Chapter 5, A Finger in the Night Wind

Xu Le, who had not participated in any club activities, went missing on that day. Subsequently, the police force and military support, which had been unable to penetrate the lower street areas of Hexi Prefecture, suddenly accessed a large expanse of land behind Bell Tower Street through an underground pipeline channel

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The impact of this event is quite profound, yet few consider that for those orphans, the influence on their lives is immeasurably significant

The young man Xu Le extended a slender and steady finger

I was only five years old at that time, so I have long forgotten. The little one licked his lips, looking at the beer in Li Wei's hand, seemingly a bit curious. The orphans in the Donglin District live carefree, but it is indeed somewhat difficult to find anything containing alcohol, as the prices of liquor on the black market are too high

Xu Le is one of the orphans in this group; more precisely, he is an outlier among the orphans. Throughout those years, he never cast an envious glance at the seemingly glamorous gang leaders. He simply enjoyed watching others repair appliances in the corner grocery store

The mining disaster that occurred ten years ago resulted in the deaths of over 300 miners buried underground. The most terrifying aspect was that the collapse of the mine affected the temporary housing area, leading to the unfortunate deaths of many relatives who had gone to visit. Countless families were shattered as a result.

The hand that had been pointing at the darkness and the electronic monitoring device in the library slowly swayed in the quiet night. Xu Le lowered his head and said sincerely: "I am a good person, believe me, everything I say is for your consideration"

This incident has shocked the entire human society of the Federation. In this era of advanced technology, such a tragic loss of life has led to the downfall of numerous officials. Under media pressure, officials from the Department of Homeland Security directly under the capital, as well as the Governor of Hexi Province, have resigned in disgrace. Three officials have been sentenced to punishment, and even the Deputy Secretary responsible for security matters in the Donglin District has been sentenced to four years in prison

The metal shaft in Li Wei's hand had long been misplaced, and at that moment, he was holding a bottle of beer and pouring it into his stomach, sitting under the streetlight and humming a tune, looking quite pleased with himself. The little fellow glanced at him timidly, hesitated for a moment, and could not help but ask: "In the past two years, Le Ge has rarely returned to Bell Tower Street; what exactly has he been doing?"

Bao Longtao's hand gripped the baton in his hand

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Xu Le turned around, still not removing his hat, and sincerely said: "The deputy chief of the Second Police Station will be scolded like a dog by the governor tomorrow, and he might even appear on the television news because of today's parade. Who would believe that he would have the time in the early morning to personally conduct a spot check on a harmless and frail teenager?"

However, it is quite strange that none of the aggressive orphans dared to provoke him; in fact, there was a subtle sense of respect among the orphans in the three streets towards him. This respect largely stemmed from Li Wei's genuine admiration for Xu Le.

The orphans who appear quite arrogant on weekdays, before successfully evolving into those dark forces, are actually just some superficial little lions.

He pointed to the darkness behind the streetlight and said: "There are a total of five electronic surveillance cameras here. You belong to the police system, not a judge, and certainly not a member of the management committee. You have no way to erase the footage, so I advise you not to attempt to take action against me... If you have anything to say, please go and obtain the necessary documentation first, and I will cooperate with the investigation"

The streetlights elongated two figures, one large and one small, casting them over a distant pile of garbage. A black cat walked through the shadows, its scattered yellow pupils anxiously realizing that once again, there were no mice to be found. Everything seemed so lonely and silent.

"Four years ago?" Xu Le, hiding his face in his hat, repeated the words of the middle-aged man in front of him, laughing joyfully, confirming that the other party was trying to deceive him, rather than knowing the memory that he feared the most. "Four years ago, I was participating in the entrance retest organized by the state education office."

Who knows? However, this kid has loved playing with his craft since he was young. Who would have thought he would be so ruthless? Do you remember that incident we witnessed that year?" Li Wei downed a mouthful of beer, clicking his tongue in admiration

Bao Longtao suddenly felt that the calmness, or rather the sincerity, of this unknown youth was somewhat frightening, and the suspicion in his eyes grew increasingly intense, his grip on the baton tightening more and more

Many people died, and the orphans returned to their places. The vengeance for the three deceased orphans was also avenged. Yet, no one knew that on that cold, rainy night, the usually dull yet cheerful Xu Le, outside the junkyard, used a discarded hydraulic pipe from a mecha elbow to stab and kill the last leader who escaped from the gang

The little fellow pouted, seemingly on the verge of crying from Li Wei's fierce gaze. Although Li Wei's eyes were always bright, round, and adorable, the orphans who roamed Bell Tower Street knew all too well how ruthless the sixteen-year-old leader could be when he truly got angry.

Five years ago, due to a sudden crackdown by the government, a gang hidden in the shadows was forced to enter the back alleys of Bell Tower Street occupied by orphans. With their cold-bloodedness and ferocity, they successfully seized this long-abandoned area. In just two hours, three of the oldest and bravest orphans lost their lives in this purge

Deputy Director Bao looked coldly at the young man in front of him, knowing that he was certainly related to the farce that occurred this afternoon. However, he could not confirm his judgment. How could a young man possibly grasp the internal schedule of the police station? How did he come to know about the conflicts and struggles that belonged to the upper echelons?

Apart from Li Wei and the little one, who were shivering in the stone slabs of the abandoned factory canteen, that year, Li Wei was eleven years old, the little one was five, and Xu Le had just turned ten

Xu Le is willing to meet you because after the mining accident, your mother took care of him for two years, and he is grateful... However, you must understand that he is someone who dislikes causing trouble the most, and some things should just remain unsaid. Li Wei, who had already returned to the apartment building at Zhonglou Street, shot a glare at Xiao Qiang, feeling somewhat worried. After all, this little guy is just a child of about ten years old, and it would be unfortunate if he accidentally let something slip.

However, when Xu Le heard this question, he couldn't help but lower his head and chuckle bitterly. He shrugged his shoulders, as if ignoring the middle-aged man in front of him who was staring at him like a black dog, and walked under the bright streetlight, ready to go home and sleep.

The orphans who gathered for a demonstration on Bell Tower Street during the day are all victims and witnesses of this mining disaster. Li Wei is one, the little fellow is one, and Xu Le is also one

He does not appear particularly robust or powerful; rather, he exudes a sinister and violent coldness. In contrast, he always wears a broad smile, and no matter how difficult the circumstances, it seems that nothing can induce even the slightest annoyance in him

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Indeed, at that time I was only eleven years old, and Xu Le was just ten. Li Wei threw the beer bottle into the nearby trash heap under the streetlight, took a deep breath, and on the youthful face of the boy, there appeared a few traces of numbness. If it weren't for that incident ten years ago, we might still be in school, perhaps having already obtained our vocational certificates, going to Hexi University... or even... even going to Capital Star as exchange students.

Deputy Director Bao's eyes flashed with a hint of coldness, his body stiffened for a moment, and after a while, he said: "On-the-spot inspection, I need to read your chip"

The response of the federal government and the judicial system was swift and intense, yet ultimately could not reverse the loss of those lives. This mining disaster dealt a final heavy blow to the already stagnating mining industry in the Donglin region, leading to the bankruptcy of the Crystal Mining Company, which was subsequently placed under federal administration

"I need to know who is behind you." Bao Longtao believed that his indifferent tone was just right, and the point of his question was particularly accurate. Of course, he also did not think that the orphans hanging around Bell Tower Street would be unaware of who they were.