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墨書 Inktalez
Lin Mingchang continued, "So the next morning, Shen Tong and I went to the Yangzhou Police Station, where we found Captain Lin and shared our findings with him. Captain Lin promised us that he would thoroughly investigate your identity because none of us wanted to wrong an innocent person. Especially me; I truly hoped my suspicions were unfounded."
He paused, his gaze dimming as he looked at Chen Jiu'an. "We discussed the plan to draw out the snake from its hole, and then at noon, we went to your house as agreed, confronting you directly and revealing what we had discovered about the so-called French smuggling network."
"And you," Lin Mingchang fixed his eyes on Chen Jiu'an, "couldn't sit still. You initially claimed to have found nothing, but suddenly had new information about an important lead. Your underling just happened to stumble upon smuggling activities at the Canal dock in the northern part of the city last night."
"Jiu'an, do you know? Hearing you mention this news truly pained me," Lin Mingchang said with a bitter smile. "It solidified my suspicions. You've really changed; you're no longer that passionate and honest youth from before. You even seem willing to take action against me..."
Shen Tong sensed Lin Mingchang's struggle to contain his inner turmoil. She reached out and gently held his hand beneath the table.
After a moment, Lin Mingchang's voice returned to calmness. "After leaving your house, Shen Tong and I went back to inform Captain Lin about this news. We decided to play along and set up tonight's operation."
Just then, the door to the interrogation room swung open, and Captain Lin entered with a stack of documents in hand.
He had uncovered Chen Jiu'an's dual identity and found substantial evidence in his home—Chen Jiu'an had studied in France during his early years, where he befriended several French businessmen. Before graduating, he was recruited as their agent in China, officially becoming a French secret agent.
Upon returning to Yangzhou, he presented himself as a private detective working closely with the Police Station. In reality, he had been leveraging his social connections and detective persona to collaborate with a French trading company on smuggling operations.
Moreover, he was also involved in distributing arms and opium for the French trading company, conducting dirty underground transactions at the New World Dance Hall.
Captain Lin laid out the evidence piece by piece on the table; it was irrefutable. "Chen Jiu'an, the evidence is conclusive. Do you have anything else to say?"
Chen Jiu'an listened silently, clearly seeing the disappointment in Lin Mingchang's eyes. In truth, he had long been disillusioned with his own life. He had initially sought quick profits but had unwittingly become a pawn for the French. By the time he wished to turn back, there was no path left behind him.
One misstep led to another; he could no longer stand tall like Lin Mingchang under the sunlight.
With red-rimmed eyes, Chen Jiu'an looked at his former best friend Lin Mingchang and mouthed a silent apology: "I'm sorry."
But Lin Mingchang did not respond; he simply took Shen Tong's hand and walked straight out of the interrogation room.
In the following days, Yangzhou City was tumultuous.
The Yangzhou Police Station withstood pressure from all sides, especially from interventions by the French consulate. They conducted a night raid on both the New World Dance Hall and the French trading company, capturing several key figures involved in smuggling on-site and discovering large quantities of opium and arms hidden in the basement of the trading company—evidence that was indisputable.
For years, the people of Yangzhou had suffered under foreign influence and opium; thus, this operation sparked strong reactions among the citizens. Many gathered spontaneously in front of the Police Station to express their support.
Meanwhile, Lin Mingchang and Shen Tong prepared for their next journey; they had stayed in Yangzhou too long. Their next stop southward was Wuhan.
The day before their departure, Captain Lin hosted a farewell banquet for them.
To express gratitude to Lin Mingchang and Shen Tong for their tremendous support in this case, Captain Lin took the time to contact his old friend, Captain Lu Wei, at the Wuhan Police Station. He asked him to take good care of Lin Mingchang and Shen Tong, who would be staying briefly in Wuhan.
The next morning, Lin Mingchang and Shen Tong boarded the passenger ship Southward. The ship's horn sounded loudly, startling a flock of egrets by the shore. Looking back, the outline of Yangzhou City gradually faded away.
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