Chapter 58: Ambiguous Allies and Enemies

Chen Tianyu dared not forget a dangerous figure who was watching him like a hawk. With a broad net cast across two cities, the slightest misstep could leave him utterly defeated.

That figure was, of course, Yun Ji, the private detective known as the “Divine Eagle.”

Just hearing the name was enough to suggest that he was highly skilled at surveillance and pursuit. After several direct clashes, Chen Tianyu had become quite interested in Yun Ji’s abilities, and a bold thought suddenly occurred to him: Could this man be turned from an enemy into an ally?

After all, every indication suggested that Yun Ji was unlikely to be involved in the case. He had even publicly cooperated with the police before, which made Chen Tianyu feel relatively reassured.

How they would cooperate, however, was another matter.

There were countless ways to find Yun Ji. And when Chen Tianyu finally came knocking, Yun Ji did not seem surprised in the least. His expression, as ever, was cold and unreadable.

“Coming to me for cooperation is the wisest decision you’ve ever made.” Those were Yun Ji’s first words, and they nearly choked Chen Tianyu.

Chen Tianyu merely nodded faintly. “I assume you already know who I am.”

“Oh? Is that so? A tourist traveling with a beautiful woman, a lecher climbing into a brothel, a passerby pretending to be simple-minded, or a suspect who comes and goes freely at the police station?” Yun Ji’s tone was unmistakably mocking.

Chen Tianyu remained silent, though a trace of amusement appeared on his face.

Yun Ji suddenly sighed. “The founder of Beiting turns out to be such a vulgar, shameless character. What a disappointment.”

“Heh. And what did you expect?” Chen Tianyu taunted.

Yun Ji gave a cold laugh. “Don’t get too pleased with yourself. The Divine Eagle Detective Agency is not necessarily inferior to Beiting.”

Chen Tianyu nodded. “I believe that. It’s just a pity that even the Divine Eagle, Yun Ji, still hasn’t figured out where the door to the truth is.”

“How laughable!” Yun Ji’s expression shifted, becoming even more distorted.

Chen Tianyu did not wish to provoke him any further. He had another purpose in seeking Yun Ji out.

“Yun Ji, how about we exchange information?” he offered.

As expected, Yun Ji merely snorted through his nose. Only after a long pause did he say, “What makes you think I’ll agree?”

“Instinct,” Chen Tianyu replied bluntly. “And the degree of your interest in this matter.”

Yun Ji said nothing. He took a pipe from his pocket and slowly packed it with tobacco. Then he pulled out a long box of matches. With a sharp hiss, he struck one, and smoke soon drifted from his nostrils.

Chen Tianyu also took out a cigarette and lit it. The two men faced each other through the haze.

“Go on.” Yun Ji exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.

Chen Tianyu nodded. “According to my preliminary investigation, Xiao Su’s death should be classified as homicide. At present, I would put the probability at above eighty percent—”

“Your reasons.” Yun Ji interrupted him. “You don’t need to tell me how such a conclusion is reached.”

Chen Tianyu laughed. “There’s no particular reason. It’s merely my personal analysis.”

“And you call that information?” Yun Ji offered no cooperation whatsoever. “I concluded from the very beginning, with absolute certainty, that Xiao Su was murdered. Why would I need you to state the obvious?”

“Oh? Absolute certainty…” Chen Tianyu said in surprise. “Then I’d like to hear your reasons.”

“There’s no harm in telling you.” This time Yun Ji did not quibble over the principle of an equal exchange. “I’ve been keeping an eye on Xiao Su and his associates for quite some time. I know better than anyone whether a man like Xiao Su would kill himself.”

Chen Tianyu was startled inwardly. Seeing the confidence on Yun Ji’s face, he asked, “Then you and Yi Ruocheng lied when you said you hadn’t found Xiao Su. That makes sense. You accepted Yi Ruocheng’s commission because you had a much greater ambition. Otherwise, how could the renowned Divine Eagle Detective Agency possibly take on such a low-level missing-person case?”

“Talking to an intelligent man is certainly more interesting.” Yun Ji did not answer directly.

Chen Tianyu smiled. “How many people work for the Divine Eagle Detective Agency? Don’t tell me it’s just you.”

“No comment.” Yun Ji’s tone remained curt.

“I know even if you don’t tell me. Since Xiao Su belonged to some organization, that organization must have quite a few members. No matter how capable you are, one man alone couldn’t possibly handle everything. Does the police know about this?”

“They probably don’t. Not yet.”

“Why not involve the police? Are you trying to claim all the credit for yourselves?” Chen Tianyu had already guessed the answer. The Divine Eagle Detective Agency had probably found no concrete evidence, but he still wanted to hear Yun Ji confirm it himself. That would help him determine whether Yun Ji was worth working with.

