Chapter 203: Cooperation

"Name."

"...Xin Youquan."

"Age."

“43。”

"Occupation."

"Chief Physician at Frostleaf Hospital."

"When did you start harvesting organs for them?"

Inside the dim and cramped factory warehouse, Xin Youquan hung his head, saying nothing.

On the small table in front of Wen Shilin, a fountain pen was automatically writing the content of their conversation in a notebook. As Xin Youquan fell into silence, the pen tip also stopped moving.

Wen Shilin’s brow furrowed slightly, "Xin Youquan, at a time like this, do you still think you can hide what you've done?"

Xin Youquan, his hands and feet bound, curled up in the corner of the warehouse, still showing no intention of answering.

"...Or is it that you're worried about retaliation from the Star Chamber of Commerce if you talk?"

As Wen Shilin’s next sentence came out, Xin Youquan’s body trembled slightly, and he looked at Wen Shilin in astonishment, "You know?"

"As early as two years ago, I discovered traces of suspected organ trafficking by the Star Chamber of Commerce across the seven districts. It’s just that information didn't flow between the city and the outside, so all the leads were broken. Even I couldn't fully gather evidence against them... But this time is different."

Wen Shilin spoke unhurriedly, "This time, you actually dared to take action within Aurora City... You left too many traces. You want to get away clean? It’s impossible."

"Even so, I have nothing to tell you."

"Do you think the Star Chamber of Commerce will protect you just because you keep their secrets? Do you know that if I hadn't brought you here, you would have already been silenced by the Star Chamber of Commerce?" Wen Shilin’s voice was perfectly calm.

"What?!" Xin Youquan was stunned, "No, that’s impossible..."

"Impossible? You’ve collaborated with those people at the Star Chamber of Commerce; you should know very well what kind of people they are. If things are calm, it’s fine, but once they sense a risk, do you think they’ll let you live?"

Xin Youquan seemed to think of something, his face turning as pale as paper.

"Even if you don't talk, it doesn't matter. When I interrogated... no, interviewed Qiu Dong earlier, he told me everything he knew." Wen Shilin set aside the self-writing pen and casually flipped the notebook back a page, which was filled with dense dialogue.

"As the first one to cooperate with the investigation, I will honor his request to omit his name when I make this public, so his friends and family won't find out. At the same time, I will explain the situation to the law enforcement system, which should lead to a reduced sentence..."

"No, Qiu Dong was brought in by me; he was only responsible for the surgeries!" Xin Youquan said immediately, "I’ve always been the one liaising with the Star Chamber of Commerce! I know far more than he does!"

"Oh?" Wen Shilin raised an eyebrow and placed the pen back on the notebook.

"It seems Mr. Xin is willing to cooperate?"

A flash of hesitation crossed Xin Youquan’s eyes, but he finally spoke:

"What do you want to know?"

……

By the time Wen Shilin finished interviewing the last person, the sky was already beginning to brighten.

He sat alone at the entrance of the factory with a thick notebook, rubbing his temples with his fingertips, his expression full of exhaustion.

"Sourcing outside the city, distribution inside the city, the White Swan Charity Foundation... This young master Yan Xishou has dragged the entire Aurora City business world into this... and there are even several high-ranking officials in the law enforcement system."

"This is going to be trouble..."

Wen Shilin knew very well that the Star Chamber of Commerce itself might not be scary; what was scary were the other chains of interest connected to it. Although he now had the information, these were just testimonies. Trying to overturn everything based on these was almost impossible...

He needed more direct, more convincing evidence, but such evidence would inevitably be thoroughly hidden by the Star Chamber of Commerce. Finding it on his own was nearly impossible.

Just knowing the inside story but being unable to nail them down—Wen Shilin was all too familiar with this sense of powerlessness. Over the past few years, he had encountered this situation many times while investigating other matters. He knew there was a larger conspiracy behind it, but he couldn't continue, and he couldn't even successfully publish an article exposing everything... His enemies had never left him any openings.

Wen Shilin didn't know how to explain this to Chen Ling. Perhaps he shouldn't have boasted in the first place.

"Where is Lin Yan?" Wen Shilin wondered, looking outside the factory as if remembering something.

He had been completely immersed in the deep interviews and had forgotten all about Chen Ling going to get the camera. Only now did he suddenly realize that Chen Ling had been gone for an entire night and hadn't returned...

Wen Shilin was someone who had been through many storms, and he immediately sensed that something was wrong. He sat up from the factory floor, intending to leave, but took half a step and then retreated.

He first took off his coat, stripped a cotton jacket off Xin Youquan, and put on another person's scarf to cover half his face. After confirming that it would be hard to identify him from a distance, he hurried toward his home.

The dawn’s cold wind brushed against Wen Shilin’s cheeks, temporarily suppressing his exhaustion. His heart was already in his throat. He observed his surroundings vigilantly while praying that Chen Ling was alright.

Finally, the familiar residential building appeared at the end of the road.

Wen Shilin scanned the area and saw a group of neighbors and even a few law enforcement officers in uniform surrounding the fourth floor where he lived. His heart sank.

"It's bad."

Wen Shilin walked quickly to his door and saw a group of people pointing at the floor of the corridor. A giant crater full of cracks had nearly punched through the entire floor; it didn't look like something human power could achieve.

The surrounding citizens were shocked, seemingly unable to understand how this had happened. In contrast, the law enforcement officers nearby were a bit too calm. They registered a few things perfunctorily and then waved their hands, saying:

"It’s just the cold weather causing the floor to crack... Everyone disperse, nothing to see here."

As the crowd was driven away, Wen Shilin didn't step forward. Instead, he kept his head down, blended into the crowd, and gradually moved away from the scene.

He knew that something must have happened here last night, and judging by the reaction of these officers, it was highly likely related to the Star Chamber of Commerce... Chen Ling’s disappearance was also inseparable from this.

The Star Chamber of Commerce actually used a God Path user to attack them?

This thought made Wen Shilin restless. Although he had been chased and assassinated many times over the past few years, most of the attackers were ordinary people... After all, in Aurora City, all local God Path users would be promoted to Law Enforcement Officers and restricted by the law enforcement system. Even Outlanders were strictly regulated. This time, the Star Chamber of Commerce sending an Outlander meant they were determined to get rid of him.

Wen Shilin knew he was in a dangerous situation, but he was even more worried about Chen Ling... Chen Ling had been dragged into this entirely because of him!

The law enforcement officers were full of Star Chamber of Commerce people; calling the police definitely wouldn't work. But besides that, who else could he turn to for help to save Chen Ling?

Names flashed anxiously through Wen Shilin’s mind, and finally, one name suddenly leaped out.

The Divine Doctor, Chu Muyun.