What do you mean by saying that the corpses I sew are all ominous creatures?

"Good! Good! Brother Chen, with your words of comfort, I feel much more at ease!"

Jin Wanliang excitedly jumped up from the sofa.

He rubbed his hands together and paced back and forth a couple of times, his expression shifting from initial anxiety to excitement and anticipation.

I waved my hand, signaling him to sit down again and stop wandering around like a headless fly.

"Don't be too happy yet."

I picked up the teapot and refilled his empty teacup, my tone remaining calm and unhurried.

"There are a few questions I need to clarify before I go to southern Xinjiang."

Jin Wanliang immediately sat back on the sofa, his body ramrod straight, like a primary school student preparing to listen to a teacher's lecture.

He nodded repeatedly, saying, "Ask away, brother! As long as I know it, I promise I won't hide a single word from you!"

I put the teapot back on the table, looked into his eyes, and asked the question that had been bothering me the most.

"Old Jin, you just said that Old Hei and that batch of goods disappeared in southern Xinjiang."

The Lan family are local bigwigs in southern Xinjiang; they couldn't possibly be unaware of such a major incident.

Have you contacted the Lan family to ask them what's going on?

My question was like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing the flames of excitement that Jin Wanliang had just ignited.

His smile froze for a moment, then he let out a heavy sigh.

After taking a big gulp of tea, he said with a bitter face, "Brother Chen, do you think I'm that kind of muddle-headed person?"

How could I not ask the Lan family about something this big?

"The day after Lao Hei went missing, once I realized something was wrong, I immediately contacted the person in charge of the Lan family's business through the special channels that I had previously established with the Lan family."

Jin Wanliang's brows furrowed tightly once again.

"The Lan family was furious when they received the news."

He told me explicitly that although the goods had been handed over to Lao Hei, as long as they were still in the territory of southern Xinjiang, they were essentially still under the Lan family's name.

Anyone who dares to touch this shipment is disrespecting the Lan family.

"They patted their chests and assured me that I could rest assured."

"Within three days, they must find both the people and the goods, and bring the mastermind behind it all to justice."

At this point, Jin Wanliang's tone became somewhat strange.

He scratched his already messy hair, his face full of confusion and bewilderment.

"But that's precisely what's so strange about it."

The Lan family mobilized all their informants and influence in the southern border region, turning Luohua Town upside down, but they found nothing.

It's been almost a week since the incident, and the news coming back from the Lan family is still the same as on the first day.

They said they didn't know what had happened to Lao Hei either; he seemed to have vanished into thin air. They were investigating with all their might.

As of this morning, their response to me was still uncertain.

After hearing Jin Wanliang's words, I couldn't help but frown.

If at first I just felt this matter was a bit tricky, now I feel a deep sense of unease.

The Lan family has been operating in southern Xinjiang for at least a hundred years without interruption.

Logically speaking, their influence is deeply entrenched and extends throughout the entire southern border region.

Although it has declined somewhat in recent years, even a lean camel is bigger than a horse.

With them in charge, finding a few people and a truckload of goods in a small town like Luohua would be a piece of cake.

But now, the Lan family has spent almost a week searching their own territory and hasn't found a single clue.

What does this tell us?

Two possibilities flashed through my mind in an instant.

The first possibility is that the mastermind behind it all is extremely powerful and uses very sophisticated methods.

They can not only make Lao Hei and his people and goods disappear without anyone noticing, but they also have the ability to erase all traces.

It can even block the Lan family's intelligence network in southern Xinjiang.

Those capable of doing this are definitely not ordinary forces.

The second possibility... is even more chilling.

That is, there are also problems within the Lan family.

Perhaps a faction within the Lan family embezzled the goods and secretly pocketed them.

Or perhaps the Lan family itself encountered some huge trouble.

As a result, they were too busy to investigate the matter and could only use phrases like "under investigation" to appease Lao Jin.

But whichever the possibility, it suggests that our trip to southern Xinjiang this time will definitely not be as easy as the last one.

I pondered for a moment, then looked up and asked my second question.

"Old Jin, have you sought help from the Bureau of Folklore regarding this matter?"

Over the past year, I've had far too many dealings with the Folklore Bureau.

From Lu Yan of the Jiangcheng branch to Lei Zhenshan and Tian Gong of the Beijing headquarters, I subconsciously tend to consider issues from an official perspective.

After all, the disappearance of people, especially on a large scale, is no small matter.

Jin Wanliang paused for a moment when he heard my question, then scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed look on his face.

"Well... Brother Chen, although I have some connection with Director Lu because of you, I'm still a brother.

However, Director Lu is only in charge of Jiangcheng, and her influence doesn't extend to Yunnan Province.

I don't know a single person at the Yunnan Provincial Bureau of Folk Customs.

He paused, then lowered his voice even further.

"Besides, this is, after all, a black market business..."

If this gets out into the open and the authorities get involved, wouldn't that be a bit inappropriate?

If the goods are found and people ask about the sales channels and origin of these goods, how am I supposed to explain?

This is tantamount to walking into a trap.

Hearing his words, I suddenly realized what he meant.

I raised my hand and patted my head, a little amused.

Indeed, I was overthinking things.

I've been spending a lot of time with government officials lately, dealing with major cases that threaten public safety, which has made my thinking a bit rigid.

Although Jin Wanliang's business deal was extremely profitable, it was essentially operating in a gray area.

Many things here are things that can't be brought to light.

Involving the authorities would indeed do more harm than good.

Matters of the martial world should be left to the martial world.

This is the irrefutable truth of the underground world.

"You're right, I misunderstood."

I smiled at him, which was a way of acknowledging his concerns.

Since the official route is blocked, the only option left is for us to take the trip ourselves.

I stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the brightly lit city at night. I had already made up my mind.

"Alright, Lao Jin."

Book your ticket now, the earliest flight to Kunming.

Once we arrive in Kunming, you will be responsible for arranging our accommodation and transportation there.

"Also, activate all your available connections and gather as much information as possible about Falling Flower Town."

I turned around, looked at Jin Wanliang, and calmly instructed him, "Leave the rest to me."