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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 101: Lost and Wandering
With a loud clang, the iron door echoed as Guo Wei stood in front of the gate of Cell 9902, calling out, "8821, Wang Jie, come out."
A prisoner with a shaved head, dressed in a uniform, stepped out of the cell and squatted obediently at the door, looking a bit frightened at the new Discipline Officer. This Discipline Officer was unpredictable and called for him every day.
With a wave of his hand, he was instructed to follow into the Discipline Officer's office. The prisoner squatted down obediently. Guo Wei handed him a cigarette, lit it, and began to ask questions quietly. The prisoner shook his head repeatedly, indicating no. Guo Wei continued to ask, but the answer remained the same.
The question was simple: had anyone asked about Mulin Shen? If they did, did he know what to say? Did he remember what Mulin Shen looked like? He needed to take another look and remember; if someone asked, it could lead to a reduction in his sentence.
The suspect took a drag from the cigarette and grimaced. "No one has asked me. Haven't I been asking too? He really is my classmate."
"You were in the same school as him. He got expelled; you don't remember?" Guo Wei reminded him.
"I can't remember; I got expelled too, probably even earlier than he did. What did he do?" Wang Jie asked in confusion. Guo Wei's expression changed suddenly; he quickly corrected himself, "I remember now! His name is Xiao Mu; we were good friends."
"Repeat that." Guo Wei reprimanded.
"His name is Mulin Shen; his family runs a restaurant. Occasionally, he would ask for some small amounts of marijuana; I would get it for him. We were high school classmates, both expelled... Oh right! I used to hang out with Master You; after he returned to the country, he often went to Kailberly to have fun." The imprisoned Wang Jie fluently repeated what the Discipline Officer had taught him.
His performance was satisfactory, earning him another cigarette. Guo Wei warned him that if no one asked, he should never say anything; otherwise, it wouldn't be a reduction in sentence but an increase.
Frightened, this small-time dealer nodded submissively and returned to his cell as usual.
After closing the cell door, Guo Wei looked at this dark place with a pained expression. It was hard to bear—here he was, a graduate of the Police Academy, assigned to work as a prison guard just because of the information provided by Wang Jie’s informant. He feared that someone might come to verify it.
This was indeed an information tree; if someone asked about it, it meant that the informant was still alive. Whether undercover or an informant, they would use this method of testing through fixed information trees.
But this time it was troubling; it had been seven whole days since they lost contact—there was no news at all.
He returned to the Discipline Officer's office and leaned back in his chair, unable to shake off his gloomy mood. It could be understood if an officer died in the line of duty for their cause, but if an informant truly disappeared, who would understand that?
"This damn place."
He wrote in his journal, cursing the location that held countless suspects, while flashes of tangled memories of the case flickered through his mind—faces of Xiao Mu smiling at him. As he finished writing, thoughts of Xiao Mu surfaced again, wondering if she had fallen into the hands of the wrong people, yet he had no idea who those people were.
With nowhere to vent his frustration, he gripped his pen too tightly, snapping it in half and leaving a large mark on the journal page.
...
...
Suzhou and Hangzhou, Fengjia Bridge.
The sign for Kegingmen Car Rental Service Company had already been taken down. When Chen Shaoyang, the captain of the Nine Squad, drove up, he saw a group of people leaving with another car. He jumped out of his vehicle, his face darkened as he entered the empty lot.
In just a week, Mao Shiping had managed to clear out the logistics; now Ma Yubing was selling cars too. It seemed he was not planning to stay.
This case had always been under Chen Shaoyang's responsibility, and now it felt like everything was falling apart. He searched the area and finally caught hold of someone selling cars, asking, "Where's Ma Yubing? Have him come see me."
"Who are you? Can't you see I'm busy?" The man glared at him but quickly changed his tone upon seeing Chen's badge. "Wait, wait! I'm just an agent helping with transfers. If you're looking for Mr. Ma, he's upstairs doing something."
