Chapter 60: A Murder Case
Chapter 60: A Murder Case
Outside the main entrance of the City Guard General Office, a large crowd gathered, blocking the spacious street.
A man, tightly bound with ropes, knelt with a bruised and swollen face at the entrance. Beside him, a young woman's body lay sprawled, appearing to have died not long ago.
Surrounding them was a sea of people, some commoners, and among them, a middle-aged man in an exquisite brocade robe, protected by a group of martial arts guards. There was also a burly man with a scar on his face, carrying a steel saber, exuding a terrifying aura.
The patrol officers guarding the entrance were visibly intimidated.
For them, if it were an ordinary commoner causing trouble, they would have kicked them away without a second thought. It was rare for a situation to escalate to the point of alarming their superiors inside.
However, this time was different. The scar-faced man with the saber was known locally as the leader of the Sandflow Gang, notorious for his violent reputation. In Willow Grove, almost everyone knew of him, and his influence was such that even a crying child would be silenced.
The man in the brocade robe, surrounded by his entourage, was none other than Zheng Hong, the patriarch of the Zheng family from Nan Street. The Zheng family's power in the area was even more notorious than the Sandflow Gang. Abducting young women was considered a minor offense for them. Zheng Yi, Zheng Hong's eldest son, had once gotten into an argument with someone at a restaurant and had his servants beat the person to death right on the street, then left without a care.
On that occasion, there were even patrol officers from the City Guard present. Zheng Yi killed the person right in front of them and then boldly asked the officers to clean up the mess. Afterward, the incident was quickly swept under the rug, causing no further trouble, a testament to the Zheng family's audacity.
For the patrol officers at the City Guard, the first rule was to be discerning and differentiate between those who could be provoked and those who couldn't. The Zheng family and the Sandflow Gang were among those not to be trifled with in Willow Grove.
One of the officers wiped the sweat from his forehead and kept glancing inside the City Guard General Office. Finally, he spotted Chen Mu leading a group of people out. He quickly bowed respectfully, "Patrol Commander."
The leader of the Sandflow Gang and Zheng Hong, the patriarch of the Zheng family, were not people these lowly patrol officers could handle.
Seeing Chen Mu emerge with his group, Zheng Hong smiled slightly and bowed to Chen Mu, saying, "Seeing is believing, Commander Chen. You are indeed young and promising. At your age, I was still frequenting the Flower Street, unable to manage even a simple shop. But you, Commander Chen, have already become the leader of a department."
The words sounded like a compliment, but they felt awkward and twisted when heard. Liu Song, Li Tie, and the others frowned inwardly.
Chen Mu's expression remained unchanged. He glanced at Zheng Hong and then looked at the corpse and the bound man. As he did, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.
The man kneeling before him was someone he knew.
"S...Commander, Commander Chen, you have to help me... it's all their fault..." The man on the ground looked up at Chen Mu and then spoke with a mournful expression.
The man addressed Chen Mu as 'Little Mu', a term only used by Chen Mu's third aunt, Chen Hong, and one other person.
His second uncle, Chen Mao.
Chen Mao had always been an uneducated man, and his relationship with Chen Mu's father had been strained. He had been scolded by Chen Mu's father on multiple occasions, and when Chen Mu's father passed away, Chen Mao didn't even pay his respects. Later, when he heard that Chen Mu had suddenly risen to prominence and become wealthy, he wanted to reconnect with his nephew, but his hesitation prevented him from doing so.
Despite this, as Chen Mu's second uncle, Chen Mao's circumstances had changed significantly. Many gang members who once looked down on him now greeted him respectfully, and some even sought to befriend him. Chen Mao, naturally pleased, gradually became well-connected and influential.
Chen Mu had heard rumors about this, but since Chen Mao wasn't using his name to gain influence, and he hadn't heard of Chen Mao doing anything wrong under his name, he didn't pay much attention to it.
Today was the first time they had met in years.
After being scolded by Chen Mu's father years ago, Chen Mao had stormed off in anger. Now, he was kneeling at the entrance of the City Guard General Office, his face bruised and swollen, bound tightly with ropes.
The moment Chen Mu recognized Chen Mao, he knew someone was unhappy about his appointment in Willow Grove and had planned to make things difficult for him from day one. It seemed they had prepared for this moment, and their intentions were clear.
Chen Mu ignored Chen Mao's pleas and turned to Shang Qinglai, saying, "Since there's been a murder, take all these people inside and interrogate them. Shang Senior Patrol Officer, I entrust this matter to you to ensure fairness and justice."
Shang Qinglai was still unaware of Chen Mao's identity, but he understood that someone was trying to make things difficult for Chen Mu on his first day. They wanted to embarrass the newly appointed Patrol Commander.
"Yes..." Shang Qinglai hesitated briefly before responding.
Regardless of the situation, whether the Zheng family and the Sandflow Gang were working together or not, Shang Qinglai knew he had to stand by Chen Mu. It was not just because of Xu Feng's instructions before his departure but also because of Chen Mu's current position as the indisputable Patrol Commander of Willow Grove, overseeing the entire City Guard.
Just as Shang Qinglai was about to take Chen Mao and the others into the City Guard for questioning, Zheng Hong spoke up.
"Wait!"
Having been ignored by Chen Mu earlier, Zheng Hong's face grew colder. "In a murder case, fairness and justice are essential. However, I know that the main culprit in this case is related to Commander Chen. If the interrogation is handled within the City Guard, it might cast doubt on Commander Chen's impartiality. I suggest conducting the interrogation here to ensure everyone's trust."
