140: Chapter 139 Suicide Out of Fear of Guilt?

Order was restored to the hospital in less than half an hour. Blood plasma was quickly delivered from Pan City, and Sister-in-law Li was no longer in serious danger. Long Tu and Zhang Tianling had already taken the helicopter that brought the plasma back to Pan City. Long Tu left his helicopter here for Cao Xiao to use. Cao Xiao was not short on money, so he rented two hospital rooms, had the nurses put on fresh bedding, and made do with resting at the hospital.

Not long after dawn, he was woken up by the early-rising patients. Cao Xiao couldn't sleep in such a noisy environment. After washing up, he went to see Li Lanshan and her daughter, who still hadn't woken up. He then took Duan Hong and Li Quanshuo for breakfast before flying the helicopter toward Xinyuan Coal Mine.

Baishui Town was less than ten kilometers from Laoque Gou, a distance covered in just a few minutes. Xinyuan Coal Mine had been ordered to suspend operations for rectification following the mining accident. Cao Xiao didn't land the aircraft; instead, he circled at high altitude. Logically, only guards should have been at Xinyuan Coal Mine at this time, but Cao Xiao discovered more than ten people gathered in an office within a two-story building. Most of them were foreigners. Even down in the mine shaft, there were workers construction, excavating the blocked tunnels.

It had been several days since the accident, and the rescue had long been completed. Why were they excavating the tunnels now? For these foreigners to gather here at a time like this, there was definitely something fishy going on.

However, these people didn't say a word for a long time, as if they were waiting for something. Cao Xiao couldn't figure anything out either, so he could only record images of these people and have the Pan City police investigate who they were.

He scanned all the paper documents and electronic files from the Xinyuan Coal Mine office building into his intellectual brain. After filtering for recent information, he found nothing related to this mining accident; it was all ordinary office files and mining record data. However, one piece of data was quite strange: the coal seam of Xinyuan Coal Mine was located 1,500 meters underground, but this drilling data showed a drilling depth of 3,000 meters. Furthermore, the drilling site was at the location of the coal seam. Even for exploring new coal seams, they wouldn't drill that deep. Besides, Xinyuan Coal Mine only had one minable coal seam to date. The geological environment 500 meters below this seam was extremely complex, with pulverized rock and gaps filled with groundwater. Even if a new coal seam were discovered, it would be impossible to mine. Moreover, the width of this shaft was too large, with a diameter of five meters. Even for exploration, they would only drill small holes, not something this big. Coupled with the complex underground environment, the shaft walls would require a massive investment in waterproofing and protection. The cost of drilling such a large shaft was not something a small mine like Xinyuan could afford. Even with foreign investment, their money didn't grow on trees; they wouldn't spend a fortune just to drill a big hole. Since they had done so, it meant there were important resources underground that made such a waste of money worthwhile.

The aircraft was currently flying at an altitude of 6,000 meters, and Cao Xiao could not detect the situation at the bottom of the shaft. Although he was very curious, he didn't want to lower the helicopter's altitude to get closer to the ground, as that would alert the enemy. Furthermore, if he wanted to know the answer, he could ask someone who knew the inside story: Li Dongping! Li Dongping was still awaiting trial and was being held at the Baishui Town Police Station. It just so happened that Cao Xiao knew Ni Zhen, so it wouldn't be difficult to see him.

Having made up his mind, he immediately flew back to the Baishui Town Police Station. The helicopter landed on the training ground outside the station. Just as he got off the aircraft, a group of police officers rushed from all directions and surrounded them as if facing a formidable foe. Pairs of eyes filled with both hatred and fear stared fixedly at them. Seeing this scene, Cao Xiao could only smile bitterly. This was a sin of his own making that he had to bear; they were just following orders and couldn't be blamed.

"Could someone please take me to see Director Ni?" Cao Xiao said with a polite smile, his face showing no expression of guilt.

"Hmph!"

After a few cold snorts, everyone who had surrounded them turned and walked away. Cao Xiao was dumbfounded, and the smile on his face froze. Wasn't it said that the more guilt you showed, the more others would look down on you, while pretending to have a clear conscience would have the opposite effect? Why didn't these people fall for it? This was awkward.

"How rude. If you won't take me, I'll find her myself. It's not like I can't find her in a place this size," Cao Xiao said, making a counter-accusation to mask his embarrassment.

None of the police officers paid him any mind, nor did they stop him from wandering around the office building. It didn't take much effort to find Ni Zhen's office on the third floor.

"Come in!" After he knocked on the door, Ni Zhen's somewhat raspy voice came from inside.

