Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1201: Chapter 42: Nan Xiao Nan

“Xiao Pang?”

While wiping the sweat off Zhang Xiaoqin’s face, Zhao Le paused, momentarily stunned.

The siblings, having talked more during this time, naturally brought up many things—since the incident, Zhang Xiaoqin had been silent and reticent, but now she was like reborn, becoming much more cheerful.

“Yes, don’t you remember, brother?” Zhang Xiaoqin flicked Zhao Le’s forehead, “Didn’t you often play PS2 at Xiao Pang’s house?”

“I vaguely remember, but not very well,” Zhao Le shook his head, curious, “Why did you bring him up suddenly?”

——I can beat you up with Ba Shen in minutes!

——Nonsense! I haven’t even used Terry yet!

——Watch me, The 524th Style: Divine Dust!!

——Take my Tian Di Ba Huang Quan!!

——Ha, 38-hit combo! You lost!

——Let’s have another game!

While talking, Zhao Le faintly recalled a round chubby face… It’s been about thirteen or fourteen years, right?

He remembered that back then, the siblings’ parents hadn’t divorced yet, and they lived on the street in the town below. There was a chubby kid in the neighbor’s house who was easily bullied and cried a lot.

Zhang Xiaoqin chuckled, “Nothing much, I think I saw Xiao Pang’s mom today, she changed a lot, almost didn’t recognize her… maybe I was mistaken?”

“Here?” Zhao Le was taken aback… Remembering that his sister said she also encountered an old colleague last time, who gave her five hundred bucks.

It’s quite remarkable to keep meeting acquaintances in such a rehabilitation center.

“Probably here for treatment?” Zhang Xiaoqin said nonchalantly, “She went into a doctor’s room and hasn’t come out for quite a while. I thought about saying hello, but then I thought better of it.”

Zhao Le nodded.

In fact, Zhang Xiaoqin was someone with a strong sense of pride; if she received sympathy due to her current condition, it would make her feel uncomfortable, and she also didn’t want to trouble others anymore.

After taking care of Zhang Xiaoqin, Zhao Le hastily left, knowing he only had one class in the afternoon, and it was later in the day. Tomorrow was Zhang Xiaoqin’s birthday, so he planned to go to the mall to get the birthday gift before class.

Of course, before this, he still needed to go home to drop off the lunchbox and other items.

After leaving the therapy room, Zhao Le rushed toward the center’s exit.

“So, it’s settled then, I’ll come get you to the airport tonight.”

A woman’s voice echoed in Zhao Le’s ears, instinctively making him turn his head. In an office next to him, a woman appeared with a smiling face, walking out as if bathing in the spring breeze… she seemed well-maintained, possibly looking a few years younger than her actual age.

Through the crack of the door, he could see a young and handsome doctor inside—though calling him a doctor would be a stretch; he was just a physical therapist.

With some vague guesses about the relationship between the two in his mind, Zhao Le didn’t pay much attention.

He could faintly recall the woman’s face, aligning with his sister’s words, thinking she might be Xiao Pang’s mother—if that were the case, she indeed looked much younger than her actual age.

Is it really Xiao Pang’s mother?

Zhao Le hesitated, then shook his head without thinking much, quickly leaving as he was in a hurry to get home.

After the woman closed the door, she cast a puzzled glance at the passing young man, frowning slightly, “This kid, looks familiar…”

…

Upon returning home and cleaning up, just as he was planning to leave, Zhao Le received a message on his phone. His expression changed slightly as he read it.

Zhao Le sat on his sofa for a while, suddenly gritting his teeth, running into his room, grabbing a box from his wardrobe, and stuffing its contents into his backpack.

…

…

“A silver gun?” Bu Bugao stopped in his tracks.

They had barely begun, yet they hadn’t found any of the remaining three targets—prior to this, Bu Bugao had already gathered details from Liu Minghao and Wei Zidao.

Bu Bugao’s identity could be verified, and his credentials were real. The Management Bureau’s equipment he carried had serial numbers too—among his colleagues, Liu Minghao had no intention of hiding anything.

Information exchange among agents wasn’t unusual, and with Bu Bugao’s authority, he’d naturally know these things—though some confidential matters wouldn’t be disclosed.

Now, they were waiting for their target to show up—only, Wang Hu was also here.

