Chapter 255 — Assassination Client

"What! Found them, already?" Tombstone was startled by Haixiao's words. He knew the procedures of the assassin platform as well—every commission was placed anonymously, so how could the client possibly be traced?

"Yes. Just now the client called, demanding to know why the task still hasn't been completed, and then left their contact information," Haixiao explained. "Right now the contact number is in my hands. It's a phone number from your side, from Huaxia. If you start investigating, it should be more convenient for you than for me."

"Well done! Give me the contact number," Tombstone said.

"The number is oxxx-88887777...," Haixiao said.

"Still no word on the assassination of Yang Jueheng?" Tombstone jotted down the number, then asked.

"Not yet. We've already contacted that veteran broker, but he hasn't replied," Haixiao said.

"All right. The moment you have any news, notify me at once," Tombstone said, and hung up. His communications with Haixiao had always been terse, without a wasted word—a habit drilled into them over the years within the organization.

Although handing the client's contact information to the intended target violated the rules of the trade, the circumstances here were exceptional, involving as they did Wang Yanqiu, the eldest daughter of the Butterfly Family, and Yang Ce, the family's future son-in-law. So Tombstone had no choice but to make an exception.

In any case, there was no fear that this client could spread word of the Butterfly Family's breach of faith—because he wouldn't be alive much longer anyway.

"Wang Kejin, pass this contact information on to the eldest daughter. It isn't fitting for me to appear personally."

Tombstone handed the contact information he had written down to Wang Kejin, telling him to relay it to Wang Yanqiu.

"Understood." Wang Kejin took the contact information. Though he too felt in his heart that this was improper, since it was Tombstone's order, he could say nothing more and could only do as Tombstone instructed.

Wang Kejin hesitated a moment, then dialed Wang Xiaowu's number.

Wang Yanqiu had only just gotten out of class when she heard her phone ring, but the number displayed was unfamiliar.

"Hello?" Wang Yanqiu answered the call.

"Eldest Miss, this is Wang Kejin," Wang Kejin announced himself.

"Hm? Wang Kejin? What is it?" Wang Yanqiu was slightly taken aback; she hadn't expected the call to be from Wang Kejin.

"Eldest Miss, over there they've already traced the contact information of the client who ordered the assassinations of Baolin and Houlin," Wang Kejin said.

"There's already a result?" Wang Yanqiu was somewhat surprised that it had come so quickly. "Tell me his contact information."

"Yes. His phone number is oxxx-88887777," Wang Kejin said. "He used this number to call and ask why the task hadn't been carried out yet... Eldest Miss, doing this goes against our organization's rules... please, you must keep it quiet..." Wang Kejin could not resist reminding her.

"I understand. I don't need you to tell me," Wang Yanqiu said coolly. Though she said nothing more, being reminded by a subordinate was a loss of face for her as the eldest daughter of the Butterfly Family, and it was impossible that Wang Yanqiu would ever do anything to damage the family's image.

Hearing the displeasure in Wang Yanqiu's tone, Wang Kejin's heart skipped a beat, and he felt he had said too much. Wang Yanqiu had not yet taken over the family's affairs, so her stature among people like them had not yet been cultivated; in their subconscious, they did not yet face Wang Yanqiu as they would a master.

Thinking of Wang Yanqiu's standing, Wang Kejin felt a stir of belated fear and hurriedly said, "I'm sorry, Eldest Miss. I overstepped."

"It's nothing." Wang Yanqiu did not hold it against Wang Kejin any further. "Those who tried to assassinate me and Yan—have they been found yet?"

"Not yet, but we're already on their trail. I believe there will be a result very soon," Wang Kejin said.

"Good. Contact me the moment there's news," Wang Yanqiu said.

Having obtained the phone number of the client who had ordered the assassinations of Baolin and Houlin, Wang Yanqiu immediately called Yang Ce, because Houlin and Baolin were not close to Wang Yanqiu, and this matter could only be handled by Yang Ce.

"Yanyan, is something the matter?" Yang Ce was anxiously awaiting news from Tian Yan. But four hours had passed—Tian Yan should long since have arrived in Donghai—and still Yang Ce had no word from him.

The phone rang. He had thought it would be Tian Yan calling, but the caller ID showed Wang Fuyan. Yang Ce knew why Wang Yanqiu would be calling him at this moment.

"Yang Ce, the client who ordered the assassinations of Baolin and Houlin has been found," Wang Yanqiu said. "Wang Kejin just called me."

"What, already found? Who is it?" Yang Ce asked urgently. Earlier, the flight of Qu Daming and Liu Chan to Donghai had already given Yang Ce a vague sense that the attempts on Baolin and Houlin must be closely tied to Qu Daming and Liu Chan!

And Tian Long's betrayal, too, was bound up in a thousand threads with Qu Daming and Liu Chan. And Tian Long's targeting of him proved precisely this point. In other words, these three matters could be viewed entirely as one and the same.

So when Wang Yanqiu said that the client behind the assassinations of Baolin and Houlin had been found, Yang Ce's heart stirred. This was an extremely valuable lead—perhaps some hint could be drawn from it.

As things stood, the situation was still far from clear, and Yang Ce was in a state of some confusion. Tian Long was targeting him, targeting Baolin and Houlin, targeting his company, and targeting the Sun family as well. Though all of these things were to his advantage, to attempt them all at once would be enormously troublesome.

No sane person would do so many things at the same time. Not only would it stretch one's strength beyond its limits, but...

"I understand. I don't need you to tell me," Wang Yanqiu said coolly. Though she said nothing more, being reminded by a subordinate was a loss of face for her as the eldest daughter of the Butterfly Family, and it was impossible that Wang Yanqiu would ever do anything to damage the family's image.

"What, already found? Who is it?" Yang Ce asked urgently. Earlier, the flight of Qu Daming and Liu Chan to Donghai had already given Yang Ce a vague sense that the attempts on Baolin and Houlin must be closely tied to Qu Daming and Liu Chan!

And Tian Long's betrayal, too, was bound up in a thousand threads with Qu Daming and Liu Chan. And Tian Long's targeting of him proved precisely this point. In other words, these three matters could be viewed entirely as one and the same.

So when Wang Yanqiu said that the client behind the assassinations of Baolin and Houlin had been found, Yang Ce's heart stirred. This was an extremely valuable lead—perhaps some hint could be drawn from it.

As things stood, the situation was still far from clear, and Yang Ce was in a state of some confusion. Tian Long was targeting him, targeting Baolin and Houlin, targeting his company, and targeting the Sun family as well. Though all of these things were to his advantage, to attempt them all at once would be enormously troublesome.

No sane person would do so many things at the same time. Not only would it stretch one's strength beyond its limits, but...

If even one thing went wrong, it would bring enormous trouble. Was it really as Tian Yan had said—that they were targeting him solely because of the boss behind the scenes?

These answers would have to wait until Tian Yan met Tian Long and could enlighten him. Yet while he was waiting, Wang Yanqiu unexpectedly brought him a piece of exhilarating news.

"Wang Kejin gave me his contact number—it's oxxx-88887777," Wang Yanqiu said.

"The man left only a contact number, but that should be enough."