I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

Chapter 289 Who is lying

Chen Xiao's disappearance plunged the entire company into chaos. Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, and Li Wei formed an impromptu investigation team to uncover the truth behind Chen Xiao's disappearance. They first conducted a thorough search of Chen Xiao's office. Besides the disturbing note, they discovered some strange signs—Chen Xiao's computer had been cleaned, and some important documents were missing.

After returning to the newspaper office, the three began to sort out the clues for the investigation. Zhang Wanqing sat at her computer, carefully reviewing the surveillance video. Fu Siyuan and Li Wei were nearby, discussing the details of the investigation.

"Wanqing, did you find anything suspicious?" Fu Siyuan asked.

Zhang Wanqing shook her head. "I noticed that person stayed at the door of Chen Xiao's office for a long time without doing anything. This is very strange. If he didn't do anything, what was the reason for staying there?"

"Stayed for a long time?" Fu Siyuan's eyes lit up. "Yes, but the video is too dark and he was wrapped very tightly, so I couldn't see who he was."

Li Wei nodded: "We need to check this person's identity. Maybe this person is Li Lei or Xia Le."

Inside the newspaper office, the lights were dim and a tense atmosphere hung heavy. Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, and Li Wei gathered around a computer screen displaying surveillance footage from the company hallway. In the video, a shadowy figure wandered through the hallway, finally stopping at Chen Xiao's office door. This figure's appearance only deepened the mystery surrounding the case.

Li Lei and Xia Le are key targets of the investigation, so Zhang Wanqing and her team will question them again. Li Lei is Chen Xiao's colleague, and the two often compete with each other technically, but appear to be on good terms. Xia Le, a key technical expert at a rival company, has been eyeing Chen Xiao's projects.

The atmosphere in Li Lei's office was somewhat depressing. Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan sat across from Li Lei, who looked a little nervous, his hands clenched tightly.

"Li Lei, we ask you again, what were you doing in the company on the night Chen Xiao disappeared?" Zhang Wanqing's voice was calm and firm, her eyes looking straight at Li Lei.

Li Lei lowered his head slightly, his voice trembling slightly: "I... I'm working overtime to deal with some technical issues."

"Li Lei, you said last time that you didn't see Chen Xiao, but the surveillance video shows that there was a figure lingering at the door of Chen Xiao's office for a long time that night. Are you sure you didn't notice this person?" Fu Siyuan asked.

"I...I really didn't notice it. I was very busy at the time and didn't have time to pay attention." A trace of panic flashed in Li Lei's eyes.

Li Wei looked at Li Lei sternly, with a fierce look in his eyes.

"Okay, I admit that I did see Chen Xiao that night. He looked very anxious, as if he was looking for something," said Li Lei.

"What are you looking for?" Fu Siyuan asked.

Li Lei shook his head: "I don't know, he just walked past me in a hurry without saying a word."

Zhang Wanqing smiled slightly, with a hint of doubt in her eyes: "Li Lei, are you sure you didn't see the person lingering at the door of Chen Xiao's office?"

Li Lei was stunned for a moment, then shook his head: "No... I... I really didn't see it."

Zhang Wanqing noticed that Li Lei's hands were trembling slightly, and her heart moved: "Li Lei, your eyes tell me that you may know something. If you don't tell us now, the consequences will be more serious when we find out."

Li Lei's face turned pale. He lowered his head and was silent for a moment. Then he raised his head with a hint of helplessness in his eyes. "Okay, I admit that I did see that figure that night. The figure was very tall. He was wearing a black windbreaker and a hat, so I couldn't see his face clearly. He just wandered there for a long time and then left."

Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan exchanged a glance, each a little bewildered. Li Lei's answer seemed evasive, but there weren't any obvious flaws. They decided to investigate Xia Le again.

The atmosphere in Xia Le's office was a bit tense. Li Wei sat opposite Xia Le, who looked a bit cold and had a scrutinizing look in his eyes.

"Xia Le, let me ask you, what were you doing in the company on the night Chen Xiao disappeared?" Li Wei asked sternly.

Xia Le smiled slightly, with a hint of disdain in his eyes: "I'm working overtime, processing some project materials. Many colleagues will be there that night. You can go and ask."

"Xia Le, you said last time that you didn't see Chen Xiao, is that true?" Li Wei asked.

"Yes, no!" Xia Le answered firmly.

"But your colleagues all said that you were also working overtime at the company that night," said Fu Siyuan.

Yes, just working overtime. Indeed, I saw that dark figure lingering at the door of Chen Xiao's office, but it was too far away and too dark to see who it was. I didn't dare to get close for fear of being discovered. "Xia Le said.

Zhang Wanqing and the other two realized that Li Lei and Xia Le might be the key figures, but their words seemed to be hiding something.

"If Li Lei and Xia Le both saw that figure, could they be accomplices?" Zhang Wanqing frowned, watching the video again and again. "Their words are so similar, it's almost like they were rehearsed."

Fu Siyuan nodded and said, "The more perfect it seems, the more suspicious it is. Just like in those cases, the person who seems the least likely to be the murderer often turns out to be the real killer."

Li Wei leaned back in his chair, his arms folded across his chest, his eyes deep. "I suspect there's some kind of connection between them. We need to start with their backgrounds and relationships to see if we can find any clues."

During the investigation, Zhang Wanqing stumbled upon a photo of Chen Xiao and Li Lei. On the back of the photo was a small message: "Forever Friends." Zhang Wanqing keenly sensed something hidden behind the photo. She contacted Chen Xiao's family and inquired about the relationship between Li Lei and Chen Xiao. Chen Xiao's mother sighed and said, "Xiao Xiao and Li Lei grew up together and had a good relationship. But later, because of a girl, they had a falling out."

It turns out that Chen Xiao and Li Lei had both fallen in love with the same girl, but she ultimately chose Li Lei. While Chen Xiao didn't say anything outwardly, he was still somewhat bothered. And what about Xia Le? According to Chen Xiao's family, Xia Le was a close friend of Chen Xiao's from college, and the two had worked on many projects together. However, after graduation, Xia Le joined a rival company, and the two clashed over competing projects.

"Both of them have motives," Fu Siyuan said with a frown. "Li Lei might be motivated by past grudges and jealousy, while Xia Le might be motivated by business competition."