Chen Shaoyang dismissed him and pondered for a moment. Just as he was about to leave, anger surged within him, and he stormed up to the second floor. Pushing open the door, he found Ma Yubing sorting through items—there was hardly anything of value left, just a floor littered with empty bottles. Upon seeing Chen Shaoyang enter, Ma Yubing greeted him with a smile. "Oh, Captain Chen! Please have a seat."
"Retiring from your business?" Chen Shaoyang asked with a chuckle.
"Just finished using the restroom; I haven't washed my hands yet. What brings you here, Team Chen?" Ma Yubing replied politely.
"Oh, nothing much. Just wanted to have a chat with you. Is that alright?" Captain Chen said.
He didn't have a good impression of this man; they were natural enemies—one a cop and the other a criminal. Moreover, both Ma Yubing and Mao Shiping operated within the jurisdiction of Criminal Investigation Team Five and had been summoned numerous times over the years. Their mutual wariness had grown akin to that of cat and mouse.
Ma Yubing didn't know what to make of it and reminded, "Captain Chen, you used to cause us trouble all the time before you became captain. Ever since you took the position, our business has been going downhill, and now we’re finally closing up shop. What else is there to talk about? You've messed with me more than once—tightened those handcuffs until I thought I’d suffocate; interrogated me over a theft without letting me sleep for three days; and now you're forcing me to admit to selling stolen goods... Oh come on, look at me! With these long arms and legs, do I look like I could pull that off?"
The old grievances ran deep. Chen Shaoyang sighed and said, "Fine, let's not dwell on the past. I have a piece of advice for you—I'm not sure if you'll take it."
"You go ahead," Ma Yubing replied.
"Petty theft isn't a serious crime, but taking a life is no small matter. If you get involved in something like this, aren't you afraid of having nightmares every day for the rest of your life?" Chen Shaoyang said.
Ma Yubing looked puzzled and asked, "What do you mean?"
"Playing dumb? Where's Xu Gang?" Chen Shaoyang asked directly.
"I’m locked up here; how would I know?" Ma Yubing denied, his eyelids twitching.
"I know you have someone backing you. Tell me who it is... they won't get away. We will find out everything. No matter what you've done, I can let you off the hook if you tell me where Xu Gang is," Chen Shaoyang asked, his eyes bloodshot and frightening.
Ma Yubing was taken aback and then burst into laughter. Was this an attempt to recruit him as an informant?
He chuckled heartily, his face blooming like a peach blossom as he pointed at Chen Shaoyang and said, "Chen Team, you're really too young! When I was getting into trouble, you were still in diapers! Do you think I would tell you anything?"
"You won't? I'm just trying to confirm whether you know something," Chen Shaoyang said, his menacing glare fixed on Ma Yubing.
"There are two answers: A) I don’t know and can’t tell you; B) I know but won’t tell you. Guess which one it is?" Ma Yubing's face grew serious.
With a thud, a punch landed on Ma Yubing's stomach. He groaned and crouched down, clutching his belly as Chen Shaoyang kicked him onto his back and stomped down hard twice before dusting off his hands and saying, "I choose C. I'll find the answer myself; sooner or later, I'll pin this on you."
With that, he spat heavily on the ground and walked away.
It took Ma Yubing a while to get back up. He cursed bitterly under his breath about how today's police were becoming increasingly unreasonable. Unable to outsmart him, they had learned to play dirty... He relayed this incident over the phone to another person, Mao Shiping, who gave him some advice:
Unable to provoke, better to avoid.
...
...
Binhai, Nanhui Culinary School.
Shen Lingchen and Zhang Hulin stepped out of the school, both dressed simply, resembling small-time bosses looking for recruits. The place was now safe, the reason being that it had been vacated.
Without Mulin Shen, the "big brother," the small gang couldn't hold together for long. Three police stations coordinated to capture the group that had been extorting at the hotel. Those who were caught quickly revealed their hideout, which was promptly raided. Even the Culinary School was shut down; those who weren't caught had already scattered like birds at dawn, leaving the vast campus deserted.
