Ten-odd minutes later, Zhao Hei confessed to the underground research facility in Qingchun City.
With Liu Jianwei included, Su Tao and Xia Yu wore grave expressions. They never expected that the underground research facility in Qingchun City would be located in Jidong Province's Medical University, with over thousands of people taking the medicine.
Seeing that Zhao Hei fainted again, Xia Yu asked, "Are we going to kill him?"
Shaking his head, Su Tao responded, "Killing this kind of person will just dirty our hands, just leave him to the police."
He had already recorded the confession with his phone and sent it over to Jiang Qinghan while he was speaking.
In just a few minutes, Jiang Qinghan had already called and asked in a grim tone, "What's with the video?"
"Well, do you mind if it's obtained through improper means?" Su Tao stood by the window and saw a few vehicles gathered outside. Everyone that came out of the vehicles were donned in security uniforms, and judging from their movements, Su Tao could tell that they're well-trained.
Jiang Qinghan paced up and down in the room before she responded, "Do you know that what you're doing is extremely dangerous? Zhao Hei is a powerful figure in the Jidong Province."
"Are you worried about me?" Su Tao responded with a faint smile before giving an eye signal to Liu Jianwei and Xia Yu.
"There's no time to chat, you be careful. I'll report this matter to my superior right now." Jiang Qinghan immediately ended the call, since she knew that Su Tao was currently in a dangerous position. However, Su Tao was over a thousand miles away, and she knew that there was nothing she could do. But even so, she still wanted to try her best.
Over a hundred people have gathered outside the pavilion. Although the police station had sent their officers over and their vehicles were only stopped on the street a hundred meters away, they received an order from the top that they're to monitor the situation and not interfere.
After the people have gathered together, they uniformly walked into the pavilion, looking intimidating. A passerby even tried to take a video of this scene, but his phone was knocked to the ground and crushed after being discovered by a security guard. However, the passerby could only swallow his anger and leave.
There was a robust man with tanned skin holding onto a walkie-talkie. He had dense brows with a ferocious glare that looked intimidating. Just a moment ago, he had received an order from Sire Wu to capture the three outsiders alive.
Although the pavilion wasn't small, there was a limit to the width of the stairs, so only two people were able to go up at a time.
Suddenly, a voice rang out from the walkie-talkie. "Captain Ba, we're unable to go up. The stairs are blocked."
Knitting his brows, Ba Yong roared, "There's only three of them, but none of you can make it up? What a bunch of trash!"
Ba Yong pushed his way through and charged up the stairs. When he turned in a corner, he felt a shiver down his spine when he saw a living person flying in his direction. Holding his hand up, Ba Yong caught the man in his arm, but before he could react, another silhouette flew over. Thus, Ba Yong could only push that person in his arm away. Otherwise, he might be buried there like a human pyramid.
"Get lost!" Disregarding the human cannonball flying towards him, Ba Yong lowered his head and charged forth, before finally seeing Liu Jianwei. He witnessed how the latter easily threw people as if they were plush toys.
Ba Yong immediately pulled out his baton and swung it over. Liu Jianwei uttered in surprise before he took half a step back. But it was this half-step that made Ba Yong miss his baton and even suffered a punch to his face from Liu Jianwei. Ba Yong immediately felt that his face had deformed and he lost his center of gravity, before he fell backwards.
Since those people behind knew that they're not Liu Jianwei's opponents, they held onto the puzzled Ba Yong and did not dare to take a step forth.
Liu Jianwei even took two steps forth on purpose, causing the security guards to retreat in fear.
At this moment, Su Tao came to Liu Jianwei's side and said, "I wish to meet Sire Wu."
Ba Yong gasped while touching his mouth and realised that his hand was drenched in blood before he responded, "Is Sire Wu someone that you can meet whenever you want?"
"Go and report about my intention." Su Tao faintly replied.
Ba Yong took a glance at Liu Jianwei in fear before he snorted, "You wait!"
Su Tao analysed that Sire Wu wasn't willing to offend Yan Jing, and this was the reason why he didn't send hitmen over. However, even a powerful official couldn't defeat a local tyrant. Although Liu Jianwei was powerful and it wouldn't be difficult for him to escape, he would definitely need to pay the price if he wanted to bring Su Tao and Xia Yu along with him.
Thus, Su Tao had decided to meet Sire Wu, the godfather figure of the northeast.
While both sides briefly stood in confrontation, Ba Yong walked over. "The old man has agreed to meet you."
Hearing those words, Su Tao turned back and instructed, "You and Xia Yu protect the three students and help the injured middle-aged man leave first."
Knitting his brows, Liu Jianwei asked, "You're going to go alone?"
"Is it any different if there's one or three of us?" Su Tao smiled and responded with another question.
Liu Jianwei sighed before he coldly said, "If anything happens to you, I'll make him pay the price, even if I have to forsake my life."
Shaking his head, Su Tao whispered to Liu Jianwei's ears, "That old man is at least in his seventies. Even if you don't go looking for him, he won't have a long life."
Instantly, Liu Jianwei was left speechless by Su Tao's vicious words. In the end, he bitterly smiled and sighed, "Then I'll wait for you at the airport."
