r18novel Chapter 58 Shocking Changes in the Black Market
Chapter 58 Shocking Changes in the Black Market
Two weeks later, in the early morning, the atmosphere inside the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau compound was tense. Dozens of police officers, fully armed, stood in neat rows. After Captain Zhang gave a brief order, the team quickly boarded their vehicles and silently drove towards the black market area near Dongzhimen.
At 2:00 AM, the vehicle stopped not far from the black market. The officers, well-trained, dispersed, first sealing off all exits and setting up a tight net. Then, Captain Zhang personally led an elite team straight into the heart of the black market.
However, the scene before them shocked even these experienced police officers.
There was no chaos or filth as I had imagined, only mountains of grain. Potatoes covered in mud, sweet potatoes of decent quality, cornmeal sacks stacked like city walls... This grain occupied more than an acre of land, creating a shocking and surreal scene under the dim light of the kerosene lamp.
The entire "market" was eerily orderly. Two long queues stood silently, people holding bags, their eyes fixed on the line. Several burly men patrolled, maintaining order: "No noise! No cutting in line!"
The division of labor at the trading point was clear: two people loaded the grain, two people weighed it, and two people strictly supervised the 50-jin (25 kg) limit. The whole process was efficient and quiet, even more disciplined than a regular grain depot.
The crowd, which had been filled with joy, erupted into chaos upon seeing the police arrive. "The police are here! Run!" Panic spread like wildfire as people clutched their food and scattered in all directions, amidst cries, screams, and shoving.
"Bang!" Captain Zhang fired a warning shot into the air, then grabbed a megaphone and roared, "Don't move! This is a police investigation! Everyone put the grain on the ground! Hands over your heads and squat down!"
The gunshots and shouts stunned the crowd. People tremblingly put down their food and knelt down as instructed. The police officers immediately pointed their guns at the black market workers.
Lin Xiao, the leader, stepped forward and calmly raised his hands: "Officer, I am Lin Xiao, the person in charge. My brothers can all go back with you for investigation. But please look at these people. They are just ordinary people whose families are about to run out of food and are looking for a way to survive. We accept being arrested, but please be lenient and let them take their life-saving food back with them."
Captain Zhang's sharp gaze swept over the emaciated people, then looked at the unusually calm "black market boss" who was pleading for the people, and quickly weighed his options.
Finally, he roared at the people, "Consider yourselves lucky! Grab your grain and get home right now! Don't tell anyone what happened tonight! Do you hear me?"
The people felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They hurriedly grabbed the grain, thanked the thieves repeatedly, and fled in fear.
Only Lin Xiao and his "buddies" remained at the scene, along with the police officers surrounding them. "Cuff them all! Take them away!" Captain Zhang ordered.
Lin Xiao obediently extended his hands, taking one last look at the retreating figures of the people disappearing into the night before being handcuffed. The first step, according to his master's plan, was complete.
Inside the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau's interrogation room, the lights were stark white, and the atmosphere was oppressive. Lin Xiao and a randomly selected "accomplice" were interrogated separately.
Veteran Wang Dali looked bewildered: "Government, I don't know anything about any gangs. I'm just a retired soldier; the factory isn't doing well, and my mother's health isn't good, so I had no choice but to work as a porter to earn some hard-earned money to help support my family!"
Inside interrogation room two, the puppet figure Qi faced questioning from the police with an expressionless face. When asked his name, he coldly uttered only two words: "Lin Qi."
The police officer frowned and demanded, "Your real name? Your place of origin!"
"No real name. From Hong Kong." Qi's voice was calm and even, but a faint, almost imperceptible golden glint flashed deep within her seemingly empty eyes.
"Tell me the truth! Who is your boss? How was the grain brought in? Who else is behind you?" the police officer said, his tone becoming more forceful.
Lin Qi remained expressionless, but the air around him seemed slightly stagnant. Anyone with cultivation would have sensed the suppressed spiritual energy fluctuations within him. "We all came from Hong Kong with Third Master and Brother Xiao. We only follow their orders. We know nothing about the source of goods or transportation; we just execute commands."
He slightly raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the police officers in the interrogation room. Deep in his eyes was the innate arrogance and coldness of a Foundation Establishment cultivator being interrogated by mortals, which made the experienced police officers feel a sudden chill inexplicably, as if they had been glanced at by some prehistoric beast, and cold sweat instantly seeped out from their backs.
Facing the interrogation, Lin Xiao, the person in charge, remained calm and composed, exuding an air of detachment. He sat upright in the interrogation chair, yet seemed detached from the situation, naturally radiating an aura of profound composure, completely unlike a suspect being interrogated.
