“Gone with someone.”

Ling Lie fiddled with his gun for a moment, then got out of the car as well.

The four men in leather jackets converged at a corner, appearing quite anxious. The only light on in the village at this hour came from the small clinic to the west. After briefly discussing something among themselves, they headed towards it.

The clinic’s entrance was barred by a diamond-patterned folding iron gate. Leather Jacket peered inside. Someone within seemed to have spotted him and walked to the door to see what was happening.

“I’m looking for Brother Bing! We’re out of ‘medicine’! I know he’s in there!” Leather Jacket shouted.

Ji Chenjiao, hiding behind a tree trunk, felt a jolt of alarm upon hearing this.

A light turned on on the second floor of the clinic. A silhouette appeared behind the window glass. Ji Chenjiao saw it, but he wasn’t sure if the person had seen him.

The four men crowded the clinic entrance, refusing to leave. One of them banged heavily on the door, the noise jarringly conspicuous in the quiet village.

Standing inside the clinic were two people dressed as nurses, talking urgently to each other. But the four men in leather jackets clearly didn’t take the women seriously and were intent on barging in.

One of the nurses was called away, seemingly receiving an order. When she returned, she opened the iron gate directly. The four men walked in triumphantly, Leather Jacket saying, “I told you I had a way, but you didn’t believe me!”

Ji Chenjiao looked up at the second floor again; the light that had suddenly turned on was now extinguished. When he turned his gaze back, his pupils suddenly contracted. Ling Lie covered his mouth. “It’s me.”

As his heartbeat gradually settled, Ji Chenjiao nodded. He and Ling Lie retreated to a dead angle in the alleyway, then hid in different positions, keeping a close watch on the small clinic.

However, an hour passed, and no one left, nor was there any sound. Logically speaking, Leather Jacket had gone in to demand “medicine.” Once they got it, they should have left; there was no reason to spend the night inside.

Were the people from “Floating Lights” hiding inside the clinic? Had Leather Jacket failed to get the medicine and been subdued?

By past 3:00 AM, the village was dead silent. Ling Lie saw the nurse on duty near the iron gate had fallen asleep on the table. He went to Ji Chenjiao’s hiding spot and found him looking at his phone, his expression grave.

“What’s wrong?”

“Wen Zhengchao received another email,” Ji Chenjiao said.

Ji Chenjiao turned the screen around. Ling Lie squinted and saw a dying man on the screen.

Wen Zhengchao couldn’t believe this man sitting in the wheelchair was Ning Xiechen. His hair had almost all fallen out, he was emaciated, his exposed skin hanging loosely over his bones, and his head lolled to one side. Although forced to look at the camera, his eyes lacked focus and life.

“No… it’s not…” Wen Zhengchao murmured, “Old Ning, how… how did you become like this? Who the fuck did this to you!”

He was trembling all over, losing his composure in front of his younger colleagues for the first time. He still remembered the Ning Xiechen who had joined the police force with him. They were always competing, even comparing who had gained an extra layer of muscle.

He knew Ning Xiechen best. They used to roll up their sleeves and flex their muscles with force. Ning Xiechen shouldn’t look like this. Where had all those muscles, even more impressive than his own, gone?

Ji Chenjiao was also trembling slightly, a layer of red rising in his eyes. His grip on the phone was excessive, causing the image Ling Lie saw to shake minutely. Ling Lie suddenly grabbed Ji Chenjiao’s wrist and whispered, “Relax, relax. Give it to me.”

Ji Chenjiao seemed frozen and didn’t listen. Ling Lie pried Ji Chenjiao’s fingers open; Ji Chenjiao didn’t resist. A few seconds later, the phone was in Ling Lie’s hand.

It was a video lasting over two minutes. Ning Xiechen was in a room surrounded by white and green walls, resembling an old-fashioned hospital. A corner of a gurney, an IV pole, and two people dressed like locals were visible in the frame. But their aura was different from real locals—Ling Lie could tell at a glance. They were “Floating Lights” operatives.

A voice came from off-camera, relaxed and smiling. “Captain Ning, look at the camera. Your apprentice and teammates are watching you from the other side.”

It was Bo Lingxue’s voice!

Bo Lingxue still didn’t show his face. “This is Captain Ning Xiechen, whom you’ve been looking for. See? He’s alive and well. Back then, he discovered my secret, but I didn’t kill him. I even kept him by my side after he was heavily injured. That’s quite benevolent of me, isn’t it?”

