Chapter 361: Vengeance with One's Life

In the evening, with the setting sun casting a blood-red hue, a Santana car accompanied by several vans arrived at the Fanqiao area in the west district. At the intersection, Jiang Chunhua got out of the Santana, followed by a group of people dressed in leather jackets and jeans. A child was waiting at the intersection, and Jiang Chunhua patted his head before the child led them through a series of turns to Tao Guoling's doorstep.

The child confirmed the location, and Jiang Chunhua handed him a hundred yuan. The child ran off excitedly, completely unaware that he had just helped deliver Zhou Ming to Tao Guoling, nor that he was unwittingly part of Tao Guoling's betrayal. After all, in his mind, the hundred yuan was the only thing that mattered.

Unlike Zhou Ming's group, Jiang Chunhua's people were less restrained. Jiang Chunhua ordered them to kick open the front door. However, they were quickly overwhelmed by the foul odor emanating from inside. They began cursing and complaining, "Damn it! Is this a cesspool? Or a centuries-old garbage dump? What is that smell?"

Inside the room, Tao Guoling remained seated in his chair, impassive as he watched the commotion at the door. A contemptuous smile appeared on his lips, as these people seemed far more inept compared to Zhou Ming and Du Peng's silent departure earlier that morning.

After a while of cursing, Jiang Chunhua finally covered his nose with a handkerchief and led his team inside, grumbling all the way.

"Tao Guoling, you sure are hard to find! I never thought the son of a distinguished military district general would be hiding in such a stinking place. You really are something," Jiang Chunhua said to Tao Guoling.

Tao Guoling grinned and said, "Mr. Hua, you flatter me. I didn't expect someone like you to deign to come here either. What's wrong? Is the Tan family falling, and with it, the Jiang family? So now, even if you're unwilling, you have to do something?"

Stung by Tao Guoling's words, Jiang Chunhua reacted angrily, "Tao Guoling, stop your smirking. Tell me, where is the rest of the money you have abroad, and where have you hidden that thing?"

"Hidden? I've never hidden anything. Whether it's the money or that thing, I've always kept it in this room," Tao Guoling said.

As soon as Tao Guoling finished speaking, Jiang Chunhua urgently ordered his men to search the house. Tao Guoling coldly observed them turning the place upside down without saying a word. Only after they had finished did he smile and say, "Mr. Hua, you're always so impatient. I hadn't finished speaking before you started searching. Let me tell you, before you arrived, Zhou Ming was here and took both the money and that thing."

Jiang Chunhua was infuriated by this revelation. He kicked Tao Guoling in the face and cursed, "Damn you!"

There was a loud thud as Tao Guoling's chair groaned in pain, indicating the force of Jiang Chunhua's kick. Tao Guoling was momentarily stunned, his awareness returning slowly. He felt an itch in his nose, wiped it, and found his hand covered in blood.

"Haha! That's a good kick, just great!" Tao Guoling laughed heartily, rather than showing anger.

Jiang Chunhua was taken aback. He couldn't understand how Tao Guoling could still laugh. More importantly, Tao Guoling's laughter sounded eerie to him.

Jiang Chunhua thought for a moment, then softened his tone, "Guoling, I know you're angry right now, but this isn't the time for it. Brother Tan and I have wronged you in many ways, but our real enemy is Zhou Ming, isn't it? How could you forget what he did to you? How can you give all your hard-earned wealth and that thing to him? Isn't this repaying evil with kindness? Your intentions may be noble, but Zhou Ming will only mock your foolishness behind your back and won't thank you at all…"

"Nonsense! The real harm comes from you!"

Before Jiang Chunhua could finish, Tao Guoling interrupted loudly.

"Zhou Ming? Indeed, he used underhanded tactics to ruin me, but I admire him. At least he was straightforward. We were enemies back then, and he did nothing wrong. But you? You're a bunch of despicable, two-faced scoundrels!"

Tao Guoling labeled Jiang Chunhua and Tan Qianjun as such, "You pretended to be friendly, but in reality, you never intended to help me get revenge on Zhou Ming. Your goal was always to get my money and that thing abroad. I knew, I knew everything. That's why I never gave it to you! Haha, are you feeling resentful and angry? That's exactly the effect I wanted!"

"I thought you might have some ability and could defeat Zhou Ming before turning to deal with me. If that were the case, I wouldn't have minded giving you the money and that thing."

At this point, Tao Guoling sighed with a sneer, "But you disappointed me. To think that such a large family like the Tan family couldn't deal with a mere Zhou Ming and now needs to rob me, who has nothing left. With your abilities, you're not even worthy to carry Zhou Ming's shoes! I'd rather give everything to him. I'd rather see him destroy all of you!"

