Gold Cage - Chapter 40

At two in the morning, a light rain began to fall in Yu City.

Gu Feng, captain of the Criminal Investigation Division at Yu City Public Security Bureau, stepped out of the detention center with a stubbled face and dark circles under his eyes, lighting a cigarette under the eaves.

Two hours earlier, he had observed the interrogation of Zhao Zuo. They had arrested him at a hospital—somehow, the man had slipped back into the country unnoticed. Apparently hospitalized for food poisoning, a nurse recognized the "celebrity" from the news and immediately called the police. The former bar owner and actual smuggling ringleader seemed thoroughly terrified, trembling as he spilled every detail of his crimes the moment he sat down.

After thorough questioning, it became clear that Zhao Zuo hadn't just amassed a fortune in Yu City under Zhao Mengling's protection- every cent from his smuggling operations had been funneled into an overseas personal account.

"Whose account is it?" an officer demanded sternly.

Zhao Zuo, pale and hunched in his chair, was still suffering from the poisoning. That foreigner, Fan En, had nearly killed him—and then there was that Mu guy, Mu Hanxiao... That man was a complete lunatic, an absolute madman!

"I don't know! I've never met them!" Zhao Zuo shouted, his nerves frayed. Dragged straight from the hospital after his IV, he began convulsing and vomiting whether from lingering toxins or sheer panic, no one could tell. The episode lasted twenty minutes, forcing the interrogation to pause. Everyone was exhausted, their eyes bloodshot from the long night.

"Take a three-hour break," Gu Feng ordered. "Wake him up and continue after."

Gu Feng had been personally assigned to oversee the case by higher-ups, with the bureau chief demanding swift results. Only later did he learn it was Long Chuan who had recommended him. The two were longtime friends, and since Gu Feng was already in Yu City with extensive case experience, the higher-ups had unanimously approved him as lead investigator.

After a grueling day and night, Gu Feng stepped outside for air, planning to crash in an office for the night. No matter what, he needed to extract a full confession from Zhao Zuo by morning.

Over an hour ago, his wife had texted, asking why he wasn't home yet and if he wanted supper. Only now had he seen the message—she and their daughter were likely fast asleep. He sighed, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

But before he could finish his cigarette, his phone rang. An unknown number. Frowning, he answered, "Who is this?"

The next moment, his daughter's desperate sobs tore through the line. "Daddy!"

Gu Feng crushed the cigarette, his heart slamming against his ribs. "Sweetheart! What's wrong?!"

"Daddy, save me and Mommy... Mmmph—“

The girl seemed to have her mouth covered, then an unfamiliar male voice spoke: "Gu Feng, your wife and child are with us. They're unharmed—for now—if you agree to do one thing."

Gu Feng roared, "Who the hell are you? Daring to kidnap the family of the Criminal Investigation Division captain? You've got a death wish!"

The voice remained utterly unfazed, replying coldly and swiftly: "Bring Zhao Zuo and all the interrogation records. Come alone with them to the abandoned cement factory at No. 23 Chengmen New Village to exchange for your family."

"Captain Gu, let me make this clear—if you bring backup, your wife and child die. We don't want money. We don't want bloodshed."

"You motherf—"

"It's a twenty-minute drive from the detention center to Chengmen New Village. You've got exactly that starting now."

The call ended abruptly. Gu Feng clutched his phone, breathing heavily. He smashed his fist against a stone pillar, then stormed into the detention center after regaining some composure. Most colleagues had gone home or were asleep in offices from exhaustion. Marching into the interrogation room, he grabbed Zhao Zuo by the collar.

"Whose account is this really?" Gu Feng's eyes burned crimson. "Talk!"

Zhao Zuo, dazed and vacant-eyed, kept muttering ignorance. Checking the time, Gu Feng yanked him off the chair and dragged him out. Shoving Zhao Zuo into his car, he called the night shift team while starting the engine, ordering them to gear up immediately and assemble 500 meters from the target location.

Freezing rain swirled in the night wind. The deserted outskirts of Chengmen New Village lay shrouded in darkness, the derelict cement factory looming like a specter. Arriving at the gates, Gu Feng hauled Zhao Zuo out. His team had already converged at the rally point, awaiting orders.

Inside the weed-choked factory, years of life-or-death instincts screamed that armed men lurked in the shadows, waiting to spring their trap.

A voice cut through the darkness: "Captain Gu, release Zhao Zuo. Place your gun and case files on the ground."

