In this arson case, the windows were smashed, the door was locked shut, and unknown incendiary devices were thrown inside. The fire department also discovered traces of gasoline having been splashed around the room.
All these irregularities made it clear that this was a case of arson.
Wu Jun’s number one suspect was He Qingfeng, who worked for Meng Zalang.
After all, he’d been clashing with Meng Zalang recently, trading moves back and forth in numerous conflicts.
He also considered Wang Hongliang. Although they hadn’t seen each other recently, he’d heard from Auntie Xu that the guy was going through a rough time; his wife was in the process of divorcing him.
And while Wang Hongliang had brought it all on himself, Wu Jun had to admit he’d played a significant role in the matter.
Wu Jun even considered Wang Lei. It had only been a few days since their last run-in.
But he never imagined this incident would also drag in Xu Penghui, whom he hadn’t seen in two weeks.
He had no grudge against the man. He had kindly tried to warn him back then, but Xu Penghui hadn’t listened. When he got into trouble, Wu Jun and Xu Fei had rushed over immediately and even fronted the money for his fine. Wu Jun felt he had done nothing to wrong him.
"You two know this person?" Zhou Xing asked with a frown, seeing Wu Jun and Xu Fei’s reactions.
"Xu Penghui, that ungrateful bastard! I’m going to confront him." Xu Fei’s eyes reddened. She turned to leave but was pulled back by Wu Jun.
"Xu Fei, calm down." Wu Jun pulled her back to his side. "Officer Zhou said he’s only a suspect. Let’s get the facts straight before we do anything. Stay out of this. I’ll handle it."
"Please, both of you, calm down. Right now, he’s only a preliminary suspect," Zhou Xing said. "The security cameras in the complex only captured this Wuling Hongguang van entering and exiting at suspicious times."
"Also, the van was parked in front of the supermarket for a long time. But we have no concrete evidence that proves this man, Xu, was the arsonist. It’s still under investigation."
Wu Jun looked down at Xu Fei and said in a firm voice, "Xu Fei, pack your things and go downstairs first. I need to talk more with Officer Zhou."
"Jun, I..." Xu Fei stubbornly stood her ground. ’She wanted to know who did this, too. She could never forgive them.’
"Listen to me." Wu Jun reached out and gently wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, his voice softening.
Xu Fei relented under his gentle persuasion, packed her things, and went downstairs.
There wasn’t much in the hospital room. They had arrived with nothing the previous night. Everything there was what she had brought over this morning, and it all fit into a single handbag.
After Xu Fei left, Wu Jun turned to Zhou Xing and asked, "Officer Zhou, what’s the condition of the computer tower from the supermarket’s master bedroom?"
"Computer tower?" Zhou Xing looked at Wu Jun, confused.
Wu Jun said, "There’s a hidden camera near the supermarket entrance. A buddy of mine installed it a while back. It’s well-hidden, so most people wouldn’t spot it. It might have recorded something useful."
"A camera? We didn’t find one. It must be very well-hidden." Zhou Xing grew excited at the new lead. "This could be the breakthrough we need. I’ll call the fire department right now. They were the ones who processed the scene." He immediately pulled out his phone to call them.
Although the fire caused no casualties, the property damage was extensive. The merchandise in the supermarket was worth over thirty thousand, and the renovations and fixtures would cost tens of thousands more.
Furthermore, all signs pointed to this being a deliberate act of arson. It was a serious crime that endangered public safety and property, and its heinous nature had a profoundly negative impact.
Cases like this were rare in their jurisdiction, so the relevant authorities were taking it very seriously. They were pressuring Zhou Xing to solve the case quickly, bring the culprit to justice, and restore peace to the community.
After his call with the fire department, he learned that the computer tower wasn’t too severely burned. However, it had been crushed by something heavy, and the hard drive was slightly warped.
Zhou Xing’s department had professional data recovery specialists. He called a technician to ask if the data could be salvaged. The technician said he’d have to see the extent of the damage and try to know for sure.
"Mr. Wu, I’ll let you know if there are any developments. That’s all for now. I’m heading to the fire department to pick up the hardware." After finishing his calls, Zhou Xing said his goodbyes to Wu Jun.
