Chapter 144 This is already the truth
Wang Lan had definitely heard the name Liu Jia before. And with a homework booklet as a search criterion, an image of a little girl immediately surfaced in his mind.
"Director Wang, look!"
"A homework booklet? Is there any clue from this?"
"The child's name is Liu Jia. Do you remember Xinyi Garden? Back then, Qin Jiaqing used the 'Golden Cicada Sloughing Its Shell' tactic, and the girl Qin Jiaqing replaced was named Liu Jia. So, it seems Cui Xiaolv was Liu Jia's teacher, and all the students in her class..."
Suddenly, Wang Lan's back was soaked with sweat. A sense of terror he had never experienced before instantly gripped his entire being.
Cui Xiaolv wasn't just Liu Jia's teacher; she was also Song Jia's teacher...
Hu Qing, standing behind him, also turned pale with fear. If Wang Lan hadn't seen through Cui Xiaolv's identity today, Hu Feifei would have remained in danger, wouldn't she?
Wang Qianfeng's grip on the chair suddenly tightened. With a series of sharp cracks, the armrest shattered. Damn Demon Clan, so vicious, so ruthless!
DING DING DANG, DING DING DONG… Wang Qianfeng's cell phone rang.
"Hello, it's me."
"Director Wang, that Cui Xiaolv you mentioned just bought a high-speed train ticket to Xu City. However, I tracked the train, and she wasn't on it. We've also lost her trail on surveillance. She has counter-surveillance skills. Should we conduct a comprehensive search?"
An expanded search didn't just mean searching within the Tianjian Bureau's jurisdiction; it meant employing comprehensive measures like public surveillance, shopping mall security cameras, and store CCTVs. Data from cameras everywhere would be compiled to search for her, requiring coordination from multiple departments.
"Expand the search. She's a hidden Demon Clan spy."
After they left Cui Xiaolv's home, Xu Shiyun and his team had also finished their work. Xu Shiyun looked unwell. No, to be precise, none of the men looked well.
They could accept the Demon Clan killing people, even their own comrades, but they couldn't stomach their comrades being treated like food—stored in a refrigerator to be eaten at will.
"Reporting to Director Wang, everything has been processed."
"Take it back for analysis," Wang Qianfeng said, then took out his cell phone again. "Li Weixin, are you ready on your end?"
"Old Wang, why so serious? I've been ready for a while."
"Make the arrest!"
"Have you got the evidence?"
"Enough talk. Make the arrest. Especially his female bodyguard—we absolutely cannot let her get away."
"Alright, alright! Why so angry?" On the other end of the line, Li Weixin chuckled and hung up. The moment the call ended, his expression instantly darkened. "Move out. Make the arrest."
"Director, does the Intelligence Department have evidence? Arresting Ma Bo will be like stirring up a hornet's nest."
"If Wang Qianfeng hadn't seen something that infuriated him, he wouldn't speak to me like that. Make the arrest! Even if it's a mistake, he'll take the fall. Remember, Ma Bo's female bodyguard, Ma Xiaoxue, must be apprehended."
Back at the Tianjian Bureau with Wang Qianfeng, the forensics team was already bustling with activity. Perhaps because it was their job, they had a stronger stomach for it than the Intelligence Department agents, calmly categorizing and sampling limbs and other body parts.
Not long after Wang Lan returned, Li Weixin also came back, his task completed.
"So quick? No trouble?" Wang Qianfeng asked hurriedly as soon as Li Weixin walked in.
"They were cooperative, but we only apprehended Ma Bo. His female bodyguard supposedly took leave and didn't come to work today."
"Bullshit. I saw her on the news today during the Life Number One launch event."
"But we searched everywhere and didn't find her."
"Take him to the interrogation room!"
Wang Lan had intended to listen in on the interrogation, but his cell phone rang. Song Jia had woken up and was crying for her brother and her mother. The others couldn't comfort her. Wang Lan thought for a moment. Most of today's critical tasks are done, and we have leads now. Staying here won't help much. After a brief word with Wang Qianfeng, he left.
He requested a car and drove back to Fragrant Courtyard Bay. Just as he walked in the door, Song Jia leaped onto him like a koala.
"Brother... I thought you didn't want me anymore," she cried, "Mom's gone, and you were gone too... I was so scared..."
"Brother went to catch bad guys. Once brother catches them, Auntie will be safe, and she can come home. Didn't I leave you a note?"
"I..." Song Jia buried her head in Wang Lan's shoulder. "Did you catch the bad guys?"
"Almost. But they can't escape. Brother has many friends; he's not working alone. With so many of us after them, we'll definitely catch them."
"Oh..."
"By the way, Jiajia, do you know someone named Liu Jia?"
"Liu Jia?" Song Jia looked up, her brow furrowed. "I don't think so..."
"What about your Teacher Cui? Do you know if she was close to any particular students? Did she often talk to them privately?"
"Talk privately? No... She got along better with the students from Class Seven. Teacher Cui only became our homeroom teacher this semester. Before that, she always taught Class Seven."
"Class Seven? Was Liu Jia in Class Seven?"
"I just transferred to this school this semester, how would I know? Brother, why are you suddenly asking about Teacher Cui?" Song Jia looked up, her small eyes fixed on Wang Lan. "Wait a minute. You went to catch bad guys today, and now you're asking all these questions about Teacher Cui... Are you saying Teacher Cui is the bad guy?"
Wang Lan looked at Song Jia in surprise. This little girl could be surprisingly perceptive sometimes...
