167: Chapter 167 Chen Mo's Achilles' Heel

On the phone, Wang Ming's voice came through with a hint of excitement: "Boss, I have good news for you. The equity transfer has been finalized!"

This matter was already a foregone conclusion, and since Zhao Lintai had been feeling uneasy because of Chen Mo's situation, he didn't show much excitement. He simply nodded slightly and responded in a somewhat low voice, "Very well. You did a good job on this. How did Wang Hongtai react?"

Wang Ming didn't pick up on Zhao Lintai's poor mood. He gave a chuckle on the other end of the line, a flash of cunning appearing on his face. "That old fox Wang Hongtai wanted to play delay tactics at first, but I shut him down with a few words. Now he's overwhelmed dealing with his son's mess. According to Secretary Wu, the lawyer Wang Hongtai sent doesn't seem to have been able to handle that woman. Moreover, Wang Hongtai should have already become suspicious of Secretary Wu."

Zhao Lintai gently stroked his chin, as if he had expected this all along, and said faintly, "It's normal for him to be suspicious. Now that things have developed to this point, if Wang Hongtai didn't even have this much alertness, he really would have spent all those years in the business world for nothing."

"You're right, Boss," Wang Ming echoed, the smile on his face deepening. "However, the overall situation is now settled. Even if Wang Hongtai wanted to regret it, it's too late."

Zhao Lintai gave a light snort and then asked with interest, "I heard the woman his son got into trouble with this time is that kid Qin Yi's ex-girlfriend, right?"

Wang Ming was stunned for a moment before reacting. "Ah, yes, it seems that's the case. Boss, do you think I need to send someone to keep an eye on her?"

"No need." A meaningful smile curled at the corner of Zhao Lintai's mouth. "She's just a woman; there's no need to deliberately watch her. Just keep an eye out; perhaps this woman can be of use to us in the future."

"Understood, Boss," Wang Ming replied.

Immediately after, Zhao Lintai's brow furrowed again as he followed up, "Also, has A-Mo contacted you?"

"Brother Mo?" Wang Ming was startled at first, then immediately shook his head. "No. Why, Boss?"

Zhao Lintai's face suddenly darkened as an ominous premonition welled up. "I'm worried that something might have happened to A-Mo. It's been five or six hours since I sent him to handle the Underground Bank business. By all accounts, there should have been news long ago..."

Hearing this, Wang Ming also realized that something might be wrong, but he still tried to remain calm. "It is indeed a bit strange. However, with Brother Mo's skills, Xiao Dao and his gang shouldn't be a match for him, right?"

"I'm not worried about Xiao Dao and the others," Zhao Lintai's voice carried deep concern. "I'm worried about whether A-Mo has been targeted by the police."

Wang Ming was startled. If Chen Mo really was being watched by the police, then both he and the boss would be in danger. He felt apprehensive but still tried to soothe Zhao Lintai: "Boss, this... it shouldn't be, right? Besides, I haven't received any news from the police. If something really happened at the bank, there should be some movement from the police. How about I contact our informant to see if I can find out anything?"

Zhao Lintai nodded and said in a heavy, solemn tone, "Good, go find out as soon as possible. If A-Mo has really been arrested by the police, tell me immediately!"

"Understood!" Wang Ming responded and hung up the phone, the relaxed expression on his face having completely vanished.

Zhao Lintai paced the room with a worried expression, his brow tightly furrowed as he waited for Wang Ming's news.

...

Meanwhile, outside a special ward at the Modu Armed Police General Hospital, two cold-faced SWAT officers armed with live ammunition stood straight, guarding the ward door with piercing gazes.

The atmosphere inside the ward was even more solemn to the extreme. Two similarly equipped SWAT officers stood guard; one watched the window while the other kept a close eye on the hospital bed.

On the bed, Chen Mo lay quietly with his eyes closed. Thick bandages were wrapped around his shoulder and leg, with faint traces of blood showing through. His hands and feet were tightly handcuffed and secured to the four corners of the bed, leaving him lying flat on his back in a spread-eagle position.

Ye Qingcheng stood before the bed, her cold face carrying obvious anger. She stared at Chen Mo and questioned him sternly, "Chen Mo! I'm asking you one last time: whose orders were you following when you infiltrated our Dragon Country? What was your purpose? And who instructed you to carry out the assassination mission?"

Since being brought into this ward, Chen Mo had maintained this silent attitude, turning a deaf ear to all outside sounds, simply lying there quietly as time ticked away.

