Chapter 316 — Word of the Right Elder
Years of Heartflutter · Page 3 of 5
"No—two bodies turned up in Yunnan, and the manner of death is identical to those bodies found in Songjiang. They must have been drained of blood by the Right Elder," Xia Donghai said gravely.
"Oh? Then it's possible. That's his old stomping ground—if he bolted, he'd definitely head back there." Yang Yuting nodded. "Still, even if we pick up his trail, finding him won't be easy. That's his territory; he knows it inside out."
"Easy or not, we have to try. I was actually thinking of sending you to Yunnan. Do you think you can handle the assignment?" Xia Donghai asked.
"Oh, come on, boss, don't mess with me. You're sending me? I'd just be cannon fodder!" Yang Ce was startled; he hadn't expected Xia Donghai to make such a demand. "This is a decision we reached unanimously after discussion. You'll lead the team to capture the Right Elder. I'll assign you a few assistants when the time comes—not right now, though. We still need some time to prepare this operation," Xia Donghai said. "I'm telling you in advance just so you can get ready."
"No room to refuse?" Seeing how adamant Xia Donghai was, Yang Ce knew he couldn't turn him down. This phone call—what rotten timing. His own itchy fingers. If he'd called a while later, maybe Xia Donghai wouldn't have been able to reach him and would have looked for someone else. But now he probably couldn't wriggle out of it.
"Refuse what? We think you're up to the job—what's there to refuse?" Xia Donghai laughed. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"
Yang Ce felt rather glum, but Xia Donghai had shut every door, so there was nothing he could do. "Fine, let's set that aside for now—I'll think it over. What I called you about is something similar."
"Something similar? What is it?" Xia Donghai was taken aback. "I've got news about the Right Elder's collaborator."
"The Right Elder's collaborator? What do you mean?" Xia Donghai asked.
"The Right Elder's operating funds in Songjiang must all have been provided by some backer behind the scenes, and that backer is working with him. What I want to tell you is news about this backer," Yang Yanzhou said.
"Oh?" Xia Donghai furrowed his brow, then said, "Are you sure?"
"I'll give you the specifics another day, but I'm eighty percent certain the two of them are in it together, or at least have cooperated before," Yang Yanzhou said. "For now, let me have Captain Zhang of the Jingshan Police Station's Criminal Investigation Unit brief you on the case. I'll tell you the rest in a moment."
"You're with him? Then let him talk to me," Xia Donghai said after hearing Yang Juehuan's words.
"Officer Zhang, brief my superior on the case yourself," Yang Ce said, handing the phone to Officer Zhang. "You know the case better than I do."
"All right..." Officer Zhang hurriedly took the phone. Of course he knew Xia Donghai—the man in charge of the Northeast region for the Mysterious Investigation Bureau, with whom he'd had dealings before. So Officer Zhang said warmly, "Is this Mr. Xia? This is Zhang Minyi."
"Hello, Captain Zhang. Brief me on the case," Xia Donghai said. With Officer Zhang he naturally had no patience for pleasantries—strictly business.
Captain Zhang hurriedly recounted everything he knew about the case to Xia Donghai, including the matter of the videotape, and then handed the phone back to Yang Ce.
"You're saying this backer wants to harm you?" Xia Donghai asked.
"That's how it looks."
"From this incident alone I can judge that much, though I don't know whether it's because I offended him over that business in Macau (a guess)," Yang Yanzhou said.
"All right, then we'll take this case off your hands. I'll file a request with the Jingshan Police Station,
get the case file transferred over. Also, we have people in Jingshan too—I'll introduce you when the time comes. Tell him everything you know,
and have him help you track down the backer's whereabouts," Xia Donghai said.