Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Xu Zhangying was woken up by a nurse at noon and given a bland, tasteless liquid meal. He grabbed his phone to message Li Jiali and Benjamin, but neither replied, so he drifted back into a medication-induced sleep.

The ringing of his phone jolted Xu Zhangying awake. When he opened his eyes, the entire hospital room was tinged orange—it must have been dusk. In the dimly lit room, he noticed someone had been sleeping on the sofa, but the moment the phone rang, the figure sat up abruptly and answered the call.

It was Xia Qing. His suit jacket was draped over the back of the sofa, and he stood by the window, far from the bed, as he took the call. Xu Zhangying had been out cold and had no idea when Xia Qing had arrived.

Xia Qing simply said, "It's me," before the person on the other end went on at length for a full five minutes. Only then did Xia Qing respond, "Understood. I'll head over."

By the time he hung up, Xu Zhangying had already sat up, studying him intently.

Xia Qing approached, phone in hand, and said, "Sorry, I dozed off. No problem if the call woke you?"

Xu Zhangying waved it off. "No problem. I’ve been sleeping for a whole day and night. Was Li Jiayu arrested?"

Xia Qing nodded. "He was brought to the municipal police headquarters by noon. Capt. Fang just called—during the first round of interrogation, Li Jiayu admitted that he and Tang Xinrong were members of the criminal organization. But they're holding firm, refusing to divulge any details about the group. However, he did mention a codename for a higher-ranking member: Mephisto."

Xu Zhangying frowned. "Mephisto? A foreign name? Sounds familiar—like something from religion. Is this some cult thing? Did he say why he hid the truck?"

Xia Qing replied, "Both Tang Xinrong and Li Jiayu claimed they were forced to assist higher-ranking members in completing their tasks. We still don’t know the exact method of coercion, but their reactions were abnormal. Li Jiayu passed out from fright after revealing Mephisto’s codename and still hasn’t regained consciousness."

Xu Zhangying thought to himself that Li Jiayu was still the same spineless little weasel, even as a CEO now. He smirked. "You think he’s faking?"

Xia Qing gave a slight nod. "Probably buying time. Li Xuyin returned to the country an hour ago and contacted me. He should arrive in Guangzhou in about two hours."

Zhao Yang had previously briefed Xu Zhangying on the current state of the Li and Lin families. Qingyuan Li Group was a leading real estate conglomerate in the country, and Li Tianyue’s successor was all but confirmed to be his third son, Li Jiaping’s branch. The other sons had faded into the background, leaving Li Jiayu, the fifth son, in a position similar to Tang Xinrong’s in the Tang family—no wonder they ended up working together.

Li Xuyin was Li Jiaping’s eldest son, making him Li Jiayu’s nephew. However, both were 29 years old, and while uncle and nephew being the same age wasn’t inherently awkward, Li Xuyin had already begun calling the shots within Qingyuan over the past two years—far surpassing his fifth uncle, Li Jiayu.

This wasn’t surprising, though. Li Jiayu had always been a timid weakling, even in school. After being pushed off on his brother, he was frequently disciplined by Li Xuyin, who was upright and principled even as a child.

Xu Zhangying found it perversely funny. Even after all these years, Li Jiayu still needed Li Xuyin to clean up his messes.

Lost in thought, Xu Zhangying suddenly noticed Xia Qing scrutinizing his face. Feeling self-conscious, he asked, "Xia Qing, why are you staring at me like that? Did I get disfigured? Though this medicine is working—my tongue feels much better."

Xia Qing shook his head lightly. "No disfigurement. Your nasal bone has been reset, but try not to talk too much. The pain will return once the medication wears off."

Aside from his nose, Xu Zhangying’s face was littered with cuts, but thankfully, they hadn’t shaved his head—just wrapped his forehead in two layers of bandages and fitted his nose with a splint, making him look like a case of plastic surgery gone wrong.

Xia Qing added, "One more thing."

Xu Zhangying: "Hmm?"

Xia Qing said, "Criminal Investigation Unit 2 tracked down one of Zhao Lanyue’s high school friends. They provided a photo that might show Zhao Lanyue with A Feng."

With that, he sat on the edge of the bed and handed his phone to Xu Zhangying.

Squinting, Xu Zhangying saw a printed old photo, likely taken with a low-quality phone eight or nine years ago. The background appeared to be a fast-food restaurant during a student gathering—a waist-up photo of two people. The girl was still in her school uniform, her long, straight hair framing a face so lovely that even the poorly color-balanced and overly processed image couldn’t obscure her beauty.

