Chapter 8: Zhang Qingyuan the Outlaw

They were extremely secretive about the phone call. Zhou Qin keenly sensed something was amiss with this. He decisively used his authority, contacted the relevant department, and accessed all of Shen Fei’s recent calls. However, all of Shen Fei’s calls appeared normal.

With no other options, Zhou Qin chose to investigate in reverse, retrieving all of Zhang Qingyuan’s calls. Sure enough, he discovered something suspicious. A call with a constantly changing IP address had been made the previous day. He then listened to all the audio from this call with his apprentice, Wang Qian.

"Hello, we are from the city’s criminal investigation unit. We are solemnly informing you that your son is suspected of criminal activities and has been detained by us for investigation." The call began with Shen Fei’s voice.

Hearing this, Wang Qian gasped, his expression incredulous. "Master... Master, is Shen Fei actually a scammer?!"

They had thoroughly checked Shen Fei’s background; he was just an ordinary person. But on the phone, he was impersonating a member of the task force.

Zhou Qin frowned. This incident was just as he had expected. Shen Fei had a criminal record. He hadn’t been out long. Unexpectedly, shortly after his release, he had resumed his old ways, choosing to scam elderly people in their seventies and eighties.

Next, the two of them listened as Shen Fei’s entire scamming technique unfolded through the call. His method involved breaking down the victim’s psychological defenses, pressing them step by step, and guiding them appropriately. Eventually, Shen Fei demanded a hundred thousand yuan as an "asset unfreezing fee."

"Master, this scammer is truly despicable, specifically targeting old people for their money!" When Wang Qian heard that Zhang Qingyuan was actually preparing to gather the money, he seethed with anger.

Zhou Qin’s expression also darkened. However, he still had one question: why had Shen Fei, the scammer, suddenly become so terrified? So frightened, in fact, that he had turned himself in.

"Forget it, I won’t pretend anymore. Let’s lay our cards on the table."

"I didn’t expect to have hidden so deeply, yet you still found me."

"What... what did you say?"

"We are from the city’s criminal investigation unit. The investigation is concluded. Your son indeed has nothing to do with this case."

"..."

"My son?"

"That good-for-nothing? If you’ve arrested him, so be it."

"Was he arrested for the thirteen murders he committed this year?"

"..."

Hearing this, Zhou Qin and Wang Qian’s expressions shifted slightly. They instantly understood the source of Shen Fei’s panic. Zhang Qingyuan’s words were cold and indifferent, carrying the distinct tone of a superior.

What followed in the conversation made Zhou Qin and Wang Qian feel as if they were facing a formidable enemy, and they didn’t dare to relax for a moment.

"BANG!"

A gunshot rang out, accompanied by the sound of splattering blood.

’Mr. Li’s’ voice abruptly ceased.

This was immediately followed by Zhang Qingyuan’s cold words: "Put him in a barrel, fill it with cement, and sink him in the sea."

Ultimately, Zhang Qingyuan’s counter-threats terrified Shen Fei into immediately hanging up. And so, the call ended.

"Master... Master, what do we do about this?" Wang Qian swallowed hard, clearly also quite frightened by Zhang Qingyuan.

Zhou Qin took a deep breath and said solemnly, "What’s there to panic about! Evil cannot prevail over good! It seems we need to take a trip to Jin City."

The evidence of Shen Fei’s scam was conclusive. But this phone call... it painted Zhang Qingyuan as a lawless desperado, a veritable crime lord. He had to take this seriously and investigate further!

「Jin City.」

「Nursing Home.」

After the scam incident, the nursing home had returned to its usual tranquility. A sense of harmony prevailed.

"Xiao Qin, how did you develop such chess skills? How can you play on your phone and still win so effortlessly?" Zhang Qingyuan looked at the solitary king on his chessboard.

He felt as if his decades of chess practice had gone to the dogs; he was utterly dejected.

Qin Mu chuckled but didn’t explain much.

At this moment, the system’s voice quietly sounded.

"DING! Congratulations to the host! The target has fallen into the net on his own and has received the deserved punishment. Prerequisite task completion: 100%."

"DING! Congratulations to the host, you have received a random reward—Physical Enhancement: Possessing a physique comparable to special forces."

"Would you like to use it now?"

Hearing this voice, Qin Mu’s expression brightened. That guy had finally been locked up! It had only cost him 40 luck points.

"Use it!" he nodded.

The system’s light quietly bloomed, bringing with it a sensation akin to an enlightening epiphany. Silently, it began to remodel his body. He could feel his strength gradually increasing. His reflexes, perception, speed, and other attributes all significantly improved.

This random reward isn’t bad. At least I don’t have to worry about not being able to beat someone up anymore.

Having received this tangible reward, Qin Mu was quite satisfied.

In modern society, with his enhanced physique, he could overpower most ordinary people. Although he wouldn’t proactively bully anyone, there would inevitably be times when he’d need to use force to resolve problems.

"RING-RING-RING!"

Suddenly, just as Zhang Qingyuan was setting up the chessboard for another game, his phone rang.

Zhang Qingyuan was startled. He answered. As soon as the call connected, a stern voice on the other end asked, "Hello, may I speak with Mr. Zhang Qingyuan?"

Zhang Qingyuan frowned; this scene felt eerily familiar. He paused, then still replied, "This is he."

The voice on the other end continued, "Here’s the situation: we’re from the Jin City Police Station. There’s a case that might involve you. Could we trouble you to come to the station?"

Zhang Qingyuan glanced at Qin Mu. He immediately recalled yesterday’s scam call and scoffed, "You’re going to tell me my son has been arrested again, right?"

"Just because I nearly fell for a scam yesterday doesn’t mean I’m an idiot!"

"Are you all ganging up to scam me? Yesterday it was the Criminal Investigation Unit, and today it’s the police station?"

"You can’t keep fleecing the same sheep!"

"Let me tell you, you won’t swindle a single cent from me!"

Having said that, he decisively hung up the phone. Then he turned to Qin Mu and said proudly, "How about that? I was smart this time, wasn’t I? Scammers won’t be able to fool me again!"

Qin Mu’s mouth twitched. He said quietly, "They hadn’t even said anything yet. How can you be sure they’re a scammer? What if it’s real..."

Zhang Qingyuan’s mouth fell open. He suddenly froze.

Maybe... just maybe... I hung up a little too quickly.

「Meanwhile.」

「Jin City. A police station.」

"BEEP. BEEP. BEEP."

Listening to the busy signal, Zhou Qin and several officers from the local police station exchanged glances. They had barely uttered a sentence before Zhang Qingyuan launched into a tirade and abruptly hung up, leaving them no chance to respond.