Gu Feng kicked Zhao Zuo's knees—a sickening crack—dropping him howling to the concrete. He tossed his sidearm and laptop bag forward. "Where are they?"

Footsteps and muffled sobs approached. Moonlight revealed his bound wife and daughter being dragged from a side room and thrown onto the open floor yards away. His young daughter wept uncontrollably as a thug shoved them forward. When they were mere steps apart, a radio crackled from the shadows:

"He brought backup!"

Gun safeties clicked off in unison. The leader bellowed, "Kill them all—Zhao too!"

Zhao Zuo shrieked, "Don't shoot me!"

In the blink of an eye, gunfire erupted from all directions. Gu Feng lunged toward his wife and daughter like a projectile, bullets grazing the hem of his clothes. A burly man nearby had just drawn his pistol and aimed at them when another gunshot rang out. The man howled in pain as his wrist was hit, his gun clattering to the ground. One after another, the ambushers hidden in the shadows were taken down-—everything happened in an instant.

The leader had been waiting for Gu Feng's family and Zhao Zuo to die before his eyes so he could take the computer bag and report back. But the sudden turn of events left him stunned. He scrambled to flee, only to feel the cold press of a dagger against his neck.

Someone had slipped behind him without a sound! A chill ran down the leader's spine as a low voice warned, "You're the only one left standing. Stay put if you know what's good for you."

Outside the cement factory, the gunfire ceased as well. Several officers from the criminal police unit rushed in, weapons drawn. "Captain!" Gu Feng roared, "If I'd waited for you bastards to save me, I'd have died eight hundred times over!"

The officers fell silent. After confirming his wife and daughter were unharmed, Gu Feng turned his gaze into the darkness, catching fragments of a hushed conversation.

"One slip-up nearly cost innocent lives. Did he really think his father would go this far—straight-up silencing them?"

"Exactly, sir."

Gu Feng raised his voice. "Who's there?"

A slender figure emerged from the shadows, clad in black that made his pale skin stand out. His eyes gleamed with an eerie hint of green in the dim light.

Mu Yu—confirmed dead—stood alive before Gu Feng. Zhao Zuo stared in horror, his handcuffs rattling as he trembled. "Y-you—you're supposed to be—”

Gu Feng didn't recognize Mu Yu and eyed him warily. Behind Mu Yu, Li Bing dragged the leader forward while Phil subdued the remaining ambushers, tossing confiscated guns and daggers to the ground.

"Zhao Zuo," Mu Yu said coolly, looking down at him, "Did you really think Mu Yunting would save you? The moment you were detained, you became a disposable pawn. He only wanted to silence you—your life means nothing to him. By now, he's probably packed his bags and fled the country."

Zhao Zuo's face turned ashen as he slumped to his knees. At the mention of Mu Yunting, Gu Feng stiffened, realization dawning. "So all of Zhao Zuo's money ended up with Mu Yunting—the former chairman of Mu Corporation?!"

Mu Yu nodded. "But only Zhao Zuo and Mu Yunting had access to the accounts. The men who kidnapped your family today were also sent by him. Consider this one a gift."

Li Bing shoved the leader toward Gu Feng, and officers immediately restrained him, snapping on handcuffs. Before Gu Feng could verify Mu Yu's identity, he pulled out his phone, urgently contacting headquarters and customs to mobilize forces overnight, sealing all exits to intercept the fugitive. After ensuring his family's safety in a vehicle, he directed his team to secure the scene and process the arrests.

By the time backup arrived, the green-eyed youth and his two towering bodyguards had vanished without a trace.

Before dawn broke, Mu Yunting was arrested aboard a ship about to set sail overseas. Zhao Zuo had finally revealed his name, providing transaction accounts and remittance records between them. It turned out that after stepping down as chairman of Mu Corporation, Mu Yunting hadn't truly retired to a leisurely life as it appeared. He had been conducting illegal transactions through three subsidiaries under Mu Corporation, amassing enormous personal funds. Some of this money went to him personally, while another portion went to Zhao Mengling. For years, Zhao Mengling had used her position to cover up her husband's profiteering, with the couple sharing the illicit gains. All transaction records were found on the computers of those three subsidiaries.

A week later, Macau police arrested an underage male attempting to gamble in a casino. The individual had used fake identification to enter the casino, spent exorbitant amounts, and got into a physical altercation with casino staff, leading to his detention.