"Let’s go down together." Wu Jun gestured for the officer to lead the way, then limped downstairs with Zhou Xing.
Downstairs, Zhou Xing watched as Xu Fei helped Wu Jun into a large Mercedes-Benz. The expression on his face was priceless, and the other two officers were just as surprised.
’A small-time supermarket owner is this loaded? Driving a Mercedes?’
’Is running a small supermarket that profitable?’
After getting in, Wu Jun waved goodbye to Zhou Xing. Xu Fei started the car and drove away from the hospital.
"Jun, where are we going now?" With the supermarket destroyed, they didn’t even have a place to live. As Xu Fei drove away from the hospital, she felt aimless.
"Head to the real estate agency next to the Tianyuan residential complex first," Wu Jun said. He then closed his eyes and leaned back against the headrest. He hadn’t slept much the night before and was still feeling drowsy.
Seeing the weary look on Wu Jun’s face, Xu Fei felt a sharp pain in her heart, as if it had been pierced by a needle. Tears welled up in her eyes. She wiped them away and kept driving.
Twenty minutes later, the Mercedes GLS pulled up in front of the real estate agency.
Since Wu Jun had trouble walking, he asked Xu Fei to get out and ask Li Jingwei to come outside.
Li Jingwei followed Xu Fei outside and was stunned to see Wu Jun sitting inside a large Mercedes.
’Just a couple of weeks ago, Wu Jun was still running around in a beat-up old pickup. Now he’s sitting in a Mercedes? And the woman who came to get me is so young and beautiful.’
’Could it be that Boss Wu became a kept man?’
"Little Li, get in. Let’s talk," Wu Jun said as he saw them approach. He rolled down the window and gestured for Li Jingwei to get in.
Li Jingwei opened the car door and got in. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he got straight to the point. "Boss Wu, are you looking to rent another warehouse? I just got a few excellent new listings."
Wu Jun said, "This time, I’m planning to buy a house."
Hearing Wu Jun’s words, Li Jingwei was inwardly delighted. The commission on a sale was much higher than on a rental.
Li Jingwei suppressed his excitement and asked, "Boss Wu, do you have a particular complex in mind, or would you like me to recommend a few? I have plenty of listings, from 60 to 180 square meters—all kinds of properties. I guarantee you’ll find something you like."
Wu Jun asked, "I’m looking to buy a villa in the Xisanzhuang area and pay in full. Do you have anything suitable?"
"I do!" Li Jingwei grew even more excited at Wu Jun’s words.
A villa in Xisanzhuang, even the cheapest one, cost over five million. Because of the high price point, they sold slowly. A small agency like Li Jingwei’s might not sell a single one in two months.
The commission on a villa was double that of a regular apartment. The last time, a female agent at his office had sold a villa in Xisanzhuang and earned nearly a hundred thousand yuan, making Li Jingwei and the other guys green with envy.
Later, her husband came to the agency and caused a huge scene. That’s when Li Jingwei and the others learned that the female agent had ’persuaded’ the client by sleeping with him. They’d spent a week together in a hotel room.
Now, a golden opportunity like that had fallen right into his lap—and he didn’t even have to sleep with the client. Li Jingwei felt like he was dreaming.
"Boss Wu, please wait a moment. I’ll go grab the keys." Li Jingwei called out, then hastily got out of the car, rushed into the agency, and came back out with a key ring.
Xu Fei drove into the villa complex. When they were looking at houses, Wu Jun deliberately chose properties that were some distance away from his company office.
Ultimately, they settled on a 520-square-meter house with eight bedrooms, three living rooms, and four bathrooms. It wasn’t too far from the office, but not too close either. Li Jingwei calculated that the total price, paid in full, would be over nine million.
Wu Jun’s phone, bank cards, and ID had all been destroyed in the fire. He couldn’t make the payment now even if he wanted to. He would first have to get a temporary ID, then replace his bank cards and SIM card. They agreed that he would pay and sign the contract the next day.
Seeing such a huge deal close so easily, Li Jingwei was so excited he was practically delirious.
’In all his years of work, he had never met a client as decisive as Boss Wu.’