Chapter 168: Following the Clues
Chapter 168: Following the Clues
“What kind of help?”
Upon hearing Lin Mu’s words, Shen Xue was momentarily stunned.
“I want to find the people behind you. The condition is that you cooperate with me in acting out a scene. If we succeed, I won’t hold you accountable, and I won’t go after your family. Otherwise, you know the consequences.”
Lin Mu spoke calmly, but his words carried an undeniable firmness.
“You want to go after those people? They’re all crazy! You can’t fight them alone!”
Shen Xue quickly said. Although she seemed to be advising Lin Mu against it, she was actually afraid that if Lin Mu failed, she would be dragged into trouble.
“I know what you’re thinking. Just lead me to them, and you don’t have to worry about the rest. In fact, you should thank me. If I deal with them, you’ll be free from then on.”
Lin Mu curled his lips into a slight smile. He had already seen through Shen Xue’s thoughts.
“But how are you going to find them? I don’t even know where they are.”
Shen Xue nodded silently.
“It’s simple. We’ll go to a hotel now. You call the person who contacted you and tell them I refused to pay and tried to leave after having fun. Naturally, someone will come for me.”
Lin Mu chuckled softly. He had already planned this strategy and was confident they would come looking for him.
In a luxury suite at the Jinting Hotel, Lin Mu sat in the living room, watching Shen Xue make the call.
“Hello, Brother Kun. There’s a client here who refused to pay afterward. He said my service was poor and demanded I spend the night with him for free as an apology. I made an excuse to go to the bathroom and called you secretly. What should I do now?”
Shen Xue spoke with a sob in her voice.
“What? Where did you pick him up?”
A man with a raspy voice yelled from the other end.
“At the same light bar as last time. This client approached me first.”
Shen Xue continued acting.
“Where is he now?”
There was a brief silence on the other end before the raspy-voiced man spoke again.
“He’s at the Jinting Hotel, room 8015.”
“Alright, stall him. I’ll bring people over right away!”
Once he had the address, the man on the other end immediately hung up.
“Good. Now we just wait here for them to arrive.”
Lin Mu poured himself a cup of tea and sat comfortably on the sofa, sipping it leisurely. Shen Xue wasn’t as calm as Lin Mu. She fidgeted nervously, her fingers twisting together, and she kept glancing at the door with worried eyes.
About twenty minutes passed, and suddenly the doorbell rang. Shen Xue jumped in fright, staring at the door in panic.
“What are you looking at? Go open the door.”
Lin Mu pointed toward the door.
Shen Xue took a deep breath, slowly stood up, and walked to the door. Trembling, she opened it.
“Hello, miss. We’re from room service. This is a complimentary dessert from the kitchen for our guests. Would you like some?”
It was a hotel waiter standing outside, pushing a food cart, smiling warmly.
“Whew, no, thank you.”
Shen Xue sighed in relief and spoke weakly. For a moment, she had thought it was Brother Kun and his men, and her heart had raced so fast she saw stars.
“Sorry to disturb you.”
The waiter nodded with a smile and pushed the cart away.
Just as Shen Xue was about to close the door, a hand suddenly pressed against it and pushed it open forcefully. Caught off guard, Shen Xue stumbled back several steps from the push.
“Bro-Brother Kun, you’re here.”
Seeing the person standing outside, Shen Xue’s mouth went dry.
The man called Brother Kun nodded, then walked in with three others. The men behind him looked like small-time thugs, with visible tattoos on their necks and exposed skin.
“Is that him?”
After entering the room and seeing Lin Mu sitting casually on the sofa drinking tea, Lu Kun frowned and turned to Shen Xue to ask.
“Y-yes, i-it’s him.”
Shen Xue was startled by Lu Kun’s sudden turn and stuttered in reply.
“Brother, which line are you in? There’s no such thing as a free meal—surely you understand such a simple rule?”
Lu Kun cracked his neck, sauntered over to the sofa, and slowly sat down. He pulled out a sheathed dagger from his jacket and slapped it onto the coffee table, his eyes fixed intently on Lin Mu.
“Heh, every trade has its rules. I understand that. But you’ve overstepped your boundaries this time. Since you broke the rules first, I don’t need to follow any rules with you either.”
Lin Mu blew on the tea leaves in his cup, acting as if he hadn’t even seen the dagger on the table.
“Overstepped? Are you in this line of work too?”
Lu Kun narrowed his eyes slightly, scrutinizing the young man in front of him.
“Do I look like a pimp to you? Last night, you made the mistake of targeting my friend. Today, I’m here to collect some interest.”
Lin Mu set down his teacup and lightly brushed off his clothes.