Her beauty was disarmingly genuine—from her hair to the faint smile on her face, every detail exuded the pure, youthful charm unique to adolescence. This stark reality clashed violently with Zhao Xiuzhen’s tearful, hateful testimony, the clinical photograph of Exhibit No. 412, and the horrifying remains in the dissection room, creating such a gut-punch effect that even Xu Zhangying—who had seen dozens of extreme criminal cases—felt unsettled.

In contrast, the young man beside her seemed utterly ordinary, even jarring. He didn’t match the police’s expectations—looking barely 20, with a buzz cut and a black T-shirt that made his unremarkable features seem even more out of place. He was short and scrawny, resembling the kind of small-time hoodlums who used to loiter outside school gates years ago. A Feng obviously didn't want his picture taken, his face contorted with impatience and disdain, his gaze averted from the camera, revealing only half his face.

Xu Zhangying hesitated. "He's not the alpha type?"

Xia Qing replied, "The photo’s been sent for a national database sweep. We should get hits today."

Xu Zhangying couldn’t help but mutter, "Holy shit, this classmate’s worth more than Tang Xinrong and Li Jiayu put together."

Xia Qing stood up, retrieved his suit jacket from the sofa, and put it on. It was a mystery how he managed to sleep on the sofa without leaving a single wrinkle on his suit pants. In an instant, he transformed back into the distinguished professor.

Xu Zhangying looked at him eagerly. "Are you leaving?"

Xia Qing nodded as he adjusted his tie. "I'll be back tonight."

Xu Zhangying squirmed. "I want to go too."

"No," Xia Qing said sternly.

Xu Zhangying insisted, "I'm perfectly fine! I want to go—I won’t even talk!"

His argument was completely ridiculous. At least, that’s what Xia Qing must have thought after being pestered for fifteen minutes before finally bringing him back to the Major Crime Unit. Qi Feng nearly had to carry him to the infirmary to make him rest alongside Li Jiayu.

With his left arm in a sling, dragging his left leg, his head wrapped in bandages, a splint on his nose, and a freshly scabbed wound on his left cheekbone, Xu Zhangying was a scary sight even in the well-fitted, expensive clothes provided by Xia Qing’s stand-in secretary.

Xu Zhangying waved his hand dismissively to indicate he was fine, then glanced around the empty office. "Where is everyone?"

Qi Feng, who had a bandage on his forehead, replied, "Some are out investigating A Feng, others are guarding Li Jiayu in the infirmary. Captain Yan and the others are waiting with the higher-ups for the Li family—they should be arriving soon. Yu Mei and I just finished lunch and were about to head over."

Xu Zhangying brightened immediately. "Let’s go, then! All together!"

With that, he hobbled out of the office surprisingly fast. Yu Mei looked astonished. "Officer Xu, how are you so nimble with such a big wound on your leg?"

Xu Zhangying grinned. "I’ve got plenty of experience limping—it’s my weird talent. Xia Qing didn’t believe me at first, but after a few laps, he finally brought me along. Haha—"

Qi Feng hurried after them, complaining to Xia Qing, who was walking briskly beside her, "He said he wanted to come, and you actually brought him?"

Her tone was overly familiar. Xia Qing glanced at her sideways, but Qi Feng didn’t seem to notice anything amiss. She snapped, "You’ll do anything he asks, huh?"

With that, she strode ahead and took Xu Zhangying’s uninjured arm. "Turn right."

Before they even reached the infirmary door, they heard Li Jiayu’s hysterical screams from inside. "Please don’t kill me! I didn’t say anything! I paid up—you can’t kill me!"

Qi Feng barged in. "What’s going on?!"

Inside, the forensic intern Xiao Qin was clutching a large glass jar, whining, "This is Dr. Wang’s specimen! If it breaks, how am I supposed to pay for it?!"

Zhao Yang and Tan Song stood nearby, with Tan Song pinning Li Jiayu to the bed—his hands cuffed to the metal bed frame. "Stop thrashing, Li Jiayu! Calm down!"

Song Yuli stood with his arms crossed near the white curtain, sighing. "The moment he woke up, he saw the specimen Xiao Qin had placed on the table and freaked out."

