Chapter 84: The Truth of the Real World

Chapter 84: The Truth of the Real World

As Gao Zhiting drove away from the Splendid Imperial View community, he replayed the recent interrogation in his mind, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt something was amiss.

"Master, I still think those three have issues," he said.

Chen Lianian held a notebook and jotted down the list he had seen earlier.

"So, I think we should continue investigating them; there's definitely something fishy about them," Gao Zhiting said, firmly tapping the steering wheel.

Chen Lianian turned to look at his disciple, a playful smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

His disciple reminded him of his younger self—passionate about justice, stubbornly pursuing a cause even if it meant crashing into a wall head-on.

However, such a personality was ill-suited for survival in society, especially in a harsh environment. The more brutal the world, the more painful life would be for someone with this character.

"What makes you think they're problematic?" Chen Lianian asked curiously.

"Do I even need to say it? They're definitely up to no good," Gao Zhiting replied.

"And your reason?"

"Um... I guess... intuition?"

If pressed for a reason, Gao Zhiting couldn't quite articulate it.

Chen Lianian felt that his disciple was becoming more like him—trusting his intuition, but only his own.

"Then why do you want to investigate them? Even if they have issues, they're not really harmful," Chen Lianian said. His criminal profiling skills were top-notch; he could see through a person with just a glance.

So, he was certain these three posed no significant threat.

"But they've broken the law, and they should be punished," Gao Zhiting insisted.

In fact, the 'Ting' in his name represented a judicial institution, and his family had groomed him for this path from a young age.

Chen Lianian pulled at the corner of his mouth and sighed, "Do you know what the law is?"

"Of course! The law is the guardian of fairness and justice!" Gao Zhiting's tone was resolute.

Chen Lianian shook his head and sighed again, "You're still too young."

"Master, what do you mean by that look? Am I wrong?" Gao Zhiting furrowed his brows.

"It's only because you call me Master that I'm telling you this. Otherwise, you'd have to learn these truths through pain. The law has never been about fairness or justice; it's about maintaining stability. Justice lies only in one place..."

Chen Lianian didn't finish his sentence but instead poked his own heart with his finger.

Justice resides in the hearts of the people.

This ancient saying held true throughout history.

Gao Zhiting's worldview was shaken to its core, and he slammed on the brakes, staring at his master in disbelief.

"What are you looking at? If you hadn't called me Master, I'd have said that the law upholds fairness and justice. Do you understand? Only when you speak from the heart will you know the truth," Chen Lianian glared at his naive disciple.

"Master, but I've always been taught..." Gao Zhiting wanted to say that what he had learned from childhood to university contradicted what he had just heard.

"But..."

"There are no buts. You believe the law upholds fairness and justice, but in this world, there will always be people above the law, and their numbers will only grow," Chen Lianian said, his expression filled with frustration.

Gao Zhiting's face fell, and he shook his head, "Then what's the point of what I've always believed in?"

He felt like crying as the foundation of his beliefs crumbled.

And it was his most trusted and respected mentor who had shattered them.

Chen Lianian sighed, poked his heart again, and said, "Of course, it's meaningful. Didn't I tell you? Justice resides in the hearts of the people. Keep this in your heart, but don't let others see it. Do you understand?"

Gao Zhiting stared at Chen Lianian, looking at his heart, and suddenly understood something.

The beliefs he held dear seemed to have not completely crumbled but were hidden instead.

"Master, then what should I do?"

"Ask your heart, not the rules and regulations. Those are meant to constrain the masses and maintain stability."

"I don't understand," Gao Zhiting shook his head.

Chen Lianian paused for a moment and asked, "Why are you so determined to investigate those three?"

"They committed a crime," Gao Zhiting replied matter-of-factly.

"What evil have they done?"

"They..."

Gao Zhiting couldn't quite answer, for according to the information he had gathered.

The three cases surrounding those individuals seemed to involve victims who were not exactly innocent, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them demons.

To investigate the case of the four murdered at the abandoned factory, Gao Zhiting had personally visited the school and spoken to many students and teachers.

The teachers mostly remained tight-lipped to protect their jobs.

However, some students spoke the truth.

After all, Gong Chusheng was dead, and they no longer had to fear him. So, those who had been beaten or forced to transfer due to the four spoke out.

After hearing their stories, Gao Zhiting felt indignant, but from a legal standpoint, the case had to be pursued.

The second case involved the Hongda Corporation, a company that engaged in usury and stored threatening photos of borrowers on its hard drive.

Gao Zhiting was equally indignant upon discovering these clues, but no matter how angry he felt, the case had to be handled.

Lastly, there was the case of Gong Zhenting, and in the past two days, Gao Zhiting had found some leads. He learned that Gong Zhenting had hired assassins and had previously been Gong Chusheng's lackey.

Each discovery filled him with indignation, but the case still had to be pursued.

As Gao Zhiting thought about these cases, he hung his head.

He suddenly realized the world wasn't what he had imagined.

He pressed his hand against his heart and began to understand his master's words.

Seeing that Gao Zhiting had finally grasped the truth, Chen Lianian asked, "Now that you know there are Empowered who brought the Dark God's remains from the Abyss, do you want to investigate this case or continue pursuing those three?

Gao Zhiting said without hesitation, "First, find the Dark God. If this case isn't handled properly, it will cause major trouble."

