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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 99: Escape from Death
The sound of iron doors creaking open echoed through the Su Hang Second Detention Center.
Dressed in somewhat dull clothing, but with a cheerful demeanor, Ma Yubing followed the footsteps of the Discipline officer, stepping out calmly. As he passed by each cell, inmates knocked on the windows and doors to bid him farewell, their faces visible through the small food slots.
Ma Yubing occasionally waved back. After exiting the prison and entering the security area, he was searched and had his personal belongings returned. He calmly put on his watch and stuffed his wallet into his pocket. As Ma Yubing stepped through the last iron door, he was met by two police officers, their eyes bloodshot and teeth gritted in anticipation.
"Hey, Captain Chen, how have you been?"
Ma Yubing greeted with a smile. The officer was none other than Captain Chen of the Criminal Investigation Team Five from the western district, an old rival who had been behind many of his previous arrests.
The detective grabbed him and shoved him against the car door, glaring at him with bloodshot eyes. His voice came out low and menacing, almost grinding through clenched teeth: "Widow Ma, if you have any guts, don’t let me catch you again."
"Oh, come on! You’ve already caught me, haven’t you?" Ma Yubing replied feigning fear.
"Xu Gang wanted me to pass a message to you," another officer suddenly interjected.
Ma Yubing immediately understood what was happening and smiled as he asked, "Oh really?"
"Yeah, it seems you care about him quite a bit. He wanted me to tell you that he’s waiting for you downstairs," Captain Chen said with a fierce expression. He grabbed Ma Yubing again but then let go, patting down his clothes.
This was definitely not a friendly gesture; it was clear that Captain Chen wished he could strangle him instead. Ma Yubing suppressed his smile and said, "Captain Chen, that’s a bit beneath you. If your skills aren’t up to par, you can’t just rely on intimidation."
"Ha ha, you're something else... Fine, I'll spend my whole life dealing with you." Captain Chen pulled Ma Yubing aside, got into the car, and drove off in a furious cloud of smoke.
Ma Yubing spat on the ground, watching the car disappear into the distance.
He strolled along, and not far away, a somewhat shabby old car pulled up beside him. The woman driving rolled down the window and asked, "Sir, need a ride?"
He smiled, opened the door, and got in. Mao Shiping was already seated inside and immediately said, "Chen Shaoyang has gone crazy; he really made my life miserable in there."
"He wasn't crazy when he was messing with you; he probably just lost it today," Ma Yubing replied with a chuckle.
The driver was Red Sister, who remained silent. Mao Shiping pondered the implications and sighed, "We were indeed a bit Zhang Quan. If Brother Five hadn't warned us, we might have really been done for... Old Horse, how long has that informant been around you?"
"I couldn't have known. Black Steel is already a second-rate player; he seemed politically sound. Who would have thought he was in cahoots with the police?" Ma Yubing said angrily.
All of this stemmed from Black Steel Xu Gang, the traitor who sold information to the police, causing significant damage to their underground organization. Mourning Hair fumed, "Because of your stupidity, all the hard work I've put into building this business is ruined."
"Xiao Hong, how many did they catch outside?" Ma Yubing asked. Those low-level thugs weren't worth much but were still necessary.
"Would you believe me if I said none got caught?" Red Sister casually replied as she drove.
"That can't be true," Mourning Hair exclaimed in shock.
"That's the fact; the business is gone, but everyone is still intact—all taken by Young Master Mu to Binhai," Red Sister said with a smile as she briefly recounted what had happened afterward, leaving Ma Yubing and Mao Shiping utterly speechless.
One of them muttered, "Damn, what a talent."
"Another thing, I must say, it's been hundreds of years since I've encountered such a prodigy."
After a moment, both of them reacted simultaneously and blurted out, "There won't be any problems, right?"
In a situation like this, there should be no eggs left under the nest; when the tree falls, the monkeys don't scatter, making it hard to accept.
Red Sister softly remarked that she had already been taken away last night, her voice barely audible. The two fell silent, as if mourning.
Being caught by the police is bad enough, but being caught by one's own people could be even worse. In the Underworld, it is better to mistakenly kill than to let someone go. That mysterious figure behind the scenes likely operates in ways that even Ma Yubing and Mao Shiping cannot fathom.
"Let fate decide; I actually like this kid a bit," Red Sister said.
"Brother Five's judgment is never wrong; he has saved us more than once," Ma Yubing hesitated to say. Escaping with their lives was already a stroke of luck; they couldn't think of anything else.
"I also have a bit of fondness for that kid. It shouldn't be him; he hasn't been here long enough to deserve this."
Mao Shiping spoke up in defense, his words heavy with regret.
