MWC – Chapter 55 The Second Son of the Wen Family

I AM DROPPING THIS NOVEL. IF ANYONE WANTS TO CONTINUE THEY CAN. IF POSSIBLE PLEASE SHARE THE LINK SO I CAN BINGE READ TOO.

The market behind the Dashunfa vegetable market, known for its peak period of densely packed black slaves being sold like cabbages, was the subject of a famous painting titled “Slave Market Scene.” Nowadays, the surface form of this market is a labor recruitment market. The black slaves and bonded servants all sign lifelong contracts; breaking these contracts incurs astronomical penalties. Black slaves do not require residency permits and use a small iron tag from their master as identification when going out. Bonded servants, who are slightly better off, typically come from very poor families that sell them to supplement household income. These servants receive residency permits and certain civil rights, preventing their masters from killing them without recourse.

However, in recent decades, this market has faced considerable pressure and has often been the target of media criticism, which has been growing increasingly intense. The market is owned by a long-established Western family in Donghai, which still holds a viscount and a baron title. Despite the upper classes generally not opposing the existence of household slaves, inspections and clean-ups of the market are often more show than substance, and the market continues to operate smoothly.

Lu Ming walked around the market and noticed that it was far from its former glory, looking rather desolate. Many of the tin-roofed stalls, which were actually the spots of human traffickers, were empty. Feeling that he wouldn’t gain much information by just wandering around, he left the market and found a public phone booth to call Wen Liangyu, asking if he knew any familiar merchants in the “Dashunfa labor market” for an introduction.

After a brief silence, Wen Liangyu suggested that Lu Ming meet his second brother tonight. Lu Ming had not investigated the Wen family in detail. Although it was a business matter, since they were friends, he didn’t see the need to be overly cautious. Given that the North Pass once had one of the empire’s largest slave markets, it seemed unlikely that the Wen family would not have been involved in such a lucrative trade. It appeared that the second brother of the Wen family was in charge of this business.

The Wen family had five brothers: Wen Liangmei, Wen Liangren, Wen Liangru, Wen Liangyu, and Wen Lianghe. It seemed that Wen Liangyu’s father, the former godfather of the North Pass, was not very educated, though the youngest brother’s name, “He” (meaning harmony), was quite nice. However, it was rumored that there were serious internal conflicts among the five brothers, especially with the eldest, Wen Liangmei, being very dissatisfied with Wen Liangyu holding most of the family power. So, the “harmony” their late father had hoped for among the five tigers of the Wen family was merely a pipe dream.

In room 88, Lu Ming met Wen Liangren, who looked nothing like Wen Liangyu. Despite being full siblings, Wen Liangren was extremely obese, with a waist as thick as a barrel. He wore a floral shirt, white pants, and had a bald head with facial tattoos. His fingers were adorned with gold rings, exuding a rough and imposing presence similar to a mafia boss from an American gangster film. This was a stark contrast to Wen Liangyu’s gentle and refined demeanor.

When shaking hands with Lu Ming, Wen Liangren grinned and squeezed hard, causing Lu Ming to wince in pain but he managed not to make a sound. Wen Liangren laughed and remarked, “Kid, you’re tough, not just some pretty face.”

Wen Liangyu’s face darkened, “Second brother, stop fooling around! Lawyer Lu is not one of your hooligan friends. Apologize to him!” Despite repeated warnings, this reckless second brother had dismissed his words, seeing Lu Ming’s youth and taking his advice lightly.

Wen Liangren frowned but Wen Liangyu rarely spoke to him so sternly in front of others. Lu Ming smiled, waved his hand, and said, “It’s fine, it’s fine!” Then he turned to Wen Liangren and said, “Second brother Wen, you’re quite strong. Impressive!”

Wen Liangren grinned, gradually realizing that this young lawyer, despite his age, exuded a subtle sense of authority similar to Wen Liangyu. “Qianxing, whatever you need, let my second brother handle it. He’s familiar with Dashunfa.” Wen Liangyu snapped his fingers, and a waiter brought over a finely packaged bottle of foreign wine along with various appetizers.

