CHAPTER 332: CHAPTER 311: INITIAL CLUES EMERGING

"You didn’t retrieve the contraband drugs?" Hua Qingyi found it unbelievable that Xiao Lin would return empty-handed; he seldom failed, especially when it was so close.

"Pilot, contact the Dragon Soul information division, and track Chopin’s whereabouts twenty-four hours a day. Don’t alert him; just record the details." Xiao Lin smiled, "To fish out a big catch, you must be willing to use the bait."

"Brother, I know where those kidnappers are. Shaoqing and I ran into them by chance in the slums, but they don’t seem like an organized armed group, some of them are still underage kids."

"These people are insignificant. I’m now suspicious about the Military Advisor’s disappearance, it might be related to Sire Four or this Hassan." Xiao Lin paused, seemingly adjusting his inner breathing, even after regulating it there was still a sense of stifling pain, he continued, "Moreover, the code Night Eagle left earlier was peculiar. At first, I thought it was a guide, but it disappeared right at the slums. Now it seems, Night Eagle left a message. I’m contemplating, if the Military Advisor hasn’t left Jordan, and if she thinks the same as I do, what would she do? From the intelligence of the gentleman, she should already be in distress, somewhere. Okay, let’s assume she was captured by an organization, her identity hasn’t been exposed, in the Middle East, what’s the most probable predicament she might face?"

"Human trafficking!" The pilot answered without turning his head.

Human traffickers exist firmly in any country; in our country, children are traded, whereas in the less affluent cities of the Middle East, women and slaves are the best commodities.

"Hardley!" Hua Qingyi suddenly screamed: "Brother, remember what Shaoqing mentioned in the casino? That bearded guy, we won money from him, on the surface, he’s a real estate developer, privately he’s involved in human trafficking, maybe we can start with him."

"What if the other side knows the Military Advisor’s identity?" Although Xiao Lin also wanted the situation to be this simple, he could just rescue the advisor from traffickers. If it were that simple, Night Eagle wouldn’t have left such complicated codes, he isn’t Night Eagle, he doesn’t understand the cryptic meanings behind them.

"Brother, the Military Advisor being alive means she still has value to the enemy." Hua Qingyi placed a consoling hand on Xiao Lin’s shoulder, "Shouldn’t you ensure your sister-in-law’s safety?"

Xiao Lin forced a smile but took no action. Hua Qingyi understood but was also puzzled; he still didn’t fully comprehend Xiao Lin.

At this moment, a female voice rang from the internal service system, "Hello! This is the service desk, a Mr. Miao requests to see you."

"Please send him up!" The pilot muted the service button and turned off the internal earpiece.

"Pilot, how many Dragon Soul members are still stranded in the Middle East?" Xiao Lin asked again.

"Currently less than five, they all have their specific missions," the pilot replied, checking the locations in the Dragon Soul internal system.

Xiao Lin looked up, just in time to see Miao Shaoqing enter, with a bandage on his arm—"General!"

"Injured?" Xiao Lin was slightly surprised; few could harm Miao Shaoqing.

"It’s nothing!" Miao Shaoqing disregarded the injury on his hand and sat opposite Xiao Lin, "I followed the signal the pilot left all the way here, took some time to shake off any tails."

"Do you know who it was?" Hua Qingyi asked.

"Definitely not the guy at the Chinese restaurant."

"It was Chopin who set up the Chinese restaurant!" Though Xiao Lin didn’t voice it in the end, he knew it was his doing.

"Three lines lie before us," Xiao Lin wrote the names Hassan, Sire Four, and Hardley on paper, then pointed at Hardley’s name, "The most probable is Hardley, he’s the only one who has seen us. The other two might know your identity but won’t act against you easily, not without solid proof."

"Hardley is the greatest possibility!"

"This probability isn’t high!" Miao Shaoqing interjected, "Just now, Hardley was shot dead in his own apartment."

"What?"

Xiao Lin immediately turned on the TV, flipping through channels as news flashes popped up.

"Hello, this is a live report from Capital TV." A female reporter appeared on screen, with chaos in the background, "Not long ago, a murder case occurred here, renowned local real estate businessman Hardley was shot dead at home. No clues were left at the crime scene, police have intervened and are investigating. Further reports will be brought to you promptly."

Xiao Lin turned off the TV and directly said, "Qing Yi, stay here with the pilot to uncover all information about Sire Four. Shaoqing, come with me."

The alternating yellow and white tape cordoned off the entire villa. A woman holding two children cried on the side, while police entered and exited the room, the distant and near barks of dogs echoed.

Xiao Lin sat in the car, observing all movements within the villa through binoculars. The main entrance showed obvious signs of forced entry; the courtyard plants were trampled in disarray. The attackers entered the house audaciously, familiar with the target’s routines.

If Lao Ma was responsible, it wouldn’t be impossible, just that Jun Zhe had already been turned into a cripple by him, would he still obey him? If not Lao Ma, who else wanted Hardley dead? Or was it a kill-two-birds tactic? Framing the Hua family?

Hardley was stingy, first losing over twenty million, then losing four subordinates, and being humiliated by Hua Qingyi again at the Empress Palace. All signs showed a feud between Hua Qingyi and Hardley; now that he was dead at home, Hua Qingyi became the prime suspect. If this assumption held, then what was the opponent’s aim? Was it Sire Four or Hassan?

"Shaoqing, in Miao Family Village, wasn’t there a group with some metal boxes?" Xiao Lin adjusted the binoculars; nothing more was left to see here.

"General, why ask now?" Miao Shaoqing asked curiously.

"I saw the same boxes here too."

Miao Shaoqing didn’t speak, but the tension and agitation under his taut muscles were evident, "The drugs Elder Miao has likely come from this Sire Four."

"General, please allow me to act alone," Miao Shaoqing rarely showing such a look of murder in his eyes, "I must find their den."

"Be cautious, do not act rashly without permission."

"Yes!"

Miao Shaoqing vanished like a ghost before Xiao Lin’s eyes, meanwhile, Xiao Lin stepped out of the car, walking slowly towards the almost destroyed villa as the sun set. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)