Chapter 51

Ma Bin!

The name on the caller ID flashed.

Li Shang's expression shifted; he drew a deep breath, perhaps the key to breaking the deadlock lay with Ma Bin. From recent contact, this second-in-command was a rare intelligent man with brains in the gang.

Having brains meant he wouldn't easily lose his head; he could weigh the situation and could be won over and controlled.

The only problem was that he was foolishly loyal to Boss Zheng.

In short,

The current situation was critical; he had to find a way, whether by threat or inducement, he must make Ma Bin defect to the Blue Wolf Gang and serve him.

Only then could the chaotic situation be quickly quelled, and his wife and son rescued.

"Don't panic, now I absolutely cannot panic, must calm down, think, exactly what should I say."

Li Shang's brain spun madly, recalling various experiences and techniques from interrogating criminals.

Five seconds later, Li Shang answered the call, not waiting for the other side to speak, he blurted out fiercely: "The Blue Wolf Gang is really audacious, Ma Bin, go back and tell Boss Zheng, he has chosen the wrong target."

"I, Li Shang, can sit steadily as Deputy Captain of the Patrol Bureau, relying on being ruthless to my own kin, never bowing to anyone's threats."

"My wife dying is just right to let a lover move in, my son being gone can be replaced by having another; wanting to threaten me with my wife and son, the Blue Wolf Gang has miscalculated."

"You cannot threaten me, but I guarantee, everyone in the Blue Wolf Gang will perish along with Boss Zheng…"

Ma Bin timely interrupted Li Shang's threat, his hoarse voice carrying exhaustion: "Captain Li, you misunderstand, I am not here to threaten you for Boss Zheng."

Li Shang's heart jumped, his nasal voice slightly rough: "Hmm?"

He had lied just now; his wife being gone, he could indeed remarry, but his son being gone was truly gone; he had suffered a gunshot wound before and had no reproductive ability anymore.

Ma Bin said in a deep voice: "Boss Zheng has completely gone mad; although I am sorry to Boss Zheng, I cannot watch the brothers in the gang foolishly bury themselves with Boss Zheng. I am the second-in-command of the Blue Wolf Gang; I must save them, and save myself too."

Li Shang's five fingers gripping the phone turned faintly white; he coughed once to cover the slight tremor in his voice: "Just you, merely a second-in-command, you cannot save the Blue Wolf Gang."

Ma Bin said in a deep voice: "Then what if I became the big boss, with Captain Li's help?"

Without waiting for Li Shang to speak, Ma Bin added: "Moreover, I just brought people on the way to rescue Captain Li's wife and son."

Li Shang was stunned, unable to hold back: "What did you say?"

Ma Bin: "Wife and son can be replaced, but if they don't need replacing, it should be better, right, Captain Li?"

While speaking, a woman's voice still carrying a sob came from the phone: "Husband, just now a group of people rushed into the house, wanting to hijack me and my son; this person came and saved us; he is a good person, if you can help, please help him~"

Li Shang was silent for three seconds, gritting his teeth: "I understand, give the phone back to him."

Ma Bin: "Captain Li?"

Li Shang: "Where are the people who hijacked my wife and son?"

Ma Bin: "All dead."

Li Shang: "Exactly what do you plan to do?"

Ma Bin: "The phone is not convenient to talk; I need to meet Captain Li in person."

Li Shang's brow locked into a knot, he said in a low voice: "How do I know if you are lying, if it's a trap to lure me over?"

Ma Bin had prepared long ago, showing a kind of desperate sincerity: "I can first have someone send Captain Li's wife and son to the Patrol Bureau; after Captain Li confirms they are safe, then decide to meet me."

Li Shang's inner doubts were half dispelled; he said cautiously: "The location and time, I will decide."

Ma Bin readily agreed: "Fine, but I'm afraid I don't have much time left."

Li Shang felt inside that the road ahead was at an end, yet there was a turning point; perhaps there was still room to salvage the Blue Wolf Gang matter, if Ma Bin could be trusted.

Li Shang: "Send them over as soon as possible; I will send you word; by then you come alone."

…….

1 hour later.

Across the street from the Patrol Bureau, in a room of an unremarkable small restaurant.

After scanning around, Ma Bin lowered his hat brim and pushed the door in alone.

Inside the restaurant, several plainclothes constables watched him enter and confirmed no one was following behind, reporting quietly into their earpieces.

Inside the room, Li Shang, changed into a full set of combat gear, sat by the table; on the table there was nothing but a cup of plain water; under the table he gripped a handgun, the muzzle aimed at the seat opposite.

Ma Bin walked in and sat opposite.

There was no small talk, nor anything to make small talk about.

Li Shang's anger toward the Blue Wolf Gang was already full, but considering Ma Bin had just rescued his wife and son, he did not speak harshly, but asked coldly: "In the Blue Wolf Gang, is there someone called Xiao Wu?"

