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Chapter 108: The Ultimate Test
When Xiao Mu was blindfolded and had his mouth covered, the alcohol in his system turned to cold sweat. There were two people, one of whom threatened him by whispering in his ear, "Be honest, or I'll kill you."
In this situation, Xiao Mu had no choice but to comply. People in the underworld kept their word; unlike him, who often spoke nonsense. He was dragged out of the restroom, through a corridor that seemed to lead from the back kitchen. Once outside the hotel, he was shoved into a vehicle that drove off with a low rumble.
In the darkness, Xiao Mu caught a whiff of smoke and alcohol—oh wait, it was the smell of alcohol on himself. All he could hear was the sound of the engine, a noise he was all too familiar with; it was the sound of a dilapidated van, a common choice for criminal activities—cheap and inconspicuous.
After half an hour in the vehicle, he didn’t dare to speak. His hands were bound with plastic ties, and his head was covered. Any sudden movements could lead to a beating. At that moment, he envied those dramatic scenes where captives would often fight back fiercely, breaking free from their bonds and turning the tables on their captors. Unlike him, who always ended up scared to the point of nearly wetting himself.
It seemed they had arrived at their destination. He was yanked out of the car and led into a room. When the cover over his head was pulled away, he saw it was an old motel room—worn-out table, shabby bed—and sitting on a chair was a man with a square face, glaring at him intently. He was forced down onto the floor.
Terrified, Xiao Mu stared at this man, trying to gauge him with his discerning eye; unfortunately, the dim light rendered his keen vision useless.
"Kid, you're quite slippery; it’s not easy to catch you," the man said.
Xiao Mu dared not speak and waited for more.
"Do you know who I am?" the man asked.
"I don’t know. Who are you...?" Xiao Mu replied cautiously, trying to be as polite as possible.
"Good that you don’t know. If I beat you up, you won’t even know who did it," the man chuckled, his expression playful.
Xiao Mu felt tense and remained silent; things were unclear, and he feared provoking this person into actually hitting him. But there was nowhere to reason with him.
"Let’s keep it simple. I’ll ask you two questions. If you can’t answer them, there will be no good outcome for you," the man leaned closer to Xiao Mu. Nervously nodding in response, Xiao Mu braced himself as the man continued: "First question—listen carefully... Ma Yubing used to have a subordinate named Xu Gang. You definitely know him. Now tell me, where has he gone?"
It was a police officer... Xiao Mu instantly assessed the situation, but he was stunned. What was going on?
"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Someone kicked him hard. Xiao Mu feigned injury, falling back and groaning, "Big brother, I've been caught by the police."
"Stop talking nonsense. I'm the police! He was released long ago!"
The two of them cursed at each other, kicking him a few more times. In pain, Xiao Mu shouted urgently, "Wait! Second question, second question! I might be able to answer it. Black Steel, I really don’t know where he went. I've been hiding in Binhai lately."
The other person waved his hand, and his two subordinates stopped kicking. They pulled Xiao Mu up to lean against the wall and sat him down. The interrogator spoke up, "I know you've been involved with Mao Shiping and Ma Yubing... The question is, where are Ma Yubing and Mao Shiping hiding their goods?"
"There’s no hiding place! Didn’t the police raid it?" Xiao Mu replied.
Bam! He received another kick and cried out in pain. The interrogator said, "Kid, don't play tricks with me. You really don’t know?"
"Right! How could I have thought of that?" Xiao Mu suddenly realized and began to reflect on his gains and losses. He had been so focused on making money that he forgot about this matter. Ma Yubing and Mao Shiping had hidden quite a bit; from the time the news leaked to when they were caught, it hadn’t even been a day. They didn’t have a chance to move their stash. Was there a hiding place around Suzhou and Hangzhou?
Before he could figure it out, slap! He got hit again, seeing stars before his eyes. Frustrated to the point of tears, Xiao Mu said, "Big brother, you can't bully me like this just because you're a police officer!"
"Got it?" The interrogator waved his hand to send the two subordinates away and smiled as he asked, "Is that so? Aren't we all just rogues? The difference is that we have badges, while you don’t."
"I really don’t know! I’ve only been here a few days; there’s no way I could know something so secretive!" Xiao Mu insisted.
