"Hunger strike?" Gu Xizhou asked.
The lanky man nodded and sighed. "I heard it from the people in their yard. They said that when the old man died, all that was left of him was a pile of bones. It was a tragic sight."
Gu Xizhou's expression changed slightly when he heard that. He then chatted with the man for a while. That was all the man knew, but when they connected the dots, the time of death was during the winter holidays last year, close to the time of Zhou Yiguang's parents' death.
After breakfast, the two left the small restaurant. Fang Zhi opened his mouth, but no sound came out. His face was slightly pale.
Gu Xizhou personally led him into the neighborhood. A middle-aged man was sitting at the entrance of the neighborhood. His unshaven face was flushed. Fang Zhi walked over and knocked on the table beside the middle-aged man.
"Hmm? Who are you looking for? " The middle-aged man opened his eyes in a daze and saw two strangers. He yawned and asked.
Fang Zhi said, "Hello, we are the police. We want to ask you some questions."
Hearing the word police, the middle-aged man seemed to sober up. He gulped and said, "Police comrade, what do you want to ask? Just say it!"
"You are the security guard of this neighborhood. You know everyone in the neighborhood, right?"
The middle-aged man replied, "Yes, I know everyone. Our neighborhood is a demolition house. The neighbors here used to be the production team's old neighbors. I know everyone who lives here!"
Gu Xizhou asked, "What kind of person is Zhou Yiguang in your eyes?"
Speaking of Zhou Yiguang, the middle-aged man suddenly sighed and said, "I knew you were here to ask about Old Zhou … Sigh … I still don't understand why there was a human head in the cement block!
"Last year, we went to his parents' funeral and said that he was finally free. I didn't expect something like this to happen. Old Zhou had it hard all these years. He had to take care of his paralyzed father and mother. In my eyes, he was just an ordinary person. He was burdened by his parents for so many years, but he didn't complain. He took care of his parents with all his heart.
"He opened a tea shop, but he never played cards. In fact, he used to like playing cards, but because his parents were poor, he had a good temper and was a very nice person. I still don't understand … I don't think he would kill anyone!"
"Yes, did you attend his father's funeral when he died?" Gu Xizhou asked.
"All the old neighbors in the yard participated. Everyone contributed money," the middle-aged man said.
Gu Xizhou raised his eyebrows and asked, "Have you seen the bodies of his parents?"
"Why didn't I see him? He didn't have any relatives. Nobody helped him carry the coffin. His father died at home with the help of the people in the courtyard. When he died, all that was left of him was a pile of bones!"
"Did his father really starve to death?" Gu Xizhou asked.
"Of course!" The middle-aged man said excitedly, "Are you suspecting Old Zhou? Let me tell you! No! Absolutely not! Even if he killed someone, he would never let his father down!
"Last year! I saw Old Zhou kneeling beside his father's bed, begging his father to eat, but his father refused! We also tried to persuade him, but Uncle Zhou said he didn't want to implicate his son. I saw it with my own eyes! "
Gu Xizhou saw the middle-aged man's agitation and comforted him for a moment before asking, "Did Zhou Yiguang have any feuds with anyone?"
"As far as I know, he didn't. Not long after his father was paralyzed, he started running a tea shop in the neighborhood. Because of his father, he rarely went out. He usually stayed in the tea shop to make tea for the people who drank it. He also wanted to help his father recover. If a paralyzed person doesn't recover, they will grow a mattress. Uncle Zhou doesn't even have a mattress!
"But I don't know if he had any feuds with anyone when he was working outside …"
"Where did he work before? Who did he help? Do you know?" Gu Xizhou asked.
The middle-aged man thought for a moment and said, "I'm not sure about that."
"Thank you. Do you know anyone who has a good relationship with Zhou Yiguang? We would like to know more. "
The middle-aged man listed a few houses and said, "These are the people who often play cards at his tea shop. You can ask them."
"They are all at home?"
"Yes, there are a lot of unemployed people in the neighborhood."
