The accountant replied in cold sweat, “Part of it was paid into our national mandatory benefit scheme.”

“Bullshit!” Chen Shi retorted mercilessly. “The above is stated very clearly. After subtracting insurance and benefit contributions, it totals to more than seven thousand.”

“No... No, it’s just that the money was late to be deducted!”

Chen Shi sneered, took out his phone and called Lin Dongxue over.

The two took the accountant to the staff office area. Chen Shi pulled drawers open to search and found two pay slips. Then they went back to the accounting office and checked. The actual salary was less than in the salary list document.

Chen Shi took a pen and roughly calculated it. Then he called Lin Dongxue over and whispered in her ear, “The extra salary is exactly the amount of an extra person's salary. The fat guy is very sly. I bet he knew that we were going to check this.”

“Sly!” Lin Dongxue straightened up and looked at the accountant. “Don’t hide it. How many people are in your company?”

“Seventeen!”

“You’re lying! There’s obviously eighteen people. The payroll and employee information have been edited. You erased the disappeared person out of thin air!”

The accountant sputtered, “Officers, I don't know what you are talking about. What exactly are you investigating?”

“At the morning meeting, did you also kiss the manager?” Chen Shi suddenly asked.

The accountant broke out in a cold sweat.

Chen Shi smiled. “Oh, I just remembered... Your surname is Xiao[1] and the manager is also named Xiao. You are relatives! So, you helped him get away with it. Forget it. We’re not going to ask you any longer. We’ll just ask the others. If you let us find out about everything ourselves, your crime of obstruction of justice cannot be escaped.”

As the two got up to leave, the accountant pulled Chen Shi’s sleeve and said, “Officer, I really don’t know what you are looking for!”

“Is it really unclear in your own heart?” Chen Shi moved her hand away.

Chen Shi called a police officer to look after the accountant. The two brought another employee to the office. Chen Shi directly asked, “When did Xiao Li have her incident?”

The employee panicked and shook his head desperately. “Who is Xiao Li?!”

Chen Shi sneered. His demeanour had already exposed the fact that he was lying, but the dead duck’s beak[2] was hard. This guy was not going to admit it even if he died.

“When she was killed, did you participate in rape?”

“I don’t know what you're talking about!”

Chen Shi slammed the table so hard it shook the cactus plants that were on it. The staff member they were interrogating was so scared he contracted his neck. His forehead broke out in cold sweat. Chen Shi continued, “A human life, do you regard it as such a small thing? The police have mastered the evidence. Now, just look at your attitude and see whether you want to be a witness or add another sin to your list of sins!”

The staff member shook like a sieve and his mouth was still desperately saying, “I don't know! I don't know!”

After that, no matter what Chen Shi said, he said this sentence over and over. This person had entered a state of psychological defence, completely escaping from reality.

Chen Shi waved him away as Lin Dongxue complained, “His mouth is too tight!”

“The manager must have given them a lot of benefits.”

“What should we do then?”

“Continue asking. Change to a woman this time.”

A female employee was brought in. When she came in, she was scared and pale. Chen Shi played good cop this time and said with a smile, “How is your relationship with Xiao Li?”

“Relationship... Who is Xiao Li?” The female employee looked up sharply and her eyes were full of alert.

“Don't act, we have found Xiao Li's body, her family has reported that she’s missing, and all the evidence points to this company.”

“I don't know what you are talking about!” The female employee became extremely nervous. She looked at Lin Dongxue and at Chen Shi, but she didn’t dare make any eye contact with them.

Chen Shi pointed to her clothes and pointed out, “Your clothes are very old, but there are a pair of new shoes on your feet. I noticed that the employees here either have new phones or new clothes, indicating that you have recently made some extra money. It seems that the manager has given you a mouth-sealing fee.”

The female employee’s hand kept shaking. She suddenly covered her ear and said desperately, “Don’t ask, I don’t know anything! I don’t know anything!”

Chen Shi grit his teeth and waved to take her away.

Lin Dongxue said, “Looks like their mental state is not very tough. Would you like to bring them back and interrogate them slowly?”

“This is to not let your brother see me as useless.”

Lin Dongxue laughed, “Do you guys have to have face?”

“It's about the dignity of men!” Chen Shi said jokingly.

“Should we continue the interrogations?”

“Wait a minute, let's go out for a meal.”

“What about those people?”

“The policemen will look after them.”

“Okay, don't play games here, use all the tricks up your sleeve!”

“I just want to torture them for a bit... Ah yes, you call a technician over to bring a kit for testing saliva enzymes. The previous sample data should also be brought over.”

The two naturally did not go to eat, they only stayed there waiting for a while. Chen Shi did not idle for a second, looked at the work of all the people one by one. Then Xu Xiaodong ran in “What are you guys doing? It’s been two hours. I’d like to ask them, not talk about them. I can’t stand it anymore.”

“Don't worry! If you go out for a meal first, let someone else monitor them for a while.” Chen Shi said calmly.

“Brother Chen, what exactly are you up to?”

At this time, footsteps were heard in the corridor. They saw Peng Sijue and an assistant walking in with the testing kit. Chen Shi’s eyes widened and said, “Captain Peng came in person? Giving too much face!”

“There are not enough people. Can’t be helped, let's get started!” Peng Sijue said coldly.

Chen Shi said to Xu Xiaodong, “Go give them a glass of water. After the drink, take back the cup. You must remember which cup belongs to who.”

“Seventeen people, how can I remember them all?”

Lin Dongxue picked up the disposable paper cup and said, “You can make an inconspicuous mark on the bottom of this paper cup.”

“This is a good idea! Dongxue, you are really smart!”

“Hey, stop cosying up to me. Hurry up!”

Ten minutes later, Xu Xiaodong came over with a bag of paper cups. Peng Sijue and his assistant immediately began to test. Several people were anxiously waiting at the scene, then the results were here.

“Sample No.1 is exactly the same as the salivary enzyme found on the deceased,” said Peng Sijue

Lin Dongxue clenched her fist and made a cheering action. Peng Sijue poured cold water on her. “Don't be too happy, salivary enzymes are not as stable and accurate as DNA.”

In the end, five of the six salivary enzymes on the deceased were found among the employees. Chen actually left and came back, holding a boss cup in his hand and saying, “Test this.”

“Exact match!”, Peng Sijue said.

Chen Shi’s clapped his hands, “The evidence is conclusive, that is, the rape of the deceased by the employees and the fat manager. What a good wolf-like company. They hurt someone and it’s a collective silence!”

Lin Dongxue said with enthusiasm, “Would you like to apply for a second arrest warrant and ask them to return to the office to drink tea?”

“You don't have to change the field, let another person come in. We will interrogate them face to face!”

Then there was a shout from outside, “Not good, there’s an escapee!”

1. It could be written as “Su” as well, depending on where you’re from.

2. A duck’s beak is hard to begin with, meaning it’s stubborn. Furthermore, a dead duck would mean there’s no way they’re uttering a single word.