"Is that so? But you're not simple at all. In just a few days, you've managed to gather Widow Ma's, Mourning Hair's, and Old Cripple's people under your command. At such a young age, you've become a Wood Master on the streets. If we’re not looking for you, who should we look for? Don’t think I don’t know that Widow Ma and Old Cripple are pulling your strings!" The man’s face twisted with malice as he kicked Xiao Mu aside and cursed, "Not going to talk?"
"Big brother, please stop hitting me! I just joined the Black Society... Hey! Don’t hit me! I’ll talk..." Xiao Mu pleaded in pain, finally catching his breath as he looked at the three fierce-looking "police officers," knowing there was no way out of this situation.
This is definitely not a police officer; otherwise, they wouldn't ask such stupid questions. It's more likely that they're involved in a black market scheme, trying to swallow up the stock of Mourning Hair and Widow Ma.
Just like that time in Shaanxi Province, Li Gui was playing the role of Li Kui. The terrifying thing about this Li Gui is that they are not heroes; they dare to do anything. As soon as there was a moment of hesitation, a kick landed hard on his lower abdomen, causing him to curl up like a large shrimp in pain, and then he vomited all his dinner out.
"Time is limited... our operation has already begun. Do you really think you can escape?" The person stood up and stepped onto Xiao Mu's leg, applying pressure that made Xiao Mu cry out in pain. Veins bulged on his forehead, and cold sweat dripped down in large drops.
"Can't answer even one question? Think harder... think again..." The person pressed down harder.
Xiao Mu gasped for breath and said, "I... I remember now."
As the pressure eased, Xiao Mu finally managed to catch his breath...
...
...
Luck had turned against him; even drinking cold water felt like a struggle. Le Zi also didn't escape misfortune. Blindfolded, he was taken to an unfamiliar place. When the hood was removed, he found himself staring at two men with unfriendly expressions. In the dim light of a single lamp, Le Zi was so frightened that he dropped to his knees.
"Good sir, how much do you want? I can call my dad."
What? The two men were taken aback by this unexpected situation and froze.
"It's just a kidnapping, right? I’ll be the meat ticket; just exchange me for cash," Le Zi said.
"Get up, get up," one of them replied.
"Sit tight, I'm asking you a question... Do you know where this place is?" another one said.
Lezi glanced around and curiously replied, "Isn't it just a black hole? It's so dark."
"Watch your mouth; this is the police station... Look closely, it's the police," one of them said, flashing his badge in front of Lezi's eyes.
"Oh my, officer, why didn't you say so earlier? You scared me to death... But wait, why are you arresting me? I'm just eating; I haven't done anything illegal." Lezi relaxed a bit, no longer feeling tense.
One of the detectives said, "We're not arresting you; we just want to ask you a few questions. Isn't this a more convenient place to talk?"
What on earth has happened to attract the police? Did I get caught for using drugs? Or for soliciting? Or maybe someone reported me for extortion? Lezi's mind raced as he felt nervous. Another detective asked, "What's your name?"
"Oh, my last name is Mu, and my first name is Lin Shen. My dad is Mu Qingchen; he runs a hotel in Binhai. If you call him, he'll definitely send someone to pick me up." Lezi thought quickly; he had to push this mess onto his brother to save his reputation.
"That's exactly who we're looking for," one of them replied.
"Then I won't waste any more time. He Shi—where can I find your older brother, Old Cripple?" the other one asked directly.
Lezi was dumbfounded and then slapped himself on the face. Damn it, he had pretended so well that he almost got himself caught.
After thinking for a moment, he decided to tell the truth. Cautiously, he said, "Officer, I—I confess. Please don’t get angry."
"Cooperating with the investigation is a good thing."
"Just tell us what you're upset about."
"Well," Lezi gathered his courage and after a long pause finally said, "I... I'm actually not called Mulin Shen. My name is Su Rongle... Hey, no, wait... Oh, damn..."
A thud echoed as two police officers shouted angrily, "This is what you get for not being honest!"
...
In the next room, Big Gourd was much smarter than Lezi. He had been half-awake when he was kicked into the car, and by the time he returned to the Police Force, he was fully alert. The person sitting across from him was someone he recognized well—the troublesome Criminal Police Captain, Chen Shaoyang. Lame Brother had specifically warned him never to provoke this man. Seeing Chen's fierce expression made Big Gourd break out in a cold sweat, regretting not wearing something thicker.
