Chapter 1: An Unexpected Guest at the Funeral
"The deceased was fifty-eight years old and an upright person during his lifetime..."
The emcee at the funeral parlor read the eulogy with deep emotion, but in the third row, far left, a man in a floral shirt and flip-flops was secretly gnawing on a marinated chicken foot, carefully stashing the bones in a plastic bag he carried—his demeanor was completely out of place in the solemn and respectful funeral setting.
"Sir, please show respect for the deceased!" A family member nearby finally lost patience and slammed the table, standing up abruptly.
Startled, the man jolted, dropping the half-bitten chicken foot on the floor. He scrambled to his feet, wiped his mouth, and pulled out a crumpled ID, waving it around: "Calm down, calm down! I'm a detective—Lu Xiaoqi! I was hired to investigate..."
Before he could finish, all the lights in the hall suddenly went out. A woman's scream pierced the darkness, followed by a dull thud. When the emergency lights flickered on, everyone was horrified to see the deceased—Qian Fugui, chairman of a listed company—sitting up in his coffin with a fruit knife protruding from his forehead!
Lu Xiaoqi stared at the knife for three seconds, then suddenly crouched down to pick up the chicken foot from the floor, muttering wistfully: "Freshly marinated, and I haven't even finished it yet..."
"Is this really the time for this! How can you still care about food!" Qian Duoduo, the deceased's daughter, pointed at his nose and cursed, "You're a fraud if you ask me! You probably did this!"
Lu Xiaoqi stuffed the chicken foot into his pocket, stood up, and brushed dust off his pants: "No need to pin the blame so fast. Look at this knife—" He reached out to point, then quickly pulled his hand back, "Hey hey hey, don't touch it! Tampering with a crime scene is a jail offense!"
Just then, a man in a black suit with gold-rimmed glasses approached. He pulled out his own ID: "Lin Mo, Captain of the Municipal Criminal Investigation Team. Lu Xiaoqi? Are you the 'famous detective' who keeps making a fool of himself in the papers?"
"What do you mean 'making a fool of myself'! That's called creative investigation!" Lu Xiaoqi retorted indignantly, "Remember the stolen electric scooter case last time? Would we have lured out the suspect if I hadn't gone undercover as a scrap collector?"
Lin Mo adjusted his glasses, too tired to argue, and turned to examine the scene. But as soon as he squatted down, his foot slipped and he nearly face-planted—looking down, he saw a puddle of sticky liquid on the floor that smelled distinctly of marinated food.
"Lu Xiaoqi!" Lin Mo ground his teeth, "Did you spill marinade on the floor?"
"Wronged!" Lu Xiaoqi jumped up, "My chicken foot was dry! Smell it if you don't believe me—" He pulled the chicken foot from his pocket and held it out, but Lin Mo quickly stepped back.
As the two argued, Qian Duoduo suddenly shrieked: "Dad's ring! The ancestral jadeite ring on his hand is gone!"
Chapter 2: List of Suspects
Twenty-seven people had attended the funeral, including seven family members, ten company executives, five business partners, plus the deceased's personal doctor, lawyer, and a mysterious young woman.
"Who's that woman?" Lu Xiaoqi poked Lin Mo's arm, pointing at a girl in a red dress in the corner.
"Su Xiaotang, the deceased's personal assistant," Lin Mo flipped through his notes, "She reportedly started three months ago and quickly became Qian Fugui's right-hand woman—she's handled many important contracts."
Lu Xiaoqi stroked his chin and nodded: "Wearing something that bright to a funeral is suspicious enough... but what's even weirder is the milk tea in her hand—how can she still be in the mood for that at a time like this?"
As he spoke, Su Xiaotang suddenly tripped, and her milk tea splashed all over Qian Duoduo's white dress. Qian Duoduo flew into a rage, lunging at her, but Su Xiaotang pushed her away in panic: "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"
"You did it on purpose! Jealous that I look better than you, aren't you!" Qian Duoduo screamed, reaching out to grab Su Xiaotang's hair. The two wrestled together, and chaos erupted on the spot.
It took Lin Mo considerable effort to pull them apart. Just as he was about to question them, someone shouted: "Fire! The finance office is on fire!"
Qian Fugui's company was in the office building opposite the funeral parlor. By the time everyone arrived, smoke was billowing from the finance office. Firefighters quickly put out the blaze, but the account books and computers were charred beyond recognition.
