Chapter 151: The Locked-Room Murder

The person I was talking about was Mouse, who helped me last time. We exchanged contacts back then. After I called him, he showed up in less than half an hour, grinning cheekily.

"Brother Song, whatever you need, just say the word. I'm ready to go through fire and water for you!" he said with a smirk.

Mouse treated me with such respect because, as a small-time player, having connections with cops was a badge of honor. Doing a favor for a policeman meant buying himself some insurance. Though I wasn't an official cop, in his eyes, there was no difference.

I asked, "You know the Black Panther Gang?"

Mouse nodded repeatedly. "Of course. Their boss just died recently, causing quite a stir. Last night, they even had a turf war with the Blood Wolf Gang."

Huang Xiaotao looked surprised. "Mouse, you're well-informed."

Mouse chuckled, "Nothing in this underworld escapes my ears, Brother Song. What do you want to know?"

I said, "Nothing much—just help me find out how their boss died. And if possible, where the body is hidden."

Mouse clenched his teeth, "Well, this is tricky… The Black Panthers run deep. Outsiders like me can't easily get in. Brother Song, I might need you to pull some strings."

I didn't catch the meaning, but Xiaotao patted my shoulder and called me over.

She said, "I'll have my men call in a favor and get Guangtou Qiang released. You use that chance to do Mouse a solid and get him inside."

I suddenly understood. "You want Mouse to go undercover?"

Xiaotao smiled, "Real undercover work isn't like in the movies. Mouse is basically a professional infiltrator. When Wang Yuanchao was investigating cases, Mouse hung around smuggling arms groups, called mob bosses brothers, and even trafficked drugs across the border. The guy's experience isn't ordinary."

I asked, "Isn't that too dangerous just for some informant bonus?"

Xiaotao shook her head. "You're wrong. These guys play both sides. They help cops crack cases but also tip off the gang leaders. Every time police raid, a few key suspects slip away. Guess who leaks? You don't have to say it. That's why I can't do anti-gang work—I'm too serious about things."

I admired Mouse's skills. Walking the line between good and evil wasn't for the faint-hearted.

After Xiaotao made the arrangements, I went to the holding cells and told the cops, "Release Guangtou Qiang and his boys."

They perked up immediately. Guangtou Qiang swaggered over to the man in the trench coat next door and said, "Brother's leaving first. Bet your wife's been missing you these days. I'm gonna pay her a visit for you."

The trench coat guy looked ready to snap, but I cut in, "Hey, hey, behave yourselves! What do you think this place is?"

Hanging around cops long enough, I'd picked up their tone.

Guangtou Qiang turned to me with a cheeky grin. "Don't even know your name, big brother."

I said, "Surname Song. But don't call me big brother—I'm younger than you."

He waved it off, "Doesn't change how you rank in my book, Brother Song. I'm off now. Let me treat you to a meal sometime."

Outside, Mouse sidled up with a grin. "Brother Song, long time no see! And hey, isn't this Guangtou Qiang from the Black Panthers? Pleasure to meet you."

Guangtou Qiang sneered, "Who the hell are you?"

Mouse launched into his resume: took a bullet for the boss, had dinner with Li Ka-shing, and now wanted to join the Black Panthers.

Guangtou Qiang turned to me, "Brother Song, you think this guy's legit?"

I thought for a moment. "Legit. But he's got a weakness for women." Then I teased Mouse, "You got caught soliciting again, huh?"

Mouse waved it off, "No way, I've been good lately. Came here just to see you, Brother Song."

Guangtou Qiang nodded. "Alright, for Brother Song's sake, I accept you as my man. Come with me."

Just like that, Mouse slipped into the Black Panther Gang. No tests, no trials—definitely nothing like the movies.

Xiaotao came out laughing, "Must feel good being called big brother, huh?"

I replied, "I'm not used to it. Normally, I wouldn't even talk to these kinds of people."

She warned, "When dealing with guys like that, never get too close. Throw them a cold shoulder every now and then, or they'll walk all over you."

With nothing else for me to do, I returned to campus. Wang Dali greeted me eagerly. "I figured yesterday was Xiaotao's birthday. Be honest—where were you all night?"

I said, "Just busy with a new case. This one involves the gangs…"

Wang Dali yelled, "No way—gangs? Take me with you! I wanna see that world!"

I said, "Sure, but we have to wait for our undercover to get some intel first."

He pounded his chest in frustration, "An undercover? I missed all the action! Why didn't you bring me?"

I sighed, "It's not as exciting as you think."

A few days later, Mouse called and invited me to a café. When I arrived, he was dressed in an expensive suit with a big gold chain around his neck—he was definitely doing well in the gang.

He told me what he'd found out: the boss died at a nightclub called Tianxiang Pavilion. The place had plenty of girls, but officially ran a legit business. They didn't offer "services" to customers.

I asked, "Then what are the women for?"

Mouse grinned, "For internal use—they're rewards for Black Panther brothers."

Whoa, that was a whole new level.

Mouse complained, "Brother Song, I've been running to that nightclub so much to get info, my kidneys are shot."

I remembered Xiaotao's advice and got serious, "Let's switch gears. Tell me what you've really been up to."

Mouse quickly dropped the act, "Come on, I'm joking. Those women don't interest me."

The Black Panther boss died inside Tianxiang Pavilion, in a private room that was locked tight. At the time, he was the only person alive inside. He was stabbed more than a dozen times. The guard on duty checked the footage—no one came or went during the incident.

I frowned. Locked-room murder? This was getting interesting.

I asked, "What was the boss doing in the room? He probably went there looking for women, right?"

Mouse said, "I asked several brothers. They all say the same thing: no one else was alive in the room except the boss."

I fell silent. No one else alive inside? That sounded strange. Something was being left unsaid.

"What about the body?" I asked.

Mouse said, "It's secretly kept at the city mortuary. Not sure if it's been cremated. During the day, some brothers stand guard. They don't want the outside world to know he's dead."

I asked, "Guarded during the day. What about at night?"

Mouse laughed, "Mortuaries? Who dares go there at night?"

I thought to myself: Looks like I'll be paying a midnight visit to the mortuary tonight.