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At the dining table, HuMing noticed the boy was nowhere to be seen.
He had assumed that ChaChai would dine with the boy.
"Mr. ChaChai, where is your son? I don''t see him around."
"Mr. Ross, Ah Nuo has always been frail. After going out, he needs time to rest," ChaChai replied, raising his ss of red wine and gesturing in HuMing''s direction.
"Mr. Ross, in a couple of days, I''ll take you to watch a boxing match. I''ve gathered skilled boxers from around the world—you''re guaranteed to enjoy it."
"Oh? Is that so? Then I will look forward to it," HuMing said, raising his ss in return and downing his wine in one go.
ChaChai appeared satisfied with HuMing’s gesture. Yet, until now, he had deliberately refrained from mentioning business.
He wanted to test whether HuMing would show any impatience, but surprisingly, HuMing didn’t broach the topic of business even during the meal.Narrowing his eyes, ChaChai became more cautious of HuMing.
Soon after, ChaChai smiled, cing both hands on the table and leaning slightly toward HuMing.
"Mr. Ross, what do you think of the development of this ce?"
"Mr. ChaChai, it seems you''ve managed things well here. However, its reputation outside isn''t exactly ster."
"No Man’s Land, huh? I''ve heard that term many times before. Outsiders always think they understand WuYuan Town, but they’ve never dared to step in. Why? Because they fear the people here and worry about getting entangled in its affairs!"
ChaChaiughed, his tone full of mockery toward the outside world.
"Before I took charge, WuYuan Town was the real ouw zone. Shootouts would erupt on the streets every now and then. The major factions fought endlessly, and countless children bled out in their homes. If not for my intervention, the government outside would have crushed this ce long ago!"
"How many corrupt officials are out there? I’m sure, Mr. Ross, you know better than I do. I’m merely protecting these people, ensuring they can eat every day and live normal lives."
ChaChai''s voice wasmanding, echoing throughout the room.
The servants, stewards, and soldiers around him stood frozen, like puppets awaiting his orders.
HuMing stared at ChaChai, his eyes devoid of emotion.
He understood that ChaChai saw himself as the savior of thiswlessnd—defiance meant death.
ChaChai looked back at HuMing and continued.
"A bad reputation doesn’t matter. After all, we still have the goods you’re looking for. As long as we have the supply, there will always be demand."
"Speaking of which, Mr. ChaChai, shouldn’t you show me your real inventory?"
HuMing wasn’t entirely clear on what Ross and ChaChai were trading, but he wanted to investigate further.
While ChaChai publicly dealt in transportation, HuMing’s research revealed his involvement in human trafficking and arms dealing, steadily expanding his influence. ??
Yet HuMing’s instincts told him that the deal between ChaChai and Ross couldn’t be this simple.
Ross had traveled all this way—his purpose surely wasn’t just the visible businesses.
ChaChai stroked his chin, seemingly lost in thought.
Suddenly, a man hurried in from outside, whispering a few words into ChaChai’s ear.
ChaChai’s expression darkened instantly. He turned to HuMing and apologized.
"Apologies, Mr. Ross. I’ll take you to see the inventory tomorrow. For now, please excuse me."
With that, ChaChai left.
A steward approached and escorted HuMing to his quarters.
…
In his room, HuMing sat deep in thought.
He pondered what ChaChai was nning and where the USB drive had ended up.
Deciding not to sit idle, he locked the door, changed into a different outfit, and slipped out through the window.
The summer night buzzed with noise as HuMing, d in stealth gear, blended into the darkness.
The mansion was heavily guarded, with soldiers and bodyguards stationed every few steps, armed to the teeth.
It felt like ying a stealth game, constantly on alert for danger.
But HuMing was ustomed to such situations. Moving carefully, he slipped into ChaChai’s study.
On the desk was a photo of ChaChai and Ah Nuo, but Ah Nuo’s mother was conspicuously absent.
This raised a suspicion: was Ah Nuo really ChaChai’s son?
However, HuMing quickly dismissed the thought.
If Ah Nuo weren’t his son, why would ChaChai treat him so well? Besides, a man like ChaChai likely had many women outside. If one bore his child, he would naturally bring the child back to raise, while the woman would be irrelevant to him.
This exnation seemed the most usible.
After returning the photo to its ce, HuMing began searching for the USB drive.
Despitebing through several cabs, he found only documents—nothing else.
One particr document caught his attention, detailing the infamous "Couples Case" from seven years ago.
For instance, the two couples’ bodies weren’t found in a house but by a river.
Moreover, they hadn’t officially married but were on the verge of doing so.
The document also outlined the decisions ChaChai made while handling the case.
This case had been pivotal in earning ChaChai the trust of the No Man’s Land’s residents.
Yet HuMing felt that some details had been overlooked. What were they?
Holding the document, HuMing frowned deeply.
Fragments of memories began surfacing in his mind.
"Seven years ago... Seven years ago... Zhao... Ah Zhao?!"
HuMing’s eyes twitched as he suddenly recalled his first assignment seven years ago.N?v(el)B\\jnn
His target then had been Ah Zhao!
Gripping the document tightly, HuMing realized that the timeline of the Couples Case and his mission ovepped significantly.
It felt like something hidden was about to emerge.
Suddenly, footsteps and voices echoed from outside.
HuMing hurriedly returned the document to the cab and ced a recorder under the rug.
Afterpleting these tasks, he vaulted out the window.
Not long after, echoes halted. ChaChai had entered the study.<!--/$-->