“Last night? Were you the one who injured Mr. Dong last night?”
Lu Kun was momentarily stunned, then quickly caught on, his expression shifting.
“So that waste is named Dong. I didn’t know what he was called, but since he provoked me, he should be thankful I let him live.”
A mocking smile appeared on Lin Mu’s lips.
“You’ve got some nerve! You nearly ruined our reputation. It’s the first time a client has been injured on our watch. The Dong family has offered a ten million reward to catch the bold guy who did it—and it turns out to be you!”
Lu Kun let out a wild laugh and waved his hand. The three lackeys standing nearby immediately stepped forward, pulling out their knives and eyeing Lin Mu as if deciding where to strike.
“You really have a death wish. Do you even know how that guy named Dong ended up in my hands?”
Looking at the thugs who seemed eager for a fight, Lin Mu shook his head disdainfully and chuckled.
“What do you mean?”
Lu Kun picked up the dagger from the table, his eyes turning cold.
“Mr. Dong had several bodyguards with guns, and he still ended up in my hands. Do you really think the few of you can handle me?”
Lin Mu shook his head helplessly, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
“Dealing with someone with a gun isn’t that hard. You just have to stop them from drawing it!”
Lu Kun spoke boldly, showing no sign of fear.
“Oh? It seems I underestimated you. You must have some training. Come on, show me how you plan to stop me from drawing my gun.”
Lin Mu looked at Lu Kun with slight surprise, then lifted the hem of his clothes with his left hand, revealing a Colt revolver at his waist.
Seeing the gun at the other’s waist, Lu Kun’s expression changed instantly. His previous lazy demeanor vanished, replaced by a sharp glint in his eyes. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the dagger’s sheath flying toward Lin Mu’s head.
At the same time, he gripped the now unsheathed dagger firmly and thrust it at Lin Mu, aiming for his shoulder to prevent him from drawing the gun.
From the moment Lin Mu revealed the gun at his waist, Lu Kun executed two movements seamlessly. His handling of the dagger had a natural, fluid quality, showing he truly had some skill—he was indeed a trained fighter.
Lin Mu tilted his head slightly, dodging the flying sheath, and blocked the dagger’s blade accurately with his right hand. Then, he flicked his finger, striking the dagger directly with his fingernail.
A clear, ringing sound echoed as the dagger snapped in half. The severed blade flew through the air and embedded itself in one of the lackeys’ thighs. The man cried out in pain, clutching his wound tightly.
The sudden turn of events shocked everyone. How could someone break a dagger with just a flick of their finger? What kind of terrifying strength was that?
Lu Kun was the most astonished of all. He had been practicing with daggers for over a decade and considered himself a master. The dagger in his hand was custom-made with high-quality steel, and it had taken a month just to sharpen the blade.
Yet, such a fine dagger had been broken by someone’s finger. For a moment, he couldn’t process it, staring blankly at the broken blade in his hand as if unable to believe what had happened.
“I know you’re not the one in charge, and I have no interest in wasting time on small fries like you. Take me to the person who really calls the shots. Don’t waste my time.”
Lin Mu picked up his cup from the table and glanced at the stunned Lu Kun.
“Since you’re not in this line of work, friend, why are you stirring up trouble?”
Lu Kun put away the broken dagger and looked at Lin Mu warily.
“You think I want to deal with this nonsense? If it weren’t for my friend being involved, I wouldn’t care at all. I need to know who gave the order to drug my friend yesterday.”
Lin Mu snorted. To deal with people like this, you had to use overwhelming force to intimidate them and avoid unnecessary arguments.
“Friend, although you’re very strong, the people behind me are no pushovers. They’re influential figures throughout Jingdu. Crossing them isn’t a wise decision.”
Lu Kun narrowed his eyes and spoke calmly.
“You don’t need to worry about that. Just take me to them, and you can go.”
Lin Mu stood up, then turned to Shen Xue. “You can go back. Starting tomorrow, don’t work in this industry anymore. I’m letting you off easy because you’re her classmate. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be so lenient.”
Shen Xue looked at Lin Mu with a complex expression, her lips parting slightly as if she wanted to say something. After hesitating, she ultimately remained silent, picked up her bag, and left the room alone.
“I can take you there, but you can’t reveal that I leaked the information. I don’t know if you can handle them, but I know for sure I’m no match for them.”
Lu Kun also stood up, looking directly at Lin Mu. “If they find out I betrayed them, I’ll be dead for sure. Unless you promise not to give me away, you might as well kill me now!”
Lin Mu raised an eyebrow, turned back to look at Lu Kun, thought for a moment, and then nodded. “Alright, I promise.”