103: Chapter 103 A Murder Case Occurs

"The best part is this one."

Team Leader Zhang Yining played a video: County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu was bending down to pick up a scrap of paper from the ground. The camera deliberately gave a close-up of the Party emblem on her chest, accompanied by the stirring music of "Ode to the Red Flag".

"To shoot this scene, she made her secretary throw the paper three times."

Xiao Bei took the phone and saw the latest @all notification: [All departments are requested to submit this week's work plan immediately (Attachment: 9 precious photos of Secretary Ma inspecting the Personnel Bureau)].

Just five minutes ago, the office had already reported the complete plan data in another work group.

"She is like a host of an immersive theater."

Xiao Bei handed the phone back, "Busy every day designing scenarios and assigning roles, but unfortunately, she only performs repetitive scenes."

He opened the real financial report brought by Team Leader Zhang Yining. The bank statements of Rainbow Garment showed that a fixed amount was transferred every month to a company named "Jinhe Cultural Media".

Team Leader Zhang Yining lowered her voice: "This media company handles the operation of the county's government network accounts. Last year alone, they produced 52 episodes for the 'Most Beautiful Civil Servant' feature, and County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu was the protagonist in 31 of them."

She pulled up the official account page. In the latest post, "County Magistrate Xuan Visits Impoverished Households at Night," the date on the calendar in the photo had clearly been photoshopped.

Suddenly, the sound of high heels clicking on the floor came from outside the window. Team Leader Zhang Yining immediately raised her voice: "County Magistrate Xiao, I have revised the annual summary you requested!"

When the door was pushed open, Xiao Bei was frowning at the computer: "There is a problem with this data. Last year's school uniform procurement volume was 30% higher than the actual number of students enrolled."

He looked up and nodded at County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu standing at the door: "County Magistrate Xuan, you've come at just the right time. Can you explain why two thousand extra school uniforms were purchased?"

County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu's exquisitely made-up face stiffened instantly. The secretary following her hurriedly tried to smooth things over: "It might be reserved inventory…"

"Using fiscal funds for inventory?"

Xiao Bei opened the student roster submitted by the Education Bureau, "What's even stranger is that these 'extra' uniforms were all allocated to the newly built Jinhe Experimental Primary School in the Development Zone—but this school cannot be found on the map at all."

County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu's manicured nails dug into the folder: "County Magistrate Xiao has just arrived and doesn't understand the situation. This is a key project in the planning stage."

"I see."

Xiao Bei acted as if he had just realized, and suddenly turned his phone toward her, "Then, could the photo of the completed Experimental Primary School that County Magistrate Xuan's cousin posted on his Moments be from a time-traveling future?"

On the screen was the nine-grid photo post made by the owner of Rainbow Garment three days ago, with the location at a spot on the outskirts of the city and the caption, "The construction of the county's key project has been successfully completed."

The air in the office suddenly froze. County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu snatched the phone to look closely, blue veins popping on her well-maintained back of the hand: "This… this is a rendering!"

"A rendering that even replicates the puddles on the playground at a 1:1 scale?"

Xiao Bei chuckled, "By the way, that Land Rover in the photo looks quite familiar. It seems to be parked in the government backyard often, right?"

County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu suddenly slammed the phone onto the table. With a crash, her teacup tipped over onto the annual financial report, the ink quickly smearing the key data.

"Oh dear, how careless of me."

She pulled out the soaked document, "I'll take it back and have the printing office reprocess it."

Watching the two figures leave in a panic, Team Leader Zhang Yining pulled out the phone she had hidden in her sleeve: "I recorded the whole thing."

She opened the file soaked by the tea, revealing the intact backup underneath: "Little Liu from the Finance Department gave it to me secretly. He said County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu just approved the personnel order to transfer his wife into the Education Bureau last week."

Xiao Bei walked to the window and happened to see County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu's car speeding out.

He sent an encrypted message to Qin Ruoxi: "Evidence obtained."

As he turned around, a new notification popped up in the work group: [@All Members Emergency Notice: Everyone is to participate in the 'Civilization Creation' cleanup tomorrow at 7 AM (Attachment: Link to last year's event highlights)]

"By the way," Team Leader Zhang Yining suddenly remembered something, "Do you know why she always posts old photos in the group? Because real work photos would expose the problems—"

Team Leader Zhang Yining pulled up a secretly taken photo from her album: At the scene of County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu's so-called "enterprise visit," workers from Rainbow Garment in the background were loading unbranded, substandard products into a truck using black plastic bags.

At this moment, there was a knock on Xiao Bei's office door. Team Leader Zhang Yining went to open it, but found no one there; instead, a gift box had appeared on the floor.

Unwrapping the layers of packaging, inside was a poorly made school uniform with a price tag of 580 yuan. A note tucked into the collar was as glaring as blood: "Stop while you can".

He picked up the school uniform and held it up to the light, feeling a miniature bug in the lining. The work group sounded a special alert at that exact moment: [@Xiao Bei, County Magistrate Xuan shared: Leading cadres must lead by example (Link: "Formalism Kills" warning educational film)]

At this time, a torrential rain began to fall, with raindrops pounding wildly against the window. Xiao Bei stuffed the school uniform into an evidence bag.

"@Everyone, the leadership team must assemble immediately! Hurry!"

A notification suddenly popped up. Xiao Bei looked at his phone, confused, not knowing what emergency could have arisen at this hour. Could it be County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu causing trouble again?

At this moment, Team Leader Zhang Yining also received a phone notification...

"County... County Magistrate Xiao... I was told by phone to inform you... A murder has occurred at the unfinished building on Friendship Road..."

Rainwater dripped down the brim of Xiao Bei's raincoat, creating ripples in the puddles that had formed in front of the unfinished building. The red and blue lights of the police cars twisted and distorted in the rain curtain, illuminating the scene like a ghost story.

Inside the cordon, a forensic doctor was bending down to examine the corpse covered by a white sheet. A pale hand slid out from under the sheet, and a student ID card was still worn on the wrist—Jinhe No. 1 Middle School, Chen Zhihao.

"County Magistrate Xiao."

Team Leader Zhang Yining walked over quickly with an umbrella, her face even gloomier than the sky, "The deceased is a high school senior. Preliminary judgment is suicide by jumping from a building, but..."

She handed over her phone. On the screen was a photo of the scene—the corpse, with the white sheet lifted, was covered in bruises, and there were tear marks on the collar of the school uniform.

He was too familiar with this school uniform; it was exactly the "high-end eco-friendly" product produced by Rainbow Garment, 580 yuan per set.

"Suicide?"

He sneered, "Who beats themselves up before committing suicide?"

"County Magistrate Xiao!"

A loud voice came from behind. Deputy Director Zhao Dayong of the County Public Security Bureau trotted over, the rainwater on his police uniform's shoulder epaulets glistening, "Why are you here too? Just leave such trivial matters to us."

Xiao Bei noticed that Deputy Director Zhao Dayong's eyes were darting around, glancing from time to time at a black Audi parked not far away—County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu's car.

"A student's death is a trivial matter?"

Xiao Bei's voice was not loud, but it made more sweat bead on Deputy Director Zhao Dayong's forehead, "Have you notified the parents?"

"We are contacting them..."

Deputy Director Zhao Dayong stammered, "Secretary Ma and County Magistrate Xuan are already waiting for you at the County Party Committee for an emergency meeting."

Xiao Bei squatted down and, ignoring the objections of others, lifted a corner of the white sheet.

The deceased's face was bruised, with dried blood at the corners of his mouth, but the most shocking part was a clear ligature mark on his neck.

He quietly felt the lining of the school uniform, his fingertips touching a note...