Chapter 71: A Turning Point

Li Weiwei glanced at her watch and realized she was about to be late again. Flustered, she hurried off to Mingcheng University.

Upon returning to the secret base, Li Weiwei knew a new mission awaited, and she sensed this one might be different—otherwise, they wouldn't have been so quick to pull everyone off the Pan Lun case.

She looked around; normally, she was the last to arrive, but today, she noticed she wasn't. Someone else was still missing, and a small thrill of satisfaction stirred in her heart.

She hadn't expected Zhang Mufeng, usually meticulous and seemingly flawless, to be late for once. She could already imagine him rushing in with his hair in disarray.

At that moment, Haifeng began to assign tasks.

"Wait, Group Leader Hai, Zhang Mufeng isn't here yet," Zhao Zhijie interjected.

"Zhang Mufeng has another assignment; he won't be involved in this operation," Haifeng replied.

Li Mengyang immediately sensed something was off. Knowing Zhang Mufeng, he would never be late. So when Zhang Mufeng failed to appear, Li Mengyang suspected something was wrong, and Haifeng's explanation only confirmed his suspicion that something unusual was happening with Zhang Mufeng.

The White Tiger Group always operated as a team; they never sent anyone out alone. Li Mengyang glanced at Liu Zhiyang, and noticed his expression was different from usual, further confirming his doubts.

Haifeng ignored the group's unease and continued, "We've successfully apprehended Pan Lun and his associates. They've confessed to their crimes, but there's still an unresolved issue: the money laundering syndicate behind Pan Lun."

He paused, then went on, "While investigating evidence against Pan Lun's gambling ring, Zhao Zhijie discovered an account frequently used by 'Teacher Song.' We're all familiar with this 'Teacher Song'—an old acquaintance."

"We have reason to suspect 'Teacher Song' is orchestrating an online money laundering network, which is why his presence surfaces in multiple cybercrime cases we've cracked."

Li Mengyang was startled when Haifeng mentioned 'Teacher Song.' The image of Tang Xin flashed through his mind. Could 'Teacher Song' really be Tang Xin?

Had Tang Xin truly gone that far?

Li Mengyang wrestled with whether he should voice his suspicions. Deep down, he hoped they weren't true, but if they were, remaining silent would only let her sink deeper into crime and harm more people.

He was torn.

Haifeng pressed on, "Pan Lun has confessed to all his crimes and to whoever colluded with him, but refuses to divulge anything about 'Teacher Song.'"

"Meanwhile, during our arrest operation, Pan Lun's wife and child vanished without a trace."

Haifeng concluded, "We have reason to believe 'Teacher Song' has taken control of Pan Lun's family and relayed this information to Pan Lun, which is why he's avoiding the topic."

As Li Mengyang continued to struggle with his dilemma, Haifeng began assigning tasks.

"This time, we have few leads, so we'll split up. Zhao Zhijie and Li Weiwei, you're in charge of watching Pan Lun."

"Since they don't want Pan Lun to talk, it's likely they'll contact him again, update him on his family's situation, and continue to threaten him. If anyone reaches out to Pan Lun, that'll be our breakthrough."

"Liu Zhiyang, you and Wen Yuxin will investigate He Qian. Pan Lun's wife and child disappeared under his watch—confirm whether he had a hand in it."

"Li Mengyang, you'll join me in investigating Wang Xueyi. He was the last to make contact with Pan Lun—possibly the one who passed along information about Pan Lun's family."

After assigning tasks, Haifeng summarized, "First, let's find Pan Lun's wife and child and ensure their safety. Only then can we crack open the money laundering syndicate through Pan Lun. If there are no questions, go prepare—operations start tomorrow."

With those words, everyone left the room one by one.

When only Haifeng and Li Mengyang remained, Li Mengyang spoke, "The reason Zhang Mufeng didn't attend today is because he's now a subject of investigation, isn't he?"

