Chapter 260

After about an hour, the loquacious old man finally finished his speech. He stared at Gu Changzheng with cloudy eyes, as if waiting for a word of approval.

At that moment, Gu Changzheng was mentally organizing the scattered details into a timeline; when his gaze swept over the man’s face and caught his expectation, he smiled and said, “Mr. Jiang, thank you for the information. By the way, when will Jiang Feiyang’s parents arrive?”

He had learned that the couple worked over a thousand kilometers away in Guangdong Province, but they should have returned by now.

Jiang Dajun blinked a few times and said, “Soon. Da Hong and the others took the green train—it’s slow, and they were delayed by leave on that end.”

Gu Changzheng’s lips moved as if to speak, but he gave up.

If Jiang Dajun’s account was true, Jiang Feiyang had at least some psychological issues.

“Cross-dressing?” Luo Fei muttered under his breath. It seemed Jiang Feiyang, though young, moved in a strangely complex circle.

Just then, the sound of car brakes echoed outside.

Jiang Dajun rushed out to greet them. Gu Changzheng and Luo Fei exchanged a glance, then followed.

A tired-looking couple stepped out of the car. Upon seeing Gu Changzheng and the others, they forced a faint smile.

After identifying himself and offering a few words of comfort, Gu Changzheng got straight to the point: “Are you aware that Jiang Feiyang had a cross-dressing habit?” At this, Jiang Feiyang’s mother burst into tears, lamenting that their constant work away from home had caused them to neglect their child’s upbringing, and they never imagined he’d become like this. His father looked stricken with regret, saying he should never have left to work.

Gu Changzheng saw that the couple were simple, uneducated, and had spent years working far from home—they knew even less about Jiang Feiyang than Jiang Dajun did. After offering a few more words of comfort, he called Luo Fei and left the old house.

“Master, do you think Jiang Feiyang died by accident or was he murdered?” On the way back in the car, Luo Fei couldn’t help asking.

Through Jiang Dajun, they’d learned of Jiang Feiyang’s “unusual” habits, yet they found no female clothing in his home. Could he have another place to store those items?

A high school student with his family’s financial situation couldn’t possibly afford to rent a place on his own. That left only one possibility: someone else provided him with a location.

Perhaps not just a place…

Hearing Luo Fei’s question, Gu Changzheng paused his mental analysis. He nodded and said, “Jiang Feiyang’s death lies between suicide and murder—but it’s certain he was involved in some illegal organization. Find that organization, and you can prevent more tragedies like his.”

“I’ve already assigned people to check Jiang Feiyang’s QQ and other social media…” Before he finished, his phone rang. He pressed speakerphone, and a female voice came through: “Boss! Found it! Jiang Feiyang joined a QQ group called ‘Rose Queen.’ There are four admins—all with profile pictures of young women—but you need an old member to invite you in, and the group is always muted…”

Luo Fei chuckled and shook his head. It was Xia Xue, a new recruit from the police force, a post-90s girl who always talked nonstop the moment she opened her mouth.

When she finally stopped, Luo Fei asked, “Can you get into the group?”

Xia Xue replied, “Of course I can! I’ve already posed as a minor girl and added one of the members!”

Luo Fei smiled. The girl was bold and brash—her personality didn’t feel feminine at all. He added, “Check his WeChat too. That’s what young people use now.”

Xia Xue agreed and hung up.

“Rose Queen?” Gu Changzheng lightly tapped the inside door handle with his finger. “What kind of organization is this?”

———

In a building in Zizhen City Center, on the 18th floor, an office marked “Langchao New Media Operations Center.” Inside, it was silent, no one coming or going. But the building’s security guards knew: this company only came alive at night, staffed entirely by young men and women in their twenties, staring at computer screens, doing who-knew-what…

———

Avatars on the computer screen kept flashing. Xia Xue stared intently, fingers flying across the keyboard, lines of text appearing until the other side sent a message: Meet at Su He Bar tomorrow night at nine.

The invitation came from “Night Blade.” Xia Xue quickly replied: How do I find you?

A message flashed back: Show up on time—I’ll find you.

———

“Good!” Luo Fei listened to Xia Xue’s plan, thought for a moment, then uttered a single word.

Xia Xue reported the meeting invitation from the “Rose Queen” member to Luo Fei. She had decided to meet this “Night Blade” herself.

Luo Fei swiftly arranged backup personnel and a safety protocol, waiting only for the night’s meeting.

Su He Bar was located in the Yinzuo Building of Zizhen Commercial Center. At nine p.m., the bar was at peak crowd. Xia Xue wore a white T-shirt and blue jeans—clean, neat. With her baby face, the outfit made her look convincingly underage.

She adopted a cocky, reckless air and swaggered into the bar. The DJ on stage blasted deafening music; several women in skimpy outfits and heavy makeup twisted their bodies in meaningless dances…

Xia Xue found an empty seat and sat down, nodding her head to the beat. Soon, a young man with red hair and a nose ring drifted over.

Xia Xue’s eyes scanned the room, so she noticed him immediately. She cast him a look of disdain—until she saw a flower tattoo on the web of his right hand, gripping a bottle.

She glanced again. The man reached her side, and the tattoo became clearer—it was a rose!

“You’re Night…”

“Night Blade!” The man’s lips curled into a slightly sinister smile.