If it were truly Nie Yao who wanted Nie Zhao dead, then it would be a case of fratricide. In ordinary families, fratricide—especially an attempt to kill upon the first strike—is rare. But in the power struggles of wealthy dynasties, it is hardly fresh news. To look no further than Hong Kong itself, there have been several cases in recent years of brothers turning against each other, resorting to underhanded plots and assassinations, all for the sake of inheritance and control. Take the former richest man in Hong Kong, the shipping tycoon Bao family: the reason for their bankruptcy was precisely brothers feuding over property, sabotaging one another, and ultimately bringing each other down.
Furthermore, the facts are laid bare: Chen Rou only made the phone call to Nie Yao regarding her travel itinerary, and Nie Yao only shared that information with Mei Lu and Nie Rong. As a result, the secret leaked, and Nie Zhao was nearly blown to smithereens. It is self-evident that even if the killer is not Nie Yao, he is inextricably linked to the crime.
It is a perfect closed loop. The reason Chen Rou called Nie Yao was to set a trap for him. He never expected his younger brother to escape the pirate compound alive; he never expected Chen Rou to be so formidable—fierce enough to single-handedly take down the legendary pirate Ghost-head Chang, whom all of Asia feared; and he certainly did not expect that while she seemed to trust him with that call, she was actually baiting him into sho…
Chapter 28