Chapter 14

Wu Haoyu's POV: 

As I sat in the backseat of the car, waiting for my sister, my eyes were drawn once again to that confident, chubby-faced girl walking by. This was the third time I had noticed her, and I couldn't help but feel intrigued by her carefree demeanor and infectious smile. There was something about her that captivated my attention.

My assistant, Yang Xiang, interrupted my thoughts with some troubling news. "Sir, we've just received word that the man, Wang Lei, was shot and killed at his apartment about an hour ago."

I frowned, piecing together the implications. "This means he knew exactly who he had sold the baby to. Someone was trying to silence him."

Yang Xiang nodded. "Maybe we should try to find out who he last contacted. That could give us a lead."

"Good idea," I replied. "Call Captain Bo for me. I need to get my hands on Wang Lei's phone."

After a few rings, the captain answered. "Yes, who is this?"

"It's Wu Haoyu," I stated. "I need you to do something for me."

"Of course, young Master Wu, anything," the captain eagerly responded. I could practically hear the anticipation in his voice.

"Wang Lei was found shot in his apartment," I explained. "I need you to give me his phone. I need to go through it for my investigation."

There was a brief pause. "But, sir, it's part of the evidence..."

"I'll return it as soon as I'm done with it," I assured him. "And I'll be sure to send an appreciation note your way."

The captain's hesitation quickly evaporated. "Absolutely, no problem at all. I'll have it delivered to you right away."

As I ended the call, I couldn't help but shake my head. It was amazing how easily these government officials could be swayed by the prospect of a little extra compensation. But in this case, it would work to my advantage as I delved deeper into the mystery surrounding the baby's sale.

Here's the continuation from Wu Haoyu's perspective:

Wu Ling came into the car as soon as I finished the call, dragging her feet and obviously irritated that I had brought her here. "Brother, this school is boring. Can we just go back?" she whined.

I stared at her coldly and replied, "So that you can gallivant with those good-for-nothings you call friends? If I hear one more complaint coming out of that mouth, you'll be off to military school before the day ends. Do you understand?"

She opened and closed her mouth a few times but eventually remained quiet, taking out her phone and browsing. We first dropped her off at the villa we were residing in, then I went straight to the police station.

When we arrived, Captain Bo was already waiting for us. "Afternoon, Master Wu. Nice to finally meet you," he said, a hint of excitement in his voice.

"Hmm, where is it?" I asked, cutting straight to the chase.

He handed me a sealed evidence bag with two phones - an older smartphone model and a burner phone. "What exactly are you looking for?" he inquired.

I glared at him, and he quickly added, "Sorry, it's none of my business."

We left the police station and went to sit at a nearby restaurant. I called my friend Lui Bin, a tech genius. "Hello," he answered.

"Lui Bin, I need your urgent help," I said.

"Sure, what is it?" he replied.

"I'll send you three numbers. I want you to check who they belong to," I instructed.

"No problem, that's an easy task. It'll take me 10 minutes tops," Lui Bin assured me.

I hung up and then texted him the last three dialed numbers on the burner phone. As we waited, Yang Xiang spoke up, "What will happen when you find out who it is?"

I sighed and said, "I will first need DNA confirmation, and to get that, I will need to contact Grandpa Huang."

After about 15 minutes, my phone rang, and Lui Bin said, "One of the numbers belongs to a man called Song Jun, another to a man called Pin Xiaofeng, and another to a woman called Chen Xinyi."

I nodded, processing the information. "Can you get me everything you can find on Chen Xinyi in an hour?" I requested.

"Consider it done," Lui Bin replied, and we ended the call.

This was an intriguing development. Chen Xinyi seemed to have some connection to the burner phone and, potentially, the missing baby case. I needed to delve deeper into her background and activities to see if she was involved in this sinister web of deceit.

Lui Bin's voice came through the phone, laced with excitement. "You owe me for this, my friend."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know. You can have that sports car you've always wanted." 

He let out a gleeful scream. "Well, in that case, give me 30 minutes."

The call abruptly ended, and I knew Lui Bin would pull out all the stops to gather the information I needed. He had been eyeing that sports car for years, and if that's what it took to get him to work quickly, then so be it.

True to his word, exactly 30 minutes later, a PDF file popped up on my WeChat. As I began scanning the details, a sense of realization washed over me. This woman, Chen Xinyi, was the one I was looking for - the one who had purchased the missing baby.

The information was clear. Chen Xinyi was born in a rough neighborhood, but through marriage, she had integrated into the elite circles of Wuhan society. She had two daughters, and if my calculations were correct, her firstborn, Song Yanyan, was the very baby that had been sold.

I took a deep breath before dialing my grandfather's number. When he picked up, I could hear the anticipation in his voice.

"Wu Haoyu, any new information?" he asked.

"Well, Grandpa, I think I've found your old friend's granddaughter," I said, bracing myself for his reaction.

There was a brief pause, and then he spoke, his voice thick with emotion. "This is great news. Now he can die in peace, knowing that even though he didn't make things right with his daughter, at least he can meet his grandchild."

I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. "Yes, well, I'll need DNA confirmation before I can confront the family."

"Yes, yes, I understand," my grandfather replied. "I'll talk to Huang Jiang about this. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to provide a sample. But how will you get the girl's sample?"

I sighed, realizing I hadn't thought that part through. "That's a good question, Grandpa. I suppose I'll have to tell the girl the truth and hope she's willing to cooperate."

"That's the best approach," he said. "I'm sure she won't mind doing the test if she knows the importance of it."

"I'll see what I can do, Grandpa," I said, my mind already whirring with a plan.

After hanging up, I turned to Yang Xiang, who had been diligently working on gathering more information. "I need your help with something. I need to confirm the DNA before I can confront the family."

Yang Xiang nodded. "What do you need me to do, sir?"

"I need to get a DNA sample from the girl, but I don't want to scare her off. Can you find a way to discreetly obtain it without raising any suspicions?" I asked, already knowing he would rise to the challenge.

Yang Xiang spoke up, a mischievous gleam in his eye. "Leave it to me, sir. I'll figure out a way to get that sample without her even knowing."

I nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. "Excellent. I'll leave it in your capable hands. In the meantime, keep digging into the Song family. I want to know everything about them, down to the last detail."

As the man set off to carry out his tasks, I couldn't help but feel a surge of hope. If my hunch was correct, and this girl was indeed the missing link, then I was one step closer to unraveling the truth and bringing justice to those who had been wronged.

The anticipation was palpable, and I couldn't wait to see what the DNA results would reveal. This could be the breakthrough I had been searching for, the key to unlocking the dark secrets that had been buried for far too long.

With a renewed sense of purpose, I headed back to the villa, already mentally preparing for the confrontation that was to come. Whatever happened next, I was determined to see this through to the end, no matter the cost.