Gu Xizhou took the note and brought Fang Zhi with him to visit these houses. They knocked on each of their doors and asked about the situation of two of them. It was similar to what the middle-aged man said. They confirmed that the body had nothing to do with the people in the neighborhood, and Zhou Yiguang did not seem to have any feuds with anyone.
The two of them then went to visit the other houses in the neighborhood. They were busy until 5 pm.
"From the neighbors' information, they all think Zhou Yiguang is a good son. He never complained about his paralyzed father or his sick mother," Gu Xizhou said.
Fang Zhi said, "Yes, I just visited all the residents in Zhou Yiguang's building. They all heard Zhou Yiguang crying and begging his father to eat. The people opposite their house also saw Zhou Yiguang kneeling and begging his father.
"After his parents died during the winter break last year, he didn't open his business for a long time. Those children broke the cement block during that time. I asked a few other children to confirm it again."
"After his parents died, there was an extra head in the cement block." Gu Xizhou raised his eyebrows. "His mother died in the hospital … Check his mother's hospitalization records. See if there are any missing doctors or nurses in the hospital!"
Gu Xizhou was talking when his phone rang. He picked it up. "No, right? Have you confirmed it? Someone is missing. Yes, yes, I know. "
It was similar to what Gu Zhizhi said. There were no headless bodies around this time last year. However, there were many people who went missing during the winter break last year. It was difficult to identify the bodies. The bodies were highly decomposed and missing body parts …
"There are no bodies. We can only look for them among the people who reported missing during that time." Gu Xizhou rubbed his forehead.
Over the next two days, after confirming that there were no missing medical staff from the hospital where Zhou Yiguang's mother died, Gu Xizhou visited Zhou Yiguang's neighbors many times. He found that Zhou Yiguang rarely left the neighborhood and no enemies came to his yard to look for him.
After driving the repaired car home, Gu Xizhou lay on the sofa and called the woman who had hit his car that day. The woman didn't say anything and directly transferred the money for the car repair to Gu Xizhou's card.
Gu Xizhou received a text message on his phone. He muttered, "It's so good to be rich. That rich second-generation heir didn't even look at the receipt and transferred the money."
"Sigh, that's right. After all, he lives in a 5a scenic villa and drives a Maserati. He's rich …"
Gu Zhizhi: "Money grubber."
Seeing Gu Zhizhi's words on the notebook, Gu Xizhou rolled his eyes and said, "People like you who sell houses and cars should shut up. If you don't sell, your house will appreciate, but your car will only depreciate."
Gu Zhizhi: "…"
"Woof, woof, woof!"
"Woof, woof, woof!"
His son trotted all the way to Gu Xizhou with his tongue hanging out and rubbed against his hand.
"What's wrong with him?" Gu Xizhou sat up and looked at his barking son. He raised his eyebrows and said, "Didn't I just take him out for a walk yesterday?"
Gu Zhizhi: "You had dinner yesterday. Do you want to eat today?"
Gu Xizhou couldn't be bothered with him. He rubbed his son's head and sat up. He said helplessly, "Let's go. I'll take you for a walk!"
Gu Xizhou took out his shoes and changed into them. Then, the phone in his pocket rang.
"Gu Ge, we found the same Y chromosome DNA among the people who have been recorded. It's exactly the same as the deceased's."
As soon as Fang Zhi finished speaking, Gu Xizhou immediately said, "Okay, I'll come to the police station right away!"
After hanging up the phone, Gu Xizhou grabbed his son, who was walking outside with the dog leash. His son hung in mid-air and looked at Gu Xizhou pitifully with his big round eyes.
"Woof, woof, woof!"
Gu Xizhou looked at his son's wagging tail and said helplessly, "It's no use shaking your little tail like a propeller. You can't go for a walk today."
"Woof, woof, woof!"
After throwing his son to Gu Zhizhi, Gu Xizhou put on his shoes, took his keys, and drove straight to the police station.
"What's the situation?" Gu Xizhou asked as soon as he arrived at the office.
