Dark Light Chaser.

Chapter 164 Schemes and Blame-Shifting

"Why are you only bringing this up now?!"

Wang Youcai flew into a rage. He raised his wine glass, intending to smash it on Wang Youde's head.

But just before he could act, he remembered his mother's dying words and held back, instead smashing the cup to the ground.

Wang Youde was startled by his brother's sudden outburst of anger.

His 1.9-meter frame was shrunk into a ball.

"I only found out about this recently, and Tao Jun only hired people to vandalize his house; he didn't lay a hand on him..."

Wang Youde explained in a low voice.

"Just" smashed his house, and that's all?
Wang Youcai was so angry with his subordinates that his liver hurt: "Have I been too lenient with you, making you think you're so great? If he wants to investigate, why didn't you offer a few hundred thousand yuan and just casually arrange for two people to take the blame? Why did you have to fight that guy to the death?"

“But he’s just a small-time criminal investigation team consultant, and he’s only just turned 18 this year. What’s there to be afraid of…” Wang Youde muttered.

"How dare you talk back!"

Wang Youcai slapped Wang Youde on the forehead: "Did a dog eat your brain? If he were just a consultant in the criminal investigation team, would I have tolerated him to this extent?"

Although Wang Youde was dissatisfied with his elder brother's caution, he didn't dare to show it in order to avoid being beaten: "Could he be the illegitimate son of some big shot we can't afford to offend?"

"Don't ask what you shouldn't ask!"

Wang Youcai glared at him fiercely.

I'd like to know that too. You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?
Wang Youcai took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down: "Do Jin Ping'an and the others know that Tao Jun was the one who did this?"

Wang Youde said with a bitter face, "I don't know... do I?"

"Do you know or not!" Wang Youcai roared at Wang Youde.

His blood pressure rose again when faced with this idiot who couldn't even speak clearly.

Wang Youde's personality is completely opposite to that of the keyboard warriors on the internet.

He is ruthless towards outsiders, but subservient to his elder brother.

“I didn’t know at first, but later Tao Jun had someone write a threatening letter, and someone came to my door following the clues. I don’t know if Jin Ping’an knew or not…”

Wang Youde lowered his head and said in a low voice.

"You guys even wrote threatening letters?! Are you trying to make sure everyone knows you did it?!" Wang Youcai said through gritted teeth.

“Brother, calm down… We didn’t want this to happen either. The police have temporarily put the matter on hold, but they’re still investigating Jin Ping’an. It just so happened that Chairman Hu was picking out goods at the time, and after hearing about this, he asked Tao Jun to teach that kid a lesson…”

"Are you listening to that old bastard or me?! You just went because he told you to?!"

Wang Youcai's face was full of disgust when Hu Yingshao was mentioned. He disliked this old man who liked to grind ink with women's bodily fluids.

If I hadn't risen to power so early and couldn't let go of any opportunity to consolidate my position, I would have kicked that pervert away long ago.

Hearing that Hu Yingshao was actually ordering his subordinates to do things and causing him so much trouble, Wang Youcai harbored murderous intent.

However, Hu Yingshao was also implicated in the kidnapping case. Wang Youcai will not take action against him for the time being, because as long as he is alive, he can at least draw some attention.

Afterwards, he could produce the video of Hu Yingshao grinding ink with bodily fluids and shift all the blame onto this old man.

Spend more money to hire a few self-media outlets to use headlines like "The real private life of the vice president of the calligraphy association" and "Calligraphy? Scum!" to guide public opinion.

After all, what the public enjoys seeing is the scandal of this kind of person; with just a little guidance, the police can be driven crazy with headaches.

Then we can find an opportunity to get rid of him, which will not only give the police an explanation, but also make it easier for them to get away, and give the public a chance to vent their emotions and criticize the powerful.

Look at this, what a perfect ending.

As for the truth? Who cares?

Once the police closed the case, the emotions of the group of ignorant people had been vented, and the matter was thus closed.

The voices of a few individuals cannot stir up much trouble.

A solution was already in place, but Wang Youcai still couldn't calm down.

Because he hasn't found the video that Wang Sheng copied.

The thought of Wang Sheng and the video made Wang Youcai irritable.

He both admired and hated this uncle.

What I admire most is Wang Sheng's tough character. He was tortured for more than twenty hours straight, without sleep, but he didn't utter a single word until he died.

The hatred stemmed from his betrayal. He had given him money, power, and status out of consideration for their shared hometown, allowing him to have everything he wanted in Jiuhua City.

But he insisted on meddling and used the power he had been given to secretly copy all the videos.

For the sake of so-called justice?

It’s really hilarious.

They don't even think about what kind of life they lived after retiring, before coming here.

Luxury cars, beautiful women, and lavish meals are nothing compared to that bullshit sense of justice.
Wang Youcai utterly despises this about Wang Sheng.