Wen Liangren laughed, “Lawyer Lu, I have six stalls in Dashunfa. If a mosquito flies in, it can’t escape my notice. If you need girls, just tell me your preference. Black? Mixed race? Western? Or our Zhongzhou natives? I’ll find the best one for you over the next month. You know, the goods are scarce now, so it takes time to find a good one.”

“Six stalls?” Lu Ming was puzzled.

“Yes, six tin-roofed stalls,” Wen Liangren said, patting his bald head and quickly adding, “I used to have over ten stalls, but now the business is down. The whole Dashunfa market only has about twenty stalls left!”

Lu Ming thought for a moment and asked, “In the past year, have there been any customers particularly looking for boys around seven or eight years old?”

“Yes, of course!” Wen Liangren laughed, “There are always people like that, often well-known individuals…”

Lu Ming’s heart stirred slightly, “Have any of them been looking for boys with certain similarities, like the same hairstyle or facial features, such as a mole?”

It’s not unusual for pedophiles to prefer boys, but if they continuously abuse and kill them, there must be deeper reasons. It’s likely they only target boys with certain similar traits, which drive them crazy.

And the surviving boy had a black mole on his face.

“Huh? Well…” Wen Liangren frowned and thought for a moment, then shook his head in confusion.

“Second brother Wen, please help me find out. Thank you!” Lu Ming raised his glass.

“No problem, no problem!” Wen Liangren laughed and clinked glasses with Lu Ming.

“Qianxing, do you think that if the Japanese man really abused and killed many boys, these boys would have similarities?” Wen Liangyu asked Lu Ming quietly.

He never asked about matters unrelated to him. Although he knew from Lu Ming’s question that he was investigating the Japanese case, he hadn’t told Wen Liangren about it. He didn’t even tell him that Lu Ming was part of the prosecution team for the Japanese case.

Surprised by the question, Lu Ming nodded, “It’s possible.”

“Qianxing, get that Japanese man into prison!” Wen Liangyu suddenly raised his glass and clinked it with Lu Ming’s, his expression solemn.

Lu Ming was momentarily stunned, then slowly nodded, “I will send him to the gallows!”

Wen Liangyu internally admired him. This young man was remarkable. Despite being up against a Japanese noble, with no conclusive evidence yet, he was determined to send the Japanese scoundrel to the gallows.

Patting Lu Ming on the shoulder, Wen Liangyu nodded firmly, their shared resolve bringing them closer. It seemed they shared certain values and views.

“Qianxing, old Zhao approached me. I know about the misunderstanding between you two!” Wen Liangyu said softly, ensuring Wen Liangren couldn’t hear.

Lu Ming smiled, “No misunderstanding. I am indeed withdrawing my investment!”

Wen Liangyu sighed lightly, “Old Zhao’s children are shortsighted, and he’s been confused by their complaints, doing foolish things. It’s good that you’re withdrawing. When old Zhao sought financing from us, two hundred thousand yuan was hard to gather at the time. We thought Xingwang was at its end.”

Lu Ming pondered, “The contract with Lingwei for purchasing from Xingwang, though signed by me, won’t be invalid even if I’m no longer a shareholder. So Xingwang will survive. After I withdraw, they can scale down, cut some unproductive lines, and focus on seat belts. They won’t go under.”

Wen Liangyu was momentarily stunned, then smiled, “That’s kind of you.” He clinked glasses with Lu Ming, looking at him differently.

The phone on the desk near the window rang. A waiter answered and quickly walked over, whispering to Lu Ming, “Lawyer Lu, your call.”

“Alright!” Lu Ming got up and walked over.

The call was from Wang Xiaohu, calling from Jinshun Inn.

After listening, Lu Ming’s expression changed slightly, “Second brother, fourth brother, I have to go. There’s an urgent matter!”

Wen Liangren wanted to say something to persuade Lu Ming to finish his drink but stopped when Wen Liangyu glared at him.

The waiter helped Lu Ming with his coat and hat as he said, “Second brother, I trust you with that matter. Fourth brother, I’m leaving!”

Wen Liangyu smiled and nodded, standing up to see him out of the room.