Chapter Seventeen: The Invisible Empire

Returning once more to Qingdong, Haifeng was filled with complicated emotions. He had never imagined that the online girlfriend who caused Huang Guan’s death was, in fact, a front for such a vast criminal organization. The darkness lurking on the internet was far more terrifying than he had ever thought possible. Yet this darkness didn’t inspire fear in him—it exhilarated him. He felt as if he were a vampire catching the scent of blood, his whole being set alight by the challenge. This was what he lived for.

“Roar, rage, thrash about in madness before I wipe you out completely. Dawn will come eventually; the darkness will be dispelled. I will conquer this evil, shatter the shadows, restore justice to the land, and bring joy back to the world,” he said to himself. “Huang Guan will not have died in vain. Good people should not have to suffer any longer. Let it be me, let it be this team, who brings this darkness to an end!”

A month prior, Wen Yuxin’s arrival had smoothed the interrogation process. Zhou Donghai confessed to his crimes without denial, and his subordinates soon followed suit, detailing the gang’s activities. The evidence Zhao Zhijie had extracted from their computers and servers was conclusive. Witness statements were being collected, and the flow of funds was being investigated at the online payment companies. Everything was progressing surprisingly smoothly.

Thus, a gang that used online games to perpetrate fraud was effortlessly eradicated by the White Tiger Unit. Liu Zhiyang barely had to argue the case—the prosecution was initiated even before all the witness statements and financial records were fully corroborated. Huang Guan’s wrongful death was avenged with hardly any resistance.

But Haifeng was not satisfied with the outcome before him. His instincts told him that things were not so simple. Zhou Donghai and his group were still hiding something. His work was not yet done.

Though Zhou Donghai had admitted to his fraudulent activities, who had created the game? Who had written the scripts they used? None of Zhou’s subordinates knew. Zhou himself claimed he had simply bought them, but could not say from whom or where.

It was then that Zhao Zhijie came to Haifeng. “Leader Hai, I’ve analyzed the suspects’ belongings for traces. I believe Zhou Donghai is withholding something.”

“Oh? Tell me what you’ve found,” Haifeng said, fixing his gaze on Zhao.

“Zhou Donghai often chats with someone called ‘Boss Zhou.’ They frequently mention several people, among whom one is ‘Big Boss Sun.’ Zhou often asks Boss Zhou to speak well of him in front of Big Boss Sun, to help reduce his share of the profits he must turn over. It seems Zhou Donghai is not the boss of his group, but rather a subordinate of this Big Boss Sun,” Zhao explained.

“Is there anything else?” Haifeng asked.

“Yes. They also mention someone named Zhang Zili. They call him a brute, not very bright, but extremely loyal to Big Boss Sun. If there’s trouble, he’s the one they send first, and if things go wrong, he’s the one to take the blame,” Zhao continued.

“They also talk about someone named Lu Xiaoyu, discussing ways to suppress him.”

“Can you find more detailed information on these people?” Haifeng asked.

“There are too many people with those names. With what we have, I can’t pinpoint who they are. I’ve asked Zhou’s subordinates as well, but none of them recognize these names,” Zhao replied.

Haifeng had Zhao bring him the relevant materials. After reviewing them, Haifeng pondered for a moment and called Zhang Mufeng over.

“Have you been in touch with Songbei? How’s the investigation into Zhou Donghai going?” Haifeng asked.

“Yes,” Zhang replied. “They gave me the full background. Zhou Donghai is from Songzhuang Village, Songzhou City, twenty-seven years old, dropped out of middle school. He has two older sisters and a brother, who is currently serving time for intentional injury. His parents are honest farmers, living off the land. The family isn’t well-off—one of the poorer families in Songzhuang. Zhou left home early to work all over the country. In recent years, he’s become wealthy, built a new house for his parents, and returned for the holidays in a luxury car, dressed to the nines.”

“It’s said he became a big boss in Qingdong, started a major business. Many young men from the village joined him. All the gang members we apprehended are from Songzhuang, which matches what we were told,” Zhang finished.

“Good, that’s very detailed,” Haifeng replied.