But no matter how much they despise him, it doesn't change the fact that Wang Sheng has leverage over him.

Those copied videos were like a time bomb in my chest, threatening to kill me at any moment.

However, Wang Youcai put aside the troubles of the video for the time being and prioritized dealing with the immediate problems.

He turned to Wang Youde and asked, "What else have you done this month? What's the latest on Jin Ping'an's investigation? Tell me everything!"

"I didn't do anything else... I just kept an eye on that kid's every move every day, as you asked. He basically didn't find anything in the past month, and he was just getting beaten up every day."

Wang Youde honestly recounted the results of his surveillance this month.

When he noticed that his older brother's expression was off, he realized that some parts of his words had not been clearly expressed, so he quickly added, "We didn't do it! We just watched as he was beaten up by those thugs."

Wang Youcai frowned, sensing that things weren't so simple: "You said he's been getting beaten up all month?"

Wang Youde said gloatingly, "Yeah, not only did he get beaten up, but his bag was also snatched several times. We knew this kid was hated; we didn't even have to lift a finger."

Why didn't you say this sooner!

Wang Youcai suddenly felt a wave of dizziness, and only one thought remained in his mind: Which bastard is plotting against me?!

In that instant, many things came to mind.

The most important of these was the previous bank robbery.

Because the robbers were meticulous in their operation, well-equipped with weapons, and had extremely strong counter-surveillance capabilities, and were ultimately all killed for unknown reasons.

This case clearly has hidden motives and has already reached the higher authorities.

The police have also analyzed that the robbers' target is likely Jin Ping'an.

Coincidentally, Jin Ping'an was investigating a missing persons case during this period.

Before the robbery, his men, under the instructions of that old bastard Hu Yingshao, first smashed up Jin Ping'an's house and then wrote him threatening letters.

He will probably take all the blame for the beatings and bag snatchings that occurred a month before the incident.

Police have reason to suspect that Jin Ping'an's relentless investigation into the missing persons case angered him, leading him to consider murder to silence the witnesses.

Then they orchestrated a robbery in the open to cover up their true purpose of killing Jin Ping'an.

Now he's in a situation he can't clear his name even if he jumps into the Yellow River.

Wang Youcai plopped down on the sofa and raised his arm to cover his face.

"Brother, what's wrong...?"

Wang Youde panicked; it was the first time he had ever seen his elder brother so dejected.

"It's nothing, you can go out now."

Wang Youcai spoke in a completely flat tone.

Wang Youde wanted to comfort his older brother: "But..."

"Get out!!!"

The chandelier in the office suddenly flickered, creating a play of light and darkness.

The eldest brother who used to be always calm and collected, like an Arctic ice sculpture, has disappeared.

Instead, there was a terrifying person with a face like that of a demon from hell, whom Wang Youde had never seen before.

In a daze, Wang Youde felt that his elder brother's face was twisted into an indescribable mass, and his teeth became sharp and long, with the tips flashing a cold light that stung the skin.

By the flickering light, he continued to look up, but Wang Youcai's eyes, once filled with the light of reason, were no longer visible.

Bathed in the dim yellow light, the crimson eyes gleamed with a captivating, eerie red light in the darkness.

A few seconds later the lights returned to normal, and Wang Youde looked dazed.

When he came to his senses and looked at Wang Youcai again, everything had returned to normal.

Looking at Wang Youcai's bloodshot eyes, Wang Youde felt a little scared.

However, he wasn't afraid of the strange hallucinations he had just experienced; rather, it was the first time he had ever seen his older brother so angry since the two brothers had come to Qianhua City.

Wang Youde left the office without saying a word.

At this moment, only Wang Youcai remained in the large office.

He kept deducing Jin Ping'an's identity in his mind, and who was trying to frame him.

Wang Youcai also attended the voting meeting on the day Jin Pingan was kidnapped.

Aside from voting, he remained largely silent throughout.

Now that things have come to this, the previous plan to pin all the blame on Hu Yingshao is no longer effective.

Even if the kidnapping case can be attributed to Hu Yingshao, he still has to take the blame for the robbery case.

Wang Youcai immediately grabbed a submachine gun and started shooting Hu Yingshao.

If it weren't for him, how could I have possibly gotten involved with that unlucky guy, Jin Ping'an?

As for taking action to deal with Jin Ping'an?
Although he didn't know Jin Ping'an's identity, he wasn't stupid.

Jin Ping'an intercepted two shipments of goods from the lame wolf. Does the lame wolf hate him?
Of course he hated it, but the lame wolf didn't lay a hand on it.

Was the lame wolf not ruthless enough?
No, selling medicine is not like the Qinse industry. If the lame wolf wasn't ruthless enough, it would have been impossible for him to control the entire Qianhua City market in just a few years.

