Insights Chapter 138: Preparing for Battle

Chapter 138: Preparing for Battle

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

At night, in the Penang City Bureau. As several sets of bones were discovered, many truths about the case 722 gradually came to light. Late into the night, many detectives and medical examiners voluntarily stayed in the City Bureau to work overtime.

Gu Yanchen, along with Yu Shen, hurriedly took the camera to the best digital repair center in Penang City. Unfortunately, the camera model was old and had been submerged in water before, making it difficult to recover the data from the soaked memory card.

An old technician came up with an idea, “I’ll search for old model data cards and see if replacing the chip can retrieve some information. It might take a while, though.”

Gu Yanchen asked, “How long will it take?”

The old technician replied, “I’ll do it as quickly as possible, but it might be tomorrow at the earliest.”

Helpless, Gu Yanchen left Yu Shen there and had two reliable detectives accompany him. He then returned to the City Bureau to continue working overtime.

On the other side, the forensic center was also busy. Evidence from the mine was being collected, and there was a lot of examination work to be done. After dinner, Shen Junci took a break to walk his dog and feed Snowflake some cat food before returning to the forensic department to work through the night.

All autopsy rooms were full. On the autopsy tables lay sets of bones. Wen Wan, Cheng Gong, Dr. Liu, and even the older Director Lu were examining the corpses brought out from the mine. Over twenty sets of bones meant over twenty autopsies and reports to be written by the medical examiners.

This was almost three days’ worth of work in the City Bureau. In order to solve the case as quickly as possible, the medical examiners worked tirelessly, striving to finish the examinations before dawn. Qi Yi’an sorted through the photos taken today on his computer.

Song Qiancheng’s fingers flew as he wrote autopsy reports. The latest machines in the examination room kept running, printing out DNA calculation data for each set of bones. Technicians compared the DNA of the missing persons, confirming the identities of one missing person after another. This seemed to be a calm night, but in reality, there were hidden waves.

In the Penang City Bureau, all the police officers worked tirelessly, racing against time with the criminals. Everyone had a firm belief that they must vindicate the miners who had suffered and make all those responsible pay the price.

The next morning, Gu Yanchen, Shen Junci, and the leaders of the supervisory team held a meeting to report on the progress of the case investigation and plan further investigation directions.

Although they didn’t have sufficient evidence to prove the case’s connection to Zhen Jiaxu yet, many of the deceased disabled individuals had been in contact with the Penang Love Foundation before their deaths. Therefore, Zhen Jiaxu, as the former head of the foundation, was also monitored as a key suspect.

Zhen Jiaxu’s assets were investigated, and the police were also monitoring vehicles under his name to prevent him from buying plane or train tickets to flee.

Secretary Cui said, “I’ve met Zhen Jiaxu a few times. He has a large business and holds shares in several listed companies. He knows some leaders in the province, so we need to be more cautious in apprehending him and wait for concrete evidence. Don’t give him a chance to escape. Additionally, we need to be wary of him striking back.”

Director Ding and Deputy Director Liu of the supervisory team nodded in agreement.

Secretary Cui continued, “Anyway, comrades, you’ve all been working hard. Everyone has been working overtime recently to investigate the case. We must make a concerted effort to fight this battle well.”

Director Ding assured, “Rest assured, leaders, we will find the evidence necessary for trial and bring all the criminals to justice.”

.

Afternoon, within the Penang Trade Building. Today, Zhen Jiaxu didn’t stay at home but arrived here early. He was on the 27th floor of the building, where a conference banquet hall was located, resembling a huge living room. One side of the conference room was lined with large French windows, offering a wide view.

Mu Yuwei and Ding Yeran had already arrived. They brought the finalized plan and were making final adjustments.

Once everything was confirmed, Zhen Jiaxu seemed pleased. He said, “Just make those few changes, and I’ll be reassured. Planning by Clear Water is indeed reliable. Every detail has been taken into account.”

Turning to Ding Yueran, he added, “Truly a criminal genius!”

Ding Yeran didn’t seem happy at this “praise.”

Following the plan they just discussed, Mu Yuwei made a phone call.