Then, Wang Lan carefully channeled a stream of Star Power into Song Jia's body. Although he believed the Song Jia before him was still his Song Jia, his heart had been on edge ever since he discovered Cui Xiaolv was a Demon Clan spy and Song Jia's homeroom teacher.
Another way to identify a Demon Clan member was to test them with Star Power. Ordinary people wouldn't react to it. Furthermore, Star Power was unique to each individual. If one Star Martial Warrior's Star Power entered another's body, it would naturally trigger a rejection response.
If Song Jia had awakened her Star Martial Warrior abilities, or if she harbored latent Demon Clan traits, her body would automatically resist the moment Wang Lan's Star Power entered, much like white blood cells attacking foreign bacteria or viruses. This method was only effective on those who were not Star Martial Warriors.
"Brother... what's happening? My body suddenly feels so hot... Did you drug me?"
Wang Lan decisively tossed the girl onto the sofa. He just couldn't take it anymore.
"Hee hee... Just kidding. Did that make you angry?"
I seriously question the education at your school. What kind of things are filling that young mind of yours?
"Blame me? Look at the TV shows these days! You can't pick one at random that *doesn't* have that stuff. By the way, what was that hot, burning thing you just sent into my body? Is that the Star Power you Star Martial Warriors use?"
"Yep! I have a fire attribute, so mine feels hot. If Sister Xinyu channeled her Star Power into you, I guarantee you'd be shivering from the cold."
"So, why did you do that?"
"I'm not telling you!" Wang Lan didn't explain. It wasn't good for Song Jia to know too much. At least, he was relieved that she was alright.
Wang Lan had wanted Song Jia to go back to sleep, but she refused, so he had no choice but to stay with her, chatting and watching TV.
Meanwhile, outside the Tianjian Bureau, a huge commotion was already underway.
Countless citizens and journalists had gathered outside the Tianjian Bureau, demanding an explanation. The arrest of Ma Bo had undeniably stirred up a hornet's nest, and the repercussions spread nationwide, even globally, overnight.
Just as Ma Bo was about to receive national and international awards, the Tianjian Bureau in Suzhou City arrested him that very night? And apparently without any reason?
The public, of course, wouldn't stand for this. The journalists were as energized as if they'd been shot with adrenaline.
At that moment, the phones at the Tianjian Bureau were ringing off the hook, from top to bottom.
"Citizens, friends from the media, this matter involves confidential information that I cannot disclose. Please cooperate and disperse as soon as possible."
"The Tianjian Bureau first arrested Dr. Wang Qi of Jiayi Biotech, and now they've arrested Dr. Ma Bo of Senma Pharmaceutical. Have they broken any laws?"
"Exactly! Before the New Year, Jiayi Biotech announced a breakthrough in treating genetic diseases and said they would release their findings after the holidays. They were arrested before they could make any announcement! Then today, the very day Life Number One is released, you arrest Dr. Ma Bo. Are you trying to suppress anything that can cure cancer, just so cancer can continue to threaten our lives?"
This question was designed to paint them as villains.
The spokesperson's sharp gaze fixed on the middle-aged female journalist who had asked the question. "Madam, please watch your words. We have reliable intelligence indicating that both esteemed doctors were targeted by the Demon Clan. It is not us who wish for diseases to continue threatening human life, but the Demon Clan. We brought them to the Tianjian Bureau for their own protection. All Tianjian Bureau operations are confidential, so please do not probe further. Once the matter is resolved, we will naturally release the details. For now, please disperse. If you refuse to cooperate, we will be forced to disperse you."
Inside the Tianjian Bureau's high-level conference room, Lu Zhao's expression was also grim.
Of course, he wasn't blaming Wang Qianfeng for the day's actions, as he himself had approved them. Although he knew arresting Ma Bo would create public pressure, he hadn't anticipated it would be this intense.
And the pressure wasn't just from the public; it was also coming from other official channels.
Cancer! A medicine that could actually treat cancer!
Who among the living wouldn't be excited? Everyone fears death. It wasn't just cancer patients who were agitated; anyone afraid of dying would be.
The Tianjian Bureau had never needed to explain its actions to anyone.
But tonight, Lu Zhao witnessed another kind of power, one that was incredibly formidable.
"Feng, brief everyone on the situation."
"It all began with problems in Jiayi Biotech's clinical trials. The five patients who received treatment all showed localized signs of demonization.
Meanwhile, the molecular formula Jiayi Technology submitted to the drug regulatory agency was a ninety percent match to the Demonic Transformation Potion we acquired.
I quickly ruled out Jiayi Biotech as suspects because that ten percent difference was precisely the Demon Clan gene. This means the Demonic Transformation Potion and the Life Potion were created using the same fundamental method.
The difference is that the Life Potion is made by editing healthy human genetic codes, whereas the Demonic Transformation Potion is infused with Demon Clan genes, designed to corrupt human genetics.
Therefore, we arrested the creator of the Life Potion, Ms. Wang Qi. From her, we obtained a crucial clue: to create the Life Potion, one must know the formula for the human genetic code.
This formula is known only to her and her deceased lover, Song Zifeng. Consequently, we speculated that her late lover, Song Zifeng, was likely the creator of the Demonic Transformation Potion, and we devised a plan to lure him out using this information.
But before the plan could even be implemented, someone else disproved our theory. Not only that, but he uncovered the truth in a single night."
"The truth?"
"Yes. In my opinion, this is the truth."
"That person... it's Wang Lan again, isn't it?" Lu Zhao's expression at that moment was priceless.