131: Catch the traitor!

After hearing this, Ye Chen's face instantly darkened.

He naturally knew about cultivation ranks.

Even with his Inheritance power pushed to the limit, he was only equivalent to the early Profound Rank.

And within the Inner Sect of the Hidden Sect, there was likely more than one existence at the Profound Rank.

He stared at Shadow Demon and asked coldly, "How many Profound Rank experts like your Sect Master are there in the Hidden Sect?"

Shadow Demon gave the answer without hesitation.

"Including the Sect Master, there are... seven in total!"

"Below the Sect Master, there are also six Inner Sect Elders, all of whom are in the Profound Rank realm!"

Seven Profound Rank experts!

Ye Chen's heart tightened.

It seemed he needed to hurry and improve his strength... With his current power, he might be able to handle two or three Profound Rank existences, but if the numbers increased... even with Layered Wave Strength as a trump card, it would likely be quite taxing.

He wouldn't do anything he wasn't sure of.

So... he still needed to hurry and cultivate.

He clenched his fists secretly and took a deep breath.

"Brother Li, Officer Bai, call the Jincheng police and your City Bureau. Send enough manpower to handcuff everyone on the ground who's still breathing and take them back!"

He pointed at Shadow Demon again.

"Especially this one. Keep him in solitary confinement and watch him closely. Don't let him die, and don't let anyone silence him."

"I'll need him to do something for me later."

Li Yao snapped out of his shock and nodded heavily. "Alright! I'll arrange it immediately!"

Bai Shanshan was even more direct, already taking out her phone and starting to dial.

Hearing that Ye Chen was only having the police detain him instead of killing him on the spot, the heavy stone in Shadow Demon's heart finally dropped.

He had finally saved his life.

As long as he was alive, there was still a chance!

A trace of malice flashed in his eyes.

Ye Chen took in his expression, sneering inwardly but not calling him out.

It was fine to lock him up.

This fish might be able to lure out a bigger one... Before long, the piercing sound of sirens approached from afar.

Dozens of police cars and ambulances surrounded the Longdun Building, making it impassable.

Fully armed SWAT officers quickly controlled every entrance and exit, while medical staff moved in and out with stretchers.

Li Yao and Bai Shanshan revealed their identities and quickly coordinated with the person in charge of the Jincheng police, briefly explaining the situation.

Ye Chen didn't stay any longer.

Taking advantage of the busy and chaotic scene, he quietly retreated, disappearing around a stairwell corner in a few flashes.

He went downstairs and got into the car.

However, just as he started the car, his phone vibrated.

The caller ID on the screen showed Bing Lan.

He swiped to answer and put it to his ear.

"Lan Lan."

"A-Chen, are you okay?"

Bing Lan's cold voice came through, but Ye Chen could hear a hint of nervousness.

He smiled slightly.

"I'm fine, it's already settled."

"The Hidden Sect's Outer Sect stronghold has been uprooted. Li Yao and Bai Shanshan are handling the aftermath. Now we just need to wait for news from their side."

There was silence on the other end for two seconds, followed by a soft sigh of relief. "It's good that you're okay."

Ye Chen felt a warmth in his heart. "I've made you worry."

"I wasn't worried."

Bing Lan immediately denied it. "Jin Meiting told me. You should... give her a call later."

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I happen to be heading back to the club."

"The traitor hasn't been caught yet."

"Okay," Bing Lan replied. "Be careful with everything. If anything happens... let me know."

Those simple words were more effective on Ye Chen than any sweet nothings.

"Understood."

He hung up the phone.

Ye Chen stepped on the gas, and the black SUV carved a smooth arc through the night, speeding toward the "Heavenly Palace" private club.

Well... the car was borrowed from Li Yao.

Twenty minutes later.

The car stopped at the entrance of the club.

Although the police had left, the club's doors were tightly shut, with a notice posted on them saying "Business suspended to cooperate with the investigation."

Ye Chen pushed the door open and entered.

The hall was brightly lit, yet empty and silent.

Jin Meiting sat alone on the central sofa, a long, slender lady's cigarette held between her fingers. A long stretch of ash had accumulated, but she seemed unaware, staring blankly at somewhere in the void.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up sharply.

The moment she saw Ye Chen, her eyes suddenly burst with light. She immediately stubbed out the cigarette, stood up, and hurried to meet him.

"Ye Chen, you're back!"

"Is the matter... settled?"

At this moment, hearing the commotion, Foreman Old Chen and several core management personnel also hurried out from inside.

Seeing A-Chen, they all stopped in their tracks, their faces filled with tension and anticipation.