At that moment, the door of the meeting room opened.

Huo Lei, scheduled to arrive just after four in the afternoon, came a few minutes early.

Today, she wore a dark green dress, draped with a new trench coat, swaying with charm.

Glancing at the three men in the room, Huo Lei asked, “What are you discussing?”

Zhen Jiaxu didn’t want to disclose the specific plan to her. “Nothing much, just refining the plan we discussed last time.”

Huo Lei sat down, thinking to herself that this old fox was quite something. This plan was originally instructed to Mu Yuwei by her; now, she had to be wary of Mu Yuwei.

Zhen Jiaxu didn’t reveal the exact plan or execution time to Huo Lei. He excluded her from the discussion. If Huo Lei hadn’t arrived a bit early today, she would have been kept in the dark.

Huo Lei had already received news yesterday about the police entering the Luming Mountain. The old man’s good days were coming to an end. She just didn’t know what this last-ditch plan would be.

Mu Yuwei said, “Clear Water, pack up.”

The table next to them was filled with various printed materials. The plan seemed quite intricate. Huo Lei noticed that the man sitting next to Zhen Jiaxu should be Mr. Clear Water, the most famous planner of the cleaning company.

It was Huo Lei’s first time seeing Clear Water, and he looked somewhat different from what she had imagined. He was a young man of average height, quite feminine, with long hair casually tied behind his head.

Huo Lei had heard some things about him. Looking at him now, she couldn’t believe he was a juvenile delinquent who had killed several people.

Zhen Jiaxu didn’t want her to see, so naturally, she wanted to. Huo Lei picked up a folder that Clear Water hadn’t managed to put away yet and said to Mu Yuwei, “Old Mu, I’ve heard that your plans are extremely professional. Let me have a look.”

Zhen Jiaxu saw that Huo Lei had picked up a background investigation file, not the core part of the plan, so he didn’t pay much attention. He smiled and said, “You should take a good look. Mastering a trade is crucial, and it’ll facilitate our future cooperation.”

Hearing the word “future,” Huo Lei rolled her eyes secretly. There might be a future for Mu Yuwei, but the old man might not have one. Huo Lei opened the folder, which contained background investigation material. Coincidentally, it was about Gu Yanchen.

As she flipped through it in front of the three men, her long red nails traced over the document. “Oh, Gu Yanchen, I know this guy. I’ve also gathered some information about him. He ruined quite a few of our good plans. Clear Water, you mustn’t let him off lightly. Even if you have to tear him limb from limb, it wouldn’t quench my hatred.”

Mu Yuwei chuckled, “Huo, rest assured, he won’t leave this intact.”

Zhen Jiaxu frowned at him for leaking information, then stood up, saying, “Let’s have some afternoon tea first, and later, we’ll have dinner together.”

Huo Lei was still flipping through the materials. The information from the cleaning company was indeed much more detailed than what they usually collected. Not only did it contain all of Gu Yanchen’s background, but it also included investigations into his family by private detectives.

Flipping to the back, there was Mo Xueqing’s information. Several photos of Mo Xueqing were included, along with details about her workplace and lifestyle habits. Huo Lei had only known Gu Yanchen’s mother was named Mo Xueqing before, but it was her first time seeing Mo Xueqing’s photos. Her gaze suddenly stopped. Huo Lei felt that the woman seemed somewhat familiar.

Strange, she was just a police officer’s mother, why did she feel a sense of familiarity looking at her? Huo Lei steadied herself and continued reading. Once missing. Both parents were professors… Huo Lei’s eyes widened suddenly, finding it hard to believe everything. These details reminded her of someone, someone she hadn’t seen in thirty years, but she had always remembered. She turned back to look at Mo Xueqing’s photos, becoming increasingly convinced.

That was number 82. It couldn’t be… It couldn’t be that coincidental! Huo Lei hurriedly flipped back to the first page, her gaze falling on Gu Yanchen’s birthday, September 25th…

She remembered what she had said, “Today is the day these children are reborn. After you take them away, you must raise them well. Their birthday is today, September 25th.”

