How could I possibly be confined in a cage?

Guo Ziyou was terrified by the second wife, and then by Guo Zixing, his emotions were indescribable.

Guo Zixing, relaxed and at ease, leaned against the door and looked at Guo Ziyou. "Oh, my little brother, how old are you? You're already a bit timid."

"Hahaha..." The officers behind him laughed along. At this moment, Guo Zixing was accompanied by Zhang Xun and other personal guards, and he was not afraid of Guo Ziyou at all.

Enraged, Guo Ziyou grabbed a dagger and threw it, shouting, "Guo Zixing, you plotted against me?"

Guo Zixing sneered, "Me, scheme against you? Ha! You say that so confidently. If you hadn't acted so disrespectfully first, what could I possibly have schemed against you for?"

Guo Ziyou's face flushed red, "You..."

The second wife couldn't bear to see Guo Ziyou suffer a loss, so she immediately stepped forward and acted as an elder, saying, "No matter what, Ziyou is still family with you. If there's anything, just talk about it behind closed doors. Why force him like this?"

Guo Zixing raised an eyebrow. "I was just following orders. I just want to ask, Second Madam, what gives you the right to make decisions for Father?"

The second wife frowned. "Don't forget, you are brothers. Does Ziyou's bad reputation make you seem more superior? Besides, I helped your father build the entire Marshal's Mansion. Without me, where would you be today with your prestige? Even if you are grateful to me, you shouldn't keep harping on Ziyou."

Guo Zixing scoffed, "Second Madam, so many years have passed, and you're still resting on your laurels. But you're right about one thing: Guo Ziyou is a member of the Guo family; we share both glory and loss. Guards, take them all away, leaving only the Second Young Master."

"Second Madam, please save us!" Several spoiled young men immediately surrounded her, begging for mercy.

The second wife's face paled; she was determined to assert her authority in front of Guo Zixing. "Guo Zixing, if you dare take them away, I..."

"Then take your second brother with you?"

The second wife's voice abruptly stopped, her face turning ashen as she remained silent.

Guo Zixing waved his hand, and the soldiers behind him came over and took all the other spoiled brats away. "Brother, let's go."

Seeing this, the second wife gritted her teeth and said, "You can deal with those people, but why are you arresting Ziyou?"

Guo Zixing snorted lightly, "The principal and the accomplice should be punished together, is there a problem?"

The second wife was startled, only then realizing that Guo Zixing had a reason for arresting Ziyou. She inwardly cried out in alarm, but refused to admit it. Biting her lip, she glared at Guo Ziyou.

Guo Ziyou, however, lowered his eyes and remained silent, seemingly deep in thought.

Guo Zixing curled his lip in disdain, "Father has always hated opium the most. Guo Ziyou, you really have guts."

Upon hearing this, Guo Ziyou abruptly raised his head, his eyes filled with anger and defiance. "So what if it is? Would Father kill me?"

The second wife felt a chill in her heart. Others might not know, but she knew best how much Commander Guo valued rules and regulations.

Back then, Commander Guo had a promising junior colleague, who was a nephew from his hometown. However, he was publicly executed by Commander Guo for openly drinking and soliciting prostitutes in the military camp, as a warning to others.

This time, Guo Ziyou might really be punished by Commander Guo for using opium…

Guo Zixing sneered twice, "Then I don't know. After all, compared to the reputation of the Marshal's Mansion, you are more important, aren't you?"

Guo Ziyou clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh, and pain shot through him. His eyes were bloodshot, but he didn't utter a sound.

"Take him away." Guo Zixing waved his hand impatiently.

"Wait a minute," the second wife suddenly spoke up, "This is a matter for the Guo family. Why should we involve outsiders?"

His sharp gaze swept over them, and it did indeed intimidate several soldiers.

"So what do you think should be done?"

"I will punish myself with three cups of wine, and I will help Ziyou quit opium."

Guo Zixing laughed for real this time. "Second Madam, you're being far too presumptuous. Let's discuss this further in front of Father."

After saying that, he ignored the second wife's attempts to stop him and forcibly took Guo Ziyou away, leaving the second wife jumping up and down in frustration.

...

It was already dinnertime when we got back to the Guo family home.

Commander Guo sat at the table, his shrewd eyes fixed on Guo Zixing. "Is the matter settled?"

Guo Zixing cupped his hands in greeting, "The person has been brought back."

Commander Guo nodded. "Let them in."

The door opened, and Zhang Xun and his brother forced Guo Ziyou inside.

When Guo Ziyou met Commander Guo, he was truly terrified.

Commander Guo stared at Guo Ziyou with displeasure. His clothes were disheveled and his expression was decadent, clearly not the look a proper teenager should have.

Guo Zixing laid out everything he had found at the suburban village: opium, opium pipes…

Commander Guo's face darkened. "Kneel down!"

Guo Ziyou was so frightened that his heart skipped a beat, his knees went weak, and he immediately knelt down, crying, "Father...Father..."