As the car drove further away, two unleashed ferocious tigers swaggered under the watchful eyes of the police…
...
...
"The person has been released."
Squad Leader Xiao Zhuoli furrowed his brow, the lines on his forehead forming a "川" shape as he spoke through gritted teeth.
Shen Lingchen, who was drawing a triangular position on the map, glanced up. The surveillance connection from Suzhou and Hangzhou's Field Duty had already come through. The only thing that could be confirmed was that Old Cripple's subordinate, the Red Sister, seemed to hold a significant position; she was the one handling the arrivals this morning.
There was no need to investigate further. Fighting, theft, prostitution, and organizing prostitution—this Red Sister named Xue Xiaohong had a criminal record that was anything but ordinary.
Shen Lingchen lowered his head again and ultimately marked an "X" with his pencil, asking Xiao Zhuoli: "This should be the spot, right?"
Xiao Zhuoli looked at it and nodded. "About right. The Signal disappeared here at 1:20 AM last night."
Nineteen kilometers from the coast, starting from the Seaside Dock, Shen Lingchen pondered aloud. This tactic was impressive; knowing the exact location meant that rescue would be too late. They could have done it directly in the Sea, and without counter-surveillance measures, finding any remains would be nearly impossible.
"It might just be a false alarm," Xiao Zhuoli said uncertainly.
"Absolutely not," Shen Lingchen replied. He didn't elaborate further; even Xiao Mu's phone Signal had vanished. At this moment, both he and the hurriedly arrived Xiao Zhuoli shared the same anxious feelings.
Feeling lost, Xiao Zhuoli asked Shen Lingchen: "Old Shen, you're familiar with this area in Binhai. Can you organize a search?"
"My dear brother, what are you thinking? The coastline stretches for hundreds of kilometers, with ports handling hundreds of thousands of tons daily. Do you really think you know how high the transparency of the polluted nearshore waters is? Bringing out all of Binhai Coastal Patrol Team would barely scratch the surface," Shen Lingchen listed a series of difficulties. These were precisely the advantages that a perpetrator could exploit, making anyone trying to find clues feel daunted.
Because of this, when he heard Squad Leader Xiao Zhuoli slam his palm down heavily and let out a deep sigh, he understood.
After a long pause, Shen Lingchen cautiously asked: "Xiao Zhi, whose informant is Xu Gang?"
This person was somewhat special; having been imprisoned twice for theft and rape made choosing him as an informant troubling for Shen Lingchen. Xiao Zhuoli nodded and replied: "He was a Prison Informant in Su Bei Prison. After being released, I don't know what kind of leverage he has over the captain of the Criminal Investigation Team Five, Chen Shaoyang. He managed to get close to Ma Yubing, and has always been Shaoyang's informant."
"Did the organization check for leaks before and after their operation?" Shen Lingchen asked.
"It took less than an hour to mobilize the Police Force for the operation, following urgent intel. How could there be a leak? If there was one, why didn't anyone run away?" Xiao Zhuoli replied.
"Maybe they discovered it early on and intentionally leaked clues to make Xu Gang expose himself," Shen Lingchen hesitated, his gaze complex as he spoke slowly.
"This is a bit troublesome. Xu Gang is already a registered informant of Chen Shaoyang. It seems the informant is in grave danger. It's hard to explain this situation, whether upwards or downwards. Yesterday, Chen Shaoyang slammed his hand on the table and yelled at me for the Police Force, demanding rescue... but what can I do?" Xiao Zhuoli said with worry, feeling helpless in the face of such a life-and-death situation.
"You did nothing wrong. Listen to me; there's no need to feel guilty. In this line of work, sometimes we can't even protect our own brothers' lives. Can we afford to feel guilty about that?" Shen Lingchen comforted him, closing the nautical chart and handing it to Xiao Zhuoli. He reminded him, "The priority now is to quickly open up the Case Situation gap and dig deeper into the investigation, not to sit here lamenting."
"Alright, thank you... Old Shen... I'll personally report this matter to the City Bureau. Whatever arrangements Suzhou and Hangzhou have, you can rest assured I'll do my best," Xiao Zhuoli said, gathering his spirits and suppressing his sadness.
After sending off Captain Xiao, Shen Lingchen returned to the investigation team but began to sigh himself.
Without saying much, he looked at Guan Yiqing and Guo Wei, both of whom shook their heads in disappointment.
He beckoned them into his office. The last one to enter, Guan Yiqing gently closed the door while Guo Wei remarked, "Is something wrong? The phone signal also disappeared at four o'clock in the morning."
"They're cleaning up their tracks; do you think they might suspect Xiao Mu as well?" Guan Yiqing's voice trembled slightly; whether meeting him or not seeing him again made it hard for her to maintain her composure.