A dull sound came from Ning Xiechen’s throat. Bo Lingxue paused and had a subordinate hold Ning Xiechen’s face up. Ning Xiechen looked at the camera wearily. Although he was indeed alive, there was no vitality in him; he seemed to be kept alive solely by drugs. He looked like he wanted to say something but couldn’t. His hands, like chicken claws, trembled violently. It was heart-wrenching to watch.

Yes, heart-wrenching.

Ling Lie couldn’t help but look at Ji Chenjiao, who was clutching his hair, breathing heavily.

Ling Lie sighed, holding the phone in his left hand and gently patting Ji Chenjiao’s back with his right. Even he, who had never worked with Ning Xiechen, found this scene unbearable, let alone Ji Chenjiao.

The video continued playing. Bo Lingxue said, “I know you’ve chased us to Qianbing County. Don’t worry, I don’t intend to cause a big scene this time. After all, my goal isn’t to harm any of you police officers.”

“I’ll tell you another piece of good news. I’ve been taking care of Captain Ning for so long, and I’m tired. To me, although he’s a decent friend, he’s ultimately a burden. So, I plan to return him to you in this place, very close to the border.”

Ji Chenjiao suddenly raised his head.

Bo Lingxue’s laughter came through. “But don’t rush. The preparations aren’t done yet. When I’m ready, I’ll contact you again.”

“Oh, right. I need to remind you of one thing. Before I officially return Captain Ning to you, don’t do anything unnecessary. You know ‘Murphy’s Law,’ right? Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Why? Often it’s because people try to avoid bad things and do a lot of things they think will prevent them, but those actions end up triggering the worst possible outcome.”

“Alright, that’s all. I’ll contact you again. Captain Ning, come say bye-bye to your colleagues.”

At the end of the video, Ning Xiechen looked at the camera in pain. He seemed to be conveying “Refuse” and “Don’t save me” with his eyes. Ling Lie thought that perhaps his mind was lucid at this moment.

“Let’s go, back to the car first.” Ling Lie supported Ji Chenjiao, looking back once more at the lit-up clinic. It no longer looked like a hall of healing, but rather a den of iniquity hiding filth.

Daylight gradually broke. Sunrise in the mountain village was always accompanied by the smell of cooking smoke.

Shen Qi was nervously analyzing the video. Ji Chenjiao leaned his right hand against the car window, pressing his fingers hard against his temples.

“The video was likely filmed in that clinic. ‘Floating Lights’ has already occupied it,” Ling Lie said. “The biggest trouble now is that besides the ordinary medical staff, there are four residents from Guiweng Town inside. We saw them go in with our own eyes.”

Ji Chenjiao nodded. “So we can’t act rashly. They’re likely holding the townspeople as hostages.”

Ling Lie shrugged. “We can’t act now anyway. Backup hasn’t arrived, and the Special Action Team’s forces aren’t here. Also, what preparations was Bo Lingxue talking about?”

After cracking through layers of jump servers, Shen Qi confirmed the video was indeed sent from Basun Village, and the filming time was no earlier than midnight today.

Ling Lie frowned. “Tsk, so that means the video was likely filmed after we entered the village? They know we found this place, so they sent the video as a deterrent?”

Shen Qi got out to get some air and thought about buying some oil cakes for breakfast. A few minutes later, he returned hurriedly. “Bro, the people here aren’t right.”

Ji Chenjiao braced himself and looked out the window.

Villagers were coming out one after another. Rural people rise early, and the morning is usually when they have the most energy for work. But these people looked listless, walking unsteadily, and yawning constantly.

Ji Chenjiao’s expression tightened as he got out and walked toward the nearest villager.

“They… they seem to have taken that stuff!” Shen Qi said. “Slow reactions, trances… many people who take hallucinogens are like this!”

Ling Lie’s nostrils flared, sniffing the scent carried by the wind like a police dog.

Basun Village had been controlled by “Floating Lights” using “Snow Child.” Ning Xiechen was trapped in the village clinic with at least four other hostages. The situation was extremely thorny.

Ji Chenjiao informed Liang Wenxian, who had stayed behind at the Qianbing County Bureau. Liang would communicate with Xie Qing, Shen Xun, and the head of the Qianbing City Bureau. Both the City Bureau and the Special Action Team would mobilize forces immediately. Upon learning of Ning Xiechen’s condition, Xie Qing had mixed emotions and repeatedly urged Ji Chenjiao to keep “Floating Lights” stable.

By noon, the team members Ji Chenjiao had previously scattered across various villages gradually converged on Basun Village, wearing plain clothes to avoid revealing their identities.

At mealtime, Ling Lie asked Ji Chenjiao what he wanted to eat. Ji Chenjiao shook his head, saying he had no appetite. Ling Lie went to stroll around the street alone.