Xiang Yuan's disciple, Li Yan, explained, "Recently, some drug addicts were arrested in the city. When these drug addicts were registered, they found that one of them had the same Y chromosome as the deceased. This drug addict is a male, 19 years old. His name is Xu Qing, and he's a rich second-generation heir. Because of curiosity, he started taking drugs. His father's name is Xu Wei, and he disappeared a year ago.
Fang Zhi added, "We've already checked the information. He went missing at a construction site. Last year, because the boss suddenly disappeared, the construction site stopped for a while, and the construction company was on the verge of bankruptcy. Xu Wei's wife sold most of her shares, and someone invested in it. Only then did it get back on the right track!"
"Let's go to the drug rehabilitation center and meet this Xu Qing," Gu Xizhou said lightly.
By the time the car arrived at the drug rehabilitation center, it was already 9 pm. Gu Xizhou met Xu Qing as he wished. Xu Qing was 19 years old, and he wasn't as skinny as other drug addicts. He probably hadn't been taking drugs for long.
"Hello, you should already know why we're here." Gu Xizhou went straight to the point after seeing him.
Xu Qing nodded reluctantly, "I know. Is the body you found really my father's?"
"Yes," Gu Xizhou said lightly, "the Y chromosome is exactly the same. If you want, I can do a paternity test for you."
Xu Qing waved his hand and said, "No need. Actually, he's been missing for so long, and I don't feel anything. I just feel a little sad when I hear that he's dead."
"Does he have any enemies?" Gu Xizhou asked.
"How can he not have any enemies when he's in the real estate business? There are so many. "
Fang Zhi took out a photo of Zhou Yiguang from his pocket and pushed it in front of Xu Qing, asking, "Do you know this person?"
"No, I don't." Xu Qing looked at it for a while and shook his head, "Actually, I don't have a good relationship with him. After he became rich, he rarely came home. I've never met any of the people he knew outside. If you want to ask, ask my mother. She definitely knows more than me. If she knows that it's him, she might even set off firecrackers."
"To be honest, I don't know if I should be sad or not when I know that he's dead. If I didn't take drugs, maybe you wouldn't have found out it was him!"
Gu Xizhou shook his head, "As long as he's reported missing, it's fine if we can't recognize him. We can also compare the DNA one by one. It's just that it takes a little longer and the process is a little troublesome."
Xu Qing said a few words and directly told them the address of his house. Gu Xizhou and Fang Zhi first called Xu Qing's mother, "Okay, you can come."
It was similar to what Xu Qing said. Xu Qing's mother, Deng Mei, was very cold when she found out about her husband's death. As soon as Gu Xizhou arrived at the villa, an auntie opened the door.
"Madam is waiting for you inside." The auntie gestured for them to enter.
Gu Xizhou and Fang Zhi walked into the villa and saw a middle-aged woman. This woman was not considered good-looking, not even reaching the average standard. She was slightly plump and had a very dark face. She was dressed in gold and silver and looked like a local tycoon. She saw Gu Xizhou and Fang Zhi pour a glass of water for each of them.
"Please have a seat."
"Don't worry. What do you want to ask? I'll definitely tell you everything I know," the woman said casually.
"How much do you know about your husband's disappearance?"
The woman said, "After the New Year last year, he went to the construction site to check on the progress of the construction and disappeared. The place where he disappeared is now Shallow Water Garden.
"Actually, I'm not the first person to know about his disappearance. I've been living separately from him for about eight years. Ever since he became a small boss, he kept many young and beautiful women outside. But I'm not bad either. I've kept a few men as well."
"Oh …" Gu Xizhou was a little disappointed. If that was the case, the woman probably did not know about the feud between the boss and Zhou Yiguang. "Do you know the person in this photo?"
The middle-aged woman took the photo in Gu Xizhou's hand and looked at it for a moment. Just as Gu Xizhou thought that his hopes were dashed, the woman suddenly slapped her head and said, "I know him! This is Old Zhou! "
"I met Xu Wei at the construction site in the past! He used to take care of both of us! "
Gu Xizhou said anxiously, "Please explain the situation in detail."
