The Same Fate Awaits All Sins Chapter 73

Final Part – 14

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It was lunchtime, and the cafeteria was filled with small groups of people queuing for food. Chang Le behaved unusually affectionately towards Chen Chen. Given that Chang Le's orientation was no secret in the workplace, many familiar faces glanced their way. Chen Chen felt like an ant on a hot pan under their stares.

After finally finishing their meal, the two hurried out of the cafeteria. Just as they reached the door, Chang Le deliberately wrapped an arm around Chen Chen's waist. Chen Chen was so furious he clenched his teeth. It wasn't until they got into the car that the atmosphere returned to normal.

"You're abusing your position for personal gain!" Chen Chen fumed.

"Relax, I'm not that kind of person," Chang Le started the car. "If I were to make a move, I'd do it openly!"

Ten minutes later, the car slowly drove into Chang Le's residential complex.

Although Chen Chen had only been here once before, the events that had taken place left a deep impression on him.

Once inside, Chang Le casually tossed his keys onto the entryway table, sat on the sofa with a big smile, and called out, "Come, have some water!"

Chen Chen sat down somewhat stiffly and glanced at the keys by the entrance. "That's a bad habit, you're inviting people to take advantage of it. I succeeded yesterday..."

"Haha, that was intentional." Chang Le laughed.

Chen Chen pursed his lips.

"Relax." Seeing Chen Chen's tense posture, Chang Le smiled and reassured him, "Tell me, what's going on?"

"Since Director Wu has vouched for you, that means we're on the same side now," Chen Chen said. "Are you up to speed on the current situation?"

"Mhmm, I've got the gist of it," Chang Le nodded. "Right now, it looks like there's internal strife between Ma Xiangrong and another mysterious leader. You learned from Chen Qinglong that there's a mole in our ranks, and because of my relationship with Ma Yu, you suspect me. That suspicion isn't unwarranted."

"We later found out the truth, but we still haven't uncovered the 'Li Gui'!" Chen Chen said.

"That person isn't from Ma Xiangrong's side," Chang Le said.

"Right. We've only been here a few days, so we don't know much about your people yet," Chen Chen continued. "That's why I wanted to ask, do you have any suspects?"

"Without evidence, I can't say for sure. But something that happened before struck me as odd." Chang Le fell into thought. "Before Captain Li was killed, the Xia County police had managed to wipe out several major drug trafficking hubs through a gang war between drug traffickers. But they missed one crucial location, this site was near the cargo docks. Thinking back, it's very likely connected to their main base!"

"That operation turned out to be a dead end. In the end, even our informant vanished without a trace, he was most likely discovered and killed by them. It was after that mission that I began to suspect him," Chang Le continued. "That person is Xu Jia. The fact that this operation went so smoothly is partly because we kept him out of it. If we consider Xu Jia as a suspect, then the gas station incident and the recovery of Pang Yun's car suddenly make a lot more sense!"

After speaking, Chang Le got up, brewed a cup of tea for Chen Chen, and placed it in front of him.

"How so?" Chen Chen had no interest in the tea and asked anxiously.

"Pang Yun is Xu Jia's old classmate. His car was stolen during a weekend trip, and Xu Jia knew exactly where he was because they had once gone fishing there together. Of course, I found this out through my own investigation," Chang Le explained. "This car has been at the centre of this case, full of unanswered questions. From what I know, Ma Xiangrong had someone steal it. The opposing side wanted to use a new compound to create a public spectacle, forcing the police to focus their attention on Ma Xiangrong. But Ma Xiangrong isn't stupid, he had someone swap the vehicle, making the other side believe it had been destroyed, when in fact, it was quietly returned to its owner, Pang Yun."

"Is this new leader in Xia County really so poor? He has to rely on stealing a getaway car?" Chen Chen wondered.

"There's something you don't know..." Chang Le took a sip of tea before continuing. "The opposition knows full well that Ma Xiangrong wouldn't expose his true colours so easily. This Pang Yun was once Ma Xiangrong's student..."

"Ah? We actually missed such crucial information?" Chen Chen considered himself an expert in technology, how could he have overlooked something this important?

"That's because Ma Xiangrong covered his tracks a long time ago," Chang Le nodded. "He severed all ties with Xia County, but he never expected someone like Huang Chufeng to trip him up!"

"But the relationship between Pang Yun and Ma Xiangrong doesn't seem all that significant. After all, Pang Yun is just an ordinary person, he hasn't had any dealings with Ma Xiangrong for years. Besides, it's impossible for Pang Yun to know Ma Xiangrong's true identity!" Chen Chen was still puzzled.

"That's because you've already locked onto Ma Xiangrong," Chang Le explained. "If we didn't have a clear target, then Pang Yun's link to Ma Xiangrong would make it easy to set our sights on Ma Xiangrong."

"By the way, do you have any concrete evidence of Ma Xiangrong's crimes?" Chen Chen asked.

"I have some records of his transactions from years ago, enough to convict him. But I still haven't found his hideout," Chang Le answered honestly. "And right now, Ma Xiangrong has been sidelined. Even if we catch him, we still won't be able to wipe them out completely. Perhaps once the heat dies down, they could easily rise from the ashes."