This village, hidden deep in the mountains, was hard to find even on a map. People lived secluded and impoverished lives. They had never been to big cities or seen the world. Living a life of muddling through wasn’t necessarily unlucky.

But their peaceful lives had been shattered. The hallucinogen called “Snow Child”—they didn’t even know that the “high-class” cigarettes they smoked and the comforting “medicine” injected into their arms were destroying their lives like parasites.

Many villagers lacked energy, walking like wandering ghosts. Even those opening shops for business looked like they hadn’t woken up.

Ling Lie paused at a rice bowl stall. The food should be fine, but seeing the proprietress constantly rubbing her eyes, his stomach churned, and suddenly, like Ji Chenjiao, he lost his appetite.

He returned to the car empty-handed. Shen Qi was surprised. “Bro, you didn’t buy anything?”

Ling Lie said, “Hungry? There are biscuits in the trunk.”

An hour later, Wen Zhengchao and a team from the Special Action Unit arrived, bringing boxed lunches. Ji Chenjiao forced himself to eat a few bites, while Ling Lie wandered around the village again.

As more outsiders arrived, some villagers began to get suspicious. Ling Lie wanted to find people “playing” villagers among them but found none for the time being. Perhaps all of “Floating Lights'” people were hiding in the clinic? After all, that was the safest place for them.

But what on earth was Bo Lingxue waiting for? What conditions was he going to demand from the police? He knew in the middle of the night that the police had caught up, hence the deterrent video, but why the delay in action? The police could wait, but the longer “Floating Lights” waited, the easier it would be for them to be surrounded. When the Special Action Team and SWAT all arrived, how would “Floating Lights” escape? By killing the four hostages?

Strange.

There must be a missing clue.

Bo Lingxue wasn’t afraid of stalling. He wasn’t afraid of the clinic being surrounded. Where did his confidence come from?

The weather was nice today; the warm winter sun shone on the courtyard. Ling Lie saw an old woman with a wrinkled face drying chilis in the sun while trimming them. She moved deftly and seemed in good spirits, apparently unaffected by “Snow Child.”

Ling Lie looked at other elderly people; their spirits were generally better than the young ones. Recalling that those who “succumbed” in Guiweng Town were all able-bodied men, had “Floating Lights” not extended its claws to elderly women?

Ling Lie walked over, squatted in front of the old woman, and smiled. “Trimming chilis?”

The old woman smiled back. “Young man, which village are you from? You look unfamiliar.”

Ling Lie used the local dialect he had just learned in Guiweng Town. “I came from Guiweng Town, visiting relatives for the New Year.”

The old woman nodded. “Visiting relatives is good.”

Ling Lie said, “I haven’t been here for a few years. Why are there so many new faces this year?”

“You mean them? They came at the start of winter. They are doctors, treating us for free,” the old woman said. “They are all good people.”

Ling Lie asked, “How do they treat you?”

“They go door to door for consultations. Medicine is free too. If you’re sick, go find them at the clinic. I’m sturdy, no illness, so I don’t take medicine.”

Bidding farewell to the old woman, Ling Lie’s expression was grave. It seemed “Floating Lights'” plan was comprehensive; they had targeted this inconspicuous village long ago. This was the center, while Guiweng Town and Qianbing County were just places taken along the way.

The clinic remained silent. In the afternoon, some villagers circled it a few times wanting to see a doctor, but the iron gate didn’t open once.

Just as the team at Basun Village anxiously awaited “Floating Lights'” next move, news suddenly came from Huayun Town, the nearest town to the Qianbing County seat—several people were violently attacking the public!

Ji Chenjiao felt as if he had been struck by a club.

Huayun Town was the most developed and populous place among all the villages and towns under Qianbing County’s jurisdiction. The Major Crimes Unit and the SWAT detachment had sent people there before. Like other towns, they found people who had contact with “Snow Child,” but they didn’t have the conditions to control them.

After the incident in Basun Village at dawn, following a discussion, the police forces from Xiarong City scattered in other towns needed to gradually concentrate on Basun Village, leaving the monitoring of “addicts” to the local police.

Live footage from Huayun Town showed people wielding machetes, hoes, and saws common in rural areas, committing crimes in crowded places. In just half an hour, chaos had erupted in three locations. These people, in groups of three, chased terrified crowds. The places they chose were either the lantern riddle guessing event or the town’s clothing market.

Over a dozen people had been slashed, blood flowing on the ground, a shocking sight.