"Back then, Old Zhou was the manager of our construction site. He was quite good to his subordinates. At that time, most people working at the construction site did not get paid. You should know," the woman recalled. "When Old Zhou was in charge, he often helped us rush for money. Later, when I heard that something happened to his family, he resigned and left."
"Xu Wei went from being a migrant worker to a small contractor because of his help!"
Gu Xizhou tapped the table lightly with his hand. Now that he finally understood the relationship between the two, Gu Xizhou asked again, "Did something happen between Old Zhou and him?"
Xu Wei's wife was silent for a moment before saying, "Yes … Xu Wei was in the wrong.
"Back then, he had just become a contractor and did not have much money. Back then, contractors needed to pay, but how could we have any money? So we borrowed five thousand from Old Zhou. Because of their good relationship, Old Zhou did not ask Xu Wei to write an IOU. Later on, Xu Wei refused to acknowledge him.
"Back then, we had just started our business and did not have much money. Xu Wei refused to acknowledge it. I-I tried to persuade him twice, but he scolded me. So I went against my conscience … Zhou Yiguang asked for two years at first, but later on, he stopped looking for us."
Gu Xizhou nodded and said, "Alright, thank you. Do you have the contact details of his mistresses?"
The woman shook her head. "No."
After coming out of the villa, Gu Xizhou and Fang Zhi felt the cold wind. The next day, Gu Xizhou drove straight to Xu Wei's company early in the morning.
As soon as he went upstairs, Gu Xizhou heard the company manager telling the receptionist outside, "The big boss is coming today. You guys have to look good and leave a good impression on the big boss!"
"Who are you looking for?" The receptionist asked softly with a standard smile and two dimples on her face.
The company manager glanced at Gu Xizhou and Fang Zhi and was about to leave when Gu Xizhou stopped him. "Wait, are you in charge here?"
The manager nodded and said, "What's the matter? I'm very busy! "
Fang Zhi showed his ID. "We are the police. We are here to investigate the disappearance of your company's former chairman, Xu Wei."
"But," the manager looked down at his watch and frowned. "Our big boss is coming over today. I don't have time!"
"This is official business. Please cooperate," Gu Xizhou said.
The company manager scratched his head. "Wait a minute. I'll call the big boss!"
He took out his phone and dialed the number. He paced around anxiously and finally got through after a while. "Assistant Yu, is the boss out? There's a situation in the company … Tomorrow … "
"Oh, he's already downstairs. Then, okay."
"Police comrade, our boss is here! How about this? Wait a moment. I'll give the information to the boss's assistant and let the other people in the company cooperate with your investigation! "
The company manager touched his bald head and said.
At this moment, the elevator door opened on the 24th floor and two men walked in.
"Boss, Assistant Yu, hello!" The company manager saw the two men and immediately smiled like a chrysanthemum.
Gu Xizhou turned around and looked at one of them. Both of them were stunned and said in unison, "Why are you here?"
"Si Ge!" Fang Zhi shouted in surprise.
Si Yu nodded slightly to Fang Zhi and looked at Gu Xizhou helplessly. "Why are you in my company?"
"Is this your company too?"
Si Yu raised her eyebrows and asked matter-of-factly, "What else could it be?"
Gu Xizhou: Rich people are so rich. They have so many properties. I'm jealous.
"Investigating a case." Gu Xizhou glanced at Assistant Yu beside Si Yu and said, "You've learned to be smart this time. You found a male assistant. Are you afraid that the female assistant will fall in love with you?"
Si Yu: "…"
Gu Xizhou took a step forward and whispered, "If the male assistant also falls in love with you, then I really can't help you."
Si Yu glared at Gu Xizhou. Why did she want to hit him now?!
"Boss, you know each other?" The company manager scratched his cheek and looked confused. He couldn't understand how the two police officers knew their big boss.
Before Si Yu could say anything, Gu Xizhou said with certainty, "I know him. I'm very close to him! Since your big boss is someone you know, then it's simple. Answer my question first and ask him to wait aside! "
The company manager looked at Si Yu for help. Si Yu rubbed her forehead and compromised. "Answer his question first. I'll go sit in the office for a while."
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