The young man, named He Cheng, repeatedly mentioned Mu Zhiye's name during interrogation, demanding that Mu Zhiye join him in prison. Given the recent sensitivity around the "Mu" surname in police circles, Macau authorities proactively contacted Yushi police. After learning of this, Gu Feng consulted with his superiors and decided to send officers to bring He Cheng back to Yushi for joint prosecution with the Mu family case.

After his mother was detained in the capital, his father arrested, and his elder brother still not released, Mu Zhiye was also "invited" into custody. Thus Mu Zhiye and He Cheng reunited in Yushi's detention center. The moment they met, Mu Zhiye exploded like a furious lion, lunging to attack He Cheng: "He Cheng! How dare you drag me into your fucking mess?!"

A year had left He Cheng utterly dissipated. With bloodshot eyes and heavy lids, he stared coldly at Mu Zhiye like a venomous snake, curling his lips into a smile: "Mu Zhiye, stop playing innocent. Weren't you enjoying the show when I was playing with those girls?"

"Silence!" an officer barked.

Dragged stumbling into the interrogation room, Mu Zhiye—now stripped of all his support—trembled fearfully in the chair, muttering about his parents and brother, a far cry from his former arrogant self.

Where was his brother? His parents had promised to protect him forever, to never let him suffer harm—why had they broken their word?

Gu Feng and his colleagues visited the families of girls previously harmed by He Cheng and Mu Zhiye one by one. To ensure smooth progress, the deputy police chief personally accompanied these visits, patiently speaking with parents and children. At Fang Wanjuan's home, they found medical records proving the girl had suffered beatings.

"Old Gu, you've worked hard lately."

Taking a break to answer Long Chuan's call, Gu Feng joked half-heartedly: "Brother, you've got me running around with just a few words. For this case, I've nearly worn out my legs and lost my life—aren't you going to compensate me?"

Long Chuan laughed: "I'll treat you to dinner later."

They both tacitly understood that Zhao Mengling and the Mu family were about to fall. With his biggest competitor's disgraceful exit clearing a major obstacle for Long Chuan's promotion, Gu Feng had to handle this case flawlessly.

Suddenly, Long Chuan asked over the phone: "How is Mu Hanxiao doing now?"

Gu Feng was taken aback for a moment before replying, "We released him. Although his company had financial irregularities, there's no evidence linking him to his parents' affairs. As for his former secretary Xie Ming, he used to work for Mu Yunting but was later transferred to Mu Hanxiao's team—not heavily involved. The tax authorities have issued fines to the Mu Group, likely a substantial amount, but Hanxiao seems quite cooperative."

The two talked for a long time, and eventually, Long Chuan mentioned he planned to return to Yu City and wanted to meet with Mu Hanxiao while he was there.

Insistent on the meeting, Long Chuan wouldn't take no for an answer, so Gu Feng had no choice but to arrange it. Shortly after, Long Chuan arrived in Yu City, and the meeting with Mu Hanxiao was set in a private dining room at a restaurant near the police station.

Mu Hanxiao had lost some weight, but his tall frame still carried an innate air of intimidation. He appeared composed, dressed simply in shirt and black trousers as he rose from his chair to shake Long Chuan's hand.

"Uncle Long, it's been a while."

Long Chuan offered him a cigarette, which Mu Hanxiao accepted. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Long Chuan noticed the man before him hadn't changed at all—still as cold and detached as ever, as if the sky could collapse without affecting him.

Long Chuan teased him, "Director Mu, not a pleasant experience being locked up, was it?"

Mu Hanxiao smiled faintly. "It was bearable. Just the beds were a bit small."

"I heard you're planning to resign?"

"I'm currently handling the fines. Once that's settled, I'll step down as chairman and relinquish my shares in the Mu Group."

Long Chuan lit a cigarette, studying him for a moment before asking, "Hanxiao, is this the ending you wanted?"

Mu Hanxiao knew what he was referring to. He took a slow drag from his cigarette before answering calmly, "To be honest, no."

"I heard your parents had high expectations for you since childhood, and you truly lived up to them. You've single-handedly shouldered such a massive family enterprise."

"The group operates on its own systems. My personal capabilities had little to do with it."

"Hanxiao."

Long Chuan chose his words carefully, trying to uncover Mu Hanxiao's true thoughts and understand his motives. "I always believed that anyone in your position would do everything to protect what they have, especially their family."

Mu Hanxiao lowered his gaze in contemplation, smoke curling around his sharp, handsome features, veiling them in a hazy mist.

"You might not believe me, Uncle Long, but I did this to protect everything as it stands," he replied. "I wanted to cut our losses in time. Even if the price is steep, it's one we deserve to pay."

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