Chapter 241: Eighty Percent Confidence

"What? They're all missing??"

Inside the private villa, Yan Shang's eyes widened in shock.

Prosecutor Fang Lichang stood before him, head slightly bowed, his face grim...

"The ten journalists I hired at great expense, the defense lawyer I managed to turn, and the only witness I found after so much effort... and you're telling me they disappeared right under your nose??"

Yan Shang's body trembled with rage. He slammed his teacup onto the table. "Fang Lichang! What have you done?!"

Fang Lichang opened his mouth and spoke bitterly:

"It was that Spade 6... I chased him out, circled the area but found no trace of him. By the time I rushed back, the hall was already empty... All the news drafts were burned to ashes, and the floor was covered in blood and playing cards. Spade 6 must have taken them!"

The squinting man next to him also looked distraught, responding in a low voice, "President, we might have truly offended the Twilight Society this time... In a sense, this is even more serious than offending the Enforcers."

Yan Shang's fists slowly clenched, his knuckles turning white, before he gradually loosened them after a long moment...

"The Twilight Society... How could it be such a coincidence?"

Having been in business for many years, Yan Shang's temperament had long been tempered. He didn't impulsively seek revenge on the Twilight Society because, over the years, traveling through various domains, he had gained a deep understanding of them. Even with Aurora City as his home ground, provoking that group of lunatics would be an absolute death wish.

Thus, Yan Shang could only swallow his anger, gritting his teeth. He looked coldly at Fang Lichang:

"I don't care about anything else. I just want to know how confident you are about tomorrow's court ruling?"

Fang Lichang pondered for a moment. "Those journalists don't matter; we can find more if they're gone. I also had the defense lawyer burn Tan Xin's letters in advance, so their crucial turnaround evidence is gone... The only trouble is Old Man Ding."

"Without Old Man Ding, it will be troublesome to convict Han Meng of 'extorting protection money' and 'underground dealings.' However, the charge of 'Spade 6' alone is actually enough to sentence Han Meng to death..."

"I'm eighty percent confident in the verdict!" Fang Lichang replied assertively.

Hearing this, Yan Shang's expression finally softened slightly. He stared at Fang Lichang for a long time, then waved his hand helplessly:

"Go... You'd better live up to your word. Don't forget, I still have something of yours."

Fang Lichang's expression subtly changed. After bowing to Yan Shang, he turned and left...

Old Man Ding was completely numb.

He moved slowly and with difficulty, walking across the wilderness, his eyes vacant as if his soul had left his body. He had become a mere shell of a man.

He dared not recall what he had endured that night. He had encountered "Fang Lichang" three times in a row. Each time, the situation, tone, and even attire were different, yet each time, just as he finally let his guard down, the other person would shatter his illusions of salvation in various bizarre ways.

Eventually, Old Man Ding couldn't even feel fear anymore. That face was deeply etched into his soul. He was like a puppet, manipulated and played with at will, his reason and logic completely lost due to the torment.

If he could see through the void, he would find that above his head, a thick, massive Mind-Python, like a small mountain, pressed down on his shoulders.

Overnight, the Mind-Python had devoured an immense amount of fear, causing its body to grow noticeably thicker. At that moment, it lazily yawned, seemingly unable to consume any more...

Meanwhile, as Old Man Ding continued his numb walk, he saw a familiar figure gradually appear at the end of the road.

Upon seeing that face, Old Man Ding's vacant eyes finally reacted. Struggle and pain appeared on his face, and his legs gave out, causing him to collapse to his knees before the person.

"I can't take it anymore... I truly can't take it anymore..."

"Just kill me, please kill me... I really can't run anymore..."

Before the person could speak, Old Man Ding's eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the ground.

Both physically and mentally, Old Man Ding had been tormented to his limit. This moment of unconsciousness was his brain protecting itself, and it became his only release for now.

Chen Ling's eyebrows slightly raised. "Is this already his limit..."

He shook his head, casually picked up the corpse-like Old Man Ding, threw him back into the abandoned warehouse, and locked the door from the outside.

After dealing with him, Chen Ling checked the time and walked directly towards the Aurora Press...

Yes, it was time for him to go to work.

When Chen Ling pushed open the press's front door, Wen Shilin, who was sitting at his desk, noticed him and walked straight over:

"Lin Yan, after the court session yesterday, where did you go?"

"Oh, I did some investigation."

"About Han Meng?"

"Yes."

Wen Shilin's face showed an "I knew it" expression. He patted Chen Ling's shoulder firmly. "Although I don't know why the Constellation Chamber of Commerce is targeting Han Meng, this kind of framing and slander is truly disgusting... Lin Yan, you uphold a righteous heart. I certainly wasn't wrong about you..."

"...?" Chen Ling saw appreciation and praise in Wen Shilin's eyes. He even suspected Wen Shilin's next sentence would be: I see my younger self in you.

"Mr. Wen, there's something I do need to ask of you." Chen Ling seemed to recall something. "Regarding the report on the Constellation Chamber of Commerce's organ trafficking..."

"Don't worry, I understand."

Wen Shilin, sporting prominent dark circles under his eyes, pointed to a thick stack of manuscripts on his desk. "I've already prepared them."

Chen Ling sincerely said, "Thank you."

With this, all of Chen Ling's preparations before the performance were complete. Only the final crucial step remained...

Chen Ling walked to his desk, picked up his camera and notebook, and was about to head out.

Seeing this, a hint of surprise flashed across Wen Shilin's face. "Where are you going?"

Chen Ling turned his head, pushing the half-rimmed glasses on his nose bridge.

"...To interview someone."

Aurora City, Black Jail.

Inside the dim, cramped cell, Han Meng, dressed in a black prisoner's uniform, sat cross-legged on the bed, resting with his eyes closed.

Purple torches flickered silently outside the corridor. In the eternal stillness, a sudden commotion drifted from afar... Han Meng frowned slightly, opening his eyes in confusion.

He heard a series of footsteps approaching.

"You only have five minutes..."

"We are watching you constantly. Do not attempt any unnecessary actions."

"If we deem there's a potential risk at any point, we will stop it immediately... Go in."

Creak—

The cell door slowly opened. Surrounded by a vigilant group of Enforcers, a figure wearing a brown overcoat and half-rimmed glasses stood quietly silhouetted against the purple torchlight, then slowly walked into Han Meng's cell.

"Hello, nice to meet you."

Chen Ling closed the cell door behind him, offering Han Meng a slight smile.

"I'm Lin Yan, a reporter from the Aurora Daily... May I borrow a moment of your time?"