RTCBM 47

Early the next morning, Mu Yuan and Wen Shang drove back to the old house in Nathan. Just as Bai Wei had instructed, Mu Yuan searched the bedroom that used to belong to Mu Huafeng and found a specific tile in the center beneath the bed.

He crouched down and tapped the tile lightly with the back of his hand. It sounded hollow. Mu Yuan pulled out a steel ruler he had brought ahead of time, slipped it into the gap, and slowly pried the tile up. Underneath it was a sealed document pouch.

Mu Yuan took it out and placed it on the table. Then he looked over at Wen Shang.

Wen Shang gave him a nod. “Go on. Open it.”

Mu Yuan carefully peeled off the seal stuck over the opening. Inside was a holstered Type 64 pistol. But his attention wasn’t on the gun itself. It was on the police insignia printed on the holster. Wen Shang noticed it too.

Mu Yuan then emptied out the rest of the pouch. Out came a police badge, Mu Huafeng’s law enforcement ID, and the certificate from his graduation at the police academy.

Mu Yuan flipped through those documents again and again. The photo and name matched. There was no mistake. It was Mu Huafeng.

In that moment, both of them had a rough idea of what this meant, but neither dared say it aloud.

“When did Uncle Hua join Sheng Yi?” Wen Shang asked.

Mu Yuan shook his head. “I’m not exactly sure. For as long as I can remember, he was already part of the gang.”

“Did he ever tell you why he joined?”

“I never asked. When I was little, I just thought it was normal. And after I got older, I didn’t feel curious enough to ask.”

Mu Yuan dropped into the chair, staring blankly at the pile of items on the table. He sat there for a long time. Were those really left behind by his second uncle? In his mind, that man had always been a figure of unwavering loyalty and iron-blooded strength. A true warrior of the streets. But now, finding out that his second uncle had another identity he had never known about left Mu Yuan’s thoughts in complete disarray.

The only one who knew the full story was his third uncle. With the items he had retrieved from beneath the bed, they headed back to Lei Hall.

They met again at the same two-story building as last time. When Bai Wei saw that Mu Yuan hadn’t come alone, his expression immediately darkened.

“He needs to leave.” Bai Wei pointed straight at Wen Shang and said to Mu Yuan, “No third party can be here.”

“But Third Uncle, you didn’t tell me that before.”

“I’m telling you now. He has to go.”

“Third Uncle.” Mu Yuan tried to explain, “Wen Shang already saw everything in the folder. It doesn’t matter if he stays.”

Bai Wei’s expression stiffened. He immediately pulled a pistol from under his coat and aimed the black muzzle directly at Wen Shang.

“Then he has to die.”

Almost at the same moment, Mu Yuan threw himself forward and stood in front of Wen Shang.

“Third Uncle, are you serious?”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

Mu Yuan’s Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed hard. Then he said firmly, “Then shoot me. Let him go.”

Wen Shang stood behind Mu Yuan, as if wanting to speak, but in the end, he said nothing. He knew better than to make things worse for Mu Yuan.

Mu Yuan stood tall, his back straight like a pine. He looked Bai Wei in the eye without backing down. His resolve was clear. He would protect the man behind him, no matter what.

With a loud smack, Bai Wei slammed the gun down on the table.

Mu Yuan finally relaxed. The tension in his body eased, and he turned to Wen Shang with a relieved smile. If Bai Wei hadn’t been standing right there, Wen Shang would have lost all self-control and pulled the guy into his arms to kiss him again and again. He loved seeing Mu Yuan stand up and protect him like that. But at the same time, he didn’t want Mu Yuan to get hurt for his sake.

Mu Yuan pulled out a chair and sat beside Bai Wei. He smiled and explained, “Don’t worry, Third Uncle. Wen Shang knew my second uncle. He was even his student. I promise you, he won’t leak a word of this. If you still don’t believe me, I’ll swear it.”

“Enough,” Bai Wei said, waving his hand impatiently. He looked up and gave Wen Shang a meaningful glance. “Of course I know this kid. I just didn’t expect him to still be this clingy after all these years. Back then it was Mu Huafeng. Now it’s you.”

Wen Shang froze for a second. Something clicked in his mind. With a trace of uncertainty, he asked Bai Wei, “Was it you who pulled me aside for questioning downstairs at Uncle Hua’s place?”

“Oh? And how did you figure that out?”

“Your voice. And your height. They’re exactly the same. I don’t think I’d remember it wrong.”

Bai Wei gave a short laugh, which counted as confirmation. He pointed to the empty seat nearby and said to Wen Shang, “Go ahead and sit.”

