Kuang Ye was surprised. “My grandfather?”

Mu Jianhua also recalled seeing Kuang’s grandfather’s name on the documents when investigating the 3.18 case. Back then, the case had been so shocking that it spurred anti-crime campaigns across S City and the entire nation.

Both elder statesmen were pillars of the military at the time, so it made sense for them to handle the aftermath of such a major incident. However—

“Uncle Wang, wasn’t General Kuang still active thirty years ago? Why would he be assigned to logistics?”

“General Kuang was injured in the 3.18 case. He hurt his leg and had to leave the front lines, eventually transitioning to logistics and then leaving the military altogether,” Wang Ran explained.

Mu Jianhua’s expression turned serious. “Uncle Wang, was General Kuang involved in the Shenzhou Bank case back then?”

Wang Ran thought for a moment. “Not that I know of. At the time, General Kuang was in Northern Myanmar pursuing a group of criminals…” He paused. “But the commander did call him when he learned that Zhao Binhai’s group was heading toward Northern Myanmar, asking him to intercept them if possible.”

Mu Jianhua’s face darkened. “So, aside from the official personnel, General Kuang also knew the exact location of the robbers?”

Wang Ran noticed the shift in Mu Jianhua’s demeanor. “Jianhua, are you suspecting…”

Mu Jianhua glanced at Zhao Yao and gestured for everyone to move to another room.

However, Zhao Yao suddenly grabbed Mu Jianhua’s hand, his face filled with urgency and agitation. “You know, don’t you? You know who killed my father! Tell me! Tell me!”

Mu Jianhua shook him off coldly and walked out without a word. He had no intention of conversing with a man he saw as a murderer.

—

As everyone exited the interrogation room, Kuang Ye had a sudden thought and asked Zhao Yao a question.

Zhao Yao, now eager to find the real culprit, answered everything Kuang Ye asked without hesitation.

When the door to the interrogation room closed, Mu Wan asked, “What did you just ask him?” She had only caught something about plane tickets.

Kuang Ye replied, “I asked him if he could get a plane ticket to leave the country while under travel restrictions.”

Mu Wan froze. “What did he say?”

Kuang Ye answered, “He said he couldn’t.”

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in the other’s eyes.

They both knew that in their previous lives, Zhao Yao had managed to get a plane ticket and leave the country. Otherwise, Kuang Ye wouldn’t have run into him at the airport.

While it was possible that the timelines had diverged and Zhao Yao hadn’t yet become that resourceful, there was another possibility—someone had secretly helped him leave S City.

—

After they moved to the conference room, Mu Wan quietly relayed this to Mu Jianhua, further supporting his suspicions.

As a soldier, Mu Jianhua had a sharp sense for detecting hidden agendas.

The Shenzhou Bank case’s stolen funds had vanished, and General Kuang Hongxuan knew the robbers’ exact location. Although he later claimed he never encountered them, the robbers were all dead—leaving no witnesses.

The 3.18 case’s aftermath was even more riddled with inconsistencies.

Even thirty years later, investigations revealed connections between the two cases, yet Kuang Hongxuan, who was in charge of the 3.18 case, left no trace of this in the files.

Moreover, shortly after the two cases concluded, Kuang Hongxuan left the military, returned to the Kuang family, and quickly rose to prominence in the corporate world.

The timing and circumstances were too coincidental for Mu Jianhua to ignore.

Wang Ran, after hearing Mu Jianhua’s analysis, was still reluctant to believe that a once-revered military hero could have committed such acts.

“So, what do you intend to do?” Wang asked.

“General Kuang risked his life for countless missions,” Wang continued. “Even though he’s retired now, we can’t just interrogate him based on your suspicions.”

Mu Jianhua looked at Wang Ran with resolute determination. “Uncle Wang, I want to lure the snake out of its hole.”

The events were already three decades old. Even if Kuang Hongxuan were guilty, without concrete evidence, there was no way to convict him.

But Mu Wan’s earlier observation gave Mu Jianhua an idea.

If the mastermind had helped Zhao Yao escape in their previous life, could it be that they would act again this time?

—

Breaking News:
“This afternoon at 3:20 PM, a kidnapper attempted to abduct Mu Wan, the Mu family’s daughter, on Shui Jiang Road but failed and fled.”
“According to police information, the kidnapper is connected to the thirty-year-old ‘Shenzhou Bank Case.’ He is Zhao Yao, 38 years old, 179 cm tall. If spotted, please contact the police at XXXXX. A reward of 1,000,000 yuan has been announced.”

That afternoon, the news spread like wildfire online.

Mu Wan, now somewhat of a public figure, quickly became a trending topic on Weibo with multiple hashtags.

“Mu Wan? Is that the Mu Wan I know?”
“What the heck? How is she involved in a case from thirty years ago?”
“Oh my gosh, is Wan wan okay? I haven’t even heard her live performance yet!”

—

At a hillside estate, Kuang Hongxuan was watching the evening news, as was his habit.

When he saw the familiar names and phrases on the screen, his pupils shrank. His hand tightened around his cane, and the old bullet wound in his right leg began to throb faintly.

“Currently, Zhao Yao has been placed on the blacklist and is prohibited from using any transportation. Police are confident they will locate him soon.”
“As for why he attempted to abduct the Mu family’s daughter, the police have yet to uncover any clues. However, they are optimistic that the truth will emerge soon.”

Kuang Hongxuan’s lips quivered unconsciously.

It was as if he had been transported back to that stormy night thirty years ago.