Xiao Yishun was gone for several years, which were also the years Tan Fabin built his fortune. For a time, no one heard from Xiao Yishun. Some migrant workers who returned from out of town said that Xiao Yishun had been doing business in the southern coastal region, lost money, and might have died.

Tan Fabin was very worried. He gathered a sum of money to give to Xiao Yishun to help him through the difficult time, but he could not contact him.

Just when even Xiao’s father thought his son was dead, he returned home in glory.

Xiao Yishun was in the car dealership business. He had caught the wave and made a fortune. Although Tan Fabin had also developed his funeral business into something respectable, Feng’an County was, after all, a small place with a weak overall economy. He was nowhere near as successful as Xiao Yishun.

Many people in the county came to curry favor with Xiao Yishun, but he was only truly open with Tan Fabin. Having heard from somewhere that Tan Fabin had raised money for him during the time he was out of contact, he felt even more grateful. During a long drinking session, he once again suggested Tan Fabin go south with him to work, but Tan Fabin refused, just as he always had.

With no other option, Xiao Yishun offered to invest in Tan Fabin’s business as a shareholder. Tan Fabin initially agreed, and the two finally had a joint venture. But a year later, Tan Fabin returned Xiao Yishun’s investment in full, and the two went their separate ways.

Ling Lie asked, “Why?”

Shen Wei replied, “They had a clash of philosophies. Xiao Yishun crossed my brother’s bottom line.”

Tan Fabin had almost never lost his temper with Xiao Yishun. Even when Xiao Yishun used to “brainwash” him daily, saying the funeral industry had no future, he would patiently explain that he would not give up.

But that one time, Xiao Yishun returned to Feng’an County with money, his face glowing, and said, “Since you love it so much, let’s start a funeral culture company together. You have no idea how popular this kind of niche culture is in developed cities. Things like ‘experience death for a day,’ or ‘experience being in a tomb.’ It’s very profitable!”

He thought his idea would surely make Tan Fabin happy. Hadn’t Tan Fabin always insisted on promoting funeral culture? So, he would open a company. This way, Tan Fabin could stick to his principles while also making a lot of money—a win-win!

He never expected Tan Fabin to tell him, very firmly, that it was impossible.

He was completely bewildered, unable to understand what had gotten into Tan Fabin. At the time, Shen Wei also didn’t understand why his older brother had refused and even gotten so angry.

Only later did he understand that Tan Fabin’s love for this industry was pure, and Xiao Yishun had defiled that purity.

Xiao Yishun found Tan Fabin unreasonable. Wasn’t the point of the funeral business to make money? So what was wrong with opening a company? What was the difference? It was all about making money, yet he insisted on portraying himself as so noble. If he didn’t want to cooperate, then fine. I’m done playing!

The two parted on bad terms. Soon after, Tan Fabin settled the accounts clearly, returned the money to Xiao Yishun, and drew a clear line. Their friendship, which had lasted since their youth, fell apart.

After that, Xiao Yishun rarely returned to Feng’an County. His business flourished, and the mark of Feng’an County had long since vanished from him. After Tan Fabin was murdered, he returned dressed in black to see him off one last time.

Ling Lie said, “Xiao Yishun was doing business in the south in his early years. Why did he come back to Fengshi to open a car repair shop in recent years?”

Shen Wei said, “He’s getting older, I guess. Wants to contribute something to his hometown. He’s not just in the car repair business, he’s also in the south…”

Ling Lie interrupted, “Yes, not just car repair. He’s also the boss of ‘Gui Yong Tang’.”

Shen Wei frowned slightly.

“You didn’t mention him last time when I was investigating the cases of Mou Dianpei and Liu Xuelin.”

“It had nothing to do with him.”

“Really? But the grudge between Mou Dianpei and Liu Xuelin was because of ‘Gui Yong Tang,’ and Xiao Yishun has some connection to Tan Fabin.”

Shen Wei was silent for a moment. “I’m not a police officer. I don’t have your clear thinking abilities.”

Ling Lie asked, “What are your thoughts on Xiao Yishun running ‘Gui Yong Tang’?”

Shen Wei shook his head. “What thoughts could I have?”

“Even as an outsider, I find it strange. Xiao Yishun looked down on the funeral industry so much back then. He only wanted to open a company because Tan Fabin was his good brother. Why would he turn around and start a funeral business in his hometown? If he wanted to invest in his hometown, couldn’t he have chosen other investments?”