"Director Ni, hello! What happened to you?" As soon as he entered, he saw Ni Zhen with a pair of panda eyes, tapping away at a keyboard. She didn't even turn to look when Cao Xiao entered, her gaze focused on the computer screen.

"Oh! Mr. Cao! Everything has been handled. What are you here for? I'm like this because I've been cleaning up your mess; I didn't close my eyes at all last night." Ni Zhen first glanced at Cao Xiao and was about to turn back when she paused. She rolled her eyes and spoke with a mix of surprise and a hint of resentment.

"Uh! Sorry for making you work so hard. I want to visit Li Dongping, and since I don't know anyone else here, I had to come to you, Director Ni," Cao Xiao said apologetically.

"Then wait for me to finish writing this report. The tea leaves are on the water dispenser; help yourselves. I'll take you there in five minutes." Before she even finished speaking, Ni Zhen turned back and started typing again.

"Alright, we're not thirsty. You go ahead!" Cao Xiao could only wait. Ni Zhen worked so hard; no wonder she was so dissatisfied with that Mayor Ma. Their work attitudes were complete opposites.

"Then could you help me brew a cup? I'm dying of thirst. Thanks," Ni Zhen said without looking up.

"Uh, okay!" Cao Xiao was caught between laughter and tears upon hearing this. So that was her plan. There was no logic in having a guest brew tea for the host, but seeing how hard she was working, he reluctantly went to brew the tea.

After waiting for a full ten minutes, Ni Zhen finally finished. She gulped down the cup of tea, stood up to stretch, and said to Cao Xiao, "Alright, Mr. Cao, let's go!"

As they walked, Cao Xiao suddenly remembered something and tested the waters with Ni Zhen: "By the way, Director Ni, did you know when my sister-in-law came to visit my Brother Li?"

Ni Zhen said with some annoyance, "I'm not sure about that. I have no prestige in the station. The subordinates report everything to Deputy Director Hu. Oh, by the way, Hu Chengcai is no longer the deputy director; he's in the detention cell now. Those two mayors have also been suspended for reflection, indefinitely."

"Oh! It seems my sister-in-law and the others being kidnapped is directly related to this Deputy Director Hu. Have you interrogated that Director Hu yet? What's the deal with the hitman? Have the identities of the kidnappers been found?" Cao Xiao breathed a sigh of relief. His sister-in-law had come to visit Brother Li, failed to see him, and was kidnapped immediately. This news must have leaked from the police station; otherwise, the kidnappers wouldn't have known about their arrival. If Ni Zhen had known about it and hadn't let them visit, Cao Xiao would have had a problem with her.

Ni Zhen shook her head and said, "We haven't had time to interrogate him yet. The station is in such a mess that the Bureau wouldn't feel comfortable letting us do it. So the hitman situation hasn't been cleared up either. As for the kidnappers, one is a minor shareholder of Xinyuan Coal Mine and the owner of an entertainment club in Pan City. He's still unconscious, and it's unknown if anyone else was involved. But you were really ruthless, killing three people at once and crippling that man's five limbs. Even if he's sent to the hospital, they can't be reattached. He's become a human stump who can't even sit in a wheelchair; he can only spend the rest of his life in bed, a fate worse than death. I heard Director Tang say that after his trial, he won't be sent to prison to avoid having to hire someone to care for him. Plus, his old criminal history has been uncovered, and all his assets will be confiscated to compensate the victims. He might not even have the courage to live on and might only be able to commit suicide by starving himself. Although he got what he deserved, what you did was too inhumane."

Thinking of that scene, Cao Xiao's anger began to surge again. He didn't regret doing it. At that time, he had no reason to speak of. Even if he had been sober, he might not have been so cruel, but that man's fate would definitely have been worse than it is now. He said calmly, "I was too angry then. My sister-in-law was lying in a pool of blood with her life hanging by a thread, and my niece was being held at gunpoint, her life at risk at any moment. Who cared about being humane? I was almost driven mad with rage myself."

"Sigh! It seems you really care about your sister-in-law's family." Ni Zhen could only sigh at this. She couldn't criticize Cao Xiao from her position; it was human nature. When someone you care about deeply is almost killed, anyone would lose their reason. Just as she finished speaking, she suddenly paused and asked curiously, "By the way, what kind of bulletproof vests are your teammates wearing? They're so light and thin they can be worn as clothes, yet bullets don't even leave a scratch on them, and even the impact is neutralized. It's simply miraculous! Can our country already produce such powerful bulletproof vests? Where can they be bought? How much do they cost per piece?"

