The Same Fate Awaits All Sins Chapter 62

Final Part – 03

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"Can the source of this compound be traced?" Gu Yanta asked Chen Chen.

"The source..." Chen Chen frowned and said, "Nothing has turned up yet. This compound isn't actually difficult to synthesise, but given its dangerous nature, the government has strictly prohibited its production and circulation, so it's impossible to find on the market, let alone trace its origin..."

"In other words, there's only one possibility, this compound was prepared by the murderer himself!" Lu Zheng said. "That means the murderer must have some level of chemical knowledge and the necessary conditions to produce it!"

"By the way, before Captain Li was murdered, how far had the narcotics operation in Xia County progressed?" Gu Yanta turned to Chang Le and asked.

"After we took down several drug dens in Xia County, we found some clues about the drug supply chain from a major middleman. That's another reason we linked Captain Li's murder to the Yuchuan case," Chang Le said. "According to our investigation, there's a massive underground drug manufacturing and trafficking network in the Xia County area, however, in recent years, they've suffered from a shortage of skilled technicians, causing their production to plummet. Then, starting last year, drug output suddenly skyrocketed. The key figures in this group frequently travelled between Yuchuan and Xia County, and large quantities of their drugs were being distributed in Yuchuan. We suspected they might have brought in some crucial technology or personnel from Yuchuan!"

"As for the Huang Chufeng case in Yuchuan, various clues available at the time indicated that Huang Chufeng and his mentor, Ma Xiangrong, might have been involved in drug manufacturing. After Huang Chufeng's incident, his mentor Ma Xiangrong fled to escape prosecution, however, because Huang Chufeng was dead, the trail went cold, and the police couldn't find further evidence linking him to the drug cartel," Lu Zheng said.

"Are you saying the people they brought in were Huang Chufeng and Ma Xiangrong?" Xu Jia, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke. "That makes sense. If they weren't connected in some way, why would Ma Xiangrong flee the moment Huang Chufeng got into trouble..."

"Mhmm." Gu Yanta nodded and continued from where Lu Zheng left off. "Huang Chufeng killed his classmate over a personal grudge and tried to frame a childhood friend who had a weakness in his hands. But as the police dug deeper, the truth behind Huang Chufeng's murder and framing was eventually uncovered. Once arrested, it would've been difficult for Huang Chufeng to hide his other criminal activities from the police, that's why we had reason to suspect that Huang Chufeng's death was a purge carried out by the organisation he was involved with."

"In that case, it does align with the reason Captain Li Mingyong was murdered," Chang Le said. "It was all to protect the interests of the group behind this!"

"Looking at the actual progress of the narcotics operation in Yuchuan, after Huang Chufeng was killed and Ma Xiangrong went on the run, the drug cartel in Yuchuan did quiet down for a while. But just over a month ago, signs of resurgence began to appear..." Lu Zheng said. "That was exactly when Captain Li was murdered."

"For now, let's assume that the so-called experts recruited by the Xia County cartel were Ma Xiangrong and Huang Chufeng," Gu Yanta said. "Huang Chufeng is dead, that means the only person still capable of synthesising this new compound and bringing Xia County's drug network back to life is Ma Xiangrong!"

"So where is Ma Xiangrong now? Wasn't he said to have fled to escape prosecution?" Chang Le asked. "Would he really dare to return?"

"If the profit is big enough..." Lu Zheng said, "Ma Xiangrong is exactly the kind of person who would do something like this!"

Gu Yanta gave Chen Chen a nod, and Chen Chen projected Ma Xiangrong's file onto the large screen.

A photo of Ma Xiangrong's ID appeared before them. In the photo, Ma Xiangrong looked well-mannered, steady and sophisticated, making it hard to associate him with a ruthless drug trafficker.

"Ma Xiangrong, male, fifty years old, former PhD supervisor at Yuchuan University's Department of Chemistry. He went missing in April 2019, and his whereabouts remain unknown. Witnesses last reported seeing him at Yuchuan's second port," Chen Chen briefly introduced.

The second port was primarily used for cargo shipments, and the police suspected that Ma Xiangrong had smuggled himself out of the country.

"I don't understand," Xu Jia asked in confusion. "Ma Xiangrong had a stable life, and as a university professor, he held a certain social status, so why would he go to such extremes? Was it purely for profit?"

"Profit can make people lose their sense of reason," Lu Zheng said. "People have different ideas about what kind of life they want. To us, Ma Xiangrong's life might have seemed comfortably middle-class, stable and well-off, with no need to take such risks. But from his perspective, it may not have been enough. Perhaps only immense wealth and the power to control others through drugs could restore his sense of dignity and confidence."

"The primary focus for our investigation now is tracking down Ma Xiangrong," Gu Yanta said. "Based on the latest developments in Xia County and Yuchuan, there's a strong likelihood that he's hiding in Xia County, we must find him!"

"Understood!" Everyone responded in unison.

By the time they wrapped up the case analysis meeting, it was already early evening.