"Someone must be trying to destroy evidence!" Lu Xiaoqi squatted in front of the burnt computer, then suddenly dug something out of the ashes: "Hey? Isn't this a USB drive? It's not even damaged!"
Lin Mo's eyes lit up—he took the drive and plugged it into his laptop, but as soon as he opened it, a message popped up on the screen: "Want to know the truth? Come to the abandoned factory in the west of the city—too late and you'll miss your chance!"
"Such a cliché trick," Lin Mo frowned, "But we still have to check it out."
Lu Xiaoqi was already bouncing toward the door: "Let's go! Maybe there's a good marinated food stall near the factory!"
By the time they reached the abandoned factory in the west of the city, it was already dark. The factory was silent except for the wind whistling through broken windows with a low "whoosh." Lu Xiaoqi suddenly slapped his thigh: "Oh no! I left my marinated chicken foot at the funeral parlor!"
"Can you take anything seriously!" Lin Mo whispered, "Be careful—there might be an ambush."
They moved forward cautiously when a dark figure flashed overhead. Lu Xiaoqi leaped three feet in the air, clinging to Lin Mo's arm and shouting: "A ghost!"
Lin Mo pried his hand off, shone his flashlight, and saw a large black cat perched on a beam, licking its paws.
"Some detective you are!" Lin Mo rolled his eyes and continued forward.
After passing through several iron gates, they reached the factory warehouse. In the center stood a table with a cake on it—fifty-eight candles stuck in the top—and an envelope beside it.
Lu Xiaoqi swallowed hard: "No chicken foot, but cake isn't bad either..."
"Don't touch it!" Lin Mo stopped him and reached for the envelope, but the moment his fingers made contact, there was a sharp "click." Something popped out from under the table, and suddenly all the lights in the warehouse turned on.
They looked up to find the walls lined with photos—all showing Qian Fugui in intimate poses with different women, including one with Su Xiaotang!
Just then, the warehouse door slammed shut and locked. A hoarse voice came through a loudspeaker: "Welcome to the death party! You've walked right into my trap—if you want out, find the killer who murdered Qian Fugui first!"
Chapter 3: Secrets in the Cake
"Who are you! Come out and face me like a man!" Lu Xiaoqi yelled at the top of his lungs, but only heard eerie laughter in response.
Lin Mo circled the table and suddenly noticed something odd about the candles—one had blue wax. He pinched it gently and pulled it out to find a small note hidden inside.
The note read: "First suspect—the greedy daughter."
Lu Xiaoqi scoffed: "Like we need to be told? Qian Duoduo must have wanted to inherit the fortune early—she's probably the killer!"
"Don't make wild accusations without evidence," Lin Mo said, then suddenly sniffed the air, "This cake... something's off about it."
Lu Xiaoqi couldn't resist any longer—he scooped up a piece and stuffed it in his mouth. After two chews, his face twisted in disgust and he spat it out: "What is this! It's salty! And there's mustard in it!"
Lin Mo tasted a bite too—it was indeed salty and spicy. He frowned in thought, then his eyes brightened: "I get it! This cake was made with salt and mustard from the company cafeteria—Su Xiaotang used to help out there!"
As they spoke, the lights went out again. When they came back on, the cake had been cut into pieces, and a small fork stuck in one slice held a ring—the missing jadeite ring from Qian Fugui's hand!
"This..." Lu Xiaoqi's eyes widened, "Is the killer nearby?"
No sooner had he spoken than a figure flashed past the window. Lin Mo took off in pursuit immediately, with Lu Xiaoqi hot on his heels. But as soon as they ran out of the warehouse, a loud crash echoed behind them—turning back, they saw the warehouse door blocked by a large boulder.
"Damn it! We've been set up!" Lin Mo frowned, "Let's find another exit first."
After searching the factory for ages, they finally found a small side door—but it opened onto a dead end, and standing at the alley entrance was Su Xiaotang!
"You really came," Su Xiaotang said, holding a small bottle with a panicked look in her eyes, "Don't come any closer! Another step and I'll smash this!"
Lin Mo stopped in his tracks: "What is that?"
"Potassium cyanide!" Su Xiaotang bit her lip, "I'm going to die anyway—might as well take you with me!"
Lu Xiaoqi suddenly stepped forward: "Wait! You said you're going to die anyway—are you being threatened?"
Tears streamed down Su Xiaotang's face: "Y-yes... Qian Duoduo! She made me steal the company's account books and said she'd expose the photos of me and Mr. Qian if I refused! I had no choice but to agree, but then... then Mr. Qian died!"