Wasn’t Gu Yanchen possibly…her son? In that moment, Huo Lei’s head buzzed, her heart pounding wildly. It must be, the age, the birthday, everything matched. She never expected to suddenly learn of her son’s whereabouts now, and she never imagined that her child had become a police officer, while she had always wanted to bring him to his death!

Zhen Jiaxu’s plan also listed Gu Yanchen as a target! Could this be the punishment from the heavens for her wrongdoing? Huo Lei reached out with trembling hands to touch the photo on the form. Excitement, urgency, guilt, longing, fear, various emotions surged through her at once.

The dossier in Huo Lei’s hands fell to the ground with a thud.

Zhen Jiaxu turned to look at her.

No, she couldn’t let Zhen Jiaxu notice this. Huo Lei quickly steadied her emotions, picked up the dossier, and threw it aside, saying, “These things are quite boring, they’re making me sleepy. Thank you for your hard work.”

Only then did Zhen Jiaxu turn his head away, continuing to chat with Mu Yuwei.

Huo Lei turned to Clear Water and asked softly, “Your plan, is it for tonight?”

Clear Water lowered his head, avoiding her gaze. It seemed he was wary of her. After gathering all the materials, he pondered for a moment before reluctantly nodding to Huo Lei. Though he didn’t know why she asked, but with Zhen Jiaxu being cautious of her, she might be able to pass on the message.

Planning… no one leaves alive… tonight… With these keywords, Huo Lei vaguely guessed at something. A chill rose from the soles of her feet. Her mind seemed elsewhere, even when Mu Yuwei talked to her, she didn’t fully register. After a while, she stood up, using the excuse of needing to go to the bathroom.

Huo Lei walked out and hadn’t taken a few steps before she stumbled. She cursed under her breath, squatting down to adjust her new high-heeled shoes.

The door was not completely closed, and Huo Lei overheard Zhen Jiaxu and Mu Yuwei talking inside, “Women are indeed unreliable for handling big matters.”

“Did you see her? Just a few words and she turned pale with fright.”

Huo Lei muttered under her breath, “Beast!”

She took off her high-heeled shoes directly, made up her mind, and took the elevator barefoot down to the ground floor.

At the entrance of the building, Zhen Jiaxu’s bodyguards stood there. One of them reached out to stop her, “Ms. Huo, Mr. Zhen said no one is allowed to leave today…”

Huo Lei was startled. Zhen Jiaxu indeed had ill intentions. He called her here today to indirectly confine her in the building. He might even kill her and silence her. She didn’t want to sink with those people. Huo Lei improvised, throwing the high-heeled shoes in her hand directly, hitting two bodyguards on the head.

“Brainless fools! How dare you stop me? I’m coming out on Mr. Zhen’s orders to fetch something. If he doesn’t let me out, I can’t even leave the room, can you afford to delay things?”

She was accustomed to being arrogant and domineering. The leading bodyguard was caught off guard, holding his head in pain, momentarily stunned. Taking advantage of their slow reaction, Huo Lei pushed them aside and swiftly walked out of the building.

The bodyguards hurriedly contacted Zhen Jiaxu, “Mr. Zhen, Ms. Huo has left the building. She insisted on going out, and we couldn’t stop her.”

“What? She ran out?” Zhen Jiaxu exploded upon hearing this, instructing the bodyguards, “Chase her! She must be intercepted!”

Only then did the bodyguards react and got up to chase after Huo Lei.

Huo Lei ran a few steps, climbed into a taxi parked on the side of the road, her body trembling. “Drive, quickly! I need to go to the City Bureau!”

The City Bureau wasn’t far from here, and it wasn’t rush hour yet. The taxi driver sped off.

The bodyguards caught up to the police station’s entrance, watching as Huo Lei got out of the car and ran inside. “Mr. Zhen, Huo Lei went to the police City Bureau, we couldn’t catch up.”

Zhen Jiaxu cursed, “Useless!” He angrily threw his phone on the sofa.

It seemed Huo Lei was still playing this trick on him at this point.

