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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 93: Brothers in Trouble
"Any updates?"
The phone buzzed, and a text message appeared on Guan Yiqing's screen. She picked it up to check; it was a message from Shen Lingchen. He typed back: None for now.
She had replied to this message so many times that her phone had memorized it, suggesting the response with just a few keystrokes. She had lost count of how many times she had sent it. Every day, there were numerous messages like this one. The case had stalled and was being redeployed. Her task was to find information about Xiao Mu.
Not as an informant, but as a suspect.
From the Skynet permissions of her direct team, she could access surveillance cameras across most areas of the city. Qingchen Hotel, her home, and several entertainment venues were key monitoring points. Yet strangely, whether in Suzhou and Hangzhou or Binhai, there was no trace of Xiao Mu. This guy had vanished without a trace, even better than a suspect hiding.
Had something happened?
No way. Guan Yiqing didn’t know why she felt so certain about this. She thought it was possible he might have committed a crime, but absolutely impossible that something bad had happened to him. From the moment she started at the high-speed railway station until she found Song Lijuan's whereabouts, her opinion of this person had completely changed.
Previously, she thought he was just an uneducated rich kid; now it seemed he was a knowledgeable troublemaker. Aside from one normal aspect where he fell short compared to others, in every other regard, he appeared to be extraordinary.
Otherwise, how could he evade even Skynet? It didn’t make sense; it wasn’t just him but a whole group.
Guan Yiqing had seen that list; they were all key figures under Old Cripple He Shi, and now they had all disappeared along with Xiao Mu. No matter where these people were, they probably weren’t up to any good. She felt an uneasy worry creeping in…
………………
In Kang Garden Community, Guo Wei received the mass text message and wore a look of frustration as he put his phone away. He got out of the car and stood beside the police vehicle.
This was a special mission led by him to take Song Lijuan back home after she had spent a week in the hospital. Her arm had healed long ago, but her spirits likely wouldn’t recover so easily. Two female officers helped carry her luggage while Guo Wei opened the building door. The three of them entered the elevator and went upstairs.
Once they reached the door and entered, Song Lijuan sat down on the sofa looking haggard and said nothing.
"Due to the ongoing investigation regarding Pan Shuanglong, it is necessary for us to place you under residential surveillance. During this period, you are not allowed to leave the city without permission. If any situation arises, please inform the police to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings... Please sign here... Also, this document states that your room has been searched and no suspicious items were found. If nothing is missing, please acknowledge with your signature..."
Guo Wei laid out the two documents stamped by the police for Song Lijuan. Without even glancing at them, she casually signed her name. Guo Wei then asked her to write a statement: "After inspection, there are no missing items from my home."
After signing and providing her fingerprint, Guo Wei observed the woman before him, who appeared distressed and silent. He recalled how she had acted as a shield during Pan Shuanglong's arrest and felt a strange curiosity—how could someone like her refuse to speak ill of Pan Shuanglong?
"Song Lijuan, may I say something?" Guo Wei asked seriously.
What? Song Lijuan lifted her head, her beautiful features marred by a melancholic expression.
"I think you have misplaced your trust. Childhood sweethearts, mutual affection... and then in a crisis, he uses you as a shield?" Guo Wei questioned, his words making her face grow even darker.
He continued, "You are a government employee; he is unemployed. Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment. It's not worth sacrificing yourself for someone like him."
This statement finally elicited a reaction from Song Lijuan. Her eyelids twitched as she issued an eviction order, saying, "Officer, if you are not planning to stay at my house for surveillance, you can leave."
With no common ground for conversation, Guo Wei took a few glances at her before leaving with the two officers in frustration.
As he descended the stairs, he carefully placed the signed documents aside and headed straight to the forensic center. The handwriting needed further verification; he was beginning to doubt that this petty thief who stole luggage was in any way related to the mastermind behind the insurance safe robbery.
However, the truth was undeniable—the handwriting analysis results were consistent. Song Lijuan was indeed the woman renting in the neighborhood where Wang Zihua and Kang Zhuang had their belongings stolen, and her handwriting matched that of the aliases Li Xue and Li Ying...
……
There was nothing more for now.
Receiving this text message, Shen Lingchen stood at the entrance of the hospital. During a brief moment of respite, he inquired about the situation, only to be met with the same disappointing outcome: they could not locate the suspect. He had asked Xiao Mu for assistance, but now it seemed that while the suspect had been found, Xiao Mu was nowhere to be seen.
This failed capture had disrupted all plans, and it was certain that they had alerted the suspect. Capturing a vigilant criminal was entirely different from apprehending one who was unsuspecting; he couldn't help but worry about the next steps.
