At that moment, Old Ding wanted to die.
Flower Boss's murderous stare looked as though he wanted to devour him alive.
Only now did he finally understand why Old Ninth had come.
Before coming, all he had thought about was how to survive. Now he had no choice but to bring Flower Boss down.
Because Flower Boss already hated him to the core.
"Master Hua, my condolences." Sweat covered Old Ding's face, and his voice trembled.
Earthworm patted Old Ding on the shoulder and reassured him, "Don't be scared. Your big brother's got your back. Go give him a couple of slaps. You're a local boss yourself. Let him know who calls the shots in West Garden."
Old Ding rolled his eyes at Earthworm. Even with a hundred times the courage, he would never dare disrespect Master Hua.
Even now that he had fallen out with Flower Boss, he still didn't dare challenge him openly.
"Looks like you really don't want to leave!" Flower Boss roared.
Whoosh!
Over a hundred enforcers poured in from behind the Memorial Hall, through the main entrance, and from every direction.
Dozens of Awakened surrounded Old Ninth's group, leaving them no way out.
"Since you're here, you can stay and join my son in his grave!"
Flower Boss had no more patience for talk. He raised his hand, and his men drew their weapons.
"Move!"
"Clear out!"
"CNM, what are you doing?"
Just as Flower Boss's men were about to attack, the crowd at the entrance was roughly shoved aside.
Zhang Yang strode in, wearing his uniform and leading a squad of officers.
The henchmen who had been about to attack instinctively hid their weapons behind their backs when they saw who had arrived.
Flower Boss's expression darkened to the extreme.
Zhang Yang had appeared at exactly the right moment. His purpose was obvious.
But his official position made him untouchable. No matter how powerful Flower Boss was, he couldn't attack him in full view of everyone.
Flower Boss gave him a hollow smile. "Director Zhang, what perfect timing."
"Can't help it. Just getting rid of a menace for the public." Zhang Yang pointed at Old Ding. "I'm here to arrest a suspect. Didn't disturb Young Master Hua's sleep, did I?"
The muscles in Flower Boss's face twitched. There was no way he could miss the barbs in Zhang Yang's words.
"I surrender! I surrender! I'll cooperate for leniency!"
Terrified that Flower Boss would force him to stay, Old Ding hurriedly shouted to Zhang Yang.
A flash of murderous intent passed through Flower Boss's murky eyes.
Old Ding had completely switched sides this time.
"Huh?" Zhang Yang pushed Old Ding aside and pointed at the coffin Old Ninth's group had carried in. "Someone else in your family died?"
Crack!
Even the best temper couldn't have withstood Zhang Yang's needling.
The marble floor beneath Flower Boss's feet shattered with a crash.
Two of Flower Boss's sons stepped forward to attack, but he stopped them.
"Director Zhang, if you weren't wearing that uniform, you wouldn't be leaving today either," Flower Boss threatened coldly. "The roads in Ice Prefecture are slippery. Watch yourself when you walk at night."
"It's not the roads in Ice Prefecture that are slippery. It's the sky that's too dark."
Zhang Yang refused to give an inch. "I'll tear that sky open and let the people of Ice Prefecture see the light again."
Flower Boss clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked, forcing down his rage.
With Zhang Yang here, there was no way he could keep Little White Tiger and the others today.
Once the two had traded enough barbs, Zhang Yang turned to Little White Tiger and said slowly, "Why aren't you leaving? You're not welcome here."
"He's not the one lying there. Who is he to say I'm not welcome?" Old Ninth deliberately cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted at Young Master Hua's photograph, "Have a good journey, Young Master Hua! Visit your dad in a dream sometime and tell him how you died!"
Little White Tiger stepped up to Flower Boss and sneered. "We didn't kill your son. Think about who did."
"You think saying that will make me let you off?" Flower Boss clearly didn't believe him.
Young Master Hua had died outside the city. If they hadn't killed him, who had?
