MMB Chapter 1481 The Eyes of the People
Chapter 1481 The Eyes of the People
In the room, Chen Jun finished washing up, still feeling refreshed from the water. He glanced at Lao Wen, who was still snoring loudly and sleeping soundly on the bed next to him. He walked over and patted Lao Wen's face lightly.
"Wake up."
Old Wen mumbled a "hmm" in his sleep, turned over, and subconsciously tried to pull the blanket, but found nothing.
"Put on your clothes, go downstairs to eat, and discuss the next steps." Chen Jun's voice was flat, but carried an undeniable authority.
Old Wen struggled to open his bloodshot eyes, staring blankly for a few seconds before realizing his current state. He then noticed Chen Jun was already fully dressed, and a hint of embarrassment flashed across his face. He chuckled awkwardly and scratched his head, "Hehe, boss… well, I… I'm used to sleeping naked, it's comfortable and relaxing…"
Chen Jun ignored his explanation, walked straight to the door, said, "Five minutes," and then opened the door and left.
Chen Jun sat down at a relatively quiet corner of a small barbecue stall next to the hotel on the first floor. He had just ordered a bunch of meat skewers, vegetables, and beer when Lao Wen came running over, putting on his coat and jogging along. A few tufts of hair were still sticking up. He pulled out a plastic stool, sat down, rubbed his hands, his face still tired, but his eyes had regained some clarity.
"Boss, what's the plan next? Should we go straight back to base to report, or..." Old Wen grabbed the beer that had just been served, took a big gulp, and asked.
Chen Jun picked up an iron skewer and slowly picked at the charred lamb, not even lifting his eyelids as he heard this, simply uttering two words:
"Settling accounts."
Old Wen paused, his eyes lighting up instantly, and he sat up straight instinctively: "Settling accounts? You mean... the Abyss Organization's front man in China? 'Dingsheng Shipping and Trading Company'?"
Chen Jun didn't say anything, he just glanced at him.
Old Wen immediately perked up, rubbing his hands together eagerly: "Leave this to me! Boss, I'm an expert at dealing with these local companies that have protection and appear legitimate on the surface! First, check their accounts, their customs declarations, their shareholder background, and all their ships' navigation records and cargo manifests! Fire department, tax bureau, customs, maritime authorities... I'll contact each department one by one, and we'll find a breakthrough! We'll expose them completely!"
He seemed very excited because this was indeed the area where he, as the "director," was most skilled and most justified in intervening. The military's role was more of a last resort and a cross-border strike, while dealing with such a prominent trading company domestically, with potentially far-reaching implications, would be more prudent and effective if the law enforcement system dismantled it from within, collected evidence, and eradicated it completely.
Chen Jun wasn't surprised by his reaction. Old Wen did indeed have a unique knack for "bringing down" such seemingly impregnable fortresses. He nodded in agreement.
With tacit approval, Lao Wen's mind became even more active. He lowered his voice and said, "To be honest, boss, this Dingsheng Shipping has been entrenched in the East China Sea for quite some time now. They have considerable influence. I've suspected them of having problems before—smuggling, money laundering, and possibly even human smuggling and the transport of contraband. I even secretly arranged for a trusted old buddy to infiltrate their ranks as an undercover agent, hoping to uncover their internal network and cargo flow..."
He sighed, his tone turning heavy: "Unfortunately, that guy disappeared in a 'mistaken' maritime accident less than three months after he went in. He was never seen alive, nor was his body found. Dingsheng paid a sum of money to settle the matter. We knew there was something wrong, but we couldn't find any evidence, and the trail went cold. After that, they became even more vigilant, making it difficult to plant anyone else."
"Another undercover agent has run into trouble." Chen Jun's voice was calm, but Lao Wen could hear a hint of coldness beneath the calm.
The topic caused a brief silence. The two ate their own food, the smoke from the charcoal fire mingling with the aroma of the food in the night breeze.
Just then, the stall owner—a dark-skinned, stocky middle-aged man wearing an greasy apron—came over carrying a large plate of freshly grilled meat skewers and chives. He deftly placed the skewers on their table, along with two bottles of ice-cold beer.
Just as he straightened up to leave, his ears seemed to catch a word from their conversation. He paused, a hint of hesitation on his face, but ultimately leaned closer, lowered his voice, and asked tentatively and cautiously:
"Gentlemen... I'm sorry, I overheard a little bit... You were talking about... 'Dingsheng Shipping'?"
Chen Jun's heart skipped a beat, and he looked up at the boss. The man's face bore the marks of years of wind and sun, but his eyes revealed the shrewdness of a working-class person and an undisguised honesty, even a hint of... suppressed resentment.
Instead of answering immediately, he followed up by asking, "Boss, have you heard of this company?"
