Chapter 28 Arsonist

"Mr. Mu..." Tom's voice trembled slightly. "Are you telling the truth?"

"I never tell lies," Mu Xin said. "Assemble all the police officers tomorrow morning, and I will write the check on the spot."

"All the police officers?" Tom was stunned. "Do they all have to come?"

"Yes. All of them." Mu Xin's tone was unquestionable. "I want to hand the check to you in front of everyone."

"Furthermore, I would like to treat all of you to a meal to thank you for the contributions you have made to the public safety of Oxford Town."

"Chief, do you understand what I mean?"

Tom, of course, understood what Mu Xin meant.

What Mu Xin wanted was not just his support, but the support of the entire Oxford Town Police Department.

He wanted to donate the money in front of all the officers so that everyone would know who had improved their working conditions.

From tomorrow on, every officer in the Oxford Town Police Department would remember Mu Xin's name.

And the name of the Williams Family would slowly be forgotten.

"I understand." Tom took a deep breath. "Mr. Mu, rest assured, leave the matter at the Water Plant tonight to me."

"Good," Mu Xin said. "Chief, I await your good news."

After hanging up the phone, Mu Xin stood up and walked to the window.

The moonlight was like water, spilling into every corner of the Water Plant.

He saw two police cars slowly drive into the gate of the Water Plant. The lights on their roofs were not on, and they were as quiet as two prowling cats.

Four police officers got out of the cars and dispersed to key locations around the Water Plant: the entrance of Workshop No. 1, the entrance of Workshop No. 2, downstairs from the central control room, and next to the chemical warehouse.

Tom Carter led the team himself.

Mu Xin watched outside the window, a hint of a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

This Tom Carter was smarter than he had imagined.

He knew when to pick a side, and he knew which side would yield the greatest benefits.

Such is human nature.

In the face of sufficient profit, blood ties and kinship were simply not worth mentioning.

Mu Xin lay back down on the folding bed and closed his eyes.

This time, he slept very soundly.

...

At 3:47 AM, Mu Xin was awakened by a hurried knocking on the door.

"Mr. Mu! Mr. Mu!" Tobias's voice rang out from outside, filled with a suppressed nervousness. "They're here!"

Mu Xin sat up abruptly, his sleepiness instantly gone.

He put on his shoes, walked quickly to the door, and pulled it open.

Tobias was standing outside the door, his face pale, holding a walkie-talkie in his hand.

"Jimmy brought three people and snuck over from the cornfield behind the Water Plant."

Tobias's voice was very low. "They are carrying gasoline cans, at least four of them."

"Did the security team discover them?"

"It wasn't the security team; it was Chief Tom's men who discovered them."

"Those two officers had been squatting in a blind spot of the surveillance cameras at the back for over half an hour. They intended to smoke, but they happened to run into them."

Mu Xin frowned. "A surveillance blind spot?"

"It's that area that the cameras didn't cover before," Tobias explained.

"They climbed in from the cornfield, right through that gap in the old wall. We hadn't had time to seal it yet."

"And now?"

"Chief Tom's men have already surrounded them. Four police officers, plus two people from the security team—six against four. Jimmy and his group can't escape."

Mu Xin didn't speak but walked quickly toward the back of the plant area.

He was very happy now; Jimmy Williams had become an arsonist, and he had been caught red-handed by the police.

Under the moonlight, he saw the following scene:

Jimmy Williams and three thugs, each holding a red gasoline can, stood at the gap in the rear wall of the Water Plant, stiffly frozen in place like four rats caught in the light.

In front of them were four police officers in uniform, their hands on their holsters, their expressions serious.

Tom Carter stood at the very front, holding a flashlight, the white beam shining directly onto Jimmy's face.

"Jimmy, put down the gasoline can." Tom's voice was very calm but carried an unquestionable sense of command.

Jimmy's face turned deathly pale under the strong light, his eyes full of panic and resentment.

He hadn't expected to run into the police here.

Even less did he expect that the person leading the team would be his cousin, Tom Carter.

"Tom... Cousin..." Jimmy's voice trembled slightly. "You... Why are you here?"

"I am performing my official duties." Tom's voice remained calm, but there was no warmth in his eyes. "Jimmy, put down the gasoline can, put your hands behind your head, and squat down."

"Cousin, listen to me..." Jimmy tried to explain something, but Tom interrupted him directly.

"I will say it again: put down the gasoline can, put your hands behind your head, and squat down. This is your last warning."

Jimmy looked into Tom's eyes; there was no family affection in them, only the coldness and firmness of a police officer facing a criminal.

He knew that his cousin had completely sided with Mu Xin.

Jimmy's hands began to tremble, and the gasoline can in his hand made a clanging sound.

The three thugs behind him were even more cowardly; one of them was so scared that he dropped the gasoline can on the ground, put his hands behind his head, and squatted down.

The other two, seeing this, followed suit.

Only Jimmy remained standing, clutching the gasoline can tightly, as if grasping at the last straw.

"Jimmy." Mu Xin's voice suddenly rang out.

Jimmy turned his head abruptly and saw Mu Xin standing not far away, wearing a dark jacket, his hands in his pockets, his expression terrifyingly calm.

"You... You knew I was coming?" Jimmy's voice was hoarse and angry.

"I didn't know you would come tonight," Mu Xin shook his head. "But I knew you would come sooner or later."

"Because you are an idiot. An idiot who only knows how to solve problems with fists and gasoline."

"Do you think that if you burn down the Water Plant, you can take it back?"

"Do you think that if you destroy everything, the Williams Family can stand back up?"

Mu Xin walked toward Jimmy step by step; each step was slow, but each step put immense psychological pressure on Jimmy.

"You are wrong." Mu Xin stopped in front of Jimmy and looked directly into his eyes.

"If you burn down the Water Plant, the State Government will revoke the water supply license, Oxford Town will lose its water supply, and the more than twenty thousand residents of the town will hate you for the rest of your lives."

"By then, let alone the Williams Family, you won't even have a chance to survive in this town."

"Do you think Old Williams will protect you? He can't even protect himself."

"Do you think Tom will help you? He is on my side now."

"Do you think you still have a way out? From the moment you climbed over the wall with the gasoline can, you have had no way out."

Mu Xin's tone was calm from beginning to end, but every word was like a knife, stabbing fiercely into Jimmy's heart.

Jimmy's complexion turned from deathly pale to ashen, and his hands shook even more violently.

The gasoline can swayed back and forth in his hands, the gasoline inside making a sloshing sound.

"Give me the gasoline can." Mu Xin reached out his hand, his tone like he was speaking to an ignorant child.

Jimmy looked at Mu Xin's outstretched hand and hesitated for a few seconds.

Then, he suddenly raised the gasoline can over his head and smashed it toward Mu Xin!