Ma Bin was stunned for a moment, answering: "Yes, he is considered Boss Zheng's personal confidant; what did he do?"

Li Shang coldly laughed: "Before he died, he asked me to tell Boss Zheng that he has repaid his life debt to Boss Zheng; you tell me what he did?"

Ma Bin fell silent, lowered his head to take out his phone, flipped through the photo album; a glimmer of dimness flashed in his eyes; he thought to himself: "This is the last words Xiao Wu conveyed to me, exactly as I expected, truly no novelty even to death~"

"Is this the person?" Ma Bin opened a photo and handed it over.

Li Shang took the phone and glanced at the photo; the photo faced a private room diagonally, the door half open; inside, Zheng Si could be vaguely seen half-naked, with a female corpse lying on the floor.

Two people guarded the private room door; one of them was Xiao Wu, the other he did not know, called Ma Wei.

Ma Bin pointed at the photo and explained: "I didn't know Boss Zheng assigned Xiao Wu a task; Boss Zheng disliked that I handled things poorly; today's operation all bypassed me."

Li Shang stared fixedly at Ma Bin, judging in his heart how much of Ma Bin's words were believable.

He actually already believed ninety percent, because Ma Bin's confession matched the facts he saw today; but out of professional instinct, he still harbored the last trace of doubt in his heart.

Wasn't this person foolishly loyal to Boss Zheng?

Now defecting, was it just for self-preservation, or was there some deeper stimulus or reason?

Ma Bin seemed to know Li Shang's doubts; he took off his hat, revealing his shaved head; his scalp was covered with blood scabs everywhere, looking horrifying, extending all the way to his forehead.

Ma Bin showed a miserable smile to Li Shang: "The teachings Captain Li told me that day, I still remember vividly—the gang is a pool of mud; the loyal ones sink to the bottom first."

Li Shang frowned.

Ma Bin pointed at the female corpse in the photo: "Xiao You, she was someone I brought into the gang back then; Boss Zheng knew she was close to me, yet still tortured her to death."

He pointed again at the blood scars covering his head: "Zheng Laoda has completely gone mad. This is the result of my trying to talk him out of it, but I couldn't stop him, so..."

Ma Bin's face was full of weariness as he pulled a recording pen from his pocket and said faintly, "Explaining is too much trouble, Captain Li, listen for yourself."

Li Shang took the recording pen and started playback.

【Zheng Si: Last three days, bring everyone to me. Xiao Hang is dead. I want to avenge my son.】

【Ma Bin: There are nearly fifty people on Ming Dan Shang. If they're all kidnapped, the Patrol Bureau will kick up a fuss, and Captain Li...】

【Zheng Si: You think I'm afraid of the Patrol Bureau, afraid of a mere Deputy Captain of the Patrol Bureau?】

【Ma Bin: Big Brother, Captain Li has warned me several times already. This time is different from before. Things have blown up and can't be contained.】

【Zheng Si: All these years, I've gone against the opinions of others to let you sit firmly in the position of second-in-command of the gang. You have a quick mind, but you've never been ruthless enough.】

【Ma Bin fell silent, the sound of his rough breathing.】

【Zheng Si: You've made me terribly disappointed.】 (ps: "terribly" is not a typo; it's the word from the editing.)

【Ma Bin's head was gripped by a large hand, the sound of glass shards scraping against his scalp, a tooth-aching noise.】

【Ma Bin gasped, his voice terrified: What does Big Brother mean?】

【Zheng Si: You're not ruthless enough. I'll teach you. If Li Shang dares to obstruct us, deal with Li Shang. If Li Shang can't be dealt with, deal with the people around him.】

【Ma Bin cried out: He's the Deputy Captain of the Patrol Bureau, not some Blank Citizen!】

【Zheng Si laughed hideously: You don't understand. A person must be ruthless, grip the knife steady. What am I afraid of? I'm afraid of him.】

【Zheng Si lowered his voice, his voice mad and violent: Li Shang has a son, doesn't he? A wife or a mistress, doesn't he? Kidnap his whole family to force him to shut up and listen. If he doesn't listen, I'll tear them apart in front of him.】

【Zheng Si waved his hand, and Ma Bin fell heavily to the ground, the crisp sound of glass shattering everywhere.】

【Zheng Si stepped on the glass, his mad voice chilling: Second-in-command, you don't need to use your brain this time. Just watch how I do it, how I deal with people. In just three days, I will avenge Xiao Hang...】

【The sound afterward wasn't very clear. The recording ends here.】

(ps: The original content of the edited composite recording is in Chapter 47. Interested readers can go compare.)

Please keep reading, please keep reading. Bookshelf-keepers, flip through a bit, don't let your books die.

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