The Elephant Gang guards inside the gallery exchanged glances and stepped aside as told.
Chen Chuan walked in across the polished floor laid with intricate, colorful patterns. Having entered the second stage and mastered several refined techniques, he no longer radiated an overt, sharp intensity whenever he went out as he had during the first stage. Earlier, when meeting Deng Xin, he had kept his spirit fully contained.
However, on his way over just now, he had deliberately unleashed both his spirit and his field. Under the concussive pressure of that spiritual force, ordinary people could not withstand it and immediately lost consciousness.
This gesture made it unmistakably clear to those inside that he had arrived. Otherwise, had he simply charged straight in, none of them would even have had time to react.
Stepping into the hall, his gaze swept over the room. Four elderly and middle-aged men dressed in Sheni attire stood there.
The Elephant Gang was bound by kinship. These elders were not only senior figures within the gang but also clan elders to the younger generation. The middle-aged man was exceptionally burly, wearing a jade earring in one ear and holding a whip, exuding a fierce, domineering presence.
Around them stood more than twenty guards, tensely training their firearms on him.
In the center of the hall, a young man was bound and kneeling on the floor. His muscles bulged in defined knots, and even on his knees, his imposing aura towered above most people in the room, drawing attention at first glance. This was surely Tu Nai.
A tall elder stepped forward, his courtesy tinged with caution. "We did not expect the esteemed Captain Chen of the Disposal Bureau to grace us with his presence. May I ask what advice Captain Chen has for our Elephant Gang?"
Chen Chuan was not surprised that the elder recognized him. If a gang in Center City did not know a fighter holding an official post in the Disposal Bureau, they wouldn't have survived this long.
The man spoke the Great Shun dialect fluently, without a trace of an accent. Although the Sheni lived in Center City, they kept to their own insular circle, remaining quite closed-off and preserving their native tongue. For that very reason, however, they also suffered disdain and ostracism from the rest of the city.
In contrast, people from the Outer Ocean island nations almost entirely spoke the language of Great Shun, tossing around old-era allusions and idioms with ease. Except for their attire and customs, they were virtually indistinguishable from Great Shun locals, which gave them a distinct advantage in Center City.
Chen Chuan asked, "How should I address you?"
The elder answered, "Tu Man."
Chen Chuan recalled the data he had reviewed earlier. This man was likely Tu Ge's brother, responsible for some of the gang's day-to-day affairs.
Chen Chuan said, "Mr. Tu Man, I am here on Bureau orders following an important lead. I suspect your chieftain's death is connected to the Swordfish Gang and their backer, the Ferris Wheel Company. That is why I need to speak with whoever can make decisions here right now."
The moment he said this, an uproar rippled through the surrounding crowd. Hadn't they said it was Tu Nai's negligence in fetching the wrong medicine that killed the old chieftain?
So it was actually the Swordfish Gang and Ferris Wheel?
This explanation seemed far easier to accept.
Even Tu Nai, kneeling on the floor, gave a sudden start and turned to look at Chen Chuan. But the middle-aged man stepped up and lashed his whip across Tu Nai's back, barking, "Kneel down!"
Tu Nai slowly sank back to his knees.
Tu Man asked in a heavy voice, "Captain Chen, are you saying the Swordfish Gang and Ferris Wheel are pulling strings behind the scenes?"
Chen Chuan replied, "I am currently investigating. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here today. The Disposal Bureau received word in advance and was in the middle of assessing the situation when trouble broke out on your end."
The middle-aged man stepped forward. "Captain Chen, do you have concrete evidence for this?"
Chen Chuan glanced at him without answering.
"Tu Han!" Tu Man snapped in reprimand. "Captain Chen is an enforcement captain of the Disposal Bureau. He wouldn't make reckless claims without concrete leads."
They were not a powerful faction like the Tianshu Gang with a multitude of fighters of their own, nor were they backed by the Ferris Wheel Company like the Swordfish Gang. They had no patrons behind them; they had originated merely as a tight-knit band of foreign hired laborers sticking together.
Although the young hotheads in the gang held the authorities in contempt nowadays, traditional elders like them still harbored deep awe and fear toward official power.
Moreover, Tu Man figured that if it weren't to pursue a lead, Chen Chuan had no reason to come to the Elephant Gang at all. His words were thoroughly credible.
Chen Chuan looked down at Tu Nai. "Just now, you believed your leader's death fell on him?"
The middle-aged man said loudly, "He was responsible for the old chieftain's medicine, and the old chieftain died after taking the medicine he brought. Of course we have to hold him accountable!"
Chen Chuan said, "It must be investigated, of course. I need to take him with me to get to the bottom of this."
This was the simplest way to handle it. He had never intended to offer any defense on Tu Nai's behalf—that would be pointless. Taking him away directly was enough, and along the way, he could investigate the matter.
Tu Man hesitated slightly.
The middle-aged man urgently looked to Tu Man, reminding him, "Uncle Man, this is our gang's internal affair." Following leads was one thing, but they did not want the Disposal Bureau meddling, as that would leave endless trouble down the line.
Chen Chuan, however, replied in a calm, indifferent tone, "Sir, perhaps you are mistaken. I am merely informing you, not asking for your consent."
