Chapter 236 235: Person of Interest

But Mu Lin just nodded without saying anything.

Two hundred million was more than enough for Hong Rui to live a wonderful life.

Any more than that wouldn't necessarily be a good thing.

Even Mu Lin wasn't sure if having two hundred million wouldn't corrupt her.

"Hurry up and apologize!" Zhong Wentao urged.

Zhong Haoyu kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead striking the floor with a series of THUDS.

Mu Lin waved a hand dismissively. "Stop the act. You're making a show of being sincere, but you think I don't know what you're really like?"

"If you ever pull something like this again, I'll cut you down without mercy!"

"Leave the money and the items. Now, get lost!"

Zhong Wentao was already prepared. He carefully took out the items and handed them to Mu Lin.

"Sir, please look this over."

Mu Lin glanced down and saw that labels had been stuck on the bank cards, with names and amounts written on them in clear script.

It was clear Zhong Wentao's preparations had been quite thorough.

Mu Lin suddenly felt like he'd been had. To put it simply, he'd asked for too little money.

'I should have asked for more.'

But they were already gone, and there was no point in going after them. Mu Lin sighed and handed the card with fifty million to Lao Xiang.

Lao Xiang frantically shook his head. "No, I can't. This is far too much!"

Mu Lin said seriously, "Take it. You took such good care of Hong Rui, so of course I can't treat you poorly."

Lao Xiang was apprehensive, but under Mu Lin's insistent gaze, he accepted the money.

Mu Lin then handed the remaining card and keys to Hong Rui. "Here, take these."

Hong Rui frantically shook her head. "That's too much money! I can't take it!"

But Mu Lin insisted, "I told you to take it, so take it. Or do you plan on living in that house for the rest of your life? I am your father, and I will not allow you to live like that."

Hong Rui nodded. "I understand… I'll take it, then…"

Whenever he mentioned being her father, Hong Rui found it impossible to refuse, so she hastily accepted.

Mu Lin's phone vibrated. He picked it up to read the message, but just as he finished, a call came in from Tang Zhi.

"Brother Mu, did you see the text?"

"I did."

"Then you must understand how serious this is."

"Wang Zuguang is a high-priority person of interest for the Military Suppression Bureau. That means he's no simple businessman. If you can, it's best to stay far away from him."

Mu Lin frowned. "Did you guys mess up the data entry? Isn't his backer the Ning Family? Where did this other organization come from?"

Tang Zhi scratched his head, trying to figure out how to explain the situation to Mu Lin as quickly as possible.

"It's like this: the Ning Family is indeed one of his patrons, but there's another faction supporting him as well!"

"How strong are they? If they're just a bunch of small-time crooks, I don't mind dealing with them at the same time."

Tang Zhi broke out in a cold sweat. "Don't! Absolutely not! It's not that simple!"

Mu Lin sighed. "Then what do you suggest?"

"This group is incredibly powerful. You need to think this through carefully!"

The night before, just before Su Longfei died, he had spat out a string of resentful curses. One of the names he'd cursed was Wang Zuguang.

At the time, Tang Zhi had felt the hair on his body stand on end, and he'd nearly cried out in alarm.

When he got to work today, he'd quickly looked him up. As it turned out, this Wang Zuguang was anything but simple.

Zhong Wentao led Zhong Haoyu toward the dance hall.

Zhong Haoyu was terrified. He truly had no idea what fate awaited him.

'It's too terrifying.'

"Dad, slow down a little…"

He had kowtowed so hard that he'd injured his knees.

Zhong Wentao's expression was as black as thunder.

"Slow down? Any slower and we'll be killed by Mu Lin! From this day forward, do not, under any circumstances, oppose Mu Lin! That man's power is far beyond anything you or I can imagine!"

"We managed to get away with just paying a small price this time, but what about the next? You tell me, what happens then?"

Zhong Haoyu was on the verge of a breakdown.

"I… I don't know!"

"Then start behaving yourself! And those members of the Hong Family went too far. Deal with them. Make them hand over every penny they embezzled. If they don't, put them in concrete shoes and dump them in the river to feed the fish."

"Right! Right!"

Zhong Haoyu returned to the dance hall and decided to make an example of Hong Changlin first.

The man was a security guard at the hall, and he was the one who had first recommended Hong Rui to Zhong Haoyu, hoping to use the connection to climb the social ladder.

Zhong Haoyu hated his guts. 'If it weren't for him,' he thought, 'would I have had to suffer through all this?'

He searched everywhere but couldn't find him. After asking around, he learned that Hong Changlin hadn't been seen since the day before yesterday.

'He's probably off somewhere, dreaming about becoming my brother-in-law,' Zhong Haoyu thought with a sneer.

