"They died from poisoning," the doctor said, before being called away by a nurse behind him.
Wei Yumeng and Mu Linjing exchanged glances. The men in black had been full of life just moments ago, and now they were all dead.
It was obvious to anyone with eyes that they hadn't committed suicide out of guilt, but had been killed by someone behind the scenes.
"When we were at the abandoned building, I saw several discarded fast-food containers under that table. Their food must have been poisoned," Wei Yumeng said thoughtfully, recalling everything she had observed on the rooftop. A realization dawned on her.
"It seems those fast-food containers are evidence of the poisoning," Zhan Mohan murmured, his long fingers resting on his chin, his brow furrowed.
"We should go back to the abandoned building to collect evidence. Perhaps by examining the boxes and the poison, we can find the source," Mu Linjing suggested, her expression grave.
"Our personnel have already secured all the evidence from the scene. Next, we need you three to come with us to give statements."
A few police officers who overheard their conversation approached, gesturing to the evidence they had collected.
"Alright," Wei Yumeng replied, a solemnity in her eyes. She nodded. The detour had cost them a significant amount of time.
With no witnesses to the poisoning, the mastermind behind Shi Qing's kidnapping could not be found in a short period.
While toxic substances were indeed extracted from the fast-food containers, the fast-food chain had numerous branches nationwide, and the catering industry itself had high foot traffic. Finding the person who bought the fast food was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
The poison was also just common rat poison, available not only at pharmacies but also from street vendors.
As for why the men in black only reacted midway, it was because only a small amount of rat poison had been added to their food.
With all these outcomes, no useful clues could be found for the time being.
After giving their statements, the three returned home. A series of events had transpired, and it was already very late.
The crystal chandelier in the living room was still lit. Wei Yumeng sat quietly on the sofa, her gaze fixed ahead as if lost in thought.
At this hour, Shi Qing and Jin Zhi would usually be asleep. She would check on the two little ones after finishing her work before retiring to her bedroom contentedly.
But today, Shi Qing was not at home. She had been kidnapped, and they had no clues whatsoever.
Zhan Mohan, not finding his wife in the bedroom, came downstairs to the living room. Noticing Wei Yumeng's daze, he slowed his steps and approached her, putting an arm around her shoulders.
Mu Linjing, also unable to sleep, sighed as she saw the two figures nestled together on the sofa. She instructed a servant to heat some milk and then sat down opposite them.
"Brother, Yumeng, I blame myself for Shi Qing's situation. I wasn't careful enough, giving the mastermind an opportunity."
"Linjing, it's not your fault. This mastermind isn't an ordinary kidnapper. Usually, kidnappers target wealthy families for money," Wei Yumeng said, her eyebrows knitted high. She explained the strangeness of the entire situation. "But this person took our money but didn't release Shi Qing, and even tried to kill me."
From beginning to end, the matter was full of suspicious points. From kidnapping Shi Qing to taking ten million, and then poisoning the men in black, everything happened within a single day, indicating that the person had a pre-planned and very meticulous scheme.
"That's right, she even tried to harm you," Mu Linjing agreed, nodding as she listened to Wei Yumeng's analysis and noted the strange circumstances.
"Based on this alone, we can conclude that even if the other party received the money, they didn't necessarily intend to let Shi Qing go, especially since they also wanted to kill Yumeng," Zhan Mohan added, his ink-like eyes darkening. He mused that in such a desolate place outside the city, without signal, it would be convenient for both transactions and silent killings.
At that time, crying out to heaven and earth would be in vain. This showed that the other party might not have genuinely intended to release Shi Qing from the start, but rather to seize a large sum of money and kill Yumeng.
Thinking of this, Zhan Mohan's well-defined hand instinctively tightened its grip on Wei Yumeng's shoulder, the coldness in his eyes evident.
"Moreover, when we investigated at the school, the conclusion we reached was about a young woman. Although we are not sure if she is the mastermind, this person is definitely not simple."
Wei Yumeng lowered her eyelids, her raven-like eyelashes casting a shadow on her eye sockets, her gaze deepening slightly.
"Yumeng, you mean..." Mu Linjing understood in an instant. She clutched the throw pillow in her hands in surprise, never having considered such a line of reasoning.
"This mastermind must know us."
Zhan Mohan stated the deduced conclusion in a deep voice, his thin lips pursed into a cold, straight line.
Mu Linjing's heart skipped a beat. Everything that had happened today had been too rushed; how could she not have considered this point!
Kidnapping Shi Qing and attempting to kill Wei Yumeng indicated a grudge against them. Poisoning the men in black was to prevent her identity from being exposed!
Having a grudge and fearing exposure could only mean it was someone they knew.
"That unknown number," Mu Linjing suddenly recalled the number that had sent the text message. She looked at the other two, her eyes lighting up. "We can try to trace the owner of the number. Perhaps we can find the mastermind."
"I've already had people investigate that. It's a burner number," Wei Yumeng said with a wry smile. She had immediately had people investigate after her rescue, but the other party had anticipated this, using a burner number which had already been destroyed.
Mu Linjing sighed and punched the soft sofa with her clenched fist. She hadn't expected this mastermind to be as cunning as a rat.
"Don't worry, that ten million can be recovered," Zhan Mohan said, his dark eyes sharpening as he looked at the two helpless women.
"How so?" Wei Yumeng also thought of the ten million. She met Zhan Mohan's eyes and instantly understood his meaning. "You mean, those ten million bills are sequential, and we can use that to..."
"Yes, and every large sum of money that leaves Zhan's company is recorded, including the serial numbers of the banknotes," Zhan Mohan stated, his features resolute, as he tapped his jade-like fingers intermittently on the table.
"Then we can have people investigate which account this money was deposited into, and then..." Mu Linjing's eyes brightened. She eagerly stood up, wanting to make a call to have people investigate thoroughly.
"Wait. I'm afraid the other party knows this too, and besides, we don't have any evidence yet," Zhan Mohan stopped the impulsive Mu Linjing, looking at Wei Yumeng. He opened his thin lips and said, "We should wait for the opportune moment."
"Lure the snake out of its hole," Wei Yumeng understood the meaning behind Zhan Mohan's words. She raised her delicate eyebrows, her pink lips curling into a distinct arc.