The Same Fate Awaits All Sins Chapter 66

Final Part – 07

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Chen Qinglong was not tall, of medium build, and dressed in a beige silk Tang suit, the fabric of which had a subtle sheen. His face appeared amiable, but there was an underlying air of authority between his brows that made him somewhat intimidating.

"Uncle Chen, long time no see," Lu Zheng was the first to speak, greeting him politely.

"What brings the young master of the Lu family here?" Chen Qinglong gestured towards the grand armchair beside him. "Please, have a seat."

"It's a long story," Lu Zheng gestured for Gu Yanta to sit down as well.

"And this is?" Chen Qinglong's gaze lingered on Gu Yanta.

"I forgot to introduce you," Lu Zheng continued. "This is Gu Yanta, captain of the Yuchuan City Bureau's criminal investigation team. He was specially assigned by the provincial authorities as the head of the task force for this case. And, of course, he's also my... fiancé."

"Haha... good!" Chen Qinglong narrowed his eyes as he laughed heartily. He had long heard that the youngest son of the Lu family had no interest in women, but he hadn't expected him to be so forthright about it, which made him seem all the more genuine, just the kind of person he appreciated. "Mr. Gu, is it? A pleasure to meet you!"

"Mr. Chen, nice to meet you!" Gu Yanta replied politely before taking a seat.

"I have a rough idea of why you're here." Chen Qinglong took a sip of his tea. "As your elder, let me offer you a word of advice, this is not water you want to wade into."

His words were direct, making it clear that he was politely declining Lu Zheng's request.

A flicker of displeasure crossed Lu Zheng's face, but he quickly composed himself and replied in a calm tone, "Oh? Why do you say that, Uncle? I'd like to hear your reasoning."

"The situation in Xia County is complicated," Chen Qinglong said slowly. "As the saying goes, a mighty dragon cannot overpower a local serpent. I've heard a little about what you've accomplished in Yuchuan, but this place is not Yuchuan. The drug manufacturing and trafficking networks in Xia County have been deeply rooted for years, this isn't something that can be solved overnight. Besides..."

"We would appreciate your guidance, Uncle," Lu Zheng said sincerely.

"Let me put it bluntly, the police force in Xia County has always been incompetent. Back when Li Mingyong was still around, they at least exercised some restraint. Now that he's dead, they're running rampant," Chen Qinglong said.

"That's exactly why we were sent here to oversee the case," Lu Zheng showed no sign of weakness.

"Hmph!" Chen Qinglong let out a cold snort. "And just what do you youngsters think you can accomplish? Nephew Lu, listen to your uncle, pack up and go home while you still can. Listen to me, instead of meddling in police matters, why don't you go back and help your brother? Uncle is advising you, don't worry about these things, your father would be relieved if you just took over the family business. And as for Mr. Gu here, such a talented-looking young man, don't you ever worry about the dangers of this line of work?"

"Mr. Chen, this is not right," Gu Yanta spoke for the first time. "If people like us weren't willing to take on dangerous jobs, then ordinary citizens would be the ones living in danger! As the Buddha said, 'If I do not enter hell, who will?' Consultant Lu was willing to give up his family business to join the police force, that speaks volumes about his sense of duty."

Chen Qinglong hadn't expected Gu Yanta to openly refute him. He had no intention of engaging too much with the police, so he quickly changed the subject and turned to Lu Zheng. "By the way, Nephew, how has your father been lately? I haven't seen him for over a year. I heard he recently returned to the country. One of these days, let's arrange a gathering with my eldest nephew from the Lu family and have a proper catch-up."

No matter what he said, it always came back to business. The only reason Chen Qinglong had agreed to meet Lu Zheng was out of self-interest. If he weren't eyeing a stake in Lu Cheng's project, he wouldn't have spared a second thought for the wayward youngest son of the Lu family.

Lu Zheng was pondering how to respond. If I refuse, Chen Qinglong might not just withhold any leads, he might even send them away on the spot. But if I agree, how would I explain it to Lu Cheng? Lu Cheng had been trying to cut ties with these networks and establish fair competition for the project. Given that I have nothing to do with the family business, it would be inappropriate for me to interfere.

"Mr. Chen, if I'm not mistaken," Gu Yanta's voice interrupted Lu Zheng's thoughts, "your company developed the Harbour City real estate project in Yuchuan, right?"

"That's right, what about it?" Chen Qinglong hadn't expected that Gu Yanta would dare to interject at this moment. To him, this young police officer, supposedly Lu Zheng's fiancé, was probably just a pretty boy, nothing more than a plaything for the Lu family brat! Nowadays, these second-generation heirs are all indulging in foreign trends. His own disappointing son was the same, constantly switching between models and celebrities, giving him no end of headaches!

"The director in charge of approving your project, Director Lin..." Gu Yanta deliberately paused.

Chen Qinglong froze, beads of sweat beginning to form on his forehead. Forcing a smile, he replied, "Oh?" The Harbour City project did indeed have hidden secrets, but how did this young man know about the tangled web of connections behind it? And why was he suddenly bringing up Director Lin?

