Chapter 177: Fateful Cards

Chapter 177: Fifteen Cards

Outside the interrogation room.

“Sis, I want to deliver the first ‘I love you’ of summer.”

Xiao Yu held his phone, making a call with a mischievous grin.

“Ha.”

Mu Qingwu’s confident, slightly sweet tone replied, “Why always so complicated? How about the first sip of the northwest wind in summer?”

“I’m never buying oranges for you again, sis.”

Muttering, Xiao Yu said, “Alright, hanging up. Off to catch that northwest wind.”

“Haha, good boy, little brother.”

Mu Qingwu chuckled gently, coaxing like a caring older sister, “When you get home, you’ll get your summer’s first ‘I love you’.”

“Hehe.”

Brightening, Xiao Yu said, “Sis, I heard that when you kiss while your hands rest on the waist, it feels even better. Let me try that when I get home.”

“What?”

Mu Qingwu teased, “Little brother, don’t you find it odd to wrap your arms around each other like that?”

Xiao Yu: ???

Waist-hugging kisses? Shouldn’t you be holding each other’s waist?

For a moment, it felt like a dream—sis shouldn’t be this clueless.

Could she have been abducted by aliens?

Seeing his silence, Mu Qingwu laughed, “Just messing with you!”

Xiao Yu added, “I told you, you scared me half to death.”

He exhaled deeply, relieved; he’d thought his sister had been swapped with someone else.

Lately, overthinking has left him suspicious of everything.

“Sis, I stumbled upon an interesting topic today.”

Xiao Yu grinned wickedly, “Imagine if we hadn’t tied the knot so early. Sis would have no money, and I’d be a regular guy—25 with not a penny saved. What would I do?”

“Hmm?”

Mu Qingwu smiled, “Then little brother, are you planning to marry me at 25?”

“Your way of thinking is really something else.”

Xiao Yu sighed in amused exasperation, “If I had money, I’d definitely settle down with you sooner. But my point was—I’m just worried you might suffer.”

“Suffer? What are you afraid of?”

Mu Qingwu replied sweetly, “Turning 25 is just an age, nothing more. Life isn’t measured by numbers. You’re already exceptional, and few can match you at your age. I promise I’ll always hold onto your heart, whether you’re 25 or 30, I’ll be by your side.”

“Sis.”

Xiao Yu whispered, “I miss you.”

“I know, little brother. I miss you too.”

Mu Qingwu’s voice, gentle as a quiet stream, carried a note of concern, “But I can sense danger in your current case. Don’t call me again now—it’ll only distract you. We have plenty of time. When you get home, you can tell me exactly how you want me to be there for you. If you want to see JK, I promise to wear it for you every day.”

“Alright.”

With warmth in his eyes and a tender surge in his heart, Xiao Yu murmured, “Sis, I’ll do my best to come home early.”

“Stay safe.”

Mu Qingwu added wistfully, “I’ll be waiting at home, ready to tell you summer’s first… I love you!”

Slowly lowering his phone, the bliss on Xiao Yu’s face was impossible to hide.

Time passed.

The smile faded from his face, and the longing sank deep within him.

Xiao Yu looked up, his expression gradually hardening.

Glancing at the interrogation room, he pushed the door open.

“Don’t stand in my way of going home.”

“Whether in this life or the last…”

“I really despise senseless bloodshed!”

……

“Someone’s come to kill you.”

Xiao Yu glared at the suspect, Xia Xingchen, seated in the interrogation chair. “It must be someone from your Assassin Group—a rather attractive woman whose weapon is a small knife.”

“What?!”

Xia Xingchen’s face drained of color. “Is her skill really that formidable?”

Xiao Yu met his gaze coldly and nodded, “Yes.”

“Number 3 is here!”

Xia Xingchen’s voice trembled as he stuttered, “I—I’m doomed. My… my family…”

Why was he so terrified? What did ‘Number 3′ mean? Xiao Yu frowned, “Relax. Your family is safe, hidden away in places they wouldn’t dare go.”

“Relax? Hahaha…”

Xia Xingchen suddenly burst into a pale, nervous laugh, “You have no idea how terrifying they are. Even the ’13 Little Cards’ aren’t something ordinary people can handle. And besides… there are the Big and Small Ghosts!”

“13 Little Cards?”

Xiao Yu’s eyes lit up.

He recalled the deck of playing cards—so it truly was the Little Ghost?

Then what Xia Xingchen mentioned about Number 3… didn’t that mean…

Everyone knows about playing cards.

There are four suits: Diamonds, Clubs, Spades, and Hearts.

Each suit has 13 cards, from 2 to Ace.

Then come the Jokers—the Big and Small Ghosts.

“Number 3… as in the 3 of one suit?”

If that’s the case, could we deduce something?

Does the Assassin Group have 13 hitmen, each represented by a card?

No—it’s 15 hitmen. They even have the Big and Small Ghosts!

And then, the suspect gave his answer…

“I’m the 2—the useless 2!”

Xia Xingchen panicked, “I only handle business contacts and report to the Little Ghost. The Little Ghost assigns tasks to the others. I don’t even know who they are, not even who the Little Ghost is. But I do know that from Number 3 onward, everyone is incredibly dangerous. Their methods of killing are beyond imagination. Especially the Little Ghost… he can have you die in the most unexpected ways!”

Was it really meant to be so over-the-top? Xiao Yu smirked.

This dramatic, movie-like revelation—what the heck? Why would Xia Xingchen speak so candidly?

The answer was simple: the Assassin Group was coming for him.

They were even targeting his family!

When someone comes to kill, and they plan to murder your family too, yet you help them cover it up—that’s just insane.

Now Xia Xingchen knew he was doomed.

He only wanted his family to live.

So, there would be no more secrets…

“Continue.”

Xiao Yu asked coldly, “What else do you know?”

“That’s all I know.”

Xia Xingchen trembled, “Years ago, the Little Ghost approached me because I knew something about computer networks and the dark web. He had me post tasks and auction off playing cards online. That was my job—each time he paid me a commission of 100,000. Beyond that, I really don’t know…”

Xiao Yu fell silent.

And then a question emerged.

How can we track down the other hitmen?

Xiao Yu fixed his gaze on Xia Xingchen.

A clever idea popped into his mind.

It seemed the Assassin Group wasn’t very savvy with computer networks after all?

Otherwise, why would they have chosen someone who understood computers for the job?

Could this be the angle we exploit?

Before that, though, he had another question.

Xiao Yu glared coldly at Xia Xingchen.

“Why do you know that the female assassin is Number 3?”