Seeing that Chen Mo was still acting this way, the patience in Ye Qingcheng's heart gradually wore thin. She took a deep breath, trying to suppress the anger in her heart, and warned in a low voice, "Chen Mo, don't think that by staying silent like this, I can't do anything to you. I'm telling you, the regular police might be helpless against you, but I have plenty of ways to make you talk! If you don't want to suffer more, you'd better cooperate with me."

Hearing Ye Qingcheng's words, the corners of Chen Mo's mouth curled slightly into a disdainful sneer. He slowly opened his eyes, but he didn't look at Ye Qingcheng; instead, he cast his gaze toward the ceiling.

After a moment, Chen Mo spoke slowly, his voice slightly hoarse. "Officer, don't waste your breath. I have nothing to confess, and no one assigned me. I just went to find Brother Dao to get back the money he owed me. He hired me to take care of that guy named Qin Yi, and although it didn't succeed in the end, not a single cent of the promised money could be missing—that was agreed upon beforehand. I just didn't expect him to be so untrustworthy that he would even try to shoot me. I was just giving him a taste of his own medicine by shooting him back. It's that simple."

"Hmph, Chen Mo, stop trying to lie to me!" Ye Qingcheng snorted coldly, interrupting Chen Mo. "Do you think I don't know? You are a member of the Hongmen, a dignified Martial Artist of the Middle Stage of Ming Jin! That Brother Dao is just a small-time thug running underground casinos and banks. You think someone like him could afford to hire you?!"

"You certainly know a lot about me. But so what if I'm a Martial Artist? Do Martial Artists not need money?" Chen Mo's mouth curled into a disdainful arc as he argued back.

"Fine. Even if you went to Brother Dao to 'collect your wages,' then what about the multiple blunt-force injuries on your body? You're a Middle Stage of Ming Jin Martial Artist with a mastery of Hard Qigong; how could those few men under Brother Dao possibly hurt you? I'm asking you, in that room where you were found unconscious, was there a third person besides you and Brother Dao?" Ye Qingcheng continued to press.

Hearing Ye Qingcheng say this, Chen Mo's heart stirred slightly as he keenly captured the key information in her words. He thought to himself: 'Could it be that the man who injured me wasn't a cop? Otherwise, this officer in front of me definitely wouldn't be asking this. But if he isn't a cop, then who could it be?' As Chen Mo thought this, he recalled the scene of the fight with that person and secretly guessed, 'Looking at his movement and martial arts style, it was somewhat similar to Qin Yi from that night at the Nightlife Bar... Could it be that that person really has a connection to Qin Yi? Was he following me to find my boss?'

Chen Mo's mind raced with a thousand thoughts, and for a moment, he was hesitant about whether to tell Ye Qingcheng about the third person at the scene.

While Chen Mo was hesitating, Ye Qingcheng saw that he had no reaction to her words, so she added, "Chen Mo, the gunshot wound on your shoulder probably wasn't from Brother Dao either, right? We've already conducted a detailed ballistic analysis of the scene. The two bullet holes left in the wall and the gunshot residue on Brother Dao's body prove that he did indeed fire shots before he died. However, those two shots didn't hit you!"

As she spoke, Ye Qingcheng's gaze locked onto Chen Mo's face, trying to catch a hint of a reaction from his expression. Chen Mo, however, remained in his previous posture with his eyes slightly closed, acting as if he hadn't heard a word she said.

Ye Qingcheng was not discouraged and continued her analysis: "Furthermore, we found none of your blood on Brother Dao. If the wound on your shoulder was really caused by him, then in the process of him jumping out the window to escape, his feet and clothes would inevitably have been stained with your blood. But the results of the forensic investigation show that your blood was layered on top of Brother Dao's footprints and fingerprints. This indicates that before you were shot, Brother Dao had already jumped out the window and fled."

Hearing this, Chen Mo's eyelids flickered slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

Ye Qingcheng did not miss any of Chen Mo's reactions. She continued, "In addition, we also found drag marks in the woods behind the building. Besides the footprints left by Brother Dao when he fled, another person's footprints were found at the scene. All of this indicates that besides you and Brother Dao, there was a third person present!"

"Officer, I'm a patient; I need rest. I've already said what needs to be said. Why are you still telling me all this? What exactly are you trying to say?" Chen Mo interrupted Ye Qingcheng with some impatience, his brow furrowed and his tone carrying a hint of displeasure.