Haifeng looked at Li Mengyang, knowing he couldn't hide anything from him, nor did he want to. He nodded. "At the time, only Zhang Mufeng and Wang Xueyi were guarding Pan Lun; no one else had contact. So the only ones who could have informed Pan Lun that his family was under control, causing him to refuse cooperation, are those two."

Li Mengyang asked, "How do you know someone relayed information to Pan Lun? Couldn't it simply be that Pan Lun is afraid due to their powerful background?"

Haifeng shook his head. "Pan Lun's confession exposed almost all of Mingnan. If it were only about their background, he wouldn't risk offending everyone else but refuse to mention 'Teacher Song.'"

"Plus, his wife and child disappeared at that critical moment. The only reasonable explanation is that 'Teacher Song's' people have his family, so Pan Lun won't talk."

Li Mengyang pressed, "But do you really think Zhang Mufeng would be the one to pass information?"

Haifeng responded, "I hope neither Zhang Mufeng nor Wang Xueyi is the one. They're both comrades."

"But they were the last to see Pan Lun. Pan Lun didn't leave before our arrest, meaning he found out about his family's predicament only after being caught."

"After his arrest, only Zhang Mufeng and Wang Xueyi had contact with him. One of them must have relayed the information. So both will be investigated."

Li Mengyang said nothing more, quietly heading for the door. Before leaving, he turned to Haifeng, "Actually, you trust Zhang Mufeng, don't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't say Pan Lun's family is the key to breaking the money laundering case."

"We could crack the syndicate with Zhao Zhijie and Li Weiwei alone, no need for Pan Lun's confession. You're prioritizing finding Pan Lun's family to prove Zhang Mufeng's innocence. Am I right?"

Haifeng didn't deny it. He nodded and replied frankly, "That's part of it. The other is that I don't want innocent people dragged in."

"Pan Lun is guilty, but that doesn't mean his family is. Besides, if we don't find them first, both Pan Lun and his family could be in danger."

Li Mengyang listened and left the room without another word.

Li Weiwei was full of questions herself as she walked through Mingcheng University's campus. Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked Zhao Zhijie, "Didn't you already find their accounts? Can't we use those to trace the money laundering firm? Why bother investigating all these people? Isn't it a waste of time?"

Zhao Zhijie smiled, "Didn't you notice Zhang Mufeng didn't show up today?"

Li Weiwei replied, "Group Leader Hai said he was on another mission."

Zhao Zhijie smiled wryly. He knew Li Weiwei was a rare genius in the cyber world, but in real life, she could be surprisingly naive.

He said, "Have you ever seen Group Leader Hai assign someone to work alone? Aren't we always a team?"

Li Weiwei agreed, "That's true. Why is Zhang Mufeng working solo this time? Is it some secret mission?"

Zhao Zhijie laughed, "I don't know what secret mission Zhang Mufeng's on. But before we started investigating Pan Lun, I'd already found those accounts and reported to Group Leader Hai."

"So, as you said, we don't actually need to find Pan Lun's family to investigate the money laundering syndicate. We don't even need Pan Lun's cooperation. The reason we're searching for his family must be for some other purpose."

Li Weiwei asked again, "What purpose?"

Zhao Zhijie replied, "I don't know, but I suspect it has something to do with Zhang Mufeng's departure."

Li Weiwei fell silent, and the two left Mingcheng University together.

Wen Yuxin left with Liu Zhiyang. As they walked, Wen Yuxin said nothing, but Liu Zhiyang couldn't hold back. "Yuxin, don't you feel something's off today? Why aren't you asking anything?"

Wen Yuxin smiled, "If you want to talk, you'll tell me. If you don't, there's no need for me to force you."

Liu Zhiyang stopped, looked at her, and said, "I knew you all figured it out. Zhang Mufeng isn't on some other mission—he's being investigated!"

"They say he's joining the investigation team to review the case, but really they're assigning others to investigate him!"

"You know Zhang Mufeng—how could he possibly collude with 'Teacher Song'? They claim it's for fairness, so Zhang Mufeng must be included, but that kid could never do something like that."

