When the Possessive Omega Fell for Me - Chapter 71.3

Yi Jing pretended not to see it and had her secretary arrange a car. Taking advantage of the evening, she headed straight for District Seven. Only halfway there did she send a belated reply, claiming she had already set off, then ignored any further responses.

As the car sped toward District Seven, the weather outside gradually darkened.

Gloomy clouds gathered outside the window, as if brewing a heavy rain. Yi Jing glanced at them, frowning slightly.

If it rained, much of the evidence could be washed away, making the investigation even more difficult.

She’d have to see if there was a way to artificially disperse the rain clouds. With that thought, she pulled up the weather forecast on her terminal. Fortunately, the forecast predicted only overcast skies for District Seven over the next week thick clouds, but no actual rain.

That was at least some good news, though the oppressive gloom still left her unsettled.

District Seven wasn’t particularly close to District Thirteen. After most of the journey, just as the boundary marker for District Seven came into view, Yi Jing told the driver to pull over. District Seven was a complicated place, barely better than the recently “cleaned up” District Five. Not long ago, its district chief had been removed for bribery, and the new one hadn’t yet taken office. In the meantime, Delinke had been sent to investigate District Seven’s affairs anyone with half a brain could tell the situation here was messy. The moment she arrived, she’d be under scrutiny from who knew how many eyes.

Irritated, Yi Jing got out of the car and lit a cigarette.

Ever since getting together with Yu Miao, she hadn’t smoked much. A single pack could last her ages, and Yu Miao often swiped them when she wasn’t looking. But Yi Jing didn’t really smoke, she just occasionally lit one and watched it burn slowly, catching faint traces of Yu Miao’s scent in the drifting smoke.

Yu Miao’s pheromones carried a subtle sweetness, more suited to lulling someone to sleep than keeping them alert. Otherwise, Yi Jing would’ve sought out a substitute.

With a quiet sigh, she flicked the spent cigarette into a trash bin.

The sudden arrival of the investigation team in District Seven would undoubtedly put the local factions on high alert. Add to that Mahira’s assistant watching her every move, superiors who might not trust her, and an investigation team whose reliability was questionable not to mention the mystery surrounding Delinke’s unexpected death it was going to be a nightmare to navigate.

By the time the cigarette had burned out, Yi Jing had already decided to keep a low profile for now. She got back in the car and told the driver to head for the welcome reception arranged by District Seven for the investigation team.

It remains uncertain whether this complex investigative team can produce any results, but Yi Jing’s laid-back observation strategy has clearly been effective. Shortly after arriving in District Seven, the team began reviewing case files, meticulously examining all individuals and incidents potentially linked to Derrick’s accidental death. They even mobilized the criminal investigation unit to assist, proceeding with methodical efficiency.

During this period, Yi Jing merely followed superiors’ instructions observing everyone’s movements without proactively suggesting investigative approaches. She even found time during meals to chat and flirt with Yu Miao.

However, this surface-level tranquility didn’t last long.

The investigation team led by the inspection department chief soon discovered through autopsy comparisons that the perpetrator’s modus operandi in Derrick’s case resembled an unsolved serial killing case from District Five. The entire team immediately became vigilant, seeking to jointly investigate both cases for a breakthrough.

Historical data suggested this serial killer frequently disguised themselves as local workers near crime scenes to familiarize themselves with the environment. The most probable murder locations were typically within factories.

With the search scope dramatically narrowed, the team focused on identifying qualifying factories. They soon zeroed in on a chemical plant near the crime scene. However, the workshop supervisor claimed no recent resignations.

Initial suspicions were somewhat allayed, but deeper investigations revealed an ordinary worker mentioning a temporary employee who’d left after just over two months failing probation and forfeiting half-month’s wages. Coworkers described this individual as suspicious and dishonest-looking, someone the supervisor would’ve fired anyway. Crucially, the supervisor had concealed this information during official inquiries.

More alarmingly, routine questioning uncovered production line discrepancies, the factory was manufacturing unapproved controlled substances without proper certification!

The team immediately decided to investigate this highly suspicious factory, which coincidentally belonged to Yi Corporation’s raw material processing subsidiary.

Only then did Yi Jing realize something was genuinely amiss.

Each development seemed to point directly at the Yi family. If they were truly responsible, why such carelessness? Knowing his family’s methods, Yi Jing understood they’d have collapsed long ago from such sloppy operations certainly before he and Yu Miao needed to scheme against them. Any mistakes would’ve been cleaned up by specialists, with the careless operatives eliminated just as the family patriarch had done to him.