"Why did you spill milk tea on her at the funeral?" Lin Mo asked.
"I-I was hiding the account book in the milk tea cup, planning to take it away when no one was looking, but Qian Duoduo noticed and tried to grab it..." As Su Xiaotang spoke, her legs gave out and she collapsed to the ground.
Lu Xiaoqi rushed over and felt her pulse: "Bad! She's been poisoned!"
Lin Mo immediately called for an ambulance and checked the bottle in Su Xiaotang's hand—it contained nothing more than ordinary mineral water!
"Looks like someone tampered with her," Lin Mo frowned, "Let's get her to the hospital first, then continue the investigation."
Chapter 4: Clues in the Hospital
After being rushed to the hospital, Su Xiaotang was rescued and finally out of danger. The doctor said she had taken an overdose of sleeping pills, but fortunately, she was sent for treatment in time—otherwise, the consequences would have been disastrous.
"Who drugged her?" Lu Xiaoqi sat on a bench in the hospital corridor, munching on freshly bought marinated chicken feet. "Qian Duoduo? Or someone else?"
Lin Mo flipped through items he had found in Su Xiaotang's bag. "Look at this—a notebook. It has records of the company's recent accounts and some strange numbers."
Lu Xiaoqi leaned over to take a look. "These numbers seem like a code? They might be related to the company's secrets!"
Just then, the ward door suddenly swung open, and Qian Duoduo stormed out. "That vixen is still alive! She's really lucky!"
"Ms. Qian, please calm down," Lin Mo stood up. "Su Xiaotang is an important witness. If you cause any more trouble, we'll have to ask you to come to the police station to assist with the investigation."
Qian Duoduo snorted coldly. "I'm not scared! My father was murdered, yet you're not out looking for the killer—instead, you're protecting that vixen! I think you're in cahoots with her!"
"How did you know your father was murdered?" Lu Xiaoqi suddenly asked. "At the funeral, everyone thought he died of natural causes—only you insisted he was killed. Do you know something?"
Qian Duoduo's face changed color. "I... I was just saying it casually! My father died suddenly, so of course I'd be suspicious!"
"Casually?" Lu Xiaoqi stood up and stepped toward her. "Then why did you ask Su Xiaotang to steal the account books? Is it because the books show evidence that you embezzled public funds?"
Qian Duoduo stepped back two paces. "You... you're talking nonsense! I didn't embezzle any money!"
"Then explain this!" Lin Mo held out the notebook to her. "It records that you transferred five million yuan from the company account over the past three months. Where did that money go?"
Qian Duoduo's face turned pale instantly. She opened her mouth but couldn't say a word. Just then, the hospital announcement blared: "Officer Lin Mo, please come to the emergency room immediately. A patient is asking for you!"
When they reached the emergency room, they saw an elderly man with white hair lying on the bed—it was Dr. Zhou, Qian Fugui's personal physician.
"Officer Lin..." Dr. Zhou said weakly. "I have something to tell you... Mr. Qian didn't die of natural causes. He was poisoned..."
"Poisoned?" Lin Mo pressed urgently. "Who poisoned him?"
"I... I don't know either..." Dr. Zhou gasped. "I only know that Mr. Qian had been taking some medicine I prescribed recently, but later I found out the medicine had been swapped... I wanted to tell Mr. Qian, but before I could, he was already..."
Before he could finish, Dr. Zhou suddenly started coughing violently, and black blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Lu Xiaoqi rushed to call for doctors, but it was too late—Dr. Zhou died on the spot.
"Another poisoning!" Lin Mo gritted his teeth. "It seems the killer is among us, and they're silencing witnesses one by one!"
Chapter 5: The Truth Behind the Code
Dr. Zhou's death made the case even more complicated. Lin Mo immediately took Qian Duoduo back to the police station, but she insisted she hadn't killed anyone and knew nothing about the medicine being swapped.
"Then where did the five million yuan you transferred go?" Lin Mo asked.
Qian Duoduo hung her head and spoke after a long silence. "I... I used it to gamble... I originally planned to pay it back after winning, but I lost everything... I had no choice but to ask Su Xiaotang to help me steal the account books, hoping to cover up the debt... But I really didn't kill my father!"
Lu Xiaoqi, sitting nearby, suddenly asked, "Did your father have any unusual habits? Like favorite foods or things he hated?"
