BPIFC -Volume 1 – Chapter 103 Volcano

After entering the wonton shop, Shen La kept his eyes fixed on Volcano the entire time. One hand rested behind his waist, ready to activate the twin short swords, Sin and Punishment, the instant the red-haired man made any suspicious move. Even after Volcano pointed it out, Shen La showed no intention of moving his hand away.

“Great Fangshi Volcano, you’re an important figure. Naturally, someone like you wouldn’t lower yourself to attack little people like us.”

Sun Desheng chuckled and continued:

“Besides, if I really knew my little brother’s background, would I have kept him in the Bureau? It’s precisely because I don’t know that I’m afraid of offending someone in the future. That’s why I keep him by my side and personally look after him.”

As he spoke, the owner brought over the three bowls of wontons. Not wanting him to linger and eavesdrop, Fatty Sun smiled and said:

“Boss, make another twenty bowls, in five batches. Our people will be arriving shortly.”

After the owner returned to the kitchen, Sun Desheng continued:

“Great Fangshi, you came all this way. Surely you didn’t come just to investigate my brother’s origins?

Let me make a bold guess.

If Hou San hadn’t died inside that corpse last night, he’d probably already be in your hands. You came for him, didn’t you?

But after arriving, you discovered things had developed beyond your expectations. Someone got to him first.

Since you’re already here, you might as well provide some information that’s neither here nor there. Even if you didn’t tell us about Hou San, we’d find out eventually.

So why not do a good deed and exchange that information for my brother’s background?

Not that my guess is necessarily right… Ah, this wonton soup is really going to my head. I can’t control my mouth anymore. I just say whatever comes to mind…”

As he spoke, Sun Desheng grinned foolishly at the red-haired man.

Volcano’s calm expression became somewhat awkward under Fatty Sun’s smile.

Still, he was a former Great Fangshi. In an instant, he regained his composure.

Lightly applauding, he said:

“As expected of Sun Desheng. A mind as exquisite as yours appears perhaps once in a thousand years.”

“You’re flattering me too much, Great Fangshi.”

Sun Desheng let out a bitter laugh and continued:

“Just yesterday, I suffered my own defeat at Maicheng. I led the entire Bureau out in force, only to lose completely. If the other side hadn’t shown mercy, you’d be watching the news today—’A certain Sun-surnamed official in Beijing dies suddenly at the airport.’ Then we’d see how the media reported it…”

He then recounted the events at the airport in full.

Volcano genuinely hadn’t heard about the incident.

After listening, he looked at Sun Desheng strangely.

“Someone beat you at your own game, and you actually accept the defeat wholeheartedly?”

Even Volcano found it difficult to believe.

Sun Desheng laughed bitterly.

“Brother, Not afraid of making a fool of myself—I was completely stunned by this one. I’ve already submitted my resignation to the Bureau. Originally, I was supposed to take my wife and child traveling today.

But this morning I heard there might be clues here leading to that person, so I came to try my luck.

If by some one-in-ten-thousand chance he slips up, maybe I’ll still have a chance to turn things around.”

“We’re not brothers.”

Volcano interrupted him lightly, correcting the inappropriate form of address before continuing:

“I’ll verify whether your words are true or false. But I still find it difficult to believe such a person actually exists. Sun Desheng, this isn’t some trap you’ve laid for me and Great Fangshi Guangren, is it?”

“A trap? I wouldn’t use myself as bait, would I?”

Sun Desheng sighed.

“The airport incident caused quite a commotion. You’ll be able to investigate it yourself. If it’s not too much trouble, help me find out who the person behind it is.”

Just then, Xiao Yifeng entered after finishing his inspection of the scene.

“Dasheng, I didn’t find anything unusual. I’ve already instructed the local police to take the body away—Vol… Great Fangshi…”

Halfway through his sentence, Deputy Director Xiao finally recognized the identity of the red-haired man before him.

Instinctively, he made a motion toward where his gun would normally be.

“I’m not some savage beast. There’s no need for that.”

Volcano smiled faintly.

He took out a hundred-yuan note and tossed it onto the table before standing up.

As he left, he said to Sun Desheng:

“You were right. I’ll investigate the airport incident thoroughly…And I’ll investigate his matter as well.”

The final sentence was directed at Che Qianzi.

With that, he stepped out of the wonton shop.

The moment his foot crossed the threshold, his entire body vanished without a trace.

Before entering, Sun Desheng had already warned Che Qianzi to keep his mouth shut no matter what happened inside.

Otherwise, if he had retorted to Volcano just now, he might have provoked the red-haired man’s temper. Once Volcano unleashed his true power, the four of them together still wouldn’t have been his match.

At last, Che Qianzi had a chance to speak.

“Fatty, how am I involved in this too? That red-haired guy is interested in my background as well? You called him Great Fangshi—what kind of thing is a Great Fangshi anyway? What else are you hiding from me?”

“You’re my own brother. How could I hide anything from you?”

Sun Desheng replied with a serious face.

“I was just trying to fish information out of Volcano. I figured with his abilities, he might know something. Who would’ve thought he’d be no help…”

Then he raised his voice:

“Boss, don’t cook the remaining wontons. Keep them for yourself.”

As he spoke, he placed five hundred yuan on the table and left with the others.

The owner came out to clean up.

After carefully checking each banknote one by one, he put them away.

Watching the group depart, his gaze eventually settled on Che Qianzi.

“My youngest son is finally starting to look like an adult. I didn’t expect that while waiting for Volcano, I’d stumble upon an unexpected gain…”

The old man smiled.

Carrying several large bowls filled with wontons, he returned to the kitchen.

As he walked, he muttered to himself:

“What a waste of food… In this state, how can I serve these to anyone else? At my age, I can’t possibly eat this much…”

At the very moment the old man returned to the kitchen, Sun Desheng suddenly turned around and glanced at his retreating figure.

After blinking a few times, however, he merely shook his head and sighed before continuing back toward the police cordon.

Xiao Yifeng remained in Tianjin, waiting for the autopsy report before returning.

Although the case had not officially been transferred to the Bureau, at Sun Desheng’s request, copies of all the documents and evidence would be archived there.

Once everything had been arranged, Sun Desheng, Shen La, and Che Qianzi boarded the business van and headed back to Beijing.

After the van entered the expressway, Sun Desheng made a call.

Once the call connected, he said:

“Old Zheng, do me another favor…

No, not hexachlorocyclohexane. What do I want that stuff for? Let’s talk business.

Find out how the casing for the hexachlorocyclohexane leaked out. Those things should all have serial numbers.

I need the one corresponding to the airport…”

After hanging up, Sun Desheng chatted idly with Shen La and Che Qianzi.

About half an hour later, his phone rang again.

Glancing at the caller ID, Fatty Sun answered:

“Old Zheng, you found it already? That’s some effic—

What?

Are you serious?

It came out of Gui Bugui’s Pan-Atlantic Laboratory?”