Chapter 2655: The Capital (Part 11)

In a corner of the room, Assistant Managers Xiao and Wei huddled together, exchanging whispers. Though they too were Naturalized Citizen cadres, they were not "Lingao Cadres"—they had been recruited in Jiangnan and Guangdong, which meant their "resolve was somewhat less firm." They harbored no doubts about the Senate's strength, but finding themselves in such a precarious situation had set their nerves on edge. To be honest, they held little faith that Wu Kaidi could devise a suitable solution, yet any thought of fleeing had evaporated under Liao Sanniang's fierce gaze. At present, their mood had settled into something closer to resignation.

While the group each nursed their private concerns, Wu Kaidi returned. Assistant Manager Xiao hurried forward. "How is it? What did Head Constable Qi say?"

"He came to inform us that witnesses are to be detained for a court appearance tomorrow," Wu Kaidi replied. "We need to prepare the witnesses. I cannot flee—I must appear in court tomorrow..."

Assistant Manager Xiao shifted uneasily. "You are Delong's backbone now. What if they detain you?" As he spoke, both Assistant Managers' faces betrayed their panic.

"It doesn't matter." Wu Kaidi settled into a seat and took a sip of tea. "Head Constable Qi said a total of ten people must be detained. As long as we appear in court personally tomorrow, afterward we only need ten bodies in the detention cell. We simply have to remain available when summoned for interrogation."

As he spoke, he produced a list. The first name was, astonishingly, Wu Kaidi himself. Below it, besides Hexiang, were the two Assistant Managers, several of Delong's regular key personnel, and servants who frequently handled affairs for Leng Ningyun.

Assistant Manager Xiao frowned. "That's what they say, but what if this is a fishing trap—a ruse to lure us all there and catch us in one net?"

Manager Wei shook his head. "Why would they need such elaborate schemes to catch us? Shuntian Prefecture Yamen could have seized us all just now—did you think you could have escaped?"

"Precisely," Wu Kaidi agreed. "Head Constable Qi has no reason to deceive us. He has done us a considerable favor."

With this favor secured, Wu Kaidi now felt more confident about his next step: requesting the government to "seal" the shop. In truth, he had already negotiated the price with Head Constable Qi moments ago—a total of eighty taels of silver as a "hardship fee," plus thirty taels for "substitute" fees covering ten people. Head Constable Qi would handle the relevant witnesses.

This was a significant show of face. The ability to use substitutes in particular was an enormous concession. Wu Kaidi understood that without the tacit approval of Judge Liu—or perhaps even Prefecture Yin Zhong himself—Head Constable Qi would never have granted such a favor.

The group resumed discussing countermeasures, particularly how to respond during tomorrow's court session. Wu Kaidi's suggestion was simple: tell the truth. Except for matters involving the Australians, everything else could be disclosed freely.

"...In reality, our knowledge of this affair is limited. Simply answer whatever Judge Liu and the others ask. So long as Senate matters remain untouched, there is no need to deliberately conceal anything."

Assistant Manager Xiao asked apprehensively, "Will... will torture be used during the court session?"

Wu Kaidi smiled bitterly. "You elders can rest assured. I will naturally bribe Head Constable Qi's people. Even if torture is applied, they won't let you truly suffer. But this matter must be resolved as quickly as possible. Otherwise, if the Emperor takes an interest one day and decides to have the Eastern Depot or the Embroidered Uniform Guard 'inquire carefully'... once we enter the Imperial Guard's Northern Prison, then truly even immortals cannot protect us."

These words drained the color from Assistant Manager Xiao's face. Manager Wei and the others displayed their unease in turn. Li Rufeng shot Wu Kaidi a look of dissatisfaction, thinking, What good does it do to frighten people like this? He cleared his throat. "We simply need to clarify the matter as soon as possible. Everyone should return to their duties. Don't let your thoughts run wild."

With that, the group dispersed. Li Rufeng, Liao Sanniang, and Wu Kaidi remained behind. One urgent task demanded immediate attention: rescuing the Biao.

That Senator Leng had been kidnapped was now a certainty. Hoping the government would rescue him was wishful thinking; they could rely only on Delong itself.

"I propose requesting help from Headquarters," Wu Kaidi said. "This concerns a Senator—we cannot afford to be negligent."

"I don't oppose asking Headquarters for help," Li Rufeng replied, "but even if they dispatch people, no one will arrive for ten days. This matter cannot wait that long." He paused. "Better to rely on ourselves than on others. We should locate him as soon as possible."

Wu Kaidi felt as though he faced a hopelessly tangled knot, unable to discern even a single thread to pull. Somewhat flustered, he could only nod in agreement.

Liao Sanniang considered briefly before speaking. "Mister Wu, can the people who personally attended Master Leng be summoned for questioning?"

"That's easily arranged. Hexiang and Yanhong are both in the inner residence. However, his original personal page boys and guards were all killed..."

"Apart from those two, compile a list of anyone who could approach and attend to Master Leng. We will examine them one by one." Liao Sanniang's expression hardened. "I suspect there was an insider assisting in this matter."

Wu Kaidi started, stammering, "You mean..."

