Free Web NovelChapter 46: One of Our Own
From the moment Wen Wen appeared, Yu Hanguang’s eye twitched uncontrollably. He couldn’t help but want to curse.
When he got the good news from Jiang Jin, he had even said he wanted to see what Jiang Jin could pull off to impress him. But the moment he arrived, he didn’t like what he saw at all. There was no impressive result at all; instead, he just watched that bastard get slaughtered by two people who seemed to have popped out of nowhere.
How could he not realize that he had been dragged into a trap by that bastard Jiang Jin?
Damn it, she’s too shameless. A honey trap, huh? But Wen Wen is always so straightforward and stubborn, when has she ever managed to hold herself back? She didn’t show up in person to tear her opponent apart and expose herself, but instead sent two pawns to bait me into action...
What he hadn’t realized was that these two brats charging in and killing at will were nothing more than live bait. The hooks had long been set in the shadows!
His gaze settled on Ji Jue. Realization dawned upon him, and a glimmer of killing intent surfaced.
As expected, he’s a real troublemaker.
Yet his expression remained perfectly calm. When Wen Wen confronted him, he calmly replied, “I received a report that a group of terrorists broke into a building in North Mount District and started slaughtering innocent civilians. Because it was urgent, I didn’t follow procedure and came straight here. As for you, Ms. Wen, aren’t you a bit slow getting here? Could it be that you’re working with these two?” freewebnovёl.ƈom
“Where are the terrorists? Why don’t I see any?” Wen Wen looked around, scanning the corpses and countless shell casings without a care as if she was blind. “What I see, on the other hand, is a gang involved in smuggling, kidnapping, robbery, and murder. The evidence is solid. I was about to take them all down, and yet it turns out the ringleader is someone else entirely. Could the person covering them be you?”
She tossed a phone onto the ground. On its screen were photos, videos, and every piece of evidence Ji Jue had collected, all fully exposed.
The glaring light hurt Yu Hanguang’s eyes, and it sealed his mouth before he could even defend himself.
Wen Wen twirled her wrist, brimming with anticipation. “Mr. Yu, please hand him over. Otherwise, this won’t end well.”
Jiang Jin froze, and his face went ashen as he instinctively glanced at his only lifeline. But Yu Hanguang remained expressionless, unmoved.
Hand him over? Not a chance! He would never give Jiang Jin up, not out of pity for his loyalty or competence, but because he was sure this scoundrel would rat him out. Who knew what disgraceful accounts this loser had been holding onto all these years? If that woman ever got her hands on his weak spot, he’d be in deep trouble for a long time. Otherwise, why would he save this idiot’s life?
“There must be some kind of misunderstanding, Ms. Wen.” Yu Hanguang lifted his hand slightly, suppressing the crystalline energy spreading around and shielding Jiang Jin behind him. “I’ve been keeping an eye on this gang in secret for a long time. I was just worried about lacking evidence. I didn’t expect you to be so efficient. Perfect timing, we can take them all down at once.”
Wen Wen seemed amused. “Is that so? But you don’t exactly look like someone intent on wiping out crime. Isn’t the gang leader still alive and well behind you?”
A shadow of gloom crossed Yu Hanguang’s face. “Like I said, it’s a misunderstanding. He’s my informant, his records are with the Gracefield District. By protocol, he’s under my management. There’s no reason to hand him over to anyone else. Right, Mr. Jiang?”
He tilted his head slightly, glancing at the disgraceful figure behind him. For a moment, Jiang Jin’s expression lit up. A flush appeared on his pale, nearly bloodless face. “Huh? Huh?! Y-Yes, yes, yes!! A misunderstanding... it’s all a misunderstanding!”
He was almost crying with joy as he said, “It’s all—”
Bang!
That smiling face shattered unexpectedly.
A sudden, deafeningshot pierced the back of his head. Before everyone’s eyes, the bullet tore through the ugly face that still carried traces of happiness, leaving a gaping hole shaped like a smile. His joy and celebration ended abruptly, and only silence remained.
Ji Jue raised his hand and calmly blew the gunpowder smoke from his barrel.