"You think we're scared of you? If I dared kidnap your son, I wasn't afraid of your revenge."
Little White Tiger jabbed a finger into Flower Boss's chest and said, emphasizing every word, "Use that pig brain of yours and think. What did I stand to gain by killing your son?"
Both sides had already reached an agreement. Little White Tiger's group really had no reason to kill Young Master Hua.
It would not only go against Mr. Li's interests but also invite retaliation from the Hua Family.
Flower Boss had his suspicions too, but the fury of having to bury his own child had clouded his judgment.
"We're already mortal enemies. What would be the point of lying to you?" Little White Tiger rolled his eyes at Flower Boss and patted the coffin behind him. "This is our gift to you."
"Find out who left the city the night your son died, and who benefits from us fighting." Old Ninth shook his head contemptuously. "Try using your brain once in a while. Leave it idle much longer, and you'll have dementia in a few years."
"We're off, Young Master Hua! I'll send your dad down to keep you company later." With that, Old Ninth waved at Young Master Hua's memorial portrait again.
"You can't leave!" Flower Boss's two sons shouted. "You killed our little brother, and now you want to walk away?"
"Director Zhang, someone's trying to unlawfully detain us." Old Ninth chuckled without looking back.
Flower Boss raised a hand to stop his two sons.
Old Ninth and Little White Tiger had dared come in because they knew Zhang Yang would step in to save them.
They had also counted on Flower Boss not daring to hold them by force in front of Zhang Yang.
Zhang Yang was the Police Chief, after all. Starting a fight in front of him would only give him an excuse to arrest them.
"I'm reporting him! He killed my little brother! Are you going to arrest him or not?"
Seeing that force wouldn't work, Flower Boss's son shouted, "If you don't arrest him, you're in league with them!"
Old Ninth sighed in amusement. "The Hua Family is finished. These are the kinds of sons you've raised? Without Flower Boss protecting you, I could wipe out the Hua Family in a single round."
Flower Boss remained silent.
Even an idiot could see that Zhang Yang had come to back Old Ninth and his group. What good would reporting them do?
It would only make them look brainless.
They didn't have any evidence, but even if they had proof that Little White Tiger had killed Young Master Hua, protecting them would be easy for Zhang Yang.
The case was under the West Garden Police Department's jurisdiction. Zhang Yang had a hundred ways to get them off the hook.
"Thank you for the report, concerned citizen. I'll take them back for a thorough investigation, then." With an ambiguous smile, Zhang Yang led Old Ninth's group out of the Flower Mansion.
Only after Zhang Yang and the others had driven away did Flower Boss smash the coffin before him with a furious palm strike.
Crack!
The butler's corpse rolled out of the shattered coffin.
Dozens of blade wounds covered the butler's small, thin body, and terror still lingered on his face.
Back at the West Garden Police Department.
Old Ding had the sense to enter the interrogation room and wait to be questioned.
"Do we beat him first, or does he confess right away?"
While Zhang Yang was out, Old Ninth took the Tiger Knuckles Earthworm handed him and slipped them on.
"Beat him first. Until I get this anger out of my system, I can't have a proper conversation with him."
Little White Tiger walked up and kicked Old Ding straight in his fat face.
Ten minutes later, Zhang Yang entered the interrogation room with a bowl of instant noodles.
Old Ding lay sprawled on the floor, his face bruised and swollen.
"What happened? You fell and fucked yourself up this badly? Watch where you're walking."
Muttering, Zhang Yang helped Old Ding up.
Old Ding glared viciously at Little White Tiger, filled with rage.
He had already switched sides, yet Old Ninth's group had still pinned him to the floor and beaten him.
"Stop glaring. The fact that they didn't saw your head off means your buddy A Lang is already watching over you," Zhang Yang said between mouthfuls of instant noodles. "Spill everything you know. I'll guarantee you get to spend the rest of your life in prison."
Before you continue