Chapter 181 35

Chapter 181-35

When the two returned to the ward with serious expressions, Cha Xin had also calmed down.

Rong Qing had no interest in continuing to engage with him and got straight to the point: "What led you to conclude that Datu was the mole?"

Faced with Rong Qing's question, Cha Xin merely let out a cold scoff, looking at Rong Qing as if he had asked something foolish.

Rong Qing completely ignored Cha Xin's hostile attitude. He hadn’t asked the question expecting a definitive answer, but Cha Xin’s reaction confirmed that his and He Lin’s speculation was correct.

Datu had indeed been eliminated by Cha Xin as the supposed mole.

"Didn’t you see it that day? He sent someone to assassinate me, so I took him out. What’s wrong with that? For a traitor like him, killing him outright was letting him off easy." Seeing the calm on Rong Qing’s face, Cha Xin suddenly felt an urge to vent.

Compared to Cha Xin’s self-righteousness, Rong Qing had a different perspective.

Cha Xin being abruptly called away, the belated arrival of the monk, and the specially arranged speedboat to take them back—he had indeed underestimated Ruan Cong. One link after another, it nearly ensnared him as well.

"Was it also you who had Datu’s mother killed?" Rong Qing asked.

A flicker of confusion passed through Cha Xin’s eyes, as if he wasn’t even aware that Datu had a mother.

At this point, the situation was quite clear—at least, Rong Qing had grasped the clues.

Just as Cha Xin expected Rong Qing to ask about the mole, Rong Qing abruptly shifted the topic to another question: "The number of people rescued by the police is lower than estimated. Chen Shihan, whom you used to test me at Green Bud Bar, and that internet celebrity I met earlier are not among those rescued. Where have you hidden these people?"

The question caught Cha Xin off guard; he couldn’t understand how Rong Qing had suddenly jumped to this topic.

Cha Xin instinctively shook his head in denial: "I wasn’t directly involved in managing Green Bud Bar. Those people might have escaped or been sold off elsewhere long ago."

Rong Qing, unlike his earlier calm, showed a faint smile. He lowered his head and said, "A few days ago, when I was bedridden just like Boss Cha, I took some time to familiarize myself with Country J’s laws."

Seeing Rong Qing’s expression, Cha Xin sensed something malicious in his smile. Then he heard Rong Qing continue: "Before I came here, Country J’s police were discussing how to handle your case with our country’s police. Since you’re unwilling to talk, I’ll suggest to my superiors that you be extradited there. Additionally, your relatives who were involved in trafficking our citizens can join you there for a reunion."

This statement hit Cha Xin’s weak spot, making his face turn pale with anger. Having just witnessed Rong Qing’s deductive skills, Cha Xin also knew that hiding the truth would be useless.

Finally, Cha Xin was willing to cooperate. Leaning back against the headboard, he said, "I hadn’t trafficked any people for a long time before this. Since the day of the car accident, I’ve been detained by your people. Recently, I haven’t been able to go anywhere."

Rong Qing and He Lin exchanged a quick glance—this aligned closely with what they had speculated outside the ward.

Cha Xin was unaware of this matter. Long before he realized it, his authority had already been taken over by someone else.

Rong Qing made a note and moved past this question, continuing to ask: "Let me ask you another thing: Is Bai Zang from Lily Garden zone one of your clients?"

Cha Xin admitted to this: "Mr. Bai did source quite a few people from me. In the early days, the Lily Garden zone needed me to supply people. Later, when they needed more, I did some business with him."

Next, Rong Qing verified some details with him, most of which matched up. He also asked about the number of people trafficked. Cha Xin claimed he couldn’t remember clearly, but the number he provided was significantly lower than what the police had on record.

Rong Qing saved the most critical information for last: "Over the past two years, have you used the online ID 'Qing Jin' to participate in human trafficking on the Psi website?"

At this question, Cha Xin was stunned again. He looked at Rong Qing with a strange expression: "What website are you talking about? I’ve never heard of it." Then he added: "I’ll admit to what I’ve done, but don’t pin everything on me that I haven’t."

Cha Xin’s tone made it sound as though Rong Qing was trying to frame him.

At this point, Rong Qing made a note in the record. He was certain: what Cha Xin said did not match the information previously obtained from the base.

By now, Rong Qing had the answer in his mind, though some factual evidence was still missing.

He skipped the question again and continued further. Once he had a general understanding, the interrogation was nearing its end.

He Lin asked a few supplementary questions to ensure the information collected was as detailed as possible.

The only regret was that although this case was initially considered part of the Psi network case, they had gained little new information about the website.

As they stood up to leave, Cha Xin, still seething, glared bitterly at Rong Qing and said resentfully: "I did nothing wrong. The survival of the fittest is the way of the world."

Rong Qing sneered: "Is that so? Maybe. Then why are you so indignant? If your skills fall short, isn’t it only natural that you end up like this?"