The only potential lead might come from Song Lijuan, but when and how that would happen remained uncertain. Moreover, Pan Shuanglong, who had been arrested, was not someone who would easily break under interrogation based on Shen Lingchen's experience.
Then, he emerged.
Escorted by four police officers and wearing handcuffs, Pan Shuanglong limped out of the inpatient department. He paid no mind to the strange looks directed at him; he carried himself like a dignitary on an outing, limping with an air of nonchalance while casting disdainful glances. The police officers resembled mere attendants as they escorted him into the police car.
A person with antisocial personality tendencies was difficult to interrogate.
From Shen Lingchen's perspective, individuals like him—who lived recklessly and treated imprisonment as a mere break—viewed theft and deception as a way of life. They felt no guilt for their crimes and experienced no fear of consequences. It was nearly impossible to deal with them unless there was irrefutable evidence; otherwise, they would deny everything vehemently.
The first interrogation after his transfer to the detention center confirmed Shen Lingchen's assessment. Among the four thieves arrested in Shenzhen-Hong Kong, none could definitively identify Pan Shuanglong. He scoffed at their claims: "You guys were so eager to catch me; who couldn't point fingers?"
When investigators urged him to be honest, Pan Shuanglong retorted without hesitation: "Hey, Comrade Police! You shot me down; what more do you want? Am I not being honest enough? Go ahead and shoot me again."
"Now tell me about your relationship with Song Lijuan." This question elicited an even quicker response from Pan Shuanglong: "Just a casual hookup; we did it for thirty minutes—don't say I'm not being honest! That's no exaggeration. Want details? There was foreplay for twenty minutes..."
Listening from the adjacent room, Shen Lingchen slowly walked away. He knew that nothing substantial would come from this.
This was merely scratching the surface of the iceberg; removing this part wouldn't significantly damage the whole structure—it was far from enough to sink it.
As he left the detention center, he thought again of Xiao Mu. After days of searching without results, he couldn't imagine where that ragtag group might be hiding. It seemed urgent to find him quickly; these individuals would soon be released, and typically in such cases, those who weren't caught became prime suspects—like Xiao Mu.
Before making an appearance, he had to prepare himself. He drove back to the city, racking his brain to figure out why he couldn't think of a reasonable place to go.
At that moment, Xiao Mu was parked in the parking lot of the Seaside Tower Hotel in Binhai City. He was driving Lezi's car, and Lezi was in the co-driver's seat, watching a video on his phone. Suddenly, he let out a sound of disgust and felt nauseous.
In the video, a kitchen helper was sorting through leftover food. They picked out dishes that hadn’t been touched and separated those that still looked presentable. The most disgusting part was the Nima Cold Dish, which had been rinsed and re-plated, looking fresh and appealing again. Watching it made Lezi feel sick to his stomach as he clutched his chest and exclaimed, "Damn it, this makes me not want to eat out anymore... Hey, how did you guys manage to film something so secretive?"
Xiao Mu smiled without answering, while a couple in the backseat chimed in. Big Gourd spoke up, "What's so difficult about it? Our brothers have already infiltrated all the restaurants."
"Really? That sounds too bold," Lezi replied skeptically.
"They're all graduates from culinary school, willing to work for low wages and not afraid of getting dirty. Restaurants are eager to hire them," Erhu Lu added.
Those guys had found better opportunities and were sent by Wood Master to act as undercover agents in various restaurants, bringing back plenty of industry secrets.
Lezi glanced at Xiao Mu, feeling a bit anxious. Xiao Mu looked back at him with a smile and teasingly asked, "What are you thinking?"
"Little brother has grown black hair; he's definitely impressive... amazing," Lezi said in surprise. Who would dare to film such things? They would get beaten up badly.
"Next, how about you, as the boss of this film company, step in? It's simple: either they buy this footage from us or we sell it to someone else... We won’t ask for much—five thousand or maybe fifteen thousand—into the Press account. We’ll take our cut; it’s not free money. We’ll sell them a quarter-page advertisement. What do you think?" Xiao Mu suggested.
He had come up with two plans: either extortion or indirect extortion.
"Damn it, they're at it again," Small Gourd and Big Gourd excitedly stretched their necks, eager to go, only to be slapped back by Xiao Mu. The two instinctively felt that this might not end well. Who would have thought that Lezi would lament, "This is a fair price; it's too low... It should be at least fifty thousand. Why give it to Press when we could keep it all for ourselves?"
"Damn, someone tougher than Wood Master has come along," Small Gourd was stunned, excitement overwhelming him. What did a deal worth fifty thousand even mean? They already had dozens of these in hand, and the thought of the money made them feel like they were reaching a climax of happiness.