"I won't be late for the flight at 3 p.m.!" Su Tao patted Liu Jianwei's shoulder then followed Ba Yong down the stairs.
Before he left, Ba Yong turned his head and cast a glance at Liu Jianwei with complicated emotions flickering in his eyes. It was as if he wanted to engrave the image of this person that made him feel fear for the first time in his life in his heart.
Roughly half an hour later, Su Tao arrived at the Beijing-style courtyard house, where Sire Wu was sitting beneath a huge tree on the right, taking a breather with a yawning cat lying on the floor.
"Have a seat and some tea!" Sire Wu glanced at Su Tao before he smiled and gestured at the stone chair.
Due to the difference in culture between the north and south, their tea cultures were also different. Unlike their southern counterparts that use teapots, the north used lidded teacups.
Taking a sip of the tea with style, Su Tao faintly said, "Sire Wu, thanks for meeting me."
Waving his hand, Sire Wu smiled. "I, Wu Mo, have lived for a long time and spent so much time in the underground society; I respect those with guts. Just by the fact that you dared to bring two people and come knocking at my door, you have earned my respect. But I believe you know the underground society's rules. Since you've caused trouble, then I can't let you go unless you give me an explanation."
"Sire Wu, I've actually done you a favor in dealing with a problem." Su Tao responded with a serious expression.
"Oh?" Sire Wu laughed as he continued, "Why don't you explain more on that?"
"This matter caused by Zhao Hei is pretty serious, and you should know that you can't take responsibility for this matter." Su Tao placed the teacup down.
"He's considered my half-grandson, so I can't sit still and not help when he's in trouble." Sire Wu shook his head and solemnly said while looking at Su Tao with his eyes squinted.
Su Tao could feel a chilling aura emanating from Sire Wu. Although this old man was already getting on his age, the ferocity that he had nurtured over the years in the underground society was still as sharp as before.
"If you're that persistent, then you wouldn't be the rumored Sire Wu." Su Tao smiled as he shook his head.
"Oh? What should I do, then?" Sire Wu smiled. The change in his emotions was akin to stormy weather becoming a clear sky.
"Zhao Hei has to confess to his crimes, and at the same time, you need to take the lead and destroy the underground research facility." After a brief pondering, Su Tao further added, "Although you're already getting on your age, you've seen things more clearly than anyone else. This is no longer the age of blood-bathing streets, where everything is handled through principles."
"I'm the one that spoiled him." Sire Wu sighed as he closed his eyes.
Seeing that Sire Wu wasn't willing to touch on this matter, Su Tao stood up with complicated emotions in his heart. Whether Zhao Hei was being spoiled or being wilful, that was something that he wouldn't be able to find out.
However, judging from Sire Wu's expression, this old man seemed to agree with his method of handling this matter for the moment.
A well-proportioned middle-aged man quickly came over and whispered a few words in Sire Wu's ears.
The latter was briefly stunned before his gaze flickered and waved his hand towards Su Tao. "Someone came to fetch you. Your face is pretty big!"
Su Tao was also surprised. Although he already knew that Sire Wu wouldn't do a thing to him, he never expected that someone would come to Sire Wu's house to fetch him.
Giving a smile towards Sire Wu, Su Tao left.
Looking at Su Tao's silhouette, Sire Wu sighed. If it were ten years ago, he surely wouldn't let Su Tao leave so easily. But he had already gotten on his age, and he hoped that the underground society in Jidong Province could calm down a little. So if he touched Su Tao, even he had no idea what storm he would create.
"You're letting him go so easily?" Ba Yong walked into the courtyard and asked with a reddened face.
Rocking his chair, Sire Wu responded with a question, "Otherwise, what do you want me to do? Kill him?"
"Shouldn't you at least let him go through some suffering? He has injured quite a few of my brothers!" Ba Yong felt indignant in his heart.
"No matter how you torture him, he would only suffer superficial injuries that would heal with time. So in the end, you're just wasting your energy." After a brief pause, Sire Wu popped another question, "Do you know who came to fetch him?"
Seeing Sire Wu being a little timid, Ba Yong argued, "Who is it? Even if he's the Emperor…"
But before he could finish, Sire Wu interrupted him and sighed, "If you want to do well in the underground society, you must learn to revere. This is something that Blacky lacks, so do not learn from him."
Ba Yong wanted to continue speaking, but he saw Sire Wu lie down and looked exhausted under the warm sunshine with the northern wind rustling the leaves, so he stomped his foot on the ground, since he knew that Sire Wu had finished what he wanted to say. Thus, he could only leave and helplessly shook his head.
When Ba Yong left, Sire Wu opened his eyes. He knew that Ba Yong must be disappointed in him. But in the underground society, the bigger fish preyed after the smaller fish, while the smaller fish preyed after the shrimps. Even he had his natural predators.
The middle-aged man returned again and lowered his voice, "The old man has issued an order to protect Su Tao."
With a bitter smile, Sire Wu responded, "Let the words spread out. In the future, as long as Su Tao is in Jidong Province, everyone must pay attention and protect his safety."
The middle-aged man understood Sire Wu's meaning and asked in a soft tone, "Are you afraid?"
Sire Wu nodded his head with a bitter smile. "If something happens to him in Jidong Province, the old man won't let us go, even if it has nothing to do with us."