Chapter 256: Calm
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Qiao Jing nodded and took a step back, indicating that Lu Ying should go ahead with the examination.
Lu Ying took out the box of acupuncture needles that he carried with him, pulled up Qiao Yue's sleeves and started inserting needles.
Qiao Yue's arms were covered in scars. Although Qiao Jing was standing a short distance away, he could still see them.
Among them was a scar from an injury she sustained when Qiao Jing rescued her the last time. It was since then that Qiao Jing started investigating Qiao Yue's background.
Lu Ying inserted a number of needles into Qiao Yue's arms. Dark blood emerged in several places where her skin was pierced.
Qiao Jing frowned. Although he did not know much about medicine, dark blood was not a good sign. It usually signified toxin in the patient's body.
Qiao Jing asked Lu Ying with a frown, "Is it because there's toxin in Qiao Yue's body?"
Lu Ying nodded and turned to Qiao Jing. "Second young master, I'm afraid you'll have to check her food."
Qiao Yue's food?
"Has Qiao Yue been poisoned?"
Lu Ying nodded solemnly. "Qiao Yue had shown signs of poisoning before," Lu Ying said after some hesitation. "I've also found the same kind of poison when I diagnosed Old Master Qiao."
Lu Ying's words hit Qiao Jing like a ton of bricks.
"Why didn't you say anything before?" Qiao Jing's gaze was sharp.
Lu Ying looked at Qiao Jing and replied, "I've already told Qiao Yue when I found out that she had been poisoned before. When she was living in Nanshan village, she always had problems with her sleep. She also felt sleepy all the time when she first came to live here."
Qiao Jing suddenly remembered that when Qiao Yue first arrived, she often fell asleep in the car.
"But her symptoms have improved over the past few months. I don't know why she fainted this time from the poison." Lu Ying frowned.
He also noticed something else. If someone wanted to poison Qiao Yue, there was no reason for this person to stop halfway. Or did this person just want to torture Qiao Yue repeatedly?
Lu Ying found this person's method strange.
"This poison can be removed without any side effects but it could be torturous for the victim." Lu Ying continued, "This poison makes people nervous, sleepy all the time, and anxious. It can be removed if found in time."
"Then why were the old master's symptoms so severe?" Qiao Jing did not understand.
"The old master was poisoned with a much larger dose than Qiao Yue. The person who poisoned the old master wanted to kill him, but the person who poisoned Qiao Yue probably just wanted to torture her mentally."
Qiao Yue was already highly strung with all the burdens she was carrying. If she was poisoned on top of this, the consequences could be unimaginable.
If it weren't for Qiao Yue's strong willpower, the repeated poisoning would have driven her crazy.
"I'll check." Qiao Jing's face darkened. He had been so vigilant, but such a thing still happened in under the Qiao roof.
Lu Ying nodded, kept his needles and left.
Qiao Jing stood in the room and looked at Qiao Yue. Qiao Yue was still frowning, as if she was experiencing a nightmare she couldn't escape.
Qiao Jing sat down and soothed Qiao Yue's forehead, in an attempt to calm her down.
Qiao Yue calmed down under Qiao Jing's touch and finally fell into a deep sleep.
Qiao Jing sighed and felt a little guilty. He hadn't protected Qiao Yue well enough that something like this happened to her.
He would never let Qiao Yue get into danger again. Whatever she wanted to do, he would protect her well.
When Qiao Yue woke up, it was already the next morning.
She felt like she had a very long dream. In her dream, she saw her mother and the Godfather. Everything flashed by like a rotating lantern, and she thought that she was going to die.
Qiao Yue turned her head and saw Qiao Jing's face. The air was filled with the faint fragrance of round-leafed eucalyptus.
"Second brother." Qiao Yue's voice was a little hoarse.
Qiao Jing was still fast asleep on a chair, holding her hand.
Qiao Jing must have stayed by her side the whole night. At the thought of this, Qiao Yue felt a dull ache in her heart.
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Chapter 257: Persistence
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
As Qiao Yue got up slowly to get out of bed, Qiao Jing stirred, as if he was about to wake up.
"Second brother," Qiao Yue called out softly.
Qiao Jing looked very tired, probably because he stayed up all night to take care of her.
"Why are you back?"
Qiao Jing's business trip seemed to shorter than she thought. Was he back because of her?
She looked at Qiao Jing, trying to read his expression. Qiao Jing was also looking at her, but neither of them spoke.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Lu Ying was standing outside. He hadn't slept all night and had consulted his medical books.
The poison used on Qiao Yue was different from the one used on the old master. Hers was more terrifying. It was a virus that would make the victim fall into depression quickly and suffer a mental breakdown.