"How many days has it been?" Commissioner Zhang asked.
"A week. Xu Gang and Mulin Shen haven't shown up. The last signal appeared at Sea, where Xu Gang called for help, but it was too late," Shen Lingchen replied.
"No word from Xiao Mu?" Commissioner Zhang inquired.
"None. He was taken away that night. He Shi, also known as the Cripple, should be a key figure," Shen Lingchen explained.
"Tsk..." Commissioner Zhang clicked his tongue, speechless. The police always seemed a beat behind the case situation.
This case spanned two locations and involved two informants. Xu Gang's tip-off went awry, and then Shenzhen-Hong Kong Police made a sudden arrest, throwing everything into disarray. Commissioner Zhang asked, "Who is responsible for Xu Gang?"
"Chen Shaoyang, captain of the Fifth Squad. Shaoyang's eagerness to achieve results is understandable, but unfortunately, he acted too hastily; the timing wasn't right. The other side was on guard. They only found a few watermelon knives at two hideouts," Shen Lingchen said.
"What will happen next?" Commissioner Zhang inquired.
"They will become like startled birds," Shen Lingchen replied. With Pan Shuanglong unable to conduct an interrogation, there was no hope of quickly locating his subordinates scattered across various places.
"Why did you call me out?" Commissioner Zhang asked.
"I thought it would be best to inform Xiao Mu's family, just in case. I feel guilty about it," Shen Lingchen replied.
"Well... let's go. I'll take you to meet Old Mu," Commissioner Zhang sighed and got into the car with Shen Lingchen.
This strange journey ended with Xiao Mu's disappearance, leaving them with no other choice but to hold onto a glimmer of hope.
Old Mu was still Old Mu. When they arrived, he was in the kitchen, wiping his hands. Upon seeing a familiar face in the office, his expression changed. He helplessly said, "Commissioner Zhang, are you here to plead for him? Let me tell you, this ungrateful son of mine has wrecked the house and even tore up the property division agreement I signed at the law firm. Don’t say anything on his behalf. If he wants to make something of himself, I’ll acknowledge him as my son. If he continues to be that worthless person, he can go find another father."
Fuming, Old Mu sat down, still seething with anger. Shen Lingchen quietly closed the door, and Old Mu was taken aback by this strange action. He nervously asked, "He hasn’t gotten into trouble, has he?"
"And if he has?" Shen Lingchen replied, feeling his goodwill towards this father dissipate.
"Then he brought it upon himself. I've taken care of him for over twenty years; I've fulfilled my obligations. I can't spend all those years raising such an ingrate," Old Mu said angrily.
"Actually... he has become an informant again," Commissioner Zhang stated.
Old Mu's face went pale; this revelation frightened him more than any crime could.
Shen Lingchen added, "It was voluntary. We're here as a precaution to prevent anyone from verifying his past as an informant. We need to eliminate any potential risks; otherwise, it could jeopardize his safety."
Old Mu listened in shock as the two officers spoke seriously for quite some time. It was unclear whether he absorbed any of it. When they took their leave, Old Mu remained motionless with a blank expression.
Once they were gone, Old Mu was oblivious to the tears streaming down his weathered cheeks. His expression and nerves felt numb; only an indescribable pain lingered in his heart as the tears flowed uncontrollably, again and again...
At that moment, there was another person in tears, a suspect: Song Lijuan.
She was the primary suspect in the Wang Zihua and Kang Zhuang Theft Case, appearing on the surveillance footage from the stolen neighborhood. It was unclear what role she played, but with her lover Pan Shuanglong's arrest, her situation had become precarious.
Guan Yiqing was showing her the detailed record of Pan Shuanglong. This thief had started his criminal career at the age of fourteen with his first theft and had continued for over twenty years. Facing this dossier, Song Lijuan had already broken down.
"He said he was doing business outside... sob." Song Lijuan cried.
"He said he would marry me... but often I wouldn't see him for months... sob." She continued to weep.
"Sob... when the police caught him, he actually used me as a shield... sob." Song Lijuan cried out in despair.