"Do you know me?" Chen Shaoyang asked.
Big Gourd quickly nodded.
"I know you too, you're quite the celebrity, Big Gourd. Can we have a civil conversation?" Chen Shaoyang said, knowing that dealing with these lowlifes required a different approach.
"Sure," Big Gourd replied hastily.
"Have you seen Old Cripple lately?" Chen Shaoyang inquired.
"No."
"What about Ma Yubing and Mao Shiping?" Chen Shaoyang pressed on.
"No."
"Then you must have seen Xu Gang at least!" Chen Shaoyang slammed his hand on the table and shouted.
Big Gourd shivered all over and nodded, "I saw him."
"When?" Chen Shaoyang's heart raced; this was exactly his main purpose.
"Last night," Big Gourd said, biting his finger and speaking slowly.
"Where did you see him?" Chen Shaoyang felt a surge of joy, his voice calming down.
"In... in... in..." Big Gourd stammered.
"Where exactly?" Chen Shaoyang shouted.
"I dreamed about him," Big Gourd blurted out.
Furious, Chen Shaoyang stepped forward and kicked him, sending Big Gourd and his chair tumbling to the ground. Chen Shaoyang angrily said, "Are you messing with me? Do you think this is a police station?"
"Big Brother, if I said I didn't see him, I'd still get beaten... I really didn't see him. If you keep pushing me, I can only say I saw him in my dream. Actually, I didn't even see him in my dream," Big Gourd lamented.
"You don't want to get out, do you?" Chen Shaoyang squatted down to look at him.
"I didn't steal, rob, solicit, or gamble. I'm just a temporary staff member at the Street Office. What right do you have to arrest me?" Big Gourd retorted angrily.
"Stop being tough; you'll be crying soon enough," Chen Shaoyang said as he stood up and stormed out. Inside the room, more detectives began to question Big Gourd about the whereabouts of those big brothers. Big Gourd felt like crying; wasn't this just making things difficult for him? We are practically family now; I’m a temporary staff member at the Street Office.
In three Special Interrogation Rooms, everyone was busy. Chen Shaoyang had been pushed to his limits and resorted to desperate measures. His informant had gone missing, and a sting operation had failed miserably, driving him nearly insane. Hearing that a big brother had emerged around Zhengmin Road made him think that perhaps those behind the scenes were manipulating things; maybe he could get some information from these newcomers.
A more chaotic situation arose when the two individuals from the "Mulin Shen" interrogation group rushed out, panic-stricken, and told him, "Chen Team, it's bad, it's bad! We might have arrested the wrong person!"
"Which one is wrong?" Chen Shaoyang was startled. This was an unauthorized operation; there was no case to justify it, and it could only be treated as an inquiry at most.
"Mulin Shen is wrong. He’s not Mulin Shen; his name is Su Rongle. I just checked," one of the detectives said.
"Didn’t you even look closely when you arrested him?" Chen Shaoyang was furious.
"We only saw the back of his head and didn’t pay attention. We thought it was him; those three are inseparable."
"The guy even came in claiming to be Mulin Shen."
"Oh, this is a mess..."
Chen Shaoyang was at a loss, tugging at his hair in frustration.
In a certain Special Interrogation Room, there were frantic voices filled with indignation: "Hey, how did he get away? The police think they're so great... Let me tell you, wrongful arrests require state compensation. If I don't get paid, I'm not leaving! Call my dad; I want to get a lawyer here..."
…………………………
…………………………
The real police had made a mistake.
But the fake police could not afford to make one.
Without any courtesy towards Xiao Mu, the interrogation was intense. After a swift kick from Xiao Mu, he felt his leg move as if it were about to break. The person questioning him leaned in closer and asked, "Have you remembered something?"
"I know where Xu Gang is," Xiao Mu replied.
"Where?" the other person inquired.
"He ran away with a girl named West Phoenix," Xiao Mu said gloomily, making it hard to tell if he was lying.
"What? You're joking, right?" The other person was taken aback, their expression one of disbelief, unable to accept this answer.
Clearly, they already knew the truth. In an instant, Xiao Mu pieced together a story. He spoke fluently, "It's true, big brother, I'm not lying to you. Black Steel betrayed us, he stole a batch of goods from Widow Ma and Mourning Hair, and then he tipped off the police about the two big brothers. After that, he took off with his girlfriend."