Qiao Yue's unstable mood lately was probably caused by this virus.
She had also been taking medicine and was overworked. That's why her symptoms flared up this time.
"When will I get better?" Qiao Yue asked.
Soon it would be time for them to investigate Qiao Yi's KTV. It might be even more dangerous then, so Qiao Yue wanted to get better before that.
"At least half a month of recuperation." Lu Ying frowned. "You're not in good health, and your mental state isn't good either."
Qiao Jing looked at Qiao Yue with a frown.
"I've already prepared the necessary medicine for you. You'll have to take them as instructed in the coming days." Lu Ying was a worried about Qiao Yue's health. She was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. If this continued, her mental state might collapse along with her body.
Qiao Jing gestured for Lu Ying to leave the medicine. "I'll talk to Qiao Yue. Please give us the room."
"There's still Qiao Yi's matter to deal with."
Qiao Yue said to Qiao Jing as soon as Lu Ying left.
Qiao Jing nodded. This was something they had agreed on before. Arrangements had been made and they shouldn't give up now.
"I can go on my own. Qiao Ze will cooperate with me. You just stay here and recuperate." Qiao Jing said with a frown.
"I must go personally. I've also activated my people. I'm afraid that two of you won't be enough." Qiao Yue insisted. "I've completed missions while injured before, this ailment is nothing."
Back when she was an assassin, Qiao Yue had once killed a target when she had an almost 40-degree fever, so it wasn't a difficult task for her to investigate Qiao Yi.
Qiao Jing made her sit in bed. "I don't care about what you've done before, but you're a member of the Qiao family now. I won't let you put yourself in danger."
Qiao Jing's hand was warm and strong as he pressed it on Qiao Yue's shoulder. Qiao Yue felt a warmth that she had not felt for a long time.
She was craving Qiao Jing's warmth.
When she was with the organization, they couldn't decline their missions most of the time. Their relationship with the Godfather was more like business transactions.
Only by providing rewards to the Godfather would they get resources.
But with Qiao Jing, she didn't need to do anything to feel that she was protected.
This realization warmed her heart.
"I'll take this time to recuperate, don't worry. But I must be part of this mission." Qiao Yue grabbed Qiao Jing's hand and said. "I've already made arrangements."
"No. You should stay at home and recuperate." Qiao Jing helped Qiao Yue lie down.
"Take your medicine diligently for the next few days and let Lu Ying treat you. We'll talk about other things when the time comes."
Qiao Jing had no intention to let Qiao Yue take part in this mission.
Qiao Ze's attitude was unclear at the moment. Qiao Li's family was probably also involved in this matter. Qiao Yue wasn't in the right frame of mind, so she couldn't take part in this mission.
After Qiao Yue fell asleep, Qiao Jing walked out of her room and asked the butler to apply leave of absence for Qiao Yue.
When he reached the top of the stairs, he bumped into Qiao Yu, who was carrying a tray of food.
Qiao Jing wanted to just walk past him, but Qiao Yu didn't give him the chance and blocked him.
"I think we should talk," Qiao Yu said.
"What about?"
"Let's talk about you and Qiao Yue."
The Qiao Yu now was completely different from the obedient and adorable little brother Qiao Jing had. He was exuding a never-seen-before hostility.
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Chapter 258: Prison Break
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Meanwhile, at C-Country's main detention center, a transfer vehicle filled with armed soldiers pulled up at the guard post.
According to C-Country's law, prisoners who had not been sentenced would be locked up at a detention center until they received their sentences, at which point, they would be transferred to a nearby prison.
Most criminals would be transferred to the prison after their trial. Only the most dangerous felons would be transferred later.
The criminal to be transferred today was extremely dangerous and of special status. The police contacted the military and mobilized an entire truck of soldiers to transport him.
The gates opened, and a man in a prisoner's uniform walked out, accompanied by several prison guards.
His head had been shaved completely bald, but his face was not thin. He wasn't like most prisoners who shriveled when locked up.
He was surrounded by heavily armed prison guards, but he was still calm and composed. He looked up as if he was looking at something in the sky.
The prison guards saw his action and became alert. They all looked up at the sky and raised their guns.
"Why is everyone so nervous? I haven't seen the sky for long, so I'm just appreciating it." The man's voice was very calm, without a trace of fear.
"Mr. Trand, you're a felon. Please cooperate with us and not cause trouble." The prison guard beside him said coldly.
"Sure," Trand said, sounding very cooperative.
When the soldiers escorted Trand into the truck, gunshots suddenly erupted around them.
The soldiers quickly divided into two groups. One group fired back while the other surrounded Trand with bulletproof shields and quickly pushed him into the truck.
The buildings around the detention center weren't tall. Most of them were low-rise houses though there were a few tall buildings about five hundred meters away.
