Prefect Zhang was in charge of the public security, procuratorate, and judicial organs in Jinmen. He held a high position and wielded great power and influence.
The assassination of such a person is undoubtedly a momentous event.
Chen Zhizhong went through the process repeatedly to make sure there were no oversights, and then went to bed early as usual.
But he tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep.
That slap ruined his reputation, and Chen Zhizhong just wanted to wait for the outcome.
As I silently counted the chimes of the clock, at 3 a. m., the phone rang!
Chen Zhizhong suddenly stood up. "Calling at this hour, it seems like there's a lot of commotion."
When Chen Zhizhong answered the phone, it was the staff member on duty at his workplace. He was prepared to hear any news.
But the next second, his expression changed, and he even exclaimed in surprise:
[The Izumo Concession suffers continuous shelling, resulting in heavy casualties! Lord Zhang has tragically perished!?]
Upon hearing this news, Chen Zhizhong assumed it was an attack by the "Killing for Benevolence Society" and that the bastard surnamed Zhang had been struck by lightning.
But upon closer inspection, that doesn't make sense; what a coincidence!
Moreover, the "Killing for Benevolence Society" mainly destroyed bridges and railways and attacked settlements in the occupied northern areas, while remaining relatively peaceful in the various treaty ports.
"What exactly did this girl do?"
Chen Zhizhong hung up the phone, his brows furrowed.
At this moment, his wife led several servants over with clothes and helped him put them on.
"I'm afraid I won't be able to go home for the next few days. You keep an eye on An'er and Ping'er to make sure they finish their homework."
After giving a few instructions, Chen Zhizhong left home and rushed to the Prefectural Office.
Upon arriving at the site where Fan Shouyi had recently exploded, the eight chief constables of the branch bureau, along with the assistant magistrate, clerk, and other officials of various ranks from the Prefectural Office, had already gathered.
The expressions on everyone's faces varied, and several of Prefect Zhang's confidants looked as if they had lost their parents.
But many more people were simply enjoying the spectacle and whispering amongst themselves.
"I heard Old Zhang was killed by cannon fire while holding a woman from Izumo."
"Even in death, he's still a romantic!"
"Hey, Old Chen, you sent that 1000 taels of silver too early."
Chen Zhizhong feigned a wry smile and said, "If only I had dragged it out one more night..."
At this point, once everyone had arrived, a clerk distributed a report about the attack.
When everyone took a look, their expressions immediately changed:
"The Izumo Concession was hit by three shells... a brothel was destroyed, ouch... and the Jinmen Shrine! And an armored guard unit!"
"Civilian casualties have not yet been fully tallied, but they are estimated to be no fewer than 500..."
Such heavy casualties in a foreign concession would surely be news that would shock the world.
Suddenly, everyone felt that the Prefect Zhang had been killed in the explosion was no big deal.
Chen Zhizhong was utterly bewildered: Such audacity... Could it really be Xiao Cha who did it?
Amidst the murmurs and discussions, Counselor Wang, the second-in- Prefectural Office, shouted:
"Silence! It is truly heartbreaking that Lord Zhang has tragically perished..."
The man tried to feign sadness, but he couldn't suppress the smile on his face, so he forced a serious expression and shouted:
"You must immediately gather your men and search the entire city. Find the traitor who fired the cannon before dawn!!"
Everyone readily accepted the order and left, discussing among themselves as they went:
"The cannon's range is at most 15 kilometers, meaning it was fired within the city!"
"How audacious! They found it in less than an hour!"
With such a large caliber cannon, once it fires, the sound can be clearly heard within a five-kilometer radius, making it easy to locate.
At that time, the thieves will face being surrounded and intercepted by experts from all sides!
The group of chief constables and traffic officer hurriedly returned to their own territory and gathered their men to get to work.
When Chen Zhizhong arrived at the Third Police Station, the staff on duty had already gathered everyone, including Xiao Cha.
"Now that you all know what happened, immediately go to all parts of the jurisdiction to search and find the location where the thieves fired the cannons."
"Your subordinate obeys!"
A group of constables led their patrolmen and henchmen out in a rumble.
Chen Zhizhong walked with Xiao Cha, and seeing her unusually calm expression, he already knew what was going on.
"Did you really do it?"
"Hmm~"
"..."
Chen Zhizhong remained silent for a long time, and only spoke when they reached a dark place without streetlights:
"I was thinking you could be the hero and I could provide support... but I just can't handle this anymore."
This girl's crimes are so heinous that they lead to the confiscation of her family property and the extermination of her clan; it's something most people would find difficult to bear.
Xiao Cha said somewhat embarrassedly, "I'm sorry to have worried Uncle Chen."
Chen Zhizhong sighed, "It just so happens that the man surnamed Zhang died, and a position has become vacant in the Prefectural Office. I'll pull some strings and get a sinecure. You can take over my position as chief constable."
In government offices, every position is filled by a specific person, and if there's a real vacancy, someone has to step down to fill it.
However, Chen Zhizhong's move will inevitably reduce his profits and diminish his status.
Xiao Cha quickly advised, "Uncle Chen, you finally became the chief constable..."
"It's alright, this is fine," Chen Zhizhong said with a smile.
"With my wife and children tied down, I dare not get promoted, and I can't get a promotion either. I might as well take a break and spend more time with my children."
Xiao Cha knew that from the time of marrow cleansing onwards, advancing to higher levels was a matter of "risking her life."
For example, during our previous intimate moments, I had Lu Li check my buttocks, which easily and pleasantly resolved the issue.
But if you do it yourself, you could easily make a mistake and end up in a wheelchair for a year or two.
Most people don't have the destiny, let alone the courage, to make such bold and diligent progress.
Xiao Cha suddenly felt that it was good for Uncle Chen to take a sinecure, and that the lack of contact in the future would also make him feel more at ease.
After walking for a while, the two arrived at a brightly lit main road.
The police were knocking on doors and asking around, but after a long time they got nowhere.
Chen Zhizhong suddenly said:
"There's another advantage to me going to the Prefectural Office: they're well-informed, and they'll know about any news as soon as it breaks. I can keep an eye on the higher-ups and the People of Izumo for you."
Xiao Cha was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.
She thought that after Chen Zhizhong left, they would no longer have any contact, but now it seems that this is not the case.
Chen Zhizhong smiled and said with emotion, "I may not be a great hero, but I still have the courage to run errands and deliver messages for him."
Those three shots from the Izumo Concession were really satisfying! Perfect timing, before I leave, I'll also take down those Zhang guys who sell [Ice Soul Powder]."
As the saying goes, "When people leave, the tea grows cold," so this kind of revenge is only natural.
As dawn broke, the Third Police Station found nothing.
The same was true for other branches; no matter which direction—east, west, south, or north—they didn't hear a thing.
When the news reached them, Counselor Wang was immediately put in a difficult position.
He still wants to take over as the prefectural magistrate; he must do this job well!
So at dawn, he personally led a team to expand the search area, but no one heard any cannon fire even after asking around to villages more than a hundred miles outside the city.
Counselor Wang's face was extremely pale. "This is far beyond the range of cannons. Even Out of Body Realm Cultivator couldn't make a cannonball fly that far... Where exactly did the thieves fire the cannon?"
Now, let alone finding the person, we can't even find the location of the crime; the matter is completely at a standstill.
Chen Zhizhong nodded to himself: This was a brilliant move! The death of Prefect Zhang was overshadowed by the events in the Izumo Concession, People of Izumo wanted to vent their anger, they could only do so by targeting the Governor's Office.
I've completely cleared myself of any wrongdoing... but then again, how was the sound of the cannons covered up?