Only then did Qi Feng and the others notice that the glass jar in Xiao Qin’s arms contained a human head preserved in formaldehyde.

Yu Mei rubbed her temples. "Xiao Qin, what are you doing here?"

Xiao Qin smirked. "Dr. Wang from the infirmary went to his daughter’s field day today. Director Zhang asked me to fill in."

Qi Feng blinked. "Seriously? Do you even know how to handle living patients?"

Xiao Qin laughed. "The anatomy classes I took in school were the same. It’s all kind of similar—I know a bit of everything."

Noticing everyone staring at the jar in his arms, he quickly added, "This is Dr. Wang’s specimen. I only took it out to look at while he was gone. Almost got smashed by this guy."

"You scum dare treat me like this?! Let me go right now! Do you even know who I am?!" Li Jiayu snarled through gritted teeth, his expression clearly deranged.

The group stepped further into the infirmary, gathering near another white curtain. Yu Mei turned to Xu Zhangying and explained, "His urine test came back positive, but we haven’t identified the specific substance yet."

Xu Zhangying was even more impressed by Li Jiayu. This coward really had gone off the deep end—daring to mess with anything. And somehow, Li Jiayu looked exactly the same as he had in high school—still tall and scrawny, with a delicate face and slanted eyes, now helpless against Tan Song’s single arm.

"Who are you?" Zhao Yang stared coldly at Li Jiayu.

Li Jiayu's consciousness began to drift. He stammered, lips trembling, "I—I'm the Marquess from District 3. You have *no* right to touch me! You’re breaking the rules—you’re *all* dead!"

Zhao Yang crossed his arms. "Oh? Then which district does Mephisto belong to?"

At the mention of Mephisto, Li Jiayu shuddered violently. "I don’t know him! It wasn’t me who said it—it was Tang Xinrong! I know nothing..."

As he trembled, his gaze gradually cleared, and his struggles weakened. Tan Song slowly released him, muttering under his breath, "What a damn hassle."

Li Jiayu seemed dazed for a few seconds before lifting his head and spotting Zhao Yang standing by the bed. He gasped, "Why are you here?!"

Zhao Yang snorted coldly. "I’m a cop. Where else would I be?"

Fang Puxin, Yu Mei, and Tan Song had been interrogating Li Jiayu before he passed out, so he hadn’t seen Zhao Yang earlier.

Li Jiayu looked incredulous. "*You* became a cop? Seriously?"

Yu Mei let out a soft sound of surprise, and only then did Xu Zhangying realize that Zhao Yang and Qi Feng hadn’t told the others they knew Li Jiayu.

Tan Song barked, "Watch your mouth! You’re a suspect!"

A sneer twisted Li Jiayu’s face. Before he could speak, Zhao Yang cut straight to the chase. "Li Jiayu, you still haven’t answered me. Which district does Mephisto belong to? Who is he?"

Li Jiayu snarled, "I don’t know him! I never said that name!"

Xu Zhangying realized that Li Jiayu’s organization must enforce brutal, bloody punishments for snitching. But Li Jiayu wasn’t an ordinary person—with his wealth and influence in the real world, why was he so terrified? Did the crime syndicate have some kind of leverage over him?

Zhao Yang said, "You said it yourself during the interrogation. There’s video and audio evidence. Did you think this was your house, where you can deny everything? If you say it, we’ll investigate it thoroughly. You’d better start talking."

Hatred burned in Li Jiayu’s eyes. His hands cuffed, he suddenly sneered. "Oh, *Young Master* Zhao, I never thought I’d live to see the day you’d lecture me on being a decent person. I underestimated you. I thought after your dad died, you’d flee abroad to dodge debts—or maybe become some pathetic wage-slave. Looks like Uncle Zhao didn’t die for nothing after all."

Zhao Yang grabbed Li Jiayu by the collar. Tan Song and Song Yuli lunged forward to restrain him, shock flashing across everyone’s faces.

Li Jiayu, still defiant, continued, "What’s wrong? Aren’t you a cop? Is your professionalism just beating suspects in private? Did I say anything wrong? Young Master Zhao, back in the day, you were so arrogant, so above it all—you never gave a damn about the Li or Lin families! If you weren’t just some worthless broke-ass loser now, I’d still be learning from you on how to be a good-for-nothing!"

Before he could finish, Qi Feng was already on him. Yu Mei barely had time to react before Qi Feng swung her arm to slap Li Jiayu across the face. Tan Song, still holding Zhao Yang back, saw her coming and, in desperation, blocked the blow with his own head.