"Right, finally got it. Let's go." Chen Lianian patted his back.

In fact, there was another reason he didn't want to continue investigating Lu Heng. As a psychic ability user, he had used his psychic abilities to probe during the questioning, but it was completely ineffective.

A psychic ability user probing an agility ability user and finding all skills ineffective indicated that the other party's strength was unfathomable. At that moment, he realized that continuing to investigate this case was meaningless. Unless there was a crime at the level of treason, requiring the state to mobilize its forces, any further investigation would be a waste of time. In this world, some people were no longer bound by the law. The only thing that could constrain them was morality.

...

On the terrace of the Splendid Imperial View apartment.

Lin Zeyu patted the railing and praised, "This house is great, and the view is fantastic. You can even see the sea, though it's a bit far."

He did some mental calculations and decided to buy the house. This way, the next time he came over, Lu Heng wouldn't be able to turn him away, as he would be the landlord.

Ha ha...

He laughed wildly in his mind, already imagining Lu Heng's surprised expression. However, he then thought that if Lu Heng moved out after he bought the house, it would be a waste. He slapped the railing and decided to have the previous landlord sign a ten-year lease with Lu Heng at a very low price.

"I am truly clever." Lin Zeyu laughed wildly in his mind again.

"What are you mumbling about?" Lu Heng saw him talking to himself and thought he looked like a fool.

"Nothing... nothing. Let's get to business. Where do we start? Just thinking about the Dark God's remains gives me goosebumps." Lin Zeyu quickly changed the subject.

"Let's start with Lei Jin Hao's subordinates. They all completed the Traitor Task, so they are the most likely to have taken the Dark God's remains." Lu Heng said.

"I thought the same. I've already had someone keep an eye on those two. We can go anytime." Lin Zeyu was very thorough and often did things without needing to be told.

"Let's go now." Lu Heng wanted to find the person who took the Dark God's finger as soon as possible to avoid any delays.

...

In the Andu Academy Estate.

Lu Heng, Su Muyu, and Lin Zeyu arrived at Building 6, Unit 1, 23rd floor of the estate.

Knock, knock, knock...

Lin Zeyu knocked on the door loudly and shouted, "Fei Zhijie, open the door!"

After a few knocks with no response, Lin Zeyu's tone turned cold and he raised his voice, "If you force us to act, it won't be pretty. Don't think you can run. You know how Lei Jin Hao died, right?"

After a few more shouts, the door slowly opened.

Fei Zhijie's face showed panic, but he didn't dare to run. He knew how strong the three people outside were. Lin Zeyu was manageable, but Lu Heng was a terrifying existence who could even take down a Dark God.

If he really tried to escape, it would mean certain death.

When Fei Zhijie opened the door, the three of them immediately noticed that his ring finger on his right hand was wrapped in bandages, covering the entire finger.

Lin Zeyu reacted quickly, flipped his hand, and drew a revolver, aiming it at him.

Fei Zhijie immediately panicked and hurriedly used a defensive skill while shouting, "Don't shoot! We can talk, I didn't run, don't shoot!"

Lin Zeyu pointed the gun at the bandage on his right ring finger and asked, "What's with the bandage on your hand?"

Fei Zhijie looked at his finger and replied, "I accidentally cut it. Is there a problem with that?"

Lin Zeyu continued to hold the gun and ordered, "Take off the bandage, take it off!"

Fei Zhijie hurriedly and nervously unwrapped the bandage, revealing the wound on his finger. Lin Zeyu pinched his finger and examined it closely, causing Fei Zhijie to cry out in pain. The wound split open, and fresh blood flowed out.

"It hurts... it hurts... it hurts..." Fei Zhijie's face was full of pleading.

When they first saw the bandage on his finger, the three of them instinctively thought it might be hiding the Dark God's finger. However, after a closer look, there was nothing unusual about the finger, and the blood that flowed out was a normal bright red.

If it were really the Dark God's finger, its terrifying appearance would be unmistakable at first glance.

"What do you want from me? Can I put the bandage back on now?" Fei Zhijie, having removed the bandage, saw his wound bleeding again and wanted to re-bandage it.

"Go ahead. We need to look around your place." Lin Zeyu said, not waiting for his agreement, and stepped over the threshold into the house, starting to search for a suitable place.

Fei Zhijie walked to the TV cabinet, squatted down, and found bandages and iodine, re-bandaging his wound. While bandaging, he asked, "What do you want from me? In the Abyssal Battlefield, I had no choice. Now that Lei Jin Hao is dead, you're not going to let me go?"

"Don't be nervous. As long as you cooperate with us to find something, we promise not to touch you." Lin Zeyu patted his shoulder.

Lu Heng glanced back at Su Muyu, signaling her to search the entire house. In matters of finding things, a Seer was naturally more skilled. She could release a Reconnaissance Eagle to fly around the house and quickly determine if there were any Dark God's remains.

Lu Heng sat on the sofa and said, "I have a few questions for you."

"Sure, go ahead."

"Among the survivors in your team, did anyone bring out anything special?"

"Um... I don't think so. I'm not entirely sure. What are you looking for? I only brought out a Crystal Core. If you let me go, I'll give you the Crystal Core." Fei Zhijie, having bandaged his finger, tried to buy his life with the Crystal Core.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end