Release that Man

The source of all conflict within the money-laundering organization came from a single word, profit.

Credit needed to be given where credit was due. It was due to Edward’s presence in the organization that such conflicts could be resolved with such expediency.

Madam Grace had one or two nemeses in her life, and the reason for the hatred or the process leading to that hatred was not really that important. The important thing was the unsteady relationship that pitted them against each other for the fight for power and resources; the time that they had spent ‘working together’ did not help the situation either. It was an open secret that they could not wait for the other to die. Even if they belonged to the same organization, it would not have been so surprising to wake up to the news that one had already killed the other.

Why would one expect anything else with the expert discord sower working next to Madam Grace?

Han Chu, who had been closely following the movement of the organization, naturally picked up on this. Even though the information that leaked out was not that detailed, for something like this, one only needed to know the general framework.

“This is the biggest suspect.” Han Chu pointed at the picture that he pulled out on the laptop. He nudged the screen slightly over when he realized that Ye Shuang would not be able to see it from her angle. “He’s currently in China and is important enough for Madam Grace to go and meet him alone. At least in my opinion, this Luther is the most possible candidate.”

“Oh, the man is a bit too mature for my taste, but I have to say, he’s quite handsome.” Ye Shuang glanced over quickly and returned to the driving. “So, what is the man’s background?”

Is he old? Actually, not really, at least he’s much younger than Madam Grace, and some might even call a man around forty to be in his prime, Han Chu thought to himself as he turned the laptop back. He continued to pull out the information. “He entered the organization about the same time as Madam Grace, and like the latter, he’s a cunning fox. One thing worth noting about him is that while Madam Grace built her career with her own two hands, this Luther is a second generation. Both of his parents were founders of the organization, and Luther took over the family business, so he is one of the most connected men in the organization.”

Unfortunately, even the money-laundering organization was a kind of partner-based or share-based organization. In any case, it was not an asset that belonged to a particular person, so Luther’s advantage was only a wealthier range of resources, and he was not powerful enough to rule the entire organization with his own words. Otherwise, someone like Madam Grace who arrived later to the scene would not have had the opportunity to rise and even become the man’s rival.

After hearing Han Chu’s introduction, Ye Shuang shot out this question. “Brother Han, do you think he might harm Madam Grace?”

“That is definitely not outside the realm of possibilities. After all, we’re dealing with criminals here.” Han Chu did not deny it. “There are simply too many possibilities like wanting to take over the other’s territory or simply the hatred over the years finally boiling over… But we also have to approach this from another angle; the meeting between the two this time might be entirely peaceful. After all, the person who suggested the possibility of danger was Edward, and don’t forget, that is someone with his own agenda.”

Indeed, even though it was undeniable that Madam Grace was in the opposing camp, no one could guarantee that Edward was definitely their ally. After all, their temporary truce was because of their current shared objective, but once there was a difference of opinion, it would be foolish for one to expect Edward to put Ye Shuang or Han Chu’s stance into consideration. Perhaps from the very beginning, it was the fatty’s plan to use them to injure his target while he watched on from afar.

Reminded of that, Ye Shuang sighed. “Now that you mention it, I can’t help but feel that it is a bit too coincidental for the fatty to have made this call when Cedrick suddenly decided to show up tonight… But how did he know so precisely that Cedrick would come to us tonight?”

“That is actually not that hard. One only need to be familiar with the theory of suggestion… For example, by inserting certain articles in news or websites, that is something easily done through Trojan viruses.” Han Chu gave a few examples. “Hasn’t the news about reunion between family members estranged for years been extremely popular recently? Articles about how a mother’s love is as heavy as a mountain. He only needed to direct those stories to Cedrick’s feed and implant this idea into Cedrick’s subconscious.”

Ye Shuang picked for the flaw. “The feeling as heavy as mountain should be a father’s love. Next time, when you describe a mother’s love, try something like as deep as the ocean… Cough! Never mind, please continue.”

Han Chu pulled back the icy gaze that he leveled at Ye Shuang and continued. “When the influence reached a certain stage, he only needed to create some issue to make Cedrick leave the hotel like cutting off the phone service or stealing his lighter so that he needed to leave his room for a cigarette… Once a person has left their lair, it is common for them to do more than one thing before returning, especially when the other thing is at the forefront of their mind. Leaving the room would help push the drive forward.

“Then after Cedrick came to find us, the issue of timing can be easily solved, with a little bug or binoculars strategically placed at the opposite building, do you need more examples? Then, he could make the call at the most opportune moment, and if there was time, he could even consider the way that we were positioned in the room. He could make sure that Cedrick would be close enough to hear the phone conversation, and it does not take a genius to anticipate Cedrick’s reaction.”

Ye Shuang was speechless. “Brother Han, it sounds like you have done this many times before. How else could you be so familiar with it?”

Han Chu looked at her with patience. “Criminal psychology is something that I’ve studied.”

Han Chu had once been a member of the Chinese Special Ops, and it was natural for the body of government to expect a higher standard from its members. Han Chu closed the laptop and said while holding in his indignation, “So, back to the matter at hand. We are faced with two possibilities. One, Edward has lied to us, and this is one of his plots to make use of us to do his dirty bidding; two, Edward hasn’t lied to us, and the person that Madam Grace is meeting has been trying to harm her. No matter which possibility it turns out to be, it is best for us to work in the shadows and observe the situation before announcing our presence.”

“Okay.”

…

At the same time, while Han Chu and Ye Shuang were coming up with the action plan, Cedrick was unable to view the situation with a calm eye.

Luo Mingxin, who was seated in the passenger seat, had a bitter smile on his face. After bearing witness to Cedrick’s car stealing expertise and the midnight car drifting, he managed to confirm that he had been dragged into some big trouble.

After combining it with the conversation at the apartment, he knew that this was not a simple issue. To ensure that he would not end up as cannon fodder, even Luo Mingxin, who had been vying for an adventure, could not help but open his lips to say, “I think I have to explain something to you. You’ve got the wrong person, my friend.”