Yun Ji neither confirmed nor denied it. Instead, he said slowly, “What information do you have?”

Chen Tianyu did not intend to conceal it. “We’ve identified someone directly connected to Xiao Su. His name is Hu Wenyi, a shareholder in Imperial Dynasty Pictures. Xiao Su once worked there and possessed considerable evidence of Hu Wenyi’s illegal activities. Since Hu Wenyi had been caught by the handle, we can’t rule out the possibility that he sought revenge or hired someone to kill Xiao Su.”

He decided to test Yun Ji first, while also concealing Gu Na’s existence.

“Tch…” Yun Ji gave a cold laugh. “Your progress is painfully slow.”

Chen Tianyu immediately caught the implication. “So you’ve investigated this man as well?”

“I investigate him regularly.” Yun Ji sounded utterly uninterested. “Aside from his lust, he’s nothing but a coward. He’s always been timid, which is why I describe Hu Wenyi as ‘a rat that only knows how to burrow.’ Murder? Him?”

Chen Tianyu suddenly understood. No wonder Hu Wenyi was so shrewd and cautious—it turned out Yun Ji had been manipulating things from behind the scenes.

“Even a coward will fight when cornered. What if Xiao Su had evidence against him? Might he have killed Xiao Su in a fit of desperation?” Chen Tianyu probed.

A flicker passed through Yun Ji’s eyes. “What evidence?”

“A memory card.”

“Where is it now?”

“A while ago, I handed it over to the police.”

The light in Yun Ji’s eyes dimmed again. Apparently, he had no way to obtain the physical evidence from the police.

Chen Tianyu smiled inwardly, but said aloud, “Fortunately, I kept a backup.”

He handed his phone to Yun Ji. Yun Ji’s expression shifted unpredictably. He clearly disliked being led by the nose, yet he still accepted the phone, evidently very interested in its contents.

With a frown, Yun Ji watched the video while Chen Tianyu observed his subtle expressions from the side.

About half an hour later, Yun Ji returned the phone.

“Well? Is it useful?”

Instead of answering, Yun Ji asked, “Where did you get it?”

Chen Tianyu did not conceal the truth. He described in detail how Xiao Su had pretended to be drunk and harassed Liu Zichen.

Yun Ji’s expression grew solemn. He naturally understood that something Xiao Su had gone to such lengths to entrust to another person could not possibly be a trivial matter.

“The video quality is poor, and the angle isn’t good either. Nothing can be determined at a glance.” Yun Ji paused. “If you’re willing to send me a copy, I may be able to uncover its secrets after studying it for a while.”

Chen Tianyu did not hesitate. He had Yun Ji open Zapya, and copying the video took only a few minutes.

After their several encounters, the hostility between them remained strong, but Yun Ji’s wariness had clearly diminished considerably.

“How could you share something so important with me?” Yun Ji did not bother concealing his doubts.

Chen Tianyu answered honestly. “I’m not capable of investigating it to a conclusion on my own for now. There’s nothing strange about asking a fellow investigator for help. Perhaps your luck will be a little better than mine.”

Yun Ji still seemed unconvinced. “Is that all Beiting is capable of?”

“This has nothing to do with Beiting. At present, the evidence is in my custody. Without police authorization, privately distributing documentary evidence would be illegal.”

Yun Ji was naturally well aware of that basic law—one might even say he was thoroughly versed in it.

Chen Tianyu explained, “If the case remains unsolved, I’ll certainly have to bear the relevant legal responsibility. But if we find a lead through it, then everything will be fine, won’t it?”

Yun Ji nodded. The explanation was perfectly reasonable.

“I also want to solve the case and be free of it as soon as possible. This trip isn’t over yet, and stumbling into a murder has put a damper on my mood.” Chen Tianyu was speaking nothing but the truth.

Yun Ji smiled, a rare occurrence. “I understand. No one would willingly drag his own woman around while chasing after a murder case.”

Chen Tianyu had not expected Yun Ji to have such a mischievous streak. He smiled along and accepted the remark with thanks.

“Rest assured. No matter how you look at it, the Divine Eagle and Beiting are both arms of the police. Once I determine the source of the video, I’ll notify you immediately.”

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

Yun Ji suddenly straightened and spoke seriously. “Don’t forget—we’re still opponents. Until the case is brought fully to light, I don’t want to see you give up so easily.”

“Of course.” Chen Tianyu smiled wryly.

Having said all that needed to be said, neither man was inclined toward empty courtesies. Before long, they went their separate ways.