"Go on, find their boss. Congratulations, you're about to be the first one to take the plunge," Xiao Mu urged.
"Hey..." Lezi responded and opened the door, but suddenly turned back to stare at Xiao Mu. Xiao Mu asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
"You're not trying to set me up against Young Master Su, are you?" Lezi said cautiously. Based on his experience dealing with Xiao Mu, he knew that good deals rarely came his way.
Xiao Mu chuckled and replied, "It's obvious; do I need to set you up? I wasn't planning on bringing you into this anyway; I was going alone."
As he prepared to leave, Lezi couldn't let that happen. He tucked his phone away and shook his head. "I'll go. My dad has been a shady businessman for years; I can handle this without screwing anyone over. You underestimate Young Master Su... Just wait; once I get the money, I'll take Brothers out for a good time."
With that, he strode confidently inside.
After a while, Xiao Mu started the car. Big Gourd asked, "Hey, aren't we waiting for Lezi?"
"Heh heh, Lezi is too greedy; he won't come out through the front door," Xiao Mu said as if he already anticipated the outcome.
...
For Su Rongle, who had never really worried about money before, this blatant extortion was a first. He followed Xiao Mu's advice and kept reassuring himself: This is business; this is business... With a noble purpose of purifying the food market and caring for public health, he was bravely fighting against unscrupulous merchants.
As he pondered, his confidence grew. Yes, those unscrupulous merchants, I wouldn't feel sorry no matter how much they gouged me.
Lost in thought, he ascended to the third floor. Once upstairs, he slammed his hand on the table, letting his temper show. He shouted at the waiter, "Get your manager over here and tell him Press is looking for him. If he doesn't come out in three minutes, he'll face the consequences."
Having someone else's leverage felt powerful. The waiter, startled by the man with a narrow forehead and a scruffy Beard, who looked like an artist, hurried off to find the manager. Moments later, a middle-aged man emerged, stockier than the artist. He sat down unceremoniously in front of him, glared a few times, and asked, "I'm here. Who are you?"
"Don't worry about who I am. Judging by your expression, I think you'll be very interested in what I have." The artist confidently tossed out his phone.
The man browsed through it, watching the footage with an impassive expression. He then instructed the waiter, "Go get Head Chef and everyone working in the kitchen to come up to the third floor."
"It's too late; our informant has already left," the artist said smugly.
"Oh, I Understood. You want something in return?" The man smiled.
"Can we not be so blunt? I'm here with a noble purpose of purifying the food market and caring for public health. To be honest, I absolutely despise unscrupulous merchants like you. How could you possibly sell leftover food again? It's outrageous." The artist spoke passionately, feeling nauseous just recalling the scene.
The man slammed his phone on the table and asked directly, "Cut the nonsense. How much do you want?"
"Five..." The artist extended his hand but then changed his mind mid-sentence and shouted, "Fifty thousand! If it's less than that, I'll expose you."
"Fine, but how can I trust you won't keep coming back to extort me?" The man asked warily but calmly.
"I'm an honest person. Just this once; pay me and I'll give it to you." The artist replied, already accustomed to such straightforward transactions—like stuffing a stack of cash into a KTV girl's hands just for fun.
Look at him—grinning foolishly with his mouth half-open and his oddly shaped head—this made the man slowly start to smile as well.
Moments later, a group of chefs rushed in, about a dozen of them. The man threw his phone to the leader and said, "You all have no eyes! You let someone walk away with our stuff. I'm not paying for this. You handle it; don’t let this happen again... Hey, kid, you know who runs this restaurant?"
Upon hearing this, Lezi was so frightened that he dove under the table. The chefs chased after him, trying to drag him out. In a panic, Lezi overturned a table and crawled on the ground, scrambling towards the railing. He tried to slide down but realized he couldn't escape; there were too many people—those above were chasing him while those below blocked his way, like catching a pig in an alley, forcing him into the kitchen.
All that could be heard were loud thuds and cries of distress. Just as the chaos escalated with shouts and the blaring of police sirens, the chefs finally stopped their assault. Someone grabbed him and pulled him out through the back door, throwing him outside with a thud. "Damn it! Try causing trouble again, and I'll make sure you can't take care of yourself!"
Bang... The door slammed shut.
Huh? The police sirens were blaring at the front, but there was no one around?
Lezi slowly lifted his head from where he had fallen at the back door and propped himself up. Oh, Small Gourd and Big Gourd were looking at him sympathetically.
"Hey, Lezi, are you alright?" Big Gourd asked with concern.
"This is too much! They beat Lezi up like this?" Erhu Lu said with pity.
The two chimed in together, praising Lezi for being tough enough to withstand such a beating; surprisingly, he wasn’t broken or incapacitated and could still walk.