The town echoed with the sirens of ambulances and police cars, and screams were everywhere. Local police had controlled the perpetrators. Judging from the video footage, their mental states were very abnormal.

“Captain Ji, I’m sorry. Under these special circumstances, I can’t support you,” a squadron leader from the County Bureau said anxiously over the phone. “The city can’t help for now either. We are a small place, not enough manpower to begin with, and all the SWAT from the city have come to our county.”

Ji Chenjiao’s heart sank. “I understand. I’ll figure something out here. Is the cause confirmed?”

The squadron leader said, “Interrogations are ongoing, but my preliminary estimate is that hallucinogens caused their mental problems.”

Huayun Town had arrested eight people so far. The drug test results weren’t out yet, but judging from their state, they had definitely used “Snow Child.” Three of them were subdued by the crowd while attacking people and were critically injured, currently undergoing emergency treatment. The other five had varying degrees of injuries.

Facing the police, they acted like they were stupefied. Only one cried, saying he didn’t know why he did it; he was just excited. When Old Hong (one of the critically injured attackers) said to grab a machete and go to the street to do something fun, he just followed.

“‘Snow Child’ can cause mental instability in long-term users.” Ling Lie leaned against the car door, his brow furrowed deeper than before. “Now it’s trouble. ‘Floating Lights’ distributed ‘Snow Child’ for free under the guise of medical assistance. Many people, especially young and middle-aged men, became victims. These people only need a slight suggestion to become tools for ‘Floating Lights’ to create social chaos. Faced with this, the local police can only run themselves ragged trying to cope.”

Ji Chenjiao said, “‘Floating Lights’ then has more opportunities to do whatever they want.”

Ling Lie shook off the cigarette ash, looking at the sky that was gradually turning gloomy. “Exactly. The scariest part is that this drug-controlled psychotic behavior is contagious.”

Currently, the trouble was only in Huayun Town, but once the news spread—in the internet age, the news had already spread. Everyone with a mobile phone in Qianbing County and Qianbing City could see the tragic state locally—people similarly poisoned by “Snow Child” would start getting restless, triggering more tragedies.

To prevent such a chain reaction, the local police would inevitably dispatch large numbers of officers. Even the Special Action Team would have to be mobile, and the forces sent from Xiarong City would have to assist.

Was this “Floating Lights'” goal? Once the towns were in chaos, they could escape amidst the confusion. No wonder Bo Lingxue was unhurried; he was waiting for the large-scale assembly of police forces elsewhere.

The police force Ji Chenjiao could mobilize now was pitifully small—just the Major Crimes Unit, and not even the whole unit. Shen Xun was sending more men, but it took time. Due to the terrain, getting people in wasn’t easy.

Time passed second by second. At dusk, Wen Zhengchao said with a trembling voice, “Email! The email is here!”

This time, “Floating Lights” sent a communication portal directly. Accessing it meant accessing the “Floating Lights” dark web. Without time to consider, Ji Chenjiao said, “Go in and look.”

Ning Xiechen appeared on the screen again. Compared to the night, he seemed a bit more spirited. It was unclear if he had been given drugs or if his body’s mechanisms had automatically spiked in excitement knowing his teammates were nearby.

The filming location was the same room, but a “familiar face” appeared in the frame with him.

“Na Sheng” stood behind Ning Xiechen, looking like an Asura. Many in the Major Crimes Unit had seen him in footage; he followed Bo Lingxue in cafes, apartments, and hotels. He was Bo Lingxue’s most important confidant.

“Good evening, officers.” Na Sheng’s pronunciation was like that of a foreigner. “‘Gray Peacock’ asked me to express gratitude for your obedience. You should thank yourselves too. Now, you can welcome Captain Ning back.”

Ning Xiechen was trembling, the veins on his neck almost bursting, but he couldn’t speak.

Na Sheng smiled. “However, we have a condition. You know it too; to gain something, you must pay a price. Our condition is… exchange a person for Captain Ning.”

Ling Lie crossed his arms, no longer looking at the screen, but squinting to listen to the wind blowing past his ears.

Na Sheng continued, “Exchange Ling Lie. ‘Gray Peacock’ has words for him.”

Ji Chenjiao opened his mouth, but before he could utter a syllable, Na Sheng made a “shush” gesture at him. “Officer Ji, are you going to make a decision so hastily? Let me guess your lip movement just now. Did you want to say ‘Impossible’? But I must remind you, the Captain Ning in our hands is your master. You now have the chance to use your lover to save your master. Do you want to give up? Think about how Captain Ning taught you back then, how much he suffered over these years. Do you want to abandon him?”

Na Sheng laughed huskily. “In your heart, is your lover more important than your master?”

