Chapter 241: Eighty Percent Certainty

"What? Everyone went missing??"

In the private villa, Yan Shang’s eyes widened in shock.

Prosecutor Fang Lichang stood before him, his head slightly bowed, his expression very gloomy...

"The ten reporters I spent a fortune to hire, the defense attorney I finally managed to flip, and the only witness I found after going to such great lengths... and you’re telling me they went missing right under your nose??"

Yan Shang was shaking with anger. He threw his teacup onto the table forcefully. "Fang Lichang! How did you handle this??"

Fang Lichang opened his mouth and said bitterly:

"It was that [Spade 6]... I chased after him, circled the area, but couldn't find a trace. By the time I rushed back, the hall was already empty... all the news drafts were burned, and the floor was covered in blood and playing cards. That [Spade 6] must have taken them!"

The squinting man beside him also looked very ugly and said in a deep voice, "Chairman, we may have truly offended the Twilight Society this time... In a sense, this is more serious than offending the Enforcers."

Yan Shang’s fists gradually clenched, his knuckles turning white. After a long time, he slowly loosened them...

"Twilight Society... why such a coincidence?"

Yan Shang had been in business for many years, and his character had long been tempered. He didn't act rashly to take revenge on the Twilight Society, because in his years of traveling through various domains, he had a deep understanding of them. Even if Aurora City was his home turf, provoking that bunch of madmen was an absolute death wish.

So, in the end, Yan Shang could only swallow his anger. He looked coldly at Fang Lichang:

"I don't care about the rest. I just want to know, how much certainty do you have for tomorrow’s court verdict?"

Fang Lichang pondered for a moment. "Those reporters don't matter; if they’re gone, I can find more. I also had the defense attorney burn Tan Xin’s letters in advance, so their key evidence for a turnaround is gone... The only trouble is that Old Man Ding.

Without Old Man Ding, it’s a bit troublesome to convict Han Meng of 'collecting protection fees' and 'underground trading.' However, the charge of 'Spade 6' alone is actually enough to sentence Han Meng to death..."

"I have eighty percent certainty in the verdict!" Fang Lichang answered firmly.

Hearing this, Yan Shang’s expression finally softened slightly. He stared at Fang Lichang for a long time and waved his hand helplessly:

"Go... you’d better do what you said. Don't forget, you still have things in my hands."

Fang Lichang’s expression changed slightly. After bowing to Yan Shang, he turned and left...

……

Old Man Ding was completely numb.

He moved slowly and laboriously across the wilderness, his eyes as hollow as if his soul had left his body. He had become a walking corpse.

He didn't dare to recall what he had experienced that night. He had encountered "Fang Lichang" three times in a row, each time with a different situation, tone, and even attire. Yet, every time he finally let his guard down, the other party would shatter his fantasies of salvation in various eerie ways.

By the end, Old Man Ding couldn't even feel fear anymore. That face was deeply carved into his soul. He was like a puppet being wantonly played with and manipulated, his sanity and logic tortured into complete loss.

If he could see through the void, he would find that above his head, a thick, massive [Heart Python] was already pressing on his shoulders like a small mountain.

Overnight, the [Heart Python] had swallowed a massive amount of fear, causing its body to grow a size thicker. It was now yawning lazily, seemingly unable to eat any more...

At the same time, Old Man Ding, who was walking numbly, saw a familiar figure gradually appear at the end of the road.

Seeing that face, Old Man Ding’s hollow eyes finally reacted. Struggle and pain appeared on his face, and his legs went soft, causing him to kneel before the person.

"I can't take it anymore... I really can't take it anymore..."

"Kill me, I beg you to kill me... I really can't run anymore..."

Before the person could speak, Old Man Ding rolled his eyes and fainted on the ground.

Both physically and mentally, Old Man Ding had been tortured to his limit. This fainting spell was his brain protecting itself, and it became his only relief for the moment.

Chen Ling raised his brows slightly. "So this is the limit..."

He shook his head, casually picked up the corpse-like Old Man Ding, threw him back into the abandoned warehouse, and locked the door from the outside.

After dealing with him, Chen Ling checked the time and walked straight toward the Aurora Newspaper office...

Yes, it was time for him to go to work.

When Chen Ling pushed open the door of the newspaper office, Wen Shilin, who was sitting at his desk, noticed him and walked straight over:

"Lin Yan, where did you go after listening to the court yesterday?"

"Oh, I went to do some investigations."

"About Han Meng?"

"Yes."

Wen Shilin’s face showed an "as I thought" expression, and he patted him on the shoulder hard. "Although I don't know why the Star Chamber of Commerce is targeting Han Meng, this kind of framing and setting up is truly disgusting... Lin Yan, you hold a heart of justice. I really didn't misjudge you..."

"...?" Chen Ling saw appreciation and praise in Wen Shilin’s eyes. He even suspected that Wen Shilin’s next sentence would be: I see the shadow of my younger self in you.

"Mr. Wen, there is one thing I really need to ask of you." Chen Ling seemed to remember something. "About the report on the Star Chamber of Commerce’s organ trade..."

"Don't worry, I understand what you mean."

Wen Shilin, sporting a pair of massive dark circles under his eyes, pointed to a thick stack of manuscripts on the table. "I’ve already prepared it."

Chen Ling said sincerely, "Thank you."

At this point, all of Chen Ling’s preparations before the performance were complete, leaving only the last critical step...

Chen Ling walked to his desk, picked up his camera and notebook, and was about to head out.

Seeing this, a flash of surprise crossed Wen Shilin’s face. "Where are you going?"

Chen Ling turned back and pushed up the half-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"...To interview someone."

……

Aurora City, Black Prison.

Inside the dim, cramped cell, Han Meng was wearing black prison clothes, sitting cross-legged on the bed, closing his eyes to rest.

Purple torches flickered silently outside the corridor. In the eternal deathly silence, a sudden commotion came from far away... Han Meng frowned and opened his eyes in bewilderment.

He heard a series of footsteps approaching.

"You only have five minutes..."

"We are watching you at all times. Do not attempt any unnecessary actions."

"Once we feel there is a risk of causing trouble, we will call it off at any time... Go in."

*Creak—*

The cell door was slowly opened. Surrounded by the vigilance of a group of Enforcers, a figure in a brown coat wearing half-rimmed glasses stood quietly in the silhouette of the purple torches and walked slowly into the cell where Han Meng was held.

"Hello, nice to meet you."

Chen Ling closed the cell door behind him and smiled slightly at Han Meng.

"I am Lin Yan, a reporter from the 《Aurora Daily》... May I borrow a little of your time?"