"It's a waste of manpower and resources. If you ask me, just investigate Wang Xueyi. Why involve Zhang Mufeng? Don't they trust their own comrades?"

"Is this fairness? Just because Zhang Mufeng and Wang Xueyi were the last to see Pan Lun, both get investigated?"

"Who is Wang Xueyi? Who is Zhang Mufeng? Are they the same? How can they be treated equally?"

"You don't know Wang Xueyi—he's a scoundrel. No one under him says a good word. Only at the Mingtan substation could he be promoted; anywhere else, he'd have been kicked out long ago."

"Always loud and boisterous, barking orders—get him to talk work, he says nothing; get him to drink or gamble, he's faster than anyone, addicted to alcohol and gambling, nothing like a leader."

"Plus, Wang Xueyi caused Shen Lian's death. Do you know who Shen Lian was? Serious, upright—a promising talent!"

"But under Wang Xueyi, Shen Lian committed suicide in less than two years. No one would believe Wang Xueyi had nothing to do with it. It's obvious Wang Xueyi's fault, yet they're treating him the same as Zhang Mufeng. I can't understand their reasoning."

Wen Yuxin smiled, "This isn't like you. Aren't you a legal expert? Isn't everyone equal before the law, and shouldn't facts and evidence speak? Isn't that basic legal principle?"

"So why have you already condemned Wang Xueyi?"

Liu Zhiyang was struck speechless by her question. He knew he was being prejudiced.

He had always handled cases calmly, never taking sides, always staying neutral. As a legal worker, he knew that a misjudgment would undermine people's faith in justice.

So he always maintained cool neutrality, never taking sides early, never making assertions without evidence.

But when it involved himself, and someone he cared about—Zhang Mufeng—he couldn't help but take sides.

Wen Yuxin saw his silence and continued, "I believe Zhang Mufeng is innocent. That kid has a natural likability, and we've worked together so long—I don't think he'd ever do such a thing."

"No matter what, I don't believe he's connected to the money laundering syndicate. So all the more reason for us to prove his innocence, right?"

Liu Zhiyang nodded and left the campus with Wen Yuxin.

In the following days, the White Tiger Group proceeded with their investigation as planned.

The probes into He Qian and Wang Xueyi yielded little; both seemed unrelated to Pan Lun's case, living their lives as usual.

But it wasn't long before they found a clue. Less than a week later, someone contacted Pan Lun—or rather, Pan Lun reached out.

After less than a week in detention, Pan Lun was sent to the hospital for examination due to illness. During the checkup, a young nurse, taking advantage of the guards' distraction, showed Pan Lun a live video—his wife and child.

Seeing his family, Pan Lun whispered, "Don't hurt my family, I'll keep my mouth shut, you can trust me." The video offered no reply; the nurse pocketed the phone and left.

After leaving the ward, the nurse hurried outside and handed the phone to a waiting man.

The man took the phone and left the hospital.

Soon after, Yan Maoqing received a call: "Boss, I've done what you asked. Pan Lun has seen the video. He says he'll keep quiet."

Yan Maoqing replied, "Understood. Go home, I'll contact you if needed," and hung up.

Zhao Zhijie and Li Weiwei witnessed everything and reported immediately to Haifeng, who instructed them to follow the man. Not long after, Haifeng, Li Mengyang, and others arrived.

Outside the man's apartment, Haifeng asked Li Weiwei, "Do you know who he contacted?"

Li Weiwei replied, "I've hacked his phone. He made a call; I have the number. But what the nurse did with his phone isn't clear."

Haifeng said, "Probably to let Pan Lun know his family is safe, so he won't betray them."

Li Weiwei answered, "That I'm not sure."

Li Mengyang spoke, "If you want to know, I can ask him—it's simple."

Haifeng cautioned, "We can't arrest him yet; it'd alarm others and we don't have a solid reason."

