Passersby noticed the fallen assassin but no one approached to check.
The assassin, who had been alive and kicking moments before, lay on the cold ground, ignored.
After a few minutes, Chen Fan took out his phone and called Han Wei.
After giving the address, he asked Han Wei to bring people to take away the body and conduct an investigation.
Then, thinking the sniper had likely left his original position, he cautiously approached the body, wary of being shot by the sniper.
His body remained tense, but no more bullets flew.
The assassin's face was not young, appearing to be nearly forty, with an ordinary hairstyle and a medium build.
A search of his person, as expected, yielded no identification.
The sound of footsteps approached; it was the bodyguard from before, who had finally caught up.
Panting, he looked at the corpse, his face a mask of shock.
He hadn't expected the assassin to be shot dead.
"How did he die? A sniper?"
Chen Fan nodded, pointing to a distant building, and said, "It was likely from that direction, but there probably won't be any clues. I've already called the police!"
The bodyguard frowned upon hearing this. "You don't need to take matters into your own hands!"
Chen Fan scoffed, "I saved your boss's life, and you're saying I acted on my own? If not for calling the police, should I have handled it myself?"
"The Wu family's affairs are handled internally; you outsiders don't need to interfere."
With Wu Chaoyang having been attacked, the bodyguard was in a foul mood. He spoke rudely and then took out his phone to make a call.
Chen Fan paid the man no mind and turned back to the restaurant.
He wasn't worried about Han Wei's efficiency; her team would arrive sooner than the Wu family's people. Even if they hadn't arrived, it didn't matter, as Han Wei's status was no less than Wu Chaoyang's, so there was no concern about the Wu family seizing or covering up the case.
Returning to the Prairie Restaurant, the place had already been cordoned off. The owner and waiters stood nervously in the lobby, being questioned by Du Fumin.
"Young Master Du!"
Chen Fan called out.
"Mr. Chen, how did it go?"
Du Fumin asked hurriedly.
"He's dead!"
Chen Fan replied.
Du Fumin's expression startled. "You mean the assassin is dead? What happened?"
"Sniper shot him from a distance."
Chen Fan observed Du Fumin's expression, finding no hint of deception, and couldn't determine if Du Fumin was aware of the plot or if he had orchestrated it.
"He was killed by a sniper before I could even catch up."
"This is troublesome," Du Fumin frowned. "Young Master Wu is not a forgiving person. Once the Wu family mobilizes, it can stir up a lot of trouble."
"Who exactly is it that dared to assassinate Young Master Wu?"
Chen Fan chimed in, "Indeed. Given Young Master Wu's status, who would dare to target him? How is Young Master Wu?"
"He's at the hospital. His injuries shouldn't be serious," Du Fumin said. "I'll stay to handle the aftermath."
"Have you found anything out? Do you need help?"
Chen Fan asked.
"No one knows what happened. The waiter's body was found in the kitchen restroom; they were impersonated," Du Fumin replied. "It's unlikely we'll find anything more."
"As for help, it's not necessary. I've already notified my people, and the Wu family will have someone take over shortly."
Du Fumin said, "Mr. Chen, you can go back. This was supposed to be a banquet celebrating your joining us, and it turned out like this. What unfortunate timing."
"As long as you're alright, why dwell on it?" Chen Fan said.
Du Fumin seemed to recall something and appraised Chen Fan. "I didn't realize you were so skilled, Mr. Chen?"
"Oh, I work out regularly and have practiced taekwondo before. It's nothing too great, but it means I'm not afraid when things happen. Unlike you guys, I don't bring bodyguards everywhere!"
Whether Du Fumin believed him or not was unclear. "I really don't have the habit of bringing bodyguards, but after today's incident, most people in the circle will probably start bringing bodyguards out with them."
"Does Young Master Wu have enemies outside?" Chen Fan asked.
Du Fumin shook his head. "I'm not very clear. With Young Master Wu's status, who would he have grudges with... However, speaking of which, I did hear something. The downfall of the Four Seas Gang a few years ago had quite a bit to do with Young Master Wu. Perhaps the enemies were made back then."
Chen Fan was taken aback.
The downfall of the Four Seas Gang was related to the Wu family?
After getting a lead from Fang Baiyan, he had asked Xiang Jingzhu to collect relevant information, which included the matter of the Four Seas Gang's demise.
The Four Seas Gang had once dominated the Beijing-Tianjin underworld, absolute rulers.
It was said that back then, to open a shop anywhere in Beijing-Tianjin, you had to pay homage and protection money to the Four Seas Gang first, or your business would eventually fail.
The fall of the Four Seas Gang was the work of the Brotherhood.
Was Du Fumin implying that Wu Chaoyang was a high-ranking member of the Brotherhood?
"Of course, I'm just going by hearsay," Du Fumin shook his head. "Mr. Chen, if you're alright, you should go. Getting caught up in such excitement is also a hassle."
Chen Fan said, "I'd like to leave, but I might be called back. I called the police when the assassin died earlier."
Du Fumin blinked and stared at Chen Fan.
"Is that not right? Shouldn't something like this be reported to the police?"
Chen Fan asked calmly.
"Young Master Wu would likely prefer the police not to be involved," Du Fumin said. "But it's no big deal, you don't need to worry about it."
Just then, a team of police officers strode in. The leader was not Han Wei, but a middle-aged man.
"Who is the owner? What's going on?" the man demanded sternly upon entering.
"I... I am,"
The owner replied tremblingly.
Du Fumin, however, smiled. "Let us explain. My friend was ambushed and nearly assassinated. Then the assailant ran out and was killed. My friend reported it, and he's right here."
The middle-aged man nodded. After confirming that Chen Fan had called the police, he went into the private room to assess the situation and asked his subordinates to take statements.
Du Fumin did not reveal his identity or use his influence; everything was handled by the book.
Afterward, the middle-aged man addressed Chen Fan. "Since you reported it, you'll need to come to the police station to give your statement."
Chen Fan nodded in agreement.
Du Fumin said, "It's alright, I'll accompany you."
"No need. It's not a big deal for me; I just need to give a statement and I'll be out."
Chen Fan said, "Young Master Du, you should wait here for Young Master Wu's people."
"Alright."
Du Fumin nodded.
Chen Fan followed the police officers out and got into a police car.
The police car drove directly to the location where the assassin had died. Chen Fan was escorted into a command vehicle.
There was only one person inside: Han Wei.
"We're still investigating the assassin's identity. I've dispatched experts to look for the sniper's position."
Seeing Chen Fan, Han Wei's eyes lit up. "I didn't expect you to be mixing with Wu Chaoyang and Du Fumin."
"I suspect someone among them is a member of the Brotherhood," Chen Fan said. "I was originally quite suspicious of Wu Chaoyang, but what happened just now makes that less likely."
He paused and asked, "Du Fumin just told me that Wu Chaoyang had something to do with the downfall of the Four Seas Gang. Do you know about this?"
"I do know a little about that."
"It's actually not that complicated!" Han Wei said. "Some time ago, a friend of Wu Chaoyang's was injured by members of the Four Seas Gang. Wu Chaoyang personally confronted Lin Sihai, the leader of the Four Seas Gang. Lin Sihai couldn't produce the main culprit, and the two sides had a very unpleasant exchange."
"So, the Wu family's influence was behind the subsequent downfall of the Four Seas Gang!"
Chen Fan narrowed his eyes. "It's that simple?"