Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Pimp? How did he pimp in a crew?” Zeng Ke didn’t quite understand.
Li Qian said coldly, “It seems that you haven’t seen the dark side of the world! Do you think the entertainment industry is so simple?”
“Um… This…” Zeng Ke didn’t know what to say.
Li Qian laughed, but said bitterly, “I heard that Kang Leming has pimped as a private business, all while being heavily involved in films! He actually uses the films as fronts somewhat, as he is active in major films and television bases, where he is always in contact with young actresses, all of whom have dreams of stardom. He then introduces them to directors, producers, and even some other well-known actors. This is what you often talk about as ‘unspoken rules’ in our industry. Kang Leming earns fat fees by running such a business.”
“I don’t quite understand.” Zeng Ke asked doubtfully, “Who pays for this kind of pimping business?”
“The demanding party pays, of course!” Li Qian said.
( NovelFull ) “This is disgusting! The entertainment industry is messed up! It has been ruined by just this kind of villain!” Wu Xiumin scolded.
“Don’t be naive. It’s all a matter of simply taking what one needs. Where there’s demand, there’s trade!” Li Qian said frankly.
She then added, “In fact, it’s good to be able to get what you want after a transaction. However, most actresses that are pimped out end up being deceived, sacrificing so much, but not getting much back in the end!”
Li Qian laughed bitterly. “As for me, I’m lucky enough to have work, so I won’t be starving anytime soon.”
She then continued, “There are billions of people in the world. The big stars you see on TV are just a few of the lucky ones. If you are not the powerful party and want to be famous, your chances are even lower than that of winning a lottery!”
Li Qian’s words made the others feel sad.
After a moment, Li Qian said earnestly, “But… I just heard all of this from others. So, I can’t guarantee that all of these things are true. You can ask my colleagues about what I have said. I’ll give you their names! Nevertheless, rumors spread for a reason, and since so many people say these same exact things, I think it must be partly true at the very least.”
“Mommy…” Wu Xiumin pondered the word for a moment, then said, “A woman pimp is called mommy. So, the murderer is telling us that Kang Leming is a pimp, isn’t he? That’s why he was going to kill Kang Leming?”
“Maybe!” Zhao Yu frowned and said. “But, just because of that, it should not be enough for someone to commit a murder over! Maybe there is a deeper meaning in the clues that were left by the murderer.”
After careful consideration, Zhao Yu said to Zeng Ke, “Sent out more policemen to find out more information of the ten crew members, especially Guo Yihang. Do it as soon as possible, and the more detailed the better. Also, pay attention to the common features between them, as well as the commonalities of the clues that were left by the murderer!”
“Okay!” Zeng Ke immediately agreed.
“Li Qian and Zhang Yong!” Zhao Yu turned to address the two survivors. “You two better tell me what the murderer left behind on both of you! Are there any symbols on your bodies, additional strange pictures on your mobile phones, and so on?”
“Um… Nothing.” Li Qian hugged her shoulders and said, “Your men have already searched me, and my phone was already given to you.”
“Mine too!” Zhang Yong said.
He then asked, “Officer, if the murderer is really Guo Yihang, then are we free to go? My wife is sick, and she is waiting for me to come back and take care of her. Also, my mother-in-law is old! I’m worried about her, too.”
“Don’t worry. You can go home after the information is collected completely. Please understand this. After all, such a big thing has happened, so you need to wait a little longer!” Wu Xiumin tried to comfort him.
Zhang Yong said anxiously, “But… It is exactly because such a big thing has happened that my family must be worrying a lot about me. I beg you, please let me go home earlier.”
Wu Xiumin wanted to say something more, but Zhao Yu interrupted, “Hey, why are you in such a hurry to leave? Are you hiding something from us?”
“I… No!” Zhang Yong immediately began to sweat.
“Ok.” Zhao Yu then pointed to the screen and said, “After the murderer killed the cameraman, he left a USB full of videos on him. Now, can you two watch all of those videos and see if there’s anything wrong with them?”
Zhang Yong and Li Qian looked at each other, while Li Qian put out her cigarette in the ashtray.
“If you want to prove your innocence, help us find out the murderer’s motive!” Zhao Yu increased the volume level of his voice, “If the murderer is really Guo Yihang, then he must have a convincing motive! Punishing bad guys alone is not a solid reason for committing murder!”
“Oh… Okay.” Zhang Yong was frightened by Zhao Yu and dared not say more. He and Li Qian sat in front of the computer and began to watch the videos.
Just after having a few looks, Li Qian could not help but sneer. “This ba*tard took so many dirty shots!”
Listening to Li Qian, Zhao Yu’s thoughts returned to the clues that had been left by the murderer. Now, he knew what the USB, the cross, the racy photo, and “Mommy” stood for. But, he still had no idea what Cefuroxime and 255 meant.
The murderer did not kill Li Qian and Zhang Yong, and there were no clues left on them either. So he had to wonder…
What about the prop artist who was burned by the signal gun? Why didn’t the murderer leave a clue on him? Was the clue burnt, or was the prop artist’s death an accident?
Or… Was Kang Leming lying? Was the murderer really Guo Yihang? Why did Guo Yihang kill so many people in such a complicated way?
Although the major suspect had already been targeted, Zhao Yu still felt that the case was not clear. There were far too many things that couldn’t be explained yet.
At this time, a message came from the Forensics Department. Through the examination of the new evidence, they found sedatives in the crew’s drinking water and prepared drinks. The ingredients were the same as those found in Li Qian and Zhang Yong!
This clearly revealed that the murderer had made careful preparations beforehand, so that he could smoothly carry out his homicides!