The more Tao Guoling spoke, the more excited he became, ending in a wild laugh. If not for the blood and sticky substances on his face, the light would have revealed that he was actually crying.

But Jiang Chunhua couldn't see this. All he heard was Tao Guoling's laughter, which felt like a barrage of slaps to him.

"Damn your father! I've had enough! Since you want to die so badly, I'll grant your wish. I'm going to beat you to death today!"

Driven to the brink by the series of events involving the Tan family, Jiang Chunhua could no longer control his emotions. He shouted at Tao Guoling and grabbed an iron rod from one of his men. He swung it at Tao Guoling's head with a series of dull thuds. Tao Guoling became still, his head deformed and red and white substances oozing out.

Life is precious; many can be arrogant, but not everyone dares to kill.

Seeing Jiang Chunhua kill Tao Guoling, his men were stunned, staring at the scene in shock and disbelief. After a while, they began to dry heave against the walls, including Jiang Chunhua himself.

Despite his arrogance, Jiang Chunhua was still a pampered aristocrat. He had never seen a dead body before, let alone killed someone himself, which was enough to give him nightmares.

The unbearable stench in the room had already disturbed his emotions, and Tao Guoling's provocations had only exacerbated it. Coupled with recent events, Jiang Chunhua made this impulsive decision.

However, after the adrenaline wore off and he saw Tao Guoling's mangled corpse, Jiang Chunhua panicked. He felt a chill in his limbs, let out a strangled cry, and fled the room with his companions.

In his haste, Jiang Chunhua didn't dare to examine Tao Guoling's body closely. If he had, he would have seen a more bizarre sight: Tao Guoling's mouth curved into a smile, and in his hand was a phone that had been prepared and was still in use.

Meanwhile, not far from Fanqiao, Zhou Ming and Du Peng's car was parked by the roadside. Three Zhongnanhai bodyguards were on alert outside, while two others were inside the car with Zhou Ming and Du Peng, working a small recording device borrowed from the intelligence department. This device had been crucial during the revelation of Tan's activities and was now taken out of Beijing.

Zhou Ming listened to the recording, which captured the sound of footsteps fading away. He nodded to one of the Zhongnanhai bodyguards, who then stopped the recording and rewound it to replay the sounds of the door being kicked open, Jiang Chunhua and Tao Guoling's conversation, and finally, Jiang Chunhua losing control and killing Tao Guoling. Every sound was clear.

After the playback, Du Peng sighed with a smile, "Tao Guoling was really pitiful, fleeing everywhere and still ending up dead at Jiang Chunhua's hands."

Zhou Ming shook his head, "I think this is exactly what Tao Guoling wanted. He's using his life to get revenge and push us further."

Du Peng considered this and conceded, "It does seem that way."

Zhou Ming's observation wasn't baseless. When they left Tao Guoling's room, Tao Guoling had asked Zhou Ming to keep his phone open or to stay in areas with mobile signal coverage.

Zhou Ming had been puzzled by this request, but soon after leaving, Tao Guoling's phone was quickly tracked. When Zhou Ming answered, he immediately heard Jiang Chunhua's voice and understood what was happening. That's why Zhou Ming had stopped immediately and instructed the Zhongnanhai bodyguards to use the recording device to capture the entire crime scene.

"So what do we do now?" Du Peng asked. The question wasn't difficult, but knowing that this was all part of Tao Guoling's scheme to trap Jiang Chunhua left him feeling uneasy.

Damn it, even a half-dead person is still using such tactics?

"'Tao Guoling truly used his life to get revenge!' Zhou Ming remarked, then answered, 'As law-abiding citizens, we must report such criminal acts. We need to uphold basic justice regardless of the reasons behind it.'

'Alright, then,' Du Peng said, and instructed one of the Zhongnanhai bodyguards to make the call to the police.

The bodyguard swiftly dialed the number, and soon, the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance. Zhou Ming and Du Peng waited in silence as the authorities arrived and took over the scene. The recording device, along with the evidence it captured, would be handed over to the police to ensure that justice was served.

As the situation was being handled, Zhou Ming and Du Peng remained on standby, reflecting on the chain of events that led to this moment. Despite the unsettling nature of the revelations and the grim circumstances, they knew that their actions were crucial in maintaining order and accountability.

In the end, the night grew darker, and the incident at Tao Guoling's place became another piece in the complex puzzle of their ongoing struggle for justice and retribution. For Zhou Ming and his allies, the path ahead was still fraught with challenges, but their resolve remained unshaken as they continued their fight against corruption and betrayal.'