“Hah... an informant? What a coincidence.” He gave the stunned Yu Hanguang a faint smile. “So am I.”
He muttered slowly, shrugging as if regretful, “Ah, an informant killed an informant... The flood has swept away the Dragon King’s Temple[1]. I didn’t know he was one of our own! You should’ve said something earlier... right?”
The furious flash of lightning surged from Yu Hanguang’s eyes. His killing intent was sharp and savage, like a blade stretching across a long distance, nearly ready to shred Ji Jue to pieces!
The reason he hadn’t struck, aside from Wen Wen’s protection, was largely because his other hand was clutching something that spun in circles—Jiang Jin’s phone.
Now that Jiang Jin was dead, no one knew what was on it. That disgraceful idiot couldn’t even keep something this crucial hidden?!
Yu Hanguang’s face twitched once more. The malice in his narrowed eyes surged uncontrollably, especially when he saw Ji Jue’s clueless expression.
Ji Jue, on the other hand, didn’t care at all. He stared straight at him, almost daring him to make a move.
Investigating Ji Jue would’ve been one thing, but when Jiang Jin’s men attacked Lu Ling, the two sides had already become irreconcilable enemies. Even if Yu Hanguang could wipe things clean like a non-stick pan, it wouldn’t change the past.
He had to quickly pick a side and hold on to the right ally. Otherwise, how could he possibly stoop so low as to kowtow, serve tea, and apologize like a dog? Kneeling never solved anything, it only embarrassed you and emboldened others. If a barefoot person had no backbone, all they could do was let themselves be slaughtered.
From this bone-chilling silence, Yu Hanguang finally looked away. He didn’t lash out immediately. Whether it was out of caution for Wen Wen or for whatever was on that phone, no one could say.
“Fine. Very well,” he forced the words through his clenched teeth. “I’ll remember the help you provided today, Ms. Wen.”
“No need to thank me, we’re colleagues. It’s our duty to help each other,” Wen Wen said with a cheerful smile. “Though Jiang Jin is dead, we did manage to catch another one alive...”
A shy child stepped in from outside the door with his head lowered. He looked younger than Ji Jue, perhaps middle-school age, and he leaned on a crutch with unsteady steps. Behind him followed a desperate figure, drenched in sweat. He was none other than Bai Yi, who had nowhere left to run.
With no courage left to resist, he surrendered. Even breathing itself felt like it was taking all his remaining strength. He looked as if bound by invisible ropes that kept him from uttering a single word.
Wen Wen waved her hand generously. “If you want, why not take him back? Consider it a gift from Team North Mount, at least your trip won’t have been entirely wasted.”
Yu Hanguang’s face turned iron-cold, and his anger could no longer be restrained. “No need. Evil must be eradicated completely. Wherever he came from, bury him there.”
With a snap of his fingers, Bai Yi’s eyes widened. Blood seeped from his mouth and nose as he wailed in agony. As if consumed by invisible flames, he turned to ash from the inside out. He died, just like that.
Yu Hanguang shot Ji Jue a cold glance, and turned to leave without saying another word. But someone stopped him from leaving.
“Ah, right, Mr. Yu.” Wen Wen draped an arm around Ji Jue’s shoulders, her smile soft. “It’s normal for colleagues to clash a bit. But my friend here isn’t in the best of health... If he got hurt, I’d be upset, and well, I might not be as reasonable as I am today.”
Since he wanted to play by the rules, then he should follow the rules. If someone refused to play by the rules, then the whole game would lose its meaning.
Yu Hanguang’s steps faltered. He gritted his teeth and quickened his pace, but didn’t look back. Just like when he arrived, he vanished in a flash of lightning without a trace. Sadly, as impressive as he looked coming in, he left with the tail between his legs.
“Wow, he’s like a dog.” Ji Jue clicked his tongue in astonishment, feeling as if his head had just been slammed hard.
Wen Wen shook her head helplessly. “You’ve got some nerve, kid. Yu Hanguang is cunning as hell. You’ve really gone and angered him this time.”
