Chapter 119: Betrayal of Trust (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Dai Daguang looked up at Ning Zhiheng, who had walked up to stand right in front of him, feeling an overwhelming pressure bearing down upon him.

"My friend, may I ask which circle you run in? If I, Dai, have committed any offense, please just speak up. Anything I have is yours for the taking." Dai Daguang was a pragmatic man; having weathered many storms, he knew well that one cannot afford to be stubborn when faced with immediate peril. With a blade at his throat, bowing his head was the only logical choice. He had encountered such situations in the first half of his life, and he had always emerged unscathed. As long as one stayed alive, opportunities would always arise.

"Boss Dai is quite straightforward," Ning Zhiheng said with a nod. "As long as you are sensible, I will certainly not make things difficult for you."

At this moment, Sun Jiacheng and Zhao Jiang, disguised as waiters, had already torn off Dai Daguang's collar as a standard precaution and begun searching him. Dai Daguang, a man of wide experience, recognized the implications of their actions. Seeing Zhao Jiang rip away his entire collar, he immediately understood that they were checking for concealed poison to prevent him from taking his own life. A chill ran down his spine. This was no ordinary underworld tactic; these were government men, and certainly not mere police officers. What kind of formidable figures had he crossed? Besides, he had no intention of keeping poison on him—he hadn't lived enough yet.

"My friend, is there some sort of misunderstanding? I have always been a law-abiding citizen engaged in honest business. How about this: tell me which department you are from, and I will call your superior. A quick explanation should clear everything up." Dai Daguang felt a bit uneasy, but he took comfort in the many connections he had built within official circles over the years, hoping they might prove useful now.

Hearing this, Ning Zhiheng couldn't help but laugh in exasperation. With a mocking smile, he crouched down, grabbed the fat on Dai Daguang’s face, and twisted it, sneering, "You want to call my superior? You truly have no sense of your own insignificance. What are you? To me, crushing you is no different from crushing an ant!"

A sharp pain surged through his face, as if a piece of flesh had been torn away. Dai Daguang let out a series of screams, begging incessantly for mercy. Ning Zhiheng did not waste further time, signaling his team to finish the job. They hoisted Dai Daguang and Guo Ruxue up, loaded them and his two bodyguards into a vehicle, and sped back to the police station detention center.

Upon arrival, Ning Zhiheng summoned Old Liao and whispered a few instructions. Old Liao nodded in understanding and turned to make the arrangements.

Locked in an interrogation room and bound tightly to a heavy wooden post, Dai Daguang felt anxious and restless. He still had no idea why he had been arrested. He secretly regretted his actions, thinking that next time he went out, he would surely bring more bodyguards. If he hadn't sent his most capable men, Zuo Gang and Zuo Qiang, to search for jade, he wouldn't have been left with these two useless guards. With the skills and alertness of the Zuo brothers, he would never have ended up in this predicament.

"Dai Daguang, do you know why we brought you here?" Ning Zhiheng asked.

"Officer, I truly have no idea. I told you, I am just an honest businessman. Please, give me some clarification!" By now, Dai Daguang realized these men were far from ordinary police. His official connections might not work, so he adopted a humble posture, feigning innocence and pity.

"Clarification? Dai Daguang, stop playing dumb. We are from the Bureau of Military Intelligence. You must know what kind of department that is, right? Now do you understand why you were brought here?" Ning Zhiheng said coldly.

What! The Bureau of Military Intelligence! Dai Daguang knew exactly what kind of place that was—a literal gateway to hell, filled with man-eating demons. Even high-ranking officials in the military government turned pale at the mention of its name, avoiding it at all costs. And here he was, merely a businessman with a questionable past—though he stubbornly insisted on viewing himself as just a businessman.

Dai Daguang's face turned ash-green, and he pleaded, "I was blind and offended you all with my words, but I really am just a merchant. Why would the Bureau of Military Intelligence bother with me?"

