novelapdf Chapter 7 The Traitor
Chapter 7 The Traitor
The first rays of morning sunlight filtered through the cracks in the shack, dappling the face of Manager Qian, contorted with fear. He was tossed into a corner, his mouth stuffed with rags, his hands and feet bound tightly with rough hemp rope. Lin Mo sat opposite him on a broken wooden box, slowly polishing a short knife he had obtained from the soldiers; the blade gleamed coldly in the dim morning light.
The other laborers had already gone to work, leaving only the two of them in the shack. The air was thick with the dampness of the river and the stench of urine emanating from Manager Qian—he had been badly frightened the night before.
Lin Mo didn't look at him, but focused intently on wiping the knife, as if it were a work of art. But his voice, calm and cold, broke the silence: "Manager Qian, the docks were quite lively last night."
Manager Qian trembled all over, struggling and whimpering, his eyes filled with pleading.
Lin Mo then looked up at him, his eyes like an abyss, devoid of any emotion. "I ask, you answer. If you utter a single word of nonsense, or even a half-truth," he flicked his wrist, and the short knife clung to the ground between Manager Qian's legs with a soft "thud," the hilt trembling slightly, "you'll keep it company."
Manager Qian was terrified and nodded frantically.
Lin Mo ripped the rag out of his mouth. Manager Qian gasped for breath, his voice trembling with tears, "Mercy, sir! Mercy, sir! I...I'll tell you everything!"
"Who sent those people who attacked you last night?" Lin Mo cut straight to the heart of the matter.
Manager Qian's face turned deathly pale, his lips trembling: "It's...it's the Third Master! It must be one of the Third Master's men!"
"The Third Leader?" Lin Mo's eyes narrowed slightly. Zhao Kun, the Third Leader of the Canal Gang, was in charge of the gang's punishments and some dock affairs, wielding considerable power.
"Yes, it's Zhao Kun!" Manager Qian, as if grasping at a straw, quickly confessed, "Although those people were masked, their skills, the moves they used, and the tone of that leader's voice... I recognized them. They must be from the 'Punishment Hall' under the Third Master! They specialize in handling shady matters for the Third Master!"
"Why would the Third Master kill you to silence you? Aren't you working for him?" Lin Mo pressed, his tone still calm, yet carrying an undeniable pressure.
Manager Qian was stunned for a moment, then realized that this mysterious young man seemed to know quite a lot. He dared not hide anything, and said with a mournful face, "We...we did work for the Third Master before, secretly reselling some less important goods from the warehouse, and handing over most of the profits to him. But...but this time is different!"
He swallowed hard and continued, "Among the missing goods this time, there was a batch of 'tribute' that the gang leader specifically instructed us to send to the capital to grease palms. It included several priceless jade artifacts and antiques. We...we don't know how that batch ended up mixed in with the ordinary goods and entered Warehouse C. That bastard Li Si discovered it during inventory. We were terrified. We wanted to report it immediately, but...but the Third Leader sent someone to tell us to dispose of it as before, and said we'd get double the reward after it was done..."
"So you took the risk and even dared to touch the leader's offerings?" Lin Mo sneered.
"We wouldn't dare!" Manager Qian cried out, "But we dare not disobey the Third Master! We thought we were being discreet, but we never expected... we never expected that just last night, after we hid the goods, the Third Master would send people to silence us! He wants to keep all the tribute for himself and then pin everything on us dead!"
The logic is clear and reasonable. Zhao Kun abused his power to instruct Manager Qian and others to steal goods for personal gain over a long period of time. This time, he accidentally discovered "tribute" of even higher value, and became greedy, wanting to keep it all for himself and frame the person who carried it out, so that he could get away with it.
"Who is this Master Liu?" Lin Mo asked a different question.
"Master Liu... I don't know their exact background either," Steward Qian's eyes flickered. "I only know they are excellent swimmers, specializing in low-risk businesses on the river, and occasionally taking on 'transfer' jobs. The ordinary goods we stole before were all sold through them. I didn't dare tell them the details about the tribute this time, only saying it was a batch of valuable goods..."
Lin Mo stared at him until Steward Qian lowered his head guiltily before slowly saying, "You just said that the Third Master sent someone to deliver a message? Do you have any proof?"
"Yes! Yes!" Manager Qian hurriedly said, "Each time the message is relayed, it's never said face-to-face, but rather on a note, slipped under my door. I still have the note from last night before the operation, so... I sewed it into my pillow!"
This was an unexpected delight. Lin Mo got up and, following Manager Qian's instructions, quickly pulled a folded piece of paper from his smelly pillow. Unfolding it, he saw only one line of hastily written words: "Category C warehouse, usual place, usual rules, get it done quickly." There was no signature, but the handwriting was strong and vigorous, faintly exuding a menacing aura.
This alone is not enough to directly accuse Zhao Kun. More conclusive evidence is needed.
Lin Mo put away the note and turned his gaze back to Manager Qian. "Do you want to live?"
Manager Qian nodded repeatedly, like a chicken pecking at rice: "I'll think about it! I'll think about it! Mercy! I'll do anything you ask if you can spare my life!"
"Then do as I say." Lin Mo's tone left no room for doubt. "First, write down everything you know about the Third Boss instructing you to steal goods, and about this attempt to embezzle the tribute and frame someone to cover it up. Then sign it."
Manager Qian's face fell; this was tantamount to revealing all his crimes. But looking at Lin Mo's cold eyes and the dagger on the ground, he could only grit his teeth and agree: "I'll write it! I'll write it!"
