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Chapter 259: The Narcissist

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The employees seemed to appear uneasy when they saw them.

The lady owner who was very warm toward them also seemed a little downcast in her smiles.

Bai Muchuan walked straight to the dining area for breakfast.

Tu Liang halted his steps and went over to the lady owner.

“Yesterday night, thieves snuck into our rooms!”

His direct, straight to the point approach made the lady owner startled for a moment.

“Oh my! Someone snuck into your room? Is that so?”

Tu Liang looked at her without a word.

It was quite a commotion last night at the inn. Who wouldn’t have heard it?

The lady owner was confused for a moment before she quickly showed a smiling face. “Aye! Everything is good about Jiang Zhong except the crime rate! It’s especially bad at night! Sir, I hope you didn’t lose anything?”

Tu Liang looked at her coldly. “No. They are the ones who lost something.”

The lady owner smiled awkwardly. “What did they lose?”

Tu Liang opened his mouth slowly. “Their lives!”

“...”

The lady owner’s face went ashen.

The hall was suddenly quiet.

The rainwater from last night was still dripping down the window eaves drop by drop.

The damp, cool air made the lady owner shudder uncontrollably.

She gulped. For a long time, she finally opened her mouth. “... That’s really dreadful!”

“Yeah, it’s really dreadful.” Tu Liang swept a glance at her. “The thieves entered the rooms directly by swiping the room cards.”

The lady owner’s face seemed paler than earlier. “Oh gosh!” She laughed nervously, her fingers clenched tightly. “That actually happened!?”

“Yeah.” Tu Liang laughed. “My Boss wants me to tell you to keep the room cards of the guests properly! If anything goes wrong again and you get implicated in it, it’s so not worth it, right? After all, we’re running a legitimate business!”

“Yes, yes, yes! You’re right!”

The lady owner nodded her head repeatedly, her embarrassment obvious to the eye.

“I’ll tell my staff to be very mindful! Thieves nowadays are too lawless!”

She walked a few steps before suddenly turning back and asking Tu Liang with a smile, “Will the group of you continue to stay or checking out today?”

“We’re staying for one more night!” Tu Liang smiled at her. “My Boss suffered a fright last night, so he doesn’t feel like leaving today.”

The lady owner’s expression changed a little but laughed at the next moment. “How ’bout this? I’ll give you a 20 percent discount for tonight’s bill...”

Tu Liang touched his own neck, moved it around as though gearing up for something, and cracked his knuckles, giving out clear rattling sounds. “Hmm, 20 percent...”

The lady owner gritted her teeth discreetly. “Fifty percent.”

Tu Liang tilted his head, glancing at her with a somewhat reluctant sigh. “Oh, 50 percent...”

He was actually preparing to agree after that remark when the lady owner couldn’t stand the pressure anymore.

“What happened last night was due to our negligence. I’ll waive the accommodation charges!”

Tu Liang grinned. “That’s great!” He also gave a thumbs up to the lady boss. “You sure know how to do business, lady boss!”

...

The group of them sat together to eat breakfast in the dining hall.

There were porridge, steamed buns, boiled eggs, soybean milk, pickled vegetables, and the like. They were all simple dishes but definitely looked appetizing.

The group ate their breakfast heartily while chit chatting with each other.

Tu Liang stood near the entrance of the dining hall and walked over to the group as he nodded at Bai Muchuan.

There were no one else at the dining hall except them. Thus, Tu Liang was not as guarded.

“A young detective from Xi City was hurt quite badly. He’s still lying in Pingxing hospital!”

“Mm.” Bai Muchuan acknowledged then he changed the topic suddenly. “Who did you save?”

Tu Liang lowered his tone. “Blackface!”

Bai Muchuan gave him a look of approval. “Did he see you?”

Tu Liang: “Yes.”

As he said that, he touched his arm. “He saw the injuries in my arm as well... The only thing is, you need to explain to Captain Zhang about this!”

Last night, Captain Zhang was the one who led the police officers from Jiang Zhong police station to arrest Brother Blackface and his lackeys. Tu Liang was the one who saved Brother Blackface, and he had no choice but to beat up Captain Zhang during their little rescue operation...

Bai Muchuan grunted a laugh. “You did well!”

Tu Liang: “... Is Captain Zhang alright?”

Bai Muchuan raised his eyebrows and lowered his head to eat his porridge.

“Well, he had just done a meritorious deed! It’s worthwhile for him to get that bashing from you!”

All right! Tu Liang kept his mouth shut.

The group had pretended to be intoxicated last night as they wanted to lure the members of the Dark Clan out.

They didn’t expect them to bite the bait so easily.

Inadvertently, due to Captain Zhang tailing them on their journey, it actually gave them the advantage to let the Dark Clan have the impression that they were not with the police...

That was really an unexpected advantage and coincidence. However, when Xiang Wan reflected over it, there were some places she could not understand.

After eating a bowl of porridge and a steamed bun, she cleared her throat and consulted Bai Muchuan as she saw that everyone was still eating.

“I have a question. Is it okay for me to ask here?”

The dining hall was spacious, and they were sitting in the center of the hall—nobody would be able to hear what they were talking about if they speak normally.

Bai Muchuan: “Just ask!”

Xiang Wan glanced at everyone. “My first question. Is there a problem with the lady boss here?”

The one who answered that question was Tu Liang.

“I’ve checked up on her. She’s a Jiang Zhong local and has been running the inn for years. All businessmen who came to Jiang Zhong would stay in this inn. She’s a smooth and worldly woman who knew how to manage an inn well... Of course, for a woman to be able to manage her business and survive in Jiang Zhong, she had to pay ‘tribute’ to Dark Clan as well as provide them some conveniences, just like last night...”

