Chapter 69 Silencing Witnesses

Wu Chengguang truly could not fathom what he had done to offend Brother Song, to end up being dragged here like this.

“Brother Song, spare me, please! I’m innocent, Brother Song, truly wronged!” he pleaded.

“Innocent?” Brother Song sneered, a dark aura enveloping him, his eyes fixed on Wu Chengguang with such hatred that they seemed to blaze red.

“Wu Chengguang, since you took your position, have I ever set you up?” Brother Song asked coldly.

“No, never! Brother Song’s kindness toward me, I remember it all. Brother Song, even if you want to kill me, at least let me die knowing why,” Wu Chengguang whimpered, tears in his eyes. “I never stole Brother Song’s goods, I didn’t even know my treasures were gone. Even if you beat me to death, it won’t help!”

Hearing Wu Chengguang’s rambling, Xu Lin couldn’t help but be amused. He really was shouldering a blame he didn’t deserve. How unlucky—three warehouses cleaned out, now tied up for interrogation. Whatever the outcome, it seemed unlikely Wu Chengguang would walk out alive.

Xu Lin stroked her chin, recalling what Yu Tong had said: that County Chief Zheng had been so busy lately he hadn’t been home, his lips blistered from stress. Should she help him out, give him a boost in performance?

Her eyes darted about as she pondered, but in the end, she decided against it. Brother Song had powerful backers, judging by appearances, and dragging Old Zheng into this might not be wise. Better to report it to the Law Enforcement Bureau—the proper authority for such matters.

Brother Song’s gloomy gaze bore into Wu Chengguang. Based on today’s investigation, Wu Chengguang seemed to be telling the truth. Yet Song was not satisfied—Six was targeted while transporting Wu Chengguang’s treasures. Even if it wasn’t Wu Chengguang himself, it was someone connected to him. Unless he found the culprit and recovered the lost treasures, he’d have no explanation for Brother Seven. Before Brother Seven decided to kill him, his only option was to kill more people.

As Wu Chengguang begged for mercy, he kept a furtive eye on Brother Song’s expression, growing more anxious with every glance. In the end, he reached a grim conclusion: he wasn’t going to survive.

He could have cried his heart out—how unlucky could one get, to be caught up in such a mess? Remembering how his brother-in-law had been chopped up and fed to the dogs, Wu Chengguang feared he’d meet the same fate. He didn’t want to die in pieces; he hadn’t lived enough, he wanted another five hundred years.

Grasping for any chance of survival, Wu Chengguang became extremely cooperative, answering every question. As for enemies capable of emptying an entire warehouse overnight, none came to mind, but he still listed his grudges. In his line of work, he’d done plenty of breaking and entering, made more than a few enemies.

Among them was his mentor’s family. His mentor had been a master at a pawnshop, with a keen eye for antiques—could distinguish genuine from fake at a glance. The master had secretly amassed a trove of valuables over the years. Most of Wu Chengguang’s treasures had been stolen from his mentor’s family. He only handed over a small portion, sending the family off to the remote northwest. They were likely dead by now.

“Brother Song, if that family escaped and returned, it’s possible they were behind this. They’d been entrenched in Qingshan County for years, had connections, and knew plenty of secret hiding spots. I even suspect the master knew the patron’s treasure location. Too bad I couldn’t get it out of the old man. If you want to recover your treasures, you could send someone to the northwest,” Wu Chengguang flattered desperately. “Even if you don’t find your lost goods, you might discover the patron’s treasure, which could make up for your losses.”

This last suggestion made Brother Song’s eyes light up. Yes—if nothing else, there was a fallback plan. Of course, recovering the lost treasures was preferable; Brother Song didn’t want his hard-earned goods to enrich someone else. So a trip to the northwest was now imperative.

But whom to send? The key was having connections out there—it needed careful planning. Regardless, Brother Song would not let Wu Chengguang off easily. To save his skin, Wu Chengguang kept spilling secrets.

“Brother Song, I know the Committee Director was seen near that rundown house in the west of the city—maybe he’s got treasures hidden there. And the Deputy Director’s mistress lives on Guangming Road…”

Wu Chengguang, desperate, exposed all his colleagues from the Committee. If a mere captain with less than a year in the position had so many treasures, the others must have even more.

Brother Song listened to Wu Chengguang’s confessions with a cold smile; among the names mentioned were people close to him.

To protect his own position and recover his losses, Brother Song had no choice but to betray those people.

Xu Lin realized she’d heard enough—no point in listening further. Better to go file a report and let the law enforcers rescue Wu Chengguang. Let the dogs fight among themselves.

She left the courtyard, moving with the speed of a whirlwind, keeping her invisibility charm intact as she entered the Law Enforcement Bureau. A report letter appeared openly on the bureau chief’s desk.

Xu Lin exited, and didn’t have to wait long before a squad of enforcers rushed out toward the courtyard.

Brother Song, still interrogating Wu Chengguang, quickly got wind of the situation. He led Six and the others out the back door in haste. They hadn’t run a hundred meters when the sound of chaotic footsteps reached them. Seeing the danger, Brother Song immediately led his group to hide in a nearby house—a place he’d prepared in advance as a safe haven. People like him always kept hideouts ready, just in case.

When the enforcers stormed the underground prison, all they found was Wu Chengguang bleeding profusely from the neck. Brother Song, before leaving, had slit Wu Chengguang’s throat, ensuring he’d die with no witnesses.

The enforcers were furious—once again, they were a step too late. They fanned out in pursuit, knowing the blood was still warm, meaning the killer hadn’t gone far. If they moved fast enough, they could catch up.

They couldn’t have guessed that Brother Song and his gang were hiding in a nearby courtyard—a place they’d searched several times without noticing anything amiss.

Xu Lin didn’t follow the investigation. Glancing at the sky, she realized it was getting late and hurried back to the brigade. As for those people Wu Chengguang mentioned, she figured she could pay them a visit later that night. Treasures—she never minded having more.

If she ran into Brother Song’s gang again, so be it. She could always rob them another time.

Back at the Youth Academy, Xu Lin was greeted by big news: Qin Fang and the others had teamed up with Du Yong’s group.