Chapter 2593: Dear Detective Mr. 45

Alrek saw Bruce, who should have been on night watch in the duty room, slumped sideways on the wooden chair, head drooping, obviously having been tampered with.

Alrek walked over, rudely kicked the chair leg, and lowered his voice to curse: "Bruce, you idiot!"

Bruce jolted awake, blearily opened his eyes, and was about to shout for help when Jin Chen swiftly clapped a hand over his mouth.

Jin Chen grabbed scrap paper from the nearby reception desk, crumpled it into a ball in a few motions, and stuffed it into Bruce's open mouth.

Jin Chen warned in a whisper, "Don't make a sound, do you want to draw everyone here?"

Bruce finally relaxed his breath, forcibly swallowing the exclamation at his lips, fumbled for his sidearm, and stormed toward the detention area, furious, ready to settle accounts with that audacious jailbreaker!

Jin Chen and Alrek split up, knocked out a few people hiding in the corner preparing an ambush, and happened to block the path Silas and Joshua were taking to escape.

Silas reacted extremely fast, raising his pistol the moment Jin Chen appeared, his eyes fierce.

Joshua, being half-dragged, half-pulled by Silas, gave Jin Chen a cold look and said, "Inspector Cyril, I advise you: don't seek your own death. Step aside now, and you might still save your life."

Jin Chen seemed utterly unfazed by his threat, even lazily uttering an "ah," "I was at the Court Supervision Bureau earlier today—didn't I make things clear to you?"

"The Griffin Gang is utterly finished; even if you sprouted wings and flew off now, where could you escape to?"

Those words struck like a thunderclap out of clear sky, leaving Silas and Joshua stunned on the spot.

Without giving them time to react, Alrek approached, saw Silas actually pointing a gun at Jin Chen, and a flash of ferocity crossed his eyes.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The gunshots echoed in the narrow corridor, shaking people's eardrums numb.

The bullets pierced Silas's knees, and the gun in his hand flew free.

Alrek didn't even glance at Silas writhing in pain on the ground, pulled Jin Chen behind him, then lifted his icy gaze to Joshua, whose face was as pale as a ghost.

"The Griffin Gang has been tossed aside like trash by Duke Willika; even their last stronghold has already been been occupied by us."

"Joshua Clyde, tell me, where do you think you can escape to?"

Every word Alrek spoke carried a chilling sense of oppression.

Having come this far, if Joshua still doesn't realize who was behind the Griffin Gang's downfall, then all these years he's truly wasted.

Joshua wished he could pounce on Alrek, tear him to pieces, and drag him down to hell with him.

But before he could even move—let alone pick up Silas's dropped gun—Alrek and Jin Chen, as if they'd coordinated countless times, flanked him left and right and subdued him.

Alrek twisted his arms behind his back with such force it nearly broke his bones.

At that moment, Sheriff Bruce also came rushing over, swearing while hauling a pair of heavy iron handcuffs.

Seeing Silas screaming on the ground and the already-subdued Joshua, he turned livid with rage, stepped forward, and kicked them both hard, spewing vulgar curses to vent his fury at being toyed with and nearly derelict in duty.

Joshua groaned under the kicks, his face showing nothing but despair.

He knew this time there was truly no escape; as he was about to be dragged away, he struggled to turn his head, fixing Alrek with a desperate stare, and asked in a hoarse voice:

"Is it…… you…… who planned everything from start to finish…… did you…… kill……"

He couldn't finish his sentence.

Jin Chen's eyes turned cold, and he delivered a knifehand strike to the back of Joshua's neck.

Joshua's eyes rolled back, he went limp and lost consciousness.

Jin Chen hoisted the unconscious Joshua like a sack and shoved him into the still-cursing Bruce's arms.

"This way it's easier to drag him back—no thanks needed."

Bruce instinctively took him, his mind still catching up, and muttered, "Oh… thank… thank you…"

Thereafter he dragged the limp Joshua like a dead dog and the still-wailing Silas back, his curses growing louder.

【Villain Blackening Value detected -5, total 0!】

——

The next day at noon, Joshua Clyde was found guilty of murdering the count's heir and publicly executed by hanging.

The heavy noose was placed around his neck as the trapdoor beneath his feet opened.

Joshua Clyde's wicked life thus came to an end.

At the same time, the Black Castle of Beya'er City was completely razed.

The remaining forces were swept clean by the army Prince Peg sent and Alrek's alliance; the Griffin Gang, which had held sway for years, finally met its end, becoming history.

A few days later, Jin Chen found a free afternoon and returned to Olga Zhuang Yuan once more.

