Chapter 107 - 80: The Silencing Xu De

"Subsidy fraud?"

"I’ve heard of swindling people, cheating at cards, and stiffing prostitutes, but what’s subsidy fraud?"

Wang Chao scratched his head, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

Xu De didn’t answer right away. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind.

’Subsidy fraud...’

’The term is too broad. It’s impossible to explain in a single sentence.’

"Think of it as... headcount subsidies for the welfare institute."

"If Liu Jingqi really had a strong accent that took a long time to correct... then I’d bet the time between her leaving her hometown and showing up in Lusen City was extremely short!"

Xu De didn’t elaborate further, just stated his immediate point.

What did such a short time frame imply?

It meant her appearance at the welfare institute didn’t make sense!

First, the region her accent came from is at least 1,700 kilometers away. And considering travel speeds twelve years ago, in 1991...

A train ride alone would have taken several days and nights.

So, a couple from out of town travels for days just to get to Lusen City. Then their child goes missing. Both the parents and the child have very distinct accents, and Liu Jingqi just so happens to end up at the welfare institute. And to top it all off, both sides have a mutual, unspoken agreement not to call the police...

No matter how you look at it, something is wrong with that picture!

"So what’s the plan?"

Lin Yue, however, understood Xu De’s meaning. She pondered for a moment before looking at him and asking the question.

Xu De looked up at the inky night sky, dotted with a few stars.

"What time is it?"

Lin Yue glanced at her watch. "Eight-thirty."

Seeing this, Xu De’s eyebrows shot up. He crossed his arms, clicking his tongue in mock wonder, all traces of his serious demeanor gone.

"You mean you have to look at a watch to tell the time?"

Lin Yue froze, blurting out, "Well, how else?"

Xu De said in a solemn tone,

"Shouldn’t the ’Nine Heavens Flying Dragon Jade-faced Thunder Origin Universal Transformation of Living Beings Demon-subduing Longevity True Monarch’ be able to tell time by observing the heavens and consulting her fingers?"

Lin Yue: "..."

"How do you still remember that!?"

Her eye twitched as she stared at him in disbelief.

’I was just trying to be cool back then, I can’t believe he still remembers...’

"What Longevity True Monarch?" Wang Chao perked up, immediately sensing some juicy gossip was hidden here.

Lin Yue’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly put on a straight face and denied it.

"It’s nothing!"

’It’s one thing if Xu De remembers; he’s the only one who knows. But this big mouth next to me is another story. I’m not ready for social suicide...’

After she spoke, she shot Xu De a look that was more than a little pleading.

Xu De chuckled, deciding not to tease his two partners any further.

He rubbed his chin, and after a moment of thought, he said,

"It’s getting late. Let’s head back, rest up, and recharge our batteries."

"And then..."

"Tomorrow morning, we’re going to the Jiaqin Welfare Institute!"

The investigation was urgent, but not so urgent that they needed to raid the place right this second.

Besides, there was an art to conducting a raid, and no one understood how to surprise someone and secure evidence better than Xu De!

So...

Before Wang Chao could say anything, Lin Yue was the first to agree.

"Okay."

she replied, letting out a silent sigh of relief.

’My reputation is safe!’

The three of them went out for another meal, then parted ways, each heading home to fall into a deep sleep.

...

...

「The next day.」

7:30 AM.

Torch Road, Lusen City, Qingwu Province.

At the mouth of a familiar alley.

A small, furtive child dressed in tattered, filthy clothes peeked his head out, looking around with a puzzled expression.

Seeing this, Xu De, who had been hiding, didn’t hold back and gave him a sharp flick on the forehead.

"THWACK!"

The crisp sound was like tapping a hollow melon.

"Ow, what was that for?"

The scavenger child clutched his head, looking at him with a resentful expression. His face was a little pale, and he looked rather weak.

His voice was a bit hoarse, without any distinct characteristics.

"Hah, not a shred of vigilance. Be careful or someone will snatch you up and sell you to a welfare institute."

Xu De scoffed.

This was the ’feral child’ he had been feeding for a long time. A few months had passed, and he looked like he’d put on some weight.

Xu De sized him up, then bent down and began taking things out of a bag, placing them on the ground one by one. He asked casually,

"Where’s your boss? Wasn’t he the one who came out last time?"

There were two scavenger children, and they looked identical. In the past, it was always the one who called himself ’the boss’ who came to meet him.

"I..."

The second scavenger kid trailed off, not knowing what to say. He kept his head down, but carefully studied the man’s face out of the corner of his eye.

Xu De couldn’t be bothered to figure out what the kid was up to. He simply set down everything he’d brought.

"I might be out of Lusen City for the next couple of days."

"These are some unwanted clothes. Take them for the winter."

In mid-December, the wind cut like a knife. With no one to look after them, the two children were at high risk.

The second scavenger kid asked quietly, "Where are you going?"

Xu De didn’t answer.

He stood up and said as he walked away,

"Be more vigilant when you’re out from now on. Lusen City is cracking down on crime lately, and those lawbreakers... they might get desperate."

"Look after yourself."

Just as he finished speaking, the second scavenger kid opened his mouth to reply. Unfortunately, a sudden tickle in his throat sent him into a coughing fit.

By the time it passed, his face had grown several shades paler. When he looked up, the man had already vanished.

He could only lower his head, and after a quick scan of his surroundings, he grabbed the items and hurried away.

The second scavenger kid walked for a while.

He left the nearby residential area and ducked under a derelict bridge not far away. Someone else was sitting there.

The second scavenger kid started to speak, but let out a few more COUGHS. Then he pressed his lips together, looking quite pleased with himself, and said,

"Boss, I know what he looks like now."