Mu Yuwei, on the other hand, smiled and said, “Huo Lei went to the City Bureau? If she goes now, isn’t she just walking into the net seeking death?”

Hearing his words, Zhen Jiaxu calmed down. “Yes, I was originally thinking… forget it, at this point, whatever she says doesn’t matter anymore.”

Zhen Jiaxu was somewhat relieved that he had been cautious enough not to reveal the plan to Huo Lei. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows in front of them, on the twenty-seventh floor where they were, they could see far away.

In the northeast direction was the Penang City Bureau. According to their plan, everything tonight would vanish into the flames. And that was just the first step of the plan… Huo Lei rushed into the City Bureau and arrived at the lobby on the first floor. She was stopped by someone just as she was about to enter.

The duty officer asked, “Ma’am, are you here to report a crime?”

Huo Lei said, “I have something important! I need to find Gu Yanchen! Gu Yanchen from the Special Criminal Division!”

The duty officer frowned. He noticed that Huo Lei was barefoot and found her behavior strange.

Anxious, Huo Lei said, “Go and call him! Just say his mother is here! It’s urgent. I’m Mo Xueqing!”

Only then did the duty officer call Gu Yanchen and then placed Huo Lei in a mediation room on the first floor. At this moment, Gu Yanchen is in the office of the Special Criminal Division. Just a few minutes ago, he received some good news from Yu Shen.

“Captain Gu! The storage card of the camera has been repaired! We recovered a few seconds of video. I’m sending you the content!” Yu Shen, who had stayed up all night last night, was now speaking with a trembling voice due to his excitement.

Gu Yanchen quickly got up, and other officers also gathered around. A video clip was sent over. Although short, they recognized that the person in the footage was none other than Zhen Jiaxu, who had long been suspected by the police. It was the footage just before the murder of the Yu couple. Everyone in the room watched the computer screen intently.

In addition to the video, there were also some voices. The dialogue within could prove that Zhen Jiaxu was the mastermind behind it all. With this favorable evidence, they had enough to charge Zhen Jiaxu with the crime.

Cheers erupted in the office, and the officers were so excited that tears filled their eyes as they hugged each other.

“Brilliant!”

“This is fantastic!”

“This time, we can definitely round them all up!”

Gu Yanchen quickly instructed Bai Meng, “Make several backups of the video and send them to the supervisory team and the prosecutor’s office. Apply for an arrest warrant for Zhen Jiaxu!”

Then he turned to Lu Ying and said, “Lu Ying, go find out Zhen Jiaxu’s exact location.”

After handling everything, he sent a message to Shen Junci, “We’ve got the video. We can move in for the arrest soon.”

Shen Junci replied, “Good, it’s best if you can come down today. Avoiding complications due to the length of the night.”

Gu Yanchen replied, “Definitely, I’ll hurry things along here.”

Just as everything was arranged, a call came in from downstairs.

An officer said, “Captain Gu, your mother is in the lobby looking for you. She says it’s urgent.”

Gu Yanchen was puzzled. Over the phone, Gu Yanchen listened to the officer’s explanation and then went downstairs with suspicion in his heart. He entered the mediation room and saw a strange woman inside.

Gu Yanchen had seen Huo Lei in surveillance footage before. She had been standing next to Zhen Jiaxu at the time. He remembered her name was Huo Lei, a member of the Hetu Trading Association.

Gu Yanchen felt irritated by Huo Lei’s impersonation of his mother and furrowed his brows, asking, “Ms. Huo, what do you want from me?”

Huo Lei raised her head, and tears filled her eyes in an instant. The young police officer in front of her was even more tall and handsome than she had imagined. She stood up and grabbed Gu Yanchen excitedly. “I’m here to report a crime. Tonight, Zhen Jiaxu has devised a plan to commit murder.”

Gu Yanchen looked at the woman in front of him, considering whether this was a new ploy by Zhen Jiaxu. “What evidence do you have to prove what you’re saying?”

Huo Lei glanced at the officer beside her, hesitating to speak.