"Very well, let me give you a hint. You ordered your subordinates, the Zuo siblings, to commit four murders, dispose of two bodies, bury two others, resist arrest with firearms, and attempt to assassinate an officer! Can you deny these things?"

This statement struck like a thunderbolt, shattering Dai Daguang’s composure. Only now did he realize why these ferocious demons had come for him. It was the Zuo siblings who had caused this disaster. He had thought Zuo Gang was reliable and clean in his work, which was why he had sent them to find the jade, but he never expected such a massive blunder.

Having spent so many years in the underworld, Dai Daguang had his own share of blood on his hands, but the rule was simple: don't get caught. Hadn't Zuo Gang always been efficient? What happened this time? And resisting arrest with guns, attacking an officer? Had they lost their minds? The ancient rule was that the commoners do not fight the officials! And they had even implicated him—the Zuo siblings were trying to drag him to his grave!

Dai Daguang wailed, "Officer, you are wronging me! I don't know any Zuo siblings! Someone is framing me. Why would I order people to kill for no reason? I have no grudges against them, Officer!"

Ning Zhiheng narrowed his eyes. "So you choose the hard way. You say you don't know them, but can you deny sending them to look for a jade pendant and a family crest seal? Are the Zuo brothers not your personal bodyguards? One investigation will make the truth clear. You think you can just deny it?"

With that, Ning Zhiheng stopped wasting words. He turned to Old Liao and said, "Invite Boss Dai to experience your methods. Help him clear his head so he stops spouting nonsense."

Old Liao nodded and stepped forward. Several dark, ominous-looking torture implements were brought out; the dried blood on them gave off a chilling, terrifying aura. Old Liao and the prison guards approached Dai Daguang with grim expressions.

"No, don't! I'll talk, I'll talk! But it really has nothing to do with me!" Seeing the tools, Dai Daguang knew he couldn't endure what was coming. He had tasted such pain before and thought he was a tough man, but when the instruments touched his flesh, the bone-deep agony was unbearable. He never wanted to suffer that again.

"I did arrange for the Zuo brothers to look for two jade pieces, but I never told them to kill, dispose of bodies, or attack an officer! This was their own reckless, unauthorized decision. They should be held accountable, but it has nothing to do with me!" Dai Daguang argued.

In the adjacent room, separated only by a door, the Zuo siblings, shackled and chained, had their expressions shift. Having risked their lives for him for years and calling him "Brother Dai," their leader had discarded them like a used rag at the first sign of danger without a moment's hesitation. This feeling of betrayal pierced their hearts like a poisoned needle.

It was exactly as Ning Zhiheng had planned. When the interrogation began, he had Old Liao bring the Zuo siblings to the next room and intentionally exaggerated the severity of their actions. He knew a profit-driven underworld figure like Dai Daguang would never uphold loyalty in the face of death and would inevitably shift the blame. This would shatter any desire the Zuo siblings had to be scapegoats, and when he offered them a way out, they would surely know what to do.

"That bastard! We risked our lives for him, only to end up here, and he just says it has nothing to do with him? I was blind to follow him!" Zuo Qiang gritted his teeth.

"Forget it," Zuo Gang said, his face filled with pain and resignation. "He didn't lie; he only told us to find the jade, not to kill. He saved my life once, so I'll consider this a debt repaid. It's just that I've implicated you both."

"Nonsense," Zuo Rou spat. "He didn't tell us to kill, but he wouldn't let us alert the police or expose our tracks—what else could we do? We've killed plenty for him! That bastard! Brother, that Officer Ning said if we perform meritorious service, he can overlook our past crimes and clear our records. We still have a way out!"

Zuo Rou’s words lifted their spirits. She was right; they weren't without options. That Officer Ning clearly held power, and if they bowed to him, their past crimes could be wiped clean. As for Dai Daguang, their bond was broken; if they didn't go after him, he should count himself lucky. Moreover, refusing meant certain death. Fear of death was human nature, and there was no shame in choosing survival. The Zuo siblings knew exactly what to do.

With their minds made up, they waited for Ning Zhiheng to make his offer.