Zuo Shu’s directness completely caught Chen Xiao off guard.

He actually directly brought up the Luming Ridge Reservoir case!

This is either because Zuo Shu, who had left the police years ago, still had certain connections within the police force, allowing him to obtain firsthand information from Chen Xiao.

Or could it be that over the years, Zuo Shu, like Xie Wensheng, has kept a close eye on the Yang Lake Phantom Case.

Or as Jiao Hu mentioned, the Luming Ridge Reservoir case was a knot in Zuo Shu’s heart.

But if it was just a knot in his heart, how did he know that Chen Xiao would come for Luming Ridge?

Could it be that in Zuo Shu’s heart, he already knew there was a connection between the Yang Lake Phantom Case and the Luming Ridge case?

Indeed, when masters clash, just one move can render half of Chen Xiao’s mental preparedness null and void!

In that brief moment, Chen Xiao thought of many things.

But Lin Xi had already linked arms with him and asked, “Chen Xiao, is this the President Zuo, Zuo Shu, you mentioned?”

“Yes, he is Elder Xie’s junior brother. Back in the day, they followed Captain Gu to learn. The old lady Ye Suzhi once said that President Zuo was the most outstanding police officer brought up by Captain Gu.”

Lin Xi feigned surprise, “Then President Zuo, why did you leave the police force for business?”

Zuo Shu shook his head bitterly, “Before becoming a police officer, I set a rule for myself. In this lifetime, no matter what case I encounter, I must catch the culprit! If I can’t catch the perpetrator, it means I’m not yet qualified to be a criminal police officer!”

“So, when the first case appeared where I couldn’t catch the culprit, I chose to leave the police force.”

“I see, then the case President Zuo mentioned must be the Luming Ridge Reservoir case!”

Lin Xi is smart.

She knew that Zuo Shu’s direct mention of Luming Ridge was surprising to both her and Chen Xiao.

But Lin Xi’s thoughts were completely different from Chen Xiao’s.

Chen Xiao was thinking about why Zuo Shu would speak so directly and what the connection was between them.

Whereas Lin Xi just wanted Zuo Shu to go along with Chen Xiao!

Zuo Shu nodded, “That’s right, it was indeed the Luming Ridge Reservoir case. It was the first case I encountered and couldn’t do anything about, even after participating in the investigation.”

At this point, Chen Xiao understood it was time for him to take over the conversation.

“In that case, President Zuo might as well tell me what exactly happened with the Luming Ridge case back then?”

Zuo Shu smiled and said, “What happened with the case? Didn’t President Chen read the case file?”

“I have.”

“Since you’ve read it, why would you still ask me?”

“Because I didn’t see your name, President Zuo, in the case file at all, which is very illogical and contradicts what you’ve said.”

Chen Xiao said with a smile and then looked at Guo Qing, who had organized the meeting.

Through an exchange of glances, Guo Qing understood Chen Xiao’s meaning and couldn’t help but feel a heavy heart.

“Where’s the contradiction in that?”

“President Zuo said you set a rule for yourself, but how could you predict beforehand that you wouldn’t be able to solve the Luming Ridge case? Did you have thoughts of leaving the police force before the Luming Ridge case, or were you really following your rule?”

Chen Xiao retorted, and Zuo Shu gave a thumbs up, “It seems my thoughts have already been seen through by President Chen.”

Chen Xiao smiled slightly, “It’s not about seeing through anything; it’s you, President Zuo, playing Tai Chi with me.”

“Haha, in that case, why don’t we just be straightforward with each other?”

“That’s exactly my intention.”

Zuo Shu put away his smile and became serious, “The reason there are no traces of me in the Luming Ridge case is that the materials were meant for the superiors. At that time, I already had thoughts of leaving. I thought that if I helped solve that case, all the credit would go to him.”

“That way, when my senior brother retires after a few years, he could have a few more honors. But things went beyond my expectations, and you must know the final result.”

Chen Xiao nodded, and seeing this, Zuo Shu continued, “When President Guo initially invited me, I originally wanted to refuse. But then I thought, your Dragon Cauldron and my Li Hai shouldn’t strain our relationship.”

“Moreover, the land at Yang Lake, whether Dragon Cauldron or Li Hai, is difficult for either side to simultaneously acquire. So, after careful consideration, I decided to meet you, and I want to have an open discussion with you about how we can use the strength of our two companies to acquire that piece of land!”

Chen Xiao frowned.

He was seeking out Zuo Shu to discuss the case.

But Zuo Shu sought him out for business!

Chen Xiao narrowed his eyes, smiled, and asked, “Then tell me, how should we go about it?”

“Didn’t Mr. Chen already operate it before? By leveraging public opinion, Dragon Cauldron quickly became well-known among the citizens of Shencheng City. So, why not replicate the method? Highlight the horror of the Yang Lake Phantom Case, which would create a crisis awareness in many people, leading them to gradually withdraw.”

“Regardless of whether it happened or not, if it comes from your mouth now, the people of Shencheng City will surely believe it. Therefore, if we turn the king of the land into ordinary land or even land with negative impact, more people will withdraw.”

“By then, if only our two companies remain, we would have achieved our goal!”

At this point, Zuo Shu also locked eyes and smiled, “You and I should be able to see that the development potential of the Yang Lake area is absolutely enormous, but any monetary investment for any company means risk.”

“When risks become white-hot before their eyes, their conservative instincts will make them stop! President Chen, this is a rare opportunity; I think you wouldn’t refuse, right?”

Chen Xiao laughed without reservation:

“What if the case can’t be solved?”

Zuo Shu’s expression immediately tightened, “But isn’t your case-solving rate one hundred percent, Chen Xiao?”

“The case-solving rate can’t be calculated based on my situation alone. How many cases have I solved? I’m still not as good as the former President Zuo, so if there’s one case I can’t solve, then the so-called one hundred percent case-solving rate will immediately collapse.”

Zuo Shu looked serious, “You lack confidence?”

Chen Xiao smiled, “Confidence aside, I just want to ask President Zuo a question: in the cooperation you mentioned, what are you putting in? Or, if the case can’t be solved, what will you endure?”

Zuo Shu was about to speak when Chen Xiao interrupted him:

“In the cooperation you mentioned, your costs are far less than the costs of our Dragon Cauldron, and the risks you’ll bear are much smaller. Because if the case can’t be solved, you can just leave. But Dragon Cauldron? My hard-earned reputation will go down the drain immediately.”

“In the end, I’ll be chased out of Shencheng City like a dog!”

“So, President Zuo, isn’t this deal of yours—cost-free and extraordinarily beneficial—just too good?”

Chen Xiao stared intently at Zuo Shu, the latter smiling silently.

Guo Qing, reminded by Chen Xiao earlier, timely spoke up:

“President Zuo, you might have misunderstood; tonight’s dinner was out of respect Chen Xiao has for you. This respect comes from us being friends in the same field. But more than that, it comes from Captain Xie Wensheng’s father.”

“Because you are his junior brother, that’s why Chen Xiao came to see you. As for tonight, it’s not a business gathering. To be clear, Chen Xiao represents the police, conducting an inquiry on you!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep