C9 No Longer Fearful

"Where's the person in charge here?"

The man leading the group glared at the butchers who were bustling about, his face twisted with malice, as if he could devour them on the spot.

The poultry yard manager scurried out to face the newcomers in the courtyard, his expression souring immediately.

Law Enforcement Team.

Their uniforms clearly indicated who they were.

The presence of the Ning Family's Law Enforcement Team meant trouble. They wouldn't be caught dead in this filthy yard unless it was serious.

"Who slaughtered today's pigs?" The team captain approached the manager, his imposing stature and presence making the manager visibly shrink.

"It was..."

The manager glanced back at the servants, recalling that today's pigs had been slaughtered by Ning Gao.

"It was Ning Gao."

"Ning Gao?"

The captain's brow furrowed at the name, and as he scanned the servants, who were all avoiding eye contact, he recognized the familiar figure.

In the past, as captain, he wouldn't have been worthy to meet Ning Gao.

But now, this powerless has-been no longer inspired fear.

Especially since the news of the former patriarch's expulsion from the Ning Family had spread, turning the once esteemed young master into a mere servant, hardly worth his concern.

The captain stood before Ning Gao and demanded, "You were responsible for the pork today?"

"Yes," Ning Gao replied, head bowed, aware that his current status didn't allow for an equal conversation.

"Take him away!" ordered the captain, and two officers stepped forward, grabbing Ning Gao by the arms.

"Captain, what has Ning Gao done?" the manager inquired, mustering his courage.

Ning Gao's situation affected whether the manager could legitimately claim extra earnings this month, or he wouldn't have risked the public inquiry.

"What has he done?" the captain scoffed, his gaze on Ning Gao laced with a hint of murderous intent. "The pork today was laced with a heavy dose of laxatives, causing hundreds in the family, including several elders, to suffer from diarrhea. Now, what do you make of that?"

"Laxatives... laxatives!"

The steward was taken aback, not expecting such a turn of events.

Slipping someone laxatives might be considered a distasteful prank, but the situation at hand was far too serious to be dismissed as mere jest.

Nearly everyone in the Ning family who had eaten pork for lunch found themselves repeatedly running to the restroom. Within just half a day, some had made the trip four or five times.

The involvement of the elders made it clear that this was a major issue.

"We've inspected the kitchen and determined that the laxatives came from the raw pork supplied by your poultry yard. The meat was laced with a significant amount of the substance!"

The law enforcement captain's statement left the steward dumbfounded, causing him to collapse to the ground, staring blankly at the floor.

With such a scandal unfolding, worrying about Ning Gao was the least of his concerns. His priority was self-preservation.

As the steward remained silent, the captain huffed dismissively and signaled for his men to take Ji Yuan into custody.

"Captain, surely you must present some evidence!"

Ning Gao refused to concede. It was clear to him that this was a setup.

Having been reduced to the lowest rank of servant, he knew that any further mischief on his part would lead to severe punishment if discovered, let alone something as egregious as tainting the entire Ning family's meal with laxatives. It was tantamount to suicide.

Many suspected that Ning Gao had made enemies, but no one dared to speak up about the incident.

It was likely that the Ning family's higher-ups were fuming. Who would risk their neck to defend someone so widely resented and despised?