Chapter 101: The Investigation Team

In Li Mu’s eyes, in the present era, as long as an online brigade amasses sufficient numbers and employs effective counter-surveillance measures, it becomes virtually invincible. The root cause lies in the rapid development of the internet; government monitoring capabilities have yet to catch up, and local police lack the skills to trace and investigate online activities. Once these brigades swarm in, not only is it impossible to control the overwhelming flood of commentary, but it is also nearly impossible to trace back to the masterminds behind the scenes.

Moreover, Li Mu had always insisted that Zhao Kang and his key subordinates operate through various proxies, making them even more elusive.

As for someone like Guo Lin, a leader in a state-owned enterprise, the older and more corpulent he became, the more adept he was at skimming money. Yet, his understanding and mastery of new technologies were abysmal—he didn’t even know how to open a webpage. Facing a massive online brigade was like a lone stalk of wheat confronting a swarm of locusts blotting out the sky—utterly defenseless.

Wu Dong was no different. He was just a coal boss with a middle school education, having forgotten even how to write pinyin, completely inept with computers, and only knew how to throw money at problems. The last time he helped Guo Lin delete posts, he simply paid repeatedly; it worked at first but soon lost effectiveness.

Though Li Jiawei was a deputy bureau chief, he too was ignorant about the internet. The concept of online monitoring had yet to be formally proposed, and police officers lacked practical skills in this area, rendering them helpless.

It was precisely due to this peculiar era that online brigades—an innovation ahead of their time—could exert such tremendous influence.

Of course, Li Mu was also aware that extremes often provoke backlash. He resolved to avoid using these brigades recklessly in the future. If a more powerful authority were to take notice and launch a thorough investigation, he might find himself in serious trouble.

Reflecting on this, Li Mu sighed inwardly. His own strength was still too weak. If not for this, which man wouldn’t relish facing an enemy head-on and crushing them decisively? With limited power, he could only resort to guerrilla tactics—a bit underhanded and insidious, perhaps, but forced by circumstances.

As soon as the provincial investigation team arrived in Haizhou, they immediately began probing the case. Rather than following the online rumors and starting with Wu Dong and Guo Lin, they decided to disregard outside influences and re-examine the case from scratch.

Their first step was to reassess the scene. They meticulously reviewed the prior photos and evidence, concluding that the Haizhou traffic police had obviously overlooked crucial clues. For example, they had not collected the basic tire prints, claiming that the marks had been destroyed by a third party vehicle.

The accident occurred at dawn when traffic was sparse. Besides, what car would follow tire tracks left by another car involved in an accident? The trajectory of the offending vehicle cut diagonally across the road. Even if some middle sections were obliterated, there should have been small intact segments remaining. Any preserved tire print could be analyzed by tread pattern and width to identify the tire model, drastically narrowing down the suspect vehicle type.

In 2001, there were fewer than a hundred private car models on the domestic market. The failure to collect such evidence strongly indicated deliberate sabotage to protect the perpetrator.

Moreover, fragments left by the offending vehicle at the scene were problematic. Haizhou Public Security initially identified the suspect car as a Fukang, based on fragments believed to come from the front bumper. However, when the investigators re-examined the roadside ditch, they found previously overlooked fragments. Tests revealed these small pieces bore paintwork far superior to that of a Fukang and were completely different from the fragments collected by the Haizhou traffic police.

This was serious. While carelessness might excuse evidence destruction, swapping physical evidence at the scene to confuse and falsify was an irrefutable illegal act.

No one expected that the first person quietly detained and interrogated by the investigation team would be the head of the technical section responsible for the scene examination.

Though the technical chief wielded little power and was under Li Jiawei’s coercion, after relentless questioning, he confessed the truth.

Li Jiawei had instructed him to tamper with the evidence and promised a bribe of 100,000 yuan, though he had yet to receive the money.

The investigators, instead of confronting Li Jiawei directly, warned the technical chief to keep silent and allowed him to return to his post.

Privately, Li Jiawei inquired about the nature of the questioning and relaxed upon learning it was routine.

Next, the investigation shifted focus to the offending vehicle.

Using the fragments found at the scene and online rumors, they went to the Jinling BMW dealership. After evaluation by the paint technicians there, it was confirmed that the fragments came from the front bumper of an imported BMW, painted with German-grade craftsmanship, a quality unmatched even by domestic 4S shops.

This finding strongly suggested the online speculation was largely true.

Thus, the remaining task was to locate the missing imported BMW.

Tracking a car is no easy feat. Vehicles can be disguised or altered, and key identifiers like the chassis and engine numbers aren’t visible externally. In most black-market dealings, these codes are deliberately obliterated.

However, the investigators had a plan: start by scrutinizing Wu Dong’s close associates. They looked for anyone who had left Haizhou after the incident, hoping to identify who helped Wu Dong dispose of the wrecked car. Finding that person would open a path to tracing the vehicle.