"Officer, I can cooperate with the investigation," Lin Xiao said, his voice gentle yet carrying a convincing authority. "Most of us come from Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Our boss is Third Master. The grain was also obtained by Third Master through his connections, seemingly from channels in the north and south."
"Third Uncle often says that we are all descendants of Yan and Huang, and our roots are in the mainland. Hearing that there was a food shortage back home, he was very worried. So he went to great lengths to get this batch of grain, not to make a profit, but to sell it at cost price, or even at a loss, just to help our fellow villagers and to do his part as an overseas Chinese."
Lin Xiao's response, a blend of truth and deception, pushed all the core secrets to the mysterious "Third Master" far overseas, perfectly matching the script set by Lin Yan.
Three days later, late at night, a barely perceptible sword light fell into a secluded alley near Dashilan. Lin San concealed his aura, appearing calm and composed. His divine sense had already covered the entire area, and he was fully aware of the police officers lying in ambush.
With a creak, the courtyard gate was suddenly pulled open from the inside! More than a dozen heavily armed police officers rushed out like tigers released from their cages and instantly surrounded Lin San!
"Don't move! Hands up! Lin San! You're under arrest!"
Faced with the sudden appearance of the police and the dark muzzle of a gun, Lin San's lips curled into a smile. He calmly raised his hands.
"Comrades, there's no need to be so tense." His voice was calm and steady, carrying a peculiar reassuring power. "I'll go with you. However..." His gaze swept over the police officers who were on high alert, "It would be best to put this gun away. If it were to go off accidentally, it might not be Lin who gets hurt."
In the police station's interrogation room, the veteran policeman stared at Lin San, who was handcuffed to the interrogation chair, but inexplicably felt a sense of pressure—this handcuffed man seemed to be the master of the entire room.
"Lin San? Do you know why we arrested you?"
Lin San nodded slightly. "I can probably guess it's about the food."
"Tell me your identity, your organization, and what's the deal with that shipment of grain?"
Lin San adjusted his posture, maintaining his composure despite being handcuffed: "My name is Lin San. I am the head of the Hong Kong Lin Group in mainland China. Several of our group's founders, including my eldest brother Lin Yi and second brother Lin Er, all came from the mainland in their early years."
"The Lin Group has a rather diverse range of businesses," Lin San said calmly, yet naturally exuding the air of a superior. "In Hong Kong, we're involved in real estate and shipping, with deep partnerships with banks like HSBC and Standard Chartered. In Europe and the United States, we trade, importing and exporting machinery and chemical raw materials. In Southeast Asia, we have rubber plantations and tin mining shares. We also have some connections with the Soviet Union, engaging in large-scale commodity trading through our Far East connections."
These words, spoken casually, outlined the silhouette of a commercial empire spanning Europe, America, the Soviet Union, and Southeast Asia, with close ties to Hong Kong's top trading companies and banks, shocking the police.
"The matter of the grain was directly instructed by my eldest brother, Mr. Lin Yi," Lin San continued, a fleeting hint of pity in his eyes. "He's well-informed in Hong Kong. He heard about the food shortages in the mainland and how people were struggling to feed themselves. We brothers all came from humble backgrounds and know what hunger feels like; we wanted to do our part."
The veteran police officer emphasized, "Selling without a license in the country is illegal!"
"Yes, we admit our oversight," Lin San replied calmly, his tone understanding. "We were only thinking about helping our fellow villagers and neglected the domestic regulations. We're willing to accept corrections. But we really didn't intend to make money from this!"
"You can check! We sell it for three cents a pound. After deducting the international purchase price, high special shipping costs, and labor costs, we're basically losing money! We're losing money to gain publicity! Why? Just for peace of mind! Just so that a few more families can keep their stoves burning and a few more children can have enough to eat! We Lin brothers are also Chinese, our roots are here, and it hurts us to see our fellow villagers going hungry!"
Seeing their expressions, Lin San knew the time was right. He timely offered the final bait, his tone conveying a convincing sincerity: "Comrades, our Lin Group genuinely wants to do something for the country and its people. If the country trusts us, we can utilize our overseas connections and channels to continue assisting in the procurement and transportation of grain, helping to alleviate domestic difficulties. Prices will be completely transparent, with only the minimum cost charged. Everything will be conducted under the guidance and supervision of relevant national departments."
The interrogation records were quickly compiled and submitted. Lin San was temporarily detained, but his treatment improved significantly. How to treat this dignified and seemingly "well-intentioned" Hong Kong businessman became an issue requiring a decision at a higher level. Lin Yan's plan was progressing step by step in the expected direction.