I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

Chapter 368 Beautiful Trap

One evening, the newspaper office had fallen silent, as most of the reporters had left their shift. Zhang Wanqing was sorting through the day's manuscripts, while Fu Siyuan and Li Wei were discussing the next topic. Just then, the office door gently opened, and a well-dressed, elegant woman walked in.

"Hello, I'm Zhang Wanqing. How can I help you?" Zhang Wanqing stood up and asked.

The woman smiled slightly, a hint of fatigue in her eyes. "I'm Kesi. I came to you because I've encountered a very difficult problem. I heard that you, the Iron Trio, are very powerful. I wonder if you can help me."

Fu Siyuan and Li Wei also came over, and the three of them sat around the desk, listening to Kexi tell her story.

Keshi is a renowned designer known for her high-end custom clothing. She recently received a large order from a mysterious wealthy businessman who wanted a batch of custom clothing for an important event. However, after delivering the first batch of finished goods, the businessman suddenly disappeared. Not only did he not pay the balance, he also left behind numerous forged transfer records and fraudulent contracts.

"I suspect I've been scammed," Keshi said helplessly. "I've already called the police, but they said there's insufficient evidence and it's difficult to file a case. I'm at my wit's end, so I'd like to ask for your help."

Fu Siyuan and Li Wei looked at each other and decided to take over. No matter whether the case was big or small, it was an exercise for Zhang Wanqing.

Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, and Li Wei sat in the newspaper's conference room, facing all the documents Ke Xi had brought: contracts, transfer records, chat screenshots, and emails between her and the mysterious businessman Zhao Xin. These documents piled together like a tangled mess, and they needed to find the key to unlocking the truth.

Fu Siyuan picked up a contract and carefully read it. His eyes were focused and sharp, as if he could see through the paper to the truth behind it. As a veteran journalist, he was well aware of the importance of background checks.

He said softly, "Wanqing, please contact the industrial and commercial department and check the registration information of all companies under Zhao Xin's name. I will use some industry channels to see if I can find more information about him."

Zhang Wanqing nodded, immediately stood up, picked up her phone, and called the Administration for Industry and Commerce. As she spoke, she quickly wrote down a note in her notebook. The agent explained that Zhao Xin did have several companies under his name, but most of them were registered in shared office spaces in office buildings, and their registered capital was abnormally inflated.

"Most of these companies are shell companies." Zhang Wanqing frowned and said after hanging up the phone, "It seems that Zhao Xin's background is not simple."

Fu Siyuan nodded, his eyes more determined. "I have some information here too. Zhao Xin is indeed somewhat well-known in the business world, but he seems to rarely show up in person. He mostly handles matters through middlemen or agents. His companies are involved in a wide range of industries, from finance to trade, and even film and television investment, but each company seems to be changing its business scope frequently like a revolving lantern."

"That's suspicious," Li Wei interjected. "This kind of corporate structure could easily be used for money laundering or fraud."

Li Wei, the action-oriented of the three, picked up a transfer record, a sharp glint in his eyes. As a former police officer, he had extensive experience investigating financial crimes.

"Wanqing, go contact the bank and see if you can trace the flow of these funds. I will find some old friends to see if I can find some clues from the perspective of financial supervision." Li Wei said.

Zhang Wanqing immediately called the bank, but they said that due to privacy and cross-border funding issues, they would need more formalities and time to assist with the investigation. After hanging up, Zhang Wanqing said somewhat frustratedly, "The bank said the funds were very complex and that some had already been transferred to overseas accounts, making them difficult to track."

"I will contact some friends in the Financial Regulatory Bureau to see if I can find some records of violations. In this kind of fraud case, the flow of funds is the key. As long as we find the final destination of the funds, we can find the mastermind behind it." Li Wei added.

Zhang Wanqing was in charge of interviewing Kexi's employees and partners, hoping to get more clues from them. She arrived at Kexi's studio and saw a busy group of employees preparing for the upcoming fashion show. Kexi's assistant, Xiao Liu, saw Zhang Wanqing and immediately came over to greet her: "Reporter Zhang, Sister Kexi is waiting for you in the office."

Zhang Wanqing walked into the office. Ke Xi was sitting at her desk, a look of fatigue in her eyes. Seeing Zhang Wanqing come in, she forced a smile and said, "Wanqing, thank you for your hard work. I've asked all the employees, and they all said that Zhao Xin rarely comes to the studio in person. Most of the communication is through email or phone."

Zhang Wanqing nodded, picked up the notebook on the table, and began to take notes: "Did you notice anything unusual? For example, did he mention any special people, or have any strange requests?"

Ke Xi thought for a moment and suddenly said, "Oh, right, when Zhao Xin was working with us, he mentioned a middleman named Zhou Yi. He said that Zhou Yi introduced him to me and that Zhou Yi was an old friend of his."

"Zhou Yi?" Zhang Wanqing paused. "That name sounds familiar. Who is he?"

Ke Xi shook his head: "I'm not too sure. Zhao Xin just said that Zhou Yi is his partner. I don't know what he does specifically."

A flash of inspiration struck Zhang Wanqing's mind. She immediately stood up and said to Kexi, "Sister Kexi, don't worry. I will investigate this Zhou Yi. Don't worry."

After returning to the newspaper office, Zhang Wanqing immediately began researching Zhou Yi's background. She turned on her computer, typed in Zhou Yi's name, and began searching for relevant information. Search results popped up one after another, but most of them were irrelevant. Zhang Wanqing didn't give up, carefully sifting through every clue, trying to find useful information.

At this moment, Fu Siyuan came over and saw Zhang Wanqing's focused look. He asked softly, "Did you find anything?"

Zhang Wanqing shook her head. "Not yet, but I think there's definitely something fishy about Zhou Yi. The fact that Zhao Xin found Ke Xi through him suggests he may have played a key role in this fraud case."

Fu Siyuan nodded and said, "I've also found some clues about Zhao Xin. Most of the companies under his name are shell companies, and the source of his funds is also very suspicious. I suspect he is just a puppet, and there may be a bigger mastermind behind him."

"Then what should we do?" Zhang Wanqing asked.

Fu Siyuan pondered for a moment and said, "We need to find Zhou Yi and find a breakthrough from him. Wanqing, you continue to check his background. I will contact some people in the industry to see if we can find his whereabouts."

Zhang Wanqing nodded and returned to the search. She knew that although this wasn't a major case compared to the ones Fu Siyuan and his team had solved before, it was still a test for her. The truth of each case was like a fog, and they needed to find the thread that could cut through the fog.