Shen Wei looked away. “I have no relationship with Xiao Yishun. After my brother passed away, I had no further contact with him. What he invests in is not my concern.”

Ling Lie looked at Shen Wei for a while. “You actually knew about the ugly papercraft effigies of Tan Fabin on Fengchao Island. You just didn’t want to say.”

Shen Wei’s shoulders visibly stiffened.

Ling Lie continued, “I didn’t understand why you were trying to cover it up last time, but now I’ve figured it out—you know this island is controlled by Xiao Yishun, and you also know the island’s secrets.”

Shen Wei’s eyes turned numb. “I don’t know. For these past seventeen years, I’ve only cared about who killed my brother. Nothing else has anything to do with me.”

After a brief silence, Ling Lie suddenly said, “Actually, I found out one more thing.”

Shen Wei said, “I don’t know anything about Xiao Yishun’s affairs.”

Ling Lie countered, “No, it’s not about Xiao Yishun. It’s about you.”

“Me?”

“It was an accidental discovery—you actually own a villa in the seaside resort area on the east side of Fengshi.”

Shen Wei’s eyes showed confusion. “A villa?”

Ling Lie said, “You don’t know?”

Shen Wei lowered his head, his lips pressed tight, then relaxed.

His reaction indicated that he wasn’t surprised; he knew about it. But when he looked up, he said, “Where would I get the money to buy a villa? I’ve never even been to the seaside resort area. You should check again; you must have made a mistake.”

That evening, the city bureau’s senior leadership held a video conference with Ling Lie and Ji Chenjiao to deploy the plan. The operation had to be carried out on two fronts. Xiao Yishun was in Fengshi, his every move under police surveillance, but the police currently had no reason to arrest him. They had to find clear evidence of a crime. With such a major incident on the island and the criminal investigation team successively finding counterfeit drugs in several private hospitals, the people hiding in the shadows must have already gotten wind of it.

Now that SWAT officers were on the island, gradually protecting and evacuating tourists, the islanders might destroy evidence, so the operation had to be swift.

The Fengshi police had never handled such a case before and were extremely nervous. They wanted to entrust the burden to the special operations team but also didn’t want to appear as if they were holding them back. A semi-retired deputy chief said he would personally lead the SWAT team. Ling Lie glanced at this deputy chief on the video screen and sighed inwardly.

His starting point was very high, even higher than Ji Chenjiao’s. Ji Chenjiao had graduated from the police university and his abilities were naturally top-notch, cultivated along an elite path, with every step from theory to practice well-documented. But he had grown up in the real-world combat of the special operations team. Before he ever put on a police uniform, he was immersed in rapidly changing, dangerous environments, working with the most formidable group of people.

So occasionally, when he heard incorrect ideas and judgments from police in small places, he felt a sense of surprise and dissonance.

Just then, Ji Chenjiao’s elbow nudged his arm. He came back to his senses and met Ji Chenjiao’s gaze.

Ji Chenjiao seemed to be saying: Don’t worry, I’m here.

Ling Lie squinted and raised his eyebrows at Ji Chenjiao.

Throughout the meeting, the Fengshi police hoped to quickly obtain clues about the counterfeit drugs and “Gui Yong Tang” to initiate arrests, but they also pursued a cautious approach, worried about accidentally harming civilians.

This was understandable. The local police couldn’t be compared to the special operations team; they had too many concerns. But Ling Lie felt that if they followed this cautious plan, by the time all the tourists were evacuated, even if they found the hidden dens, the important evidence would be gone. The ones pushed forward would be a few scapegoats, while the truly heinous criminals would have already escaped.

An image of Shen Wei’s expression when mentioning Xiao Yishun appeared in Ling Lie’s mind. That silence and hesitation likely signified fear. Xiao Yishun was someone even the shrewd and fearless Shen Wei was wary of.

Xiao Yishun could leave Fengshi at any time, even the country. Fengshi’s proximity to the sea made his escape convenient.

They couldn’t wait any longer.

And they couldn’t let certain islanders discover that the police couldn’t wait any longer.

The night was deep. The tourists who had not yet been evacuated slept under the protection of the SWAT team. Fengchao Island seemed calm, but a turbulent undercurrent was veiled.

Ling Lie silently changed into the all-black combat suit that Le Ran had delivered when he arrived on the island. Just as he was about to leave the room, a hand suddenly pressed against the door. Ling Lie’s heart tightened. He turned to see Ji Chenjiao dressed in the same combat suit, his deep eyes watching him faintly, as if he had been lying in wait for a long time, just waiting to catch him.