Ling Lie suddenly took the phone. “Fine, I’ll exchange for Captain Ning.”

Ji Chenjiao tried to snatch it back, but Ling Lie dodged swiftly and leaped onto the roof of the car. He stood there, looking toward the clinic, like a target being aimed at, and also like a flag fluttering in the wind.

Na Sheng paused, made a “tsk tsk tsk” sound, and laughed. “‘Gray Peacock’ said this decision needs to be made by Officer Ji personally. No one else will do.”

Ling Lie: “Not even me?”

Na Sheng: “Not even you.”

Ling Lie sneered. “Let ‘Gray Peacock’ talk to me.”

Na Sheng looked off-camera as if asking for someone’s opinion. He looked toward the hallway outside the door; perhaps “Gray Peacock” was right there.

A few seconds later, Na Sheng turned back and shrugged helplessly. “‘Gray Peacock’ means Officer Ji still needs to decide. He thinks this is for your own good.”

Ling Lie: “For my own good?”

“After all, you can also see whether Officer Ji chooses you or his master. ‘Gray Peacock’ said, we would choose you at any time.”

Ji Chenjiao took the phone and locked eyes with Ning Xiechen through the screen. Ning Xiechen was old, tortured out of shape by pain, no longer the forceful and sharp captain. If they lost this chance, they might never get Ning Xiechen back.

Na Sheng added, “Let me remind you again. I know you have ideas about this building, but if you take forceful action, don’t blame us for acting against the civilians.”

With that, the camera turned, and the four leather-jacketed men appeared in the frame. They were all bound hand and foot, unable to speak. Na Sheng walked up to them and gestured with a gun at the back of their heads. They made terrified whimpering noises, looking at the camera in despair.

“I’ll give you…” Na Sheng looked down at his watch. “I’ll give you half an hour. Officer Ji, in half an hour, I want your answer.”

The communication cut off, and the screen went black.

Wen Zhengchao put on his tactical vest. “I’m going to save him!”

Ji Chenjiao immediately stopped him. “Teacher Wen, don’t be impulsive.”

Wen Zhengchao punched the car door, choking back sobs. He knew best that he shouldn’t be impulsive at this time. Having worked in the bureaucracy for so many years, maintaining a normal heart, considering the big picture, and staying calm had almost become his norm, a mask he wore. But at this moment, every drop of blood flowing in his veins was screaming: Save Old Ning, go save Old Ning!

Ji Chenjiao called Xie Qing, then Shen Xun, forcing himself to report the situation calmly. Even if the Special Action Team’s support arrived, storming in now wasn’t realistic; “Floating Lights” could execute the hostages at any time.

Their only path was truly to do as Na Sheng said: exchange Ling Lie for Ning Xiechen.

Ji Chenjiao dug his fingernails into his palms, his heart feeling as if it were being crumpled and kneaded. He wanted to go in and exchange himself for Ning Xiechen. He had undergone special intense training and executed missions no less dangerous than the SWAT team’s. He could adapt to the situation in an environment surrounded by enemies.

He wanted to go in place of Ling Lie!

“What are you thinking, Xia Chengshi (Honest Xia)?” Ling Lie came up to Ji Chenjiao and pinched his cheeks with both hands. “Exchanging me for Captain Ning isn’t an option; we can’t bargain.”

Ji Chenjiao’s lips pressed into a thin line as he stared intently at Ling Lie. “But I can’t let you take the risk.”

“But it’s the only way.” Ling Lie wrapped his arms around Ji Chenjiao’s neck, making it easier to lean close, his lips almost touching Ji Chenjiao’s. He spoke almost in a breathy whisper, “Time is limited. Instead of dwelling on a choice that doesn’t exist, think about how to deal with them once I’m inside.”

The two looked into each other’s eyes, and Ji Chenjiao seemed to suddenly grasp something.

Ling Lie suddenly pressed forward, blocking his lips and sealing his words back in. When they parted, Ling Lie bit the tip of Ji Chenjiao’s ear and said something that no one else but them could hear.

Ling Lie stepped back two paces, smiled, and gave himself a thumbs up.

The half-hour was up. Na Sheng’s communication arrived on time. “Officer Ji, how about it? Have you made your decision? Do you want your master, or your lover?”

Ji Chenjiao faced the camera solemnly. “Open the door. Send Ning Xiechen to the entrance. Ling Lie will go over to exchange with him.”

At this moment, Ling Lie had already arrived alone at the main entrance of the small clinic, standing at the bottom of the steps, looking up at the rusted diamond-patterned iron gate.