Chapter 126: The Trump Card
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Li Changqing gathered his thoughts and said to Master Jinghui, “Master Jinghui, please accept my condolences.”
“Everything is governed by cause and effect,” Jinghui replied slowly, his palms pressed together. “Saving Benefactor Shen was the cause. The deaths of my master, my senior brothers, and the others were the effect.
“But their killing my master and senior brothers was itself a cause, and my seeking revenge upon them is the effect.”
Jinghui could not understand it. The Buddha said one should remain untouched by karma, but how could anyone living in this world avoid becoming entangled in it?
After a night had passed, Jinghui was no longer as restless as before, but his purpose had become even clearer.
“That group of monsters found me last night as well.” Li Changqing spoke in a solemn voice and recounted what had happened.
When Shen Qingdai had finished listening, she clenched her teeth slightly. Her proud nature notwithstanding, she said, “I’m sorry. I dragged you all into this.”
“They are so desperate to find you. Why?” Li Changqing asked.
“I know many of the secrets within the Jade Virtue Group. If those secrets were discovered by the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations, it would bring ruinous disaster upon the Jade Virtue Group.” Shen Qingdai’s voice was calm. When she had first escaped, she had not intended to seek help from the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations.
She was a monster herself. Even if she reported the Jade Virtue Group, she had no idea what the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations might do to her.
But now, with the Jade Virtue Group making such an ostentatious effort to capture her and displaying such absolute determination, she had no choice but to contact the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations.
“I want to meet the director of Bureau Thirty-Six,” Shen Qingdai said. “I’ll speak after I see him.”
Li Changqing nodded and agreed at once.
He picked up his phone and called Hu Xiong. Hu Xiong, Bureau Thirty-Six, and even the headquarters of the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations had already learned of what happened the previous night.
After all, an operation involving so many monsters within the city had to be reported.
The higher-ups at the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations had also ordered Bureau Thirty-Six to determine as quickly as possible which group of monsters was responsible.
Before long, Hu Xiong drove to the street below the detective agency.
Li Changqing, Tang Xiaoyu, Shen Qingdai, and Jinghui all went downstairs and got into the car.
Hu Xiong glanced at the number of passengers.
His gaze lingered on Jinghui for a moment, but he said nothing and drove toward Bright Justice Orphanage.
Along the way, Hu Xiong occasionally asked Li Changqing for more details about the previous night.
Soon, the car entered the grounds of Bright Justice Orphanage. The place was exceptionally quiet.
Hu Xiong opened the car door and reminded Shen Qingdai, “You are a monster, after all. Don’t try anything clever. I’ll spare you the rest of the threats.”
“Mm.” Shen Qingdai nodded lightly.
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Tang Xiaoyu frowned, then burrowed straight into Li Changqing’s clothes.
She was a ghost, too…
After thinking it over, she decided it was safer to hide inside Li Changqing’s clothes.
Hu Xiong could not help laughing as he led them to the door of an office.
He raised his hand and knocked, then pushed the door open and entered. “Director Zhang, I’ve brought them.”
Zhang Guichuan was sitting on a sofa, chatting with Bai Chuan beside him.
When he saw that they had arrived, he nodded and pointed to the sofa opposite him. “Have a seat.”
Once everyone was seated, Zhang Guichuan calmly regarded Shen Qingdai across from him. “You must be Miss Shen. I heard that you would only speak about the Jade Virtue Group if you were allowed to meet me?”
Shen Qingdai frowned. “I want the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations to protect me. After the Jade Virtue Group is destroyed, I want my freedom left unrestricted. Those are my conditions. If you cannot agree, you may consult your superiors before giving me an answer.”
Zhang Guichuan chuckled. “You’ve already come to the territory of Bureau Thirty-Six. Even if I refuse your terms and have you detained and interrogated, you’ll still talk, won’t you?”
“Then you’ll have to consider whether what I tell you is true.” Shen Qingdai smiled as well. “If I give you false information, the casualties suffered by the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations will be immense.”
“Compared with that, merely protecting my safety and releasing me after the Jade Virtue Group has been destroyed—what harm could a lowly little monster like me really cause?”
Zhang Guichuan pondered for a moment before saying, “Very well. I agree to your conditions.”
“Can you make that decision?” Shen Qingdai asked with a frown.
Hu Xiong could not help saying, “Hey, you monster, Director Zhang’s word is final—”
Zhang Guichuan raised a hand and stopped him. “Although I am only the director of a branch bureau, I have served in the Bureau for many years. There are plenty of people who will give me some consideration.”
After a moment’s thought, Shen Qingdai said, “The leader of the Jade Virtue Group is Shen Yan.”
“Shen Yan.”
Zhang Guichuan’s pupils contracted slightly. “Him?”
Hu Xiong and Bai Chuan had clearly heard the name before as well. Both wore astonished expressions.
Li Changqing asked from the side, “Who is he?”
Zhang Guichuan said slowly, “Fifty years ago, Shen Yan was one of the experimental subjects in a laboratory belonging to the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations. Later, he escaped.”
“Afterward, using what he had learned within the Bureau, he began modifying monsters himself. He even attempted to manufacture monsters on a massive scale.”
“The Bureau discovered his plan in advance and destroyed it. He escaped, but he did not appear again for decades.”
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Shen Qingdai continued slowly, “He has secretly created quite a number of unfinished monsters. They are dazed and witless, but their power is considerable, and they are murderous.”
Zhang Guichuan stroked the green jade ring on his thumb, a contemplative look emerging in his eyes. “He is hunting you because he fears you will expose this?”
Shen Qingdai shook her head. “He isn’t afraid of the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations. He has a trump card powerful enough to make the Bureau hesitate to act.”
“Speak,” Zhang Guichuan ordered.
Shen Qingdai drew a deep breath. “He has hidden unfinished monsters throughout the federal capital. There may be more than a hundred of them.”
“If he is killed by people from the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations, all those unfinished monsters will be released and begin slaughtering.”
Zhang Guichuan’s pupils contracted. If more than a hundred crazed monsters suddenly began killing throughout the federal capital, then…
“Do you know where those monsters are hidden?”
Shen Qingdai shook her head slightly. “Unfortunately, I don’t. He is probably the only one who knows.”
After hearing this, Zhang Guichuan’s expression darkened. He paced back and forth before saying, “Hu Xiong, report all of this to headquarters immediately. Have them formulate a plan.”
“Also, send Shen Qingdai to headquarters. We cannot protect her here.”
“Yes.” Hu Xiong nodded.
At that moment, the young monk Jinghui said, “May I help fight the Jade Virtue Group?”
“Who is this?” Zhang Guichuan asked, turning toward Hu Xiong with an inquiring look.
Hu Xiong shook his head, indicating that he did not know either.
“I am a monk of Heart-Penetrating Temple,” Jinghui said, his palms pressed together.
“Ridiculous. Who brought this little monk here…” Zhang Guichuan frowned, but then he recalled an incident from the previous night. “Was your Heart-Penetrating Temple attacked last night?”
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