With an outsider present, she didn’t directly acknowledge Gu Yanchen’s identity. Huo Lei spoke, “Zhen Jiaxu contacted Mu Yuwei from the cleaning company. The plan was devised by Mr. Clear. Zhen Jiaxu said the police had found out about his involvement, and he intended to fight to the death.”

Gu Yanchen asked her, “What is the specific plan?”

Huo Lei shook her head, pale-faced. “I don’t know. They kept it from me, but I’m not lying to you. You must be prepared. There are many plans written, and something big is about to happen.”

Gu Yanchen then asked, “Where is Zhen Jiaxu?”

He still had some doubts about Huo Lei’s sudden confession and didn’t dare to fully believe her.

“He’s at the Bin Trade Building,” Huo Lei said.

Gu Yanchen instructed the officer to notify the Criminal Cloud. Seeing that there were no outsiders in the room, Huo Lei took a step forward and grabbed Gu Yanchen. She held him tightly, as if afraid he would disappear before her eyes.

Huo Lei lowered her voice, “I’m your mother…”

Gu Yanchen felt that the woman in front of him seemed like a lunatic. He pried Huo Lei’s hand off him. “Ms. Huo, I’ll remind the leaders of the City Bureau to be prepared and to ensure the safety of the city. I’ll also investigate and verify the information you provided. But I really am not your son.”

Huo Lei carefully considered how to prove that point. Her child was born without any distinguishing marks. After so many years, all she had were the clues from No. 82, who took away her child. Huo Lei said, “You have to believe me. Did Mo Xueqing ever tell you about those past events, about the containers? I am No. 15, and she is No. 82…”

Hearing this, Gu Yanchen frowned. He looked at the woman in front of him, wondering what his real mother would be like and where she would be. Gu Yanchen, however, had never considered that she might turn out to be a bad person, living a luxurious lifestyle, aiding and abetting the Hetu Trading Association. He couldn’t accept it for a moment.

Huo Lei keenly felt Gu Yanchen’s change in demeanor. She realized that for someone like Gu Yanchen, having such a mother was not a blessing but a curse. She took a step back and began to cry, “I know I’ve done many wrong things… Whether you accept me or not doesn’t matter, but you must believe me! Those people hate you. They want to see you dead. You should hide! Or escape the city now, there’s still time…”

She, who was usually a fearsome figure, was now just a mother worried about her child. Perhaps she was selfish, but for the sake of her child, she could do anything and give up everything.

Gu Yanchen said, “I’m a policeman, and I have to be at the forefront. There’s no reason for a policeman to hide when danger comes.”

Huo Lei looked at him tearfully, her eyes pleading.

Gu Yanchen calmed himself down. This was a woman who had once been a container, who had lost her child. Perhaps she had taken the wrong path, but now she stood here, perhaps with a glimmer of conscience. He spoke, “If there’s even a one in a million chance that you’re my biological mother, I hope you can distinguish right from wrong. I hope you came here to surrender out of conscience, not because you suspect I’m your son and came to warn me to escape.”

This was the approach he, as a police officer, could think of. He hoped Huo Lei would tell them more about the crimes of the Hetu Trading Association.

Huo Lei, a clever person, understood Gu Yanchen’s meaning. She stopped crying abruptly and thought it through.

Coming here was indeed an impulsive act. But after Gu Yanchen said those words, she suddenly realized that surrender was the safest and most prudent choice among the options available to her.

If the Hetu Trading Association fell, she would inevitably be implicated and might even be killed by those people. She hadn’t committed many crimes, but she knew a lot of insider information. If she could tell the police about it, she could take the initiative, exchange it for leniency, and possibly even clear herself from Zhen Jiaxu’s influence.

Although it seemed like a dead end, it was actually the only choice she had to have a future. Only by choosing this path could she preserve her wings and protect those women. Self-preservation through wise actions. This was the smartest approach.

Thinking of this, Huo Lei wiped away her tears and calmed down. “Perhaps I was mistaken. In any case, you’re a container’s child. I hope you’ll be safe and live well. Your mother must love you very much.”

Gu Yanchen said, “Thank you, I’ll be careful.”

Huo Lei cautiously asked, “Before I surrender, I have a request. Could you hug me?”