After two boxes of tissues, her tears had turned into dry sobs. Guan Yiqing spoke earnestly, "Sister, we women are always easily deceived by men... Don't be too sad; at least you found out early."
"Early? It's been four or five years." Song Lijuan was at a loss for words.
"After all these years, you didn't notice anything?" Guan Yiqing asked curiously.
"No, who would know he was a thief... Are you sure you have the right person?" Song Lijuan cried, then fell silent, realizing it couldn't be wrong. After all, that day he had been shot. She added, "Why didn’t you just shoot him dead? I could have taken a breath; my workplace knows about my boyfriend like this. How am I supposed to live?"
"He has been to your workplace?" Guan Yiqing asked.
Song Lijuan nodded.
Guan Yiqing's heart sank; this was bad. The information from the theft case involving recently deceased ordinary citizens might have originated from social security data.
"Then he..." Guan Yiqing hesitated, wondering if she should reveal the case details. Her intuition told her there might be more to it. She quietly asked, "Did he ever take you to... New Garden Community, Hunan Road, not far from the District Government Courtyard?"
"Yes, he took me there," Song Lijuan nodded and blurted out.
Guan Yiqing furrowed her brow, sensing something was off. "Sister, what happened? You need to tell me quickly, so you don’t get dragged into this later."
"Nothing much, just went on a couple of dates," Song Lijuan replied.
Guan Yiqing pressed on, "Where does he have a place?"
"He doesn’t have one. He said he was renting a place for someone else, and I helped him with it. He mentioned a friend who was keeping a mistress; it’s not exactly something to be proud of," Song Lijuan said almost absentmindedly. Suddenly, she became alert and asked in panic, "Wait, did something go missing there too?"
"Yes... Did you drive a Wuling Hongguang? Registered under Pan Shuanglong's name?" Guan Yiqing asked in horror.
Song Lijuan stared at her in shock, forgetting to cry. "How do you know that?"
Guan Yiqing closed her eyes in frustration. She understood now; the Song Lijuan she had painstakingly found was merely a layer of disguise set up by Pan Shuanglong. This poor civil servant had unknowingly become an accomplice to a theft ring.
The information was promptly reported, and soon undercover officers from A Group rushed to Song Lijuan's home.
As the situation unfolded like a snowball, more and more people became involved.
Meanwhile, Rong Wu leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window of a skyscraper, contemplating the case. His face was grave as he absentmindedly traced patterns on the glass. After listening to the phone call, he frowned and said, "Don’t worry about those trivial matters; it’s pointless if you’re risking your life... Get them out today, immediately."
After arranging that, he dialed another number. "Hello? Oh, leader, I need your help with something."
"It’s difficult; Pan Shuanglong is being monitored by several task forces. He’s too deeply involved."
"Didn’t you manage to get anyone out? Can't we at least meet and send some food?"
"Really can't. The prison management these days is nothing like before; no one dares to touch this hot potato."
"Then..."
"I'll think of another way."
Another call ended, and it wasn't good news, which slightly dampened Rong Wu's mood. When he turned around, the man sitting on the sofa, casually filing his nails with a grin, teased, "In this world, there are two fates for people: birds die for food, and people die for wealth; they fall for money. Heroes struggle against beautiful women and end up in trouble... Panzi, that little rascal, just can’t change his ways, seducing other people's wives every few days."
"This time it’s not about a woman; it's his own mess that’s caught up with him from Shenzhen-Hong Kong," Rong Wu replied.
"Oh... that sounds quite troublesome," the man said.
"Yeah, it's beyond our ability to handle. Not only is he in trouble, but the police from Suzhou and Hangzhou are buzzing around Widow Ma like locusts. Oh dear, it looks like the brothers' business will have to scatter now," Rong Wu said as he took his seat, which seemed to be that of a company manager.
The man on the sofa straightened up and said seriously, "If we can save him, we will; if not, don’t force it. Sacrificing a pawn without saving the king isn’t worth it."
