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Chapter 436 The Truth of the Case, Fang Cheng's Father
The study was quiet.

In the corner, an exquisite Boshan incense burner still has wisps of smoke rising from its opening.

Sunlight streamed through the window and fell precisely on the sheet of Xuan paper that had not yet been put away on the desk.

The golden light made the character "藏" (cáng, meaning hidden or concealed) stand out even more.

Shi Chengyi didn't speak, but stood with his hands behind his back by the window, quietly gazing at the courtyard.

His face was expressionless, but Wei Zheng, sitting on the sofa, could feel an invisible aura emanating from his teacher, as solid and imposing as a mountain.

"The Guangwu Gate shooting incident..."

Shi Chengyi silently recited to himself, his calm surface masking a turbulent undercurrent of emotions.

For ordinary people, these six words may just be a line of printed text in a history textbook, or a major event that changed the course of the country.

But for him, it was a bottomless pit of muddy water, and one of the few Waterloo defeats in his career.

Back then, the military government was locked in a stalemate with the old and new forces, and undercurrents were surging in both the political and business circles.

The gunshot at Guangwu Gate was like a spark thrown into a powder keg, completely igniting long-suppressed social contradictions.

Public opinion is surging and outrageous.

President Feng, who was angrily denounced by the newspapers as a "tyrant and traitor to the people," bypassed the out-of-control military and police system and went directly to the special investigation team, which was in charge of special affairs, and issued a death order.

We must spare no effort to thoroughly investigate the truth behind the shooting.

At the time, Shi Chengyi, who was in his prime, was the head of the Special Search Team's Operations Department.

He was appointed to the post in a time of crisis, personally taking charge and mobilizing the most elite forces in the entire department to investigate this shocking case.

However, as the investigation deepened, the results sent chills down his spine.

The shell casings and traces at the scene were cleaned up thoroughly, as if a professional team had carried out a "cleanup" afterward.

The few surveillance cameras in the vicinity all mysteriously malfunctioned an hour before the incident.

The key witnesses who finally managed to find the gunman died mysteriously due to various "accidents" before they could actually make contact with him.

The first one died in a gas leak explosion at home, and his body was never recovered.

The second one involved a driver who lost control of his vehicle while driving and fell off a bridge, resulting in his immediate death.

Third, he slipped and fell in the bathroom while taking a shower, breaking his cervical spine.

The fourth was someone who, in full view of everyone, seemingly lost his mind and jumped off the balcony of his twentieth-floor apartment...

All deaths were ruled accidental or suicide, and no traces of outside murder were found at the scene.

It felt like a scene from a horror movie had come to life.

But Shi Chengyi knew very well that there weren't that many coincidences in the world.

His first reaction was that there was a mole in the team who had leaked the witness's information.

To verify his hypothesis, he set up a trap.

He personally selected two absolutely reliable team members, disguised them as new witnesses, and deliberately reported false hiding places to the team.

Meanwhile, he and the deputy minister each personally led an elite team to lay a tight net around the actual safe house of the two team members.

This is a double trap. Whether the mole is passing on false information or has somehow discovered the truth, they will inevitably fall into the trap.

However, the result left him feeling as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

The feinting attack failed.

His elite squad, which he personally led, lost contact with the members who were to act as bait at the agreed time and chose to break down the door, only to find two still-warm corpses.

One person hanged himself in his rented apartment, while the other collapsed and died next to the phone in his hotel room due to a sudden myocardial infarction.

Those lying in ambush nearby never noticed any suspicious person approaching.

At that moment, Shi Chengyi completely overturned the suspicion that there was a mole.

This is something no human can do; no intelligence network can achieve such precise and rapid "targeted elimination."

The fog is thick, and all clues have been lost.

It was as if an invisible, unseen hand was silently erasing all traces, mocking their incompetence.

Just when he was at his wit's end, an autopsy report from the forensic department pointed him in the right direction.

The report was addressed to the last two team members who were killed.

Forensic examiners detected an extremely bizarre physiological phenomenon on their bodies.

They showed trace amounts of non-pathological cell necrosis in their brainstem and heart area.

At the end of the report, a highly subjective note was written by an experienced forensic pathologist:

This doesn't look like suicide; it's more like a curse.

An ordinary detective would dismiss the report as nonsense, but Shi Chengyi's pupils constricted sharply when he saw the word "curse."

These words were like a bolt of lightning, cleaving through the fog in my mind.

He immediately ordered the team's experts specializing in "alien energy science" to re-examine the body samples.

A few hours later, the conclusion came out.

Within those necrotic cells and tissues, there remained an extremely faint yet pervasive negative energy, filled with deathly stillness and resentment.

