Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1172: Master Chen

The suspect who had just recently confessed hadn’t yet been transferred to the prosecutor’s office, so he was still being held at the detention center.

This was a serious matter that forced Ma Houde and Zhou Yusheng to put aside the dismemberment case and rush over immediately.

Inside the detention center — or more specifically, the cell where the now-deceased ride-hailing driver had been held — there was a chilling silence. The corpse was undergoing an on-site autopsy.

A gag order was issued immediately afterward — this incident absolutely could not be leaked to the public.

If news got out that a suspect was murdered inside a tightly controlled detention center, it would deal a fatal blow to the system’s credibility.

“How’s it going? What did you find?” Sir Ma paced anxiously outside the cell, frequently glancing inside.

A forensic examiner finally came out with a strange look on his face, clearly hesitant.

“If you found something, just say it,” Zhou Yusheng asked, growing impatient.

The examiner frowned. “So far, the only thing we can confirm is that it’s definitely a gunshot wound — a frontal gunshot, straight through the forehead. But…”

“But what?”The examiner said in disbelief, “We can’t find the bullet.”

Zhou Yusheng and Sir Ma were both stunned. Zhou instinctively asked, “What do you mean?”

The examiner explained slowly, “There’s a bullet hole in the forehead, so the bullet didn’t exit. That means it should still be inside the skull… but it’s just gone. We can’t find it.”

“What the hell?” Ma Houde opened his mouth — if the bullet didn’t exit, then naturally it should be inside the body. But instead, it had vanished?

“Could the killer have removed it?” a nearby officer suggested wildly.

Ma Houde knocked him on the head. “You think the killer had time to perform surgery to dig it out after killing the guy?”

“Well… maybe the killer is just that weird?”

The examiner shook his head. “There’s no other wound except for the gunshot entry. We can rule out bullet extraction.”

“What about an ice bullet? One of those special frozen bullets that melt inside the body?” the officer continued wildly — until he noticed the awkward stares around him.

“Uh… did I say something wrong?” he asked meekly.

Ma Houde sighed and waved him off. “Go check with the surveillance room, see what the camera footage shows. I really don’t have the energy or time to teach forensics right now.”

After sending the imaginative officer away, Sir Ma rubbed his temples. “Old Zhou, what do you think?”

Zhou Yusheng thought for a moment. “Let’s put aside the missing bullet for now. What matters most is how the killer committed the crime. There’s no skylight, no vents — the only access point is the iron bars. And as you saw, this guy wasn’t alone. There are inmates in adjacent cells who claim they didn’t see anyone pass through. Do you think that’s even possible?”

Ma Houde nodded. “Those neighbors didn’t know the guy, had no grudge, no reason to lie… this is too weird. If the surveillance footage says nothing happened, I swear I’m heading to a temple.”

“Sir Ma, you really should go to a temple…” Lin Feng ran back, pale-faced, holding a tablet. “Look — the camera caught it.”

On the footage, the suspect paced in his cell, arms crossed, head down, clearly anxious and unsettled.

Then, suddenly, he collapsed — with no warning, no contact with anyone. He just dropped, and blood began pouring from his forehead.

A chill ran down everyone's spines.

…

…

Two black Volkswagen sedans with license plates bearing special characters slowly pulled up in a luxury residential area.

In the back seat of one vehicle sat two men — one refined and elegant, the other sharp and efficient.

“Second Young Master, this is where Master Chen lives,” the sharp man said as he lowered the window, looking at the villa. “I’ve made the appointment. Shall we go in?”

The refined man nodded. The sharp man exited the car, walked to the villa’s entrance, and rang the doorbell. As he waited, he glanced back at the man stepping out of the car — Zhong Luochen.

Cheng Yun frowned imperceptibly at the sight of Zhong Luochen — but he covered it well and didn’t let the current boss notice.

This Second Young Master of the Zhong Family was probably a lost cause.

At some point, he had become obsessed with all kinds of strange things. For the past half year, he had visited countless fortune tellers, some fakes, some magicians, some tricksters… Did this guy really think he could cultivate immortality?

It didn’t stop there. Zhong Luochen had also poured a fortune into a private company — one that didn’t make anything but just “researched” bioelectric signals and human potential.

Now, upon hearing of a mysterious “Master Chen” from the underground circles, he immediately ordered Cheng Yun to find him.

Cheng Yun wasn’t sure whether the Second Young Master was truly stupid or just pretending. Meanwhile, the eldest Zhong brother had seized full control. The third Miss, after a trip to South America before New Year, had resigned from all her positions and secluded herself in her private villa — reportedly seen rarely since.

Cheng Yun hadn’t been able to contact her in a long time. He used to earn side income by reporting Zhong Luochen’s activities to her, but that source dried up. With the eldest brother in full control now, Cheng Yun had no choice but to cling to this rice bowl — even if the second son was a fool, at least he was rich. Super rich.

A servant eventually answered the door.

Cheng Yun was annoyed. This so-called Master Chen really puts on airs…

Even if the Second Young Master was out of favor, he was still the Second Young Master of the Zhong Family. Who wouldn’t jump to meet him?

“You’re Mr. Cheng Yun?” the servant asked blandly.

“I am. Where’s Master Chen? We have an appointment,” Cheng Yun squinted his eyes.

