Chapter 81: The Gunman Ling Wei

Chang Huafei’s mother, who had just regained consciousness, heard that the task force leader had arrived and immediately struggled to get up.

Lu Haoxuan hurried over and comforted her: “Elderly lady, I’m Lu Haoxuan from the Jiangdong Branch Criminal Investigation Team. I’m handling Chang Huafei’s case. How about you and these fellow villagers come with me to the branch? This place isn’t suitable for talking.”

The old woman merely wept uncontrollably; her mind was too confused to form any plan.

Chang Rongwei, seeing the mayor had shown up and the task force leader had arrived, decided to cut his losses. He pulled on Chang Rongsheng (Chang Huafei’s father) and said: “Second brother, the mayor himself has spoken, and the task force leader is here. Let’s move to another place and discuss Huafei’s case properly, alright?”

It sounded like he was seeking opinion, but though Chang Rongwei was younger in rank, he usually arranged most matters within the clan—except those requiring Chang Rongda (Chang Huaqiang’s father) to decide—and everyone was accustomed to following his lead.

Since he had spoken, Chang Rongsheng nodded and helped his wife up. Chang Rongwei then directed others to pack up the banners. After greeting Su Luyang, the group boarded two vans parked by the roadside.

Lu Haoxuan, seeing the situation here was finally resolved, went over to apologize to Su Luyang. Su Luyang smiled gently: “Comrade Lu, before I came to Zizhen, I’d already heard of your trio of criminal investigation legends! You’re the only one still on the front line now, aren’t you? Keep up the good work!”

He added with deep implication: “Solve this case as soon as possible!”

Lu Haoxuan paused, then replied: “Yes!”

Watching Su Luyang enter the compound, a bitter smile curled on his lips.

The Chang family’s real aim wasn’t to cause trouble—they merely wanted to draw the city’s attention and secure more police resources for the shooting case.

Chang Huaqiang was playing a big game. Since Zhang Shaojie and his backers couldn’t hold their composure, this was the chance to crush him once and for all.

At the Wan Guo Hotel, Zhang Xiaoya glared angrily at Zhang Shaojie before her, her beautiful eyes narrowed in fury.

Zhang Shaojie felt uneasy under her stare and stood up: “Sister! I just can’t swallow this insult! The Changs don’t respect us at all! This time they targeted Xiao Jun—next time, it might be me! We have to teach them a lesson!”

“Hmph! You’re too impulsive! This isn’t the time to break ties with the Chang family completely! Besides, Li Jun’s case isn’t settled—I’ve heard key witnesses are wavering. We still have a chance to turn this around!”

Zhang Xiaoya’s face turned pale with rage: “And now? The Changs sent a mob of elderly men and women to block Su Luyang! Who knows how long Li Jun’s case will be dragged out? What else might happen during that time? Can we control it?”

Zhang Shaojie finally caught on, his voice trembling: “Sister, you mean…”

“Idiot! If we have friends inside, don’t you think the Changs have theirs too? They know just as much about the case details as we do! Hmph! Your stunt cost them an insignificant pawn—they’re probably laughing behind their backs right now!”

Zhang Shaojie lowered his head in silence. Zhang Xiaoya sighed coldly: “Where’s the man who does the work? Still with you?”

She meant the gunman who killed Chang Huafei. She knew her brother too well—he kept a so-called “death soldier,” someone whose identity she never knew, who only acted when something major needed doing.

Zhang Shaojie had once bragged about him after drinking, but Zhang Xiaoya didn’t believe in such things. In her view, there was no such thing as absolute loyalty in this world—everything had a price. People didn’t betray you only because they hadn’t found the right offer yet.

The gunman in this shooting was undoubtedly his “death soldier.” And now, that gunman must not fall into police hands. Without him, they were safe.

Zhang Shaojie startled, sensing the killing intent in her voice. He looked up at Zhang Xiaoya: “Sister, the man’s fine—I’ll send him overseas to Southeast Asia soon, never to return. Those cops will never find him.”

Zhang Xiaoya shot him a venomous glare: “Keeping him is the biggest risk. You’ll spend your life under someone else’s thumb. Do you understand?”

Zhang Shaojie, chilled by the cold gleam in his sister’s eyes, stammered: “Sister…”

“Tell me where he is. The rest is none of your concern,” Zhang Xiaoya snapped.

———

In a modest neighborhood in Jiangdong District, Ling Wei sat boredly clicking through TV channels with his remote, hoping to find something interesting to pass the time.

He was from Longxi, born in a remote mountain village where, though poor, his family had many siblings.

At fifteen, he’d had enough of poverty. One winter, he came across a mountain goods collector who’d broken his leg in a fall. Out of kindness, Ling Wei carried him home and treated his leg with herbs gathered from the hills.

Grateful, the merchant left them some money as thanks, but Ling Wei asked to leave the village with him.

The merchant, though young, noticed Ling Wei’s lean, agile frame and sharp wit. During his recovery, Ling Wei kept him company with conversation, and a genuine bond formed.

After gaining Ling Wei’s parents’ consent, the merchant took him away the following spring.

The mountain goods collector was a wandering loner, living alone, with no experience caring for or educating a child. But he’d seen much of the world, and his blunt, straightforward nature led him to tell Ling Wei countless tales of the martial world, strange heroes, and bizarre events.

As a result, the young Ling Wei developed a deep fascination with the so-called “jianghu.”

In the span of seven or eight years, the two had traveled together, and Ling Wei had grown from a fifteen-year-old boy into a young man in his twenties.

Yet after years of wandering with Old Feng (the mountain goods collector), though they’d seen many places, they’d saved little money. The only real gain was that constant travel had made the young Ling Wei appear far more composed and mature than his peers.

As he grew older, Ling Wei sensed no future in continuing with Old Feng. He constantly wondered if he could settle in a city, find work, or join a boss—perhaps change his fate.

Finally, in the spring of 1998, Old Feng brought him to Zizhen City. While collecting wild game in a county under Zizhen’s jurisdiction, an unexpected event tied his fate irrevocably to Zhang Shaojie.