Chapter 121: The Most Likely Traitor

Wang Hu's office had been left untouched, save for a heavy-duty padlock installed by the logistics department to ensure that when the police arrived to conduct their investigation, they would find the scene undisturbed.

However, the office was currently in a state of chaos. The safe remained locked, but files were scattered across the floor. The curtains were drawn, a desk lamp was still burning, and the computer monitor lay face-down on the desk, while the tower case had been dismantled into several pieces.

Using a police baton to prod the wreckage, it was clear the hard drive had been removed and taken away.

Something had also been taken from the drawers; they had been pried open, leaving empty spaces that looked glaringly unnatural. Clearly, whatever had been hidden inside was gone.

Yang Changfeng frowned. He seemed to have anticipated the culprits' intent. It appeared that someone was still unwilling to give up and was desperate to bail Wang Hu out.

The computer must have contained damning evidence; that was exactly why the intruders had come.

"I was careless," Yang thought with a tinge of regret. "I should have searched for what Wang Hu had hidden in his office first." Yet, he did not dwell on it. No matter who they were, if they had a tail, it would eventually show; they couldn't hide forever.

Since someone had already resorted to destroying evidence, it meant there were deeper machinations at play.

Yang Changfeng asked Zhang Baode, "What do you think we should do now?"

"Call the police," Zhang replied. "Regardless of anything else, that must be our first step. After that, I think we should interrogate those men; there’s definitely something wrong with some of them."

Yang Changfeng smiled faintly. "Very well, let’s hold an interrogation. Go grab one of them—I have a way to make them turn on each other."

The security guards, who had been sleeping fitfully, were startled awake by Zhang Baode bursting through the door.

Zhang held the same wrench Yang had once used to intimidate the security department, slamming it heavily against the bed frames. "Get up! All of you, get up! The boss has questions!"

When someone grumbled in protest, Zhang immediately swung the wrench. Even through the thick blankets, the impact was painful.

"Someone here is a traitor. You all know what happens to people like that in Wang Hu’s hands, don't you?" Zhang glared at the man he suspected most, his voice dripping with malice. "I don't care about the usual rules, but this one must be followed. Get up and come with me!"

The men rose sluggishly, clearly resentful as they dressed. Zhang Baode didn't hold back; he had learned a thing or two about fighting himself. He brought the wrench down hard on the back of his prime suspect.

The man dared to turn around and glare, so Zhang struck him across the forehead, cursing, "Look at yourself! Still acting tough? You want another one? The boss gave me a quota: as long as I don't kill you, the company will cover the medical bills for three cripples. Damn it, do you think you’re still worth something? You’ll all be fired in two days. The boss said he’s going to make sure every company in Jiangzhou knows that traitors like you are unemployable. Let’s see how you survive then. Move it!"

Zhang Baode had changed; he was capable of ruthlessness now.

Seeing the man bleeding from his forehead, the others no longer dared to drag their feet. They dressed quickly. Zhang commanded, "Carry him. Heh, you’d better hope you’re all innocent. We’re going to find the proof of treachery tonight, and if we do..."

Some of them trembled, quickly trying to look nonchalant as they followed. Zhang didn't notice, but he didn't need to—he just needed to do his job.

He led them to the monitoring room and instructed his two new colleagues to keep a close watch. "The main thing is: don't let them escape!"

Zhang picked out the most panicked-looking guard and marched him away. Behind them, he heard someone mutter, "We haven't done anything wrong; what could they possibly find out?"

Zhang noted the voice and led the guard away.

Yang Changfeng was waiting nearby. As they entered, he gestured for Zhang to take the man into the adjacent side room. "Keep him quiet. If he makes a sound, don't be gentle."

The guard immediately began to confess. "Boss, I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything! Around noon, 'Little Six' made several phone calls. He went out in the afternoon for over two hours and only came back just before Captain Zhang arrived. He even brought us treats, saying his relatives had visited and we should have some late-night snacks."

"Little Six?" Zhang Baode’s small eyes narrowed into a cold, mocking gaze.

"It’s true, I swear!" the man trembled, desperate to assure him. "I’ll testify, I’ll definitely testify!"

Once the man was shoved into the side room, Zhang waved the wrench. "You know what to do now, right?"

The man was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. Satisfied, Zhang closed the door and went back for the next one, still confident in his intuition.

The man with the bandaged forehead was protesting loudly, but Zhang noticed he was now at the front of the line, even though he had been in the middle before they entered.

"You, come with me," Zhang said, pointing to someone cowering in the corner. He deliberately ignored the man he had injured, as well as 'Little Six,' who was crouching a few spots away and exchanging glances with others.

Inside the room, the guard initially seemed reluctant to speak. Yang Changfeng said calmly, "It’s fine if you don't talk. We’ll just punish you based on the evidence against the others. Little Six went out and brought back food for you to eat. You’re staying silent out of loyalty, but if you’ve eaten his food, you’ll share his consequences. You understand that, right?"

As soon as Yang put it that way, the guard’s resolve crumbled. Since someone else had already spoken, he no longer felt bound by loyalty.

"Little Six threatened me," he said. "He told me not to talk."

The evidence was increasingly pointing toward Little Six, but surely that wasn't the whole story. No one mentioned how Little Six had behaved upon his return. Had they truly forgotten?

The breakthrough came when the third man was brought in. As soon as Yang mentioned Little Six, the man confessed everything.

He revealed that while Little Six was on the phone, the calls didn't actually last that long. He had noticed that Little Six spent the most time sending text messages under the guise of making calls.

Zhang Baode couldn't help but wonder if his judgment was correct. Was it really Little Six?

In his view, Little Six came from a decent family, but he was incredibly spendthrift, his monthly salary never enough, and he was constantly in debt.

If it really was Little Six, then acting as a mole—reporting the company's recent situation to interested parties in exchange for money—made perfect sense.

But the problem was that Little Six was being far too obvious. If he were the true mole, why would he be so reckless?

Zhang was perplexed. He still struggled to believe it was that simple. Could this all be a diversion?