"Mr. Chen, you are Uncle to Lu Zheng, so I won't beat around the bush with you. Director Lin is in grave danger, and I advise you to make preparations in advance." Gu Yanta's tone was serious. "Don't ask me how I know, just remember that my surname is Gu."

Chen Qinglong was momentarily stunned. Gu? Could it be... He had spent years navigating the real estate industry, and it was impossible to have survived this long without certain means. The current climate was growing tense, who knew when everything might come crashing down? Since they had come with the intent to exchange information, he might as well do them a favour. After all, his history with the drug cartel was complicated, to say the least. If he could use the police to eradicate them once and for all, it would be a win-win situation.

Chen Qinglong's expression alternated between green and white. After pondering for a long time, he finally spoke.

"What do you want to know?" Chen Qinglong asked in a low voice.

"Everything about the drug manufacturing and trafficking gang in Xia County!" Gu Yanta stated resolutely.

"Okay!" Chen Qinglong slammed the table. "I like young men like you, bold and knowledgeable! But I've already warned you, don't wade into these murky waters, otherwise, you'll have to bear the consequences!"

Chen Qinglong then revealed some crucial information to Gu Yanta and Lu Zheng, clues that the police had yet to uncover.

"In the early years, the drug cartel in Xia County was still in its infancy. There was a drug trafficker named Ma Shuo, an old acquaintance from my hometown. He made a fortune trafficking drugs and wanted to invest in my company. Back then, my business was just starting out, I was little more than a small-time contractor. From what I could tell, he wanted to launder his illicit earnings by investing in real estate and leaving the drug trade behind. But I'd heard how these traffickers operated, they targeted those closest to them first, luring them into an addiction to drugs before it spiralled out of control. I was afraid to get entangled with him, so I tricked him out of some small change and sent him on his way."

"I never heard from him again after that. At the time, my business was booming, and I never expected to cross paths with him again. But five years ago, I was attacked..."

Chen Qinglong unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a thick, military-grade bulletproof vest beneath. He took it off and showed Gu Yanta and Lu Zheng his old wounds, the wounds left by the bullet holes were shocking, and there were three of them scattered across Chen Qinglong's chest and abdomen.

"Guess I was just lucky to survive," Chen Qinglong said while adjusting his clothes. "The bullets missed my vital organs and major arteries, but the injuries weren't light. I was in the hospital for a full three months before I recovered. Even so, the damage to my body was severe."

"Since then, I've paid close attention to safety. No matter how hot the weather is, I always wear this vest. I even spent a fortune hiring several personal bodyguards, constantly on alert for another attack."

"I've been working in the business world for many years, and it's true, I've offended my fair share of people. But no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't figure out who would be so bold and capable. It took me two years of secret investigations before I finally discovered that the attack was orchestrated by the Xia County drug cartel."

"The grudge with Ma Shuo was so old that I hadn't even remembered him at first. I kept wondering, I've only ever been in real estate, when did I get involved with these people? Why would they send someone to kill me? In the end, it was my nephew who reminded me..."

"This wastrel is my elder brother's son. My brother passed away early, so I raised him as my own son. But the boy went astray and got himself addicted to drugs. In Xia County, my family is one of the wealthiest, and this useless nephew of mine turned out to be one of their biggest clients. That's how he ended up hearing rumours about this mysterious leader."

"Although my nephew treated it like some urban legend, the more I listened, the more familiar the descriptions sounded. In the end, I finally realised, it was Ma Shuo! That explained the attack on me perfectly! That bastard is vindictive! Even after all these years, he still hasn't forgotten me!"

As Chen Qinglong spoke, a flicker of fury flared in his eyes but was quickly extinguished.

"This man is cunning, ruthless, and violent, definitely not someone an ordinary person can deal with. Li Mingyong was a ruthless character, he held his position in Xia County for over a decade, and despite years of back-and-forth struggles, he was ultimately taken down!" Chen Qinglong continued. "That's why I'm seriously advising you both to go back to Yuchuan. The affairs in Xia County aren't something you can handle!"

After listening to his account, Lu Zheng silently constructed a psychological profile of Ma Shuo, the head of this drug cartel. A man fixated on climbing the ranks, driven purely by profit. Since he had once sought an alternative route to wealth, it suggested that he likely held contempt for drugs themselves. That, in turn, indicated he probably never became an addict, and he was an extremely disciplined person. The fact that he still sought revenge against Chen Qinglong after gaining power showed his petty and vindictive nature. The gas station incident was highly likely to be his doing, either as a show of defiance against the police or an act of personal revenge. But revenge for what, exactly? That part, Lu Zheng had yet to figure out.

"It's rumoured that their drug manufacturing plant is somewhere near the cargo docks," Gu Yanta said with a frown. "Can this information be trusted?"

Chen Qinglong paused for a moment, then nodded. "That's what the informants investigating my attack said. I also heard that Li Mingyong sent an undercover agent in, but the man was killed. Do you know how they discovered the undercover agent?"

"Please enlighten us, Mr. Chen!"

‿︵‿︵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 20, 2025 by Angel

Edited: February 26, 2025 by Angel