Chapter 371
“Having more time is good! Two extra months will give us the time we need.” Su Xiaoxiao, whose nerves had been wound tight, finally felt some relief.
But Jiang Yexun, standing nearby, said calmly, “We don’t need that much time. I’ve already identified all the people involved in this matter on my side.”
After saying that, he pulled a piece of paper from his pocket with a few names written on it and handed it to Su Hongchen. Then he continued, “While I don’t think these people are connected to spies, you should still investigate. I’ve found out they moved the steel outside the city. When I asked them how much they earned, the numbers they gave were similar, but each thought they’d gotten the biggest cut.
But when you add all the money together, the steel was priced at 1,200 yuan per ton. Adding in the 500 yuan they received earlier, that means the steel sold for at least 1,700 yuan per ton. I don’t believe they sold it; I think it’s still hidden outside the city. The money was distributed by the security chief, Wan Hongfa. The key to this case lies with him.”
Su Hongchen thought for a moment, agreeing that Jiang Yexun’s analysis made sense. These people likely hid the steel somewhere rather than risk selling it to avoid getting caught.
However…
“The outskirts of Shanghai are huge. Finding that steel won’t be easy, and the search could attract attention. We’ll need to conduct two operations simultaneously. I’ll need to request additional personnel since most of the manpower is currently focused on investigating Jin Xubo’s network. It’s hard to gather enough people,” Su Hongchen said, his brows furrowing with the weight of the situation.
Meanwhile, Su Xiaoxiao listened intently to their conversation, analyzing it carefully. Once they were done, she offered her thoughts: “I think we should search the rivers first. There aren’t any deep mountains around Shanghai, only small hills where people hunt, making them unsafe for hiding things. Hiding it in a village would be even worse since trucks coming and going would draw attention.”
“So maybe they buried it underground?” Su Hongchen suggested, thinking it was a reasonable possibility.
But Su Xiaoxiao shook her head without hesitation. “They wouldn’t have done that. With food production so low, how could they be sure the land they used wouldn’t be cleared for farming? Even in the mountainous regions, people are reclaiming land to grow crops like potatoes and sweet potatoes. But rivers are different. We don’t have many people farming fish, and if they do, they dig their own ponds or use nets.
Steel is heavy, and once tied together, it would sink to the bottom. Nobody would deliberately dive down to check, especially in an isolated river with no villages nearby. It’s the safest place. If it were me, I’d definitely hide it in a river.”
Both Jiang Yexun and Su Hongchen widened their eyes in realization. They hadn’t thought of this, but Su Xiaoxiao’s suggestion made perfect sense.
“Yes! There are two wild rivers outside of Shanghai. I’ll get someone to check right away,” Su Hongchen said as he turned to leave.
Su Xiaoxiao quickly grabbed his arm. “Aren’t you staying for dinner?”
Su Hongchen shook his head. “I’m not hungry. I’ll take the team out now. Once we find that steel, Dad’s name can be cleared today. As for who framed him and who’s behind it, we can investigate that slowly.”
Su Xiaoxiao agreed and let go of his arm. “I’ll prepare some late-night snacks for you. When you get home, they’ll be on the dining table. Make sure to heat them up and eat.”
“Alright!”
Su Hongchen, touched by his sister’s care, felt warmth in his heart. He even gave Jiang Yexun a smug look, making Jiang Yexun’s face turn even darker. But there was nothing he could do about his brother-in-law, so he just pressed his lips together and watched Su Hongchen leave.
When they heard the sound of the car driving away, Jiang Yexun finally held Su Xiaoxiao’s hand tightly and led her into the house.
Su Xiaoxiao tilted her head, watching his tense jawline. With a teasing smile, she asked, “Are you jealous of my brother?”
“I’m not,” Jiang Yexun replied in a muffled voice, though his words lacked conviction.
Su Xiaoxiao hugged his arm like a clingy koala, letting him lead her along. Then she stood on her tiptoes and poked his chin, “You’re obviously jealous, and you’re still denying it?”
Just as Jiang Yexun turned to wrap his arms around her waist, he noticed He Hongni sitting on the stairs, licking a Big White Rabbit candy.
He Xingzhi, sitting beside her, never expected Jiang Yexun and Su Xiaoxiao to come upstairs at this time. His face immediately flushed red. He had a deep tan from being outside, and even after a month of recovering at home, his skin was still a dark brown. So, the redness on his face was particularly obvious, showing just how embarrassed he was.
Before He Xingzhi could do anything, He Hongni stood up, holding her candy as she ran toward Jiang Yexun. “Brother, what are you playing? I want to play too!” she sweetly called as she hugged his leg.
Jiang Yexun frowned, his eyes filled with impatience. If she weren’t He Xingzhi’s sister, he would’ve kicked her away by now.
Luckily, He Xingzhi understood Jiang Yexun’s temper well. Without waiting for him to speak, he quickly scooped up his sister and carried her out of the house.