Lezi knew these two fools weren’t very bright. Ignoring the pain, he limped to the car quickly. Xiao Mu drove off in a hurry. After they had escaped quite a distance, Lezi finally calmed down enough to ask the two gourds, "Hey, how did you know I was thrown out through the back door?"
"Wood Master told us that you couldn't get out through the front," Big Gourd replied.
"Good thing Wood Master set off an audio alarm; otherwise, you would have been in real trouble," Erhu Lu chuckled.
Lezi's anger flared up as he stood up to grab Xiao Mu by the collar. "You did this on purpose, didn’t you? Look at what they did to me! How am I supposed to face anyone now? How am I going to pick up girls? If my dad sees me like this, he'll kill me!"
With a screech of tires, Xiao Mu quickly said, "This is your problem. I told you five thousand, but you want fifty thousand. How can they not beat you?"
The script had changed unexpectedly, and while there was no complaint about the amusement, the pain on his face made it hard to swallow his anger. Just as he was about to explode, Xiao Mu hurriedly added, "Don't rush, don't rush... The time to make money has come. If they don't slap you, you won't have the chance to crush them. Do you want to make a name for yourself? Do you want to rake in some cash? This is a golden opportunity; they’ve recorded the beating. Just demand the money based on that."
At this point, Lezi paused for a moment, as if he understood.
"Let's go and get justice from Lezi." Xiao Mu casually grabbed the button camera from Lezi's chest and started the car. He meticulously instructed Lezi on how to turn the tables; there was no issue with that. With a bruised face and blood in his mouth, Lezi wasn't just about getting back at them—he could even stab someone if it came to that.
Soon enough, the disgusting video from the restaurant began to spread rapidly through Lezi's circle of friends... It wasn't fake; it was positive energy exposing the dark side.
Within just a few hours, Seaview Tower's reputation had plummeted. By the time customers were expected, the place was deserted—there wasn't a single guest in sight. At this point, the manager realized they might have made a mistake. However, the man who had given the orders looked so disreputable that he hardly seemed like someone of importance; he thought it was just some petty thugs causing trouble and believed that scaring them would suffice.
But this establishment had always been a designated reception unit for the District Government; they weren't just petty criminals. Were they really afraid? What if things escalated endlessly?
It wasn't until nightfall without any customers that he sensed something was wrong. The manager who had ordered the beating was confronted by Boss Xue Mingtang, who rushed in and slapped him across the face while shouting, "What the hell have you done to make me famous nationwide?"
Is it true?
Yes, at least Binhai had gained notoriety. Some waitstaff and chefs had seen news on their phones; those who usually dug into celebrity scandals and political affairs had switched gears today and were pushing news about Seaview Tower’s leftover food into headlines.
A restaurant could be ruined by a small oversight; today truly was a disaster. Boss Xue was trying to find out who had been beaten when police cars arrived to start making arrests—personally led by a deputy director from Branch. Normally friendly with each other, today he was cold and indifferent as he took away the chef who had assaulted Lezi along with several others, including the manager.
As people were taken away, Boss Xue panicked. He chased after Deputy Director Qi from Branch pleading, "Qi Bureau, what’s going on? I still don’t understand!"
"You're such a damn swindler. How much entertainment expense did we put on your account in the past few years? And this is what you give the leaders?" the officer muttered angrily.
"No, no, no, I would never dare to give that to the leaders," the Boss quickly defended himself.
"Then you can't give it to anyone else either," Qi Bureau interjected, catching on to the conversation with disgust. "Take them all away. This is outrageous—a bunch of Masters pretending to be part of the Black Society."
The manager panicked, not expecting such a dire outcome. He shouted, "Qi Bureau, it's really not our fault! He came to us and extorted fifty thousand from us!"
"Have some decency. Don't bite like a rabid dog; do you even know who you're attacking? The Real Estate Developer's son, Su Jiabao. His money could demolish your restaurant. Who would believe you were extorted?" Qi Bureau replied bluntly.
As they were being taken away in the police car, the Boss rushed out. Just before getting in, Qi Bureau turned back, startling Xue Boss. The look on his face suggested he wanted to say something, but given the circumstances, even basic sympathy was out of the question. Qi Bureau waved his hand dismissively and said:
"Old Xue, close the door. With what you've done, it's a miracle if anyone speaks up for you."
The Boss sighed deeply, feeling frustrated as he squatted down and tugged at his hair. Soon after, the once-bright Seaside Tower Hotel was plunged into darkness as it closed its doors for good.
The news of the Seaside Tower Hotel shutting down within a day spread rapidly throughout the city. Those who knew the details scoffed at it, and not a single person felt sympathy...
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