Was it because the lame wolf wasn't brave enough?
Even less likely, would someone be so bold as to come and steal goods?
There was only one reason: he didn't know where to begin.

Moreover, judging from Song Jie's advice to Zhang Feng, Zhang Feng probably can't afford to mess with this unlucky guy either.

In terms of methods and seniority, he couldn't compare to Zhang Feng; in terms of connections, he couldn't compare to Song Jie; in terms of the fighting strength of his subordinates, he couldn't compare to Crippled Wolf; and as for Cat's Eye, whom even Crippled Wolf feared, there was no need to mention him.

These five underground bosses from various industries, sitting together, could easily overturn the entire Thousand Flower City, or at least drown a few people in the river, unless they were high-ranking officials of the Asian Alliance.

But the truth is, the real purpose of getting rid of Jin Ping'an had to be covered up by robbing a bank.

Even with the person already tied up, a second vote is still required to confirm whether to kill or release them.

If Wang Youcai still thinks Jin Ping'an is just a minor criminal police consultant at this point, then he must be out of his mind.

Even a group of people couldn't do anything to Jin Ping'an. How confident must he be to provoke this guy?

Wang Youcai pondered the ins and outs of the whole matter, striving to find a way to break the deadlock.

The series of events that have occurred this month clearly indicate that someone deliberately provoked the conflict between me and Jin Ping'an, hoping to use me to get rid of Jin Ping'an.

Judging from the current situation, getting rid of him is indeed the simplest and most effective method.

But the risks involved in this choice are too great, and no one knows what will happen after Kim Ping-an's death.

Moreover, if I do this, I'll be using someone else as a tool for free, which plays right into the hands of the mastermind behind the scenes.

To Wang Youcai, Jin Ping'an is now like an unidentified black strip; it could be excrement disguised as chocolate, or it could be chocolate that tastes like excrement.

Regardless of which one it is, the best approach is to avoid it altogether.

Since resolving the issue with Jin Ping'an is not feasible, the only option left is to shift the blame.

In this blatant robbery, someone has to take the blame, and so far there seem to be only two candidates.

One is a lame wolf, and the other is himself.

Wang Youcai's mind raced as he pondered who wanted to use him to get rid of Jin Ping'an.

There are currently two suspects: Song Jie and Crippled Wolf.

After the vote, Song Jie almost publicly admitted that he had planned the robbery with the aim of eliminating Jin Ping'an.

However, judging from his sudden change of heart and vote against the proposal midway through the meeting, he seems to be coerced by someone and his every move is being monitored.

If that person is Jin Ping'an's protector, Song Jie, with his 'criminal record,' would not immediately use him to carry out a plan to kill someone with another's help.

Now it seems the most likely candidate is actually that brainless, lame wolf.

While he himself might not have been able to come up with such a method of using someone else to do the dirty work, it didn't mean his subordinates couldn't.

Alternatively, the two could collaborate, with Song Jie providing the methods and Crippled Wolf implementing the plan.

The mastermind behind this must be either or both of them. Otherwise, how could those thugs who beat up Jin Ping'an have been hired by ghosts?
Wang Youcai said coldly, "Song Jie, the lame wolf, has a wide network of connections, lots of ideas, high efficiency, and ruthless tactics. A powerful alliance, right?"

If the two of them really team up, then he will have no choice but to accept defeat. But if it's just one of them, he might as well give it a shot.

As for who to touch, is that even a question?

It's definitely the lame wolf.

Both Song Jie and Zhang Feng are local forces. If a real fight breaks out, Zhang Feng will definitely not stand idly by. He is just a newly emerging giant, while Song Jie and Zhang Feng have a long-standing relationship. He will most likely take sides.

There are many advantages to dealing with outsiders like Crippled Wolf. "As long as you don't get along with Crippled Wolf, you're my friend, Zhang Feng's friend." These are Zhang Feng's original words.

Besides, I'm not going to fight them with force; I just need to use some tricks to make the lame wolf take the blame.

Even if the Crippled Wolf recovers and wants revenge, he still has Zhang Feng to back him up. The Crippled Wolf, who is severely weakened, cannot possibly face both of them at the same time.

Just do it.

Wang Youcai made a phone call, intending to use his connections to get the forensic doctor to supplement the autopsy report, and then tamper with it.

They tricked the police into thinking they were four drug addicts, thus leading the clues to Lame Wolf.

What Wang Youcai didn't know was that he wasn't actually the first person to want the lame wolf to take the blame.

Zhang Feng didn't need to say much about Crippled Wolf. Song Jie's purpose in holding the vote was to make Crippled Wolf take the blame himself. As for the person who called the robber's driver, they had already arranged a chain of evidence pointing to Crippled Wolf.

Everyone is persecuting the lame wolf.

Perhaps the lame wolf never understood why all the blame was pinned on him until his death.

(End of this chapter)