The servant remained indifferent. “Master Chen is napping, but he said you could come in and wait if you arrive.”

That pushed Cheng Yun’s buttons.

Back in the capital, even the most powerful heirs were polite to me. Now I’m being blocked by a servant?

“You dare make our Young Master wait?” Cheng Yun snapped. “You have no idea who you’re offending. I don’t care if he’s Master Chen or some ‘immortal’—he’ll regret this!”

The servant shrugged. “Our master’s rules are the same for everyone. Tycoons, officials, all treated equally. Wait if you want. Otherwise, leave. We don’t care.”

“You little—” Cheng Yun glared.

“It’s fine, let’s wait,” Zhong Luochen said calmly, walking forward. “Please show us in, brother.”

“That’s better. Come on in,” the servant nodded and turned around to lead them inside the villa.

At this moment, Cheng Yun said angrily, “Second Young Master, this Master Chen really doesn’t know his place, does he? He probably has no idea who you really are!”

Zhong Luochen replied calmly, “Someone with real ability often has a bit of a temper, strange habits, or pride. If this Master Chen truly is someone capable, then what harm is there in waiting a bit?”

Cheng Yun, feeling it was his duty as a loyal subordinate to warn the Second Young Master, tried to advise tactfully, “Second Young Master, it’s been so long and we still haven’t found anyone truly capable. It’s all been scams and parlor tricks. I’m afraid this Master Chen might just be another con artist.”

“Whether he is or not, let’s see for ourselves first,” Zhong Luochen said, walking straight into the villa.

Several black-suited bodyguards quickly followed behind him.

Cheng Yun shook his head and sighed... The Second Young Master really had lost it. There was no saving him.

…

Speaking of this Master Chen, he wasn’t without his own reputation.

He was the personal disciple of the famous Master Huang. Master Huang was quite well-known across the surrounding ten or so cities, especially among wealthy businessmen and high-society ladies.

He specialized in fortune-telling, feng shui, arranging auspicious formations, and warding off bad luck.

However, Master Huang had not accepted any clients for a long time—he had seemingly vanished from the world. Though Master Huang disappeared, his disciple remained. And this Master Chen had indeed learned quite a bit from him.

Although Master Chen wasn’t as renowned as his master, his own reputation was slowly growing. After all, if you couldn’t find Master Huang, getting his disciple was better than nothing.

Upstairs in the villa, Chen Er lifted a corner of the curtain and had clearly seen everything that happened at the door.

Once the guests entered, he didn’t rush downstairs. Instead, he leisurely opened a bottle of red wine and sipped it by himself.

Chen Er was quite satisfied with his current life. His master—Master Huang—had suffered a major setback over six months ago, nearly lost his eyesight, and then disappeared to Mount Wudang. No one had heard from him since.

Master Huang had few known relatives, though Chen Er suspected the old pervert must’ve left behind a few illegitimate children out there—he just never told anyone.

The old man had disappeared cleanly. Around four or five months ago, he even called once to say he was donating all his assets to charity.

Chen Er had served this old guy for years, flattering and obeying him more than most sons would their fathers, yet he never received any real teachings—only picked up a few superficial tricks.

When it came to actual fortune-telling, palm reading, or interpreting bones and characters, he had no real skill. But setting up love-luck arrays or basic feng shui to invite fortune or ward off bad luck? That, he could manage. After years by his master's side, he’d learned enough smooth talk to fool people.

Since the old man had abandoned him, Chen Er saw no point in holding on to that so-called master-disciple bond.

“Old man, do you really think I, Chen Er, can't make it without you?” Chen Er sneered. “This villa is mine now. Everyone calls me Master Chen. Who even remembers you—Huang the Half-Immortal? Old fool! I don’t need you. I’ll still live large and in style!”

He downed his glass of red wine, then began dressing himself with care. Nearly an hour later, he finally descended the stairs, slowly and unhurried.

As he came down, he saw in the living room a refined young man sitting with his eyes closed, calmly resting.

Behind him stood three burly men in black suits.

A sharp-looking man sat nearby, clearly impatient, glancing repeatedly at the refined young man… Chen Er frowned slightly. For some reason, he felt uneasy.

Still, he’d dealt with enough wealthy businessmen and mid-level officials over the past six months to develop a solid front.

Hands clasped behind his back, Chen Er walked over at a relaxed pace… yet the young man resting with his eyes closed never even opened them.

Chen Er frowned slightly again but maintained his composure. He said casually, “This must be Mr. Cheng.”

Cheng Yun looked Chen Er up and down and frowned as well. “You're Master Chen? So young?”

Chen Er chuckled lightly. “The pursuit of knowledge is boundless. The capable lead the way. Who says youth disqualifies someone from being a master?”

Zhong Luochen, still resting with his hand on his forehead and his eyes closed, said calmly, “Master Chen, I have another appointment later. I’ve given you enough of my time. My personal visit is proof of my sincerity… Now it’s your turn.”

“You’re Mr. Cheng Yun?” Chen Er narrowed his eyes.

But Zhong Luochen suddenly waved his hand and interrupted coldly, “Test him. If he’s got real skill, let him stay.”

At that moment, the three burly men behind him stepped forward slowly, grinning menacingly.

Chen Er froze… This isn't going according to plan at all!

(End of Chapter)