Li Mengyang smiled, "I'm not interrogating, just asking. When he comes out, I'll hypnotize him and get the answers."

Haifeng considered and agreed, "That could work. Let's wait."

Soon, the man emerged to find food. Zhao Zhijie and Haifeng quietly approached from behind and knocked him out.

When the man woke, blindfolded, he was brought before Li Mengyang.

He had no idea what had happened, thinking he was kidnapped by some enemy, shouting and screaming.

Li Mengyang played soothing music, waited for the man to calm, whispered a few words to him, and patted his shoulder, then said to Haifeng, "It's done, Group Leader Hai, you can question him."

Haifeng nodded. "Why did you visit Pan Lun?"

The man replied, "I don't know Pan Lun."

Haifeng looked at Li Mengyang, who said, "He probably really doesn't know who Pan Lun is—just following orders."

Haifeng nodded and asked, "What did you do at the hospital?"

The man answered, "Showed someone a video on the boss's orders."

"What video?"

"A video chat."

"Who's your boss?"

"Boss Yan."

Haifeng took the man's phone and handed it to Zhao Zhijie, who checked it and said, "There was a video chat; the timestamp matches."

Haifeng nodded and asked Li Weiwei, "Can you identify the other party?"

Li Weiwei shook her head. "The video chat server is hard to hack; getting data is tough."

Haifeng thought. "Then install monitoring software on his phone and see who he contacts."

Li Weiwei agreed.

Then they sent the man home.

When he came to, lying at his doorstep, he had no memory of how he got there.

He tried to recall but found nothing.

His stomach growled, so he didn't dwell on it and went to find food.

Leaving his apartment, Haifeng fell into deep thought. He knew the video chat was meant to show Pan Lun his family's situation, but now—how could he find out where Pan Lun's family was or locate them?

He had no immediate solution.

Soon, Zhao Zhijie spoke, "Group Leader Hai, actually we can get the other side to tell us their location."

Haifeng looked up, puzzled.

Zhao Zhijie explained, "We now know the video chat username. If the chat was to show Pan Lun his family, then the user must know where they are."

"We just need to lure them out!"

Haifeng asked, "How?"

Zhao Zhijie looked Haifeng in the eye, "Honey trap."

Li Weiwei burst out laughing at his answer. "That's your brilliant idea? Honey trap? Are you volunteering?"

Zhao Zhijie replied, "Definitely not me, but Li Mengyang could do it."

Li Mengyang smiled at Zhao Zhijie, "It's a good plan."

He turned to Haifeng, "Let me seduce them. I have plenty of female accounts on the video chat platform—I'll use those to lure them out."

Haifeng nodded. "If it works, give it a try."

Li Mengyang quickly added the man who had kidnapped Pan Lun's family.

The kidnappers spent every day cooped up with Pan Lun's wife and child, bored out of their minds, playing cards, watching videos, or chatting online.

When a girl added them, they were thrilled.

Li Mengyang, a psychology expert, easily convinced the man he was lucky, that he'd found a romantic opportunity.

With lust clouding his judgment, the man easily revealed that Pan Lun's wife and child were with them, and even disclosed their location.

With local police support, the White Tiger Group raided the room at midnight. The kidnappers, caught in their sleep, were swiftly subdued and Pan Lun's wife and child rescued.

Through interrogating the kidnappers, the mastermind Yan Maoqing was exposed.

Haifeng knew Yan Maoqing was working with 'Teacher Song,' but unfortunately, the kidnappers provided little useful information—they simply followed orders and knew little.

Haifeng and the group brought Pan Lun's wife and child back to Mingcheng.

Once they were safely settled, Haifeng returned to the detention center where Pan Lun was held.

Recalling the terrified words of Pan Lun's family, Haifeng realized their enemy was both formidable and cunning.

But Haifeng was determined not to let this sly adversary escape again; he believed the truth would soon come to light. In his heart, he vowed, "Teacher Song, you won't escape this time."

As the doors of the detention center opened, the members of the White Tiger Group entered once more.