Chapter 2353: You Can Go Now (4,000 words)

"Director Yu!" Tang Lin shouted from behind.

Yu Xiangjun and Zhang Zuo heard the shout and stopped in their tracks simultaneously, slowly turning their heads to look back.

Tang Lin walked over unhurriedly with a faint smile on his face. When he reached Yu Xiangjun, he lowered his voice and asked, "Dazuo told you about the matter, right?"

Yu Xiangjun nodded but didn't speak. He watched Tang Lin quietly, waiting for him to continue. However, his heart was already in his throat, and the corner of his eye twitched uncontrollably; he was terrified that Tang Lin would make a demand he couldn't fulfill.

Seeing Yu Xiangjun's nervous appearance, Tang Lin suppressed a laugh and said, "Jia Dai is in the courtyard. Regardless of whether today's incident has anything to do with him, you must ensure he stays inside for ten or twenty days."

Hearing this, a heavy stone finally fell from Yu Xiangjun's heart. His heart, which had been in his throat, slowly settled, and the twitching at the corner of his eye gradually subsided. He had originally thought Tang Lin's demand would be the same as Zhang Zuo's—to send Jia Dai to the execution ground—which really would have cost him his life!

He knew that although Jia Dai had a prominent reputation in the underworld, he didn't actually have any serious criminal cases against him. At most, it was just some minor scuffles. No matter how it was investigated, it would absolutely never meet the criteria for the death penalty. Furthermore, the network of connections behind Jia Dai was intricate, and his influence could not be underestimated.

Now that he heard Tang Lin only wanted to lock Jia Dai up for ten or twenty days, there was no problem. Regardless of whether Jia Dai was involved in today's incident, since he was at the scene, he had to be investigated. This was reasonable, legal, and compliant; no one dared to give him any trouble over it.

"No problem!" Yu Xiangjun agreed readily, then turned and started to walk away.

"There's more!" This "more" from Tang Lin made Yu Xiangjun stumble, nearly falling over.

"Hey!" This time Tang Lin really couldn't hold it back and ended up laughing out loud: "Old Yu, don't be nervous. It's not like I'm taking your life; I just have a small matter to entrust to you."

Yu Xiangjun rolled his eyes at Tang Lin: "It's fortunate I have strong psychological resilience, otherwise I'd have been scared to death by you guys."

"It's really not a big deal." As Tang Lin spoke, he took a cigarette out of his pocket and very attentively lit it for Yu Xiangjun: "It's like this, Wen Sanmao is also inside. Let him go."

Yu Xiangjun looked at Tang Lin suspiciously, seemingly puzzled that he would only release Wen Sanmao, so he pressed: "Just release Wen Sanmao alone?"

"Right!" Tang Lin held a lighter in his hand, his thumb pressed it lightly, and with a "click," a flame instantly shot up. He stared at the dancing flame, then lowered his head slightly to light the cigarette in his mouth.

"Don't ask why. You'll understand in the future; doing this is also good for you."

Although Yu Xiangjun was full of doubts, he knew Wen Sanmao's network of connections was quite complex. Even if he took Wen Sanmao back today, he feared the city bureau leadership would be calling by tomorrow.

Although he wasn't afraid of these things, offending the city bureau leadership over such a small matter was truly not worth the loss. Therefore, since Tang Lin asked him to release Wen Sanmao, he had no reason to refuse.

In the courtyard, apart from the crackling sound of burning wood, the surroundings remained deathly silent. Jia Dai appeared unusually calm; he sat there quietly, lifting and putting down his wine glass, taking small sips from time to time.

From his repetitive actions of lifting the glass, one could still perceive that while this guy looked very calm on the surface, his inner heart was far from as tranquil as he appeared.

When Yu Xiangjun stepped into the courtyard, Jia Dai's previously calm face finally showed a ripple, and a trace of unexpected surprise actually appeared in his eyes. Then, he smiled, slowly stood up, and went to greet him.

"Director Yu, long time no see!"

Looking at the hand Jia Dai extended, Yu Xiangjun was silent for a moment, but he still shook hands with him, saying in a calm tone: "You shouldn't have come back."

This sentence was like a basin of cold water, extinguishing the hope in Jia Dai's heart, and the smile on his face instantly froze. However, he quickly regained his composure; under these circumstances, it was impossible for Yu Xiangjun to give him a good look. Being able to shake hands with him without avoiding suspicion was likely out of consideration for his childhood friend. After all, his acquaintance with Yu Xiangjun had been facilitated by that childhood friend.

