Special District 9 Chapter 110: Amidst the Cold Snowfield, the Warmest Old Cat

By the side of the car.

Old Ma took up a bunch of snow and rubbed them amidst his palm as he said, “Send a message to Old Li. Tell him that no matter what happens today, it’ll end with me. I won’t allow it to implicate him. Tell him to save these two children on the account that our Ma Family has always put our lives on the line to deal with any trouble coming our way.”

Qin Yu knew that it wasn’t easy for someone as prideful as Old Ma to speak such words. The latter was really cornered to have been able to lower his dignity so far.

“It wouldn’t matter for someone as old as me to live two days less,” Old Ma added with a lowered head. “But I can’t allow our lineage to end with me. Qin Yu, please help me beg with him on my behalf.”

Qin Yu shook his head bitterly. “Uncle Ma, you are overestimating me. How much would my words be worth now? Besides, even if Old Li is willing to gamble on me, those who are backing him might not be willing to do so. He’s also in a spot too.”

Old Ma was silent for a long while before finally sighing deeply, “Forget it then. If this is the fate that awaits those two children, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

…

Inside an igloo.

Old Cat was shuddering from coldness, but there was still a sharpness in his eyes as he bellowed, “Old Li, Ma Lao-er is already on the verge of dying. I’ll just ask you one question. Are you going to save him or not?”

“Why the fuck did you make a move on Xing Zihao?! Do you know that two of the five directors in Prosperous Dragon have voting rights in the Special District’s Legislative Council? Do you know what the consequences of kidnapping him are?” Superintendent Li was almost shouting across the phone. “You want me to save Ma Lao-er, but what the hell can I do? Do you think that he’ll be able to come back alive from Fengbei just because I sent some bottles of IV drip over?”

“You can ask your friends! Don’t you have a lot of connections in Fengbei?”

“You also said it yourself. They are connections, not servants!” Superintendent Li bellowed across the phone. “Do you know what will happen to your group if Ma Lao-er and the others were to get away?”

Old Cat fell silent.

“I only have that much power in my hand, but you lot keep stirring a hell load of trouble for me. What do you expect me to do? Put a knife on my neck and threaten them with my life?” Superintendent Li roared. “I won’t be sticking my foot into this, and you shouldn’t expect any help from anyone either. Just listen to me and hurry back here with Qin Yu!”

“Old Li, I’ll be frank with you. Xing Zihao is dead, and I’m the one who shot him,” Old Cat said. “It’s true. It was a misfire.”

Superintendent Li was too shocked by the ‘sudden revelation’ that he couldn’t utter a word for a long while before it all came bursting out of him, “You shithead, are you my nemesis? Will you only be happy after you play me to my death?! This is a serious matter! Don’t talk shit with me!”

“If you don’t believe me, you can find a safe phone, and I’ll send the photo over to you.”

“The fuck I would want your photo!” Superintendent Li was so agitated that his eyes had turned completely red. He paced around the room as he bellowed furiously, “You darned brat, you shouldn’t lie to me on something as important as this! Do you know…”

“I’m not lying. He’s dead through and through. His corpse has already stiffened up,” Old Cat replied with a shout.

Hearing those words, Superintendent Li plopped onto his chair as he fell into a long daze.

“Old Li, I can’t run away anymore,” Old Cat said softly. “But we have discussed it through, and there’s still a way out of this.”

“Like hell there is a way out of this! Even I’ll be going to hell because of this!” Old Li shouted hoarsely. There was a moment of silence before he spoke once more, “You get lost. Get Qin Yu on the phone.”

…

Two minutes later, Qin Yu answered Superintendent Li’s phone in the igloo, “Superintendent Li.”

“I-is… he really gone?” Superintendent Li asked apprehensively.

Qin Yu was taken aback by the question. He glanced at Old Cat, who was sitting beside him, and after a moment of hesitation, he replied grimly, “Yes, he’s dead.”

Old Li closed his eyes for a moment before he replied with a helpless and resigned voice, “I don’t get what’s running through your mind. Why did you kill him? For a moment of adrenaline rush?”

“We didn’t expect the situation to come to this point either,” Qin Yu replied.

Superintendent Li sighed yet again before asking, “It isn’t Old Cat who killed him, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Was he present when it happened then?” Superintendent Li didn’t appear to be surprised by Qin Yu’s answer at all.

“He was.”

“Have you thought about how to settle this problem?” Superintendent Li asked uneasily.

Qin Yu thought for a moment before he replied, “Someone will step out and shoulder the blame on our behalf.”

Old Li contemplated those words for a moment before asking, “Are you confident? What if he doesn’t shoulder the blame? All of us will be goners if this flops over.”

“I’m confident of it,” Qin Yu hesitated for a moment before he replied. “If no one does it, I’ll be the one to do it.”

Superintendent Li took a puff of smoke before saying, “Tell me your plan then.”

Qin Yu organized his thoughts for a moment as he paced around the igloo before he started explaining, “Right now, no one else knows about Xing Zihao’s death yet. Roughly three hours ago, I got on the phone with Yuan Hua, and I told him that I’ll swap Yong Dong for Xing Zihao… So, I reckon that Yuan Hua isn’t in a good position either. Prosperous Dragon Pharmaceuticals have lost a young master, so the pressure he’s going to face will be unprecedented. As for the follow-up, I’m thinking of…”

Superintendent Li carefully digested what Qin Yu had to say before asking with a frown, “You need to think it through properly. Once Prosperous Dragon knows that Xing Zihao is dead, they’ll not let things rest that easily. Having a single person to step forward won’t be…”

“Uncle Li,” Qin Yu suddenly interjected Superintendent Li’s words. “I don’t believe that you didn’t know that the one behind Yuan Hua was Prosperous Dragon when you fell out with him back then.”

Superintendent Li was taken aback by those words.

“Since you were able to make the decision to turn against Yuan Hua, that would mean that you understand the power wielded by the company behind him, and you have some level of understanding of it, right?” Qin Yu said. “Uncle Li, we can’t hesitate anymore. Our positions are already very clear. It’s time to use all of the cards you have in your hand.”

Superintendent Li sighed yet again before cursing, “Fucking hell! I did know that Yuan Hua was backed by Prosperous Dragon, but I didn’t know that the bunch of you would actually kill Xing Zihao! I swear to Jesus that if I knew that all of you were so reckless, I would have never leaped into this bloody pit.”

“Uncle Li, I won’t say anything that puts you in a spot,” Qin Yu said. “I just need you to arrange a place for us, and I’ll do my best to settle everything. If everything flops over, then I’ll be the one who killed Xing Zihao and orchestrated everything… I’m the one who masterminded the medicine route, and I’m the only corrupted policeman who deserves to be shot. You and Old Cat will still remain as the righteous heroes of Special District 9.”

Superintendent Li was silent for a moment before sighing for the umpteenth time since he made the call, “That’ll be it then.”

A few minutes later.

Old Ma called Old Cat and Qin Yu to the side and said, “The two of you can rest easy. It’s not my style to owe a debt to anyone.”

Old Cat sniffed his nose as he said, “When it gets cold, it’s better for everyone to share a blanket together. That’s all I can do for you, Uncle Ma. If things don’t work out, I don’t care what happens to me, but Old Li… he must remain as the superintendent.”

Old Ma widened his eyes in surprise at the unexpected request. He stretched his hand forward to rub Old Cat’s head as he said, “You’re much better than our Lao-er.”

…

On the other hand.

After Yuan Hua arrived at the lodging prepared by Prosperous Dragon Pharmaceuticals, he turned to Yuan Ke and instructed, “Call Yong Dong over.”