Nightmare Apostle

"Then they must have been hired by the Chamber of Commerce. He’s also worried about leaving evidence for you. Han Chen is just too greedy, but he’s not that stupid," Vice Commissioner Zhao analyzed.

Seeing Vice Commissioner Zhao’s demeanor, Yang Xiao knew that the person who made the anonymous call wasn’t him, and he chose not to inform Vice Commissioner Zhao about this matter.

After all, it’s better to be cautious about everything. The other party remained anonymous because they didn’t want to reveal their identity; since Yang Xiao had received their favor, he didn’t want to complicate things further.

"Younger Brother Yang, the situation is slightly complicated now. Han Chen is dead, but fortunately Han Li is still with us," Vice Commissioner Zhao schemed. "The longer we wait, the more complicated things will get. In my opinion, we should strike quickly, advance the original plan, and tonight go to the Han family to use Han Li as leverage in negotiations with Grandmaster Han. I want to see if he can handle the charge of assassinating a Patrol Defense Office official."

"Everything is as Brother Zhao arranges," Yang Xiao had no objections.

As if recalling something, Vice Commissioner Zhao smiled subtly twice. "Younger Brother Yang, let me confirm with you again; tonight... tonight, when we obtain the evidence, you will give it to me, right?"

"Of course, we agreed on this early on," Yang Xiao’s expression remained calm; he was a man of his word.

Moreover, he was well aware of the threat this evidence posed to Zhao Jingde, as it was all dirt on Zhao Jingde.

Over the years, the Han family had repeatedly done dirty work for Zhao Jingde behind the scenes. They held Zhao Jingde’s weaknesses in their hands and therefore acted with brazen arrogance, knowing he wouldn’t dare confront them for fear of those evidence ruining him.

They wouldn’t have to act directly themselves; merely handing the dirt up the chain would lead Hong Anguo to gladly dispose of Zhao Jingde for them.

It could be said that whoever had this dirt could control Zhao Jingde’s fate, forcing him to work for them.

So, Zhao Jingde’s words were partly true when he said life hadn’t been easy for him these years, walking on thin ice.

The Northern Han Family, with this dirt, had become increasingly rude towards Zhao Jingde. Their relationship had shifted from subordination to cooperation, with the Han family’s influence continually rising, something Zhao Jingde could not tolerate.

Yet, he had no choice, as he relied on the Han family’s power to resist both Hong Anguo and Wu Qingcang. They depended on each other, hence why the Han family’s growth can partly be credited to Zhao Jingde.

Han Li’s position as the captain of the special operations team was something Vice Commissioner Zhao arranged at great expense, owing many favors.

He hadn’t anticipated this guy to have little ability yet a big appetite, eyeing the Provincial Bureau’s Third Law Enforcement Team’s leader position out of spite towards Yang Xiao, ultimately leading to his downfall. Truly, greed knows no bounds.

"Brother Zhao, once you’ve obtained what you want tonight, you’ll also keep your promise, right?" Yang Xiao asked seriously.

"No problem," Vice Commissioner Zhao replied righteously. "We will be as close as brothers from then on. I will temporarily hold this position for you and resign, giving it to you when the time is right, without breaking my word!"

"And those martial arts world’s dirt and your connections," Yang Xiao added.

"Correct, they are all yours. Once I get the items tonight, I’ll immediately arrange someone to deliver the dirt to you," Vice Commissioner Zhao said, pointing to his head. "However, you understand, some dirt can’t be written down, it can only be remembered here, so I need some time. But I guarantee I won’t let you down."

"Good, it’s a deal, see you tonight!" Yang Xiao said.

"It’s a deal!" With the agreement reached, Vice Commissioner Zhao stood up to leave and prepare, as he needed to liaise with the Han family.

With nothing much happening in the morning, Yang Xiao rested to recharge. Around noon, Vice Commissioner Zhao sent word that the Han family had accepted their terms.