"Probably can't save him. I'll have someone arrange for Widow Ma and Mourning Hair to leave first; we need to cut this line. All connections in Suzhou and Hangzhou must be severed; otherwise, those cops will catch the scent and come after us," Rong Wu said nonchalantly. When he mentioned cutting all ties, he seemed to hesitate slightly before suddenly recalling something and asked, "By the way, there's still one thing..."
"You mean that young master?" the other person asked.
"Yes, this guy is a bit strange; he doesn’t fit in anywhere. I really can’t figure out what he’s suited for. How has he been these days?" Rong Wu inquired.
"He's really become a lord—eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating—more picky than anyone else. I also find him a bit odd; I can't see through him," the other replied with a laugh.
"So where do we put him? His father is richer than us. I thought maybe he could be useful at a critical moment, but given the current situation, it’s not suitable for him to follow Mourning Hair and the others," Rong Wu said. That night when he was drunk left a deep impression on him regarding Xiao Mu; unfortunately, that memory was too vivid yet he didn’t know how to utilize it.
"Give him to me; I'll train him. You always say I have good judgment—can’t I deceive and con? If I really have such great ability, maybe my business would suit him perfectly," the other person suggested.
"That's up to you then, keep a close watch. He knows enough," Rong Wu said.
"Don't worry, no matter how much he knows, it's just knowledge. We're living in a legal society now," the other replied with a smile, getting up and chatting with Rong Wu for a moment before hastily leaving.
At the place he departed from, a golden sign hung prominently: Mao Ye Investment Guarantee.
The company had over ten employees and occupied half a floor, quite an impressive setup.
...
After several days of eating and sleeping, Xiao Mu finally learned that the place he was staying was called Mo's Leisure Villa. It was not far from tourist attractions, and the cities in the Yangtze River Delta were almost interconnected. From there to Binhai or Suzhou and Hangzhou was just about an hour's drive. Standing at his accommodation, he could see a vast expanse of water leading directly to the sea. However, the days of rest had not brought him clarity; instead, he felt even more confused.
Every organization has its unique characteristics. Old Cripple, Mourning Hair, Widow Ma—they resembled an underground organization. But Rong Wu was different; he lacked the aura of a rogue and did not exhibit the paranoia typical of criminals. He left a very good impression on Xiao Mu, even if it was all an act. Such composure could not be cultivated overnight.
Of course, the most crucial point was that he had become a lone bird.
He had no information; everything had been cut off since Culinary School. Whether it was with surface organizations or underground ones, he had lost contact. Surprisingly, he did not feel particularly worried about this prolonged disconnection. In his heart, there wasn't anyone worth worrying about.
His family possessed billions; they were doing fine. As for his so-called friends, they were just living in indulgence—he didn't care much about them either. The ones he worried about the most were Big Gourd and his gang, but even then, he could let it go. They were like cockroaches that couldn't be killed; their resilience in life far exceeded that of ordinary people.
Indeed, this world would continue to turn regardless of who was missing.
Whether or not you feel your presence matters, existence will persist.
He lay dejectedly on the bed, staring at the ceiling and blowing bubbles out of boredom. He thought to himself that even being part of a criminal organization didn't seem all that interesting; it wasn't thrilling at all.
At that moment, a knock sounded at the door. He sat up and said, "Come in."
Aside from the staff cleaning the room, few people came by. A middle-aged man entered, thin and spirited, with bright eyes. He casually swung the door shut behind him, making just the right amount of noise. Xiao Mu, however, did not recognize him and looked at him curiously. "Who are you?"
"I was sent by Brother Five," the man replied, sizing up Xiao Mu for two minutes. Their silent gaze felt like a duel between masters, and Xiao Mu had an uncomfortable sensation of being seen through. After a while, the man smiled and extended his hand. "Let's get acquainted. My name is Nie Qifeng, but my brothers in the circle call me Tongs. You'll be following me from now on."
Xiao Mu shook his hand and got out of bed. He had nothing much to take with him. Nie Qifeng waved his hand dismissively and said, "Let's go, we can talk while walking... How have you been resting?"