"There are two things: first, keep your mouth shut; second, forget about him. Any action we take could only increase his risk factor. Xu Gang's case is a perfect example," Shen Lingchen said. If he arranged things but couldn't control his own panic, he sighed deeply:
"This is a hurdle; if we can't get over it, all our efforts will be in vain. If we endure it, we'll emerge renewed. The keys to unlock those strange doors of the Underworld have never been in the hands of the police."
He spoke with such helplessness that it carried a hint of sorrow...
“Hey, where is this guy?”
Big Gourd rushed from the restaurant to the dormitory, struggling to find Xiao Mu among the crowd of people who had been drinking heavily the night before. Erhu Lu chimed in, “Yeah, where is he? He wouldn’t have gone off to pamper himself, would he?”
“Don’t talk nonsense. Our brother always shares the good times and takes on the bad. There’s no way he’d do something like that without telling us,” Big Gourd said, glancing again at the cars parked in the yard. They had planned to hit the road to the city today to get a couple of bucks from that restaurant.
“Let’s keep looking,” Erhu Lu suggested.
The two of them kicked open the door and immediately checked the beds to see if Xiao Mu was just passed out from drinking too much. As they moved through, they found that most of their fellow students had already gone off to study, and when they grabbed a small-time thug for questioning, he sleepily mumbled that Xiao Mu had gone out with Red Sister yesterday.
Red Sister? The two were stunned. Big Gourd’s jaw dropped as he exclaimed, “No way! Our brother has such heavy tastes? Red Sister is someone who could pop a beer bottle with her assets; who would dare go near her?”
“Right? Red Sister is a tough woman who can ride horses and handle boats. Our brother treats her like a buddy; she wouldn’t be making a move on him, would she?” Erhu Lu asked in confusion.
“Oh man, we need to check this out! If those two are getting together, it’ll be trouble for Lame Brother!” Big Gourd said anxiously, pulling Erhu Lu along as they rushed off. Erhu Lu, still skeptical, replied, “What are you so worried about? If they’re going to do it, they’ve probably already done it.”
The two hurried toward the dormitory designated for the three female guests. They kicked open the door with a bang—yes! Red Sister’s place was empty.
They kicked open another door with a loud thud, and inside were Big Li and Master, startled awake. Big Li screamed for them to get out while the person under the covers hurriedly covered their face.
As they emerged, a pillow flew out after them. Furious, Big Gourd jumped up and cursed while Big Li didn’t dare come out naked and pushed against the table to hold the door shut. They searched everywhere for Xiao Mu but couldn’t find him. With the sun already high in the sky, their business was going to go down the drain if they didn’t figure this out soon.
As the two pondered, a figure appeared outside the door. Oh, upon seeing it, the eldest and the second were stunned, frozen for a few seconds before rushing out to greet him.
It was Lame Brother, who had mysteriously materialized out of nowhere. He was the benefactor who had rescued the two scoundrels, and they regarded him almost like a father. One rushed forward to support him, while the other, filled with joy, asked where he had been. "Lame Brother, we thought you were done for! With your legs not working well, what if someone beat you up inside and you couldn't get out?"
These two were indeed lacking in morals and upbringing, and a bit dim-witted. Old Cripple's face darkened, causing them to fall silent. However, their delighted expressions made Old Cripple feel quite emotional. He turned to walk away, and the two followed him. Old Cripple limped along, pondering for a long time before asking, "Big Gourd, how long has it been since you last went home?"
"I can't remember," Big Gourd replied honestly.
"And you, Second?" Old Cripple inquired.
"I can't even recall where home is," Erhu Lu said.
Old Cripple let out a long sigh. It seemed both of them were products of their parents' pursuit of pleasure—born but not raised. Even he couldn't understand how they had gone from being homeless children to their current state of being well-fed and plump. Suddenly stopping, he pulled out a stack of money he had prepared at his waist and handed it to the eldest and the second.
"Wow, big brother! You didn't invite us to rob a bank?" Big Gourd exclaimed in surprise.
"Robbing a bank is impossible; robbing an armored truck would be more suitable," the second said excitedly.
"Listen up," Old Cripple said seriously, and the brothers immediately fell silent. He continued with his arrangements: "Take the money and scatter... The situation is tense; I can't look after you two. Who knows who might end up back inside?"
"Huh? Scatter?" Big Gourd was startled.
"But we still have Brother Mu! It's fine; he's doing well, right?" The second was reluctant as well.
Old Cripple's expression grew stern as he insisted, "No need to wait; he won't be back for a while... Big Gourd, Erhu Lu, listen carefully: before nightfall today, get out of Binhai. Go wherever you want; everything that happened before is wiped clean. From now on, whatever happens is on you... I'm old now; it's time for me to find a place to rest."