Seeing that he didn't deny it but instead asked him, the boss seemed to grow bolder. He nodded vigorously, his expression becoming complicated, a mixture of disgust and helplessness: "I've heard of it, I've heard of it all! Everyone who makes a living along this coast knows Dingsheng, right? They're... a tyrant on the sea!"
He looked around, and even though there were no other customers nearby, he lowered his voice even further: "They often clash with the fishermen in the area! They occupy the good fishing grounds, drive away our boats, and sometimes they deliberately damage fishing nets and steal our catch! Call the police? Calling the police is useless; they have powerful connections, and in the end, nothing comes of it. We ordinary folks can't afford to mess with them!"
Old Wen and Chen Jun exchanged a glance. Old Wen put down his wine bottle, leaned forward slightly, and showed great interest: "Boss, do you know anything else about their family? Tell me anything."
Seeing that the two seemed genuinely interested in listening and possessed an air of sophistication, the boss couldn't hold back any longer: "A big incident? Yes! A few years ago, there was an old fisherman named Lin who refused to relinquish his ancestral fishing grounds. He was surrounded by Dingsheng's fleet, and their boats were even rammed and sunk! Old Lin nearly drowned. Later, unable to get justice, he was so angry that I heard... he died of illness not long after. His family also moved away."
"Also, their dock is very strictly managed; outsiders can't get in at all. Sometimes in the middle of the night, you can see some strange boats that are neither cargo ships nor fishing boats approaching, unloading and loading cargo, all very mysteriously. We don't dare to look too much, for fear of getting into trouble."
The boss became increasingly agitated as he spoke, but then, as if recalling something terrifying, his voice abruptly stopped, a flicker of fear crossing his face. He glanced at Chen Jun and Lao Wen, hesitated for a long time, but finally couldn't hold back any longer. In a whisper, barely audible to the three of them, he asked with hope and a hint of desperation:
"Bosses... are you... law enforcement officers from above?"
Before he could answer, he added hastily and expectantly, "If it's true... could you... do something for us ordinary people and keep this maritime tyrant in check? They're bullying us too much! They're utterly lawless!"
The anticipation in his eyes and the explosion of long-suppressed emotions were clearly visible.
Just then, customers at the next table called out loudly, "Boss! Is our grilled eggplant ready yet?!"
"Hey! Coming, coming!" the boss quickly responded, his excitement and eagerness to talk instantly replaced by a professional smile, before turning to get back to work.
"Boss." Chen Jun suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but it carried a power that made the boss subconsciously stop in his tracks.
The boss turned around.
Chen Jun looked at him, his eyes calm but unusually serious, and said slowly in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "Don't mention what you just said to anyone else."
He paused, his tone carrying a hint of warning: "For your own safety, and for the safety of your family."
The boss was taken aback at first, then his face paled slightly, as if he had suddenly been awakened, recalling the rumors about Dingsheng Shipping's ruthless methods and vengeful nature. Fine beads of sweat instantly appeared on his forehead. He nodded hurriedly, his voice trembling slightly, "I...I understand...thank you for reminding me, boss...I...I was confused..." After saying that, he didn't dare to stay any longer and hurriedly turned around to get back to work.
Watching his boss's slightly flustered figure disappear into the distance, Old Wen's eyes lit up. He slapped his thigh and whispered, "Damn! What a find! This boss is a genius! What he's talking about are exactly the clues and breakthroughs we've been looking for: grassroots conflicts, historical cases, mysterious ships... these are all solid directions for our investigation!"
Chen Jun picked up a perfectly grilled skewer of beef, took a bite, and chewed slowly. His gaze swept over the bustling barbecue stall, over the distant, hazy coastline, and finally settled on Lao Wen's excited face.
"nonsense."
He uttered two words, his voice calm, yet they were like a pebble thrown into Lao Wen's heart.
"The eyes of the people are discerning."
He paused, looked at Lao Wen, and his eyes held a hint of sharpness and... reproach.
"You used to always think about sending undercover agents to infiltrate the enemy's den and get firsthand evidence."
"The idea is correct."
"But that's not how you use the term 'undercover agent'."
"Their lives aren't so worthless either."
"Often, the answer lies in the mouths of these most inconspicuous people, in the grievances they endure day after day, and in their silence where they dare not speak out."
"You need to learn to see, hear, and ask."
"Instead of always thinking about using human lives to fill the gaps."
After Chen Jun finished speaking, he stopped looking at Lao Wen's somewhat stunned and reflective expression and continued to quietly eat the barbecue in front of him.
The night breeze carried the scent of the sea, and the smoky atmosphere of the barbecue stalls remained strong. But Lao Wen felt that his boss's few simple words resonated with him more deeply than the boss's accusations earlier.
Looking at Chen Jun's calm profile, and then at the ordinary diners and busy vendors around him, he suddenly realized that some of his previously proud professional thinking might actually be... a bit narrow-minded.