Chapter 199: The Seven Deadly Sins

Ji Lin’s irritation flashed briefly, a quick wrinkle of his brows, and then disappeared. Lin Xian caught it—a small, involuntary reaction that revealed more than words could.

Lin Xian had planned this moment. So far, he had no concrete evidence linking Ji Lin to Zhou Duan Yun. On the surface, they appeared as strangers with no obvious connections. Despite his growing suspicions, Lin Xian lacked tangible proof.

But Ji Lin’s momentary lapse, that fleeting look of annoyance, confirmed it for Lin Xian. Ji Lin knew Zhou Duan Yun, and there was history between them.Th.ê most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m

This was a critical breakthrough for Lin Xian, more than he had hoped for from his small test.

With Ji Lin present, Lin Xian nonchalantly pressed the call button on his phone. Silence followed, eventually broken by the operator’s mechanical voice: “The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later.”

Lin Xian hung up and turned to Ji Lin with a casual comment, “My classmate’s a big entrepreneur, always busy. If the call doesn’t connect, he’s probably in a basement garage or an elevator.”

“Or maybe he’s abroad,” Ji Lin replied smoothly. “If he’s out of the country and hasn’t enabled roaming, you’ll get that message.”

“I see,” Lin Xian nodded, pretending to be uninformed about such details. It didn’t matter; he had already extracted the information he needed.

Deciding to probe further, Lin Xian asked, “Ji Lin, do you know of Zhou Duan Yun?”

“Yes,” Ji Lin answered nonchalantly. “I saw it in Tang Xin’s chat records on her phone. She and Zhou Duan Yun were planning a gift for you together. Of course, I remember.”

Lin Xian’s lips twitched slightly. Ji Lin was quick on his feet, always sharp. His reply was seamless, logical, and delivered with an unnerving calm. Indeed, Ji Lin was a detective of considerable repute for good reason.

“If he’s abroad, then my classmate probably won’t make it to your birthday party,” Lin Xian remarked with a chuckle. “What a pity.”

“It’s no big deal,” Ji Lin shrugged off the comment. “Do you have any other friends?”

“Just one, really. I have a childhood friend who works at a 4S dealership here in Donghai City. Want to invite him? He might demolish your cake in two bites.”

“Impossible,” Ji Lin scoffed, amusement flickering in his eyes. “I’ve ordered a three-tier cake. Even a hippo couldn’t finish that in two bites.”

Lin Xian remembered his friend Gao Yang from a recent celebration at the MX company, who had devoured lobster like it was his last meal. In some ways, Gao Yang could indeed rival a hippo in appetite.

“Alright,” Lin Xian conceded. “I’ll invite him. He’s easy to persuade with good food.”

After excusing himself, Lin Xian went to the bathroom to wash his hands, gathered his belongings, and headed toward the door. He took one last glance at the festively decorated living room.

The room was bright and cheerful, adorned with colorful decorations. It had the air of a victory celebration, though Lin Xian wasn’t sure for whom the celebration was meant.

“Pride,” he announced, setting down the piece. Then he picked up a green one, “Envy,” followed by a red, “Wrath,” a white, “Sloth,” a yellow, “Greed,” a brown, “Gluttony,” and finally, a purple, “Lust.”

“You’re right; all the Seven Deadly Sins are born from human desires. But you’ve overlooked one crucial detail,” Ji Lin stated, picking up the black piece again and positioning it in front of the others. “Pride, your own actions are also driven by desire, the most dominant of all sins.”

“Perhaps... you are a pawn as well.”

Ji Xin Shui laughed off the suggestion, his head shaking in dismissal. “Ji Lin, you think too much. Once you receive that invitation from the Genius Club, everything will become clear. For now, your focus should be on keeping Lin Xian here until 00:42 on May 3rd.”

“Maintaining his presence from the beginning of your party until 00:42 will be challenging. Without a valid reason, Lin Xian will become suspicious. He’s not easily fooled. How do you plan to ensure he stays?”

Ji Lin, now seated at the chess table, manipulated the yellow and brown pieces thoughtfully before looking back at Ji Xin Shui. “Remember our initial conversation? I asked if you minded if I leaked some information to the disruptor to trap him, and you agreed.”

“Of course,” Ji Xin Shui nodded firmly. “For someone destined to fall, a little extra information is inconsequential. Just make sure Lin Xian meets his end at 00:42.”

“Then rest assured, I have a plan to keep him here,” Ji Lin confirmed with a nod.

“I’m looking forward to the spectacle,” Ji Xin Shui remarked as he walked toward the door, donning his black felt hat. “I’ll find a suitable place nearby to watch.”

Meanwhile, at the estate of Chu Shan He, Lin Xian and Chu Shan He were huddled over a hand-drawn map of the lakeside villa area in the reception room.

Lin Xian pointed to four circles marked in red on the map. “These sewer covers are crucial to our plan.”

Chu Shan He acknowledged with a nod. “Understood.”

He then looked up, his expression serious. “I’ve verified Ji Xin Shui’s entry records; he’s definitely back in the country. However, there’s no sign of Zhou Duan Yun re-entering. His last known departure was from Donghai City to Japan, with no subsequent entries.”

Lin Xian leaned back, his face thoughtful. “While it would be ideal to capture them all together, we have to work with what we’ve got. Securing Ji Lin and Ji Xin Shui will be a significant victory for now. Zhou Duan Yun and others can wait.”

Chu Shan He, leaning back similarly, interjected with a note of concern. “Lin Xian, there’s a legal nuance we must consider. Under our laws, if someone is merely suspicious without concrete evidence, we can only detain them for questioning for up to 24 hours.”

“If we find relevant evidence, the detention can be extended. However, given the complexity of your plan, I’m worried,” Chu Shan He continued, his arms crossed. “Ji Lin is clever, and Ji Xin Shui is both influential and resourceful. When you revealed their involvement, I was astounded. Ji Xin Shui’s global standing in the medical field could complicate things. They might have already safeguarded their tracks.”

“Proving a connection between them and any attempt on your life, like the taxi incident on May 3rd, will be challenging,” he added. “I trust your judgment about their guilt, but trust alone won’t suffice in court. We need solid evidence for a conviction.”

“So,” Chu Shan He concluded, pausing for emphasis, “if we detain them but fail to produce conclusive evidence within 24 hours, and they offer no confession, what then?”

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation