I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

Chapter 266: Rich Businessman Murder Case

As night fell, the city's hustle and bustle gradually died down, leaving only the elongated shadows beneath the streetlights and the occasional rustle of passing vehicles. Zhang Wanqing sat in her newspaper office, a pile of documents and materials before her. She rubbed her temples, trying to ease the day's fatigue. Fu Siyuan leaned back in his chair, his eyes fixed on the computer screen, his fingers rapidly tapping away.

"Wanqing, look at this." Fu Siyuan suddenly spoke, with a hint of excitement in his voice.

Zhang Wanqing raised her head and her eyes fell on Fu Siyuan's computer screen. On the screen was a blurry photo of a dilapidated villa with a closed gate and surrounded by a cordon.

"What is this?" Zhang Wanqing asked.

"This is the scene of a murder that happened this morning," Fu Siyuan said. "The police blocked the news, but I saw this photo on an anonymous forum."

Zhang Wanqing frowned slightly. "Murder? Why would the police block the news?"

"This is the key." Fu Siyuan stood up, walked to Zhang Wanqing's desk, and turned the computer screen towards her. "This villa belongs to a wealthy businessman named Zhao Minghui. He was found dead in his study last night. The police initially determined it was murder."

Zhang Wanqing's pupils shrank slightly. "Zhao Minghui? Isn't he that successful businessman?"

Fu Siyuan nodded. "That's right. And, as far as I know, Zhao Minghui has made many enemies in the business world. There is probably a complex network of interests behind this murder."

Zhang Wanqing was silent for a moment, then raised her head and looked at Fu Siyuan firmly: "Let's go investigate."

Fu Siyuan nodded, a hint of excitement flashing in his eyes: "Okay, that's what I was thinking."

The next morning, Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan arrived outside Zhao Minghui's villa. The cordon was still there, and several police officers were patrolling the area to prevent unauthorized persons from entering. Zhang Wanqing pulled out her press card from her bag and handed it to Fu Siyuan: "Let's go in and take a look."

Fu Siyuan nodded, and the two of them walked towards the cordon. A young policeman came over and blocked their way: "Reporter, we're investigating a case here. You can't go in."

Zhang Wanqing smiled and handed over her press card. "We are reporters. This case has attracted widespread public attention. We hope to learn more about the situation."

The police took the press pass, looked at it carefully, and nodded: "You can come in, but you can't interfere with our investigation."

Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan walked into the villa, and the scene before them made them gasp. Zhao Minghui's body was found in a study. Several famous paintings hung on the walls of the study, and the bookshelves were filled with various books, but at this moment, all of them were shrouded in a layer of blood-red shadow.

Zhao Minghui's body lay on the carpet, covered in multiple stab wounds. His blood had already clotted, staining the surrounding carpet red. A forensic doctor was examining the body while several police officers gathered around, taking photos and collecting evidence.

Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan walked to the door of the study. A middle-aged policeman came over. He was wearing a police uniform and had a serious expression on his face. "Are you reporters?"

Zhang Wanqing nodded: "Yes, we hope to understand the situation of the case."

The policeman nodded. "I'm the officer in charge of this case. My name is Wang Qiang. You can observe from here, but you can't interfere with our work."

Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan nodded and began to observe around the study. Fu Siyuan took out his notebook and began to record the situation at the scene, while Zhang Wanqing carefully observed every detail.

"Officer Wang, are there any suspicious clues on the deceased?" Zhang Wanqing asked.

Wang Qiang shook his head. "Nothing has been found yet. We are conducting a careful inspection of the scene, hoping to find some clues."

"Is there a suicide note or other similar items with the deceased?" Fu Siyuan asked.

Wang Qiang shook his head. "No. Our preliminary assessment is that this is a murder, but the murderer's motive is still unclear."

Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan looked at each other and both knew in their hearts that there must be some secret behind this case.

After leaving the villa, Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan went to a nearby cafe, sat in a corner, and began to discuss the details of the case.

"What do you think is behind this case?" Fu Siyuan asked.

Zhang Wanqing frowned. "Zhao Minghui has made many enemies in the business world. This case is likely related to his previous business disputes."

Fu Siyuan nodded: "I think so too. However, the police have blocked the news. There must be some unspeakable secret behind this."

Zhang Wanqing thought for a moment, then said, "We need to find Zhao Minghui's family or friends to see if they know any clues."

Fu Siyuan nodded: "Okay, I'll check Zhao Minghui's background information to see if he has done anything unusual recently."

Zhang Wanqing stood up and picked up her coat: "I'll go find Li Wei and see if he can provide us with some help."

Li Wei's home was in an ordinary apartment building on the outskirts of the city. Zhang Wanqing arrived at Li Wei's door and knocked. The door quickly opened. Li Wei, wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans, had a look of fatigue on his face.

"Wanqing, why are you here?" Li Wei asked.

Zhang Wanqing walked into the house and sat on the sofa: "We are investigating a murder case and hope you can provide us with some help."

Li Wei nodded: "Tell me, what is the case?"

Zhang Wanqing told Li Wei about Zhao Minghui's case. After listening, Li Wei was silent for a moment, then said, "This case is indeed very complicated. Zhao Minghui has made many enemies in the business world, and this case is likely related to his previous business disputes."

Zhang Wanqing nodded. "We thought so too. However, the police have blocked the news. There must be some unspeakable secret behind this."

Li Wei thought for a moment, then said, "You can check Zhao Minghui's financial records to see if he has any unusual transactions recently."

Zhang Wanqing nodded. "Okay, I'll ask Fu Siyuan to check it out. What else do you think we should pay attention to?"

Li Wei stood up, walked to the window, looked at the night view outside, and said, "There may be a huge conspiracy behind this case. You must be careful during the investigation and don't trust anyone easily."

Zhang Wanqing nodded. "I understand. Thank you, Li Wei."

Li Wei turned around with a smile on his face: "You're welcome. If you encounter any trouble, feel free to come to me."

After Zhang Wanqing returned to the newspaper office, she told Fu Siyuan about Li Wei's suggestion. Fu Siyuan nodded and began searching Zhao Minghui's financial records. After some effort, they discovered that Zhao Minghui had made several large capital flows in recent months, and the destinations of these funds were extremely suspicious.

"The flow of these funds all points to a company called 'Tianyu Group,'" Fu Siyuan said. "I think this company is very suspicious. Let's check it out."

Zhang Wanqing nodded: "Okay, I'll contact the industrial and commercial department to see if I can get detailed information about this company."