"I didn't expect these messy things to happen either." Jia Dai's words were truly from the heart; if he could have predicted these events, he wouldn't have come back even if it killed him: "If I had known it would be like this, I definitely wouldn't have returned."

Yu Xiangjun's gaze slowly moved away from Jia Dai, gradually falling onto the wounds on the wrists and shoulders of Du Zai and Gedeng. These wounds were shocking, with military knives still embedded in them. Yu Xiangjun felt a chill surge up his spine, leaving him feeling cold.

How exactly were such wounds caused? Could it be that someone pinned Du Zai and Gedeng to the ground and then cruelly stabbed the military knives into their shoulders and wrists? Various possible scenarios kept appearing in Yu Xiangjun's mind, but he dismissed them all in the end.

Then, his gaze continued to move slowly, finally resting on Kan Xing Society and the others. Every one of them sat as straight as a pine, their backs perfectly upright; one look and you could tell they were soldiers. If there were no surprises, the wounds on Du Zai and Gedeng were likely caused by these people.

Yu Xiangjun asked: "Comrades, are you soldiers under Company Commander Chen?"

"No!" Kan Xing Society stood up to answer, then waved at the others: "Withdraw!"

Following Kan Xing Society's order, the group stood up in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized. This once again confirmed Yu Xiangjun's inner suspicion: these people were soldiers, and from an elite unit at that.

At this moment, Yu Xiangjun saw two soldiers gently place the guns in their hands onto the table. One of them pointed at Du Zai and Gedeng and said in a calm tone: "These two guns are theirs. Just a moment ago, they attempted to use them to harm others, so we disarmed them."

Hearing this, Yu Xiangjun's heart tightened, and he gasped, the corner of his eye twitching uncontrollably. He widened his eyes, looked at the two guns on the table, then looked at the wounds on Du Zai and Gedeng, finally understanding how they got them.

At the same time, he had some doubts: are knives really faster than guns? Also, if it were really as he imagined, where did these people come from? In any case, Chen Hengyu and his soldiers definitely weren't this badass.

Thinking this, he looked toward the entrance again. When the last person disappeared from the doorway, Yu Xiangjun shivered; he already knew where these soldiers came from.

Because of the identities of Zhang Zuo, Tang Lin, and Nie Wen, these people must have come from the Guard Bureau. Only soldiers from there would have such formidable skills.

Yu Xiangjun took a deep breath, trying hard to calm himself down, then looked at Du Zai and Gedeng again, saying in an icy tone:

"Are you planning to come with me honestly, or do you want me to handcuff you before taking you away?"

"We'll go with you!" Jia Dai didn't hesitate at all. He understood clearly that this was Yu Xiangjun giving him face, or to be more precise, giving his childhood friend face, so he had to accept it. This way, he, Yu Xiangjun, and his childhood friend would all have face.

"Then let's go!"

Yu Xiangjun only said this, not bothering with them, picked up the two guns from the table, and walked out first.

What he was doing was neither compliant with regulations nor legal; after all, Du Zai and Gedeng had used guns, which violated criminal law and required them to be handcuffed.

However, Yu Xiangjun wouldn't take this to heart, and neither would Tang Lin, Nie Wen, or Zhang Zuo.

Or rather, Yu Xiangjun, Tang Lin, Nie Wen, and Zhang Zuo were actually hoping they would suddenly run away.

It's just that if Jia Dai weren't by their side, they might really have run, but with a smart person like Jia Dai around, he definitely wouldn't let them court death.

Entering the bar and reaching the front, when Jia Dai and the others saw Chang Shengli, who was covered in blood, filthy, and reeking of urine, their scalps went numb.

It was understandable that Chang Shengli was covered in blood—he had smashed Tang Lin's bar, so it would be strange if they didn't deal with him—but what was with the smell of urine? Did he fall into a toilet?

At this moment, Chang Shengli was already handcuffed. When he saw Jia Dai, he first shrank his neck, then felt a surge of joy in his heart; he felt he was saved.

"Big Brother, you..."

"Shut up!" Jia Dai roared: "When we get to the station later, honestly admit your mistakes and accept the punishment. Compensate for the losses you caused at the assessed price."

Chang Shengli was startled by Jia Dai's roar and nodded hurriedly: "I will confess."