“Little… Little Ji…” Ling Lie felt a rare twinge of guilt.

Ji Chenjiao said coldly, “Where are you going so late?”

“Couldn’t sleep. Going for a walk.”

“Dressed like this for a walk?”

After a brief moment of surprise, Ling Lie realized he couldn’t hide it. “Aren’t you dressed like this too?”

Ji Chenjiao snorted. “I knew something was off with you after the meeting. What, you think the Fengshi police are too slow, so you’re going to go it alone?”

Ling Lie was annoyed at being called out. “The special operations team is a higher-level department. I don’t have to follow local directives. But you, a temporary worker, are you trying to manage your superior?” As he spoke, Ling Lie poked Ji Chenjiao’s chest repeatedly.

Ji Chenjiao frowned. He also agreed with Ling Lie’s idea to act quickly. What he was unhappy about was that Ling Lie hadn’t discussed it with him at all, nor did he plan to inform the other members of the special operations team. He was just going to charge in alone.

What, was he that untrustworthy? Or was it that this person had always acted alone in similar situations in the past?

But time was precious, and Ji Chenjiao couldn’t dwell on it. He asked, “What’s your plan?”

Ling Lie had no choice but to abandon his solo mission. “Let’s go!”

It was the middle of the night. The only sound on Fengchao Island was the ebb and flow of the tide. Two black figures melted into the night and quickly disappeared.

“In the past, there were often cases of entire villages making drugs, but the likelihood of the entire Fengchao Island being involved in drug manufacturing is low. The funeral and ghost-god masks on the island are meant to deceive not only the police and regulatory bodies but also the other islanders. They provide them with money-making jobs, letting them indulge in the prosperity of West Street. This is another kind of spiritual anesthetic for them, preventing them from discovering the secrets of East Street.”

“Why is there such a large wealth gap on one island? Those poor families, like Cao Xinxin’s, can they really not find a way to make money? No, they are better at making money than anyone. They are just pretending to be poor. They are the truly rich people on this island!”

“The den is on East Street. The last time I came looking for Xu Ling, I noticed a patch of old houses on the south side of East Street that didn’t quite fit with the surrounding environment. I didn’t think much of it at the time, assuming they were deliberately preserving the old houses. In reality, they can’t be renovated. Those houses, or what’s beneath them, is their stronghold.”

“Lu Dongyue’s death led the police to quickly lock down Fengchao Island. Their key figures couldn’t leave and must still be on the island. Controlling them isn’t difficult. As long as someone confesses the relationship between ‘Gui Yong Tang’ and Fengchao Island, or if we find physical evidence, then Huang Yi and his team can make arrests. A moment slower, and we might let Xiao Yishun escape.”

Ling Lie’s clear thinking stirred a strange restlessness in Ji Chenjiao. He initially thought Ling Lie was just recklessly brave, but what Ling Lie was demonstrating now was the elite quality of that top mobile unit.

The two had already reached East Street. Only a few scattered streetlights were on, as if everyone living here had fallen into a deep sleep. But there was a palpable tension in the air, a tension that only a hunter long accustomed to ambushing in the jungle could smell.

Not far ahead was the patch of old houses where Xu Ling lived. It lay like an ugly patch of mud, stubbornly refusing to dissipate.

Although moving together was safer, it was not conducive to searching. Since Ling Lie had let Ji Chenjiao come along, he trusted his abilities.

He gestured to the southeast, and Ji Chenjiao tapped his chest lightly. The two immediately separated, each heading toward their destination.

Ling Lie’s mind wandered for a moment, recalling that Ji Chenjiao seemed to have mentioned receiving mixed special criminal training and having been on missions. The night wind blew a stray lock of his hair, and he felt like a wild beast that hadn’t hunted in a long time, excitedly running toward the crisis ahead.

Every courtyard was closed, but climbing in was not difficult. Ling Lie came to Xu Ling’s courtyard and vaulted over the wall as nimbly as a swallow, landing without a sound.

The courtyard looked different from when he had last seen it; someone had tidied up. He moved along the wall to the front door. It was locked, but easy to open. He looked up. The window on the second floor was open. He leaped up, his toes tapping the brick wall three times, and entered through the window.

There was no sound of breathing in the darkness.

Ling Lie had excellent night vision. After searching the room, he quietly moved into the hallway. There were five rooms on the second floor. Only one was locked, and shockingly, in such an old house, the door had a fingerprint lock.

