The Mystery of the Inner Demon

Chapter 257 Group 1 Carcinogenic

"Tell me, why did you choose to live in seclusion in Sanwu Town? It can't be such a coincidence that the Feng family is also in Sanwu Town and has such a subtle connection with my family." Qi Fei continued to press on, unmoved.

Zhong Kui said grimly, "Qi Fei, everything I've done is to get rid of Xi He. You must stand on my side, or my family will suffer the same fate as Qi Dong County."

Qi Fei knew she was right. He also knew that Zhong Kui was using him. It felt as if sharp claws were tearing at his soul, causing him unspeakable pain.

"I just want to stand on the side of justice," he said through gritted teeth, but all he got in return was a contemptuous smile from Zhong Kui.

“Justice? Justice can’t save my family, nor can it save Qidong County.” She said, tilting her head slightly. “Xihe, you don’t have much time left.”

“You’re trying to distract me.” Qi Fei remained unmoved.

“No, I’m just stating a fact,” Zhong Kui responded, then pressed on, “The starting point, the starting point of everything, Qi Fei.”

Qi Fei gave Zhong Kui a meaningful look, then ran back without saying a word.

Walking along the narrow path, it's as if time has turned back.

He found Zhao Hongda, held up Li Yang'er's passport that he had just seized, and asked, "Back then, many people in the clothing market knew that Li Yang'er was going to immigrate. Do you know which country she immigrated to? The United States? Canada?"

“No, no, she said she’s going to Southeast Asia. Li Yang’er is a very career-oriented woman. She’s going abroad for business, saying she’s saved up money and plans to build a factory there,” Zhao Hongda said.

Qi Fei flipped through the information in the passport: "No wonder Li Yang'er's entry and exit records are all for places like Vietnam and Myanmar."

The others arrived shortly afterward, and Qi Fei immediately instructed Wu Shanqiu, "Contact Xu Tong right away; I have questions for him."

The meeting was not held at Dongjun Industrial. The previous covert investigation had caused quite a stir at Dongjun Industrial, with rumors about Qi Dongjun spreading like wildfire, and it seemed that a major storm was about to break out.

I met Xu Tong at the hospital. Compared to the last time, he looked even more haggard and weak.

"Actually, I was diagnosed with cancer a long time ago. Only President Qi knew about my condition, so although I was one of the earliest members to follow President Qi, I haven't been involved in the company's management for many years. Over the years, thanks to President Qi's care, he has always paid me the annual salary of a vice president, which has allowed me to have enough money to treat my illness and live until now. Alas, but I know that no amount of money can save me this time." Xu Tong leaned against the hospital bed and said weakly, seemingly having accepted his fate.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Xu, we still have some questions we'd like to ask you." Qi Fei pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Xu Tong's bed. "Mr. Xu, do you remember where Qi Dongjun used to frequently travel on business back then?"

“President Qi travels all over the country to promote sales, but if you ask where he goes the most, it would probably be the Yuanxi area,” Xu Tong said.

“Yuanxi…” Qi Fei murmured.

In her ear was Zhong Kui's alluring voice, like that of a shaman: "If I remember correctly, Yuanxi has the only port in the country where you can travel to and from Vietnam by boat. The batch of fabric that Qidong County brought to Xu Tong back then had sea salt stains on it. Li Yang'er's passport has records of multiple trips to and from Vietnam and Myanmar. You know what that means."

“That’s where it all began, the beginning of all evil,” Qi Fei murmured. “I know Xi He too well. He’ll stop at nothing to achieve what he’s planned. Hmph, that’s his weakness,” Zhong Kui said. “It’s time to go to Yuanxi.”

As she was leaving, Zhong Kui suddenly turned around and asked Xu Tong a question:
"By the way, I remember you said you saw some English markings on the fabric. Do you remember what they were?"

Xu Tong shook his head: "I'm just a tailor, I don't know any English, how could I remember it?"

“G, H, S, C, 1,” Zhong Kui said, letter by letter.

Xu Tong's eyes widened in surprise: "There does seem to be a string of letters, something like G, mixed in with those English letters, but it appears frequently. How did you know?"

Zhong Kui smiled meaningfully: "It's nothing. I think you can take the money Qi Dongjun gave you with a clear conscience to recuperate. This is his way of atoning for his sins."

Under Xu Tong's questioning gaze, Zhong Kui was the last to leave the room.

"What did you talk about with Xu Tong just now?" Outside the ward, Qi Fei kept an eye on Zhong Kui's every move.

Zhong Kui glanced at him and said, "You don't need to be so nervous. I just had Xu Tong confirm one of my guesses."

"What guess?"

"A shrewd businessman who has been shrewd all his life suddenly acts like a model of gratitude, spending a huge sum of money to treat his employee's terminal illness. If it's not to build a persona for his subordinates and enhance his prestige, then there must be another reason. But Xu Tong said that only Qi Dongjun and he knew about his illness in the group, so there is only the second possibility—guilt."

"Guilt? Could it be that Xu Tong developed cancer from overwork?"

"Ha, I hope I don't hear such a lack of common sense from you again, Officer Qi," Zhong Kui said contemptuously. "Fabric isn't anything rare among smuggled goods. You might think you can make more money through smuggling, but don't forget, your father made his first fortune through this deal and rose to prominence from then on. Why?"

Qi Fei was speechless. In fact, this was also a question that had been lingering in his mind during the investigation.

Clearly, Zhong Kui has already provided the answer to this question.

"This must be a highly profitable scheme, or at least zero cost. I just asked Xu Tong if it had the words GHSC1 on it, and he confirmed it."

What does GHSC1 mean?

“A Group 1 carcinogen,” Zhong Kui said expressionlessly. “I did a little research. In the dyeing and printing of fabrics, there are often illegal workshops in Vietnam and Myanmar that use cheap formaldehyde instead of regular dyes. When the amount is excessive, the resulting fabric is highly carcinogenic and toxic. This kind of fabric, let alone when imported into China, will be marked as a Group 1 carcinogen and disposed of even if it is found in Vietnam and Myanmar.”

Zhong Kui's words were like a thunderbolt, leaving Qi Fei stunned and at a loss for words: "You mean, Old Xu's cancer is due to his long-term handling of this toxic fabric?"

"Heh, guess why your father never shared anything about trade with Xu Tong? He sent an honest, simple tailor to his doom. Oh, of course, whether he even knows about it is still unknown. The fastest plane to Xiyuan takes five hours, and you still have to transfer to a bus to the border." Zhong Kui glanced at the time as if watching a good show. "And Xi He only gave you two days left."