Chapter 399: Muay Thai Gym 

The apartment door was forcibly opened. Xiao Yu and Wang Dong stepped inside.

It was a small space, one of those studio-style rooms with a private bathroom. The place was a mess. TV, computer, clothes, and socks tossed on the floor, unwashed, dirty. But there was no one home.

The scent picked up by the Monarch Butterfly’s Nose told Xiao Yu suspect Che Yu had stayed here two days ago.

And there was also a woman’s scent lingering in the air.

But according to their investigation, Che Yu was single.

Then who was this woman? Xiao Yu frowned.

Group Two began checking Che Yu’s whereabouts.

He wasn’t at school, not at his family’s home, and now even his apartment was empty. Using his ID activity records, there was still no sign he had left J City. Finally, the trail led them to a Muay Thai gym.

Stepping into the gym, Xiao Yu was met with a wave of fiery energy.

Near the front desk were registration counters, consultation desks, and more.

There was even a stunning young woman in workout gear—an absolute visual treat.

Shouts echoed through the space, mingled with dull, thunderous thuds.

At the center of the gym stood a large fighting ring where two people were locked in combat.

“Gentlemen, can I help you with something?”

The woman in training gear walked over with a bright smile, addressing Xiao Yu and Wang Dong.

“Nothing much, just checking the place out,” Wang Dong smiled. “Thinking about signing up, maybe learn some moves. By the way, you’re gorgeous. May I ask your name?”

They didn’t reveal their identities right away—too many people around. If the suspect happened to be here, it’d be easy for him to slip away.

“Haha, you sure know how to flatter someone.” The girl giggled and covered her mouth. “My name’s Li—Li Wanji.”

Wang Dong, despite being middle-aged, still had a decent appearance. At six feet tall, with that mature, handsome vibe, he had a strong effect on women.

Li Wanji…

Xiao Yu’s expression twitched slightly. He glanced at the girl.

He remembered a street interview from his previous life.

A reporter asked an old farmer: “Uncle, do you think celebrities are pretty nowadays?”

“Not really.”

“Then what kind of woman do you think is the prettiest?”

“Li Wanji.”

“Li Wanji? Why?”

“Well, I heard emperors used to ‘work hard day and night’ (ri li wan ji), so she must be the most beautiful.”

The reporter: “…”

“What’s with that face?” Wang Dong noticed Xiao Yu’s odd expression and asked, confused.

“Nothing.” Xiao Yu turned his eyes away from the girl.

‘I’m too damn innocent,’ he told himself.

The girl led them into the gym for a tour.

Xiao Yu swept his gaze across the faces inside. Nothing. He activated Monarch Butterfly’s Nose and twitched his nostrils slightly.

…Huh?

There it was—the same scent from Che Yu’s apartment.

A woman’s scent. His gaze shifted to one of the rooms inside the gym.

An office?

Suddenly, a large figure blocked Xiao Yu’s view.

A rough voice barked, “Wanji, who’s this pretty boy?”

‘You talk like that and no one’s knocked your teeth out yet?’ Xiao Yu looked up at the man.

He was massive—over 190 cm, broad and thick with slabs of muscle. A face full of hostility and ridicule.

“Daniu, what are you saying? They’re guests, just here to look around,” Li Wanji frowned at the brute. “They might even sign up.”

“With that soft skin? What’s he gonna learn?” The musclehead grinned at Xiao Yu. “Being a pretty boy’s more profitable, right?”

Wang Dong was loving it, standing off to the side, watching the show unfold. The look he gave the musclehead was one of pure pity.

“Were you dropped as a baby?” Xiao Yu calmly looked him in the eye. “I mean, maybe only caught twice out of three tries?”

The moment he said that, the whole gym fell silent.

“Pft!” Wang Dong burst out laughing.

Even Li Wanji chuckled.

Only the musclehead didn’t get it, at first.

Then…

“You son of a—! You dare insult me?!”

Finally understanding the insult, the brute exploded in rage, raising a massive fist and swinging it straight for Xiao Yu’s face.

‘Goddamn, can’t even investigate a case without someone offering their face for free.’

Xiao Yu casually raised a hand.

Smack!

A mismatch of proportions—Xiao Yu’s slender hand caught the enormous fist mid-air. In the same instant, Xiao Yu’s body launched upward. Like an acrobat, he used the man’s fist as leverage, body twisting in midair, and—

Boom!

A flying leg swept across and met a face.

Xiao Yu landed lightly as the brute stumbled. He collapsed like a felled mountain.

The once rowdy gym fell utterly silent. Dozens of shocked eyes locked onto Xiao Yu. Faces filled with fear and disbelief.

Ignoring every stare, Xiao Yu calmly walked toward the office in the back.

“Everyone stay exactly where you are!” Wang Dong’s expression turned cold as he swept his gaze across the gym.

Seconds later, black-uniformed Group Two operatives stormed in like a wave of steel.

No normal person had ever witnessed such a thing. Panic and dread immediately filled the room. No one dared move.

Xiao Yu twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open.

It was indeed an office.

A woman sat behind the desk in a boss’s chair. When she saw Xiao Yu, she looked shocked. She was in her early thirties, attractive, and exuded the charm of a mature woman.

Xiao Yu twitched his nose once more.

‘No doubt, she’s the one.’

“You are?” the woman asked, frowning.

Her eyes swept over Xiao Yu’s handsome face, clearly a bit stunned.

“Police.” Xiao Yu’s expression didn’t change. “Do you know Che Yu?”

“Che Yu?” The woman’s face shifted slightly. “I… I don’t know him.”

“Take her away.”

Xiao Yu turned and left the office.

Two GroupTwo officers entered, heading straight for the now-pale-faced woman.

***

J City – Municipal Bureau – Interrogation Room

“Zhou Xin, 31 years old. J City local. Owner of the XX Muay Thai Gym…”

Xiao Yu flipped through her personal file. When he finished reading, he looked up.

Across from him, handcuffed to the interrogation chair, Zhou Xin’s face was ghostly white.

“Do you know what happens when you lie to the police?” He paused, then smiled faintly. “Oh, right. My bad. I’m not the police. I’m National Security.”

Zhou Xin’s face, already pale, turned completely bloodless.