"Boss Chao, we've found out."
Chao Youye's body remained motionless, not even her eyelashes trembling. Only her right hand, gripping the edge of the bed sheet, had its knuckles slightly whitened from excessive force, revealing the turbulent undercurrent within her heart.
Ling Yue cut straight to the point, each word like a steel nail tempered with ice, fiercely driving into the air:
"The Zvezda explosion. Three key detonation points: beneath the main load-bearing beams in the engine room, in the ventilation ducts of the fuel storage tanks, and... a structural weak point near the bottom of the top-floor banquet hall."
"The explosives used are specially modified military-grade C4 plastic explosives. They are extremely powerful and stable, strong enough to rip the keel of a ship. The detonation method is remote radio control, and the signal source is multi-layered with encryption and frequency hopping, making it extremely difficult to track."
He paused for half a second, as if giving Chao Youye time to digest the cold technical details, and also giving himself a moment of respite to state the next and decisive truth.
Then, his voice became deeper, and with a power that penetrated people's hearts, he uttered the name clearly:
"All the clues ultimately point to the mastermind and executor—the old man, Chao Zhenshan."
The air in the ward seemed to freeze in an instant; even the ticking sound of the ECG monitor seemed to be frozen for a moment.
Chao Youye's pupils suddenly contracted.
It was like being stabbed in the back by the person you trusted the most.
He did not lose his composure and ask "impossible" or "why", but his already pale face had completely lost all its color, as if covered with a layer of frost.
His jawline was as taut as a knife blade, and his thin lips were pressed into a bloodless straight line.
Ling Yue clearly caught the storm of pain in Chao Youye's eyes that instantly exploded and was instantly forcibly frozen.
He continued his report, his tone steady but with an undeniable heaviness:
"In the abandoned air-raid shelter on the hill behind the old house, we found fragments of explosive packaging and some debris of a miniature signal receiver. The materials and craftsmanship are completely consistent with the core components of the detonator salvaged from the Xingchen."
"The evidence was very recent, and the cleanup was hasty, but it couldn't escape detection. The final location of the signal transmitter pointed to the main study area of the West Mountain Villa where the old man usually stayed. The timestamp... exactly matched thirty seconds before the explosion."
"The person who carried out the operation was the 'shadow' the old man had employed for over twenty years, codenamed 'Rock.' He died in an 'accidental' car accident abroad three days ago, his body burned beyond recognition."
"We confirmed his identity through DNA comparison and residual scars. A week before the explosion, he took advantage of the old man's private helicopter, which was used to transport supplies, to ship explosives onto the ship in batches disguised as building materials, and then placed them during nighttime patrols."
Three security personnel on board were bribed or coerced into providing routes and cover. They also disappeared in the explosion, leaving no trace.
Ling Yue's voice was flat, he was just stating the cold facts.
Every detail was like a heavy piece of ice, constantly piling up on Chao Youye's heart.
The air-raid shelter in the old house…the study in the West Hill Villa…the “shadow” that has been used for twenty years…bribing the security on the ship…murdering people to silence them…everything is linked together, without a single leak.
This was not a spur-of-the-moment act, but a long-planned and carefully planned murder!
Chao Youye slowly closed her eyes. Her thick eyelashes cast deep shadows under her eyes, covering those eyes that were surging with turbulent emotions.
Grandpa... Chao Zhenshan... the old man who has been very strict with everyone in the family since childhood, almost cruel and with a strong desire for control.
He was silent for a few seconds, waiting for the suffocating pressure to ease slightly before continuing to speak, his voice carrying a deeper chill and insight:
"Combining all intelligence analysis, we believe the motives are multiple."
"First, to seize power." Ling Yue's voice was firm. "The old man has long been dissatisfied with the 'drastic' reforms you have carried out within the group in recent years, especially the gradual weakening of the power of the veterans he has planted and the consolidation of core power."
"He can't tolerate the empire he built being completely out of control, and he can't tolerate you treating him as an 'outdated obstacle'. This explosion is what he believes is the most effective way to completely and 'cleanly' eliminate this 'obstacle' of yours and seize control of the group in the chaos."
"A week before the explosion, he secretly met with three directors loyal to him and a veteran in charge of the group's emergency plan."
"Secondly," Ling Yue's eyes subconsciously and very briefly swept over Mu Xinrong who was sleeping in the corner. His eyes were complicated, with a hint of indescribable heaviness.
"It's to...eliminate Mr. Mu Xinrong."
Chao Youye's tightly closed eyes suddenly opened, and her violet pupils were like an ice-covered crater, instantly igniting a dark blue flame that was enough to burn everything.
Ling Yue's body tensed even more. He could clearly feel the terrifying pressure that was almost about to crush him.
He forced himself to steady his voice and continued to state the most heartbreaking part:
"The old man... has always believed that Mr. Mu's existence, and you, are the biggest 'stain' on the Chao family." Ling Yue chose the original words that Chao Zhenshan might use, cold and harsh.
"He couldn't accept that you had such a deep and public relationship with a man who, in his opinion, had 'no support from a humble background, and might even bring controversy.'"
"He sees Mr. Mu as the source of your 'deviant' nature and your 'blinded by emotion,' the stumbling block preventing you from becoming the ruthless, mercenary heir he envisions, capable of leading the Chao family to greater glory."
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