Before getting into anything about Mu Huafeng, Bai Wei decided to start with his own story.

The name Mu Yong’an hadn’t been used since he left the Mu family at eighteen. Back then, he had stepped into society determined to make something of himself. Chasing fast money, he went down the wrong road and ended up in the underworld. When he first joined Qi Tai, he was just a low-level runner doing errands for the boss. Parking cars, collecting debts, whatever odd jobs came his way. But he had guts and he fought hard. After a few years of grinding, he finally earned a bit of status.

There was one time when Qitai clashed with Sheng Yi over business disputes on their turf. A fight broke out, and in that confrontation, Bai Wei came face to face with Mu Huafeng. He was stunned. Someone with a police academy background like Mu Huafeng had actually ended up as an enforcer in a triad gang. But he didn’t need to ask. He had already guessed the reason.

Back then, Mu Huafeng had been assigned by his superiors to go undercover in the underworld while investigating a gang-related murder case. He lived a double life, working for the gang while secretly gathering intel for the police. Over the years, his contributions had been critical to cracking numerous smuggling cases and taking down wave after wave of criminal operations. His achievements were undeniable.

Mu Huafeng had always known the risks of working as an undercover agent. If his identity was ever exposed, the people he had personally helped put behind bars wouldn’t hesitate to wipe out his entire family. That was why he had to be flawless. Aside from his direct superior, Guo Chao, the one who had assigned him. No one else knew the truth.

Originally, once that first case was wrapped up, Mu Huafeng was supposed to be pulled out. But Guo Chao didn’t follow through. Instead, he had Mu Huafeng remain inside the gang as a covert police informant.

Even Mu Huafeng hadn’t expected to stay so long. What was meant to be a temporary mission turned into fifteen years. From a low-level street enforcer, he rose all the way to become one of Sheng Yi’s Double Flower Red Poles.

In all his fifteen years inside the gang, the only time his cover was ever blown was during that clash with Qi Tai, when Bai Wei found him out. But Bai Wei never exposed him. Instead, he chose to protect his secret.

Nine years ago, on a certain day, Sheng Yi had purchased a batch of home appliances from Japan. The goods were stored in a warehouse by the docks. The night before Mu Huafeng was supposed to pick them up, he received a call from Bai Wei. Over the phone, Bai Wei told him that Qi Tai had tampered with the shipment. All the appliances had been swapped out and replaced with heroin.

After receiving the warning, Mu Huafeng brought a team with him that very night and cleared out the warehouse. Thanks to that, Sheng Yi avoided a serious disaster. But the situation also left him puzzled. The gang’s warehouse location had always been kept tightly under wraps. Only a very small number of people within the gang had access to that information. Outsiders shouldn’t have known anything. What made it even more suspicious was that just the night before, Mu Huafeng had spoken with Guo Chao and mentioned the warehouse.

Then the next day, something went wrong.

It felt like too much of a coincidence.

At first, Mu Huafeng only had his doubts. But to confirm his suspicion, he started tailing Guo Chao in secret. What he found stunned him. The man he had respected and trusted all these years had been colluding with drug traffickers. Guo Chao was a corrupt officer who gained profit by protecting criminals. He was the one who gave Sheng Yi’s warehouse location to Yuan Lixuan.

The heroin had been part of a trap. Qi Tai had planted it to frame Sheng Yi. It was a switch-and-swap tactic meant to wipe out their biggest rival in one blow. If Sheng Yi was taken down, Qi Tai would have the power and space to expand without interference. Once that happened, it would be far easier to dominate the scene on their own.

Guo Chao used his undercover subordinates inside Sheng Yi to collect intelligence and then passed it along to Qi Tai. Mu Huafeng was completely disillusioned by his superior’s actions. With a final hope, he sat down with Guo Chao for a serious conversation, trying to persuade him to stop before things reached the point of no return. But Guo Chao didn’t listen. Instead, he tried to pull Mu Huafeng into his operation.

In the end, the two couldn’t reach any agreement. Mu Huafeng chose to do what was right, even if it meant turning against his own superior. He decided to expose Guo Chao’s crimes. But before he could take action, Guo Chao struck first. Together with Yuan Lixuan, he paid a hitman to murder Mu Huafeng and completely erased all records of his undercover identity from the database.

News of Mu Huafeng’s death spread quickly. To avenge his fallen brother, Bai Wei made the choice to become an informant. He handed over all of Qi Tai’s criminal evidence to the police. He personally hunted down the hitman and killed him. After that, Bai Wei turned his sights on Guo Chao and Yuan Lixuan. When it came time to take them down, he didn’t hesitate for even a second.

