Chapter 97: The Anonymous One

Wang Jianming apologized for his poor hospitality that made me uncomfortable. Although unintentional, he still wished to invite me to the Wang residence again. To Luo Feng, it was anything but unintentional; he was clearly deliberate. Luo Feng was about to lose his temper, but I gave him a subtle glance. Given Wang Jianming’s status, such words were already quite significant.

I did not want Luo Feng to have a complete falling out with Wang Jianming because of me. Reluctantly, Luo Feng sat back down. After a moment of thought, he still refused to discuss cooperation with Wang Jianming, yet he did not outright reject it either. I know Luo Feng well enough—since he had made a promise to me, he would never engage in drug trafficking with Wang Jianming. Perhaps he hoped to use this opportunity to have Wang Jianming continue assisting me.

Just as I thought this, Luo Feng spoke up.

“Lord Ming, I’d really like to know, why is there such resistance to simply finding someone for me? With your capabilities, finding someone should be no trouble, right?” Luo Feng asked.

Wang Jianming was silent for a moment before replying, “Yazhuo almost got targeted by the police because of a case in the capital city. I won’t take such risks.”

Luo Feng chuckled twice. “Lord Ming, if you were truly afraid of police attention, you would have stopped long ago. Come on, tell us the real reason.”

Wang Jianming’s explanation was clearly unconvincing. After Luo Feng’s repeated insistence, Wang Jianming finally revealed the truth, though not fully. He said he didn’t know who this Xuan Yi was. However, during his time in Yu City, he had received an anonymous letter warning him not to have any connection with Xuan Yi or else disaster would befall him.

Both Luo Feng and I were surprised—we hadn’t expected Wang Jianming to have received an anonymous letter too. Nor did I expect he had just returned from Yu City, the very direction Xuan Yi was heading.

I paused, then asked if I could see the letter. Wang Jianming hesitated before finally pulling a sheet of paper from his pocket.

On it was only one line, exactly matching what Wang Jianming had said. Crucially, the handwriting was identical to the anonymous letters I had received several times before. It seemed all these letters came from the same person.

I stared at the letter for a long time. Wang Jianming asked if I had figured something out.

Only then did I realize the truth and returned the letter to Wang Jianming. I hesitated briefly but chose not to reveal that I had also received letters from the same person. Until the facts were clearer, I didn’t want to expose too much. Instead, I asked why Wang Jianming trusted the letter’s contents.

This was the key doubt—Wang Jianming had been in the underworld for decades. It was impossible he would be frightened by a nameless, contextless letter. Wang Jianming’s answer astonished Luo Feng and me even more—it was not the first time he had received such letters.

Wang Jianming told us that the first time he got an anonymous letter was years ago, during a major operation. The letter warned that the police were watching him. Thanks to that warning, Wang Jianming was able to move a large shipment of drugs in time, leaving the police empty-handed.

Since then, Wang Jianming had received several such letters. Despite never knowing the sender, the letters had saved him multiple times. His repeated benefits had made him trust their contents implicitly. The more Wang Jianming spoke, the more amazed Luo Feng and I were. I wondered who this mysterious letter writer was—someone so powerful as to be intimately aware of police actions.

What puzzled us further was why this person would help Wang Jianming.

Wang Jianming said, except for this current case, the last letter he received was two years ago, advising him to halt operations for two years to avoid being caught by the police. Wang Jianming had obediently followed this advice, and indeed, during those two years, several criminal groups in the capital were busted, while Wang Jianming survived unscathed thanks to his inactivity.

After two years, Wang Jianming planned to resume operations. He was frank—his recent trip to Yu City aimed to establish a route connecting the harbor area, Yu City, and the capital, intending to retire in a few years. After a two-year hiatus, the anonymous letters had reappeared, and he naturally trusted their warnings.

Initially, Wang Jianming did not know who Xuan Yi was, but upon returning to the capital and hearing his subordinates mention the name, he grew anxious. Luo Feng and I finally understood why Wang Jianming had been so furious with the usually favored Wang Yazhuo.

Seeing our astonished faces, Wang Jianming asked if we knew anything.

Luo Feng and I exchanged a look and said nothing. Luo Feng shifted the topic: “So Lord Ming has a benefactor who has helped him smoothly sail through these years.”

Wang Jianming smiled. “Indeed, this person has been a great help—calling him my benefactor is not an exaggeration. Luo Feng, I’ve shared such important matters with you, showing my sincerity. Rest assured, you only need to open a route in the harbor area. I guarantee it will be safe and without incident. As for profits, you can name your terms.”

Luo Feng considered and then asked, “Lord Ming, although I have little to do with Miss Yazhuo, she is still our friend. It seems harsh to prevent her from seeing us.”

Luo Feng hadn’t given up. Knowing it was impossible for Wang Jianming to help us directly, he hoped to use Wang Yazhuo instead. Wang Jianming’s refusal to let her meet us was the last barrier.

We thought Wang Jianming might relent, but instead, his stance grew even firmer. He explicitly said he would never allow Wang Yazhuo to meet us again.

Hearing this, Luo Feng’s anger flared. “Lord Ming, what do you mean? Do you think we are unworthy to be friends with Wang Yazhuo?”

Wang Jianming snorted coldly and stood up, leaning on his cane.

“Luo Feng, it seems cooperation is off the table today. Let’s talk another time.” His neck veins bulged, clearly enraged.

Under our watchful eyes, Wang Jianming left with his men. Luo Feng did not bother to see him off. Once they were gone, Luo Feng turned to me. “Are you sure the anonymous letters came from the same person?”

I nodded. “The handwriting details and characteristics match perfectly.”

Handwriting analysis, especially in forensic science, relies heavily on detailed comparisons. Unless a master forger painstakingly imitates the strokes, the minutiae of penmanship never align. The letter writer was very mysterious, making imitation unlikely.

Luo Feng cursed, “Even the Wang family is involved. This person must be truly skilled; otherwise, he wouldn’t have helped Wang Jianming so many times. Maybe he can help you too.”

The last letter I received had been left on my windowsill, warning me of danger. At that time, someone had indeed tried to use a soporific scent to deepen our sleep, and someone knocked on my door.

“He’s been telling me to find him, but won’t say where. We don’t even know his name. Such a mysterious figure—where are we supposed to look?” Luo Feng was at a loss.

I thought for a moment and told Luo Feng not to worry. My intuition said the anonymous letters would appear again. If this person had helped Wang Jianming so much, he must be formidable—not some prankster. Though he had contacted me several times, he had never revealed his identity, surely for his own reasons.

“So what about Wang Yazhuo? Wang Jianming’s sincerity in wanting to cooperate is clear, but his strong opposition to Yazhuo seeing us is strange. Meeting her shouldn’t cause trouble, right?” Luo Feng asked.

I shook my head. “That, I haven’t figured out. Wang Jianming is a cunning old fox. It’s not easy to read his mind.”

Luo Feng sighed. He said that trying to use the Wang family to help find Xuan Yi was definitely impossible now.

I patted Luo Feng’s shoulder, telling him not to worry.

In truth, even with the Wang family’s help, finding Xuan Yi was not guaranteed. Xuan Yi had deliberately exposed his whereabouts twice, clearly confident he would not be caught.

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