"Exactly what I said. Delong likely has a traitor in its midst." Liao Sanniang had harbored this suspicion since examining the crime scene. To ambush Master Leng so precisely on the official road would be impossible without advance intelligence. Moreover, luring him out of the city in the first place had probably also required inside assistance.

Those under the greatest suspicion were naturally the people closest to Leng Ningyun.

"Surely Miss Hexiang should be..."

"There is no 'should be,'" Liao Sanniang cut Wu Kaidi off. "In my view, her suspicion is the greatest."

Li Rufeng shared this assessment. Without delay, the three summoned Hexiang and the other close personnel of the inner residence one by one for questioning, focusing on whether Leng Ningyun had exhibited any unusual behavior in recent days.

The interrogation indeed yielded clues.

They did not identify the most likely suspect, but Hexiang and the others who regularly attended to Master Leng all reported the same observation: he had been preoccupied with worry for several days. When composing his weekly report, he had hesitated at length—setting down his brush only to take it up again, writing passages only to burn them. This had greatly surprised Hexiang, who waited to transcribe the report into cipher. Such weekly reports were mostly routine matters. Even when important news warranted special instructions, he had never displayed such agonizing indecision.

"...Do you know what he was writing?"

"I don't," Hexiang shook her head. "Our protocol forbids asking questions when a superior drafts a telegram. We translate only after it is complete."

"When did his preoccupation begin? Are there any remnants of the burned drafts?"

"None. Protocol requires complete disposal." Hexiang understood that the Chief's hesitation likely related to his disappearance, so she strained to recall every detail. "The worry began last Saturday. I don't know what caused it. Originally, Yanhong was summoned to attend him in bed that night, but come evening, he instructed that her presence was unnecessary."

"And then?"

"Then he called for me," Hexiang said. "I assumed..." A sudden flush crept across her cheeks. "He handed me a telegram draft and instructed me to encode and transmit it immediately..."

"Did you glimpse any words or phrases on the draft?" Li Rufeng pressed.

"I hadn't even opened it to look before he snatched it back and burned it in front of me." Hexiang explained that she had been greatly astonished at the time. Such a thing had never happened before—disposal of telegram drafts had always been her responsibility. Senator Leng had never personally burned a draft before.

"...Though I didn't see the telegram's contents, the marking on the cover indicated it was a 'Red Telegram.'"

"Red Telegram" designated the highest priority in the Senate's telegraph classification system, requiring communication personnel to deliver the message to its recipient with maximum speed.

The three exchanged glances. Clearly, this telegram's contents were no trivial matter. Yet if it was so urgent, why had he burned it?

In the days that followed, Leng Ningyun seemed trapped in an endless cycle of writing and burning telegrams. This pattern continued until the night before his disappearance.

"...Was there anything strange about him that final night?"

"Nothing obviously strange. I simply felt that he had become quite agitated. He even gathered the two guards and page boys together for a meeting..."

"Are there meeting minutes?" Wu Kaidi pressed.

"No." Hexiang shook her head. "Even I was forbidden from entering during the meeting. It seemed they were preparing for something significant."

The attendees—all except Master Leng himself—had now become cold corpses, unable to speak a word. Li Rufeng's mind seized upon a grim realization: these two guards, like himself, had each been issued two revolvers. Their combined firepower had been formidable.

If they had carried their weapons, and the enemy had set an ambush on the official road, yet still managed to dispatch both guards so easily... Moreover, judging from the scene, neither guard showed any indication of having fired. There were no cartridge casings at the site, no traces of gunpowder residue on their fingers or sleeves...

Li Rufeng felt the burden on his shoulders growing heavier. He drew a slow breath and pressed on. "Do you know what Senator Leng and the others brought when they departed?"

"I know nothing of this. He never mentioned his outing to me at all." Hexiang paused. "But consulting the exit record should reveal the answer."

Wu Kaidi immediately retrieved the exit record. The items Leng Ningyun had carried on the day of his departure were clearly registered. Not only had both guards been armed with revolvers, but even the page boys and the coachman had been equipped with weapons. Obviously, he had ventured out prepared for danger.

If he had foreseen peril during the meeting, why hadn't he notified Heliansheng? The three exchanged looks of bewilderment.

Liao Sanniang spoke first. "If only we knew what Master Leng saw that first troubled him so."

"I believe it was almost certainly a letter." Wu Kaidi pondered aloud. "Master Leng rarely ventured out and never met with outsiders casually. Let us check the letter registration log."

Upon examination, they found that twenty-six letters had been delivered to Leng Ningyun's study on Friday. Because the log recorded details such as the sender's identity, they quickly identified the suspicious items: two letters marked "No Sender."

"These two anonymous letters were submitted through Delong Bank's counter." Li Rufeng frowned. "I'll question the clerks who delivered them..."

"Are the letters still here?" Liao Sanniang asked.

"They're not in the archives." Hexiang shook her head. "There's no filing number recorded, nor any submission date—Master Leng simply never handed the letters over."

Needless to say, the letters had either been destroyed, or he had hidden them away in secret.

(End of Chapter)