"Bro, did I hear wrong just now, your old man is talking about splitting up." Hua Qingyi leaned close to Xiao Lin's ear, his lips almost touching the earlobe, yet speaking in a volume everyone could hear.

"Hua Qingyi, be a bit more appropriate." Lao Long's veins were almost popping from his neck, his eyes wide as brass bells. Hua Qingyi pouted and turned his head to the side; his butt was sore from sitting, yet the main topic hadn't been addressed, whereas Xiao Lin unusually sat calmly there.

"What did Lin Zhifang do that requires the Dragon Soul's intervention?" Xiao Lin asked again, pulling his chair closer to the table, placing his hands on it. "How are you going to deal with him?"

"The central system was breached and maliciously damaged." Chu Yun answered Xiao Lin's question on behalf of the others.

"Lin Zhifang did it?" Xiao Lin laughed twice, a bit fake, anyone could tell.

"From what we've tracked, that's the case."

"Oh! Is it?" Xiao Lin looked at Xiao Zhenfeng. "What did he want to do by accessing the central system?"

"We don't know that right now; we'll have to ask him to get a definite answer."

"I have a question. If someone wants to steal information from the central system, knowing it's protected, would they be stupid enough to use their account name and password to enter? Isn't this like putting up a sign saying 'Here I am, come catch me!'?"

"This..." Chu Yun didn't expect Xiao Lin to ask in this way, feeling awkward and unsure how to continue, even he thought the excuse was clumsy.

"You all know Lin Zhifang isn't that person, isn't it time to reveal the truth now? Do you still want to hide it? Telling us only what we can know, and hiding what we can't, do you intend to send us to the brink of death again?" Xiao Lin's tone grew heavier, and his voice colder.

"Regarding the Middle Eastern incident, I won't blame you, using innocent people to gamble for a resultless possibility, is this the way for Dragon Soul? Another stern question, Xiao Lin scanned over the top figures of Dragon Soul in front of him, finally focusing on Xiao Zhenfeng. "Since you put in so much effort to get me into this plan, isn't it time to lay it bare today? Hiding benefits no one."

"The person Lin Zhifang is looking for is Hong Lian." With permission from Xiao Zhenfeng, Shen Qizhen began explaining Xiao Lin's inquiry at his own pace.

"Hong Lian?" Not unfamiliar with the name, he really didn't expect so many people wanted to search for this person.

"Hong Lian isn't part of this plan, one could say he's entirely unrelated." Continuing to speak was Chu Yun, who was sometimes like Lao Long, unable to tolerate the unhurried pace, preferring to end things himself. "According to today's evaluation, Hong Lian is a craftsperson who makes counterfeit goods."

"Isn't he the one involved in that nationwide counterfeit case a few years back?" Having issued tasks for Dragon Soul, Hua Qingyi had some impression of this, while Xiao Lin, then studying in the United States, wasn't well-informed about domestic matters.

"Correct, it's that Hong Lian. At the time, because of his exceptional craftsmanship, the higher-ups thought it would be beneficial if they could recruit him, so they staged a fake escape during detention, but they didn't expect the act to become reality, and Hong Lian has been untraceable since then. Night Eagle has been relentlessly pursuing his whereabouts over the years, but to no avail."

"Why is Dragon Soul so obsessed with this person?"

Who Hong Lian is doesn't matter, nor what he has done; the important thing is Dragon Soul's interest in him. A suspect's escape of this nature would typically be handled by local police, yet Dragon Soul needs Night Eagle's people to investigate him, which indicates his significance.

Such a character, Xiao Lin had never heard of, learning about him only when Hong reported it, making him slightly aware. Moreover, on the assassin's list, Wang Zhanting even placed a high bounty on this character, piquing his curiosity.

"Dragon Soul once commissioned him to forge a seal." Lao Long sighed; it was an untold shame for Dragon Soul.

"Silence the witness!" Xiao Lin pondered. An existence like Dragon Soul needing an outsider to forge a seal would indeed be a secret. "Why is Mu Rongyun looking for him then?"

"Listen to this recording first; it was obtained from Wang Zhanting's residence by Wing." Lao Long retrieved an audio file on the computer and began playing it slowly. Amid the melody, Xiao Lin heard gunshots and shouting.

The entire audio was just over five minutes long, yet its content was truly explosive. "Rose Staff!"

"Exactly! Those who dabble in the underworld know that with the Rose Staff and the Dharma Seal, they can control the global underworld."

"So, Xiao Mu's target is the staff? What does it have to do with Hong Lian?"

Lao Long retrieved another audio, this time the content wasn't clear, too many noises. Xiao Lin had difficulty listening, not to mention Hua Qingyi.

"Is Wang Family's staff fake?" Why would Wang Zhanting consistently guard a fake staff?

"Hong Lian was the only person alive to have seen the real staff during Elder Wang's lifetime."

"So, some believe that the real staff is with Hong Lian, or that he should know its whereabouts." Xiao Lin immediately concluded. "The Dharma Seal is with Xiao Family, so Xiao Family is inevitably a thorn in their eyes too." Lao Long nodded in confirmation, which was largely the case.

"The Mu Rongyun I know is a forensic expert; you all must be aware of this by now!" Xiao Lin steered the topic to a query; he couldn't believe these people were oblivious to such a figure within the City Police Department, evidently indicating Lin Zhifang's affairs were also related to this person.

"I'll explain the rest." Xiao Zhenfeng emerged from the shadow he had obscured himself with, standing up and lowering the surrounding curtains. Despite the fact that unauthorized individuals generally couldn't enter here, he ensured confidentiality. On the surface, it appeared only a thin drapery, but it was actually an acoustically insulating layer made from special materials, also usable as a projection screen.

"Dragon Soul's reasoning for dealing with Hong Lian privately is not unfounded. At the end of the wrapping-up, Dragon Soul encountered an internal traitor who stole the seal. At that time, it was a chaotic period, and this measure was taken to maintain temporary stability. This incident remains a blemish in Dragon Soul's history, where Hong Lian took one item from Dragon Soul as an equivalent exchange."

"Not for money?" (To be continued. If you like this work, please feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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