Upon hearing this, many people's faces changed slightly.
Shang Qinglai couldn't help but twitch his lips, feeling a headache as he looked at Chen Mu. Aside from Zheng Hong's obvious attempt to stir up trouble, the fact that the main culprit was a relative of Chen Mu's was even more of a headache for him.
In today's world, a relative of a Patrol Commander, to put it bluntly, even if they were involved in a murder case, wouldn't be a big deal. But if someone were to use this as an opportunity to cause trouble, and the instigator was a powerful figure like the Zheng family, it would undoubtedly become a troublesome affair.
"That's fine."
Chen Mu glanced calmly at Zheng Hong.
This look made Zheng Hong inexplicably feel a chill down his spine, but he quickly regained his composure. He knew Chen Mu's background; he was merely someone cultivated by Xu Hongyu to take over Xu Feng's position. Even if he might have some prospects in the future, it would only be possible if he had a future. The Yu family's current situation wasn't great, and today's incident also had hints from higher-ups.
Moreover, Zheng Hong wasn't an ordinary person. Not only was he distantly related to the He family in the Inner City, but he also had people working there. In terms of background and connections, Xu Hongyu, who backed Chen Mu, was insignificant. In terms of power, Chen Mu was a newly appointed Patrol Commander, young and inexperienced, and might not even have full control over the City Guard's forces. What could he possibly do to compete with Zheng Hong?
"I report to the esteemed officials, Chen Mao has been tyrannical and lecherous, forcing himself on my family's maidservant after drinking. Afterwards, he became violent and brutally murdered her. We hope that the officials will uphold justice and provide a fair resolution."
Someone stepped forward and knelt on the ground, speaking up.
"Nonsense!"
Chen Mao almost jumped up, arguing, "Sir, they are in cahoots. That day, I had a drink, and this woman intentionally seduced me. After the fact, they framed and blamed me, saying I ruined her reputation and threatened to report me to the City Guard. I argued with her, and in a moment of anger..."
"Nonsense! Clearly, you saw the woman and took advantage of her. There's evidence and witnesses, and you still want to deny it?"
"Clearly, you all set me up..."
The crowd quickly became noisy with arguments.
"Silence!"
Chen Mu's tone was calm, but it carried an unquestionable authority that immediately quieted down the arguing crowd.
Chen Mu glanced at the female corpse lying nearby. There was a clear bruise on her neck, and he also looked at the so-called witnesses and other evidence, shaking his head slightly.
The incident wasn't complicated.
With a little analysis, the situation became clear.
It seemed that the Zheng family had intentionally set up a seduction case, but during the argument between Chen Mao and the woman, Chen Mao, feeling threatened, lost his temper and killed her. He didn't know that the Zheng family's men were hiding nearby, intending to cover up the crime and destroy the evidence after the murder.
However, when the Zheng family saw that the seduction case had turned into a murder, they didn't act and instead watched as the woman was strangled to death by Chen Mao. Only then did they step in and apprehend Chen Mao.
At this moment, Chen Mao finally realized what was happening, but it was too late. He had no chance to struggle or argue, and he was taken away.
A farce.
This was Chen Mu's assessment of the situation.
The dead woman, the killer Chen Mao, and the Zheng family... From the victim to the culprit to the deceased, there wasn't a single innocent person in this case.
What's more ridiculous was that the whole incident was merely to give Chen Mu, the newly appointed Patrol Commander, a hard time on his first day.
Very good.
He had indeed received a surprise on his first day in office.
Chen Mu closed his eyes for a moment, then turned to Chen Mao, his tone calm. "So, you did kill her?"
Chen Mao was speechless, his eyes darting around in panic. His tone of argument weakened, and he stammered, "I... I was enraged and lost control for a moment... and they intentionally plotted against me, wanting to frame me. It was them..."
Chen Mu turned to Zheng Hong and said calmly, "The law shows no mercy, and the heavens watch over our actions. Regardless of the reason, one must pay the price for evil deeds. What do you think, Zheng?"
Zheng Hong, who had been watching the show, found these words grating. He frowned, about to say something, but Chen Mu had already waved his hand.
"The evidence is clear. Take him to the Central Prison."
"Yes."
Shang Qinglai immediately responded and stepped forward.
Chen Mao's face went stiff, and he started to struggle, opening his mouth to shout, but before he could say anything, Shang Qinglai struck him with the edge of his hand on the back of his neck, rendering him limp and unable to speak another word.
Several Patrol Officers quickly took Chen Mao away.
Chen Mu no longer looked at the departing Chen Mao but instead swept his calm gaze across the many people in the crowd, his tone still as calm as a still well, revealing no emotion.
The crowd exchanged glances, unsure of what to make of the situation.
Zheng Hong's frown deepened.
In truth, he knew that the relationship between Chen Mu and Chen Mao wasn't close, and today's incident wasn't about using Chen Mao to pressure Chen Mu. It was merely about undermining Chen Mu's authority.
However, this scheme didn't seem to have the desired effect. Chen Mu had remained composed and unflustered from start to finish, acting with steadiness and restraint, and his Senior Patrol Officer, Shang Qinglai, was quick and decisive, immediately controlling the situation and preventing Chen Mao from causing further disturbance, thus swiftly resolving the farce.
Not only did this farce not damage Chen Mu's reputation, but it inadvertently bolstered his authority.
Despite being only in his early twenties and on his first day as a Patrol Commander, he conducted himself with remarkable composure, without a single mistake to be found. It was truly strange and remarkable.
(End of Chapter)
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