"Ha!" A young man in the crowd cursed: "Damn it, you hit me, and you think just admitting your mistakes and accepting punishment is enough? Wait to go to jail."

Jia Dai frowned and looked up in the direction of the voice: "Who was talking just now?"

"Me!" The young man pushed aside the people in front and walked out, looking at Jia Dai with disdain: "Jia Dai, I admit you count as a figure, but I advise you not to meddle in Chang Shengli's business."

"That's right!" Another guy said: "Jia Dai, you can't protect Chang Shengli. If you insist on protecting him, then we brothers will clash with you and see who has the last laugh."

Jia Dai's pupils contracted sharply. He didn't recognize these people, but they were also children of the courtyards, and he could feel that their backgrounds wouldn't be small.

"Brothers, it's better to resolve grievances than to keep them. After today's business is handled, I will personally bring Shengli to apologize to you all, how about that?"

"Ha!" The young man sneered, pointing at Du Zai and Gedeng: "Jia Dai, these low-level thugs are propping you up, and you really think of yourself as a figure?"

"Say that again, you bastard?" The Scar-headed man was furious, his eyes wide, staring fixedly at the young man in front of him, his face full of malevolence that made people shudder.

However, toward the fierce Scar-headed man, the young man curled his lips into a contemptuous smile: "I said, Jia Dai is just being propped up by trash like you. In our eyes, he's not even worth a single pubic hair!"

"Fuck your mother!" The Scar-headed man cursed angrily, then, like a wild beast gone mad, was about to pounce on the young man.

Jia Dai was quick-witted and grabbed the Scar-headed man's shoulder tightly, his face so gloomy it seemed water could drip from it, and he shouted: "Is it not chaotic enough for you?"

The Scar-headed man wanted to say something else, but before he could, he was rudely interrupted by Jia Dai again: "Enough, shut up, let's go!"

Having said that, Jia Dai let go and turned to walk toward the bar entrance without looking back.

Seeing this, the Scar-headed man could only glare fiercely at the young man, raised his hand to make a gun gesture, gestured, and then grinned, saying arrogantly:

"Wait, I will definitely kill you."

Yu Xiangjun raised his eyebrows, recalling Zhang Zuo's instructions; this guy really was courting death. Moreover, looking at his arrogant appearance, perhaps he really did have murder cases on his hands.

Zhang Zuo, who was watching the excitement not far away, couldn't help but shake his head and sigh, cursing: "Damn, this Jia Dai really is a busybody."

Tang Lin laughed from the side and patted Zhang Zuo on the shoulder: "With him there, we definitely won't find an opportunity. Let's leave the rest to Yu Xiangjun."

At the same time, Chen Hengyu had already led his men out of the bar and was waiting outside. When he saw Yu Xiangjun come out, he walked up quickly and asked: "Director Yu, is there anything else we can help with?"

Yu Xiangjun shook hands with Chen Hengyu: "Company Commander Chen, thank you for this time, otherwise the consequences would have been hard to predict."

Chen Hengyu said with a smile: "Maintaining the safety of people's lives and property is not only the duty of you police, but also the duty of our armed police. Director Yu, you don't need to thank me. However, if you really feel bad about it, why not find a suitable time and invite me for a few drinks at the First Bar, haha..."

Yu Xiangjun agreed without hesitation: "That's absolutely no problem. Once this case is handled, I'll contact you."

"It's a deal then!" Chen Hengyu agreed readily, then turned to face the team behind him and shouted loudly: "Attention, everyone! Stand at attention, turn right, run—march!"

Chen Hengyu left, and Yu Xiangjun's gaze turned to Wen Sanmao, who was standing beside Jia Dai. A friendly smile immediately appeared on his face: "Boss Wen, you can leave now."

"Huh?" Wen Sanmao clearly hadn't expected to hear such words. He couldn't help but be stunned, pointing at his own nose in a daze, and asked with a face full of suspicion: "You mean, I can go now?"

"That's right!" Yu Xiangjun nodded affirmatively, his tone very polite, "Someone specifically entrusted me to bring you a message, saying they are very grateful to you."

As soon as Yu Xiangjun's voice fell, the gazes of Du Zai, Gedeng, Jia Dai, and the others fell on Wen Sanmao like lightning, each pair of eyes filled with doubt and confusion. ===== CHAPTER 2354 =====