Lin Mo found paper and pen—borrowed from the dockside accountant. Manager Qian knelt on the ground, trembling as he began to write his confession. The handwriting was crooked, but the content was quite detailed, including the time, place, types of goods involved and their approximate value, as well as key details such as how the third boss gave instructions and how he was silenced the previous night. After he finished writing, Lin Mo made him put his bloody handprint on it.
"Second," Lin Mo put away the confession, "take me to where you hid the share of the embezzled money that the third leader gave you after each transaction."
Manager Qian was taken aback for a moment, then realized that they needed physical evidence. He had no choice but to lead Lin Mo to a very secluded spot near the base of a wall outside the shack area, where they dug out a small earthenware jar containing several dozen taels of loose silver and a few small-denomination banknotes. Although this wasn't given directly by the third leader, it was still indirect evidence as part of the spoils.
By the time all this was done, it was already broad daylight. The docks were bustling with activity once again.
Lin Mo tied up the money steward again, gagged him, and hid him in a dilapidated cabin in the shack area, where clutter was piled up. He warned him that if he dared to make a sound or try to escape, he would surely die.
Holding the confession with the bloody handprint, the note, and a small bag of stolen silver, Lin Mo knew that although the evidence was clearly pointing to Zhao Kun, the powerful third-in-command, it was still weak. Zhao Kun could easily deny everything, counter-accuse Manager Qian of framing him, or claim the note was forged.
He needed more direct evidence that could definitively condemn Zhao Kun.
Lin Mo's gaze fell upon the core area of the dock, where the headquarters of the Canal Gang and the residences of several leaders were located. Zhao Kun… He sneered inwardly. Since you dared to do it, you must bear the consequences. He decided that tonight he would risk sneaking into Zhao Kun's residence to find more crucial evidence, such as more direct tokens linking him to Master Liu and the others, or the whereabouts of that batch of tribute goods.
Night fell again. The area where the Canal Gang headquarters was located was even more heavily guarded than the docks, with sentries both visible and hidden. But Lin Mo, as a top assassin in his previous life, was naturally adept at stealth. Like a shadow blending into the night, he used the gaps between the shadows of buildings, trees, and patrols to silently approach the detached courtyard where Zhao Kun lived.
Two armed guards stood at the entrance of the courtyard, and there seemed to be hidden sentries moving around inside. Lin Mo circled around to the side and back of the courtyard, where the guards were relatively lax, as it was closer to the kitchen and backyard. He held his breath, released his senses, and after confirming that no one was around, he leaped over the courtyard wall like a wisp of smoke, landing behind a dense clump of Xiangfei bamboo inside the courtyard.
The courtyard was quiet, except for the study in the main house, where the light was still on. Lin Mo crouched low, using the flowers and trees for cover, and silently approached the study window. The window paper was thick, making it impossible to see inside, but he could vaguely hear people talking in hushed tones.
He carefully moistened his fingertip with saliva, poked a tiny hole in the window paper, and peered inside.
Inside the study, a middle-aged man in a brocade robe with a gloomy face stood with his back to the window; this was none other than Zhao Kun, the third leader. Standing bowed before him was a man dressed in black, the leader of last night's attackers!
"...Useless! A bunch of useless trash!" Zhao Kun's voice was filled with suppressed anger. "Not only did that slippery eel Liu Heishui get away, but even Fatty Qian was kidnapped! What are you all good for?!"
The leader lowered his head and said in a panic, "Third Master, please calm down! Last night, a mysterious expert suddenly appeared, and his skills were extremely impressive. We...we couldn't stop him."
"A mysterious expert?" Zhao Kun turned around abruptly, his face contorted with rage. "Where did this expert come from? Could he be one of the gang leader's men?"
"No," the leader recalled. "That man's moves were ruthless, unlike those of a gang member. He seemed more like... a desperate outlaw from the martial arts world."
Zhao Kun frowned and paced around the room. "Fat Qian is a menace, always in the hands of outsiders. And that shipment... Liu Heishui hasn't gotten it; it's definitely still in the water. We have to get it out as soon as possible!"
"Third Master, things are very tense at the docks right now. The gang leader has increased the number of men patrolling, especially near the water. We can't make a move now."
"Then let's find a way!" Zhao Kun waved his hand impatiently. "We must get our hands on those tributes! With them, we can..." He didn't finish his sentence, but the greed and ambition in his eyes were unmistakable.
He walked to the desk, picked up a brush, quickly wrote a few words on a piece of paper, and handed it to the leader: "Go to the usual place immediately and give this letter to the people 'over there.' Tell them that the situation has changed, the plan has been postponed, but the goods will definitely be delivered. Tell them not to worry."
The leader took the note and carefully put it away: "Yes, Third Master!" He then turned and quickly left the study.
Zhao Kun remained alone in the study, pacing anxiously, muttering to himself, "Damn it... who on earth is going against me..."
Lin Mo, watching from outside the window, witnessed everything. Zhao Kun had personally admitted to the existence of the tribute and his intentions, along with the letter that was about to be sent! This was irrefutable evidence!
His gaze locked onto the direction the leader had left, and a decision formed instantly in his mind. The evidence lay in that letter! He didn't linger; his figure flashed out of his hiding place like a ghost, silently following the departing leader, disappearing once more into the boundless night. Tonight, he had to obtain that crucial letter that would bring down Zhao Kun.