Chapter 167: The So-Called Assassin

Xiao Yu squinted at Wang Dong, wondering if he had been watching too many movies or reading too many novels. The idea seemed too ridiculous.

This was just too far-fetched, even for a cliché.

Xiao Yu put down the tablet and shot Wang Dong a sideways glance as if he were looking at someone who had lost their mind.

“You might not believe it, but…” Wang Dong’s mouth twitched slightly. “The profession of an assassin has existed throughout history and never really disappeared.”

The tension in the air started to build.

Xiao Yu stared at Wang Dong for a long time, realizing that he wasn’t joking. This realization made Xiao Yu feel unsettled.

“There are really still assassins?”

It wasn’t that Xiao Yu didn’t believe it. He knew assassins existed as a profession. But the problem was, in a country like theirs, was there really space for such a profession to survive?

It wasn’t about boasting about the country’s security.

In this country, if even one person was murdered—unnaturally, that is—it was a huge deal, automatically classified as a major case. If a case involved more than three deaths, it was escalated to a major incident.

And if the death toll climbed any higher, not just the police, but SWAT teams, armed police, and even special forces would be deployed.

In this environment, who in their right mind would still play the role of an assassin?

“Just take a good look,” Wang Dong said, not knowing how else to explain. He pointed to the tablet in Xiao Yu’s hands. “You’ll understand after you read it.”

Xiao Yu opened his mouth to say something but then decided against it. He picked up the tablet again and began to go through the files.

What exactly was an assassin?

This was an ancient and mysterious profession. 

In the old days, people called them assassins. Ever heard of Jing Ke? The term “assassin” refered to someone who, for a certain price, carried out a covert operation to take a life. But typically, their targets were special individuals. 

Who in their right mind would pay a hefty fee to hire an assassin to kill an ordinary person? That would be absurd.

As Xiao Yu continued flipping through the files, his expression grew increasingly grim. The files provided a clear answer. There really was an assassin organization hidden within the country.

The existence of this organization was first discovered six years ago because of an accidental death case. 

At first, everyone thought it was just an accident. But as the investigation progressed, it became clear that this was a deliberately planned murder.

Planned?

Wasn’t an assassin’s usual method of killing with a knife, gun, or something more lethal like a sniper rifle? 

Come on, you’re kidding, right?

The investigation revealed that the assassins’ methods went beyond ordinary understanding. Their tools ranged from something as small as a needle or a toothpick to controlling certain machines and setting up accidents. They were also adept at using strange and hard-to-detect poisons.

To put it simply, assassins would use any possible means to carry out a fatal attack. 

These deadly attacks were often hard to detect, easily mistaken for accidents. In fact, they rarely used common weapons like guns or knives.

The case from six years ago was particularly bizarre. The victim was out for a morning jog when a car passed by, had a tire blowout, lost control, and killed the victim.

Wasn’t that just a normal traffic accident?

No, it was meticulously planned.

Can you believe it? 

Someone actually managed to control a car’s tire blowout, making it conveniently hit and kill a person. And that person was precisely the target the assassin wanted to eliminate.

So, what method or tool did the assassin use to set up this deadly scenario? 

A remote-controlled toy car.

Sounds hard to believe, right? 

How could a toy car cause a tire to explode and steer a vehicle into a victim? 

The toy car had a special nail attached to it. If it weren’t for the discovery of this crushed toy car and the nail, everyone would have thought it was just an accident.

Even now, Wang Dong and his team, along with other experts, still couldn’t fully grasp how the assassin pulled it off. This wasn’t just about controlling a toy car to cause a crash. It required terrifyingly precise calculations, predicting when the tire would blow, how the vehicle would veer off course, and how it would hit the target. While a computer could simulate such a scenario, achieving it through human control seemed nearly impossible.

Then came the second case, which occurred later that same year. 

The method was eerily similar. The victim entered a storage yard just as a cable from a tower crane snapped. The container being lifted slid off course by several meters and fell, crushing the victim.

Four years ago, there was a third case. Then another one three years ago, followed by a fourth and fifth. Two years ago… one year ago… and even this year.

In total, eleven similar cases had been identified. 

But how many more had gone undetected?

No one knew.

All these cases had strikingly similar methods.

At first glance, these deaths all seemed like mere accidents. But here’s the catch—none of the victims were ordinary people.

Among the deceased were CEOs of companies, leaders in various industries, and even some particularly unique talents. What’s more, one of the victims was a police officer.

Before their deaths, each of them had something in common. They might have angered certain individuals, been involved in cutthroat business deals, or simply stood in the way of someone powerful.

Four days ago, Wang Dong and his team stumbled upon a critical clue—a peculiar playing card. 

Right now, Xiao Yu was examining that very card. The design was black and white, depicting a judge. It resembled a joker card.

So, what made this card special? 

It turned out that whoever possessed this card could hire an assassin by paying a fee ranging from one million to a billion yuan. With it, they could arrange for someone to be assassinated.

As fate would have it, someone obtained this card but got arrested before they could use it. And with the techniques of the national security personnel, they could probably make you recall every time you wet the bed as a kid. Through interrogation, Wang Dong learned the card’s true purpose.

Connecting the dots with past assassination cases, they arrested a few suspects. Under questioning, these suspects admitted that they had indeed come across such cards before.

This was how an entire assassin organization came under the radar of Wang Dong and the second division. However, there was just one problem. They couldn’t seem to find anyone involved.

That’s why Wang Dong wanted his little brother’s help on this case. 

The incentive? Ten packs of special edition cigarettes.

And Xiao Yu’s thoughts? 

He was seriously considering picking up the tablet and smashing it into Wang Dong’s face.

Seriously? You think ten packs of cigarettes are enough to get me to take on this case? What kind of nonsense is that? Unless… you’re willing to add some extra compensation!