“But I still have you to back me up, Wen.” Ji Jue took the opportunity to lean closer against Wen Wen’s shoulder, feigning weakness and exhaustion. “I’ve done so much for you, you wouldn’t just abandon me like that, neh[2]?”
Hearing his flattering tone, goosebumps rose all over Wen Wen’s skin as if she’d seen a ghost. She nearly punched Ji Jue in the face.
Damn it, he’s such an otaku[3]... Ugh, this stupid kid...
Amid the onslaught of tea fragrance, she pressed her fingers against Ji Jue’s face and gradually applied more force until Ji Jue begged and wailed miserably, at which point she finally loosened her grip.
“Try pulling that kind of stunt again, and I’ll confiscate your tools. Got it?”
Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. Ji Jue obediently nodded, so fast that his head turned blurry.
Ever since Wen Wen had received Ji Jue’s call and heard that absurd dating rumor, she had been on the verge of exploding in a fit of rage. She almost couldn’t stop herself from punching Tong Hua’s smirking face. If Ji Jue hadn’t stopped her and claimed he had a better plan, she would have already wiped out Jiang Jin, his entire gang, and their families dozens of times over by now!
The rumor alone would have been bad enough, but the fact that others were even half-believing it, treating it as if it could be true, had almost pushed her to the breaking point.
Even if I suddenly went crazy and wanted to find a partner, even if this kid had some looks, our age gap is huge. I’m not the kind of desperate woman who’d blindly go for younger men!
“Enough! Go home and sleep, you little brat. You don’t have to worry about a thing. If they dare to break the rules and you lose even a single hair, I’ll make sure Yu Hanguang’s whole family pays for it.”
She held back the urge to smash Ji Jue’s head along with Tong Hua’s and snatched the phone from him in one swift motion. Then, waving dismissively, she said, “That’s enough for tonight. Come report to North Mount District in a couple of days!”
“Huh?” Ji Jue blinked, confused.
Wen Wen snorted. “Aren’t you my informant? You should at least meet my colleagues, right? It’ll be embarrassing if they can’t recognize you.”
With that, she waved her hand once more and disappeared.
The child following her froze for a moment, then quickly nodded toward Ji Jue and Lu Feng before chasing after her.
***
Though she was furious about being dragged into such a ridiculous scandal, seeing that bastard Yu Hanguang get thoroughly humiliated made Wen Wen feel elated.
All her frustration, built up over time from being subtly ostracized by those idiots, seemed to vanish instantly. Well, not all of them. Maybe half, or maybe not even half, but she didn’t hold grudges, so at least some of it!
She whistled. “Let’s go, An Ran. Go grab Tong Hua and Mr. Zhang over there, we’re having a team-building drinking session!”
The child following her looked up and studied her expression before saying, “Ms. Wen, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you smile this widely.”
Wen Wen felt like she’d been struck by lightning. She stiffly turned back, her face twitching. “Who told you to say that nonsense?”
“Ah? Ms. Hua told me,” An Ran said innocently, flipping through his notebook. “She said I could say that if you smiled after everything was over...”
“Tong Hua!” Wen Wen forced out the words through clenched teeth.
She thought, Just wait until tonight. I’m going to twist your head off and turn it into a wine cup!
“Come on, I’ll teach you the next part of your line...” She forced a smile, then mercilessly yanked on An Ran’s ear. “You talk too much. No bonus for you this month!”
1. The full saying goes: “When a flood washes over the Dragon King’s temple, family doesn’t recognize family.” It’s used to describe a situation where members of the same group end up in conflict, dispute, or misunderstanding because they fail to recognize each other or misjudge one another. The Dragon King is traditionally the deity in charge of water, yet even his own temple is swept away by a flood, vividly illustrating the absurd irony of “one’s own people not knowing one another.” ☜
2. "Neh" (written as ね or ねっ) is a common Japanese sentence-ending particle used to seek confirmation, agreement, or empathy, similar to saying "right?", "isn't it?", or "y'know?" in English. It is used to soften statements, create a warm tone, and connect with the listener by implying shared feelings. ☜
3. "Otaku" is a Japanese term for people with an intense, often obsessive interest in specific hobbies, particularly anime, manga, video games, or computer technology. ☜