Meanwhile, the soldier on the watchtower also aimed his sniper rifle at the surrounding high-rise buildings.
Through his rifle scope, he swept the suspicious looking corners one by one, but there was no suspect.
One of the soldiers found a shell casing that had fallen to the ground and picked it up.
It was a 300 Win, a bullet produced in D-Country. It was usually used for ultra long-range shooting.
The soldiers and prison guards waited for a minute, but the attack didn't continue.
"Continue with the transport. Transfer Trand now." The team leader ordered.
The soldiers pushed Trand into the truck as they retreated. The sniper scanned their surroundings to eliminate any possible danger.
Usually when problems cropped up during a transfer, the mission would be terminated immediately. However, for some reason, they continued with this mission.
"Chief, suspect seen on the building in the southeast," the sniper reported via their comms channel just as Trand was pushed into the truck and they were about to drive away.
The team leader was just about to call a stop to the mission when the sound of bullets whizzed through the air.
"Take cover!"
Only one shot was fired, and the bullet passed through the glass and hit Trand. It was only one shot, but it was fatal.
The soldiers raised their guns and bulletproof shields again like before, but the attack had stopped.
"Sniper, why didn't you aim at the suspect in the building just now?" The team leader asked through comms.
"The suspect was very fast. I didn't have the chance to shoot." The sniper's voice was heard through comms.
The soldiers scanned their surroundings to eliminate all dangers before they returned to the truck. They found Trand barely breathing.
The doctor on duty at the detention center ran out and put him on a stretcher.
The bullet just now hit Trand in the temple. Even if the miracle-working doctor, Hua Tuo were alive, he couldn't save Trand.
The building was more than 500 meters away, and the shooter still had to estimate the distance between him and Trand. What a sharpshooter!
Only a top-notch sniper could pull this off.
The team leader looked at the building 500 meters away. The shooter must have launched his attack from there.
"Search Jinyue Tower," he ordered.
Everyone ran towards the building. If they hurry, they might be able to find the shooter. If they went any later, they would probably find no clues.
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Chapter 259: Investigation
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Meanwhile, on Jinyue Tower that was 500 meters away from the detention center, a young man in a black uniform quickly disassembled his rifle, packed it into a violin case and removed his goggles.
He lowered a rope from the ventilation shaft of the building and rappelled down to the ground floor of the building amidst dizzying heights.
He then cut the uniform he was wearing from the middle, threw it into an incinerator nearby and then changed into casual clothes.
He was now looking like a teenager who had just gone for music lessons in the area.
He cut through the alley behind the building and passed by a police car. The officers in the police car didn't pay any attention to him.
At the next junction, he jumped into a normal-looking minivan.
In the minivan sat a patrician man. He was wearing a black sweater and chino pants. He looked like a noble who was going for high tea. The ordinary-looking minivan felt different because of his aura.
"Mission accomplished."
The young man removed his hoodie, revealing his exquisite, mixed-race face. "Godfather, there were no obstacles in this mission. Everything went a little too smoothly."
The man tapped his fingers on the armrest in the back seat. "Andy has given up his pawn, Trand. Nothing unexpected."
"Andy didn't give up. He was still using his influence to help Trand get a lighter sentence yesterday. I think it's a mistake on Andy's part." The boy answered.
The man chuckled. "Maybe you're right, Oswald. You'll be rewarded for eliminating Trand."
Oswald lowered his head and said, "Thank you, Godfather."
"Don't forget the other thing." The Godfather said.
"I tried to hack into Harvey Academy's school forum, but their website isn't as simple as it looks. Information from the past seems to have been specially archived."
The man stopped his tapping and frowned. "Archived?"
"Someone must have made a copy of the information and then archived it."
"How did they archive it?" The man asked.
Oswald didn't reply.
"Good children don't lie." The man took a sip of his coffee and looked at Oswald through the rearview mirror.
Oswald had his head lowered, like he was thinking.
"Your main job now is to look after Andy. I will let Minnie take care of the other things."
Oswald's eyes shifted at the sound of the girl's name. "Minnie is with me now. I can do whatever she can."
"Oswald, do what you are asked to do." The man's voice was calm.
Oswald nodded and didn't say anything more.
"I heard you've challenged Qiao Yue?" The Godfather asked.
"Yes, I have."
Thinking about how Qiao Yue had turned the tables on him, Oswald's face was indignant. "It's not that I'm wasn't capable, Qiao Yue was just too good at reading people. As expected of someone who was personally trained by Godfather."
There was a hint of jealousy in Oswald's words.
"Then tell me how Qiao Yue defeated you."
The man looked at Oswald through the rearview mirror and gave him a smile of understanding.