Haifeng then lowered his head in thought. Since Zhou Donghai recruited people from Songzhuang Village, could Zhang Zili and Lu Xiaoyu be from there too, or perhaps from Songzhou City more broadly? But as Zhang had said, Zhou left his hometown young and could know people from anywhere. The scope was too wide to verify anything.

What breakthrough remained? The interrogations had yielded no more valuable information, the financial investigation was incomplete, and witness statements were still being collected. What now? Haifeng’s mind raced, searching the clues for a lead.

Zhang Mufeng continued, “There’s one more thing I think you should know, something that might help break the interrogation. Zhou Donghai’s mother was recently in a car accident and is now in the hospital. He probably doesn’t know. He’s a filial son. If we help him settle his family, he might tell us more.”

Haifeng looked at Zhang, silent for a few seconds. Suddenly a spark of inspiration flashed in his eyes. He had an idea. “Your information is very useful. Notify the rest of the team. We’re going to question Zhou Donghai again.”

When Zhou Donghai was brought into the interrogation room, Haifeng, Zhao Zhijie, and Wen Yuxin were already seated opposite him. The other team members watched through the surveillance monitors.

Haifeng looked at Zhou Donghai, and through Wen Yuxin began the questioning.

“How have you been these past two days?” Haifeng asked.

“Thank you for your concern. The guards here have treated me well. I haven’t been bullied. It’s much better than I imagined,” Zhou replied.

“That’s good. Have you thought things through? Is there anything else you want to tell us?” Haifeng asked.

“My case? You mean my crimes, right? I’ve already confessed everything. I’ve told you all I know. I really can’t remember anything else,” Zhou said, appearing earnest.

“Did you really buy the game and the scam scripts you used yourself?” Haifeng pressed.

“Yes, I bought them all online,” Zhou answered.

“From whom did you buy them?” Haifeng continued.

“I’ve told you before, I really can’t remember. It was a long time ago,” Zhou insisted, still feigning openness.

“Who maintains your servers? We spoke to Jia Cunzai—he only hosts your servers and can’t access the system itself. But your game was updated recently, and you don’t have the technical skills. Who does your maintenance?” Haifeng said.

“I hired someone online for that,” Zhou replied.

“Is it the same people who made the game?” Haifeng asked.

“No,” Zhou answered.

“Then how did they get the game’s source code?” Haifeng followed.

“I was mistaken—it was the same group. Yes, I remember now, it was the same people,” Zhou swore.

“You must have been in contact with them recently. How could you not remember who they are?” Haifeng pressed.

“No, I haven’t been in touch. I paid a lump sum upfront and then we didn’t contact each other anymore,” Zhou said.

“So you haven’t been in contact for ages, yet they’re still maintaining your servers?” Haifeng’s gaze grew sharp.

“They…they have been maintaining them. They’re very trustworthy,” Zhou muttered, lowering his head, unable to meet Haifeng’s eyes.

Zhao Zhijie sat to the side, watching Haifeng interrogate Zhou. He knew Zhou was lying, but what could be done when facing someone determined to deceive? In today’s society, you couldn’t beat or curse a suspect—you had to rely on them to tell the truth, which was almost impossible. It was a fantasy to think a liar would suddenly become honest.

Most of Haifeng’s questions had been asked before, and Zhou hadn’t answered truthfully then. It was unlikely he would suddenly change. Zhao couldn’t understand why Haifeng was wasting time on this fruitless effort.

Haifeng continued his questioning, but gained nothing useful. Eventually, not only Zhao but the entire team felt Haifeng’s questioning was now just going through the motions—a waste of time. Yet Haifeng persisted, and the back-and-forth continued for over an hour. His questions grew more casual, and Zhou’s answers less spirited.

“All right, let’s stop here for today,” Haifeng finally said, signaling the end of the interrogation. Everyone relaxed, preparing to leave. Zhou watched Haifeng stand up and turn to go, relieved. Then, suddenly, Haifeng turned back.

“Oh, by the way, there’s something else. When our colleagues went to Songzhuang to verify your identity, your family told us your mother was in a car accident.”