Wang Hu’s giant-like body and missing arm were eye-catching—seeing this man, with muscles like iron, passersby found it hard to imagine what sort of accident could have caused the loss of an arm.

Though Liu Minghao and Wei Zidao were curious, they refrained from prying into Wang Hu’s privacy, casually asking about Wang Hu’s origins.

Bu Bugao had done plenty of homework regarding Wang Hu’s origins—in truth, he still didn’t know much, only that this big guy had forgotten his past and didn’t know how he lost his arm… yet Wang Hu’s formidable strength made Bu Bugao feel like he’d found a treasure.

This goofy person was easy to get along with; despite not knowing when he’d suddenly regain his senses, it seemed risky to let a big guy like this wander outside—joining some unruly group might cause even more trouble—of course, Bu Bugao had some personal interest too, as someone so powerful by his side would make handling matters in the future much more convenient.

For someone just starting out, facing some deep-mountain demons, having Wang Hu nearby gave Bu Bugao great confidence.

After nearly selling out his looks, keeping an old archivist lady company at headquarters for several days, and pleading persistently, Bu Bugao finally resolved Wang Hu’s identity issue—thanks to the Mount Tai incident, many had died, and headquarters was in chaos, with no time to mind small matters of logistical support personnel records.

By a twist of fate, Wang Hu gained an identity file within the Management Bureau: Wang Hu, species South China Tiger, demonized for sixty years, in the nascent stage, mild temperament, honest and sincere…

So when Liu Minghao and Wei Zidao asked, his answers were smooth, no problems occurred—as for Wang Hu, Bu Bugao had strongly instructed him not to release his monster’s aura carelessly.

Indeed, since Bu Bugao’s request, the big guy had retracted his monster’s aura—remarkably, it seemed to disappear completely, causing Bu Bugao to marvel at Wang Hu’s skills despite his foolishness.

“Probably a magic artifact with some unique abilities,” Liu Minghao simply stated, “Killing a rapist isn’t significant. But the second case was a murder in public, that’s too blatant, regardless of the backstory, this person’s identity must be thoroughly investigated.”

Bu Bugao nodded gravely… but inside, he was ecstatic.

Unexpectedly, before even officially taking up his position, he stumbled upon a case that even intermediate investigators found challenging. If he could help with this, wouldn’t the organization’s appraisal of him rise with the tide?

So, the person determined to become the chief of the Management Bureau exploded with unprecedented enthusiasm!

“Senior, it looks like the target has not come out for a long time. How about this? I’ll find a way to lure him out!”

Bu Bugao immediately volunteered.

Liu Minghao and Wei Zidao exchanged a glance, then smiled and nodded… enjoying the offer.

Seeing Bu Bugao enter an office building with Wang Hu, Liu Minghao and Wei Zidao started to chat idly.

“Brother Hao, if these last three people don’t have any leads, we’ll end up in a dead end again.” Wei Zidao expressed his concern.

“Indeed.” Liu Minghao nodded, “We’ve already captured the aura of everyone who was in that alley. Logically, there shouldn’t be any omissions. And Qian Er’s testimony has confirmed that such a person exists… unless this person has the ability to erase their own aura.”

Wei Zidao had a different take and suddenly said, “Brother Hao, actually, I’m still cautious about that young man from that day.”

“You mean… the young man protected by the Haidong Qing Witch?” Liu Minghao furrowed his brow.

Wei Zidao nodded, “Yes, you see, we had just detained the person for questioning when the Haidong Qing Witch suddenly appeared, like a Guardian. Don’t you think that’s a bit suspicious?”

Liu Minghao pondered, “It does seem a bit odd. To call it a coincidence seems too coincidental… It’s just that the identity of the Haidong Qing Witch is too sensitive, and it’s hard for us to make direct contact…”

Saying this, Liu Minghao looked directly at the Bagua Mirror in his hand, which only had four light spots left.

Three involve people who haven’t been investigated yet, while the fourth, Chen Mingming’s spot, was subconsciously left on without erasure because they hadn’t really interrogated him… but the location was clear.

“Brother Hao, if these remaining three people have no issues, why don’t we take another look at this guy protected by the Haidong Qing Witch?” Wei Zidao suggested softly.

