Chapter 250: Clues Still Spark
by xennovelChapter 250: The Clues Still Persist
Jinqianhui Karaoke – the largest and finest singing venue in City Z.
Everyone knows that such entertainment spots are hotbeds for trouble.
And if special services are thrown into the mix, things can quickly go south.
That’s why extra security measures are in place.
For instance, hiring local toughs to keep order.
Zhao Shuan is one such local tough.
He once had a modest reputation around here, known for his formidable fighting skills.
In his youth, he practiced Muay Thai for several years and nearly became a professional fighter.
Then, for reasons unknown, he got entangled in the rougher side of life.
His record was littered with brawls and fights, including two extortion cases…
Stepping into Jinqianhui, Xiao Yu was enveloped by an aura of opulence.
It felt almost like walking into a palace—a truly extravagant place.
“Good evening, sir,”
a waiter greeted Xiao Yu with a smile, his expression as warm as if he were reuniting with a long-lost relative.
“I’m not here for fun. I’m looking for someone,”
Xiao Yu replied with a smile, “Is Brother Shuan around? A friend sent me to see him about some business.”
“Huh?”
The waiter scrutinized Xiao Yu and, smiling even more politely, asked, “Looking for Brother Shuan? May I ask who you are?”
Xiao Yu fibbed, “Tell him Old Five sent me,”
and the waiter responded, “All right, please wait a moment,” before leaving.
About ten minutes later,
a few local toughs, already tipsy, strolled over.
Sporting gold chains, tattoos, either shaved heads or cropped hair, slim pants, and casual sneakers, they were the very picture of local toughness.
Ha… Seeing these five approach, Xiao Yu nearly burst into laughter.
He even mused a quip: ‘Through wind and rain, I’ll be waiting for you at XX!’
One of them—a burly, bald thug with a menacing glare—asked, “Who exactly is Old Five?”
Xiao Yu maintained his composure. “Zhao Shuan?” he inquired calmly.
Zhao Shuan’s eyes narrowed as he demanded, “Who are you?”
Xiao Yu responded coolly, “I’m the police.”
In that instant, Zhao Shuan and his four cohorts were taken aback.
“You guys…”
Xiao Yu pointed at the group and ordered, “Come with me.”
The local toughs initially resisted.
But with guns pointed at them from all around…
ten squad members with ten guns in total…
……
In a quiet park,
Xiao Yu eyed the handcuffed Zhao Shuan, who was crouched like an obedient schoolboy, and asked seriously, “Explain to me: how can a pyramid scheme den rope in guys like you to lure in victims?”
Zhao Shuan: “…”
He dared not utter a word.
“Do you know what Terrorist Cells are?”
Xiao Yu said flatly, “Just days ago, the people you lured into that pyramid scheme den were armed with bombs—not only planning bank robberies but also bank bombings. As the one who sent them there, do you know what fate awaits you?”
Thud… Startled, Zhao Shuan lost his footing and collapsed, staring at Xiao Yu in sheer terror.
“Eh?”
Xiao Yu frowned. “Judging by you, you have no clue what they’re capable of, right? Fine—I’m giving you one chance. Tell me, where is the pyramid scheme den?”
Does Zhao Shuan know what Terrorist Cells are?
He did.
He also knew that any association with them would inevitably lead to dire consequences.
Are you scared to death?
Yes, he was.
So, Zhao Shuan recounted everything he knew in complete detail…
Sadly, that pyramid scheme den no longer exists.
Individuals like Tong Qing and Zhao Shuan had been ‘out of work’ for over a year.
But that didn’t matter.
It was enough to know how Zhao Shuan had connected with the pyramid scheme den back then…
……
Bang!
A front door was violently busted open.
A family of three, sleeping soundly, were startled awake.
A man had just dashed out of the bedroom.
A gun butt slammed into his head, knocking him down and cuffing him.
“Quite strange,”
ignoring a woman shouting amidst SWAT blockade and a trembling girl in her twenties, Xiao Yu crouched before the suspect and asked earnestly, “How is it that people like you, who commit unspeakable acts, can still have a respectable family without facing any retribution?”
Bian Yueze, 46, a native of City Z and the head of the pyramid scheme den,
looked pale, tilting his head up to stare at Xiao Yu, his mouth moving as if to speak but failing to form words.
“Take them all into custody,”
Xiao Yu commanded as he rose to his feet.
He questioned why the suspect’s family members were also being taken.
They would only be released once it was confirmed they hadn’t been involved.
0… Begging for flowers…
It was a necessary procedure.
If it emerged that a spouse or parent had engaged in illegal activities and spent ill-gotten gains,
then, no offense, there would be no release.
A single misstep could spark an entire gang!
Innocent?
Who in this world is truly innocent?
A man who ran a pyramid scheme for fifteen years and even trafficked people
claiming his family was completely unaware.
You believe that?
……
In the interrogation room,
“I don’t care what you did now; you’ll be grilled by the local police later,”
Xiao Yu’s icy gaze fixed on Bian Yueze in the interrogation chair as he demanded, “Tell me—who did you sell those people you lured into the pyramid scheme den to?”
His crimes had evolved beyond mere pyramid schemes; this was blatant human trafficking.
……….0
In many eyes, such a man was virtually synonymous with a beast,
as if treating his own kind like livestock!
“I… I don’t know,”
Bian Yueze, pale and trembling, stammered, “Two years ago, two men approached me. They asked if I’d sell the people in my custody. They offered 20,000 yuan each, and I—greedy as I was—sold them. I really don’t know who they were or how they found out about my pyramid scheme—I truly didn’t know them.”
Why would he confess so readily?
SWAT had been dispatched and tracked down his residence.
Was there any need for further concealment?
“You don’t know them?”
Xiao Yu sneered, “So someone comes along offering to buy people and you just sell them? Do you even believe your own words?”
“I’m telling the truth. It’s all true,”
Bian Yueze repeated, “I met those two guys at a bar—we had a drink together. I really don’t know how they found out about my pyramid scheme or that I had people in my custody.”
He wasn’t lying.
Through microexpressions and the insights of a Psychological Expert,
they confirmed his honesty. A headache-ridden Xiao Yu left the interrogation room.
Technicians, relying on his testimony, produced two sketches.
Xiao Yu and Wang Dong each took one.
“This is troublesome,”
Wang Dong looked at Xiao Yu and said, “How do we find someone with just sketches?”
“Don’t worry,”
Xiao Yu’s mind raced, “The clues are still alive!”
What other clues do we have? Xī.