This energy has a special name in the Special Investigations Team's internal files: "Ju-on" (緣緣).

He is a person with special abilities!
Moreover, they are individuals with powerful mental abilities who can kill remotely, create accidents, and even silently harm resolute special investigation team members.

The direction of the investigation was instantly torn open.

The special search team no longer searches for gunmen, but instead looks for those with special abilities hidden in the shadows of society.

Following this clue, they meticulously unraveled past unsolved cases, collecting similar leads.

Finally, they focused their attention on a mysterious supernatural organization called "Utopia".

But just as he was about to close the net and uncover the truth, the military government collapsed.

The country was plunged into turmoil during the transition between old and new regimes.

What followed was a major reshuffling that affected the entire upper class.

Countless politicians and high-ranking officials fell from grace and were imprisoned.

Even those wealthy families with close ties to the military government were purged in this storm and suffered heavy losses.

Despite their special status, the Special Investigations Team was not spared either.

Because of his close relationship with former President Feng, Shi Chengyi and his action department became the focus of investigation.

All ongoing missions were forced to a halt, and investigative authority was revoked and transferred to the intelligence department.

The person who took over this hot potato, the "Guangwu Gate shooting incident," was Ling Shaofeng, who was then the deputy director of the intelligence department.

Shi Chengyi still remembers the undisguised ambition and mockery in Ling Shaofeng's eyes when he took the case file from him.

He believes he has a clear conscience.

Throughout the investigation, he acted under orders and followed regulations, and there was no shady collusion between him and the old government.

But that's how political struggles are; a new emperor brings a new court.

Newly appointed bigwigs are clearly more willing to trust the newcomers they have promoted.

In fact, Ling Shaofeng was originally a senior investigator in the Operations Department.

This person is extremely capable and efficient, solving numerous major cases, but is also criticized for his unscrupulous methods and ruthless actions.

Shi Chengyi originally intended to keep him in check and temper his character, but unexpectedly, the two had a conflict because of it.

In a fit of anger, Ling Shaofeng used his connections to transfer to the intelligence department.

This handover of duties deepened the existing rift between the two.

What followed was even more dramatic.

After taking over the case, Ling Shaofeng solved the nationally shocking shooting case in just half a month.

Not only were several ringleaders who resisted arrest killed on the spot, but key confessions were also extracted from those who were captured.

All actions were authorized by high-ranking military officials and President Feng. With irrefutable evidence presented, the case was closed smoothly without any suspense.

The new government used this opportunity to launch a massive propaganda campaign, seize the high ground in public opinion, and swiftly purge the old forces, taking control of the situation and stabilizing order.

For this tremendous achievement, Ling Shaofeng was promoted to the newly established head of the research department.

After that, he rose rapidly through the ranks, getting promoted one after another, and in just two years he became the chief of the Special Investigations Team. His career was remarkably smooth sailing.

Since then, all the files of the "Guangwu Gate Shooting Case" have been classified as top secret and completely sealed away, becoming a political taboo that no one dares to touch.

But now...

A martial arts prodigy who can rival Chief Li has a background that is connected to this long-buried case.

How could Shi Chengyi not be deeply moved by this?
His thoughts drifted away from past memories, his brow furrowed, and he fell into a deep state of deliberation.

Should we clear the name of that young man named Fang Cheng and let him pass the vetting?
As the person in charge of the case back then, he knew better than anyone else.

Ling Shaofeng's so-called "solving of the case" back then was, unsurprisingly, just finding a few scapegoats to give the new government the explanation they wanted most.

The new government at the time needed to stabilize public sentiment and purge the remnants of the previous regime as quickly as possible, and thus acquiesced to the findings of the investigation.

In other words, this is a tacitly agreed-upon political performance.

The real mastermind is likely still at large.

The young man's father is very likely an innocent victim who was caught up in the storm.

Perhaps he did commit a crime and was targeted by Ling Shaofeng's intelligence agents, who then chose him as one of the scapegoats.

Finally, during the resistance, for reasons unknown, he chose to commit suicide and perished in the fire...

Shi Chengyi slowly stroked the windowsill with both hands, his eyes flickering as he quickly made a calculation.

The "Guangwu Gate shooting incident" has long been concluded, and even the current government is unwilling to touch this taboo.

If he were to take action himself, it would be tantamount to openly challenging the authority of Ling Shaofeng, who was in charge of the project.

The other side will definitely seize the opportunity to make a big fuss, accusing them of "intending to exonerate the former president" or "protecting relatives of serious criminals."

If he is not careful, his old bones and the entire martial arts faction may be completely destroyed.

The risks are obvious.

