After Descending the Mountain, Seven Big Brothers Spoil Me - Chapter 997

Chapter 997: A Traitor
Hearing the voice, Qin Xu turned around, surprised to see Zhouzhou there.

“Zhouzhou?” he asked, walking over to her and glancing around. “What are you doing here?”

Zhouzhou replied, “This is my brother’s house. I came to stay here with him.”

As she spoke, Jing Bai came out of the room. He was a special figure within the Fourth Bureau, and Qin Xu had some understanding of his background. He gave him a small nod, then his gaze returned to Zhouzhou. Seeing the bun in her hand, Qin Xu raised an eyebrow.

They had brought buns over earlier, and based on the filling, it seemed Zhouzhou was eating the ones they had brought. But how did they end up in her hands?

Following Qin Xu’s gaze, Zhouzhou looked at the bun in her hand and quickly realized what he was thinking. She smiled and explained, “It was Uncle Chief who gave it to me. He said you two were colleagues before.”

Uncle Chief? Colleagues?

Qin Xu’s face showed a flash of surprise. “The soul of the former chief is still around?”

Zhouzhou turned to look at the person behind her and nodded. “Yes, he’s standing right next to you, Second Uncle.”

As she spoke, she handed a Heavenly Eye Talisman to Qin Xu. Almost instantly, he saw the familiar figure before him. His eyes reddened, and he trembled as he murmured, “Sir!”

The former chief had been someone Qin Xu met when he first started working. He had been kind and supportive, almost like a mentor. The two were very close, and it felt like a father-son relationship even though they didn’t have a formal master-disciple title.

But several years ago, the former chief had sacrificed himself during a mission to capture criminals. That was one of the most devastating losses the force had experienced in the past two decades.

The former chief looked at him, then at Zhouzhou. His hand holding the apple froze, and he asked in surprise, “You two know each other?”

“Of course, this is my Second Uncle. How could I not know him?” Zhouzhou answered, her eyes shining with innocence.

The former chief raised an eyebrow in confusion. “But wasn’t your father Ye Lingfeng?”

Ye Lingfeng didn’t have a second brother, though. He had a younger brother, but that man was born to his stepmother and was not someone of good reputation. Besides, one was surnamed Ye and the other Qin—how could they possibly be brothers?

Zhouzhou’s face lit up with a smile as she casually explained, “I have two dads.”

She went on to recount how she had been adopted by the Qin family after coming down from the mountain and later met Ye Lingfeng, which gave her two fathers.

After hearing this, the former chief couldn’t help but ask, “Ye Lingfeng, with his temper, could he really share his daughter with someone else?”

Zhouzhou blinked and cupped her face, proudly saying, “Because I’m so cute!” She added with a little giggle, “It was because of my sharp tongue that my dad finally agreed.”

The former chief, now understanding the situation, couldn’t help but smile. He shook his head with a laugh. “I never expected Ye Lingfeng to have come to this point!”

He relaxed, looking amused. He had always thought Ye Lingfeng was a very imposing figure, but it turned out, he was simply a daughter slave. Giving up his precious daughter—what a huge decision that must have been. The thought of it made him feel a little glee.

Qin Xu, hearing this, smiled helplessly. “Sir, you really haven’t changed one bit. You’re still as playful as ever.”

His words drew the attention of others standing nearby. One of his colleagues approached and curiously asked, “Captain Qin, what’s this about the former chief?”

Looking around, he seemed puzzled.

Qin Xu was about to answer when he saw the former chief wave his hand, stopping him from saying anything. He quickly swallowed his words and said, “It’s nothing, just a little chatter. You guys can continue with your ritual. I’ll have a quick word with them.”

“Oh, okay.” The colleagues nodded, some still uncertain but left the room to give Qin Xu space to talk.

Once they were gone, Qin Xu turned to Jing Bai and asked, “Can we go inside?”

Jing Bai didn’t respond and simply continued drinking his nutrition supplement. He turned and walked into the room.

