Chapter 35 - We Meet Again

"What are you saying, officer?" Qin Kai who refused to believe Wan Yi Jun's words, furiously argued back, gathering all the attention from everyone in the club, 

"I don't understand, officer. Yes, I broke my partnership, but that doesn't mean that Jiu Shao holds evil intentions towards me and ruin my life? He is my friend, we grew up together." After going through all the miseries and backstabbing from friends and relatives, Qin Kai wasn't ready to doubt the people, who were left in his life at any cost. So he kept refusing the police officer without any hesitations.

However, Wan Yi Jun on the other hand remained calm and collected as if he was totally unaffected by Qin Kai's tantrums. His sharp eyes curiously scrutinized the man who sat opposite to him, silently taking mental notes about the change that he has seen on the amicable club owner. It was evident that Qin Kai had another face which he kept hiding behind his smiling face.

"I didn't accuse your friend, Mr Qin. I just asked one question." Wan Yi Jun pointed out in an aloof tone and gently cocked his head as he repeated  the question,  "Does your friend and workers were fond of the new rules and regulations that you implemented in the club?"

Watching his unflinching demeanour, Qin Kai somehow managed to calm down his fuming mind by taking a few deep breaths. Once his mood got improved, he finally replied in a yielding tone.

"Jiu Shao wasn't fond of the new rules and it also paved way for breaking off our partnership." Qin Kai admitted and glanced at his employees who were getting interrogated by the police. So far, they happily worked and lived like one tightly knitted family. It wouldn't be a lie to say that Wan Yi Jun's question shook his hard wall of trust that he built in his heart.

"But my workers...all of them agreed with my decision without any objections. I treated them as my family and I'm damn sure that they will never betray my trust." He stated in a firm tone, ignoring the tiny teeny doubt that bloomed in his heart.

"Are you sure about it?" Wan Yi Jun asked without any mercy as if he was urging the other to rethink his decisions. "Those who got injured in the commotion on that night, half of their blood reports showed the presence of drugs. But they have kept denying that they haven't taken any. Do you know what does that mean?" 

The moment Wan Yi Jun's words fell on to his ears, Qin Kai's eyes widened in shock.

"Are you saying that my employees did...something... wrong?" He inquired in broken voice. Even though his trust on his employees were strong, he was sure that this police man would never lie about some as crucial as this.

"No matter how much you refuse to believe it, there is  someone, may be a herd of black sheep exists in your team, Mr Qin." Wan Yi Jun casually spoke and threw a bait for Qin Kai to find the truth regarding the mystery going around in the Rising Ravens. 

"But officer, how it is related to that murder case?"

"We are looking into it. Anyway, if you could tell us your friend's address. Then that would be helpful for the investigation. Thanks for cooperating with us."

"How did it go, captain?"

"I have overshared something with Mr Qin, if he has any doubt on his workers, he will try to confront them. So keep an eye on him."

"This is just messed up, captain. I don't know whether they are innocent or playing dumb to save someone."

"What will we do next, captain?"

"Mr Qin's previous partner Jiu Shao, let's meet him. Apparently, he was in Daisun for a while, so there is a chance that he could be related to the drug cartel.

"Hmmm. What about the murderer? We still haven't got any lead on it."

"Have you got in contact with Shu Li Li's roommate?"

"Yes, captain. She said that she will reach by tomorrow."

"Officer Fei and You, work with Han Ze Min on tracking the murderer."

"By the way, where is captain Han?"

"He said he will come today."

"Don't wait for him, you start work without him."

Li Juan shook of the hesitation from her mind as she walked into the bar and found a lone table to sit at. When the waiter came over she ordered some cocktail drinks and quietly observed the environment inside the bar. 

The dim lights and low chattering sounds along with soothing music have created a classy mood for the entire place.

"This is where Jiu Shao lives?"

"It seems like he did hit the rock bottom."

"Yes, it looks."

Li Juan turned back and found that two masked men were following her.

Li Juan immediately took her phone and tried to dial it, at that moment someone appeared in front of her.

He was the same suspicious-looking man with a hoodie whom she saw in the library.

Are these people works with him? Are they trying to corner her?

Li Juan looked around for a way to escape, there was a narrow path beside an old building.

Li Juan took a look at the people trying to corner and in a glimpse, she ran towards the narrow passage.

The two fierce-looking masked men who were observing Li Juan's actions acted on a whim and followed her.

The men were fast and stronger than Li Juan and one of them caught Li Juan's rucksack.

On a survival instinct, Li Juan removed her rucksack and threw it at them and ran without stopping.

The masked men were flustered by Li Juan's action, but they immediately chased after her.

Li Juan felt that her limbs are going to rip off due to the continuous running and her heart pounded heavily.

Why this whole scenario does feel like a Dejavu?

That scary nightmare, is it happening in her real life?

Li Juan's steps halted in front of the river.

There is no other way to escape.

Li Juan looked at the heavy flow of the cold river.

All of her calculations in her mind went wrong. Li Juan felt like she was stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea.

The people who followed her halted their step in front of Li Juan and looked at her with sinister eyes.

Li Juan looked at the people who are looking at her with scary eyes. They didn't look like some street thugs.

"Where are you trying to run away?" One of them asked Li Juan while panting.

"What do you want? Money?" Li Juan asked them.

"You," one of the men replied and walked closer to her, gradually decreasing the distance in between them.

Though Li Juan didn't know how to fight them, she attained a defending position and gripped onto her laptop bag.

Suddenly the sound of a gunshot pierced their eardrums and the masked men immediately took out their guns.

Li Juan who was alarmed by the gunshot looked in the direction from where the sound was heard.

It was him, the man in the black hoodie, their leader.

He looked at Li Juan with his ice-cold eyes and pointed the gun at her.

It was an arrow in her dreams and in real life, it was a gun.

Yes, finally her nightmare is turning into reality.

Is she going to die?

Even before anyone could respond, he pulled the trigger of the gun again.

Li Juan saw the bullet coming towards her. Even before she could react, it pierced her shoulder and Li Juan fell backwards to the river.

"What happened?" The masked men ran towards the river. Where is she? Li Juan was nowhere to be found.

"Who was that man?" One of them searched for the man who shot Li Juan.

He is also missing from the scene.

"Where did he go?"

That suspicious-looking man disappeared from their eyesight in a moment.

"Call boss!"

One of the men dialled his phone. The other man immediately snatched the phone and cut the call.

He looked at his partner with confused eyes.

"What are you going to say to the boss? Are you going to say that we failed to catch a puny little girl?"

"What are you suggesting?"

"That girl is dead; we shot her and dumped her into the river."

"But what if?"

It was evident that he was completely annoyed by the phone calls and almost cursing inside his brain.

Watching Shen Junru staring at his senior like an ice statue with an expressionless face, Bing Wen gently nudged his arm just to make him talk.

"Captain, someone said that your grandma is waiting for you, without having lunch. If you don't come home in an hour and you will be banned from Han mansion forever." He mechanically spoke like a broken robot while the others almost rolled their eyes in shock.

Their doubts were true. I

It was indeed a call from Han Ze Min to persuade his cousin who was trying to avoid going for the family reunion.