"Pretty good."
"How's the food here?"
"Pretty good."
"Old Cripple, Widow Ma, and Mourning Hair are being closely monitored by the police and won't be back for a while. How about I find you some work?"
"Sounds good."
The two walked in step with each other. After several exchanges of "pretty good," Tongs turned back to look at him curiously. Xiao Mu shrugged and said, "As long as it's not too boring every day, it's pretty good."
"Yeah, that's good enough." Tongs continued walking and asked, "Your last name is Mu, right?"
"Yes."
"Everyone has a good impression of you. What did it feel like being packed into a box that night?" Tongs inquired.
Damn it, did you know that almost scared me to death? Xiao Mu thought for a moment and replied, "Not much feeling, just a bit suffocating."
"Heh heh, that's not right. I know many who would be so scared they’d lose control of themselves. No offense; many of us have been packed into boxes before. This is one of Brother Five's strategies—to see what kind of person you are when things go wrong and no one can help you... Do you know why you still have a phone on you?" Tongs stopped and turned back to look at Xiao Mu with interest.
"Are you saying goodbye to your family?" Xiao Mu asked.
"If you're just saying goodbye to your family, then there's no problem. But if you have to call the police, then you might end up like Black Steel, lying at the bottom of the sea," Tongs said, smirking as he whistled. The sound sent chills down Xiao Mu's spine; it was just a hair's breadth away from ending up at the bottom of the sea.
Noticing Xiao Mu's change in expression, Tongs curiously asked, "What's wrong?"
"Just a little scared. I thought I was going to die and ended up falling asleep out of fright," Xiao Mu replied, trying to cover it up.
Tongs shrugged and chuckled, patting Xiao Mu on the back. "I've never heard of someone getting so scared they fell asleep. But I like this carefree attitude of yours. Do you know what business I'm in?"
"If you don't tell me, how would I know?"
"I thought you knew everything."
"Who said that? That would make me a god."
"Well, yes, you're quite godly... Guess what."
"Alright, I'll take a guess. Don't be surprised if I get it right."
"Haha, do you think it's that easy to surprise me?"
"You're either a thief or a loan shark."
"Huh?"
As if struck by lightning, Nie Qifeng turned around in shock, staring at Xiao Mu. He had heard tales of this person's extraordinary abilities but never expected them to be this accurate. Staring at Xiao Mu in disbelief, he finally asked, "Am I seeing ghosts? How did you figure that out?"
"Your demeanor is friendly, but you carry yourself with authority, and your smile is particularly warm."
"That's nonsense. Why can't we sell insurance?"
"Exactly, your smile does resemble that of someone selling insurance, but those who sell insurance usually have a serious demeanor. They don't flow like you do."
"Hey, are you saying we change our expressions too quickly? Is that how you figured it out?"
"There's more. I'm quite familiar with those involved in usury. When they enter a house, they first scan the place, then size up the people to see if they have the ability to repay. Besides you guys, no one cares this much. Or are you just a thief?"
"……………"
Xiao Mu didn't care anymore and smiled as he spoke. Tongs was stunned; he couldn't believe how much could be gleaned from just a glance. He stood there for a while, his expression serious and even a bit fierce, before suddenly breaking into a bright smile. Just like that, his demeanor changed fluidly. Laughing heartily, he pulled Xiao Mu into a hug and said, "Impressive! Looks like I've struck gold here. Now let's see who can still hide their money."
They guessed the process correctly but couldn't predict the outcome.
The two enjoyed their conversation and returned to Binhai together. Tongs surprisingly had his own storefront and opened a Golden Summit Microfinance Company. He slammed a thick ledger into Xiao Mu's arms and tossed him the car keys, introducing two scruffy-looking men to him: "Go on, collect the money as per this list."
Xiao Mu was taken aback; the clues were drifting further away from the original topic.
From being involved in shady dealings to rising in status, Mulin Shen, the debt collector for the usury company, was born…
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