Chapter 1 After One Day

A day later, Bashi in the Second District.

Zhou Xian was lying on a lounge chair in a hotel, covered with a blanket, having slept for less than three hours.

A sound of footsteps came from outside. A young man, holding some documents, patted Zhou Xian on the shoulder and softly called out, "Team leader!"

Zhou Xian woke up groggily and immediately sat up straight, asking, "What's wrong?"

"I didn't want to disturb your rest, but it's just that... we've found a very important clue." The young man leaned over and sat across from Zhou Xian.

"Stop with the preamble, just tell me!" Zhou Xian threw off the blanket, turned and walked to the office beside him, made a cup of American coffee with warm water, and downed it in one gulp.

The young man put the documents on the table, his voice a little excited, and said, "The Xin Xiaoming line has led to a big clue. We found that his three companies in Bashi and Lishi in the Second District, as well as several shell companies in the Third District, were all liquidated and emptied."

Zhou Xian leaned over and sat on the sofa, excitedly lighting a cigarette: "And then?"

"We contacted the relevant departments in the Second and Third Districts and obtained a lot of information." The young man said in a low voice, "In the investigation of the flow of funds, and in the business investigation of each trading company, we found that Xin Xiaoming's small companies are all related to an enterprise called Hongfang Group."

Zhou Xian was stunned: "A Chinese-funded enterprise?"

"Yes." The young man nodded with a serious expression.

Hearing this, Zhou Xian felt enlightened.

Xin Xiaoming is the son of Xin Chaojie, the division commander of the Third Division of the Garrison Corps. He had been studying in the Second District and, after graduating, entered the business world, where he was very visible in some circles of Chinese dignitaries.

Xin Xiaoming's choice to do business was his own idea, and Xin Chaojie's rank could not be promoted any further. Furthermore, many relatives were already placed in the army, so he did not need to have his son enlist and slowly accumulate qualifications.

Doing business was, in effect, a way to monetize the Xin family's power. In recent years, Xin Xiaoming had done quite well, leveraging his father's and family's connections to amass wealth that several generations could not spend.

Before coming to the Second District, Zhou Xian had anticipated that the clues to the murderer might lead to the garrison or the Tongji Association, but he did not expect to reel in such a big fish so quickly.

Inside the hotel room, the young man continued, "The time when Xin Xiaoming's companies were liquidated and left was exactly after the military supplies were robbed. According to our investigation, the liquidation process of these companies was very simple and crude. The core leadership ran away or disappeared, and even the wages of many middle and lower-level employees were not settled before the companies closed down."

Zhou Xian paused: "What about their relationship with Hongfang Group? Anything unusual?"

"It's not just something unusual, it's all unusual." The young man pushed the documents in front of Zhou Xian and summarized succinctly: "In short, the cooperation model between Xin Xiaoming and Hongfang Group is like buying futures or speculating on tea. Hongfang Group invests funds and goods, allowing a large number of people to perform, while Xin Xiaoming's companies are like buying stocks. They enter Hongfang Group's projects by investing, but they don't need to hoard goods, or even look at the actual goods. They just transfer the money to Hongfang Group's account and leave it there for a while. At the end of the year, Xin Xiaoming can get dividends. To put it bluntly, this is bribery. Hongfang Group is providing Xin Xiaoming with economic benefits for free!"

Zhou Xian rubbed his palms: "I didn't expect the Xin Chaojie family to have such a big stake in the Second and Third Districts!"

"Which Dragon City general isn't greedy?! From Tan Hengqiang down to the platoon leaders, everyone is pocketing money." The young man said very realistically, "But the difference is that many people pocket money within the lines, while Xin Chaojie found a channel for transferring benefits from Huaxia capital!"

Zhou Xian looked up and asked, "What about this Hongfang Group? Have they also withdrawn?!"

"No, this group is very big, with seven or eight well-known subsidiaries. They certainly won't liquidate because of this, otherwise the economic losses would be too great." The young man replied immediately, "But!!! All the subsidiaries currently connected with Xin Xiaoming are now empty."

At this point, the thread was very clear.

Zhou Xian took a puff of his cigarette and immediately said, "Xin Chaojie has connections with Huaxia capital, and his son Xin Xiaoming is the main channel for transferring benefits between the two. Huaxia capital secretly manipulated people in the Sinaloa region to rob the military supplies. During this period, Xin Chaojie was at least an accomplice, or perhaps a specific participant. They originally wanted to frame the Tongji Association for this, but they didn't act. After the matter escalated, Xin Chaojie found a thug in the Second District to kill Yang Gang, or so we can speculate for now?!"

"Yes, the logic is sound." The young man agreed with Zhou Xian's view.

Zhou Xian stubbed out his cigarette: "Transfer people. Transfer fifty new recruits from the First District to investigate Xin Xiaoming with all our strength! If I can't catch him, I'll catch his company's executives. If the Xin family really did this, then directly control Xin Chaojie in Dragon City!"

"I estimate that the garrison will create obstacles for us." The young man said immediately, "Xin Chaojie is a division commander and Tan Hengqiang's direct subordinate. Now that the fire has reached this stage, the garrison can't possibly not panic! If a division commander falls, how much will he have to cough up? How many people will be implicated?!"

"We are going to have a falling out with the garrison sooner or later." Zhou Xian replied without hesitation, "Our political stances are different, and Tan Hengqiang's wings have hardened. So, if this case can ultimately be pinned on the Xin family, then we can take this opportunity to replace the decision-making level of the Dragon City Garrison Corps..."

The young man was stunned: "Isn't this too hasty? When you met Kang Dinghuang, he said that it was best not to..."

"Dinghuang's ability is not a problem, but he thinks about power struggles too idealistically. If you don't show your sword, who will obediently listen to you, who will take the initiative to hand over power?" Zhou Xian waved his hand and said, "Struggle is inevitable!"

Hearing this answer, the young man slowly nodded.

...

After Zhou Xian found the Xin Xiaoming line, he immediately transferred people from the First District and began to investigate the related companies involved.

At the same time.

In Sinaloa's Sr Lanka town, Zhao Weihu received a call from Su Tianyu: "Hello? What's the situation?!"

"Brother, how is it? Did you make a fortune by taking Sr Lanka?" Su Tianyu asked with a smile.

"How should I put it... You could say I cracked the bank's safe." Zhao Weihu replied with a smile, "The important military equipment of the rebel army's 125th regiment are basically all in Sr Lanka. I'm temporarily stuffed after this wave."