"Tong Meng, aren't you afraid I'll escape?" Surrounded by more than a dozen people, Hu Jia was outnumbered and defeated. Now he was tied to a wooden stool, unable to move.
"Afraid? Why would I be afraid?" Tong Meng's lips were almost touching Hu Jia's ear. Her hand gently traced Hu Jia's face. If it weren't for the people from the Knife Organization being here, she might have already kissed him.
"What? Are you planning to kill me?" Hu Jia sneered.
"No, no, no, little Jia Gege, there are some things you might not understand. Even if I don't kill you, you won't be able to pass on today's events."
"Heh heh."
Hu Jia sneered. Tong Meng was too confident. He didn't believe she could keep him tied up forever.
"You don't believe me? Let's wait and see." Tong Meng dared to expose herself to Hu Jia so boldly because she knew that in seven days, everything would return to peace.
"Tell me, how did you find out about Mou Ji Xuan?" Tong Meng steered the conversation back to the main topic.
"How do you know Mou Ji Xuan? Who are you?" Hu Jia's eyes were filled with surprise.
As they exchanged questions and answers, Hu Jia desperately tried to recall everything about Tong Meng. He remembered this girl joined the police force a year and a half ago. But after only six months under him, she voluntarily transferred to the Criminal Investigation Team.
Oh, right, she had a brother named Tong Hua, who seemed to be of the same generation, but they never got along.
And Mou Ji Xuan was one of the key figures in the shooting cases.
It wasn't that Mou Ji Xuan was involved in the cases, but rather that he knew about them.
Mou Ji Xuan, who had lived a hard life since childhood, was illiterate. As an adult, he became a petty thug.
Mou Ji Xuan was at the scene of the second shooting, the day Huang Ya Wen died.
According to Mou Ji Xuan, a friend introduced him to a job to provide false testimony at the crime scene. Although the shooting occurred at 7 PM, Mou Ji Xuan deliberately pretended to have seen the killer and heard the gunshots, changing the time to 8 PM.
This caused considerable trouble for the police in solving the case.
It was only when Hu Jia reopened the case and revisited witnesses that he accidentally learned that it was Mou Ji Xuan's sister's birthday that night.
He had been at home all night and never went out.
So, Hu Jia found Mou Ji Xuan and talked to him about providing false testimony and obstructing justice, subtly implying that if he couldn't explain why he lied, then he must be the killer.
This terrified Mou Ji Xuan.
He was just a small-time thug and didn't dare to take the blame for murder.
Thus, Hu Jia proposed that he atone for his mistakes by finding his friend and identifying who was paying for the mission.
At first, Mou Ji Xuan refused. The other party was a murderer. But the charges Hu Jia had pinned on him were also unbearable.
Finally, with Hu Jia's repeated assurances of safety, Mou Ji Xuan compromised.
But yesterday, Mou Ji Xuan contacted him, saying he only found out the other party's surname was Wang. However, for the past two days, he had been living in constant fear, worried about being discovered while investigating this matter.
He didn't want to do it anymore and wanted to leave. Anywhere would do, as long as it wasn't Chongqing.
Hu Jia did not agree.
So, he chased after Mou Ji Xuan, only to get lost in the secret garden behind Huayan Village.
Since Tong Meng could mention Mou Ji Xuan's name, was she also involved in the shooting case?
Could it be that the siblings were the murderers?
However, Hu Jia immediately dismissed his own guess. Tong Hua, like himself, had only graduated from the police academy three years ago, and Tong Meng was even younger.
How could they have the capacity to plan such a large-scale case? Unless there was someone behind them.
"Don't you know who I am very well? As long as you tell me how you know about Mou Ji Xuan, I promise you'll go home safe and sound."
"Are you asking, or is the person behind you asking?"
"Is there a difference?"
"Yes! Let the person behind you come out and see me, and I'll tell him everything."
Actually, Hu Jia just wanted to meet the mastermind behind it all, his father's killer, the person who had tormented him for three years.
"Hahaha. How can Lord Liu be seen just because you want to see him?" Tong Meng immediately dashed Hu Jia's hopes. "You'd better answer my questions obediently. Perhaps before letting you go, Lord Liu might actually come to see you."
Lord Liu?
This was the first time Hu Jia had heard this name.
Although he found it strange that Tong Meng would mention the name of the person behind the scenes so openly, regardless, after three years of investigation, he finally knew the name of the mastermind.
"Mou Ji Xuan has fallen into your hands?" Hu Jia got the answer he wanted and immediately changed the subject. He knew he wouldn't be able to see Lord Liu.
Now, he was more concerned about Mou Ji Xuan's whereabouts. He had been chasing Mou Ji Xuan for many days, and it was no wonder he suddenly disappeared. It turned out Tong Meng had abducted him.
"Kid. Haven't you figured out your identity? Are we questioning you, or are you questioning us?" A man, unable to stand it any longer, roared.
Tong Meng's expression changed slightly. She indeed had trouble controlling herself in front of Hu Jia.
However, she didn't want to change herself because of it. After all, she had never been so close to Hu Jia before, close enough to even smell his scent.
"Shut up," Tong Meng said, casting a cold glance at the man. She wouldn't allow anyone to interrupt her conversation with Hu Jia.
The man who interjected turned crimson. This was Lord Liu's woman, and he dared not speak out in anger.
Turning back to Hu Jia, Tong Meng resumed her enchanting expression: "Look, if you don't say anything more, they might really take your life."
Hu Jia's face remained stern: "I won't say anything unless I see Mou Ji Xuan."
Tong Meng's smile instantly vanished. This person wanted to see Mou Ji Xuan, but where could she find him? That person had been dead for five years.
It was so troublesome to converse with someone whose memory was stuck seven years in the past.
After reporting the situation to Lord Liu, he gave Tong Meng only one order: "Crack his mouth open."
...
"Lord Liu, I really don't understand. Mou Ji Xuan is already dead, and the Wang surnamed person has been executed. Why are we going to such great lengths to investigate a minor mistake from seven years ago?" Tong Hua stood respectfully beside Lord Liu, bowing subserviently.
"Heh heh, that intermediary took my belongings and hid for seven years. If I don't find him, how can I be worthy of the two shooting incidents I planned?" Lord Liu took a sip of tea, his eyes clearly filled with anger.
"Someone still dares to take Lord Liu's belongings?" Tong Hua was shocked. "To make Lord Liu remember for so long, it must be very valuable. What is it?"
Lord Liu handed the teacup in his hand to Tong Hua. Tong Hua quickly reached out to take it, but Lord Liu suddenly let go, and the scalding tea poured onto Tong Hua's hand, making him wince in pain.
"Lord Liu, I'm sorry! It's my fault." Tong Hua quickly knelt to apologize.
"Where did you go wrong? It was I who lost my grip and spilled the tea," Lord Liu said.
"It was Tong Hua's recklessness. It won't happen again." Tong Hua's forehead was covered in sweat. He seemed quite frightened.
"If there's a next time, you'll be dealt with according to the knife rules." Lord Liu got up and left.
Tong Hua watched Lord Liu's departing figure. His heart was filled with fear, anger, and a hint of hatred.
Lord Liu hadn't lost his grip just now; he was punishing him.
Because he had asked a question he shouldn't have.
What valuable item? Was it his place to care?