No one would have imagined that an entire powerful gang could be wiped out at the hands of an unremarkable street thug.

Everyone had misjudged him, including Mu Huafeng. Among all the notable figures in Qitai, Bai Wei had never stood out. He only ever held a small post as a lookout and never climbed any higher. That was because he didn’t want to draw too much attention to himself. He feared it might bring trouble to Mu Huafeng. Like a seasoned predator, he was skilled at concealing his presence and tracks in front of his prey. He waited in silence with patience, staying hidden until the right moment came. And when it did, it was the moment to strike and kill.

After settling everything, Bai Wei built Renhe with his own hands, claiming all of Qi Tai’s former turf as his own. Just when Renhe was at its peak, Bai Wei stepped down and handed over control to Chang Yunxuan, withdrawing entirely from the affairs of the underworld.

After Mu Huafeng’s death, Bai Wei had once considered telling the police the truth about his identity as an undercover officer. He thought about clearing his name. But that idea was quickly abandoned. If Mu Huafeng’s identity was made public, it would destroy Sheng Yi’s reputation. And the one to suffer most would be Mu Yuan.

Bai Wei thought it over for a long time. When he finally decided to go find Mu Yuan and explain everything, he found out that Mu Yuan had already joined Sheng Yi. So, Bai Wei changed his mind. Maybe keeping Mu Yuan in the dark wasn’t such a bad thing. At the very least, for the sake of Mu Huafeng’s past contributions, people would treat him well. If the day ever came when Mu Yuan ran into real trouble, Bai Wei could step in and help when it mattered most.

—

On the way back from Lei Hall, Mu Yuan stayed silent. Wen Shang drove, occasionally turning to look at him. The guy looked deep in thought, like something was weighing heavily on his mind. There was a hint of fatigue in his expression.

Wen Shang handed him a chocolate bar. Mu Yuan took it, unwrapped it, took a bite, then turned his face toward the window.

“Let me off here,” Mu Yuan said suddenly.

“We’re not at your place yet.”

“I want to stop by the supermarket.”

“I’ll come with you.”

“No need. I’ll go on my own.” Mu Yuan slipped the half-eaten chocolate into his pocket, unbuckled his seatbelt, and got out of the car.

But he didn’t go to the supermarket. He wandered the streets aimlessly until he ended up at a quiet little park. He sat alone on a swing, head down, rocking slowly.

Mu Yuan remembered what he once said to his master. This was the path he had chosen, and he would never regret it. But now, after learning the truth, he couldn’t bring himself to feel strong anymore. Everything had turned out so differently from what he expected.

He had given up the life he was meant to live, stepped into the underworld just to find the one who killed his second uncle. And in the end, after nine years of searching, after everything he had poured into this goal, it had all been for nothing. He had even dragged his best brother into it.

Over the years he often wondered. What if he hadn’t been so stubborn? What if he had never entered the underworld? What kind of life would he be living now?

He would probably still be in Hongqing, singing opera and making a living that way. He had some talent, and his master had seen it in him. If he had stayed the course, he might have made a name for himself by now.

But there was no going back. Those possibilities no longer existed.

He had always thought of himself as strong. He had endured hardship, hit countless walls, and pushed through every major obstacle. Even when his life was on the line, his resolve never wavered. But the moment he learned the truth, he felt lost. He didn’t know where to go from here.

A pair of long legs had come to a stop in front of him. The man slowly crouched down, lifted his head, and looked at Mu Yuan in silence. Their eyes met.

Mu Yuan rarely showed weakness in front of others. But today, in front of this person, he made an exception. He parted his lips slightly, eyes filled with tears, and spoke word by word.

“I think I’ve lost my way.”

Wen Shang took off his jacket and wrapped it around him. He held Mu Yuan’s face in both hands and said, like making a vow, “It’s alright. I’ll walk with you, no matter which road it is.”

He brushed his finger gently down Mu Yuan’s nose. “I’ve been learning a bit of Cantonese opera lately. Want me to sing you something?”

It really seemed like he was trying to cheer him up, because Wen Shang actually started singing.

The tears that had welled up were pushed back by that indescribable voice. He had barely sung a few lines when Mu Yuan couldn’t help but burst out laughing. He rolled his eyes and gave him a sharp jab.

“What the hell are you singing? That’s garbage. I sound way better than you.”

Wen Shang didn’t argue. He smiled and agreed.

“Yeah, just making noise. I can’t compare with you.”

Then he reached out and took Mu Yuan’s hand.

“Sing more Cantonese opera for me from now on.”

Mu Yuan gave his hand a light squeeze, holding back in return. He glanced sideways, rocked the swing twice, and smiled.