Zhouzhou, holding his hand, happily followed, saying, “Brother agreed!”

Qin Xu glanced at them, a bit surprised. He hadn’t expected Zhouzhou and Jing Bai to get along so well. But then again, thinking it over, it seemed that there was no one Zhouzhou couldn’t get along with. Her world was full of oddities, and it seemed she was able to get along with all of them.

After thinking this, Qin Xu smiled slightly. But as he walked into the room and his eyes landed on the former chief, his smile faded. He furrowed his brow and asked, “Sir, don’t you want to meet the others?”

The former chief shook his head calmly, his expression serious. Then, he said something that made Qin Xu freeze.

“We have a traitor in the bureau.”

What?!

Qin Xu’s eyes widened in disbelief, his breath catching in his throat. The others around them also stepped forward, their faces turning grim. The atmosphere in the room instantly became heavy, the weight of it suffocating.

Zhouzhou watched them, puzzled. She could feel the change in the air but didn’t understand what was happening.

Taking a deep breath, Qin Xu’s face darkened. He walked to the window, looking at the people in the courtyard who were still performing the ritual. His voice dropped to a low whisper. “Who?”

The former chief shook his head. “I’m not sure.”

“At first, only our team knew the details of the mission, but the traitor seemed to know everything we were planning and was always a step ahead of us. It’s… odd.”

If only one step had been predicted, it would have been easier to explain, but the whole operation had felt wrong from start to finish.

Qin Xu clenched his fist, his face turning pale with anger.

Five years ago, during a mission, the former chief and his team had gone to apprehend a group of smugglers, but it ended in disaster, with everyone being wiped out. It had been one of the most devastating losses in their criminal investigation team’s history. He had always thought it was just a simple failure, never suspecting there was something more sinister behind it.

His breath turned icy as he recalled the events.

Zhouzhou watched him silently. She then reached out and held his hand, her small, warm hand offering him comfort. The warmth seeped into his skin, helping to melt the coldness that had enveloped him.

He opened his eyes and looked down at her. For a brief moment, the pain in his eyes was clear to Zhouzhou. She felt a pang of worry in her heart and furrowed her brow in concern.

She gently spoke, “Second Uncle, if someone’s bullying you, you tell me. I’ll help you get revenge.”

Hearing this, Qin Xu suddenly remembered something. He squatted down to Zhouzhou’s level, meeting her eyes seriously. “Zhouzhou, you can read faces, right? Can you help me figure out who the traitor is?”

Zhouzhou nodded eagerly. “Of course!” She said, her little head bobbing up and down with determination.

“Will it make you happy if I find the person?” she asked, her voice soft.

Qin Xu shook his head. “No, it won’t make me happy. Whoever the traitor is, they’ve been a part of our team for years. We’ve all been through life and death together. No matter who it is, I won’t be happy, only heartbroken.”

Zhouzhou’s eyes softened as she looked at him. She reached up, gently brushing away the crease between his brows with her tiny hand. The warmth from her fingers brought him some comfort, and he exhaled slowly, his tension easing just a little.

“Even though it won’t make me happy, finding this person will help us avenge the former chief and his team,” he said quietly.

Zhouzhou nodded again, understanding.

“Let’s go,” Qin Xu said, taking her hand and walking toward the cemetery next door. The former chief and his team followed behind, their expressions grim. They were all eager to know who had betrayed them, and more importantly, why.

As they neared, someone noticed them and called out cheerfully, “Zhouzhou!”

The young girl had visited their police station before, helping them capture several wanted criminals. Although she had done it for the money, her efforts had truly helped them, and many of them liked her.

When the others heard the noise, they gathered around, all smiles as they greeted Zhouzhou.

Zhouzhou’s gaze swept over them, and just as her eyes landed on one person, she suddenly stopped.

Following her gaze, Qin Xu’s heart sank to the bottom. How could it be him…?