Gu Yanchen hesitated for a moment before giving the woman in front of him a brief hug. In his embrace, Huo Lei listened quietly to his heartbeat. After a few seconds, she pushed Gu Yanchen away and prepared to face her fate.

Gu Yanchen instructed Lu Ying and Bai Meng to take Huo Lei upstairs to give her statement. Then he and Director Ding, along with Secretary Cui, reported the matter. He only mentioned Zhen Jiaxu’s plot with the cleaning company, omitting the part where Huo Lei claimed to be his mother and wanted to acknowledge him.

Secretary Cui said, “If Huo Lei is willing to surrender, we must take her information seriously. Although we don’t yet know Zhen Jiaxu’s target, it’s better to be safe than sorry. From now on, issue notices to the City Bureau and various precincts, inform the city leaders, and put Penang on high alert. All special police and detectives should be on standby, ready to respond to any emergency situations.”

The City Bureau’s alarm bell rang, and leaders from various departments gathered in the command room to prepare for defense. It would take a few minutes for the personnel to arrive.

Gu Yanchen remembered what Huo Lei had said earlier. He stepped into the corridor and called Mo Xueqing. Cutting to the chase, Gu Yanchen said, “Mom, I’m not the son of Number 15, am I?”

He was familiar with Mo Xueqing. If he were the child of Number 15, Mo Xueqing would have told him during their last encounter. She wouldn’t keep it a secret.

Mo Xueqing replied, “No, you’re probably not. I also don’t know who your mother is. Originally, I was ready to escape with the child of Number 15, but when we passed a guard checkpoint, things changed, and we swapped the babies.”

Mo Xueqing still remembered that night vividly. They had finally reached a place about ten meters from the gate when suddenly one of the women cried out in fear, and the child in her arms woke up, stretching out a little hand. The woman was a young one, arriving on the island the latest, just pregnant, and completely unprepared for the little life in her arms.

If the child had cried at that moment, it might have attracted the guards, ruining all their efforts and endangering everyone. Several helpless pregnant women stood dumbfounded in the dim light, looking at the awake child in horror, sweating profusely on their foreheads, waiting for their fate to be judged.

At that moment, Mo Xueqing made a decisive choice. She handed over the sleeping child in her arms and said, “Let’s exchange. I’ll take care of this baby.”

That’s how she ended up holding the baby, trying her best to soothe him with everything she knew. She was even prepared to sacrifice herself. If the child had cried, she would have let the others go first and stayed behind.

“Don’t cry, Mommy’s here. Mommy will take you out…” As if understanding her words, the baby, although awake, remained very quiet. He smiled at her.

At that moment, Mo Xueqing’s tense heart relaxed. She held the baby in her arms, hugged him gently, swaying him, feeling like a real mother. Afraid of causing trouble again, they hurriedly hugged the babies and escaped. The baby in her arms stayed awake but remained quiet throughout. As an escaped woman, she was committed to raising the child she took away to adulthood.

Mo Xueqing felt that perhaps this was fate. She wanted to give the baby a nice name, such as “Yanchen.”

Chen means treasure, and he was her rare treasure. After listening to Mo Xueqing’s story, Gu Yanchen understood how Huo Lei’s misunderstanding had arisen. Huo Lei thought Mo Xueqing had taken away her child, but in the middle of the escape, the child was switched.

Apart from conducting a blood test, they couldn’t determine who their biological mother was.

The noise in the City Bureau increased, and a voice came through the phone. Gu Yanchen prepared to hang up. “Mom, I have something else to do here. We’ll talk later.”

Mo Xueqing seemed to sense something and said to Gu Yanchen on the other end of the phone, “I have two more things to say. That day, you thanked me and felt that I saved you, but Mom thinks that you saved me. You’re the son that Mom is proud of. Mom will always love you.”

Gu Yanchen looked up and saw Shen Junci standing at the door of the command room, waiting for him. He said, “Mom, I love you too.”

The last rays of sunlight sank down, and the night in Penang was about to begin. Regardless of what lay ahead, he was prepared to face the impending darkness.