But this time, Old Master Yi had surprisingly allowed her to come, and what’s more, hadn’t personally sent anyone to keep an eye on her. Could it be, that even Old Master Yi had received the news too late, finding himself already in a passive position upon learning of Delinke’s death?

Were there others targeting the Yi family like her and Yu Miao?

Using Delinke’s life to target the Yi family?

What kind of underworld power struggle was this? Who exactly was hiding behind Delinke’s death? Before Yi Jing could figure it out, an unexpected visitor suddenly knocked on her door.

During this period, Yi Jing hadn’t been with the investigation team around the clock. She was often busy with tedious and fragmented investigative work, occasionally finding herself alone just the right opportunity for certain people to approach her.

To Yi Jing’s surprise, the visitor wasn’t from the Yi family, nor was it a factory manager, but rather a well-known local entrepreneur from District Seven discovered during recent investigations, the top taxpayer in the entire district and president of the Chamber of Commerce.

Accompanying him was the president of District Seven’s regional court. Both being from the judicial system, this man happened to be a subordinate in the same hierarchy as Chen Feng. Each of the two men had brought an assistant, carrying what appeared to be an ordinary, unremarkable burlap bag.

“?” Yi Jing cast a highly wary glance at the item in the assistants’ hands behind the two men.

She had met these two during routine investigations before, though at that time it was the investigation team leader and the disciplinary committee’s secretary-general who had conducted separate interviews with them. Yi Jing had mainly been observing and taking notes on the side, this was their first private meeting.

“To what do I owe this visit?”

Unclear about their intentions, Yi Jing wasn’t ready to let them in just yet.

The Chamber of Commerce president and the regional court president exchanged glances. The Chamber president cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly: “Our unannounced visit today is truly disturbing the peace officer, but we had no choice but to come. If the investigation team hadn’t already reached the factory, we would never have come under any circumstances.”

Yi Jing raised an eyebrow, remembering.

This Chamber president, surnamed Wang, was one of the suppliers in the Yi family’s legitimate businesses, maintaining close cooperation with them. When the investigation team first looked into this Mr. Wang, Yi Jing had taken note and checked his assets, discovering that this businessman was indeed a small family entirely dependent on the Yi family, 98% of his business was Yi-related, making it impossible to maintain his family’s wealth without them.

However, the Yi family didn’t seem short of such small families willing to do their bidding. When Yi Jing and Hubert were investigating the Yi family’s trade network in District Thirteen, they’d gone through the accounts aside from the Wang family in District Seven, the Yi family had likely supported other small families too. Yet entities like the Wang family weren’t even qualified to attend Yi family banquets.

With Wang showing up now, accompanied by the regional court president, his intentions were crystal clear.

“That factory is under your responsibility?” Yi Jing got straight to the point.

“Under my wife’s younger sister’s name,” Mr. Wang said with a bitter smile. “Might as well be under mine they would’ve traced it back to me eventually. Peace Officer, my businesses can’t withstand scrutiny.”

Yi Jing remained silent, glancing at the district court president standing beside Boss Wang.

To be honest, Yi Jing wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with this person after all, they were part of the same system, and she at least knew his name.

She never expected that Old Master Yi’s influence had not only penetrated the highest judicial levels of Jing’an City but even extended to the district courts. It was unsettling to imagine how many cases had been suppressed in their hands.

The district court president nodded at Yi Jing and said in a low voice, “That’s indeed the case. I didn’t want to trouble you with Boss Wang’s matters, but the situation has deteriorated beyond what we anticipated. Now that the investigation team insists on digging deeper, neither Boss Wang nor I have any leverage over them. We had no choice but to seek your assistance.”

With that, Yi Jing roughly understood what these two were after.

Old Master Yi hadn’t stopped her from joining the investigation team in fact, he might have even facilitated it likely because he had foreseen this moment.

Given the Yi family’s usual methods, this was just one step in a larger scheme. Relying solely on her to resolve the investigation’s threats in District Seven was impossible. Even if she refused to help, the Yi family would probably find another way.

After all, to the Yi family, the Wangs were nothing more than small fry. If things got too difficult, they could simply force Boss Wang to make a choice. And if he refused or failed, discarding the entire Wang family would hardly be a significant loss for the Yis.

Truthfully, Yi Jing still had little desire to aid the Yi family. But she had already suffered once for her defiance.

Whether Old Master Yi was testing her to see if she had learned her lesson and was now willing to serve the family, Yi Jing knew one thing clearly: relentlessly pursuing District Seven’s irregularities at this stage would only expose herself without achieving anything. To truly dismantle the Yi family, she had to strike at the root. Eliminating minor players like these wouldn’t shake the family’s foundation it would only alert them.

