Chapter 78: Caught Red-Handed

At the entrance to the Green Crystal Mine, a patrol car from the Outer City Patrol Bureau stood parked. At that moment, a short, stout figure leaped out of the passenger seat. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than the leader of Team One, Piggy—the very “boss” that Scarface had spoken of.

Seeing his own boss arrive in person, Scarface immediately led Mouse and Big Fool forward to greet him. The two local thugs of the Energy Capital, outwardly maintaining a peaceful coexistence, had in fact long been conspiring together. Scarface’s unchecked thieving and skulking were only possible because he’d gotten in with the scum of the Outer City Patrol Bureau, willingly becoming their pawn.

Before Scarface could approach, Piggy pinched his nose, furrowing his brow in disgust.

“Boss… boss, these past few days, our haul has been huge!” Scarface, eager to claim credit, spoke with enthusiasm and excitement.

Piggy ignored the talk of profits, instead asking directly, “Where are the Patrol Bureau members you caught? Take me to see them.”

Scarface hesitated for a moment, then replied, “Alright, this way, this way.”

Soon, five shadows stretched across the cave entrance where the iron cage was kept, one especially short and thick.

“Heh, just as I thought, another of Sharp-Eye Dog’s men! Why are there so many troubles lately? Team Two keeps getting in my way.”

As Piggy spoke, the three people locked in the cage suddenly reacted.

One shouted, “Let me out, let me out now!”

Another continued, “Piggy, you’re done for! Stealing ore and imprisoning Patrol Bureau members!”

The last kept silent, calculating inwardly… So all this time, the mastermind was him. Now that we know his secret, it seems we three might not live to see tomorrow.

Piggy extended his hand to the driver who had accompanied him. The driver, catching on, unhooked the baton from his waist.

Snap!

The baton telescoped out, locking into place.

Piggy, swaying his body and wearing a mocking grin, strode into the cave, speaking in a chilling tone:

“So you Team Two people think you’re tough, think you can block my profits, think you can take me on…”

…

The wilderness at night was vast and silent. The clear moon hung high in the sky, casting its cold silver light, its chill seeping to the bone.

Beyond the mine, two shadows—one fat, one thin—were approaching quickly, crouched low and moving stealthily. They concealed themselves behind a large boulder.

Ye Chen and Xu Fan had successfully slipped into the mining area; the perimeter’s wire fence posed no obstacle to Ye Chen’s broken blade, which silently carved out a hole.

“Don’t you think it’s a bit too quiet inside the mine?” Ye Chen whispered, probing ahead by the moon’s pale reflection.

“Pfft…”

“It’s so quiet that even my fart sounds are amplified!” Xu Fan’s expression was odd.

Ye Chen caught a faint whiff of rotten egg and quickly pinched his nose, muffling his voice: “If someone’s sneaking ore, there should be plenty of noise—not this deathly silence.”

“Wait, Xu Fan, look over there. Doesn’t that shadow look like a Patrol Bureau car?”

Ye Chen, as if discovering a new continent, pointed ahead.

“Where? Where?” Xu Fan rubbed his eyes hard, but still couldn’t see clearly.

“Your eyesight is terrible. I told you to stop staring at the communicator all the time, but you wouldn’t listen. Of course it hurts your eyes!” Ye Chen grumbled.

“Come on, let’s get closer!” Xu Fan suggested.

They crawled forward, hiding behind a pile of waste rock.

“Holy crap, it really is a Patrol Bureau car!” Xu Fan exclaimed, “Look at the number on the back—it’s one. Not the one Aunt Chen drove off; this belongs to Team One!”

Ye Chen said nothing, his face tense as he analyzed:

The tire tracks we saw on the road must’ve been from this car.

Could Team One have received orders to investigate the Green Crystal Mine as well?

No, if they were on the same mission, the Bureau would’ve arranged joint deployment. But before departure, Captain Dai never mentioned anything.

So Team One must’ve come here privately.

Why? Something’s fishy.

As Ye Chen’s mind raced, several figures emerged from the mine.

Both men’s eyes lit up, mouths agape.

“That’s Scarface, Mouse, and the big guy must be Big Fool. The one behind, I don’t know.” Ye Chen listed them off.

“Damn, the short, fat one—isn’t that Piggy?” Xu Fan almost blurted out.

This bizarre combination, appearing so out of place at the mine, made the scene absurd.

Next, they watched as the driver hurried to open the car door and trunk, helping the others load box after box of Green Crystal ore.

Suddenly, Ye Chen understood; all his thoughts connected instantly. He murmured, “I get it. Piggy colluded with Scarface and the others to steal ore, then used the patrol car to brazenly transport it back to the city.”

“The West Gate—that’s it, the West Gate. Team One patrols the residential district, which happens to be on the western edge of the Outer City.”

“In other words, the guards at the Outer City’s West Gate might have been bribed by Team One long ago.”

“Or perhaps they simply don’t dare stop Team One’s patrol car, making it easy for them to come and go freely.”

…

“So Aunt Chen and the others were probably captured by them.”

“Xu Fan, quick—it’s our turn. Now’s the perfect moment to catch them red-handed. Get ready…”

Ye Chen tugged Xu Fan’s arm, preparing to strike.

But Xu Fan didn’t cooperate at all.

Ye Chen frowned, turning to Xu Fan, about to ask what nonsense he was up to, when he noticed Xu Fan’s face was a spectacle—sometimes flushed, sometimes relaxed, sometimes gritted teeth, sweat beading on his forehead, expression stiffening, legs trembling.

“What’s wrong with you?” Ye Chen whispered.

“I… my stomach hurts, I can’t hold it—it's about to come out!” The words squeezed out between clenched teeth, his face contorted in agony.

Ye Chen’s own expression froze, as if painted still.

Unbelievable! Could he be any less reliable?!

In the face of enemies, who’d let you go relieve yourself first?

Ye Chen’s mind was full of complaints.

Before he could respond, Xu Fan bolted toward a nearby thicket, unfastening his belt as he ran.

Ye Chen reached out, trying to pull him back, but it was too late. “Keep it quiet, damn it! Oh, hell.”

“Who’s… who’s over there?” Mouse’s sharp voice rang out. “Come out—now!”

The group by the patrol car, faces wary and hostile, set their ore boxes down.

Piggy gave Scarface a look; Scarface gave Mouse a look; Mouse gave Big Fool a look.

Big Fool scratched his head, not quick on the uptake.

No one actually went forward to check.

It was the driver, sharper than the rest—a Patrol Bureau man himself—who had already drawn his sidearm.

Pfft… pfft, pfft!

Rattle… rattle, rattle…

Drip… drip, drip…

The group’s faces twitched; something about those sounds felt familiar. It must be what they thought, but it was so absurd as to be unbelievable.

Who in their right mind would come all the way out to the wilderness to have diarrhea?