Chapter 129: A Living Person Has Honor, a Tree Has Bark, But Some Are Shamelessly Brazen

For Director Fang Muyan, who was dead set on silencing the witnesses, Secretary Zhu’s desperate, shouting attempts to stop him fell on deaf ears; no matter how much the Secretary waved his arms, it was already too late.

To draw his own service weapon and threaten Fang Muyan directly? Secretary Zhu could not bring himself to do it. Once the facade was torn away, it would mean an all-out, head-on confrontation with guns drawn. Given the power he currently wielded, starting a war would be nothing short of digging his own grave. For a veteran hunter who had spent years prowling the forest of death, such a reckless move was impossible.

Evasion and duplicity were the Secretary's only real options. At least until he had consolidated enough power to rival the Jinhai faction, he would not truly sever ties.

Although pistols lack the devastating lethality of submachine guns, they were still fatal weapons against a group of unarmed, surrendered outlaws.

The bullets tore through the air with fleeting, lethal momentum. In the blink of an eye, over a dozen men lay in pools of blood. Aside from the heavy, lingering scent of iron that testified to the slaughter, only the scattered, twitching bodies remained, still oozing blood onto the ground.

As the smell of gunpowder dissipated and the scene cleared, it became evident that the dozen surrendered men had been completely extinguished.

Ruthless and leaving no survivors—Fang Muyan had acted with absolute finality. This was not the first time he had murdered a group of people in cold blood in front of witnesses, but to do so while standing before Secretary Zhu, a man of higher rank, proved that this fellow was truly audacious beyond measure.

"Hmph, utter lawlessness! To resist even at a time like this—they were asking for death. These scum are a scourge on the world!" Director Fang, showing not a shred of remorse for his unauthorized actions and instead adopting a look of righteous indignation, possessed a hide so thick it was terrifying; he didn't even choke on his own hypocrisy.

Secretary Zhu clenched his fists and remained silent. It was not that he didn't want to speak, but he was so infuriated he didn't know where to begin.

Fang Muyan clearly ignored the Secretary's look of rage, opening his mouth once more to excuse his crimes. "Oh my! They’re all dead? A mistake, a mere mistake! What are we to do now? They’re all dead!"

If there were an Oscar for acting, Fang Muyan might not be the first, but among those present, he was certainly the best. He considered his two-faced performance to be polished to the point of perfection.

Watching Director Fang’s self-indulgent, sneering performance, the already grim face of Secretary Zhu twitched. His clenched fists showed he was on the verge of exploding, but seasoned by years in the political arena, he quickly masked his displeasure. With a sneer of disdain, he suppressed his anger and asked coldly, "Hmph! Some people always think themselves clever. Do you really think that killing witnesses solves everything? It’s a joke."

At this moment, Secretary Zhu stopped hiding his intent. If you don't teach some people a hard lesson, they will never realize the true reach of the powers that be. He wasn't looking to break with the Fang family just yet, but he intended to give them a stern warning.

Fang Muyan, however, clearly did not grasp—or rather, chose to play dumb to—the meaning behind his words. "Secretary Zhu, what can we do? They are all dead." He spread his hands, his face a mask of feigned regret.

Standing to the side, Lin Yang watched the performance with a look of cold contempt. He cursed inwardly, *Old fox, keep acting. Let's see how long you can dance once I present the evidence.* He decided to hold back the proof for now, wanting to see how this old fox would squirm when finally confronted with the truth.

Lin Yang did not produce the evidence, and Secretary Zhu did not press him. Bai Jing, concerned for Lin Yang's safety, kept her attention focused on the bullet wound on his left arm and the scratches from flying shrapnel, forgetting the original purpose of their infiltration. She remained by his side, diligently bandaging his wounds.

"Director Fang, do you really not recognize that man?" Secretary Zhu suppressed his rage, pointing his trembling hand—shaking from sheer fury—at Fang Ming, who lay at the front of the blood-soaked pile with a wounded right hand. His voice was low but carried a heavy, imperial authority, as if a monarch were interrogating a delinquent minister, brooking no lies.

"I do not," Fang Muyan replied smoothly and firmly, his expression one of unwavering conviction. It was quite convincing, yet the trace of a cold, disdainful smirk at the corner of his eyes was caught by Lin Yang, whose senses were heightened.