"Then what should we do next?" Chen Chen asked, his expression rarely so serious.

"Go back and discuss it with them again. Also, everything we talked about today, aside from the few of you from Yuchuan, must not be disclosed to anyone!" Chang Le said solemnly. "I'm worried that apart from Xu Jia, there might be something else going on here."

Chen Chen nodded firmly.

Back at the bureau, Gu Yanta, Lu Zheng, and Jiang Ziyu were in the meeting room analysing their next steps. Seeing that there were no outsiders present, Chen Chen relayed everything Chang Le had uncovered, along with their current speculations, in full detail to Gu Yanta and Lu Zheng.

"That is to say, our most urgent task now is to lock onto this new leader. Once we find him, we can track down their hideout and take Ma Xiangrong down in the process!" Gu Yanta summarised.

Lu Zheng had remained silent, but everyone understood that this wasn't something that could be solved with just words. Ma Xiangrong was a cunning old fox, he had spent years building his drug manufacturing group, but in the end, he had been completely sidelined and forced into a desperate struggle. This meant that this new leader was definitely no pushover.

As the three of them sat in silence, Gu Yanta's phone suddenly rang.

"It's Chang Le," Gu Yanta answered immediately. "Hello?"

Chen Chen, standing beside him, felt his heart leap into his throat, afraid that Chang Le would make another mistake.

"Captain Gu, emergency," Chang Le's voice on the other end sounded rushed. "I've had people keeping an eye on Xu Jia, who's been suspended and staying at home. Just now, I received word that he's suddenly disappeared!"

"What happened?"

"Based on my previous investigation of him and the direction he was last seen heading, there's a strong chance he's meeting with the drug traffickers in secret!" Chang Le said grimly. "I never had any solid evidence before, but if I can track him now, I'll definitely catch him in the act!"

"Where are you now?" Gu Yanta asked calmly.

"I'm currently following the informant's directions and searching all the way!" Chang Le replied. "Captain Gu, I need backup!"

"Send us your location immediately," Gu Yanta ordered. "Are you armed?"

"Yes!" Chang Le confirmed.

"Do not act alone. The drug traffickers are definitely armed. We will be there soon, stay put!" Gu Yanta instructed.

"Understood!"

A sense of foreboding crept into Gu Yanta's mind. It wasn't certain yet whether Xu Jia was truly meeting with the drug traffickers, but if Chang Le's suspicions were correct, then there had to be something significant at stake for him to meet them in person. The other side wouldn't be defenceless, drug traffickers were always ruthless. This operation was bound to be extremely dangerous.

Gu Yanta ended the call and confirmed the location Chang Le had sent, it was near a national highway on the outskirts of Xia County.

"Old Jiang, immediately bring a few experienced and trustworthy officers, fully armed, and come with me!" Gu Yanta instructed Jiang Ziyu.

"Understood, I'm coming too!" Jiang Ziyu picked up his radio and immediately began making arrangements.

"Chen Chen, you and Consultant Lu shouldn't go to the scene. This operation is different from usual, it could be dangerous!" Gu Yanta said, giving Lu Zheng a meaningful look.

Lu Zheng gave an almost imperceptible nod. He understood that, after all, he came from an academic background. If he were to go to the scene and face live ammunition and ruthless drug traffickers, he would undoubtedly be out of his depth. He would also become a distraction for Gu Yanta. It was far more beneficial for him to monitor the situation remotely, which would be more conducive to his analysis and judgement, and he could give advice to the front line at critical moments. He believed in Gu Yanta's capabilities and his judgement of the situation. Since Gu Yanta had asked him to stay behind, there was no reason to doubt his decision.

Gu Yanta's gaze turned fearless in an instant. Lu Zheng understood him, trusted him, respected him, and supported him. Although they had only been together for a few short months, Gu Yanta felt as though he had walked side by side with this man for a century.

"Don't worry," Gu Yanta nodded firmly at Lu Zheng, and Lu Zheng returned a look of trust.

Their burning gazes collided fiercely in the air, and in a flash, all the things that had happened since meeting Lu Zheng flooded Gu Yanta's mind.

Previously, he had always been on his own. Whether it was the naive love of his student days or those years spent being a devoted fool for someone as selfish and cold as Cheng Yu, it had all been nothing more than superficial relationships, never truly touching his heart. But this feeling of having someone silently believing in him, supporting him from behind, it was something Gu Yanta had never experienced before. A warmth surged in his chest as he marvelled at his own luck, as if he had caught a pie from the sky.

"Captain Jiang, reporting! All personnel are ready and awaiting orders!" Jiang Ziyu's radio crackled to life.

"Move out!" Jiang Ziyu commanded resolutely. After Gu Yanta's guidance in the past few days and the experiences of this case, Jiang Ziyu had grown significantly. After all, he would be the one taking full responsibility in the future. This time, they had to wipe out Xia County's drug production and trafficking network completely, and return a clear environment to Xia County!

Gu Yanta checked his bulletproof vest and weapon, and he waved his hand solemnly, "Let's go!"

‿︵‿︵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 25, 2025 by Angel

Edited: February 26, 2025 by Angel