“My mother was in a car accident? How is she? Was she badly hurt?” Zhou’s anxiety spiked instantly. If not for his handcuffs, he would have leapt up. He had watched his parents toil to raise their children, and as the youngest, he was most cherished and closest to them. Hearing his mother was hurt, he desperately wanted to dash back to Songzhuang, but he was trapped here.

“You don’t need to worry too much. It wasn’t serious. She’s in the hospital, but her condition is stable now,” Haifeng replied.

Hearing his mother was all right, Zhou calmed down. He asked, “How did it happen? Did you find the driver?”

“Don’t worry. The culprit has been found. It was a drunk-driving accident. The man’s name was something like Zhang…Zhang something Li?” Haifeng seemed to search his memory for the culprit’s name.

Zhou’s eyes suddenly widened in alarm. “Was it Zhang Zili?” he blurted out, his voice full of fear.

“Yes, that’s it—Zhang Zili. Don’t worry, the traffic police will handle it. We’ll take care of your family. Just focus on telling us everything,” Haifeng said.

Zhou panicked. “That wasn’t an accident—it was attempted murder! They’re trying to kill my family! Please, you have to protect them, please send someone to protect my family!”

“It’s just an ordinary accident, not murder. Don’t worry, it will be handled properly,” Haifeng said calmly.

“No, no, it’s murder! Zhang Zili wasn’t drunk—he was trying to kill my family! Since they can’t find me, they’re going after my family. He’s trying to force me out by threatening them. Please, you have to protect my family!” Zhou begged, sweating with anxiety.

“You say that since they can’t find you, they want to kill your family. What’s your relationship with him? Why is he after you? Why would he want to harm your family?” Haifeng sat back down, looking at Zhou with cool composure.

Zhou slumped in the chair, murmuring, “It must be because they can’t find me and think I’ve betrayed them, so Big Boss Sun has ordered Zhang Zili to go after my family.”

Suddenly, Zhou sat up and pleaded, “Officer, I beg you, please send people to protect my family. They’re dangerous. They’ll strike again. Please, please, protect them!”

“What’s really going on?” Haifeng pressed.

“I’ll confess, I’ll tell you everything—just please protect my family,” Zhou promised.

Seeing Haifeng nod, Zhou began, “I’m not really a boss—just a slightly bigger lackey. The real boss is Sun Zhentao, whom we call Big Boss Sun. The whole company is under his control. Zhang Zili is his right-hand man. He’s dumb and reckless, but utterly loyal. Sun must think I’ve betrayed him, so he’s ordered Zhang to threaten my family to draw me out.”

Haifeng watched Zhou, sensing he was still holding back. “Is that all?” he asked.

“That’s the gist of it,” Zhou replied.

“How is the work divided in your company? What does Big Boss Sun do? What about Zhang Zili?” Haifeng pressed further.

“Big Boss Sun manages everything. Zhang Zili and I both run scams to generate revenue for the company,” Zhou answered.

“I hope you’re not hiding anything. If you won’t be honest, there’s no point continuing this conversation. My willingness to help depends on your sincerity. How does Sun manage things? Why do you all obey him? What are the specific responsibilities and operating models of the company’s managers? Who are they? I want you to tell me everything, without reservation. If you still insist on lying, there’s nothing I can do for you,” Haifeng said sternly.

Zhou looked at Haifeng, realizing that Haifeng clearly knew more than he let on. Still, he insisted, “I’ve told you everything I know. There’s no one else in the company. I swear I’m not lying.”

Haifeng stood up to leave, then turned back. “Lu Xiaoyu isn’t your lackey, is he? Think it over before we talk again,” he said, and prepared to go.

Hearing Lu Xiaoyu’s name from Haifeng’s lips, Zhou was shocked. He realized his lies were useless against Haifeng, who knew the truth but was simply testing him. Zhou understood that further deception would only harm himself. Without Haifeng’s help, his family would be in grave danger.

He hurriedly called after Haifeng, “Officer, don’t go, please don’t be angry! I’ll tell you everything I know—this time for real, I swear. Just please send people to protect my family.”

Haifeng gave Zhou a cold look, then sat down again. “This is your last chance. Make good use of it.”

Zhou nodded vigorously and began his full confession.

