Chapter 42: The Black Crow Sect
Chapter 42: The Black Crow Sect
After a brief moment, Chen Mu, accompanied by Liu Song, Li Tie, and seven or eight patrol officers, arrived at a network of alleys located west of the Nine Streets, a territory dominated by the Thief Gang.
The Thief Gang, despite its name, was not a well-organized group like the Crimson Gold Gang or the Black Crow Sect. Internally, it was chaotic, consisting of thieves, kidnappers, and their activities weren't limited to the Nine Streets.
In fact, the Thief Gang had often been suppressed by more established gangs like the Crimson Gold Gang, as the latter collected 'safety silver' or protection fees, while the Thief Gang's activities of theft and kidnapping undermined the Crimson Gold Gang's income.
The Thief Gang's presence in this area was only possible because they had provided certain benefits to the Crimson Gold Gang.
"Oh, good morning, Officer Chen!"
A man with a shifty look, standing outside the alley, had already spotted Chen Mu's group approaching, but he didn't flee. Instead, he stood up with a smile, greeted them, and bowed slightly towards Chen Mu.
Chen Mu remained silent, and Liu Song, standing beside him, asked coldly, "Where's your leader?"
"Lord Fifth is inside. May I ask, Officer Chen, are you here to find someone or something...?" The man asked in a low voice, bowing his head.
Liu Song cursed, "What can you do? Lead the way!"
"Yes, yes," the man replied, glancing at Chen Mu in his blue attire. He forced a smile and said, "Please, come in."
In truth, he wasn't genuinely interested in Chen Mu's purpose for coming; he was merely trying to buy some time to inform and prepare the people inside, as a visit from the patrol officers was never a good sign.
Moreover, the fact that a senior patrol officer had arrived with a group made it even more crucial to be cautious.
The man cautiously led Chen Mu's group into the alley, which was a maze of narrow, intricate passages. After several twists and turns, they finally reached a spacious courtyard.
In the courtyard, a man in his forties or fifties, with graying temples and a pipe and tobacco pouch hanging at his waist, greeted them with a hearty smile and a bow. "You must be Officer Chen from the City Guard, right? If you have any business, just call out, no need to trouble yourself by coming here in person."
Others might not be aware, but as the 'Lord Fifth' of this generation's Thief Gang, he knew that Chen Mu was not only a close associate of Min Baoyi but had also connected with Xu Hongyu from the City Guard General Office, making his future prospects limitless.
He could handle regular patrol officers or even senior officers, but Chen Mu was someone he dared not offend.
"So you're Lord Fifth," Chen Mu said with a flat tone. "I've heard a lot about you. I have a missing relative, and I need your help to find someone."
"Her name is Zhang Youying, a girl under twenty years old," Chen Mu stated calmly.
Upon hearing this, Lord Fifth immediately smiled and said, "No problem! I'll take care of it right away... Little Six, go and find someone. See who dared to mess with Officer Chen's relative!"
Someone on the side responded and hurried off.
Lord Fifth then bowed to Chen Mu and said, "Finding someone will take some time. My humble abode is a bit shabby, but I do have some fine wine. Officer Chen, why don't you take a seat and relax while we wait?"
"Alright, then. Please rest," Lord Fifth replied with a smile, and the group waited in the courtyard for news.
About half an hour passed.
The skinny man who had left earlier returned, hesitated for a moment upon seeing Chen Mu, but then went to Lord Fifth's side and whispered something in his ear.
Lord Fifth's eyebrows furrowed slightly after hearing this, and he let out a bitter laugh. "Officer Chen, Little Six asked around among the kidnappers, but no one has seen your relative. They wouldn't dare disobey me, so they probably genuinely don't know."
"You don't know?"
Liu Song stepped forward and asked in a deep voice, "In these Nine Streets, when people and things go missing, is there anything that even you, Fifth Lord, are unaware of?"
The Fifth Lord was momentarily lost for words, unsure of how to respond. He glanced at Chen Mu, hesitating for a moment before saying, "Enforcement Officer should also be aware that over the past few months, many people have gone missing, but in truth, most of them have nothing to do with us. As for where these people have gone... I genuinely don't know either. But if I had to guess..." He paused, "I do have a vague suspicion."
"Tell me," Chen Mu said calmly.
The Fifth Lord glanced around, hesitated briefly, then took a few steps forward to stand beside Chen Mu, lowering his voice, "It seems like the Black Crow Sect might be up to something, but this is just my speculation..."
The Fifth Lord didn't want to offend anyone, not even the Black Crow Sect. But with Chen Mu already at his doorstep, he had no choice.
The Black Crow Sect? Hearing the Fifth Lord's words, Chen Mu's eyebrows furrowed slightly.
Compared to the thief gangs and the likes of the Fifth Lord, the Black Crow Sect was a much thornier issue.
From what he had learned recently, the Black Crow Sect's territory and influence in the Nine Streets were not as extensive as the Crimson Gold Gang. However, the problem was that the Crimson Gold Gang only dominated the Nine Streets, while the Black Crow Sect had a presence and infiltration in several neighboring 'Streets'.
In normal circumstances, he wouldn't want to get involved with matters concerning the Black Crow Sect. But since Chen Hong had come asking for help, he had to assist her.
Chen Mu thought for a moment, then turned to the Fifth Lord and asked, "Are you sure?"
The Fifth Lord chuckled and said, "This is the line of work I'm in..."
In truth, he had no solid evidence, and he wasn't entirely certain. But given his position, various pieces of information had reached his ears, and the Black Crow Sect had been the most suspicious over the past few months.
"Alright," Chen Mu nodded, then said, "Let's go to the Crimson Gold Gang."
Yes.
Instead of seeking the Black Crow Sect, he was heading to the Crimson Gold Gang.
The Fifth Lord's information was of uncertain authenticity, and the Crimson Gold Gang had been in constant conflict with the Black Crow Sect. The saying went that the best person to understand someone was their opponent.
Whether the Black Crow Sect had been secretly abducting people and carrying out clandestine activities, the Crimson Gold Gang would surely know something about it. They might even know more than the Fifth Lord, and they certainly wouldn't hide anything from him, especially since they were so eager for him to cause trouble for the Black Crow Sect.
(End of Chapter)
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