Chapter 35: Everyone is Finished

Jiang Xiaoya couldn't understand what they meant, so she naturally offered no reaction. Seeing the tall man being urged by others to keep going, he continued to thank them profusely before continuing to retch and vomit. The sour stench was so unbearable that the people in the car couldn't stand it, prompting them to speed back to their hideout.

The car stopped in a courtyard. The tall man stripped off his clothes, opened the rear door, and reached in to drag Jiang Xiaoya out.

As she was hauled inside, Jiang Xiaoya observed her surroundings the entire way.

When the system had alerted her to "items of value," she had initially thought these people were carrying something on them. Now, it seemed their very identities were highly suspicious.

Judging by their arrogant attitude, they might just be habitual offenders wanted by the police.

The more Jiang Xiaoya thought about it, the more her mind raced, and she quickly came up with an excellent idea.

Hearing the commotion, the people inside came out. Seeing the tall man hauling a woman back, they stepped forward to inquire about what happened.

After hearing the sequence of events, one of the lackeys rushed inside, grabbed a knife, and prepared to chop Jiang Xiaoya up.

"You even dared to headshot my big brother? You motherf***er must be tired of living. See if I don't chop you up today!"

*Slap!*

The tall man backhanded the lackey, telling him to stay away.

"Get lost!"

If Jiang Xiaoya had offended him, he hadn't vented enough anger yet; would he really let a lackey do it?

Having taken a slap, the lackey stood obediently to the side, clutching his knife.

Seeing this, Jiang Xiaoya grabbed the tall man's hand.

"My benefactor! It was you who saved me. From this day forward, I will obey everything you say."

As the tall man felt her hand grab his, the corner of his eye twitched silently.

*Is this crazy woman sick?*

Ignoring his struggle, Jiang Xiaoya spoke with tears streaming down her face.

"From now on, I will follow your every command. If my benefactor tells me to go east, I shall never go west. If my benefactor tells me to kill, I shall leave no survivors. With just one word from my benefactor, I will traverse heaven and earth, walk through fire and water, and face any hardship without hesitation!"

The tall man tried to shake her off for a long time but couldn't, even with her hands bound.

He couldn't help but think of the companion who had given her a "headshot" with a stool; this woman possessed immense brute strength.

However, she didn't seem very bright.

Not being bright was a good thing. If she did whatever she was told, wouldn't she be better than the pack of clever monkeys they usually hired? It would save them from having to keep one eye open while they slept.

Thus, from the perspective of the livestream viewers, the scene was this: the tall man's eyes grew brighter and brighter, his excitement so palpable that the viewers could almost hear the clicking of his abacus through the screen.

【No way, he actually believes her?】

【It's not impossible. Our "Stupid Sister" is indeed a coward, but as for luck... I guess even a jinx would tremble in her presence.】

【It's over, it's over. He's doomed. Anyone who hangs around Stupid Sister—even if Stupid Sister is the one following them—is going to end up finished.】

【Can everyone stop being so superstitious? The problem is serious; Stupid Sister is about to go down a dark path.】

【What "dark path"? This is clearly a stalling tactic! Stupid Sister is a coward, not an idiot, understand?】

【Watching these livestreams every day, you guys are starting to sound like real detectives.】

【Has the Licheng Police Bureau outsourced all its business to Jiang Xiaoya? She's sending several people in every day.】

【Tell me about it. It started as a minor charge of picking a fight, and now it's upgraded to kidnapping and threats. Jiang Xiaoya is truly toxic.】

***

On the police car.

The criminal investigation team, seeing this scene, was thinking much more deeply than the netizens.

For instance, the behavior of the tall man's lackeys suggested they were definitely not good people.

Could it really be a major case, just as the Bureau Chief had said?

"Keep a close eye on them. Track their location."

***

On the other side.

The situation at the detention center was far from optimistic.

The tomb-robbing gang consisted of seven people in total. Their testimonies were consistent: they had bought the guns on the black market, and the decision to rob the tomb was a collective idea with no mastermind behind them.

When questioned about the black market, they remained composed, stating they had used a friend to make the purchase. They had no direct way to access it themselves. As for the friend who provided the connection, there was only a code name and no contact information; that person was always the one to contact them.

The seven testimonies were identical in every detail, leaving no loopholes.

Qing Tianfeng and his colleagues at the detention center had already experienced this; this was already their third interrogation of the day.

The higher-ups had been following the process the entire time, and finally, one of them walked out of the interrogation room with a massive headache.

Seeing him like this, Qing Tianfeng offered a half-joking consolation: "Don't worry too much. If this really is a major case, our Licheng police won't be able to handle it alone anyway. We'll have to borrow troops from elsewhere. This kind of thing can't be rushed."

Though it was meant as comfort, it was the truth. If it were truly a major case involving such scale, it wouldn't be a small matter. With their current strength, it would be impossible to go head-to-head with such a massive organization.

It would be like an egg hitting a rock.

However, as soon as the words left his mouth, the officer sent from above pulled out an official document: "I've already borrowed the troops."

Qing Tianfeng and the detention center staff exchanged glances, thinking he was joking.

Qing Tianfeng took the document from his hand. As he read the transfer order, his expression shifted. He realized then that they were being dead serious about bringing those two crates here.

They were actually serious about something this absurd?

Qing Tianfeng and the detention center staff saw nothing but despair in each other's eyes.

Just as they were feeling agitated, the criminal investigation team called.

"What's up? What's the situation?"

Qing Tianfeng walked aside to answer.

"Captain, things are getting big. You need to get here, fast," Yu Cuo's voice said, struggling to maintain composure.

"Tell me."

Qing Tianfeng wanted to light a cigarette again. He pulled one out and toyed with it in his hand but didn't light it immediately.

"Just now..."

"The matter is still being verified, but if it's true, they are suspected of smuggling and trafficking military weapons!"

The cigarette spinning in Qing Tianfeng's hand suddenly dropped.

The atmosphere froze like ice.

Sensing something was wrong, Yu Cuo asked nervously, "Captain, do you feel something is off?"

Qing Tianfeng snapped back to reality, glancing at the man pacing back and forth inside—the man who held the transfer order but was still being roasted over a fire.

"It might be true," he murmured.

"Captain, is it real?!"

Yu Cuo didn't doubt Qing Tianfeng's words. Their captain's word was law; if he said it was true, it was true.

Yu Cuo became agitated. "Captain, what do we do now? If this is true, our small investigation team won't be able to hold the line!"

They all knew that applying for a transfer order took time, but now, every second counted.

Urgency gripped Yu Cuo. "Captain, what do we do? Are we really going to charge in?"

"What, are you afraid of dying?"

The image of the "evidence" they had found when they opened those crates flashed through Qing Tianfeng's mind. Hearing the panicked voice on the phone, he regained his focus.

"I... I..." Of course, he was afraid of dying.

But then again...

"Captain, if we charge in like that, we really will die."

(End of Chapter)