The two men came together to a screen about sixteen inches wide. The image playing on it was a scene from late last night, and it appeared the celebration was still ongoing.
At that moment, Cao Baming and Wu Xue were sitting together, eating and chatting. This was likely before the dishes made by the top sixty international chefs had all been served, and it was also some time before Cao Baming last checked his phone – about an hour or two prior.
Why would the detective want to show him footage from this period? His phone was safely in his pocket then, and there hadn't been any problems.
Just then, a plainly dressed young girl walked slowly into the frame. She looked very young. Although she was a college student working part-time and likely in her early twenties, her petite build and face made her appear like a middle school student who hadn't fully developed.
The detective pointed at the girl on the screen, and both their eyes fixed on her.
Cao Baming naturally knew this was the part-time student he had personally hired to clean up. He had already transferred her $2,000 for the night's work. In the video, she was just going through the usual motions, wiping up spilled drinks, clearing away empty plates after the meal, and then leaving.
She seemed quite efficient. Cao Baming actually had a slight impression of her because she was not only good-looking but also proactive and never dawdled, leaving a strong impression that made her hard to ignore.
Watching her move about, Cao Baming became increasingly curious. What exactly did the detective want him to see?
At that moment, the video shifted to another time. This time, it was the same girl coming to clean the table occupied by Cao Baming and Wu Xue.
There was only an empty plate left on the table, from the meal they had just finished.
After watching three videos in succession, the detective finally spoke.
"Do you find anything suspicious about this girl?"
Hearing this, Cao Baming turned his gaze back to the screen. The video was still playing footage from last night, and it was now approaching the time when he last saw his phone.
He leaned closer, looking carefully. He watched several times but still couldn't find anything suspicious in the video.
"Let me give you some data. This girl worked for a total of four hours last night. During these four hours, she was in the vicinity of your gathering. However, she approached your specific table one-third of the total number of times."
Cao Baming's eyes flashed, and he became suddenly alert.
"Initially, I considered that your work might involve unique groupings or divisions of labor for each staff member. But this idea was quickly dismissed."
"Because, after interviewing several staff members, I learned that you didn't assign them any special tasks, nor did they have any internal divisions. Moreover, the entire team didn't know each other; most of them were meeting for the first time."
"And through analyzing these surveillance clips, I found that she appears to be the only one behaving abnormally. No issues were found with anyone else..."
Hearing this, Cao Baming understood. Thinking back, his strong impression of this girl last night might not have been solely due to her outstanding appearance and efficient work style, but simply because he saw her too often.
Just then, Wu Xue also walked over. The two of them had been together for about eighty percent of the time last night. Cao Baming pointed to the girl's face on the screen and asked Wu Xue again.
As expected, Wu Xue's answer was the same. Although the video quality was blurry, making it almost impossible to distinguish features, Wu Xue recognized her from the image alone.
They had seen this girl coming to their table to clear dishes repeatedly last night. The frequency was indeed much higher than for other staff members, but for some reason, they hadn't paid much attention.
The video continued to play. The detective then presented the second clip for them to watch. In this footage, a key situation emerged.
Looking at the timestamp in the lower-left corner of the video, it was already past the time Cao Baming remembered last looking at his phone. Most people had finished eating by then, and he and Wu Xue were preparing to leave their seats.
Seeing the leftover cake boxes and plates on the table, Cao Baming instantly understood what he needed to pay attention to.
Just then, a familiar figure walked in from the lower-left corner of the screen. This figure was none other than the student they had been discussing.
The detective continued, "This is the second suspicious point. Before this scene, she hadn't come near your table for twenty-five consecutive minutes. This is highly unusual, and more importantly, she didn't go to anyone else's table."
"Slacking off? I don't think so!"
"So, what might she have been doing during this time? Twenty-five minutes is probably more than enough for any activity."
Cao Baming pondered carefully, considering if there were any other suspicious details.
He recalled a detail: the staff were required to wear a uniform silver brooch. However, the girl initially wasn't wearing it, but later added it.
At the time, this hadn't seemed suspicious at all. As a part-time student doing this job for what might have been the first time, forgetting small details was entirely understandable and common.
But what was truly suspicious was later, when he vaguely remembered the girl seeming to take the brooch off again.
Why this repeated behavior? It made one curious.
Just then, on the screen, Cao Baming saw a shocking scene. During this latest cleaning, she accidentally knocked over a glass with half a glass of cocktail onto the table.