Zhong Haoyu got the man's address and stormed over to his residence.

But the scene that greeted him left him utterly stunned.

Hong Changlin barely looked human anymore; he had been beaten beyond recognition.

You couldn't even call what was left of him a person.

Upon further inquiry, he discovered that the members of the Hong Family had already met a gruesome fate.

Few had fared any better than Hong Changlin.

He didn't need to think hard to know who was behind it. This was definitely Mu Lin's handiwork. It was only coming to light now because the victims were too insignificant for anyone to have noticed sooner.

Zhong Haoyu promptly fled the scene and reported the grisly discovery to his father.

Zhong Wentao pursed his lips, speechless for a long moment. Finally, he let out a long sigh.

"It's a very good thing we managed to reconcile with Mu Lin."

Meanwhile, Mu Lin was at the station, seeing Lao Xiang onto a train.

Lao Xiang wanted to go home for a visit. He was from a small town in Anhua, and he'd been so busy looking after Hong Rui recently that he hadn't had time to attend to matters at home.

More importantly, with this large sum of money, he could provide a better life for his family.

Mu Lin helped Lao Xiang place his bag under the seat. "Uncle Xiang, if you're ever in Anhua, feel free to come find me. I'll be sure to treat you well."

"Oh, I couldn't possibly impose," Lao Xiang said, ever the polite one.

Mu Lin gave him a serious look. "We're all family here. What's with the formalities?"

Left with no response, Lao Xiang simply nodded.

Hong Rui, her eyes welling with tears, added, "If it weren't for Uncle Xiang these past few days, I'm afraid I would have been defiled long ago."

Lin Shishi stood beside them, putting an arm around Hong Rui's shoulders, and said softly,

"There are more good people than bad in the world, and hardship doesn't last forever."

"From now on, your life will be filled with happiness!"

Lin Shishi hugged Hong Rui, and in a burst of emotion, she said, "Why don't I take Ruirui as my sworn little sister? Brother Mu, what do you think?"

Mu Lin scratched his head. "What's it got to do with me? Why are you asking me?"

Lin Shishi couldn't quite explain it either. "I don't know. I just felt like I should ask you."

"You don't need to ask me! Ask Hong Rui. As long as she's willing, you have my full support!"

Hong Rui's eyes were also red. She knew Lin Shishi was a young lady from a wealthy family; her own father could work his entire life and still not afford a car like hers.

She would never have dared to dream of becoming sisters with someone like Lin Shishi.

She asked timidly, "Is it really okay for me to do that?"

"Of course it is! You're so adorable, why wouldn't it be?" Lin Shishi looked like she wanted to plant a big kiss right on Hong Rui's cheek.

Hong Rui couldn't hold back her tears any longer. They fell in large drops as she cried out, "Sister Shishi!"

Lin Shishi excitedly pulled Hong Rui into a tight hug. The two held each other close, heart to heart.

After a long while, they finally let go. Lin Shishi said, "Little Sister Ruirui, I'm taking you shopping! Brother Mu, can you be our bag carrier?"

Mu Lin said with a laugh, "Of course, no problem!"

As luck would have it, his phone rang just then. Mu Lin took it out and saw the caller was Tang Shuang.

"Brother Mu, you have to come quick!" Tang Shuang's voice was choked with sobs, and she was crying so hard that for a moment, Mu Lin couldn't figure out what was wrong.

"First, stop crying. Can you please tell me what's going on?" Mu Lin asked.

Tang Shuang sobbed, "You'll see when you get here!"

'She must be in some kind of danger,' Mu Lin thought. He didn't hesitate any longer and set off at once.

Before he even reached Tang Shuang's home, Mu Lin saw large, blood-red words painted by the door.

'What's going on here?'

Mu Lin knocked on the door. "Tang Shuang! It's Mu Lin."

The door flew open, and with a wail, Tang Shuang threw herself into Mu Lin's arms, crying her eyes out. "Brother Mu! You're finally here!"

"Easy now. Take your time and tell me what happened," Mu Lin asked in a gentle voice.

"Look at these words! And the marks on the door!"

Mu Lin had already seen them. "It's bad. So what's this all about?"

Tang Shuang sobbed, "My boss wouldn't let me quit. I was really upset, so I said a few things, and then a group of thugs showed up and started spray-painting the walls."

Mu Lin pursed his lips. "Where's your brother? With his skills, he should have no problem taking on a few common thugs, right?"

Tang Shuang explained, "My brother dropped me off and left. He's incredibly busy, always on the go…"

Mu Lin sighed. With the vast Martial World and countless masters to keep in check, it would be strange if the Military Suppression Bureau *wasn't* busy.

"But what does this have to do with you quitting your job?"

Mu Lin had finally gotten to the heart of the matter.