In John's Study, the light was dim; heavy curtains hung tightly shut, blocking out nearly all outside sunlight.

John sat alone in the wide armchair, like a pale sculpture.

Perhaps from lovesickness compounded by repeated torment of opium addiction, he was even more emaciated than when I last saw him, with sunken cheeks, high cheekbones, and pallid skin.

He resembled the vampires said to dwell in ancient castles.

On his desk before him lay scattered books and sheet music that Vincent had enjoyed reading in life.

On top was that letter, already worn soft from handling—Vincent's final missive.

"John." Jin Chen called.

John slowly lifted his gaze, his eyes somewhat vacant, and after a few seconds focused on Jin Chen.

He forced a smile bordering on nothingness, "Cyril…… you've come; I went to see the execution site…… thank you all, for letting Vincent rest in peace."

John's voice dry and weak, he looked at Jin Chen, "You came today…… to fulfill our earlier promise? Tell me the ultimate truth."

Jin Chen nodded, his gaze resting on the steaming red tea before him, his tone calm, "Yes."

"The one who gave Vincent his first poison…… was Croft."

John's brows furrowed in confusion: "Who?"

That name was utterly unfamiliar to him.

"A boss in the black market." Jin Chen explained, his voice steady, revealing little emotion, "Young Master Vincent had…… been secretly cooperating with him all along."

Next, Jin Chen recounted how Vincent, for family gain and personal ambition, chose to collaborate with Croft.

Later, he recounted how he wavered before temptation, intended to betray, and ultimately brought upon himself the disaster of death.

He did not mention A'erruike's dual identity, nor did he over-dramatize the conspiracy therein; he merely stated the events.

Yuehan listened quietly.

He had no complete understanding of the black market's conflicts, but from Jin Chen's narration, he could piece together those dangerous dealings that Wensente was conducting.

In the Study, a long Silence.

After a long while, Yuehan drew a deep breath, revealing a smile that was complex, painful, relieved, and deeply sorrowful.

"As it turns out... that's how it is."

He murmured, his fingers unconsciously curling up, "He's walked so many winding paths, paid such a heavy price......"

Yuehan paused, shook his head, his tone becoming somewhat ethereal: "However, it's all right…… In my heart, Qiaoshuya·Kelain remains the murderer."

He lifted his gaze toward Jin Chen.

"Xilier, I have a premonition……" His voice was soft, "I will soon be able to go see Wensente."

"Go ask him in person, those things that hadn't had a chance to be said clearly."

Jin Chen saw that he was thin to the point of almost being hunched, yet still maintained an aristocratic elegance in his posture, and he understood clearly.

He didn't say much in the way of comfort, lightly nodded, sat a moment longer, then rose to take his leave.

Leaving Yuehan's tomb-like quiet Study, Jin Chen alone walked slowly through the garden of Zhuang Yuan.

The sunshine was bright, and the fountain refracted a halo in the sunlight.

On the lawn not far away, Zhulian was supporting Count Aoerjia practicing horsemanship.

The old Count's spirits looked much better than before, while Zhulian appeared full of vigor.

He saw Jin Chen walking past the small path, from afar, leading a horse, nodding his head toward Jin Chen's direction and smiling to signal.

Without a doubt, he will be the next Count of the Aoerjia family, much anticipated.

Jin Chen raised his eyebrows, without lingering, went straight through the central fountain square, leaving this Zhuang Yuan that remained prosperous yet was no longer what it once was.

The Main Gate of Zhuang Yuan closed slowly as Jin Chen's departing silhouette.

——

Returning to the cylindrical room, A'erruike sat at the desk by the window, reading a document in the afternoon sunlight.

Hearing the footsteps, he raised his head, put down what he was holding, reached out to pull Jin Chen closer, and tilted his head up to ask for a brief, gentle kiss.

Jin Chen smiled and stroked his cheek, asking, "What are you looking at?"

A'erruike picked up the document on the table and handed it to Jin Chen, saying, "In the old church west of the city, an elderly nun was found dead, the cause of death somewhat suspicious."

Jin Chen took it, flipped through it quickly, and teased, looking at A'erruike.

"So...... our diligent Inspector A'erruike?"

A'erruike couldn't fail to hear the teasing in his words, reaching out to embrace Jin Chen's waist more closely, "Rest assured, my dear Xilier......"

"This time, I will cooperate with you, together we will uncover the truth."

In the evening, a light carriage set out from the cylindrical room, heading toward the church west of the city.

Bugang City, many stories are still unfolding, and new chapters are quietly beginning.

……

【Congratulations, Host, mission completed, Blackening Value cleared to zero, reward points accumulated!】

【Currently transmitting to the next world……Transmission successful!】