CHAPTER 58: CHAPTER 19: DID YOU COME OUT AT 18? (PLEASE FAVORITE, VOTE, AND FOLLOW)

After getting the information from Lu Yong, Luo Fei, Wang Lei, and the others hurried to the Electric Power Bureau and found Li Dawei who was working there.

His nickname suited him well; Li Dawei indeed looked strong and stocky.

Li Dawei was quite puzzled as to why the police were looking for him.

"Are you good friends with Zeng Tianming?" Luo Fei asked.

"Yeah," Li Dawei nodded affirmatively.

"Then do you know about Zeng Tianming’s son drowning over at Dragon Beard Creek?" Luo Fei continued to ask.

"I know, I even took a day off yesterday to accompany him." Li Dawei answered.

"Alright, now tell us everything you know about Zeng Tianming, including his hobbies and interests. Before that, let me emphasize that although you’re good friends with Zeng Tianming, you need to tell us everything you know without the slightest concealment. It’s very important and serious. Also, you cannot reveal anything about today’s conversation to Zeng Tianming, otherwise, the consequences will be very severe." Luo Fei said sternly.

"Detective, what’s going on?" Li Dawei initially thought the police were just learning about Zeng Xiaoguang’s death, but now things seemed a bit off.

"This has nothing to do with you, just cooperate with us properly." Wang Lei interjected from the side.

Luo Fei directly asked, "Is Zeng Tianming in urgent need of money lately?"

Li Dawei’s expression showed a hint of hesitation.

"It’s very important, you need to think carefully, don’t hide anything. Not reporting what you know can have legal consequences." Luo Fei sternly reminded.

Li Dawei thought for a while and then said, "Yes, last week, Tianming came to borrow money from me, ten thousand, but I didn’t have that much to lend him. I asked him what he needed the money for, and he wouldn’t tell me. He was particularly upset at the time and even told me not to tell his wife Wang Wenying about borrowing money before leaving."

"Then do you know why Zeng Wenming needs to borrow money now?" Luo Fei continued to ask.

Li Dawei shook his head, "I don’t know."

"When did Zeng Tianming come to you to borrow money last week?"

"Last Wednesday."

"Does Zeng Tianming usually gamble?" Luo Fei thought for a moment and asked.

"No, we’ve been together for so long, and I’ve never seen him play cards. He’s not interested in gambling at all, and he doesn’t even know how to play the simplest game like ’Fight the Landlord’." Li Dawei answered.

"So, it’s not because of gambling losses or urgent funds for coffee shop operation issues that Zeng Tianming needs money. What is he using the money for then?" Wang Lei expressed his complaints while listening.

"Then what does Zeng Tianming usually like to do?" Luo Fei continued to ask.

Li Dawei hesitated for a moment before saying, "Tianming usually likes to hang out at bars."

"Is his private life chaotic?" Luo Fei asked.

Li Dawei lightly nodded, acknowledging Luo Fei’s words.

"Do you think Zeng Tianming might have gotten caught up in a messy relationship?" Xia Zheng suddenly asked with a look of realization.

"Very likely." Wang Lei nodded in agreement, his eyes shining.

Knowing that Zeng Tianming liked to hang out at bars, they asked about the bar he frequented. Luo Fei and the others immediately took a cab to that bar.

Night Bar

The bar wasn’t open during the day, but a cleaning lady was mopping the floor in the lobby, and a foxy-looking girl at the front desk was chatting on a livestream.

Luo Fei and the others approached, Luo Fei directly showed his credentials, and began asking, "Do you know Zeng Tianming?"

"I know Brother Tianming, he often comes here to hang out." The foxy-looking girl replied.

Luo Fei: "Has he been here recently?"

Girl: "I haven’t seen him come here recently."

Luo Fei: "Do you remember when was the last time he came?"

Girl: "Last Monday, I remember it clearly because Brother Tianming brought Zhou Zhi with him that day."

Luo Fei: "What time did they leave that night? Has Zeng Tianming not been here since then?"

Girl: "Yes, since that night, Brother Tianming hasn’t come back."

Luo Fei: "What does that Zhou Zhi do?"

Girl: "She’s a front desk clerk at Longcheng KTV; we’ve met her a few times when singing at the KTV."

Luo Fei: "Can we check the surveillance footage from last week?"

Girl: "Yes, we’ve always kept the surveillance on in case someone steals things here."

Luo Fei: "Then bring up the footage from last Monday."

The foxy girl at the front desk quickly brought up the surveillance footage from last Monday.

On Monday night after eight, Zeng Tianming indeed brought a voluptuous girl into Night Bar, and they seemed to have an unusual relationship. Zeng Tianming didn’t leave the bar with the girl until midnight.

Leaving Night Bar.

"That’s it, Zeng Tianming brought that girl named Zhou Zhi to the bar to dance last Monday, and borrowed money from Li Dawei on Wednesday. Zeng Tianming definitely got trapped in a honeytrap." Xia Zheng said excitedly.

"That probability is quite high, Xia Zheng, when did your brain become so quick?" Wang Lei teased from the side.

"Forget it, my brain has always been sharp, okay? It was just that you were affecting my performance before." Xia Zheng retorted.

Both men were used to belittling each other, so Luo Fei said nothing while he was deep in thought about the case. As Xia Zheng mentioned just now, from the perspective of what we currently know, the possibility of Zeng Tianming being caught in a honeytrap is very high.

"Luo Fei, are we headed to Longcheng KTV to find Zhou Zhi?" Xia Zheng looked at Luo Fei beside him and asked.

Luo Fei shook his head, "Let’s head back to the police station first."

"Why head back to the station?" Xia Zheng asked, confused.

Nearby, Wang Lei said scornfully, "That’s why you say you’re dumb and don’t want to admit it. What’s the point of going to KTV to find Zhou Zhi now? Directly asking her if she trapped Zeng Tianming in a honeytrap, do you expect she’ll be honest with you? And what can you do if she isn’t?"

After speaking, Wang Lei gave Xia Zheng a scornful look. Xia Zheng wanted to rebut, but found Wang Lei’s words reasonable and was momentarily stunned.

Seeing Xia Zheng was still a bit bewildered, Luo Fei explained, "We’ll go back and first investigate Zhou Zhi’s background, and find the boss."

The three of them quickly returned to the detective team and investigated Zhou Zhi’s background.

However, the search results left Luo Fei and the others dumbfounded.

Zhou Zhi, 29 years old.

Detained by the police station four times: three times administrative punishment for prostitution, once criminal punishment for honeytrap extortion.

At eighteen, caught for prostitution; at twenty, caught organizing prostitution; at twenty-two, caught prostituting; at twenty-three, caught participating in a honeytrap, sentenced to three years.

"She... started at eighteen?" Xia Zheng was in shock.

Wang Lei added, "No need to say it, Zeng Tianming was honey trapped by her, that’s why he’s in urgent need of money."