"You..." Anger flashed across the middle-aged man's face.
Tu Man reached out to block him and said gravely to Chen Chuan, "Captain Chen, we will give you face. You may take him, but we hope the Disposal Bureau will give us a definite outcome."
In truth, refusing to give face was not even an option. Chen Chuan's presence was overwhelmingly intimidating. When he breached the perimeter just now, virtually no one outside had been able to stand against him. Tu Man possessed sharp discernment; he had no doubt Chen Chuan could easily knock down everyone present before walking out with the prisoner.
Besides, if Chen Chuan could break in once, he could break in a second time. They truly did not want to make an enemy of such a person—let alone the Disposal Bureau standing behind him.
Chen Chuan said, "You will receive your answer."
Tu Man looked at Tu Nai on the ground. "Tu Nai, did you hear that? Follow Captain Chen back to get this cleared up. If you can't clear your name, don't bother coming back."
Tu Nai had been listening intently to their exchange. Now he stood up abruptly, flexing his arms until the iron shackles binding him snapped apart. Taking a breath, he said, "I'll go with Captain Chen. I will find a way to uncover the truth behind Granduncle's death."
Chen Chuan said, "Then let's go."
"Wait."
Tu Man called out again and walked over. "Captain Chen, may we speak in private for a moment?"
Chen Chuan looked at him. "Certainly."
Tu Man gestured, leading Chen Chuan toward an open space off to the side. Once they were a safe distance from the others, he said to Chen Chuan, "Captain Chen, to be honest, I believe this isn't something Tu Nai could have done.
"Brother Tu Ge's health had been failing for some time, and he was already preparing for the leadership transition. He intended to pass the reins to Tu Nai all along—otherwise he wouldn't have put him in charge of his daily medicine. Why would Tu Nai harm him?
"It's just that Tu Nai is stubbornly rigid. When people prodded and provoked him, he insisted on shouldering the blame himself.
"Tu Nai holds great sway among the youth. Punishing him or letting him go are both difficult options. I believe that was precisely the goal of the Swordfish Gang and the Ferris Wheel Company. That's why having you take him away is actually a good thing. I only hope the Disposal Bureau can get to the bottom of this.
"I know the Bureau does not wish to see the Swordfish Gang reign supreme in Yinglu District. Our Elephant Gang still has some value to you."
Chen Chuan thought to himself that this old man was quite sharp. His intention was obvious: he hoped the Disposal Bureau would genuinely clear Tu Nai's name so he could return to take over as gang leader, thereby preserving the gang's stability. At the same time, he was subtly signaling their willingness to cooperate with the Bureau.
He said, "The truth will come to light."
"Then my thanks to you, Captain Chen."
Just then, a commotion rose outside, sounding like a multitude of voices shouting. One of the gang guards checked his boundary credential, and his complexion abruptly changed.
He looked up and said, "Tu Liu is outside claiming that Tu Nai and the Swordfish Gang poisoned the old chieftain to death! He's out front shouting that he's going to lead people to take revenge on the Swordfish Gang, and a lot of our men have been incited by him!"
"That Tu Liu!" The elders present were filled with shock and fury.
Chen Chuan looked toward the outside. It seemed the situation had shifted.
Fast as he had moved, someone else had moved even faster.
This was very likely a coordinated plan: first eliminate Tu Ge, then agitate the masses, egging them on to avenge their leader.
The timing was picked meticulously. Exploiting the Elephant Gang members' grief and indignation made it easy to incite them to assault the Swordfish Gang.
One could readily imagine that the Swordfish Gang was already fully prepared, just waiting for them to arrive so they wouldn't have to bear the blame for initiating hostilities afterward.
He turned back and said, "Mr. Tu Man, with events unfolding in such rapid succession, this Tu Liu is clearly suspect. You need to make a decision. But do it quickly—delay any longer, and no one will be able to save the Elephant Gang. Or... I can make the decision for you."
Tu Man's expression shifted. He swiftly exchanged glances and quiet words with the elders behind him. He knew that once the gang members were stirred into a frenzy, they would be like a runaway vehicle, inevitably careening out of control until smashed to pieces.
The other elders lacked long-term foresight, but even they knew how dangerous this moment was; they could not let the rank-and-file run wild. Furthermore, they grew deeply wary of Tu Liu.
As the gang's foremost conservative faction, they had no desire to be swept along by the underlings, which would mean diminished influence and a transfer of gang power.
Thus, they swiftly reached a consensus.
Tu Man stepped back over and asked, "Captain Chen, can you do it?"
Chen Chuan said bluntly, "Tell me where he is."
Tu Man immediately had someone mark the location on Chen Chuan's boundary credential and sent over a contact method. "Captain Chen, we leave Tu Liu to you to handle. We will soothe and settle things on our end afterward."
Tu Nai stepped forward. "Captain Chen, Tu Liu is formidable, and he has a lot of men around him. Let me go with you."
Tu Man said sharply, "Tu Nai, you cannot show your face right now. Stay here!"
Chen Chuan said, "Mr. Tu Man is right. If you show yourself right now, it will only complicate matters further. Going alone is more than enough for me."
Chapter 514