Chapter 288: Death Threat

After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen turned around and entered a street. He drove a hundred meters before parking by the roadside, then got out and walked into a coffee shop.

Arriving at the prearranged private room, Ling Chen lightly knocked on the door, then pushed it open and walked in.

In the modest-sized room, a delicate round table was placed by the window, with the curtains drawn. Zhu Yansong was sitting on one side, holding a cup of coffee, his face etched with anxiety.

"Mr. Zhu."

Ling Chen greeted him and took a seat opposite him.

Zhu Yansong squeezed out a wry smile and said apologetically, "Mr. Ling, I’m terribly sorry to bother you during your busy schedule to meet with me."

"No problem, I was just idling at home anyway. Mr. Zhu, do you need something from me?"

When Ling Chen received the call from Zhu Yansong, he was curious, not knowing what the other party wanted.

Zhu Yansong hesitated for a moment, a troubled expression on his face. "Mr. Ling, my visit today mainly concerns Miss Tang."

Upon hearing this, Ling Chen’s mind stirred. He asked without revealing his thoughts, "Did Miss Yao ask you to find me?"

"No, not at all!" Zhu Yansong hastily replied, "You’ve misunderstood. I’m here because Miss Tang needs help."

Help? Ling Chen didn't continue the conversation, waiting silently for Zhu Yansong to finish.

"Mr. Ling, to be frank, Miss Tang has run into trouble."

"What?" Ling Chen’s heart skipped a beat, and he exclaimed, "What kind of trouble? Where is she? Is she okay?" His thoughts immediately turned to Tang Shiyun’s previous assault. Could it be...? Worry started to race through him.

"Mr. Ling, she’s currently at home."

Ling Chen paused for a moment, then relaxed. He had feared Tang Shiyun was in immediate danger. "Mr. Zhu, could you please speak clearly? You’re going to give someone a heart attack."

"Miss Tang has been terrified lately, staying at home all day, afraid to go out."

"Wait! Make yourself clear. What do you mean, terrified?"

"Ever since the assault, Miss Tang has been receiving anonymous letters filled with gruesome photos—severed hands and feet, or heads chopped off. At first, it wasn’t too bad, but these past two days, it’s not just photos anymore. The sender even mailed boxes containing dissected dead cats and dogs, their bodies brutally mutilated." Even Zhu Yansong, a grown man, looked visibly disturbed. Obviously, he had seen the animal corpses.

"Death threats!" Ling Chen immediately identified the nature of the incident.

"Yes, that’s it," Zhu Yansong nodded.

As if something occurred to him, Ling Chen said, "I saw on the news that Shiyun is going to have a fan meet in East Sea City. Knowing that someone is out to harm her, why not cancel it?"

"The fan meet was scheduled a month ago. After this incident, the company’s upper management was concerned for Miss Tang’s safety and wanted to cancel it. However, after consulting with the police, they advised us to proceed as normal. They said that as long as Miss Tang appears in public, they will definitely be able to lure out those with malicious intent. They plan to implement full surveillance, hoping to catch the suspect."

"That won’t do. This is gambling with Shiyun’s life," Ling Chen frowned, clearly aggravated. "What kind of terrible advice is this?"

Zhu Yansong looked helpless. "I can’t do anything about this situation; it’s a decision made by the company’s executives and the police. I’m just paid to get things done; I don’t have the authority to criticize. Mr. Ling, I know you care about Miss Tang and I’m aware of your capabilities, so I’d like to ask for your help to ensure nothing happens to Miss Tang."

Without hesitating, Ling Chen responded, "When it comes to Shiyun’s safety, I have an undeniable responsibility." He paused and glanced at Zhu Yansong, unable to help himself from asking, "Mr. Zhu, did Shiyun ask you to find me, or..."

"I took the initiative."

"Oh." Ling Chen’s expression turned somewhat disappointed.

"Mr. Ling, please don’t mind. Actually, Miss Tang really needs you by her side, it’s just… you know, she isn’t in a position to do much right now. Just before I left, I saw Miss Tang sitting alone on the windowsill, holding her phone, staring at your number, hesitant to call, fearing that Miss Yao would discover it."

Ling Chen nodded to show he understood. The main problem wasn’t Tang Shiyun, but Yao Li. With Yao Li near, even if Tang Shiyun missed him, she wouldn’t dare to express it, lest it worsen the mother-daughter relationship.

"Mr. Zhu, how are Shiyun’s current security measures?"

"Besides the bodyguards hired by our company, there are the police protecting her around the clock. As long as she doesn’t leave the villa, there’s no problem. What I’m most concerned about is the fan meet the day after tomorrow; that’s the critical moment."

"Don’t worry, I will be there to assist you in secret," Ling Chen emphasized the word "secret" to ease Zhu Yansong’s anxiety. His biggest fear was having Ling Chen face off with Yao Li; her previous threats were still fresh in his memory.

Taking a glance at the time, Ling Chen stood up and said, "Mr. Zhu, we’ll be in touch about the day after tomorrow. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going now."

"Sure, take care."

Leaving the coffee shop, Ling Chen got into his car, mulling over Zhu Yansong’s words. Whoever was sending the death threats must be the same person who attacked the Lincoln Sedan outside East Sea University. However, he couldn’t understand who bore such a deep grudge against Tang Shiyun as to want her dead.

Tang Shiyun was new to her career, Zhu Yansong said she got along well with everyone, never offended anyone, and wouldn’t have enemies.

Could the suspect be psychologically disturbed?

If that were the case, it seemed far-fetched.

After much thought, Ling Chen decided to arrange a meeting with Xia Mutong. The operation was led by the police; it was necessary to give her a heads-up. Additionally, he wanted to ascertain which idiot came up with such a lousy idea of risking Tang Shiyun’s life.

The phone connected.

"Hello." Xia Mutong’s crisp voice came through.

"It’s me. Are you free right now?"

"I’m very busy." Xia Mutong had just finished her sentence when Ling Chen heard a familiar voice from the other end: "Xia, dinner’s ready, are you coming to eat with us?"

Tang Shiyun?

Ling Chen tensed slightly, wondering why Xia Mutong was with Tang Shiyun. Right, he realized, as a police officer, Xia Mutong must be involved in this operation. Moreover, being a woman, she could provide close protection for Tang Shiyun’s safety.

However, considering Xia Mutong’s sexual orientation, he couldn’t help but worry if that woman might attempt anything inappropriate with Tang Shiyun.