Meanwhile, Qiao Yue was sleeping soundly at the Qiao residence.
Although the medicine prescribed by Lu Ying was very effective, it made her drowsy. Qiao Yue fell asleep not long after taking the medicine.
Qiao Yue slept all the way until night. When she woke up, she saw the messages and missed calls on her phone.
Xiao Jia had been calling her non-stop when she was sleeping.
She opened their chat and the new messages woke her up.
It was the latest news of the day. Trand had been shot dead during a secret transfer.
This news threw Qiao Yue into confusion.
Even if Trand had been arrested, he was so powerful and he had Andy's protection. How could he die so easily?
Qiao Yue's pupils constricted. How did Trand, her sworn enemy for so long, suddenly die of a gunshot?
Did the Godfather send someone to kill him?
Qiao Yue frowned. A suspicious name flashed in her mind. Could this person be the one the Godfather sent to C-Country?
Qiao Yue thought as she called Xiao Jia.
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Chapter 260: Rumors
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Xiao Jia answered the call very quickly, "Boss, did you see the news?"
"Yes. Did you guys do it?" Qiao Yue asked.
"No way! How dare we act without order?" Xiao Jia seemed to be busy, but she soon walked to a quiet place to talk to Qiao Yue.
"The police and the army have sent people to investigate. Our informants in the task force said that they haven't found anything yet. The person who killed Trand is very well hidden."
Qiao Yue opened her iPad and looked at the 3D map.
It was a panoramic map of the area around the detention center where Trand was held.
The detention center was located in an open space, and there were no tall buildings within a 500-meter radius.
The only place where the suspect could hide was the Jinyue Tower 500 meters away.
It was an office building with many companies and a few training centers. It was not difficult to bring in a disguised gun using a guitar case or a file box.
"I heard that they locked down the building immediately, but they still couldn't find anyone suspicious."
Qiao Yue frowned.
If they surrounded the building right after Trand was shot but couldn't find the suspect, it meant that the suspect did not take the ordinary route when exiting the building. He either went through the ventilation shaft or attached ropes to the building facade.
"Have you looked into the nearby cars?" Qiao Yue asked.
"It's difficult to investigate. It's not a prosperous area and there were urban villages and alleys nearby. If the suspect sneaked into the urban villages or alleys, it'll be difficult to trace him."
Qiao Yue sighed. This person didn't employ ordinary methods indeed. Only a top-tier assassin would have such capabilities.
"Have you looked into the whereabouts of the top assassins in the organization?" Qiao Yue asked.
"Most of them are not in C-Country. Only No. 53 is in the country, based on recently reported trips."
No. 53 was an assassin with almost the same status as Qiao Yue in the organization.
Qiao Yue had never met him before. His identity was very mysterious, and he had only lived in the organization's system.
People in the Godfather's organization contacted each other using a multi-layer encrypted social app. They didn't use ordinary social apps, but a secret software that was specially developed by YQ.
This software could be said to be the world's most powerful social app. Its confidentiality and speed were almost the world's most advanced.
The identity and serial number of each organization member would be searchable inside. This No. 53 was also in Qiao Yue's contact list.
However, Qiao Yue had never contacted him. No. 53 seemed to have been overseas all the time and had never turned up at any of the organization's gatherings.
No. 53 had always been given secret solo missions. The Godfather had never mentioned anything about his training.
Qiao Yue opened the social app on her phone and looked at the dark profile picture.
No. 53's profile picture was a very dark one where one couldn't see what was on it. Qiao Yue clicked on the picture, enlarged it, and increased the brightness on her phone. Only then did she see that it was a gun with its muzzle pointed off frame.
It was a long-distance sniper rifle made in D-Country. Qiao Yue had used it before.
Moreover, the range of this rifle was 500 to 1000 meters, which was exactly the distance between Jinyue Tower and the detention center.
Qiao Yue narrowed her eyes. All the information seemed to connect. She didn't believe that there would be so many coincidences. All these must lead to one final answer.
No. 53 must be Trand's murderer, but why did he kill him? Was it ordered by the Godfather's order or was it...
With this question in mind, Qiao Yue typed a message and sent it to No. 53.
"You there?"
Qiao Yue held her breath when she saw the word "read" at the end of her message.
Although they could contact each other freely on this social app, people with no overlapping missions generally didn't contact each other. It didn't seem wise for her to contact No. 53 out of the blue.
After waiting for a long time, the app showed that No. 53 was typing.
After a few more minutes, No. 53 replied with a simple sentence.
"Trand was my mission."
Qiao Yue's pupils constricted when she read this. Things were just as she had expected.
After a while, No. 53 sent her another message.
"Qiao Yue, I'm your opponent."
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