A thunderous slap echoed through the room. Tan Song was knocked flat onto the floor. Xiao Qin rushed to help him up. "Are you okay?!"

Five bright red finger marks bloomed across Tan Song’s handsome forehead. Dazed, he waved it off. "I’m fine, I’m fine. Qi Feng, you lunatic—don’t you know your own strength? If that slap had landed on him, he’d have a concussion or a ruptured eardrum!"

Li Jiayu only felt a terrifying gust of wind brush past his face, unaware he’d just narrowly escaped death. But then he heard heavy breathing beside him. Turning, he saw Qi Feng, eyes slitting like a cat’s, glaring at him with pure fury.

"Hah! Look at you now—pathetic!" Li Jiayu shrank back in fear but still blustered, "Oh, you think I’m scared of you? Back then, you two were just Xu Zhangying’s little lackeys, sneering at everyone—and now, after just a few years, you’re worse off than beggars! You worthless broke-ass losers, go ahead, lay a finger on me! I’ve never been afraid of anyone in my life! What’s the point of glaring at me? That idiot Xu Zhangying can’t crawl out of his coffin now, can he?! Hahaha, look at you now—pathetic!"

"You said it, Li Jiayu."

A voice drifted eerily into the room. Li Jiayu’s forced grin froze instantly. Slowly, he lifted his gaze to see a man covered in bloody bandages standing by his bed, tilting his head at him.

Li Jiayu thought he was hallucinating. He shook violently, stammering, "A ghost?! You—you’re dead! How?!"

Xu Zhangying stared at him, eyes slitting like a cat’s. "Who told you that? Still running your mouth with dumb gossip, huh?"

Then, under the panicked gazes of everyone present, Xu Zhangying raised his right hand and grinned. "Li Jiayu, remember our deal? Lucky you—only two slaps. But you’d better brace yourself."

Yu Mei and Song Yuli panicked beside them. "Officer Xu, you’ll get *written up*! Professor Xia, stop him!"

Xu Zhangying swung his arm back, laughing lightly. "Relax, it’s a private score. Besides, at AGB, we only cut bonuses—no paperwork."

Xia Qing, standing silently behind him, showed no intention of stopping and merely nodded, "I'll explain to the Li family."

Distant memories flooded back like a tide, and Li Jiayu let out a wail, "Xu Changying! You can't hit me! What I said earlier doesn’t count anymore! Don’t you dare touch me!"

Xu Changying shook his head. "That's three times now. Bite down hard!"

With that, Xu Changying swung his hand down hard, grazing Li Jiayu’s cheek before slamming into the pillow—not because Xu Changying didn’t dare hit him, but because Li Jiayu had passed out again.

"Fucking loser, barely standing but still dumb enough to pop pills. Almost OD’d into a seizure." Xu Changying gripped Li Jiayu’s twitching chin tightly and said to Xiao Qin, "Get a tongue depressor and wedge it in his mouth."

After Xiao Qin took over, Xu Changying patted Qi Feng’s shoulder. "He’s just an idiot. Just ignore his bullshit."

Qi Feng replied, "I know."

Xu Changying shoved her. "Go apologize to Officer Tan. Look at what you did to his forehead."

Accompanied by Yu Mei, Qi Feng slunk over toward Tan Song, who was sitting on another hospital bed.

Meanwhile, Xia Qing stood aside, watching as Xu Changying limped over to Zhao Yang and tugged at him. "Come smoke with me."

Zhao Yang said, "I don’t have any cigarettes."

Xu Changying scoffed, "Cut the crap, I can smell it."

Zhao Yang retorted, "Still got that dog nose, huh? You scared Li Jiayu so bad he pissed himself—could you smell that?"

Xu Changying replied, "I’m a beta. That’d be some ghost shit if I could."

After the two walked out, Song Yuli and Yu Mei locked eyes. Unbidden, they both recalled Zhao Yang four years ago, when he was just a rookie cop—the same Zhao Yang who chased suspects onto smuggling boats during the Xishan case, dunking a suspect’s head in a sewage bucket, oblivious to the bullet wound in his thigh. The same Zhao Yang who, in every operation, always volunteered for the longest damn stakeouts with a boxed meal in hand.

Li Jiayu’s grating voice still seemed to linger in the room, leaving a sour taste in their mouths.