Chapter 378: It Would Dirty My Shoes

“Wait a minute.” Xing Wei raised his hand, stopping the criminal investigators. His expression was cold as he looked at Xiao Yu. “Officer, is there some kind of mistake? We haven’t committed any crimes here. Besides, if you want to conduct a search, don’t you need a warrant or something?”

‘Watched too many movies, huh?’

Xiao Yu glanced at him indifferently.

Guo Qiang stepped forward and handed over a document. It was a search warrant.

Xing Wei’s face stiffened. He took a deep breath, then said coldly, “I’m making a call.”

Xiao Yu looked at Xing Wei as if he were staring at two pigs. Because just one pig wasn’t enough to describe this level of stupidity.

Xiao Yu almost burst out laughing.

‘Seriously? Is this guy for real? What year does he think this is?’

Did he really think he could pull off a classic ‘phone call to higher-ups’ to pressure them?

Collusion between officials and businessmen? Who would even dare?

Even if someone dared—if anyone actually tried to intervene, Xiao Yu would make sure they were destroyed in an instant.

That’s why he thought Xing Wei was an idiot.

He was digging a hole for himself and his so-called connections.

And yet…

“Here, take the call.” Xing Wei smirked coldly and handed the phone to Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu’s smile faded slightly. 

‘No way. Is this actually happening?’

For a moment, he hesitated. Not because he was scared, but because he simply couldn’t believe someone was this bold.

Taking the phone, Xiao Yu spoke icily, “Who are you?”

A low voice responded on the other end, “Which unit are you from?”

Xiao Yu’s gaze darkened. “I’ll ask you one more time—who are you, what do you want, and do you even know what operation we’re conducting right now?”

Silence.

After a long pause, the person finally replied, “I am XXX, a people’s representative of District X in Bincheng City.”

Xiao Yu’s expression turned blank.

What the hell?

He wasn’t a government official.

People’s representatives weren’t part of the official system. They were elected by the people to represent local interests, holding some influence but no actual government authority. Basically, they had a social status that sometimes earned them respect from officials.

But still—

“And then what?” Xiao Yu asked coldly.

“Can you… give me some face on this?” the person said hesitantly.

“Are you sure you want me to give you face?” Xiao Yu chuckled.

“I…”

The man on the phone hesitated.

“I’m officially informing you,” Xiao Yu cut him off, his tone turning icy. “You are currently obstructing police operations and involving yourself in a criminal investigation. I am verbally summoning you right now. You are to report to the Criminal Investigation Brigade immediately. If I don’t see you within the hour, I will take coercive measures against you for refusing to comply with a police summons. Do you understand?”

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Xiao Yu didn’t care. He shoved the phone back at Xing Wei, who looked utterly pale.

“Go ahead,” Xiao Yu smirked. “Call someone else.”

Some people enjoyed showboating, putting on grand performances. Xiao Yu wasn’t interested. To him, this whole thing was boring.

Once you reached a certain level, your perspective changed.

It was like an ant crawling by the side of the road—if it wasn’t directly in your way, would you even bother looking at it?

What sense of accomplishment was there in stepping on an ant?

It would just dirty your shoe.

Xing Wei, “…”

He didn’t make another call.

His so-called connection had gone completely silent.

Xiao Yu wasn’t surprised. With a wave of his hand, he said, “Search the place.”

The search began.

And soon enough, something problematic surfaced.

Where there was entertainment, there was often corruption. That was just how it worked. Some entertainment venues were simply better at hiding their illegal activities. Normally, it would take a lot of effort to dig up any dirt.

But Xiao Yu’s search had been too sudden. As a result, the police easily uncovered several hidden VIP rooms.

Inside—

More than a dozen high-end social influencers were detained, all engaged in illegal activities. Several high-profile clients were also arrested on the spot.

The situation made both Xiao Yu and the investigators frown.

None of them cared about petty vice crimes. Their primary focus had been to investigate drug trafficking. Yet aside from a small stash of laughing gas, nothing substantial was found.

Most importantly, there was no trace of narcotics found in the victims’ systems.

Xing Wei was arrested and sent for a blood test.

Although he tested positive for drugs, it wasn’t the same substance his brother and the others had used.

The results were clear.

The only people who had used that specific drug were the four murder victims and the sole surviving suspect, Fang Jie.

It never circulated among the general population in Bincheng.

***

Detention Center, Interrogation Room.

Xiao Yu once again sat across from Fang Jie, the only surviving member of the Brotherhood.

Fang Jie was lucky. He might have already been wolf food if someone like Xiao Yu hadn’t found him in time.

“Your drugs came from Xing Chuyang and Gan Yuzhen, right?” Xiao Yu asked, locking eyes with him.

“…Yes.”

Fang Jie lowered his head, his body trembling—signs of withdrawal.

“How long have you been using?”

“…About two years…” Fang Jie hesitated, thinking. “They reached out to me… we met up… they introduced me to it. At first, I was just curious, so I tried it. Then…”

‘Then you got hooked.’ Xiao Yu narrowed his eyes.

“So let me get this straight. After twenty years of no contact, they suddenly found you?”

“…Yeah.” Fang Jie nodded. “We hadn’t spoken in decades. I don’t even know how they found me. But after we met up, they just… gave me the stuff.”

“They gave it to you?” Xiao Yu was surprised. “For free?”

“Yes.” Fang Jie nodded again. “Whenever I ran out, they just gave me more. They said we were old friends, so they never charged me.”

Xiao Yu sneered.

Free is always the most expensive price.

People never give away valuable things for nothing. Especially this kind of thing. No matter how rich someone was.

Why would they keep supplying such an expensive drug for free?

One side wanted it, and the other side kept giving it away and never asked for money?

Xiao Yu’s mind began working fast.

What if Xing Chuyang and Gan Yuzhen sought out Fang Jie for a specific purpose?

What if they deliberately got him hooked?

What if they did the same to Cao Xude and Lu Shun?

The investigation continued.

Through interviews with Cao Xude’s wife and Lu Shun’s former co-workers, the police uncovered something shocking.

Two years ago, Xing Chuyang and Gan Yuzhen had also sought out Cao Xude and Lu Shun. And just like Fang Jie, they got them hooked too.