"Where did the thing come from?"

Instead of asking him why he got involved with this stuff, they asked him about its origin. Is this a direct conviction?

Guo Ziyou, however, became unconvinced and raised his voice, "Father, do you trust my elder brother that much? Don't you think he framed me? After all, he has been jealous of me since I was a child and bullied me a lot when we were kids. Besides, I'm all grown up now and I'm capable of competing with him."

Growing more confident as he spoke, Guo Ziyou said, "Don't you think he orchestrated everything? He personally framed his own brother, slandered him, and threw mud at him!"

Commander Guo, his expression blank, looked at Guo Zixing and asked, "Boss, what do you say?"

Guo Zixing said unhurriedly, "Thirteen people died at the Yuxin Newspaper, including nine writers and four printers. Four people died at the suburban printing plant, all printers. We also found out that one person from the Yuxin Newspaper escaped, and we are currently conducting a full-scale manhunt."

"What does this have to do with me?" Guo Ziyou roared. He... he actually found the newspaper? That photo...

Fortunately, it's already destroyed.

Guo Zixing continued, "These are photos of the death scene at the newspaper office and printing plant, along with the coroner's statement. These are the original newspapers found at the printing plant. The photos have dates on them; you can compare them."

Guo Ziyou's heart pounded. "Guo Zixing, what are you up to now?"

No one paid him any attention; Commander Guo carefully examined the photos.

Guo Zixing continued, "These are the negatives that were found and developed in the darkroom. The camera has been destroyed, but fortunately, some traces can still be seen on the negatives."

Commander Guo stared at the black-and-white photograph for a long time; the person in it was indeed Guo Ziyou. Whether lying down smoking or indulging in sensual pleasures, he was a perfect image of a spoiled brat in the apocalypse.

Judging from this angle, it's probably not a candid shot, but rather someone posing for photos. This arrogant and self-satisfied demeanor completely obscures any of his former charm.

Commander Guo looked at Guo Ziyou coldly, remaining silent for a long time.

Guo Ziyou's heart pounded. The more silent Commander Guo remained, the more frightened he became. A storm was brewing, and a chill ran down his spine to the back of his head.

After a long silence, Commander Guo finally put down the photo and slowly asked, "Do you admit your mistake?"

"I...I did nothing wrong."

Guo Zixing frowned. The fact that Commander Guo asked if he admitted his mistake, rather than admitting his guilt, was already giving him a chance. Unfortunately, he didn't take it seriously.

Commander Guo stared at Guo Ziyou and suddenly threw all the evidence at him.

Guo Ziyou's pupils contracted sharply, and he dared not flinch.

"Crash..."

The photos and speeches rained down on him, leaving him bruised and battered.

Commander Guo was furious. "See for yourself!"

Guo Ziyou glanced at the evidence hastily, finding it all to be absurd proof of his own actions. With no way to refute it, Guo Ziyou collapsed to the ground.

"When did this start? Where did these things come from? How were these photos taken? Tell me everything, down to the last detail!"

Guo Ziyou gritted his teeth and protested, "Father, I... I was also a victim. I shouldn't have been exposed to these things before. It was... it was Jin Anna's people who led me to try them, saying... saying it would bring happiness, and letting me try it. As a result, as a result, I became addicted... I can quit, I can quit, Father, you believe me..."

Commander Guo stared at him coldly, "Jin Anna?"

“Yes, it was the Jin Anna Ballroom. You know, I always like to socialize with those rich kids at ballrooms. That's where they took me to smoke. I absolutely didn't mean to disobey you. At first, I firmly refused, but that bitch put this in my cigars, saying it was a new import, so I... I tried it. Later, I didn't want to try it anymore, but this stuff is addictive. I... Father, please forgive me, please forgive me!”

Guo Ziyou cried his heart out, as if he were truly an innocent victim.

Guo Zixing looked at him with disdain, but... "Slut? Who are you talking about?"

“Aili, Jin Anna’s top courtesan.” Guo Ziyou no longer cared about arguing with Guo Zixing; he was focused on shifting the blame. As long as he didn’t admit it, and as long as Commander Guo believed him even a little, at least he wouldn’t have to atone with his death.

Commander Guo rubbed his tired forehead. "Boss, is there something wrong with Ai Li?"

Guo Zixing reported that he had secretly smuggled drugs and guns after discovering Ai Li's photo at the dance hall.

After listening, Commander Guo seemed to understand something. "This woman is not simple. Go and investigate her thoroughly. Even if she committed suicide out of fear of punishment, there must still be clues in the places she lived and worked. Go."

"Yes." Guo Zixing accepted the order and left, handing Guo Ziyou over to Commander Guo.

It would be easy to deal with other people, but dealing with Guo Ziyou is something that still needs to be left to Commander Guo.

As Guo Zixing closed the door and left, he saw Commander Guo, filled with thunderous rage, take down the wolf-taming whip hanging on the wall.

With a smile playing on his lips, Guo Zixing left.