a customer, picked up three postcards, held them in his hand, and then slowly moved forward along the shelves.
The counter was at the back. On it was a cash register and a blue-patterned porcelain bowl. The bowl was filled with candies. In the trash can next to the counter was an empty Coke bottle and some candy wrappers.
Tang Butian walked to the shelf on the other side and continued looking.
Halfway through reading, she heard footsteps coming down the stairs.
The door next to the counter was pushed open and Jiang You walked out.
He is not tall, about 1.73 to 1.76 meters tall, slightly plump, with a short round face.
He wears a pair of black-framed glasses, a loose red and white striped T-shirt, beige shorts and a pair of brown slippers.
He sat down on the chair behind the counter, reached out to take a yellow candy from the candy bowl, peeled off the candy wrapper, and put it in his mouth.
Tang Butian glanced at him and then looked away, pretending to be concentrating on picking out postcards.
The literary young woman wrote the postcard, put a stamp on it, and walked to the counter with the postcard. "Remember to send it to me in two years."
Jiang You took the postcard and put it into a large cowhide envelope. "Don't worry. You will definitely receive it."
"How much?"
"thirty."
The literary young woman took out her mobile phone, scanned the payment QR code in front of the counter, and completed the payment.
After the literary young woman left, Tang Butian turned around and walked in front of Jiang You.
She put the postcard in her hand on the counter.
"Have you paid? Don't write anything..."
"You live on the second floor?" Tang Butian interrupted him.
Jiang You was stunned for a moment, "Yes, on the second floor."
"Take me up there to have a look?"
Jiang You narrowed his eyes and looked at her, "Who are you?"
Tang Butian took out her police officer ID from her bag and opened it.
"Tangjiang City Public Security Bureau, special..." Jiang You raised his voice, "Special Events Division, First Class Superintendent, Tang Bu Tian?"
He looked at Tang Butian's outfit.
White shirt, dark blue pleated skirt, brown envelope shoulder bag, and a wooden machete in her left hand.
"Girl, are you cosplaying? If you are caught forging a police officer's ID, you will be detained or warned."
Tang Butian snorted, took a big step forward, and swung the scimitar forward. Jiang You leaned back subconsciously. Tang Butian opened the drawer of the counter and took out a plastic bag with her index and middle fingers.
Jiang You’s expression turned serious.
Tang Butian opened her bag again and took out a plastic bag with a label, which also contained a lock of black hair.
She held up two plastic bags and walked up to Jiang You. "I found them from the window where Liang Hao jumped from."
"Are you an adult?" Jiang You's eyes swept across Tang Butian's chest.
"What do you mean?"
"My bedroom is upstairs. If I bring an underage girl up there, I'll feel a little psychologically stressed."
Tang Butian ignored Jiang You and went straight up the stairs.