Xiang Wan creased her eyebrows. “Just that?”

Tu Liang looked at her and then looked toward Bai Muchuan with a slightly troubled glance.

“Well... occasionally, she would sleep with them.”

“!” Actually, what Xiang Wan wanted to know was not about that.

But since Tu Liang had said that, she could understand the lady owner’s plight.

The lady owner was not bad-looking. Even if she was unwilling, as long as she was running a business there, she would have to put up with all these.

Xiang Wan gave it a thought and pushed her bowl away from her as she gestured on the table. “I’ve discussed the 121 case with Captain Bai before, that the mastermind behind all these had intentionally lured us to Xi City. That means, he knows us very well...”

After a short pause, she looked at Bai Muchuan seriously.

“So, I don’t quite understand what your plan last night was about!”

Bai Muchuan let Captain Zhang arrest the Dark Clan members but got Tu Liang to save Brother Blackface so he could escape. That act was to affirm Brother Blackface’s judgement and to gain his trust.

But what if they already knew everything about them? Wouldn’t this act be superfluous?

After hearing her analysis, the team stopped eating and looked at her, not saying a word.

Actually, not everyone could understand why Bai Muchuan had to bring Xiang Wan along for this trip to Nanmu.

It was especially so for those who met Xiang Wan for the first time.

They had treated Xiang Wan as their Captain’s little girlfriend but never knew that she had clear thinking. Her analysis was reasonable—definitely not a girl without brains.

The looks of the team made her skin crawl. “What is it?” Xiang Wan laughed awkwardly. “Am I wrong?”

“You’re right about it!”

Bai Muchuan put down his chopsticks and looked at her earnestly.

“Your analysis is reasonable, but I’m not using this to deal with them.”

“Mm?” Xiang Wan tilted her head as she gave him a quizzical look.

“Very simple!” Bai Muchuan pushed back the bowl that she pushed away. There was a glint of sharpness and darkness that flashed past his handsome, chiseled face. “I’m not that concerned if the one behind the Dark Clan is the manipulator himself. What I wanted to know is the Dark Clan’s response with regards to this matter.”

If the manipulator behind the 121 case was the Dark Clan, what Bai Muchuan did would be of no use.

For them, the only loss was perhaps that Brother Blackface whom they had “saved”.

In the Nanmu region, bad people like Brother Blackface was everywhere.

However, if the Dark Clan got fooled by them, they would have two advantages:

Firstly, their Nanmu trip would most likely be rewarding without much difficulty.

Secondly, they could at least prove that the manipulator was not from the Dark Clan but instead, he wanted them to take down Dark Clan.

Upon hearing that, Xiang Wan uncontrollably gave a shudder.

“He has a conspiracy while you have a scheme!”

Bai Muchuan laughed coolly. “Which result do you prefer?”

Xiang Wan squinted her eyes as she deliberated over it. “The second one.”

The manipulator was hiding behind the scenes and was accustomed to conspiracy and tricks. He especially enjoyed watching the police looking hither, thither, and yon for clues to solve the cases planned by him. So, by leading them to Nanmu to deal with the Dark Clan, there was a great possibility that the manipulator was not with the Dark Clan.

For his usual style was “to deal with one through the hands of another”.

“He just wants to be a spectator and enjoy his show without staining his hands in blood.

“He might even consider himself the embodiment of justice!

“In his eyes, all the people he had indirectly killed deserved death. Each and everyone of them had their own sins...

“I think this person should not be more than 35 years old. He must have received a good education, and could have even graduated from a famous university with enviable qualifications and resume. Of course, he should have enough money as well as status so he could do all these things...”

Out of reflex, Xiang Wan started her profiling of the manipulator.

She had this habit after having worked as an Advisor with the Criminal Investigation Unit in Hongjiang District for a period of time.

Those few men at the table who had heard it for the first time were looking at her with amazement.

Unlike them, Tang Yuanchu was used to such situations. “Teacher Xiang,” he asked, “from your analysis, does this person have an antisocial personality?”

Xiang Wan nodded and then shook her head. “In fact, this kind of person can’t be directly classified in any type of crime. He may actually not be a sociopath but a fanatic narcissist!”

“What do you mean by that?”

This time, it was Tu Liang who asked that question while the others looked on, their eyes lighting up with curiosity.

“Well, to put it simply, he thinks that he’s invincible!” Xiang Wan mulled over for a while. “He might not be targeting anyone intentionally but felt that everyone is like a piece of trash when compared to him. Hence, this person must have a strong desire to control not only the people, but also the entire society. He believes that anything that is contrary to his beliefs, be it rules, people, or things... should be eliminated! Only blood could wash away the malice in his eyes and turn the society to become what he likes.”

There was a long silence for no one spoke at the table.

Everyone’s heart felt heavy at the thought of it.

“Still want to continue eating?”

Bai Muchuan’s voice broke the silence.

When the team heard that, they put down their chopsticks. “I’m full.”

Who would be able to continue eating after hearing such obnoxious stuff?

Xiang Wan cleared her throat awkwardly as she made everyone lose their appetite. “Why are we staying for one more night?” She changed the topic. “Aren’t we supposed to go to Nanmu as soon as possible?”

“Of course we’re going!” Bai Muchuan reached out a hand to her. “There’s actually a fair in Jiang Zhong today. Moreover, Captain Zhang’s also here working on the case. Let’s just stay for another day to enjoy ourselves!”

“...”

Since when was he a person who loved to visit fairs and enjoy himself in the midst of solving a case?

Xiang Wan frowned but placed her hand on his palm.