Ye Chen's gaze swept across the crowd, his expression calm.

"The matter has been suppressed for now."

He walked to the main sofa, sat down, and spoke one word at a time.

"But the internal issues of the club haven't been resolved yet."

He looked up at Jin Meiting.

"Gather everyone here."

Jin Meiting's heart tightened, and she immediately nodded. "Alright!"

Old Chen and the others' faces tightened even more. Not daring to ask a single question, they quickly turned to notify everyone.

The order was passed down through the ranks.

In less than ten minutes.

All eighty-seven employees remaining in the club were gathered in the hall.

A dense crowd of people stood below, silent as the grave.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the young man on the sofa, as unease spread through the crowd like ripples.

Ye Chen stood up and walked to the front of the crowd. His nonchalant voice echoed through the space.

The voice was very flat, yet it made hearts race.

"Today, the club was inspected, and things that shouldn't be here were found."

"On the first day I took over this place, I said that prostitution, gambling, and drugs are strictly forbidden."

"Someone has turned a deaf ear to my words."

"Now, I'm giving you a chance."

"Step forward and admit it yourself."

"Otherwise..."

Ye Chen's gaze suddenly became as sharp as a knife, and the temperature in his voice dropped to freezing point.

"Once I drag you out myself..."

"...it won't be as simple as just going to jail."

His voice fell.

Inside the hall, there was a deathly silence.

One could hear a pin drop.

They all knew very well... there was a ninety percent chance that a traitor had appeared in today's incident.

Otherwise, those things that shouldn't have been there would never have been found!

The silence continued to spread, every second feeling infinitely stretched. The air was so heavy it could almost be wrung for water.

Ye Chen's gaze was like deep, cold pond water as he spoke once more.

"No one is admitting it?"

"Fine."

"I'll count to three. If still no one steps forward, then I'll catch them myself!"

He softly uttered these words, then raised his right hand and held up one finger.

"One."

His voice wasn't loud.

Yet it was like a heavy hammer, striking hard at everyone's heart.

In the crowd, some subconsciously lowered their heads, some shifted their feet uneasily, and some even began to break out in a fine cold sweat on their foreheads.

They were worried they might be implicated... "Two."

Ye Chen raised a second finger, his voice still calm.

A few timid waitresses had already begun to tremble slightly.

Some cast pleading glances toward Jin Meiting.

Ye Chen slowly raised a third finger, his lips parting slightly as he was about to utter the final number.

Just when everyone thought that thunderous wrath was about to descend and innocent people might be caught in the crossfire—

Ye Chen's gaze fell on a middle-aged man in the crowd.

He didn't count "three."

Instead, he looked at the middle-aged man and asked indifferently.

"You."

"What is your name?"

The middle-aged man in the crowd's face changed, and he hurriedly said, "I... my name is Li Wei."

Ye Chen nodded and asked again.

"Did you do it?"

Li Wei's face instantly turned pale, and he fell to his knees with a thud, incredibly panicked.

"It wasn't me!"

"Boss, it really wasn't me!"

"I didn't do anything!"

"I've worked here for five years and have never touched those dirty things!"

The crowd erupted in a buzz of noise!

Everyone's eyes shot toward Li Wei, their faces filled with shock, suspicion, and disbelief.

"Old Li? How could it be him?"

"That can't be right... Li Wei is usually quite honest, isn't he?"

"You can know a person's face but not their heart. The boss called him out as soon as he arrived; there must be evidence!"

"Tsk tsk, even a five-year veteran couldn't resist temptation..."

Whispered discussions spread like a tide.

Hearing the whispers around him, Li Wei became even more panicked and lost his composure, kowtowing to Ye Chen with tears and snot streaming down his face.

"Boss, please see clearly!"

"I have elderly parents and young children to support; I rely entirely on this job. How could I have the guts to do such a thing!"

"I swear, if I touched those things, may lightning strike me down and my whole family die a horrible death!"

Ye Chen looked at him and suddenly smiled.

"Relax."

"I was just joking."

Everyone was stunned.

Huh?

It's not Old Li?

Then why did the boss ask him?

Before everyone could react, Ye Chen glanced at the face of a woman next to Li Wei.

The woman was in her early thirties, wearing the club's uniform suit. Her makeup was exquisite, but now she kept her head down, her fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of her clothes.

"What is the name of the woman next to you?"

Everyone looked over in unison.

The woman felt something, her body trembling violently. Her lips quivered as she spoke, "I... my name is Wang Yan."

Ye Chen looked at her quietly and said something shocking.

"Wang Yan."

"I'm giving you a chance."

"Confess yourself."