Picking the lock was a piece of cake for Ling Lie. He pushed the door open to find the room empty, except for a bed covered with a floor-length blanket. Why would a bed need a combination lock? Ling Lie approached and quickly lifted the blanket, revealing three safes lined up under the bed.

Ling Lie opened one of them; it was packed with cash. He took a picture of the scene, checked the room for other mechanisms, and after confirming there were none, went down to the first floor.

It was now clear that Xu Ling was involved in the island’s criminal activities, and her husband, who had passed away many years ago, was likely a participant as well. The family had immense wealth but lived a simple and frugal life to avoid attracting attention. But a personality like Cao Xinxin’s was forged by poverty. Could it be that he didn’t know what his parents were doing? Or that his family was so rich? Had Xu Ling not pulled her son into this world of crime, yet Cao Xinxin had stumbled onto this path by a twist of fate?

Ling Lie searched the first floor. The floor was cluttered with daily necessities and materials for making funeral products. A door that looked like it led to a storage room was locked with a mechanical lock. After opening it, a thick, strange fragrance hit him.

Ling Lie instinctively held his breath, his nerves on high alert. But he quickly realized it wasn’t some poison gas, just a bundle of incense in the corner. The incense wasn’t lit, but there was a large quantity of it, and it was scattered about, its scent unmasked.

Why was there incense here? Was it meant to cover up some other smell?

The room was small and windowless, with a half-wall of cabinets containing some bottles and jars. The floor was covered with a dirty carpet. Carpets were uncommon in Fengshi, let alone in such a strange place.

Ling Lie pushed the carpet aside with his foot and, as expected, saw a floor hatch with a handle.

He pulled the door open, and a wave of damp air with a sea-like smell rushed up, fishy and foul. Ling Lie instinctively frowned, then looked at the incense in the corner. Spending a long time down there, no wonder incense was needed.

The hatch led to pitch darkness. Ling Lie held his breath and listened for a moment before climbing down backward.

The bottom of the stairs was more than ten meters from the top. It was a corridor with a damp floor. Besides the sea-stink, he could faintly smell the pungent odor of chemicals.

There was danger ahead, but Ling Lie had come seeking danger.

The corridor was narrow, but if every old courtyard in this area had such a tunnel underneath, it would be like an interconnected spiderweb, all leading to the same place.

There was a glimmer of light ahead. Ling Lie moved more cautiously. The source of the light seemed to be very close to the sea, as the sound of the tide grew louder. Was this secret underground lair actually built by the sea?

Lu Dongyue was killed by the sea, and his body was thrown into the water. It was highly likely that Weng Keqiu also met his fate when he followed him to the seaside.

The end of the corridor opened into a slightly wider space with a high ceiling. The light shone from below, and through an iron-grated square opening large enough for one person to pass, voices could be heard. There were four people speaking the island’s dialect, which Ling Lie found a bit difficult to understand. They seemed to mention Weng Keqiu and going out to sea.

Weng Keqiu was not dead yet. Just as Ling Lie had previously speculated, the people who found him didn’t want to cause trouble during the “Parade of a Myriad Ghosts” and had imprisoned him instead. But Lu Dongyue’s death had still drawn the police’s attention.

They wanted to escape, but the SWAT team had sealed the docks, and no one other than tourists could leave. They were anxious, hesitating whether to destroy the things hidden here and execute Weng Keqiu. Someone said they had heard about the police’s plan; the matter of the drugs was already exposed, but they still had time to save themselves because the police wouldn’t make a move until all the tourists were evacuated.

A vicious voice said, “There’s still one tourist! As long as we use Weng Keqiu as a hostage, they’ll have to let us go!”

“Enjoy it while you can,” Ling Lie thought to himself.

The voices grew more distant. Ling Lie mapped out the underground lair in his mind—each house had a secret passage, and below that was a secondary network of tunnels. The core area was down through this iron-grated opening.

Normally, the lair would be bustling with activity, with all participants producing drugs inside. But now, production had halted, so those remaining below were likely only the middle and upper-level members of the organization.

Ling Lie licked his lips. Perfect. The ones he wanted to control were the middle and upper levels.

After the voices completely disappeared, Ling Lie silently opened the iron grate. After observing with a periscope, he climbed down the straight ladder to the bottom.

This was an irregular area, roughly trapezoidal, with two corridors on the left. Ling Lie recalled the direction of the voices and headed for the upward-sloping one. Both sides of the corridor were dug-out warehouses, stacked with a large number of cardboard boxes and plastic barrels. Ling Lie turned sideways and entered the nearest one, seeing that the boxes were filled with dark-colored medicine bottles.

