Chapter 598 — Nothing to Do with Him
As for why Brother Wang had suddenly drawn a gun, this man was just as much in the dark as anyone else!
Yang Ce had seen the man's true thoughts, so naturally he no longer suspected him of being in league with the one before. It seemed this man really was from the Mystery Investigation Bureau, and really had been sent by Xia Yan. As for why Brother Wang had suddenly drawn his gun, that would have to wait until Brother Wang woke up.
Earlier, when Brother Wang had reached out to pull out his ID, Yang Ce's killer instincts had made him glance over on reflex to see what the man was actually drawing. Brother Wang would never have dreamed that Yang Ce had X-ray vision, so every motion of his hand as he went for the gun had been laid bare to Yang Ce's eyes.
Yang Ce did not care what the man meant by drawing a gun; the fellow had pulled a weapon in front of him, and that was enough for Yang Ce to classify him as dangerous. Naturally he was not about to do nothing, so he responded at once, sending a flying needle out and dropping Brother Wang unconscious on the spot.
That was also why Yang Ce had taken no other countermeasures: he had already acted, and there was nothing left to fear. The only reason Brother Wang had managed to get the gun out at all was the sheer inertia of the body's reflex, and on that score Yang Ce felt no concern.
So Yang Ce let go of the man in his grip, while the fat man raised his pistol and watched the released man warily.
"He is fine. He knew nothing," Yang Ce said flatly.
"Thank you, thank you!" the man said, hastening to express his gratitude.
Given the situation, it was entirely reasonable for Yang Ce to have mistaken him for one of Brother Wang's confederates; even if he had been shot dead on the spot, one could only have called it somewhat unjust. Now that Yang Ce had spoken up to clear his name, the man was rather relieved.
"Oh? He is fine?" The fat man was taken aback.
"The one with the problem is that fellow on the ground, the one called Brother Wang. He is not dead, only unconscious. Fatty, get in touch with Brother Xia right away and have him taken away for a surprise interrogation. Let us find out whose side he is really on!" Yang Ce said, pointing at Brother Wang on the ground.
"Right, I will contact Captain Xia at once!" The fat man nodded solemnly.
Yang Ce had his doubts about Brother Wang's sudden attack. If the man had drawn his gun and pointed it straight at him, Yang Ce would have found it perfectly normal; the crux of the matter was that he had pointed it at Huang Yan, and that struck Yang Ce as utterly bizarre!
What was the man aiming at Huang Yan for? Was he Huang Yan's enemy? Or had he been sent by the Huang family's enemies to assassinate Huang Yan?
Most crucial of all was Brother Wang's identity! Brother Wang was plainly one of the Mystery Investigation Bureau's people. For this man to have infiltrated the Bureau, he had to be no ordinary figure, and one does not expend such an asset except at a critical moment!
That was precisely what baffled Yang Ce most! If the man meant to assassinate Huang Yan, why insist on doing it here? Huang Yan was hardly a person of importance, and he went about ordinarily unprotected; killing him should have been no great difficulty!
Yet this Brother Wang, or whoever stood behind him, had chosen this very situation to make the attempt! That would completely expose Brother Wang's undercover identity within the Mystery Investigation Bureau and destroy years of painstaking effort. Doing it this way was plainly not worth it!
So Yang Ce was thoroughly puzzled: had Brother Wang made some mistake? To be sacrificed so casually seemed hardly worth it! For a pawn like him, this was far too ordinary a way to play his part.
Soon another car drove into the entrance of the special passage and pulled up beside Yang Ce and the others. The one who stepped out was none other than Xia Yan himself!
Xia Yan looked stern. After getting out of the car, he glanced around once, then strode quickly over to Yang Ce. "Yang Ce, I am truly sorry! This was a lapse in my work—I failed to verify this man's identity and let a traitor like this slip into the Mystery Investigation Bureau!"
Xia Yan began by admitting his own fault, which dissipated most of Yang Ce's anger. Yang Ce had indeed harbored some resentment toward Xia Yan: what sort of team was the man running? For someone else's pawn to have infiltrated the very headquarters of the Mystery Investigation Bureau was truly absurd.
But with Xia Yan having said as much, Yang Ce could hardly press the point; he merely nodded. "Find out the truth as quickly as you can!"
"Take both of these men back!" Xia Yan waved a hand, pointing at Brother Wang on the ground and the other man who had come with him, and gave the order to his subordinates.
The man who had come with Brother Wang was instantly dumbstruck. "Captain Xia, I am innocent! I had no idea Brother Wang was going to pull a gun and attack anyone—I knew nothing at all!"
"Whether you are innocent or not, I will determine that myself," Xia Yan said mildly.
"Ah—" The man's face went deathly pale. He had never expected such misfortune to befall him!
Fresh out of university, under the envious gaze of others, he had landed a very good job at the Mystery Investigation Bureau, a highly mysterious institution of privilege. Though he was only a liaison officer, he wielded powers others could never possess!
Such privileges were the preserve of liaison officers like him: entry to the airport through special passages, and in ordinary times priority clearance and unhindered access to other institutions. Yet now, unexpectedly, he found himself in such a passive position!
Today's affair might well land him in prison! He did not know how the final investigation would turn out, or whether Brother Wang would turn on him. Simply because he happened to be on the best of terms with Brother Wang, this job was likely as good as gone!
Who had told him to choose his friends so poorly? He felt some regret, but regret was useless now—there is no medicine for it in this world. He could only bow his head in helpless silence.
"Brother Xia, this has nothing to do with him. He knew nothing about it. Let him go," Yang Ce said. He knew the man was innocent, for his thoughts could not lie. It was impossible that he knew of Yang Ce's ability to read minds, and impossible that he could have preemptively forced his own mind to churn out thoughts designed to mislead Yang Ce!
A person's thoughts can sometimes betray everything in a single instant, beyond anyone's control. So if anyone claimed he was faking, Yang Ce would not believe it himself! His ability let him judge a man's innocence with perfect accuracy, which was why Yang Ce spoke so firmly in the man's defense.
"This..." Xia Yan was slightly taken aback, looking at Yang Ce with some surprise. He had not expected Yang Ce to speak up for the man of his own accord!
Yet Xia Yan did not doubt Yang Ce's motives in the least. He knew Yang Ce's character well: the man was one to repay kindness and avenge wrongs, the sort who, if you harmed his friends or family, would make you pay in blood no matter who you were!