Chapter 511: Another Possibility
Chapter 511: Chapter 511: Another Possibility
The worry on Chen Meijuan’s face deepened. "My mom told me my third cousin is badly injured. He’s in Chuncheng now, and Chuncheng is really far from both Beijing and Hai City. Even if we wanted to transfer him to another hospital, he can’t be moved right now. The only option is to ask specialists from Beijing or Hai City to go there for a consultation. I heard they’re already on their way, but... no one knows what the final outcome will be."
As she spoke, Chen Meijuan couldn’t stop the tears from falling.
Seeing her so upset, Su Qing and the others quickly tried to comfort her, saying that he’d surely be fine since specialists were on their way to Chuncheng and that she shouldn’t worry so much.
Ye Qingqing asked, "How did your cousin get so badly hurt? What happened?"
"My third cousin is a police officer," Chen Meijuan said. "Apparently, he and his captain ran into some robbers on their way home from work. The robbers had hidden knives and managed to cut them during the struggle. But my cousin and his captain are very skilled, and they quickly subdued the three assailants. Some helpful bystanders were about to help take the robbers to the police station, but then my cousin and his captain suddenly collapsed. They were rushed to the hospital, and the doctors discovered they had been poisoned. It took more than ten hours of emergency treatment just to save them, and they’re still not out of the woods."
"What!" Chen Juan exclaimed in surprise. "So the robbers’ knives were poisoned!"
"Yes." Chen Meijuan nodded. "I suspect it wasn’t just a simple robbery."
"Of course it wasn’t!" Li Huan said. "This is clearly revenge. Your cousin and his captain must have handled countless cases over the years. Someone must hold a grudge against them. This was a robbery in name, but revenge in reality."
"That’s so vicious," Sun Xiaowen said with a frown. "Those men absolutely had this planned in advance."
The girls chimed in one after another, comforting Chen Meijuan while praying that her cousin would pull through soon.
Su Qing, however, was stunned by Chen Meijuan’s words. She asked, "Mei Juan, is your cousin an officer with the Chuncheng Public Security Bureau? And is his captain’s surname Qiao, named Qiao Wensong?"
Chen Meijuan nodded. "I think his surname is Qiao, but I don’t know his full name."
Su Qing’s expression turned serious. A possibility suddenly occurred to her.
’For the past few days, I’ve been wracking my brain, trying to figure out why that Master Zhang came after me. The An Family hasn’t made a move. Based on An Zhihan’s investigation, they don’t dare to touch me right now. As for He Awei, I erased every trace of my involvement. I buried him deep, and it was impossible for anyone to have seen me back then. So, Master Zhang couldn’t have been hired because of what happened to He Awei.’
’Besides those two incidents, the only other way I could have made enemies in Xiangcheng was by taking down the Xiangcheng Gang’s mountain hideout.’
’I hadn’t considered that possibility before, since I was the only one who had been targeted. But now, listening to Chen Meijuan, it’s clear that Qiao Wensong’s side has also suffered retaliation. If that’s the case, could Master Zhang have come after me because of the raid on that hideout? After all, those gangs were known to have dealings with Feng Shui Masters. And maybe even...’
’I considered another possibility. What if those Feng Shui Masters were the ones pulling the strings behind the gangs? If I and the police cut off their source of income by raiding the mountain hideout...’
Su Qing couldn’t be sure yet, but it would be easy enough to verify her theory. She immediately finished her food in a few quick bites and said to Li Huan and the others, "I have to go home for something. Can you guys cover for me with the teacher this afternoon? Just say something came up."
With that, Su Qing prepared to leave.
Li Huan quickly said, "Qingqing, what is it? Let me go with you. I’m worried about you going alone."
Having said her piece, Li Huan got ready to go home with Su Qing.
Su Qing quickly stopped her. "Huan, don’t worry. I can handle it myself. Just cover for me in class, that’s all I need."
And with that, Su Qing hurried out of the cafeteria, moving so fast that Li Huan couldn’t catch up.
Seeing Su Qing leave in such a rush, the other girls were a little confused. "What’s so urgent for Su Qing?"
"Maybe... maybe it has something to do with her question about Mei Juan’s cousin’s captain."
"I think so."
Chen Meijuan also looked bewildered. "It seems... it seems like Su Qing might know my cousin’s captain."
Hearing Chen Meijuan’s words, the girls exchanged glances. It seemed like a real possibility. They all turned in unison to look at Li Huan.
Li Huan blinked. "I don’t know either."
Li Huan had gone with Su Qing to Chuncheng once, but she had never met Qiao Wensong or even heard Su Qing mention his name. While Su Qing was off running her errands, she had just waited obediently at the guesthouse for her to return.
Since Li Huan didn’t know either, the girls just said, "Well, let’s just make sure to cover for Su Qing this afternoon."
Meanwhile, after leaving school, Su Qing went straight to see Gu Xinsheng.
When Gu Xinsheng heard Su Qing had arrived, he had the guard bring her to his office. "Qingqing, shouldn’t you be in class at school? What are you doing here? Did something happen?"
Gu Xinsheng knew Su Qing wouldn’t come to him without a good reason.
"Uncle Gu, can you check on the people who went with us into the mountains last year? Find out if any of them have been attacked or injured recently," Su Qing asked, getting straight to the point.
"Last year? You mean the raid on the mountain hideout last year?" Gu Xinsheng asked, taken aback for a moment.
"Yes," Su Qing nodded. "I heard that Captain Qiao Wensong was attacked and hospitalized, and he’s still not out of danger. That’s why I want you to help me check if anyone else has been attacked."
A man in Gu Xinsheng’s position had to be exceptionally sharp. He understood the implications of Su Qing’s words immediately. Saying, "One moment," he promptly made several phone calls.
After hanging up, while waiting for the information to come back, Gu Xinsheng asked, "Qingqing, do you suspect that this business with Master Zhang is connected to last year’s raid?"
"Yes," Su Qing said. "I suspect there’s a connection. What happened to me was probably just the beginning. If others are also in danger, then I’m almost certain it’s related to what happened last year."
Gu Xinsheng nodded. He thought about it and agreed it was a definite possibility.
"Let’s wait. It will take some time for them to verify the situation," Gu Xinsheng said, pouring a glass of water for Su Qing. "Have you eaten?"
"I have."
Both of them wore grave expressions. If this case was indeed related to last year’s raid, its severity had just escalated to a whole new level.
About ten minutes later, the phone on Gu Xinsheng’s desk began to ring.