Lost in his emotions, Cha Xin angrily continued: "You just happened to catch me at the right time. In the past, even with conditions like Shen Xi’s, begging to cooperate with me, I might not have bothered. This year, your side captured many of my people… and domestic operations are also under investigation…"

Here, Cha Xin suddenly paused. He was no fool. Connecting this with the questions Rong Qing had just asked him, he quickly realized something was wrong.

"The mole isn’t Datu? Or not just Datu? Is it one of your people? Who is it? Tell me!" In response to Cha Xin’s hysterics, all he heard was the sound of the door closing as Rong Qing and the others left.

Cha Xin’s outburst was shut out behind the ward door. As for the answer to that question, he could ponder it slowly in prison later.

After finishing the interrogation, Rong Qing hurriedly turned and walked out. He Lin followed closely behind him: "Did you find the answer?"

Rong Qing nodded: "He’s not Qing Jin."

He Lin asked: "Then who is Qing Jin?"

Rong Qing looked ahead: "Ruan Cong."

Although it was somewhat unexpected, after eliminating all the wrong options, the one that remained, no matter how improbable, had to be the truth.

Rong Qing finally understood where that sense of fragmentation in Ruan Cong came from. If he were merely Ruan Cong, all his actions would be contradictory and strange. But if he were Qing Jin, everything fell into place.

Two years ago, when the Psi website was established, Ruan Cong began actively participating on the site using the ID "Qing Jin." The identity of Qing Jin brought Ruan Cong enormous profits but also significant risks. At the time, Ruan Cong, still not fully established, urgently needed a scapegoat to bear those risks.

Cha Xin, whose business was thriving at the time, became the perfect scapegoat.

Cha Xin’s personality was self-righteous. Having risen from the bottom, he firmly believed in his own methods. He always looked down on the emerging internet scene. This information gap gave Ruan Cong an excellent opportunity to hide himself.

Moreover, since he was always by Cha Xin’s side, it was easier to divert outsiders’ attention to Cha Xin.

Thus, a perfect scapegoat was created.

Soon, speculation within the website about Qing Jin’s identity shifted entirely to Cha Xin. The real Qing Jin achieved perfect invisibility.

Cha Xin, kept in the dark, remained at the forefront, attracting all the hostility.

It was also from that time onward that assassination attempts against Cha Xin increased, several of which were likely orchestrated by Ruan Cong himself.

He planned to hire assassins to target Cha Xin, then personally eliminate the threats to protect Cha Xin’s safety. This elevated Ruan Cong’s status in Cha Xin’s eyes, gradually surpassing even Pan Na’s influence.

But Ruan Cong had always been skilled at hiding his capabilities. Even with Cha Xin’s deep trust, he remained humble and obedient.

This allowed him to stay by Cha Xin’s side daily while rarely drawing attention to himself.

Until Shen Xi appeared, making Ruan Cong feel an unprecedented sense of crisis.

From the moment Shen Xi avoided Khunla’s attack in the casino, Ruan Cong realized Shen Xi was trained. Such moves might fool everyone else, but Ruan Cong had spent years in the fighting arenas—how could he not see it?

Moreover, Shen Xi’s face bore some resemblance to his deceased younger brother, which initially stirred a bit of compassion in Ruan Cong.

But as he interacted more with Shen Xi, Ruan Cong discovered that Shen Xi was far more dangerous than he had imagined.

Whether Ruan Cong was provoking with words or bowing his head in deference, Shen Xi could always see right through him. It seemed that in front of Shen Xi, his schemes were always transparent.

Although Shen Xi did not actually interfere with Ruan Cong's plans, Ruan Cong still felt somewhat wary of him.

Therefore, when faced with Cha Xin and Pan Na's deliberate tests, Ruan Cong did not stop them but instead waited quietly to see how things played out.

He also wanted to know whether Shen Xi could successfully win their trust.

The outcome, however, differed slightly from what Ruan Cong had anticipated. Shen Xi did not let Cha Xin test him but chose to counterattack. Watching Cha Xin get bested by Shen Xi, Ruan Cong gained more admiration for Shen Xi.

At that time, Ruan Cong firmly believed that he must never become Shen Xi's enemy. If they couldn't be friends, then Shen Xi would have to be eliminated.

So Ruan Cong orchestrated the assassination attempt in the mountains.

The assassin’s first target appeared to be Cha Xin, but he was also targeting Shen Xi.

For this scheme, Ruan Cong had made multiple preparations. Whether the assassination succeeded in killing either Cha Xin or Shen Xi, it would be a major step toward Ruan Cong’s goal.

Even if both came out unharmed, it wouldn’t matter. Such incidents could always create distrust between Cha Xin and Shen Xi. The biggest taboo in such transactions is when both sides have their own agendas. Whichever side gained the upper hand, Ruan Cong would be the winner coming out on top.

Even if the plan were eventually exposed, Ruan Cong had arranged for Datu to be the fall guy. Even if Cha Xin grew suspicious, all clues would point to Datu.