Gu Yanta and his team of three returned to the temporary accommodation arranged by Jiang Ziyu. It was a single dormitory at the Xia County police station, with two people per room. In recent years, there hadn't been many young officers joining the force in Xia County, and most of the older officers were already married with families, so this floor of the dormitory was largely vacant.

Jiang Ziyu had "thoughtfully" arranged for Gu Yanta and Lu Zheng to share a room at the far end of the corridor, while Chen Chen, the unwanted third wheel, was placed in a more remote room at the other end of the long hallway. Gu Yanta was quite pleased with this arrangement. Jiang Ziyu still had other cases to handle and was scheduled for a night shift to keep surveillance on a suspect, so after settling the three of them in, he immediately rushed off to his next task.

Though Chen Chen was an undeniable third wheel, he was still included when it came to meals. Being unfamiliar with the area, the three of them wandered the neighbourhood near their accommodation in search of a place to eat.

Xia County, though a relatively small prefecture-level city, was renowned for its cuisine. The locals were famously passionate about food. Sure enough, after just a few steps, the three of them found themselves on a bustling food street. Chen Chen glanced around eagerly before finally settling on a local restaurant. Once seated, they ordered a few of Xia County's signature dishes and a pitcher of beer, allowing themselves a rare moment of relaxation after a tense day.

Lu Zheng had never been particular about food. Apart from being unable to tolerate certain strong-smelling ingredients, he didn't have a sharp sense for flavours, good or bad. He had always been like that, easygoing and indifferent to the finer things in life. There was nothing about him that hinted at his privileged background. Anyone unaware of his family ties would assume he came from an utterly ordinary household.

But ever since being with Gu Yanta, Lu Zheng had unexpectedly developed a slight preference for better-tasting food. After all, when his boyfriend was an exceptional cook, after such a comparison, if he still couldn't tell the difference, it wouldn't just be a matter of being slow, it would be a case of complete taste bud failure.

Sure enough, after just a few bites, Lu Zheng set down his chopsticks. "It's not tasty, too salty."

Chen Chen, happily devouring his food, looked up at Lu Zheng in surprise. "I think it's quite good!"

"Consultant Lu, you've just gotten used to my cooking these past few days," Gu Yanta wasn't nearly as particular. Generally speaking, even the most skilled chefs often found their own cooking unremarkable, just like how many high-end hotel chefs would rather go home to a simple home-cooked meal made by their wives.

"Mhmm." Lu Zheng acknowledged, picking up his cup and taking small sips.

"Consultant Lu, back when you were eating instant noodles and takeout with us, you weren't this picky!" Chen Chen remarked.

"That was a special situation." Lu Zheng glanced at this table of local dishes with a lot of oil and salt. "Besides, I didn't eat much of that either, so I'll just have a few bites."

"That won't do!" For the first time, Gu Yanta refrained from piling meat into Lu Zheng's bowl. "There's a fruit and vegetable shop just over there, on our way back, let's grab some ingredients, and I'll whip up something simple for you. The dorms have all the necessary things to cook, just need to buy some extra seasoning!"

"I don't want to, that's too much trouble!" Lu Zheng picked up his chopsticks again. "I'll eat a bit more... I can eat a bit more, alright..."

Watching the two of them fussing over each other, Chen Chen suddenly felt like a human light bulb, glowing brighter and brighter...

By the time they finished their first meal in Xia County, the sky had darkened.

Gu Yanta had barely had two drinks, yet he already felt a little lightheaded. Chen Chen and Lu Zheng had to support him from either side as they walked. He couldn't help but lament his terrible alcohol tolerance. Fortunately, now that I have Lu Xiaozheng, even if I get drunk, I have someone to take me home. No, wait! I still can't drink too much. If I end up needing Lu Xiaozheng to carry me back, that'd be way too embarrassing...

Staggering back to their accommodation, Gu Yanta slumped onto the sofa and refused to budge. Lu Zheng called him several times, but he didn't move an inch. With an exasperated sigh, Lu Zheng went to take a shower first. When he came out, still drying his hair, he saw his husband sprawled on the sofa. Annoyed, he walked over and gave him a kick.

"Aiyou!" Gu Yanta clutched his stomach as if in pain.

"Cut it out." Lu Zheng continued drying his hair. "Hurry up and go wash up. Are you planning to sleep or not?"

"How are we supposed to sleep?" Gu Yanta grumbled. "This crappy place only has one-metre-wide single beds."

"Nonsense!" Lu Zheng huffed. "This is a single dorm! It's meant for single people! Of course they'd have single beds!"

"Then how do we sleep?" Gu Yanta said. "I want to sleep with you in my arms!!"

"Get lost!" Lu Zheng grabbed Gu Yanta off the sofa and shoved him into the bathroom. "Take a shower and go to bed properly, or I'll pack up and go sleep in Chen Chen's room!"

"Don't, don't..." The sound of running water mixed with Gu Yanta's voice from inside. "I'll comply immediately! If I can't hold you while I sleep, just being able to see you is good enough!"

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: February 17, 2025 by Angel

Edited: February 26, 2025 by Angel