Her strategy of lying low had barely lasted two months. This brief act of compliance was far from enough to deceive Old Master Yi.

She had to endure.

“No need to bring anything in. Just state your business directly.” Yi Jing waved off the two assistants, signaling them to keep their distance, then tilted her chin slightly at Boss Wang and the court president. “Get to the point.”

Seeing her bluntness, Boss Wang and the court president exchanged a glance before the latter spoke cautiously, “In that case, Officer Yi, would you mind stepping aside with us for a moment?”

“?” Yi Jing’s impatience flickered. “What exactly are you planning?”

Boss Wang gave a bitter smile. “What else can we do? If there were any solutions within our power, we wouldn’t have troubled you. It’s precisely because we’re out of options that we’ve come to you.”

Yi Jing frowned slightly, beginning to grasp their intent. “So you’re hoping?”

“President Li and I may still require your assistance in tidying up a few loose ends.”

Boss Wang gave Yi Jing an ingratiating smile before speaking briskly, “Rest assured, we’ve already prepared solutions that won’t cause you any trouble. However, we’re still missing someone capable of helping us resolve this matter.”

Already prepared?

Yi Jing wanted to see exactly how they’d prepared. With this thought, he nodded and said, “Give me all the relevant information.”

“Of course, of course. Please follow me, Sheriff.” Overjoyed at Yi Jing’s agreement, Boss Wang stepped back and gestured invitingly.

Yi Jing gave a noncommittal nod, went back inside to grab a jacket, then closed the front door behind him.

The CEO Wang drove Yi Jing and the district court judge in his car to the administrative center now managed by the district CDC.

Two outside vehicles entered the CDC’s dedicated parking lot as effortlessly as returning home, then proceeded directly to the internal archives through a side entrance.

Upon entering, Yi Jing surveyed the surroundings and noticed intelligent metal filing cabinets packed with document folders. Closer inspection revealed they contained case files reviewed by the investigation team since arriving in District Seven. He couldn’t help but smile sarcastically:

“The investigation team has been working overtime, conducting interviews everywhere to reconstruct information missing from police records, nearly working themselves to death just to uncover the truth. Who would have guessed the real archives were stored here all along. Had I known it would be this easy, why would I have bothered working so hard?”

“These are just minor records here, hardly what you’d call real archives,” interjected the district court president. “We have no jurisdiction over police matters. Under the former district head’s guidance, they’ve handled most affairs independently over the years completely clean with no traces.”

“These before us are merely archived cases from the court over the years. More importantly, they represent ‘solutions’ we can use during critical moments to overcome difficulties enough to resolve our current urgent problems.”

“So you’ve already devised a solution for the major blunder of Delinke’s death, which should have been a minor matter?”

Yi Jing casually picked up some scattered documents nearby. In the center of the archive room stood a sizable control terminal strictly managing all digital filing cabinets and the room’s temperature and humidity. A pale control screen hovered above the terminal, displaying several ongoing processes apparently someone had been using it shortly before their arrival.

“No, no, Sheriff, you misunderstand,” Boss Wang said with a troubled expression. “The Delinke incident wasn’t our mistake, it was Delinke’s own problem!”

“We never intended to act against him, nor did we receive any orders from Chairman Yi. That stubborn, difficult man must have offended someone else and got himself killed unexpectedly. Now the blame has been shifted onto me, we were completely unprepared for this.”

“So you’re saying you never actually took action against Drinkler? Nor did you have him under surveillance?” Yi Jing suddenly realized something and turned to look at Boss Wang and the district court president.

Both men shook their heads, indicating they had done nothing. It was Boss Wang who continued speaking: “We did keep an eye on him, but certainly not to kill him at least not yet. Given the current situation in District Seven, we’re more concerned about guarding against him. Ever since he arrived, he’s been reinvestigating the corruption case involving the former district chief, reopening numerous old cases. Just cleaning up those messes has been troublesome enough. Chairman Yi has also explicitly ordered that no one is to touch him for now, who would dare take unnecessary action?”

Yi Jing withdrew her gaze, her expression darkening as she lowered her eyes in thought.

Just as she had anticipated, Old Master Yi wasn’t in any hurry to deal with Delinke. So who could be so determined to kill Delinke at this precise moment? Or perhaps was there even the slightest possibility that this was all Delinke’s own doing?

Could it be that after exhausting all other options even running for mayor and still failing to make any progress in bringing down the Yi family, Delinke had no choice but to resort to this last desperate measure to draw the attention of higher authorities?

Support When the Possessive Omega Fell for Me