Old Cripple said nothing more, tossing the keys to the car rented by Xiao Mu to them. He limped into a taxi, leaving the two brothers with unspoken questions. They wanted to ask but hesitated until the moment the car drove away. Erhu Lu finally called out emotionally, "Lame Brother, take care!"
"Lame Brother, let us know if you need anything. We’ll help you out," Big Gourd added with feeling.
But it was too late; the car had left, and he was gone without a trace.
"What’s going on?"
"How would I know what's going on?"
"What do we do now?"
"Maybe we should just disperse; Brother Mu might have gone in."
"That won't do. With the big brother gone, we can't just pick someone ourselves... Hey, I’m telling you, this is a great business; you get paid just for a con."
"Then I'll be the big brother."
"Pfft, do you think you’re worthy?"
"And you are?"
The two began to argue, fists flying as they grappled with each other. When the other thugs arrived and pulled them apart to ask what was happening, they learned that they were once again leaderless.
"Alright then, let's elect a new big brother," Big Gourd declared. "Those who follow me stand on the left."
Erhu Lu chimed in, "Those who follow me stand on the right."
The crowd of thugs stood in the middle, unsure of where to go. Neither of the two would back down. They decided that whoever made more money today would become the new big brother.
It was all about making money, and oh, how happy the Brothers were. For so long, they had been under Brother Mu's thumb, living off a communal pot. The moment they heard they could go independent, excitement bubbled up. They decided to act immediately. Big Gourd led a group, while Erhu Lu gathered another bunch, and they headed into the city to find the restaurants they had previously infiltrated, ready to start their money-making scheme.
The results were immediate; they successfully extorted ten thousand from one establishment. Big Gourd was over the moon. When they approached the second place, he boldly demanded thirty thousand. The response was less than enthusiastic. "You’re asking for trouble, aren’t you? I have dozens of brothers with me; we’ll tear your shady business apart!" Boss was terrified and rushed off to get cash. But as he waited, two police cars showed up instead. What followed was a scene all too familiar to Big Gourd—a swarm of officers chasing after these ruffians, some fleeing in panic while others were tackled down or vanished from sight. By the time Big Gourd managed to break free from the chaos, he realized that after just two hours, all his brothers had been rounded up.
...
This day passed almost unnoticed for Xiao Mu. When the sound of nails being hammered jolted him awake, he groggily opened his eyes and gradually focused on two heads hovering above him—two unfamiliar men staring intently.
"Wow, this guy actually slept through it all and quite soundly too," one remarked.
"He didn’t wet himself out of fear; he’s a tough one. Ha ha, time to wake up," said the other.
Xiao Mu struggled to sit up; the treatment he had endured felt torturous, leaving him sore all over. It took both men to help him stand, and only after a few steps could he begin to move on his own.
They allowed him some time to adjust before leading him out. As Xiao Mu surveyed his surroundings for the first time after being cooped up all day, he realized he was in a cramped ship's hold rather than a container as he had imagined. He had no idea where he had been taken overnight or where he currently was, but one thing was clear: he had survived.
He moved around as if searching for something until he spotted an oak barrel in the corner—the kind used for storing wine. Slowly, he crouched beside it and lifted the lid only to find it empty. Leaning in closer, he took a deep sniff and smiled.
Why did his face reflect such relief as if he had survived a disaster?
No one knew that shortly after, the two men returned and led Xiao Mu out of the hold onto the deck of a yacht. Taking a deep breath of the salty air, Xiao Mu suddenly realized that suffering was indeed the best remedy for despair; even breathing felt like an invaluable freedom.
He followed closely, stepping onto a uniquely designed Electric Cart, which then drove along the Scenic Path. The Rockery loomed like a forest, with greenery all around in this unfamiliar place. Soon, he spotted the familiar neon lights of a bustling area. In a Floating Boathouse, illuminated by swaying lights, stood a tall man leaning against the railing, gazing in his direction.
There was a certain intuition that this was the person he was looking for.
As they drew closer, his intuition was confirmed. The man stepped down from the boat and walked toward him with a cheerful smile, like an erudite scholar welcoming a distinguished friend; like an old acquaintance meeting a kindred spirit unexpectedly. Even though Xiao Mu knew that this could be a criminal, he felt no sense of malice whatsoever.
Damn it, I haven't even met a confidant yet, and here I am encountering criminals who feel just like my kindred spirits.
He cursed inwardly, feeling overwhelmed. Just as he got familiar with one place, the map changed again. Was this meant to wear him out?
Meanwhile, the other man smiled warmly and extended a friendly hand toward him...
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