"Is that really true?" the other person asked in shock.
"Of course! Both the underworld and the law are after him; how could he possibly escape?" Xiao Mu responded.
The answer was unprovable and left the other person speechless, unsure of what to do next. They stood there blinking, as if their mouth couldn't keep up with their thoughts.
It had to be Fake Police; if they were real, they would ask for details—when did he leave? What did he take? What is West Phoenix's real name? Where was she involved in Skin Trade? They wouldn't let any doubt slip by. But the fakes were clearly acting; they couldn't step outside their script.
After a minute of stalemate, applause suddenly broke out as the door opened and the lights turned on. Several people who had captured Xiao Mu stood up respectfully as Nie Qifeng strolled in leisurely. Xiao Mu let out a sigh of relief, knowing he had passed this hurdle.
"Let's go; you should have revealed yourselves by now... go prepare," Nie Qifeng said with a smile. He looked at Xiao Mu's angry expression and seemed satisfied with his political acumen; even under sudden attack, he still managed to spout nonsense.
"Brother Nie, I've managed to get back quite a bit of money for you; surely you wouldn't treat me like this?" Xiao Mu said nervously.
"Hahaha." Nie Qifeng laughed, patting Xiao Mu on the shoulder as he said, "There’s no other way to get in touch. Wood Master, you can summon the winds and call the rain now, with a hundred people at your command."
As he spoke, he pulled Xiao Mu up and quietly slipped away with the group. Just as Xiao Mu was left in a daze, a figure appeared at the open door, standing gracefully and smiling at him.
Rong Wu, who had been absent for a month, stood before him.
After cutting the ties that bound him, Rong Wu took out a tissue and gently wiped Xiao Mu's face. He bent down to brush off the dust from Xiao Mu's legs and back. Standing up, he elegantly asked, "Why did you leave without saying goodbye?"
"Brother Wu, I offended your sister, and I was afraid..." Xiao Mu replied awkwardly.
Rong Wu smiled and said, "If I were that petty, how could I earn people's respect? Forget about her; we are our own people."
"No, no, it was my fault," Xiao Mu insisted.
"I said to forget about her... You won’t hold it against me for bringing you here this way, will you?" Rong Wu asked.
"I was upset earlier, but not anymore," Xiao Mu replied. His explanation seemed to indicate that he had accepted Rong Wu's graciousness. Rong Wu chuckled and said, "You’re quite eloquent. But I think you must have some resentment inside... It’s unavoidable; if you want to enter the temple, you have to burn some incense first; otherwise, the true Buddha won’t believe in your sincerity."
"What temple?" Xiao Mu asked.
"The Eight Gates of Jianghu. The Wind Fire Duke requires all eight gates," Rong Wu replied with a smile.
Xiao Mu frowned; what era was it that they were discussing such things? He curiously asked, "Which gate do you belong to?"
"To enter a gate, we both belong to this one. This gate speaks of the path of downfall; those who are down on their luck belong here. Are you interested?" Rong Wu inquired with curiosity.
"No," Xiao Mu shook his head, thinking to himself, damn it, I was just planning to make some money in Suzhou and Hangzhou and then disappear. Now that I'm the big brother, what kind of downfall is this?
People's thoughts can change. If he had once impulsively become an informant, now that he had tasted a bit of success, there was no need to get too deeply involved.
Rong Wu smiled, looking him up and down, and said, "It will come. I see cynicism in you, a sense of being out of place, and a reflection of my past... You don't really think you can rest easy with this bunch of misfits, do you?"
Oh, so he already knows. Xiao Mu's mind raced as he wondered how to respond. His rise had been opportunistic; surely this wouldn't come back to haunt him?
"You’re scheming again, trying to figure out what kind of person I am. Actually, I feel the same way about you," Rong Wu said with a smile.
At that moment, Xiao Mu's hands trembled slightly. Everything on him had already been searched, but his phone... that phone had been used to talk to Shen Lingchen. What if... He looked into Rong Wu's profound eyes and thought about those unsolved cases that still haunted him; he dared not think further.
The two stood frozen, as if making a final decision...
...
Meanwhile, Shen Lingchen and his group, who were huddled in Zhonghai Hotel and hadn’t dared to leave, heard a phone ring. Shen Lingchen glanced at the caller ID—it was Xiao Mu's number. He pressed the button...
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