*He really doesn't recognize him?* If Secretary Zhu believed that, he would be a fool. Seeing the man refuse to admit the truth, he decided to stop wasting his breath and expose Fang Muyan’s clever ruse with hard evidence. He walked over to the lifeless body of Fang Ming, crouched down, and searched him, pulling out a rigid, palm-sized ID card.

The name "Fang Ming" was clearly engraved on the document. Having found what he needed, the Secretary’s expression softened slightly. He rose and turned to face Fang Muyan, who had followed close behind. "Fang Ming, Chief of the Xicheng District Branch. You really don't recognize him, Director Fang?"

"Uh, that's Fang Ming? How is that possible? How could it be him?" Fang Muyan was a master of performance; his feigned shock was so abrupt it was hard to believe it was all the work of one man.

Secretary Zhu could do nothing about the man's shamelessness, merely letting out a cold, disgruntled huff.

"Oh my, it really is this bastard! How could he be here? Why wasn't he staying put in the Xicheng District?" Fang Muyan stepped past the Secretary, looking down at the dead body with a face that instantly twisted into a mask of feigned hatred, teeth gnashing as he cursed. Anyone who didn't know better would think the corpse was his greatest enemy.

"Since he is one of your Fang family's men, don't you have something to say, Director?" Secretary Zhu asked coldly, trying not to let his rage boil over. Even if he couldn't take down the Fang family this time, he was determined to make them feel the pain. Otherwise, as their influence grew, he would forever remain a puppet in Jinhai.

"A statement? What do you mean, Secretary Zhu? Do you think the Fang family orchestrated this?" The playful, shameless mask was gone. Fang Muyan’s face shifted into something cold and merciless, his tone dripping with hostility.

Secretary Zhu had been prepared for this denial; dealing with such a thick-skinned individual was an exercise in extreme patience.

"Since Fang Ming is your man, even if your family had no hand in this, don't you owe us an explanation?" The Secretary was pushed to his limit.

"An explanation? Fine, I'll give you one." Fang Muyan raised his pistol and, without hesitation, pumped several more rounds into the already lifeless body of Fang Ming, aiming for the most critical areas. Two shots to the heart, three to the head, and even the groin was not spared.

The onlookers looked on with disgust; to mutilate a corpse was truly the act of a beast.

"Director Fang, what is the meaning of this?" Secretary Zhu asked, suppressing his revulsion.

"It's simple. He who sows the wind reaps the whirlwind. Since Fang Ming dared to act as a terrorist, he had to accept his fate. This is my way of declaring that he is no longer part of the Fang family. Is Secretary Zhu still unsatisfied? Just say the word, and I will try my best to appease you." Fang Muyan’s explanation was flimsy—a simple disavowal to wash his hands of all guilt. Though the others were furious, they dared not speak due to the power he wielded.

Secretary Zhu was speechless. He felt a deep, gnawing sense of frustration; after all this effort, to have it swept away by a single sentence was an insult to the scale of the operation he had launched.

"Lin Yang, where is the evidence? Didn't you go to get it?" Just as the Secretary’s group fell into a passive position, Bai Jing seemed to remember their true purpose. Tightening the bandage on Lin Yang's arm, she urged him, though he stood there with the air of someone watching a show.

"Evidence? What evidence?" Lin Yang asked instinctively, but as the words left his lips, he realized what she meant. He reached to his waist, pulled out the well-protected camera, and tossed it to Bai Jing like a piece of trash.

Bai Jing caught the dusty camera and stepped closer to Secretary Zhu before carefully pressing the playback button.

Fang Muyan’s eyes were sharp. When the camera was tossed, he recognized it immediately. Seeing the scratches on Lin Yang's arm and recalling the scene from when they first broke in, he instantly connected the dots. He realized who Lin Yang was, but with the armed forces now guarding the perimeter, he had no chance to silence him again.

Having lost the initiative, Fang Muyan could only glare, his eyes filled with murderous intent as he looked at Lin Yang.

Bai Jing quickly navigated to the footage. Aside from five useless photos, there was a recording of Fang Ming whipping the expert and his own arrogant, rambling complaints.

"Give an account?..." The audio was clear, unaffected by the noise of the workshop. As the video played, the expression of everyone present grew tense.