"We reported it, but unfortunately, after discussing it with Captain Lu for a long time and investigating for a week, we found nothing. In the end, I also thought it was my imagination, somewhat unfounded..."

Listening to Zhou Fan's self-deprecating words, Luo Fei shook his head, a sharp glint appearing in his eyes.

Where does so much imagination come from?

An old detective working on cases for many years usually has accurate instincts about such matters. Each possibility calculated must have its particular significance and rationale; they do not shoot aimlessly.

So one must not belittle oneself; it might be a remote possibility, but not entirely impossible!

Arriving at the desk, Luo Fei looked around, noticing that there was only a pen, a notebook, a stack of writing paper, and a pile of thick management materials left from left to right...

"Indeed, there's no substantial evidence."

Suddenly, Luo Fei noticed a row of photo frames next to him. This was the manager's place to display photos.

Among them was a picture of the two brothers together.

In the photo, the manager and his brother stood closely, with very natural smiles, suggesting that, judging by the photo, their relationship was quite good.

"That's him and his brother Ning Zitao in the photo above. The two of them have a good relationship. His brother's ability to work in this factory relied entirely on his own strength. He didn't leverage his brother's influence but became a materials supervisor solely based on performance."

Zhou Fan pointed at the two people in the photo as a reminder.

From afar, Aunt Zhang heard this, hurriedly gave a thumbs up, and added a sentence.

"Isn't that right, Manager Ning and Supervisor Ning truly live up to that old saying, they're a formidable pair, hahaha, I might not say it well, but that's how everyone in the factory says it."

Luo Fei nodded and continued to look upward.

He discovered that besides their brotherly photo, there was a family photo of Ning Zidong, showing that he has a wife and two children, judging by the picture.

Such a family setup is indeed enviable!

There were also some random award photos and partnership photos. Although they were related to Ning Zidong, they weren't very useful.

After looking through, Luo Fei was just about to speak when a series of hurried footsteps sounded from behind.

"Aunt Zhang, has the investigation team returned?"

A breathless voice rang out, sounding quite anxious.

"Ah, Supervisor Ning, we were just talking about you, come quickly..."

Aunt Zhang beckoned, calling in a man in a suit, who looked quite flustered. Despite being in management, he appeared very uneasy.

"Officers, I knew you would return. Please, you must find some clue about my brother."

The man fell to his knees with a thud, almost hitting his head on the ground.

Luo Fei and Zhou Fan hurriedly went forward to help him up.

It's only natural for the police to investigate, but what they fear most is overexcitement in others, as it can affect pace and state.

Although Ning Zitao's reaction was somewhat exaggerated, at least to them, it confirmed the relationship between the brothers. Luo Fei scrutinized him; this reaction indeed seemed quite genuine.

"Mr. Ning, we are here this time specifically to deal with your brother's disappearance and the other missing employees."

Zhou Fan was comforting the man, but Luo Fei's gaze had already changed.

He stared at the person in front of him, eyes filled with shock.

The black aura above the man's head was thick, sinister and terrifying, even somewhat demonized.

Could this guy... be the killer?

The maneuvers Ning Zitao pulled upon entering shocked him, and now that Luo Fei regained his composure, he noticed this point.

He instantly recognized the peculiarity; this person was undoubtedly linked to the major disappearance case, and those lost lives most likely fell upon this person's hands.

But the next challenging step emerged!

It was impossible to find any trace or useful clues from this person because Ning Zitao's crafted appearance was that of a dutiful supervisor and a concerned younger brother.

"Officer Zhou, you have to bring justice for my brother. Since his disappearance, my sister-in-law has been in tears every day. My uncles and I are helpless. Our parents passed early, and my brother took care of me all along..."

As he spoke, Ning Zitao was already in tears.

Beside him, Aunt Zhang's eyes were red. At her age, she couldn't bear such tragic scenes; her heart was deeply moved.

But only Luo Fei kept staring at the person.

"Supervisor Ning, this is our Criminal Investigation Team's Officer Luo. He came with me to investigate this case. I hope you can cooperate sincerely."

"Officer Luo, nice to meet you. Whatever you need, I'll certainly help."

Ning Zitao eagerly stepped forward to shake hands, making Luo Fei frown momentarily but quickly recover.

Shortly after, Luo Fei glanced beyond the office.

"Supervisor Ning, where is your office located?"

"Uh, mine is on the corner of the second floor, the first room."

"Please take us there to have a look."

"Alright, Officer Luo, please follow me."

Ning Zitao led the way as they descended, with Luo Fei constantly watching him closely.

It wasn't possible to stare openly in front of him, as it would arouse suspicion, so he could only deduce from his back view to see if any flaws could be found.

Unfortunately, everything seemed normal, without any apparent issues.

Entering Ning Zitao's office, Luo Fei glanced around, getting a rough idea.

He looked at the items on the desk with a surprised expression.

Although they were characteristic, there wasn't much fault to find, demonstrating that the place was almost impeccable.

"Officer Zhou, ever since you left, I've been quite upset. My brother and those veteran employees in the factory had longstanding relationships, and now they're gone like this, it's tearing me up..."

Ning Zitao kept talking, while Zhou Fan had to keep comforting him, constantly mentioning Officer Luo.

The implicit hope was to reassure him, that Luo Fei's abilities were trustworthy.

Suddenly Luo Fei noticed a photograph on the wall.

There was only one photo of him and his brother Ning Zidong, clinking glasses at a gathering, smiling happily, and no other photos.

"Supervisor Ning, are you still single?"

"Uh, what?"

Ning Zitao was somewhat baffled, and Zhou Fan was even more stunned. What kind of question was that, delving into personal matters?

"Yes... yes, Officer Luo, is there a problem?"

"It's nothing, just casually asking."

Luo Fei smiled knowingly, then looked at Ning Zitao again.

"Supervisor Ning, how are your interpersonal relations usually? Of course, this is also for investigation purposes. Your brother's case is no small matter; we need to be thorough."

"Me..."

Ning Zitao hesitated for a moment.

"I usually don't have much interaction, not many friends. As a supervisor, I just need to be responsible for materials. Oftentimes, I travel alone or something, and in recent years I've taken a liking to fishing and occasionally go out."

Luo Fei smiled slightly, with a nascent idea in his mind, albeit immature, but ready for further probing.

"There are basically no problems now. Next, let's check out the main tank area and the chemical workshop. I also want to see the offices of those missing employees."

"Alright, everyone, follow me."

Ning Zitao led the way ahead, with Luo Fei and Zhou Fan trailing behind. On the way, some employees greeted Supervisor Ning, and he responded actively, suggesting good relations.

Suddenly, a maintenance worker from the technical department rushed over.

"Supervisor, there's some blockage in the pipeline, should we..."

"Just use the drain cleaner; you don't need to ask me. Keep an eye on discharge supervision, this isn't a small issue."

"I understand, but we've had this issue four times lately."

The maintenance worker rubbed his hands awkwardly.

"Maybe we should replace a section of the pipeline or lay it out afresh."

Ning Zitao's tone suddenly became stern.

"Are you paying, or am I paying? Stop giving me trouble..."

Noticing Luo Fei and Zhou Fan behind him, Ning Zitao immediately changed his tone.

"Let me tell you, this isn't a big deal. I'll handle it at the end of the year; you all just manage for a while longer."

"Alright then."

After the maintenance worker left, Ning Zitao turned back with a smile.

"Officers, sorry you had to see that..."

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