But... what about the reward?

A glint flashed in Shi Chengyi's eyes.

Equally enormous, beyond measure.

That's a martial arts genius who, at such a young age, has already entered the Inner Realm and can influence celestial phenomena!
Once such a person matures, they are no longer a pawn, but an entity capable of overturning the entire chessboard.

Ling Shaofeng rose to power through the experimental projects in the research department, and could mass-produce a batch of "super soldiers," but he could never create a martial arts master who could "communicate with the heavens and man."

As long as this young man named Fang Cheng is strong enough that no one can ignore him, then he himself is the greatest "reason".

Moreover, the case back then was very complicated and had far-reaching repercussions. Many suspects were arrested and released without being convicted.

Ling Shaofeng may not even remember the scapegoat in the corner.

If you act properly, the other party won't even realize your true intentions...

By the time he realizes what's happening, it may be too late.

Because as long as Fang Cheng can join the Special Search Team and demonstrate unparalleled value, he will be the team's most valuable asset.

At that time, anyone who dares to touch him will be making an enemy of the entire Special Investigation Team and even the future of the entire country!

So... this high-stakes gamble was worth it!

Shi Chengyi took a deep breath, forcibly calming his turbulent thoughts.

He slowly turned around, looked at the students who were waiting silently, his gaze sharpening like an eagle's once more, and asked in a deep voice:

"Is there conclusive evidence that Fang Cheng's father was directly involved in the shooting?"

"No."

Wei Zheng held the cup of tea, which had long since gone cold, and shook his head:

"According to the case file, there are many suspicious points."

“When the team received a report from the police, they suspected that he was the 'superhuman killer' who had committed multiple murders in Dongdu. So, as usual, they sent people to follow up.”

"However, during the subsequent investigation, it was discovered that he was acting suspiciously and had private dealings with a fugitive wanted in connection with the Guangwu Gate shooting incident. As a result, the intelligence department intervened and began monitoring him."

"But unexpectedly, the suspect committed suicide out of fear of punishment, leaving no way to verify the facts. The case could not be investigated further and was handed over to the Metropolitan Police Department, which hastily concluded the case as 'the serial killer has been brought to justice,' let alone investigate whether he was related to the shooting."

Upon hearing this, Shi Chengyi breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Unless the evidence is irrefutable, there is room for maneuver.

He walked around the study a few more times with his hands behind his back, then suddenly stopped.

"A case from seventeen years ago, still a mystery, what's the big deal?"

After a moment's hesitation, a resolute glint flashed in his eyes:

“As long as the person is real, I’ll take care of this little problem for him.”

"In that case, I'll personally go to the Ma family tomorrow and have a good talk with Jianguo..."

He immediately shook his head, rejecting his own idea as soon as he finished speaking.

"No! I'm coming right now!"

His eyes shone brightly, and he seemed to have become twenty years younger, regaining the decisive and efficient demeanor of "Minister Shi" from back then.

Shi Chengyi quickly walked to the desk, pressed the internal call button, and his voice instantly became authoritative.

"Xiao Zhang, prepare the car, let's go to Tianxin Village."

He hung up the call and immediately turned around.

The previous ease and loneliness had vanished, replaced by the decisive and powerful commanding presence that Wei Zheng had become familiar with during the training camp.

The feeling was like a lion that had retreated to the mountains smelling blood and revealing its terrifying claws once more.

"Don't reveal this to anyone for now."

He stared at Wei Zheng and said, word by word, "We'll talk about everything after I've met him in person."

As he spoke, he walked to the coat rack, took off his coat, and put it on. His movements were swift and decisive, clearly indicating that he was ready to leave immediately.

Seeing his teacher regain his fighting spirit, Wei Zheng felt a sense of relief and excitement.

He immediately stood up and bowed respectfully: "Yes!"

He has done all he could.

Next, how should this game of chess, which has been dormant for many years, be played?

It all depends on how the teacher handles things and how well they strategize.

And how did he decide about that once-in-a-century martial arts genius?

For some reason, Wei Zheng also harbored some unrealistic expectations for that young man in red underwear who seemed like a sun.

....................................

In a small courtyard in Wanghu Town.

The dense locust trees provided a cool shade, blocking the slightly hot midday sun.

On the stone table, the Chu River and Han border are clearly defined.

Fang Cheng was locked in a fierce battle with his grandfather, the game of chess was intense.

The old man held a "cannon" in his hand, ready to drop it.

Fang Cheng's nose suddenly itched, and without warning, he let out a thunderous sneeze.

"Ah-"

The "pawns" and "soldiers" on the chessboard were instantly blown about and tilted.

(End of this chapter)