“Sun Zhentao is indeed our boss—I wasn’t lying about that. Under him, the company has seven managers: myself, Lu Xiaoyu, Zhang Zili, Lü Yue, Zhang Zhijun, Sun Shengcai, and Zhou Qiang. Each of us is responsible for a particular operation. I run the game scams, Lu Xiaoyu specializes in romance and sexual scams, Zhang Zili mainly impersonates police and mafia to defraud people, Lü Yue runs ‘pig-butchering’ romance scams, using marriage and dating as a front and playing mind games, Zhang Zhijun does airline ticket refund schemes, Sun Shengcai handles financial fraud—oil futures and P2P lending are his territory—and Zhou Qiang runs the familiar-face scams,” Zhou said.

Everyone watching the feed was stunned. None of them had expected a mere scammer to be part of a well-organized, highly structured criminal syndicate. They all broke out in a cold sweat. They had thought catching Zhou Donghai meant the case was nearly over, but according to him, this was just the beginning. Their victory so far was but a small step, a mere glimpse of the criminal iceberg beneath the surface.

Zhao Zhijie took a deep breath and glanced at Haifeng, who sat expressionless, as if he had long known what Zhou would reveal. Zhao couldn’t help but admire his leader’s inner strength and skill in interrogation.

Zhou continued, “All eight of us are from Songzhou City. Sun Shengcai is Sun’s younger brother. Zhang Zili, Lü Yue, and Lu Xiaoyu were the first to join Sun and build his empire. I, Zhang Zhijun, Sun Shengcai, and Zhou Qiang joined later. Sun also has an advisor named Zhou Yu. I was only able to gain Sun’s trust thanks to Zhou Yu’s help.”

“How are the relationships among you?” Haifeng asked.

“Sun trusts Zhou Yu, Zhang Zili, and his brother Sun Shengcai most. I’m kind of affiliated with Zhou Yu thanks to his support, but I don’t get along with Zhang Zili, that brute. Zhang Zhijun is personally friendly with me, but he’s fickle, always chasing whatever benefits him,” Zhou explained.

He continued, “Lu Xiaoyu and Lü Yue are close, and Zhou Qiang was brought in by Lu Xiaoyu, so he sides with him. Really, Lu Xiaoyu is Sun’s right-hand man. The company owes its success to him, but Sun has grown dissatisfied with both Lu Xiaoyu and Lü Yue, because their achievements threaten his position. They also don’t respect Zhou Yu, so Zhou Yu has often spoken ill of them to Sun. As a result, Sun has grievances against them. If not for that, I wouldn’t be valued as highly as I am.”

“So you’re one of Sun’s inner circle?” Haifeng asked.

“More or less. Sun personally selected my games and scam scripts for me, and I paid a lower share of the profits than the others. But once you count the extra tribute to Zhou Yu, it wasn’t much less. Still, it was better than the others,” Zhou replied.

“Sun picked your games and scripts? Where did he get them?” Haifeng continued.

“That’s Sun’s greatest strength. There are seven of us managers, but the company’s true backbone is the technical and expert teams. Unlike us, they’re educated elites. I don’t know how Sun recruited them, and we managers never meet them—they only deal with Sun directly. But their work is incredible. We just follow instructions, and the money rolls in. Without those two teams, the company would be nothing,” Zhou said.

It took four hours for Haifeng to hear Zhou’s full account of the criminal organization. While there were certainly gaps, it was enough for now. Haifeng knew it would take time to organize all this intelligence, and Zhou probably had little more of value to add. He finally ended the interrogation.

Neither Zhao Zhijie, Wen Yuxin, nor any of the other team members watching through the monitors had realized how quickly time had passed. Zhou had revealed to them an entirely new world—a world of crime that lurked right beside them.

When they finally left the detention center, they found night had already fallen. The sky was studded with stars, but even their light could not dispel the boundless darkness.

Haifeng looked up; tonight the sky was unusually clear, and in the city, such a brilliant canopy of stars was a rare sight. He believed that no matter how powerful the darkness, light would inevitably come. Looking at his team, he thought of them as those shining stars, ready to illuminate the night, to help him drive out the darkness and welcome the dawn. Haifeng was already looking forward to a beautiful tomorrow.