[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-chasing-the-criminal-case":3,"chapter-chasing-the-criminal-case-chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-83":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Chasing the Criminal Case",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2328851,4554,"Chapter 83","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-83",83,"\u003Cp>After turning into the alley, Ling Wei walked another two hundred meters or so to an unassuming little restaurant with a sign reading “Wang’s Dry-Fried Chicken,” where the place was packed—seven or eight uneven square tables were all filled with diners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This small eatery specialized in dry-fried chicken, renowned locally as the best of its kind, and had always enjoyed excellent business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling Wei came here not to eat, but because when Zhang Shaojie had taken him on a tour of Zizhen, they’d once eaten dry-fried chicken here, and Zhang Shaojie had casually mentioned that Chang Huazhong also loved this dish and often came here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling Wei felt he had failed to get the job done—Chang Huazhong, Zhang Shaojie’s thorn in the side, had not been eliminated—so he decided to act himself, kill Chang Huazhong; even if he died in the process, Zhang Shaojie would still care for his family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, he had deeper reasons for this decision: only by eliminating Chang Huazhong would he prove his worth. Though he might be caught immediately, it was better than doing nothing now and still ending up arrested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What he didn’t know was that two young men had already crept up to the door of the “safe house” known only to him and Zhang Shaojie—two more were guarding outside the window below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These four were arranged by Zhang Xiaoya—all wanted criminals with murder charges on their records.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the men upstairs pulled out a key and unlocked the door with ease; both drew their concealed daggers and slipped inside silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, they found no one. They exchanged glances, then carefully searched the bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom—but after turning over every corner of the seventy-square-meter apartment, not a soul was found.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of them called the men downstairs, who reported no unusual activity. Had the target been warned? Had he already fled?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn’t dare delay and immediately reported the situation to Zhang Xiaoya.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Xiaoya looked at Zhang Shaojie, who had been with her the whole time, and frowned—only Zhang Shaojie could have leaked the information, yet he had never left her sight, not even when he went to the bathroom—his phone had been left outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The four assassins were even less likely—they only had one photo of Ling Wei and had no idea who they were supposed to kill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the only possibility left was that Ling Wei himself was untrustworthy—he must have realized he killed the wrong man, feared Zhang Shaojie’s punishment, and had already run away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Xiaoya tilted her head at her brother and said, “He’s not there. He’s gone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Shaojie slumped back in his chair with a sigh. He had ordered the man not to move anywhere without his instruction—yet now the man was gone? Was his sister right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was furious with himself—for misjudging Ling Wei, for placing his trust in the wrong man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Xiaoya calmly gave orders over the phone: “Find him. Eliminate him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assassins turned their gaze toward the alley right next to the residential complex—crowded places were good for hiding, and good for killing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Ling Wei sat in the corner of the restaurant, slowly eating his dry-fried chicken and sipping his beer. He analyzed his situation: no one except Zhang Shaojie knew he was the gunman who killed Chang Huafei; the Chang family wanted to find him but couldn’t act yet; the police were surely watching every exit out of Zizhen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he was still safe—for now, the more normal he acted, the less attention he would draw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His target—Chang Huazhong—he only had one distant photo of him, too blurry to clearly identify his features; that was why he mistook Chang Huafei for the real man when he saw him—plus the time, place, and the car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had thought hard about where Chang Huazhong might appear. Xinshijie Security was too tight—he couldn’t get in, and even if he did, he couldn’t bring weapons; on their turf, it would be suicide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t enter the gambling den without a high-roller escort. Chang Huazhong never went to the furniture market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After considering everything, this little restaurant was the only place he knew where Chang Huazhong appeared frequently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And places crowded with people were ideal for killing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After receiving orders from his older brother Chang Huaqiang, Chang Huazhong quickly assembled a group of elderly “petitioners” led by his fifth uncle Chang Rongwei; this morning they blocked Mayor Su Luyang at the city government building, putting on a grand show, then treated the elders to a meal at a hotel before sending them back to their hometown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He himself hadn’t drunk any alcohol because he’d been busy settling them in—but tonight he really wanted a drink, so he called a few trusted brothers to join him at “Wang’s Dry-Fried Chicken” in the alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Chang Huazhong arrived with Huoya, Jiuzhi, and Xiao Maque, it was nearly ten at night. Ling Wei was still slowly chewing, the pot of chicken nearly finished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He checked the time—he figured tonight was a waste. If he lingered any longer, the owner would get annoyed, so he prepared to call for the bill and leave—when a burly man in his early thirties pushed through the door and shouted, “Boss! Clear a table for four!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His wide-open mouth revealed a missing front tooth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one serving in the restaurant was Wang Jun’s wife, who had a remarkable talent: she remembered faces perfectly. Anyone who had eaten here even a few times, she could recall; if she’d learned their name, she could call them by it the next time they came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Huoya stepped in, the owner’s wife spotted him. Before he’d even finished speaking, she warmly greeted him: “Oh, Brother Huoya! Long time no see! You’re here with Brother Zhong tonight, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nickname “Huoya” had become his identity—few knew his real name. Everyone who knew him in the streets or in any trade called him that, and he didn’t mind. Seeing the owner’s wife greet him so warmly, he smiled and said, “You guessed right! Brother Zhong’s outside—when you’ve got the table ready, I’ll bring him in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chang Huazhong was always cautious—he sent Huoya in first to scan the diners for anything suspicious or any enemies; if he saw trouble, Chang Huazhong would leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Avoiding danger had always been his guiding principle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huoya had followed him since before his imprisonment—he knew his boss’s habits inside out. The restaurant was nearly empty now; the moment Huoya stepped in, he took in the entire scene: aside from Ling Wei’s lone table, the others were all young workers after their shifts or couples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But seeing Ling Wei had already finished and was about to leave, he didn’t pay him any mind. He told the owner’s wife to clear the table, then went out to call Chang Huazhong and the others inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he returned, Ling Wei was gone—he assumed the man had left and paid no further attention. Soon after, a few cold dishes arrived, and they opened their own bottles and began drinking.\u003C\u002Fp>",1177,"2026-06-20T19:35:30.807Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","0949a15bd265e45c1b96bdd7a1bd4a4cddc678c36c8ed4af27dc2b4e6926bdc3","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-84","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-82",276,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchasing-the-criminal-case-cover.jpg"]