Wen Shilin had brought up Ice Spring Street on his own—exactly what Chen Ling wanted.
The boy in the photo was actually a stranger whose face Chen Ling had mimicked, not Chen Yan from back then. After all, if survivors from District Three saw Chen Yan’s photo, they might easily connect it to him... He only needed to convey the key information, and the most crucial clue was "Ice Spring Street."
"That’s right. I only found out later... According to Dr. Chu, when he found my brother, not only was his heart missing, but he... he..."
Chen Ling’s face gradually paled. His fists clenched uncontrollably, as if the pain was too much to bear.
Chu Muyun caught Chen Ling’s gaze and seamlessly continued, "Not just the heart. All the valuable organs in that child’s body had been taken. He was completely hollowed out... To do such a thing to a child is utterly inhumane."
Wen Shilin fell silent.
From across the table, Chen Ling could see fury flickering in Wen Shilin’s eyes, as if he had fully immersed himself in Chen Ling’s role. His breathing grew heavier.
"Whoever did this... I won’t let them get away with it. I swore I’d get justice for that child." Chen Ling’s eyes flashed with killing intent.
"So that’s why you resigned from Dr. Chu’s clinic?"
"I originally planned to go to District Two to investigate, but before I could leave, the seven districts were wiped out... Dr. Chu said the surgical marks on my brother’s body were flawless, and the organ preservation techniques didn’t match the medical standards of the seven districts. So his organs were most likely trafficked into Aurora City."
"I wanted to personally investigate every hospital in the city, hoping to find some leads..."
By now, Wen Shilin had pieced together the full story. Much of it aligned with his speculations from last night. At the same time, "Lin Yan’s" image in his mind rapidly solidified—
A young man trained in sanda, calm under pressure, loyal and righteous, driven by an unwavering goal to bring justice to those who had hollowed out his brother’s body... Willing to give up a stable job under the renowned Divine Physician Chu, facing rejection after rejection at hospitals.
Wen Shilin admired Chen Ling deeply. The last young man he’d felt this way about was A'Cheng... Unfortunately, everything about A'Cheng had been a lie, a carefully constructed deception.
But this time, Wen Shilin was certain he hadn’t misjudged Lin Yan.
"Lin Yan," Wen Shilin said solemnly, "while your intentions are good, your approach is wrong..."
Chen Ling blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Searching hospitals for traces of your brother’s organs makes sense—after all, that’s where transplants happen most frequently, where demand is highest... But have you considered who would have the power to establish an organ trafficking network outside the city and secretly funnel them inside?"
Chen Ling frowned, thinking carefully. "Enforcers... or people closely tied to them?"
The divide between Aurora City and the seven districts was absolute. Entry for people was strictly controlled, let alone goods. Organs weren’t industrial raw materials—transporting them required extremely precise conditions. Getting them past the enforcers was impossible...
Chen Ling had initially lacked context about Aurora City’s inner workings, but Wen Shilin’s hint immediately illuminated the key issue. An organ trafficking operation of this scale wasn’t something underground gangs could pull off alone.
Wen Shilin didn’t deny it. He gave Chen Ling a meaningful look and continued, "I’ve done some investigations into this before. Though the trails eventually went cold, I can guess which factions are involved... Behind this industry chain are entities far beyond what you or I can challenge."
"Hospitals are crowded, full of eyes and ears. If they wanted to dispose of those organs, they wouldn’t do it in such a public place... No matter how hard you search there, you’ll hit dead ends."
Chen Ling fell silent, his eyes appropriately clouded with confusion.
Wen Shilin truly lived up to his reputation as a journalist who dug up Aurora City’s darkest secrets. His instincts were razor-sharp, and his web of information was vast—exactly what Chen Ling needed.
Wen Shilin spoke again, "Lin Yan, if you pursue this path, the dangers you’ll face may be beyond imagination... Are you sure you want to keep investigating?"
"Yes." Chen Ling’s answer was immediate, his voice icy. "No matter who took my brother from me... I’ll make them pay."
Wen Shilin nodded slightly. His groundwork was laid. Now, he finally revealed his ultimate goal, "In that case, why don’t we work together?"
"Work together?"
"You’ve resigned from Dr. Chu’s clinic and haven’t been hired by any hospitals. Instead of struggling alone, join me in investigating this... Journalists may not earn as much as doctors, but this identity opens many doors when digging for information."
Plop.
A plump carp leaped from the courtyard pond onto the shore. Chu Muyun gave it a sympathetic look and sighed deeply.
Chen Ling sat there, seemingly tempted but still hesitant. "But you said it yourself—this is dangerous. If you join me, wouldn’t that drag you into it too? Besides, I can’t write articles, and I’ve never been a journalist..."
"Dangerous?" Wen Shilin chuckled. "At this point, it’s unclear who’d be dragging whom into danger... As for the rest, don’t worry. Press credentials, procedures—I’ll handle everything with the newspaper."
Chen Ling wrestled with the decision before finally nodding firmly.
"Alright. Let’s do as you say."
Wen Shilin was overjoyed. He stood immediately. "Wait here. I’ll go settle things with the newspaper... At the latest, I’ll have your press pass ready by tomorrow."
He didn’t even finish speaking before rushing out the gate, vanishing down the road in a flash.
Chu Muyun stood at the doorway, watching him leave with a deep gaze before tossing a gold coin to Chen Ling from his pocket. "Tsk... Is it really okay to use him like this?"
Chen Ling’s "broken" arm flexed effortlessly, instantly returning to normal. He caught the coin midair and smiled faintly.
"Use him? No. This is called ‘cooperation.’"