At midnight, they were invited to Han family’s old residence to exchange Han Li for the evidence, clearing their grudges.

"Just the two of us, is it safe?" Yang Xiao inquired.

"Rest assured, Grandmaster Han is not like those two hotheads; he’s pragmatic and understands the bigger picture. He absolutely won’t harm us, and I can guarantee that," Vice Commissioner Zhao promised with utmost seriousness.

With that settled, Yang Xiao rested again for the afternoon. As evening approached, while pondering whether to indulge in a nostalgic chicken leg meal for dinner, his phone suddenly rang. Seeing the caller made Yang Xiao a bit tense.

It was Hong Anguo calling. This guy hardly ever contacted him directly, so Yang Xiao had a bad feeling.

He answered cautiously, but Hong Anguo simply invited him, on behalf of the Provincial Chamber of Commerce, for a meal.

Initially, Yang Xiao wanted to decline; however, since the call came from Director Hong personally, he felt obliged to accept.

Moreover, intending to develop himself long-term in Jiangbei Province, ignoring the Chamber of Commerce and United Federation wouldn’t be conducive to his future work.

Thinking it over, Yang Xiao agreed, scheduling it for 7 PM tonight, leaving enough time until his visit to the Han family.

After getting off the phone, Yang Xiao suspected this dinner invitation was not as simple as it seemed.

Still, he wasn’t worried. Whatever comes, he’ll face it head-on; surely the Chamber of Commerce won’t dare make a move against him in public.

Time flew by, and at 7 PM, Yang Xiao dressed neatly, arriving at a famed top-level hotel in Qinglan City, courtesy of the Chamber of Commerce’s generosity.

To welcome Yang Xiao, the Provincial Chamber of Commerce showed considerable respect, dispatching over a dozen people to greet him at the hotel’s entrance led by a wily-looking middle-aged fat man.

Yang Xiao recognized him as Qian Houfa, the secretary-general of Jiangbei Province Chamber of Commerce, a ranking top ten individual within the organization, albeit towards the lower end.

He’s no fighter, but a masterful earner praised by Hong Anguo as a rare talent.

After pleasantries, Qian Houfa led Yang Xiao outside the hotel’s private room but stopped short of entering himself.

"Mr. Yang, I have other matters to attend to. Your good friend is waiting for you inside," Qian Houfa said, his parted hair and grin resembling a stereotypical collaborator in TV dramas, only missing two gold teeth.

The scene gave Yang Xiao a sense of déjà vu.

Taking a deep breath, Yang Xiao turned around and pushed open the door. In the luxurious room, he saw a girl, elegant in a burgundy dress, youthful and pretty.

Upon Yang Xiao’s appearance, the girl stood up and excitedly approached him, her smile as radiant as a field of flowers. "Brother Yang Xiao! Why did you take so long? I’ve been anxiously waiting!"

Contrasting the girl’s bright smile, Yang Xiao felt a sense of dread in his heart as his ominous premonition came true; it was indeed Chi Dan!

She’s Mo Daidai’s sister, who long ago used to be a twisted, bizarre creature saved by Mo Daidai with the complete Ghost Buddha Statue obtained by passing the curse of Zhuwang Village.

Somehow later, she became attached to him, first in Rongcheng, now in Qinglan City, haunting him relentlessly, even attempting to seduce him in a bid to read his memories — fortunately, he resisted.

Chi Dan, acting quite familiar, came forward and wrapped her arm around Yang Xiao’s, blinking her innocent big eyes at him pleadingly, "Brother Yang Xiao, you’ve been away so long without calling me; I couldn’t reach you, and you don’t know how worried I’ve been."

"Was the call from Xiang Ma Town yours?" Yang Xiao, not naive, picked up on the implicit hint in her words.

Chi Dan grinned cunningly, squinting her eyes with a sly, fox-like arrogance. "Brother Yang Xiao is the smartest. So... how do you plan to thank me?"

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