Ye Qingcheng was not affected by Chen Mo's attitude. She took a deep breath and said slowly, "This third person took the surveillance footage from the scene and everything in Brother Dao's safe, including that gun. Have you never considered that this person was likely arranged by the one who sent you to assassinate Brother Dao? After all, only dead people keep secrets forever! Of course, I also have a few points of confusion. For example, why would this third person drag Brother Dao back instead of killing him directly? Was it because he calculated that you would kill Brother Dao with your own hands in front of the police? Or was it because the timely arrival of the police disrupted his plan, and he didn't have time to kill both of you before escaping? Or perhaps, it was an order from the person who assigned you, telling him to leave you for the police?"

Ye Qingcheng's words sent a shock through Chen Mo's heart. Chen Mo suddenly recalled what that man had said to him, asking why he was risking his life for Zhao Lintai. If he hadn't said that intentionally, then that person's true target was his boss, Zhao Lintai. If he were to give this person up, the police might follow the clues and involve the boss; at that time, the boss might still think he had betrayed him. But if that person was sent by the boss, then that sentence might have been a warning from the boss... After all, his family was controlled by the organization, and the boss's importance to the organization was much greater than his own. If he really betrayed the boss, his family would suffer. No, absolutely not.

Thinking of this, Chen Mo immediately dismissed his original thought of speaking out. He gave a scoff, glanced at Ye Qingcheng, and said in a cold voice, "Officer, you don't need to try and bait me here. I said, no one instructed me, and I don't know anything about a third person. The gunshot wound on my shoulder was from Brother Dao. If you don't believe it, there's nothing I can do." After speaking, he closed his eyes again, no longer paying any attention to Ye Qingcheng.

Ye Qingcheng wanted to say more, but the phone in her pocket suddenly rang abruptly. She frowned slightly, quickly pulled it out to take a look, and the caller ID on the screen made her expression turn solemn.

She then held the phone and walked out quickly. Taking a deep breath, she then answered the call: "Hello, Director, this is Ye Qingcheng."

From the other end of the phone, a deep man's voice came through: "Little Ye, how is the interrogation going on your end?"

"Reporting to the Director, Chen Mo's mouth is very tight. So far, there hasn't been any substantial progress." Ye Qingcheng reported truthfully, her brow tightly knit, her voice sounding somewhat frustrated.

"Hmm, that's to be expected," the Director said in a low voice. "Since the Hongmen chose to plant him in our Dragon Country, they must hold his weakness to make him so loyal. Breaking through his psychological defenses probably won't be that easy. You don't need to be too anxious; take it slow, we have plenty of time."

Hearing the Director's comfort and encouragement, the pressure in Ye Qingcheng's heart lightened a bit. She nodded slightly and responded, "Yes, Director. I will continue to work hard."

"Good. Additionally, I have already arranged for people to head to Modu. Once they arrive, take Chen Mo out of the hospital and move him to a safe house near Modu. Then, you can interrogate him slowly; I'm not afraid he won't confess!" There was a hint of ruthlessness in the Director's voice.

"Yes! Director. I understand," Ye Qingcheng's heart skipped a beat as she quickly responded.

"Also, Little Ye, the leadership has already had a meeting. Given the current situation, it's been decided to establish a Special Task Force to specifically handle matters related to the Hongmen. I have already nominated you to be the leader of this task force; the appointment should come down very soon."

The Director's words caught Ye Qingcheng by surprise. She straightened her back and responded, "Yes! Director, I will certainly not fail this heavy responsibility!"

"Haha, don't give yourself too much pressure. However, during this time, you have to stay in Modu for a while. You can choose the members of the Special Task Force yourself; submit a list, and we will discuss it."

"Understood! Thank you, Director!"

"Yes, Little Ye. Of the Hongmen's underground four-person group planted in our Dragon Country, we have currently only caught the weakest one. The other three have not yet been traced. You must stay safe in Modu! If you have any needs, contact the Modu Branch directly; I have already spoken with the person in charge there."

"Understood, Director, don't worry. I will stay safe," Ye Qingcheng said solemnly.

"Good. Well, you've just arrived in Modu; don't push yourself too hard, and make sure to rest. Contending with an organization like the Hongmen is a long-term war! You don't need to worry about the capital; there are dedicated people looking after the Old Master's health, he's fine." The Director's voice gradually became softer.

"Thank you for your concern, Director," Ye Qingcheng said gratefully.

"You're welcome. Go back to your work; call me anytime if something comes up." After speaking, the Director hung up the phone.

Ye Qingcheng put her phone away and walked back to the ward door. She instructed the two SWAT officers guarding the door, "No one is allowed to enter this ward without my permission! It'll be hard work for you these next two days; someone will come to take over soon."

"Yes! Mission guaranteed!" the two SWAT officers responded in unison.

"Good, thank you for your hard work." After saying that, Ye Qingcheng walked away quickly.

...