Chapter 116: The Arson Suspect

The atmosphere was tense, on the verge of snapping. Suddenly, over a dozen camouflage-painted military vehicles roared into view. They pulled up aggressively at the main entrance of the Jia residence. A large number of military personnel swarmed out, fully armed and equipped. They were well-trained and operated with seamless coordination, forming a tight perimeter around the entire Jia estate within seconds.

The leader, clad in military uniform, possessed a sturdy build and a stern expression. He was Jia Mingxuan’s eldest son, Jia Hanlin, a captain in the provincial capital’s military division. Earlier, seeing how formidable Gu Xiangnan was, Jia Mingxuan had felt a sense of unease. The bodyguards he had hired were no match for such a man. He had immediately called his son, ordering him to bring the elite troops to protect the Jia family and neutralize Gu Xiangnan if he dared to resist, before dealing with Yang Dianfeng.

Upon seeing him, the Third Master of the Jia family wept uncontrollably and accused, "Hanlin, your cousin has been brutally murdered! You must seek justice for him!"

Jia Hanlin surveyed the scene, taking in the blood and corpses littering the ground. He frowned; it was no exaggeration to call this a small battlefield. He asked in a deep voice, "Who did this?"

"I did," Gu Xiangnan replied calmly.

As a captain in the provincial military, Jia Hanlin maintained his composure. He examined the three of them closely before introducing himself: "I am the eldest son of the Jia family, Jia Hanlin. This is my family's residence. You have trespassed, and you have slaughtered members of my family. Do you admit it?"

"I do."

Upon hearing the admission, Jia Hanlin’s eyes darkened, and he issued a decisive order: "Take them down immediately!"

As soon as he spoke, the troops moved, aiming their weapons squarely at Gu Xiangnan. Two burly men stepped forward to seize him. Gu Xiangnan did not want to clash with the military. Firstly, they were government officials, and he wished to avoid that trouble. Secondly, they were men who served and protected the country, and he respected them.

"This was self-defense! We were forced into this," Gu Xiangnan explained calmly. "Your family first moved against my brother. Last night you sent assassins, and today you gathered over a hundred men with firearms to surround us. We only fought back to survive. Is that wrong?"

Jia Hanlin paused, momentarily taken aback. He spent most of his time with his unit and was not fully informed about his family's affairs. Were there such hidden circumstances?

"Self-defense? You killed so many people and you call it self-defense? Do you think I would believe your lies?" Jia Hanlin questioned coldly.

"If you don't believe me, examine the scene yourself," Gu Xiangnan pointed to the firearms on the ground. "None of these guns were brought by us. If we had truly intended to commit murder, why wouldn't we have brought our own weapons?"

Jia Hanlin ordered his men to inspect the guns. True to Gu Xiangnan’s word, they all belonged to the Jia family. This meant the family had indeed gathered over a hundred men, arming each one, while Gu Xiangnan’s side had arrived without any weapons. In this light, the truth about the self-defense was clear.

Just as Jia Hanlin hesitated, the Third Master, noticing his uncertainty, stoked the fire. He said with malice, "Hanlin, you must seek justice for the Jia family! If they weren't here to kill, why come to our home at all? The Jia family doesn't even know them."

Provoked by the Third Master’s words, Jia Hanlin reached his decision. He commanded in a deep voice, "Bind them and take them away!"

"Yes, sir!" Several men moved to comply, stepping toward Gu Xiangnan to escort him away. Just as Yang Dianfeng prepared to intervene, a car pulled up. Two agents in uniforms stepped out at the gate. Everyone at the scene froze, staring at the newcomers.

The agents frowned at the sight before them. One of them stepped forward, showed his identification to both Jia Hanlin and Gu Xiangnan, and said, "We are agents from the Provincial Investigation Bureau. My name is Chen. There was a fire at the Dongsheng Building today. After investigating the surveillance, we found that Gu Xiangnan and Yang Dianfeng, who arrived from Jiangning City, are major suspects. We need them to assist in our investigation. Please come with us."

Jia Hanlin’s expression turned grim. "I am a captain in the provincial military division, and I am currently looking for them as well. Can you wait until we finish handling our affairs?"

Agent Chen shrugged. "I'm afraid not. We are under pressure from our superiors to prioritize this case."

Jia Hanlin glared at Agent Chen but ultimately chose to yield. Gu Xiangnan and his group were taken away by the agents.

Inside the interrogation room of the Bureau, the lights were harsh, and the clock on the wall ticked rhythmically. Agent Chen sat opposite Gu Xiangnan, his expression severe, his eyes fixed on him like a hawk. After a moment of silence, Chen spoke: "Where were you this morning?"

Gu Xiangnan did not evade the question. He looked straight into the agent’s eyes and answered, "I went to the Dongsheng Building."

"What for?"

"Their leadership was transferring their chain of pharmacies to me." Gu Xiangnan spoke as calmly as if he were discussing a matter unrelated to himself.

"What is your relationship with them?"

"None."

"If there is no relationship, why would they give you pharmacies for nothing? That is not a small sum of money." Agent Chen clearly did not believe him.

Gu Xiangnan smiled slightly. "Perhaps... he thought I was handsome."

Upon hearing this, Agent Chen’s face darkened. He stood up abruptly, leaned over the table, and glared at Gu Xiangnan. "Gu Xiangnan, what kind of attitude is this? Do not joke with me!"

Gu Xiangnan looked aggrieved. "My paperwork is legal; I don't see the problem. Look, here is the gift contract with their official stamps and signatures." As he spoke, he took the contract from his bag and handed it over.

Agent Chen examined it carefully and could find no flaws. After the fire at the Dongsheng Building, they had arrived to investigate, only to find the interior severely damaged and all surveillance equipment destroyed by the flames. The bodies had been reduced to charcoal, making identification impossible. Later, they retrieved footage from nearby street cameras, which showed Gu Xiangnan’s group near the scene, leading them to the Jia estate.

The interrogation of Gu Xiangnan yielded no valuable information. In another room, a female agent interrogated Zhang Baolian. She claimed to be a Taoist from Longhu Mountain, back for a family visit. She stated she had only returned two or three days prior and knew nothing of the events. She emphasized that as a young woman, she had no capacity to participate in such incidents. Yang Dianfeng, a veteran of the underground world who had skirted the edges of the law for years, remained silent, insisting on waiting for his lawyer.

In short, the interrogations led nowhere. With the approval of the chief inspector, the Bureau decided to extend the detention of the suspects. Night had deepened, and the three of them prepared to spend the night at the Bureau. Just then, an agent opened the cell door and informed them that they had all been bailed out. Gu Xiangnan was deeply curious—who could have bailed them out?

They followed the agent out.