"Uh! These can't be bought outside, nor can they be sold. This is a military secret, so I can't tell you. You'd better issue a gag order regarding the bulletproof vests; otherwise, if the news leaks, the consequences will be severe, and you will be held accountable." Only then did Cao Xiao remember this. At the time, he was only focused on stopping the fight and had actually forgotten such an important matter. Now it might be too late. It wasn't that he was afraid of the police leaking it, but even if they didn't, Tang Shaolin and Tan Fei, who were handling this, would definitely know, and then Commander Xu would know too. Don't look at it as just a bulletproof vest; one must know that the Tianxing-1 bulletproof vest had moved beyond the scope of ordinary vests. Its performance was leagues ahead of the best existing vests. If this material were applied to other weapons, it could completely double the country's military strength and change the global landscape. This was enough to alarm the highest levels of the state.

He had actually caused such big trouble through carelessness. Cao Xiao's mood at this moment was beyond words. He had to think of a way to deal with this early, or he really wouldn't be able to stay in the country. Once the state knew, they would definitely attach immense importance to it. At that time, this material would absolutely have to be handed over, along with the production process and formula. While handing over a thousand or eight hundred tons of the material wouldn't matter, and the formula could be given up, the production process could not. Now that he had sufficient energy, he could produce as much as he wanted. It wasn't that he was stingy or unpatriotic, but he didn't dare hand it over because even if he did, it couldn't be produced with current technology. Not to mention now, even in ten or twenty years, the most basic temperature issues couldn't be resolved. Once it was out, others would question where the material formula and production process came from. Anyone could guess it wasn't a product of Earth. By then, he would be in for a tragedy! So he couldn't hand it over even if it killed him. Even the raw material for the vests, the HS1 Alloy, couldn't be given in large quantities; it would be best to just provide a few sets of finished vests. The priority now was to think of a solution in a short time. If he guessed correctly, this would come up when he met Commander Xu in a while. He didn't have much time left.

After speaking with Ni Zhen, he had been walking with his head down, lost in thought, while simultaneously recalling if any other items he had brought out would reveal flaws. Thinking and thinking, he thought of the tianxing blade. Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration and slapped his head hard, cursing himself for being stupid. Wasn't the excuse he used when he brought out the tianxing blade the best solution!

Having thought of a way, he felt relieved. Looking up, he saw that he had followed Ni Zhen to the detention area.

"Old Chen, please open the door to Room One," Ni Zhen said to the old police officer guarding the detention cells.

There were only three detention cells in the police station, and they looked quite old, still built like prison cells with thick concrete walls on all four sides and only a small opening in the iron door.

Baishui Town was a small town, and there were usually few crimes or public security cases, so the detention cells were rarely used. Li Dongping was being held alone in one room. The old officer opened the iron door, but through the dim light, Li Dongping was nowhere to be seen inside.

"Brother Li, it's Cao Xiao. I've come to see you. Brother Li?" Cao Xiao took the lead and stepped quickly into the room. Seeing the blanket bunched up as he approached the bed, he thought Li Dongping was sleeping with his head covered, so he shouted loudly.

He shouted twice but saw no movement. He grabbed a corner of the blanket and pulled it back, but upon looking, there was no sign of Li Dongping under the blanket; it was clearly just a pillow. Seeing this, he immediately felt something was wrong and instinctively scanned the room. But there was nothing in the room except a bed, though the wooden door to the toilet by the entrance was tightly shut.

"Brother Li, are you in the toilet? Brother Li." After calling twice more with no response, Cao Xiao pushed the wooden door hard. The door swung open instantly, but the scene inside the toilet made Cao Xiao's eyes nearly burst: "Brother Li!! Ah!"

"Mr. Cao, what happened?" Ni Zhen, Duan Hong, and the others had not entered the room. Hearing Cao Xiao's roar of rage, they immediately rushed inside.

"Get out of the way! Brother Li—quick, call the hospital for emergency rescue!" Cao Xiao shouted at the people entering as he carried the blood-covered Li Dongping out of the toilet.

"How could this happen!" Ni Zhen stepped aside, looking at Li Dongping's slashed wrists with utter disbelief.

"This is suicide out of guilt! I haven't entered the room; it has nothing to do with me!" Old Chen, the guard, trembled with fear upon seeing this scene.

"Get the hell away! Director Ni, please immediately block all exits of the police station. Order all personnel not to move from their spots. Notify Director Tang and Captain Tan and have them come here immediately to wait for my return!" Cao Xiao suddenly turned and said to Ni Zhen after kicking aside Old Chen, who was blocking his path.