Chapter 768: Message from Fang Xiaoxiao

Xu Wuyi remained silent for a few seconds.

It was indeed impossible for Zhou Bin not to know the rules. Coming from a military background, he was someone who strictly adhered to procedures and valued discipline above all else. The only way he would bypass protocol to meet a secret witness alone was if the clues provided were incredibly crucial—so crucial that there was no time to complete the standard procedures.

“Where is that witness now?”

Luo Jing shook his head. “I don’t know. After Zhou Bin’s incident, Fang Xiaoxiao went looking for them, but it was as if the person vanished into thin air. They couldn’t be found anywhere.” He returned to his seat and sat down, his gaze landing on Xu Wuyi. “Do you think Zhou Bin and the others were set up by that witness?”

Xu Wuyi nodded. “It’s possible.”

Luo Jing fell silent for a few seconds before speaking slowly.

“That’s what I thought too. I know a bit about Song Qingwu. He has always been cautious and never leaves anything that could be used against him.

“He relies entirely on that trait to climb to his current position.

“Zhou Bin and the others investigated for so long, but the few clues they found couldn’t even be considered evidence. There was absolutely no need for Song Qingwu to make a move against them.”

He paused, his tone growing more solemn. “But if that witness’s goal was to lure them to the Song family estate, then that’s a different story.”

As Xu Wuyi listened, a vague outline gradually formed in his mind.

A mysterious witness had provided a crucial clue. By the rules, Zhou Bin should have reported it first, but he didn’t. Instead, he took Li Zhaowen directly to Song Qingwu’s residence. Then, they were detained, and the witness vanished.

If this was a setup, what did the mastermind want?

Did they want Zhou Bin and Li Zhaowen dead? That seemed unlikely. If the goal was simply murder, there was no need for such a convoluted plan. It would be much easier to strike somewhere random and dispose of the bodies than to lure them to the Song family estate.

Did they want to frame Song Qingwu? That didn’t seem right either. By detaining them, Song Qingwu had actually put himself at a disadvantage. Although the Inspection Department couldn’t push the matter forward, the news had already spread, dealing a massive blow to the Song family’s reputation.

Unless…

Unless the mastermind’s true goal was to turn the Song family and the Inspection Department against each other.

Xu Wuyi looked at Luo Jing, only to find the Minister of the Inspection Department watching him with a profound gaze.

“You figured it out?” Luo Jing asked.

Xu Wuyi nodded. “Someone is deliberately manufacturing a conflict.”

Luo Jing gave a sound of agreement, leaning back in his chair and letting out a long breath.

“That’s exactly what I thought. I sent people to contact the Song family. Song Qingwu’s attitude was very strange. He admitted to detaining them but refused to let them go, nor would he explain why. He only said one thing: When the right person arrives, they will naturally be released.”

He looked at Xu Wuyi, his gaze carrying an underlying meaning. “The right person. Tell me, who do you think he’s waiting for?”

Xu Wuyi didn’t speak.

But he already had an answer in his heart. Song Qingwu was waiting for him. Or rather, he was waiting for Captain Meng, the man who had once shaken the entire Inspection Department to its core.

Someone had gone through all this trouble, only for their ultimate target to be him?

How the news had leaked out was no longer important. What mattered was that Song Qingwu knew he would come and was actively waiting for him.

Luo Jing stood up and walked to the window, turning his back to Xu Wuyi.

“The identity of Meng Zhishou is a top secret within the Inspection Department. However, after your promotion, Meng Zhishou vanished. Anyone paying close attention would connect the dots.” He paused, his voice turning slightly hoarse. “I’m relieved you could come back. But this situation isn’t that simple.”

Xu Wuyi also stood up and walked over to his side. “Zhou Bin and the others are still in the Song family’s hands.”

Luo Jing turned his head to look at him.

“I know, which is why I didn’t stop you from returning or send anyone to intercept you.” He paused, his gaze deepening. “Go. No matter the outcome, the Inspection Department will cover for you.”

Xu Wuyi nodded. “Thank you, Minister Luo.”

He turned and headed for the door, but after a few steps, he suddenly stopped and looked back at Luo Jing. “Minister, is it truly impossible to find a single clue about that secret witness?”

Luo Jing fell silent for a few seconds before answering slowly.

“Fang Xiaoxiao looked into it, and I had my people investigate as well. Every possible channel has been exhausted, but it’s as if that person never existed.” He paused, his tone growing increasingly grave. “But the very fact that we can’t find anything speaks volumes. A non-existent person managed to provide clues convincing enough for Zhou Bin to believe them. Someone capable of pulling that off is no ordinary person.”

Xu Wuyi nodded and pushed the door open to leave.

The corridor remained quiet, his footsteps echoing through the empty space. He walked slowly, replaying Luo Jing’s words in his mind over and over.

A non-existent person.

A person who made Zhou Bin violate protocol just to believe them.

A person who lured them to the Song family estate.

If this was truly a setup, what exactly did the mastermind want? He didn’t know the answer. But he knew that to find it, he first had to pay a visit to the Song family estate.