This was the investigation team’s shrewd strategy. Even Li Jiawei expected them to interrogate Wu Dong directly, possibly summoning him for questioning first. But to his surprise, they ignored Wu Dong entirely, conducting a secretive, independent inquiry. Li Jiawei had no idea what they were truly investigating.

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Li Mu’s Metersbonwe store had been open for five days. After a full inventory, total sales reached approximately 400,000 yuan. Though the initial fervor was waning, business remained thriving.

A sales volume of 400,000 yuan translated to a gross profit of about 200,000 yuan. Li Mu’s parents were fully convinced by his earlier claims—such specialty stores were truly lucrative. This perfect start greatly rekindled their enthusiasm for this venture.

On the fifth day, Yiting Network launched celebrity forums. On the first day alone, the combined posts and replies across various celebrity forums reached hundreds of thousands—a staggering achievement.

These forums, quick and simple to use, attracted users with high traffic, fostering vibrant discussions with endless topics. They swiftly showcased the platform’s natural advantages in social networking and community building.

Li Mu instructed Kong Lingyu to ensure rigorous content monitoring. Once the community opened, a flood of rule-breaking posts—whether vulgar or political—would pour in. They had to be eradicated from the outset.

To tackle this, Kong Lingyu planned to develop a keyword filtering system, supplemented by manual oversight. Li Mu suggested leveraging the forum moderators, delegating some of the responsibility to them. Kong Lingyu immediately grasped Li Mu’s intention.

A few days prior, Li Mu had taken the road test. Essentially, the exam involved starting the engine, driving a few hundred meters, shifting gears, stopping at the curb, and parking—less than five minutes in all.

It was so simple that Li Mu passed with his eyes closed, yet Zhao Kang failed.

Afterward, Li Mu learned that Zhao Kang had stalled the car while starting in fourth gear due to nervousness and was immediately dismissed by the examiner.

Su Yingxue had passed as well, leaving Zhao Kang to reapply for a retest in embarrassment.

On the sixth day after opening, the driving school notified them to collect their licenses. Li Mu arranged to meet Su Yingxue at the school that afternoon, planning to have dinner together. Su Yingxue said she would take the train to Yanjing the next evening. She had hoped to have her license by mid-August to familiarize herself with the environment and tutor her cousin’s younger sister in advance. But now it was already late August, and classes started September 3rd—the schedule was tight.

Li Mu considered he wouldn’t leave too early either, planning to take a sleeper train on the evening of the 2nd. He knew Yanjing well, so there was no need to arrive prematurely.

Not many days remained.

Li Mu thought it best to invite Su Yingxue to a countryside eco-park for dinner, a pleasant setting unlikely to attract acquaintances. Though it was a bit far, easy to reach by taxi but inconvenient for the return trip without a car. Driving would be much more convenient.

Recalling his promise to his younger cousin, Xiao Hao, to drive him and his female companion—or rather, his young female classmate—to Jinling for a day, Li Mu decided to ask Song Liang for help. It was a minor matter, so instead of bothering Song Liang directly, he called Song Liang’s driver to borrow a car for two days.

Haizhou had no rental car agencies, so Li Mu had no choice but to inconvenience others.

Fortunately, Song Liang had already informed his driver to allocate a vehicle from the company fleet for Li Mu.

The driver delivered a brand-new Buick GL8. All the sedans were out, so only this business vehicle was available. Although larger, it was easier to drive than a Passat and very comfortable.

Li Mu didn’t care what car he drove; even a basic Volkswagen would do. He accepted the keys and handed the driver two packs of premium Zhonghua cigarettes.

The driver refused to accept the gift, insisting it was his duty to help a friend of the boss and that a few hundred yuan’s worth of cigarettes was unnecessary.

But Li Mu was adamant—the driver must accept them. If he didn’t smoke, then Li Mu wouldn’t take the car keys. After all, he had already asked for favors many times and felt it only right to offer a token of appreciation.

After hesitating, the driver reluctantly accepted. Li Mu thanked him and offered to give him a ride, but the driver insisted on taking a taxi. After their farewell, he hailed a cab and left.

Li Mu drove the gleaming GL8 straight to the driving school. On the way, he called his uncle’s house. His aunt was at the store, his uncle at work, and his grandfather answered the phone. Li Mu exchanged greetings before handing the phone to Xiao Hao.

Once connected, Li Mu said, “How about going to Jinling tomorrow morning?”

Xiao Hao excitedly asked, “Really?!”

“Really. We’ll leave in the morning and return by evening. But your classmate must tell her family in advance and come up with a believable excuse to avoid worrying her parents.”

Li Mu felt a pang of guilt. It was one thing to deceive adults, but teaching children to lie was less justifiable.

Xiao Hao laughed happily, “Don’t worry, brother. I’ve thought it through. We’ll say it’s a birthday party. When we celebrate classmates’ birthdays, we spend the whole day playing, and the birthday kid’s parents always accompany us, so other parents don’t worry.”

Li Mu sighed, “You’re really clever. Alright, it’s settled. I’ll pick you up at the entrance of your neighborhood at nine tomorrow morning.”

“Okay, see you tomorrow morning, brother!”

“See you then.”