Inside a high-end business club.
Jiang Chen sipped his tea, waiting patiently.
"Mr. Jiang, can Brother Zou come out?"
Xu Kuan asked tentatively.
Jiang Chen was silent.
Xu Kuan wanted to ask again, but at that moment, Xing Jie nudged his arm.
From the brief survey just now, Jiang Chen had a bold speculation in his mind.
He had only a half-understanding of the ins and outs of this major smuggling case, but through his experiences and observations since arriving in Seoul, he was increasingly discovering that there might be a great conspiracy hidden behind it.
Transnational smuggling.
Underworld bloodshed.
One term after another flashed through Jiang Chen’s mind.
He lowered his head, silently taking a sip of tea.
"Mr. Jiang, they’re out."
Xing Jie whispered a reminder.
Jiang Chen turned his head.
He saw a man with thinning hair, probably in his early fifties, walking out of the private room area, surrounded by four men in suits. Despite his short stature, he exuded an aura of invisible authority that stemmed from power.
This group didn’t take the main entrance, instead, they descended via the internal elevator, courteously guided by the staff.
"That’s the Minister of Justice of Goryeo," Xu Kuan said softly.
After a couple of glances, Jiang Chen withdrew his gaze.
It was only after more than ten minutes had passed, by which time the high official should have left the building, that Lan Peizhi’s figure appeared.
Lan Peizhi, who had just met with the Minister of Justice, seemed unflappable, giving no hint of the outcome of the meeting through her expression.
"I just went to the detention center to see Zou Kezhao."
Lan Peizhi approached, and Jiang Chen got straight to the point.
"Looking for more excitement after last night?"
Jiang Chen, who indeed seemed a bit restless, glanced at the two men following Lan Peizhi’s side.
Undoubtedly trusted confidants to be brought to a meeting with the Minister of Justice, there was no question about it.
Jiang Chen looked away, "I have something I’d like to discuss with you."
"Didn’t Shi Qianxi force you to go back?"
After Lan Peizhi finished speaking, she turned to walk toward the door.
Jiang Chen quickly followed.
The other four trailed behind them.
"You might have a traitor in your midst," he said.
The two talked past each other, each sticking to their own script.
Lan Peizhi appeared indifferent, showing no changes in expression.
"I’m not talking about those dealt with by An Zairong."
Jiang Chen continued.
"What exactly did Zou Kezhao tell you?"
As they walked out the door, two attendants bowed deeply in farewell.
"He didn’t tell me anything," fast-spoken Jiang Chen said, "but his thoughts, I believe, are in line with mine."
A man stepped forward and pressed the button.
"I suspect that within the Jumushitsu Society, deeper moles have yet to be exposed."
The elevator doors opened.
"Are you referring to An Zairong?"
Jiang Chen, following closely, showed no surprise at the matter.
He was never one to be arrogant, least of all in front of a remarkable woman like Lan Peizhi.
If he could think of it, he didn’t believe she was completely unaware.
"Where’s the evidence?" Lan Peizhi asked flatly.
All six entered the elevator.
The elevator doors closed and began to descend.
"There is no evidence," Jiang Chen replied, seemingly confident and unembarrassed.
Lan Peizhi glanced at him.
"Without evidence, you come to me and claim that a core member of the Jumushitsu Society is the biggest mole?"
"Zou Kezhao told me An Zairong is someone who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. You’re loyal and want to save Zou Kezhao and take him back to Shenzhou, but An Zairong is different. Although he appears to collaborate with Zou Kezhao, inside Jumushitsu Society they are actually competitors. There’s no room for two tigers on the same mountain. If I were An Zairong and such an opportunity presented itself, I would never let it slip away."
"So An Zairong will certainly try to eliminate Zou Kezhao by any means. Yet, up until now, Zou Kezhao is still safe and sound, waiting for the second trial in court. This completely defies logic. Even though Zou Kezhao is in detention, there are plenty of mysterious deaths there."
Lan Peizhi looked at the descending floor numbers.
"Couldn’t it be because of me that An Zairong hasn’t made his move?"
"If An Zairong was someone who always obeyed orders, without any independent thoughts or ambition, I doubt you would choose him," Jiang Chen softly said.
Lan Peizhi fell silent.
In the cramped space of the elevator, there was no avoiding each other, and the conversation between the two was clearly heard by Xu Kuan, Xing Jie, and the other two men inside the elevator.
No matter what they thought, faced with such a serious issue, not one dared to interject; all were observing the utmost discretion, silent without uttering a word.
The elevator doors opened.
Lan Peizhi was the first to walk out.
This time Jiang Chen did not immediately follow, letting the two men pass by him.
It was as he had speculated.
Lan Peizhi must have already had her suspicions about An Zairong.
Yet, someone like her, with her own pride.
An Zairong was a person she had raised herself; she might be unwilling to admit she had been betrayed by him.
Xing Jie called out in a low voice.
Only then did Jiang Chen walk out of the elevator.
The underground level one parking lot was spacious, with various types of vehicles neatly parked.
The sudden roar of an engine pierced the calm of the parking lot.
Jiang Chen looked towards the sound, only to see a car pulling out of a parking space, then forcefully drifting and speeding towards Lan Peizhi, who was up ahead.