After careful consideration, Liu Minghao nodded, agreeing to the suggestion.

…

…

With a hand speed exceeding 200, Xiaobao feverishly typed while multitasking, keeping part of his attention on the office door—such skill naturally came from years of slacking off at work.

Xiaobao couldn’t help but admire his own strength—by the time he could sit in the “Boss’s” seat in the bureau, he probably wouldn’t have to work at such a life-or-death speed anymore.

“WIN——!”

At the moment when such a word appeared on the screen, Xiaobao swiftly switched the interface, restoring the computer’s desktop to the work status—simultaneously, a shapely, cold-faced woman walked in slowly.

“Chief Nan!” Xiaobao quickly stood up and greeted.

Nan Xiao Nan looked at Xiaobao, furrowed her brow slightly, then nodded and said blandly, “Prepare something for me; I need to prepare for an autopsy.”

“Is it the deceased Hai Dagui from this morning?” Xiaobao asked reflexively.

Nan Xiao Nan shook her head, “It’s the deceased Chang Xiao and the previously deceased suspect.”

Xiaobao was taken aback, “Them? But Chief Nan, didn’t Secretary Liu say that their cases have already been taken over by a specialist? And I also checked them before, found nothing special… except the missing bullet mystery.”

“I’ve already obtained approval, go and prepare.” Nan Xiao Nan held up a document in her hand, then turned and walked out.

The case of Chang Xiao and the suspect was off-limits, even Officer Ma returned with a face full of frustration after asking. Yet this new forensic doctor, Nan Fayi, obtained approval in just two days?

“Impressive…” Xiaobao couldn’t help but admire in his heart.

Though this cold and aloof new female forensic doctor was difficult to approach, her work ethic was indeed admirable—within just two days, she had accomplished a lot.

The dismemberment case victims Wang Liang and Wu Rong’s bodies (with Wu Rong’s body returned), along with the morning’s body of Hai Dagui—if adding Chang Xiao and the suspect, it would be five cases.

Five times in two days…

…

Nan Xiao Nan put on gloves, watched the tools Xiaobao was preparing, and at the same time glanced at the two bodies parallel on the operating table, her pupils slightly contracting.

Thinking to herself.

“Wu Rong and Wang Liang’s bodies, although the killing methods seem brutal, were executed cleanly and neatly, with not much blood splatter during dismemberment. The perpetrator probably knew the human anatomy well… the cuts are extremely smooth. It wasn’t done for vengeance… also, the crime scene was meticulously orderly…”

“Hai Dagui had no external injuries; indeed, he hanged himself… but there’s an evil aura lingering in his body, likely resembling consciousness interference and control…”

“Next is the bodies of Chang Xiao and the suspect… the bullet disappeared from the physical condition, and the crime scene doesn’t allow for direct shooting… Is there a connection between the deaths of Chang Xiao, the suspect, and Hai Dagui?”

While thinking about this.

“Chief Nan! Chief Nan! Are you ready, Chief Nan?”

“Understood, start the autopsy.” Nan Xiao Nan nodded, “Begin with the suspect.”

Autopsy? Xiaobao was slightly confused, then shook his head… probably heard it wrong.

Saying this, Nan Xiao Nan walked to the suspect’s body—the body already had several sutured areas, apparently from Xiaobao’s previous examination.

Nan Xiao Nan did not check the already dissected spots but lifted the deceased’s head, bent forward, and examined the cleaned wound on the forehead—a small bullet hole.

Only for an instant, Nan Xiao Nan’s gaze suddenly contracted sharply.

“What’s going on… Hai Dagui had superordinary power, but it was purely evil power, resembling a cursed type, perhaps Black Magic. But why… why is there a trace of natural law energy in this wound?”

She suddenly put down the suspect’s head, turning to gaze at Chang Xiao’s head, replicating the same actions, touch interrupted by her slightly parted lips beneath the mask, her expression growing grave.

“Still natural law…”

…

…

In the afternoon, as the sky turned overcast, seeming on the verge of rain, the weather remained chilly despite the dawning of spring, with southern weather notoriously damp. With a cold gust blowing, it felt like the chill sank into the bones.

A crow flew in slowly, landing on a flagpole… the crow surveyed the surroundings—this was the University of Political Science and Law.