Qian Duoduo thought for a moment. "My father... he loved marinated food, especially marinated chicken feet—he'd eat a jin (about 500 grams) every day... Also, he seemed to be arguing with someone lately; he'd often hide in his study making phone calls, raising his voice loudly..."
"Marinated chicken feet?" Lu Xiaoqi's eyes lit up. "Is there a marinated food stall near the funeral home?"
"I think so—my father often bought food there," Qian Duoduo replied.
Lin Mo immediately led his team to the stall, but the vendor said that while Qian Fugui had indeed been a regular customer, he'd stopped coming a few days earlier. Instead, a man in black had been coming to buy large quantities of marinated chicken feet, specifically asking for extra salt.
"Extra salt?" Lin Mo frowned. "Qian Fugui had high blood pressure—he shouldn't have eaten such salty food!"
Lu Xiaoqi suddenly remembered the salty mustard they'd tasted in the cake. He quickly asked the vendor, "Have you seen a girl in a red dress come here to buy anything?"
"Yes!" the vendor nodded. "That's Mr. Qian's assistant at the company. She came to buy mustard a few days ago, saying she wanted to make a cake..."
"So Su Xiaotang is indeed involved!" As Lin Mo spoke, he suddenly received a call from the hospital—Su Xiaotang had woken up!
They rushed back to the hospital at once. When Su Xiaotang saw them, she struggled to sit up. "I... I remember now! The day I went to buy mustard, I ran into someone who gave me a bottle of medicine. They told me to put it in Mr. Qian's cup and threatened to release photos of Mr. Qian and me if I refused..."
"What did this person look like?" Lin Mo asked.
"They were wearing a mask and hat—I couldn't see their face clearly... But they smelled of marinated food, just like the stall near the funeral home!" Su Xiaotang said.
Lu Xiaoqi suddenly slapped his thigh. "I know who the killer is! Let's go—we're heading to Qian Fugui's company!"
They arrived at the company late at night. Lu Xiaoqi led Lin Mo to Qian Fugui's study and pointed at a painting on the wall. "Take that painting down!"
Lin Mo took down the painting half-doubtfully and found a hidden compartment behind it, which contained a safe.
"What's the password?" Lin Mo asked.
Lu Xiaoqi smiled. "It's those numbers from Su Xiaotang's notebook!"
Lin Mo entered the numbers, and sure enough, the safe opened. Inside were a contract and a USB drive. The contract stated that Qian Fugui had been colluding with an overseas company to smuggle cultural relics! The contents of the USB drive were even more shocking—it contained photos of Qian Fugui with city leaders and records of bribes!
"So that's it!" Lin Mo suddenly understood. "The killer wanted to stop Qian Fugui from continuing his evil deeds, so they killed him!"
Just then, the door suddenly opened, and a man in black walked in—it was Fang Ming, Qian Fugui's lawyer!
"I knew you'd find your way here," Fang Ming said with a bitter smile. "Yes, I'm the one who killed him! Qian Fugui was a monster! He smuggled cultural relics, took bribes, and even caused my daughter's death!"
It turned out that Fang Ming's daughter had died three years ago in a cultural relic smuggling case, and Qian Fugui had been the mastermind behind it. To avenge his daughter, Fang Ming had deliberately gotten close to Qian Fugui and become his lawyer. He first poisoned Qian Fugui's medicine, then staged the "resurrection" stunt at the funeral—all to expose Qian Fugui's crimes!
"Then why did you kill Dr. Zhou and frame Su Xiaotang?" Lin Mo asked.
"Dr. Zhou found out I'd swapped the medicine—I had no choice but to silence him. As for Su Xiaotang..." Fang Ming sighed. "I only wanted to scare her, but I never thought she'd take sleeping pills... I didn't want to hurt innocent people, but I was desperate!"
After speaking, Fang Ming pulled a dagger from his pocket and tried to slash his own neck. Lu Xiaoqi was quick to react and snatched the dagger away. "Don't be stupid! Killing someone carries the death penalty! You should have let the law punish Qian Fugui instead of taking matters into your own hands!"
Fang Ming finally broke down, crouching on the ground and weeping uncontrollably...
Chapter 6: A "Surprise" Ending
The case was finally solved. Fang Ming was taken away by the police, Qian Fugui's crimes were made public, Qian Duoduo was sentenced to three years in prison for embezzling public funds, and Su Xiaotang was exempt from prosecution for assisting in the investigation.
"Who would have thought this case would be so complicated!" Lu Xiaoqi sat at the marinated food stall, munching on chicken feet. "But at least the truth is out now!"