Chapter 53: Another Group Arrives at the Military District

“So, from what you’re saying, if it’s the same bracelet, then I must have done something to that Zhang Jingang, right?” Bian Changxi fiddled with her sleeve, then looked up and shot Boss Zhang a cool glance. “Are you here to find the jade bracelet or to find someone? I’ve been listening for ages and still can’t figure out what your point is.”

Boss Zhang was instantly at a loss for words, even a little embarrassed and angry. This woman was just impossible to deal with!

Seeing she’d made her point, Bian Changxi decided to let up, spreading her hands. “I don’t know if the two bracelets look alike, but I can guarantee they’re not the same one. My jade bracelet was a keepsake from my late mother—plenty of people in my family saw it decades ago. There’s no way it only appeared two years ago. And unfortunately—”

“What?”

“I broke it not long ago.”

“Broke it?”

“Yeah, just the day before yesterday. Captain Gu and the others were all there—they saw it with their own eyes. It shattered all over the floor. No matter how skilled the craftsman, there’s no way to piece it back together.”

Her calm, unhurried tone made Boss Zhang’s heart skip a beat. Broken? Then… how was he supposed to explain this to the boss? He frowned, shooting Bian Changxi a dark, searching look. “Well, there must be some fragments left, right?”

“The jade was smashed to bits. Just looking at it was upsetting, so I threw it away. I don’t even remember which trash bin in Jiangcheng I tossed it in.” Bian Changxi said, “If I’d known you wanted to see it, Boss Zhang, I would’ve kept it. What a shame.”

Boss Zhang felt like that “what a shame” was aimed right at him.

He forced a smile. “Well, nothing to be done about it. Since you haven’t seen Jingang, maybe he’s still somewhere in Jiangcheng, or maybe he’s on his way here. I’ll try some other ways to find him. About the Tian Jiaxing case…”

“What, is there still a problem?”

“Heh, it’s not enough for just me to believe you didn’t kill anyone. We still have to wait for the autopsy report and all that. Could you go over the events of the case again?”

Old fox—he changes his face faster than flipping a page!

Bian Changxi pressed her index fingers together on her lap, quietly took a breath, and smiled slightly. “Sure.”

After another round of “interrogation,” Boss Zhang told Bian Changxi to wait patiently for the investigation results, then left with his notebook full of statements.

Once the door closed, the smile on Bian Changxi’s lips vanished. She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, her gaze heavy as she stared at the table.

These people had searched her and her belongings, and since they hadn’t found the bracelet, they probably thought she’d given it to someone else for safekeeping. The only people who’d traveled with her were Gu Xu and his six companions, plus Lin Rongrong—the Chen family of four didn’t count. They’d all witnessed the bracelet being destroyed, and with their stories matching up, most people would believe it. But Boss Zhang clearly wasn’t someone who’d give up so easily.

And then there was this Zhang Jingang—was he made up, or was there really such a person who’d come to Jiangcheng, but she just hadn’t run into him?

The key question was: why did these people want the jade bracelet? How much did they know, and how did they find out? This time they’d come with a fake story, but what would they try next?

Sigh. She felt like her luck was just rotten: nearly killed herself when she first activated the farm; threatened by Zhang Hu and his gang the first time she tried to collect an oil tanker; went to a big supermarket only to find it crawling with people, and nearly got caught by Gu Xu when she tried to quietly gather some supplies; just wanted to collect a few chickens and ducks for breeding, and ran into trouble again; finally managed to get away safely, only to be detained as a murder suspect, and now, who knew when people had started eyeing her jade bracelet.

The only thing she could be thankful for now was that the bracelet was already broken and the farm had become intangible—otherwise, she’d have no room to maneuver at all. As things stood, she’d just have to take it one step at a time.

Bian Changxi didn’t have to wait long. About an hour later, as the sunlight outside faded, she heard footsteps and several voices in the corridor, one of which sounded low and familiar.

The door swung open, and a group of people appeared at the entrance. Among them, Gu Xu stood out, tall and striking.

A refined, handsome man beside him smiled and said, “See? Didn’t I say so? No one would dare mistreat Miss Bian—she’s perfectly fine, isn’t she?”

Gu Xu quickly glanced at Bian Changxi, his stern expression finally softening a little. He nodded at her, then turned to the handsome man. “Thank you, Young Master Qu. May I ask when I’ll be able to take her with me?”

Someone behind them snorted. “Gu Xu, you’ve got it wrong. I’m in charge of this new district now!” The speaker strode in—it was Xiao Jing, who looked at the two with disdain and resentment. “Arresting suspects and handling cases is my job. Even if Young Master Qu is the Commander’s son, you can’t just stick your nose into everything.”

Qu Nan, the so-called “Young Master Qu,” smiled gently. “Don’t misunderstand, Young Master Xiao. I wouldn’t overstep my authority. I’m just acting as a guarantor to vouch for Miss Bian’s release. That doesn’t break any of your rules, does it?”

“No way!” Xiao Jing said firmly. “This case is serious—over a dozen people are dead. If we don’t investigate thoroughly, who’ll respect the law in the future? You’ve seen her, now you can all leave!”

He nodded, and several burly men in police uniforms filed in, making it clear they were there to escort the visitors out. Qu Nan smiled nonchalantly. “Normally, we’d stay out of each other’s way. You show me some respect, I’ll do the same for you. We’ll be working together a lot in the future, so there’s no need to make things ugly. But if you keep pushing like this, don’t blame me for not saving you any face. After all, I represent the Military District Command.”

As soon as he finished, another group of people marched in, their military uniforms gleaming, footsteps heavy. They stopped and, with a snap, raised their guns.

Xiao Jing’s men were startled and quickly drew their own pistols. “Nobody move!” The office was instantly filled with a tense, iron-blooded standoff.

Bian Changxi stood up as well.

Gu Xu walked over to her. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Bian Changxi frowned at the scene. “What’s going on?”

She’d guessed Gu Xu might try to help, but she hadn’t expected things to escalate like this. Wasn’t this getting a bit out of hand?

Gu Xu glanced at the others, his eyes calm and steady. “Don’t worry. They have fundamental conflicts—this just happened to be the place where they clashed.”

In other words, her case was just a convenient battleground for their power struggle.

Qu Nan took two steps forward and whispered in Xiao Jing’s ear, “You and your father have a nice plan—trying to turn the new district into your own family’s turf. I could overlook your little tricks, and even forcing Du Zhonghai to back off isn’t a big deal. But trying to boost your influence before the army arrives? Ha! Who cares about your so-called office? No one wants to deal with you now—people only give in to avoid trouble. You really think you’re the boss? Here’s your chance: let her go now, or don’t blame me for not saving you any face!”

Xiao Jing’s face turned livid. He growled back, “Qu Nan, don’t get cocky. This is my territory! You only brought a few people—let’s see how far that gets you!”

The military district still had a lot of business to handle and needed a major reorganization, so it would be several days before they arrived. That gave Xiao Jing’s side some breathing room, and he was confident they’d be able to establish themselves before the army showed up. Who would’ve thought that just after ousting Du Zhonghai, Qu Nan would suddenly show up with two cars, talking about some “inspection,” catching him completely off guard.

Inspection, my ass!

He’d shown up acting like he owned the place, poking his nose into everything. Xiao Jing wanted to see how many people he could really bring with just two cars. If things got ugly, he wouldn’t hesitate to shoot first!

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