MWC – Chapter 172 A Near Miss

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 area around Freedom Tower was gradually gaining popularity. Inside the building were club members, law firm employees, corporate staff, and various visitors and workers, resulting in a daily foot traffic that could exceed ten thousand. Most of these individuals were middle to high-income earners with significant purchasing power. As a result, a small market had begun to form near the tower, and the number of self-built houses was steadily increasing.

Moreover, real estate developers were planning residential projects. Two new communities were set to begin construction, causing land prices around Wolong Bay to skyrocket.

Behind the small market stood a self-built, two-story guesthouse named “Shunfeng Inn.” In one of the rooms on the second floor, directly facing the main entrance of Freedom Tower, several people were quietly sitting.

A man in his thirties stood by the window, gazing in the direction of Freedom Tower. He bore a knife scar across his face, and the bulge at his waist suggested he was carrying a firearm, perhaps a Mauser pistol or a revolver.

Around a small round tea table were four middle-aged men dressed in white shirts and black trousers, all sitting in rattan chairs with their eyes closed, seemingly resting.

One of the slightly older men had a saker falcon perched on his arm. The bird made guttural sounds, and its piercing yellow eyes exuded a chilling menace.

The room emanated an icy and oppressive atmosphere.

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In an office, Lu Ming was studying a blueprint spread across the desk. It was a structural diagram of Shunfeng Inn.

He glanced at the wall clock before speaking in a calm tone. 

“Leave no one alive.”

Nearby, Datou nodded and strode out of the room.

The death squad from the north would likely resist fiercely even if they were captured alive, which could put Lu Ming’s people at a disadvantage. It was safer to eliminate the threat completely.

Besides, Uncle Sun was already waiting downstairs at the inn. If anyone were to be captured alive, it would be his responsibility—not that of the police or mercenaries.

As for Bizhu, she should handle the crises that required her skills. She was his trump card, and relying on her too much could make him dependent. If she were gone, he would find himself at a loss.

The moment the office door opened, the cacophony of ringing phones from outside became audible.

The secretary’s office was bustling as usual, which allowed Lu Ming to enjoy a lighter workload, primarily involving signing documents.

Even the proposals he planned to submit at next month’s parliamentary session were entirely managed by the staff officers in the secretary’s office.

For now, he preferred to maintain a low profile in parliament. Better to keep his head down, observe more, think more, and speak less.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. Murong Xue entered and, as she closed the door, the noise of phones, typewriters, and fax machines from the secretary’s office instantly faded away. The soundproofing between the two rooms was excellent.

“Boss, there are two matters that may require your attention.”

Lu Ming nodded and stood up. From the floor-to-ceiling window, he could see the outlines of several two-story buildings behind the chaotic market. One of them was Shunfeng Inn.

“There’s a fax from Prosecutor Joel Dan’s office. It concerns Li Si—now going by Li Mingxuan, correct? You previously instructed that any updates regarding his case should not be reported to you and that our response should always be: ‘Handle it impartially.’ Is that still your stance?”

Lu Ming nodded.

The case of Li Mingxuan had already been handed over to Joel Dan’s office, and Lu Ming had no intention of intervening.

“But this time, the fax contains something I thought you should know. While in detention, Li Mingxuan got into a fight and was seriously injured. He’s now in the hospital, and it seems he may lose an eye…”

What? Lu Ming turned around. Even though he detested hearing that name, he couldn’t help but pause at this news.

After a moment of silence, seeing that Lu Ming had no further response, Murong Xue continued.
“The other matter concerns Officer Bi Xiaoting…”

Lu Ming waved his hand, dismissing her. His gaze shifted briefly to the wall clock before returning to the small market area.

A short while later, faint signs of commotion seemed to arise in the small market, but they quickly subsided.

Minutes later, the phone rang.

“Boss, they’re all dead. One of them tried to jump off the building, but Mr. Sun caught him. However, he bit into a poison capsule hidden in his mouth and died as well,” Datou’s voice came through, tinged with frustration. He knew the boss had hoped to capture someone alive.

Lu Ming pondered for a moment. “Take their photos and contact your old comrade at the police headquarters. Tell him it’s on my orders. Have the headquarters fax the information to the Beining City Patrol Bureau in the Northern Frontier Province. Report that these four rebels came to Donghai intending to blow up a warship but were eliminated on the spot. Mention that their accents were distinctly from Beining. Request their assistance in identifying the rebels and thoroughly investigating their associates.”

After hanging up, Lu Ming let out a soft breath.

It all felt like a dream. Back in Wuan, the terrifying forces that had once driven him into exile thousands of miles away— Now, the first batch of assassins they sent to Donghai had been easily dealt with.

He hadn’t even needed to lift a finger. From identifying the suspects among the sea of out-of-town visitors in Donghai to tracking them down, setting up an ambush, and taking them out—all of it was orchestrated by Datou, Fumosi, and their team.

Of course, the enemy hadn’t expected that in just a year, Lu Ming could have developed such a formidable network in Donghai.

The assassins they sent were proud, old-school types. Even when they realized something was off, they didn’t retreat. Instead, they stayed near Freedom Tower, waiting for an opportunity to ambush him—essentially delivering themselves to his doorstep.

Still, there wasn’t much to celebrate. If he were to return to his hometown without Bizhu and with only his current armed personnel, they would likely all be wiped out within days.

This was simply a matter of who held the advantage in their territory.

At least for now, he had some ability to protect himself.

However, the next attack would undoubtedly be meticulously planned. Could the enemy even form alliances with his adversaries in Donghai? That was a possibility he couldn’t ignore.

The enemy wouldn’t stop targeting him just because of his current success. After all, they had annihilated his entire family.

If anything, they would now see him as even more of a threat, eager to eliminate him before he could grow strong enough to seek revenge.

Lost in thought, Lu Ming turned to Murong Xue. “What were you trying to say earlier?”

Murong Xue replied, “It’s about Officer Bi Xiaoting. She told me that Miss Jennifer has been very upset lately.”

“Oh,” Lu Ming nodded. Bi Xiaoting was the officer he had assigned to Jennifer as her liaison.

“I’m quite busy right now and don’t have time to see her. Ask Bi Xiaoting to talk to her and help cheer her up.”

Murong Xue shook her head. “Boss, according to Officer Bi Xiaoting, Miss Jennifer is upset because of her racehorse. Apparently, her father had initially arranged for her horse to be trained in the stables of a champion trainer, spending a significant amount of money on it. But recently, Miss Jennifer discovered that her horse has been frequently abused, and it’s breaking her heart.”

_{What the heck is this? Li Mingxuan losing an eye and her one of the many concubine’s abused horse (no offense to horse). I am really starting to hate this even with my most loved mystery and thriller genre.}

Lu Ming frowned. It was likely because old Renault had passed away, and the stable staff no longer cared about Jennifer’s horse. After all, it was only a fourth-tier racehorse. In a stable full of champions, it was like a struggling student in a class of high achievers. But abuse? That was going too far.

“Officer Bi Xiaoting, being proactive as always, took the initiative to contact the trainer to discuss the matter. However, the trainer was extremely arrogant. They sent people to take Officer Bi Xiaoting to a halfway point on Little Mount Hua, where they intimidated and insulted her for hours. They only let her go after she apologized against her will and wrote a letter of repentance.”

Lu Ming’s expression gradually darkened. “Jennifer and… this Bi Xiaoting, you said? Where are they now?”