Ruan Cong also took the opportunity to deliver compensation money to Datu's home, where he personally strangled Datu's mother and then made it look like a suicide by hanging her. Ruan Cong even deliberately left behind some clues suggesting it wasn’t suicide.

After all, Cha Xin's ruthlessness was well-known, and Datu's mother's death would make Datu look more like a traitor.

This plan was almost flawless, and everything proceeded smoothly according to Ruan Cong's arrangements, including Mopa's visit and Cha Xin's early departure, all set up ahead of time by Ruan Cong using his Qing Jin identity.

But at the entrance of the Buddhist temple, when faced with Shen Xi's piercing gaze that saw right through him, Ruan Cong hesitated.

So he intentionally brought Shen Xi to the meditation room, hinted that the bhikkhu would return later, and even offered to use a speedboat to take Shen Xi and the others back.

His goal was to stall for time, waiting until all arrangements at Jile were settled before he showed up late, as if everything had nothing to do with him.

Everything that happened was out of his hands, and he could do nothing to change it.

As for Shen Xi, after all, Shen Xi had no evidence.

Even if he had suspicions, as long as Ruan Cong didn’t admit to anything, there was nothing Shen Xi could do to him.

Perhaps there was another possibility—Ruan Cong was also showing goodwill and trying to recruit Shen Xi. If Shen Xi was truly who he claimed to be, then when Ruan Cong took Cha Xin out and replaced him, with this connection established, Shen Xi could naturally become his supplier.

Even if Shen Xi's identity was unclear, with Ruan Cong's groundwork of playing the sympathy card, it could save his life at a critical moment.

As for those missing people, Cha Xin hadn’t prepared, but it’s very likely that Ruan Cong had. He had hidden them away in advance.

After the car accident, Ruan Cong had been nowhere to be found—no body, no trace.

It was possible that he was flung from the car during those final moments, but there was also a possibility that he opened the door and jumped out before He Lin opened it.

The cliff had a steep slope of about sixty degrees. The car, being heavy, crashed headlong over the cliff.

But with plenty of vegetation on the slope, if Ruan Cong was physically fit and not seriously injured, he could have climbed down using the vegetation and escaped under cover of night.

What also made Rong Qing suspicious was during the struggle in the car when Cha Xin clearly indicated for Pan Na to shoot.

If she could hit him, that would be best; if not, she should take Ruan Cong out too. But Pan Na clearly hesitated at that moment.

As a trafficker who disregarded human life and killed without blinking, Pan Na’s hesitation wasn’t due to fear of pulling the trigger or taking a life.

That left only one possibility: she didn’t want to harm Ruan Cong.

On the surface, Ruan Cong was a bodyguard, but his authority seemed extensive. Many people below him, such as Datu and the other bodyguards, took orders from him.

Cha Xin had also implied in conversations that he was getting older and had grown accustomed to letting others drive. He often delegated many tasks in his work to Ruan Cong.

On the surface, Cha Xin was the top leader of the organization, but after his father-in-law’s death and increased police scrutiny, Cha Xin’s authority within the group weakened, and his hold on power was slipping. Coupled with his paranoid and brutal nature, how many people would genuinely want to follow him?

In contrast, Ruan Cong, who had risen from the bottom, was young, stood by his people, had high combat skills, and was willing to speak up for those below him, seemed more like the leader those people would be willing to follow.

So even before these events unfolded, Ruan Cong had been gradually undermining Cha Xin’s authority and using external forces to shrink Cha Xin’s sphere of influence.

That’s why Cha Xin was eager to cooperate with Shen Xi.

Cha Xin’s goal was to eliminate the mole, secure cooperation, and find a way out.

Ruan Cong wanted to seize the business, test Shen Xi, and replace Cha Xin’s position.

Rong Qing’s goal was to investigate the situation and dismantle this trafficking ring.

The three of them were like people fumbling in a dark room, searching for the only exit, not knowing where it was hidden.

Each believed they were the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind—but at that time, everyone was part of the game. No one could fully see through the other’s schemes.

And now, the game is finally up.

That day, during the police operation, Ruan Cong successfully used the police’s force to suppress Cha Xin. As the mastermind behind the scenes, he had long prepared for the worst—hidden a batch of high-value cargo, instructed his trusted followers to go into hiding in advance, and planned to make a clean escape while letting Cha Xin take the blame.

It would be best if Cha Xin died.

If Cha Xin survived but his statements didn’t match, the police would assume he was lying rather than suspecting Ruan Cong, who was presumed dead.

Now, Cha Xin’s business has been severely damaged, and the city is under strict scrutiny. Ruan Cong will undoubtedly do everything possible to hide.

Once the storm passes, he can reveal his identity as Qing Jin, return openly and legitimately, take over Cha Xin’s operations, and become the new, lofty king of this human trafficking empire.

The dragon-slaying youth of yesterday has finally become the evil dragon.