Finished products? Ling Lie took one out and put it in his tactical vest. A nauseating smell wafted over. Ling Lie quickly darted into another warehouse diagonally ahead, moving forward in a zigzag pattern. At that moment, he saw a warehouse sealed with an iron-barred door. A face covered in blood was looking at him.

The man’s clothes were stained beyond recognition. One eye was matted shut with blood, the other was full of red veins, and his entire face was badly swollen. But Ling Lie still recognized him—it was Weng Keqiu!

Upon recognizing Ling Lie, Weng Keqiu froze in astonishment. He was in a terrible state, clearly having suffered inhuman torture. A moment ago he had been breathing faintly, but now even his breathing had stopped.

The sudden silence was even more conspicuous. Ling Lie glanced ahead, pressed his index finger to his lips, then made an upward motion with his palm in front of his chest.

Weng Keqiu understood immediately, nodded, and started breathing again.

Ling Lie tapped his right chest, then pointed forward, signaling that he had to leave temporarily. Weng Keqiu suddenly reached out, trying to stop Ling Lie, and tentatively made a hand signal—Are you SWAT?

Ling Lie was instantly inspired. He had also learned sign language. Weng Keqiu had been trapped here for so long, he must know some things. Rather than running around like a headless chicken, it was better to get clues from him!

Ling Lie quickly signed—Yes, is this a drug manufacturing den?

Weng Keqiu was immediately invigorated, his one open eye shining—Yes! I’m also a police officer! I was knocked out while tailing someone and trapped here! I never thought Fengchao Island had such a secret! They’re illegally making drugs, and there are narcotics here too!

—Do you know the layout here? Where is the core production area?

—Ahead, turn right, straight down! This is the warehouse area!

—Were the men talking just now the leaders?

—Sort of, but there’s a bigger boss outside.

Weng Keqiu used his finger to write on the wall: Qianbao, Gui Yong Tang.

Ling Lie understood. “Gui Yong Tang” was indeed connected to Fengchao Island, and this man named Qianbao was the manager, a minor leader.

Weng Keqiu then used gestures to describe Qianbao’s appearance—long face, a goatee, curly hair, very thin.

Ling Lie nodded and told Weng Keqiu in sign language to hold on a little longer, that rescue would arrive soon.

Weng Keqiu panted, pressing his face against the iron bars. His pained gasps covered Ling Lie’s extremely quiet movements, his eyes following Ling Lie’s figure until he was out of sight.

Ling Lie had originally planned only to get a sample as evidence of illegal drug manufacturing and then retreat. As long as there was evidence, the local police could take immediate action. But now he had changed his mind. Since there weren’t many people in the lair, he would take down that man named Qianbao immediately, giving “Gui Yong Tang” no chance to react.

Following the route Weng Keqiu had indicated, he stealthily moved to a downward-sloping passage. The passage wasn’t long, and two men were patrolling it. That was the core of this underground lair, the drug production point and the hiding place for some of the high-level members trapped on the island.

Ling Lie pressed himself against the wall, using the shadows of the passage to descend. The patrols were thugs, unarmed. As one of them walked over, he swiftly struck his neck, knocking him out and dragging him into the passage. The other heard the commotion and was about to shout when Ling Lie pushed off the wall with his right leg, flying forward and kicking the man unconscious.

This space was a transitional area, with downward slopes on both sides. The area below was very large, the drug manufacturing workshop. But the machines that should have been running were now silent, waiting like their owners for the police on the island to leave.

In the middle of the transitional area was a room resembling a control center. The door was closed. The two thugs he had knocked out were guards for the people inside.

Ling Lie’s target was clear. He was here for the person in charge. After their earlier argument, they were most likely resting in this room. It was now 4 a.m., the time of greatest fatigue.

Ling Lie first placed a signal jammer behind a pipe. The jammer had a wide coverage area, and once activated, no messages could be sent from here. After setting it up, he went to the door and listened for a moment. It was better to lure them out than to go in.

He knocked twice on the door. As expected, someone inside shouted impatiently, “What is it?”

Ling Lie remained silent and continued to knock.

Soon, footsteps approached from inside, and the door opened. A tall, stout middle-aged man poked his head out. Just as he had dealt with the thug before, Ling Lie directly attacked his neck. The man had no time to react and blacked out without making a sound.

But this anomaly clearly alerted the people inside. “Who’s outside? A’Chang!”