“I can’t let you just walk in like this!” Ji Chenjiao gripped Ling Lie’s arm tightly, his lower eyelids filled with red veins.

Ling Lie pointed to his belt. “I’m wearing a bug. It doesn’t count as ‘just walking in’.”

“That thing is useless. Do you think they won’t search you? As soon as you go in, they’ll find it! Once it’s removed, your communication with the outside world will be cut off!”

“That’s exactly why I have to wear it. To make them understand I only have this petty trick, and to make them blindly confident—that as long as they destroy this bug, you won’t know any conversation or anything happening inside.”

There was a hidden meaning in Ling Lie’s words. Ji Chenjiao squinted slightly and, after a moment, asked, “Do you have other ways to transmit information?”

Ling Lie shook his head.

“Then you…”

“But I can transmit information right now.”

Ling Lie suddenly leaned in close, the wind brushing past his lips carrying his whisper into Ji Chenjiao’s ear.

“Xiao Ji, remember what our ultimate goal is?”

An electric current seemed to run down Ji Chenjiao’s spine. “Catch the boss of ‘Floating Lights’.”

“So what’s the rush? Now is the best chance to control Bo Lingxue.” Ling Lie enunciated each word clearly, “Because he. Is. Not. In. The. Clinic. At. All!”

“How do you know?”

“Recall the situation in the middle of the night. Bo Lingxue only commanded with his voice but never showed his face. Given his personality, why wouldn’t he show his face? I guess it’s because this is a trap he dug for us. As the boss, why should he personally appear in the trap? But he needs us to believe he is right here.”

“Since the four leather-jacketed men went in, we’ve been watching all the entrances and exits of the small clinic. This was especially true after Ning Xiechen’s video was sent; absolutely no one has left from inside. Bo Lingxue wasn’t inside from the start; he’s controlling things remotely from somewhere else.”

“Also just now, it was that big guy named ‘Na Sheng’ who contacted us. Bo Lingxue wasn’t even willing to use his voice. Why? Because the more he says, the more mistakes he might make. He’s worried about being seen through by us at this critical moment. Once we start suspecting, technical reconnaissance might locate him. I deliberately asked ‘Na Sheng’ where Bo Lingxue was, and ‘Na Sheng’ made a very theatrical gesture—looking towards the corridor. Was ‘Na Sheng’ trying to convey to me that Bo Lingxue was right in the corridor? But he had just said shortly before that Bo Lingxue was busy with something else. What, Bo Lingxue’s other business is loitering in the corridor?”

“Bo Lingxue must be hiding somewhere, while his trusted aides and most of the people he brought are in the small clinic. As long as we find where he is, taking him down won’t be a problem. My mission is to pin down ‘Na Sheng’ inside and rescue Ning Xiechen. Xiao Ji, I don’t need to elaborate on your mission, right?”

Ji Chenjiao looked at Ling Lie seriously, not withdrawing the strength from his hand.

Ling Lie smiled. “Bo Lingxue isn’t hiding far. He probably thinks the police can’t appear there in a short time. Because—our police forces are concentrated in Basun Village, and the local and Special Action Team forces are controlling the ‘Snow Child’ slashing incidents in various villages and towns.”

Ji Chenjiao’s dry lips moved. “Guiweng Town! The intelligence just received says only Guiweng Town hasn’t had any incidents yet!”

Ling Lie nodded. “That’s right. As for where Bo Lingxue is hiding in Guiweng Town, Shen Qi will have to do his best. After I go in, Bo Lingxue will definitely use communication equipment to talk to me. His goal isn’t to kill me; if he just wanted to kill me, he wouldn’t go through all this trouble. I’ll stall for time with him as much as possible, but he also knows SWAT is on the way. He’ll give me time, but not too much. You have to find him within an hour; that’s also the time it takes for SWAT to get here.”

Ji Chenjiao’s gaze seemed tangible, wrapping tightly around Ling Lie. Ling Lie touched Ji Chenjiao’s face and laughed, “Captain Ji, did you remember clearly everything I just said? At the critical moment, don’t let your love-struck brain only contain your boyfriend, me.”

Ji Chenjiao shook his head lightly, sobering up instantly.

He understood the huge risk of Ling Lie going in alone, but Ling Lie was right; this was the chance to catch Bo Lingxue. They had no other choice but to gamble on this!

“You…” Ji Chenjiao’s voice was hoarse. He wanted to say “be safe,” but the words felt like meaningless nonsense on the tip of his tongue.

Ling Lie reached out and punched him lightly on the chest. “Xiao Ji.”

“Hmm?”

“Be safe.”

“……”

Just as Ling Lie turned around, Ji Chenjiao looked at his profile and back, finally saying, “You too.”

Ling Lie walked towards the small clinic. The attention of everyone inside the clinic was on him. In a corner unnoticed by them, Ji Chenjiao and Shen Qi had changed into villagers’ clothes, disguised themselves, and rode a motorcycle away from Basun Village via a small path.

It was raining in the mountains, a light rain, but it made the winding mountain roads extremely dangerous. Ji Chenjiao rode in front, pushing the speed almost to the limit. On the way, he contacted Xi Wan, who had already returned to Guiweng Town, telling her to prepare and explain the situation to the local police station without alerting the enemy. He also contacted Shen Xun, asking about the arrival time of reinforcements at Basun Village.

Upon learning that Bo Lingxue was likely in Guiweng Town, Shen Xun decided to dispatch three people to divert towards Guiweng Town.

Ji Chenjiao’s mind cooled instantly in the cold winter wind and rain. “Snow Child” caused mental issues. Excessive injection or inhalation led to a certain degree of excitement, possibly leading to street slashing. But multiple villages having incidents simultaneously could only be due to someone providing external stimulus, solely to tie down police forces. This was another tragedy caused by “Floating Lights” to achieve their goals; these terrorists deserved death!

Arriving in Guiweng Town earlier than expected, Shen Qi was shivering from the cold but immediately got into the police car to start tracking. However, Bo Lingxue was using the dark web, making it difficult to break through barriers in a short time.

And the police couldn’t launch a large-scale search. That would not only be easily detected by Bo Lingxue but also expose Ling Lie.

Shen Qi was sweating profusely from anxiety. The more anxious he got, the more mistakes he made, with the program reporting errors continuously. He was so angry he almost smashed the keyboard.

“Calm down.” Ji Chenjiao pressed on his shoulder. “Rest for a bit.”

Shen Qi was about to cry. “But there’s no time!”

Ji Chenjiao said, “I’ll think of a way.”

Guiweng Town seemed normal. A small portion of the police had been sent to neighboring villages for support, while the rest were patrolling to prevent slashing incidents on their own turf. People discussed the accidents in other villages with worry. Some said the men in their families were acting strange, with weird looks in their eyes. The market was much quieter than yesterday. Worried about accidents, many people shooed their children home.

Ji Chenjiao looked at the grey sky, images of the streets Ling Lie sent when he first arrived in Guiweng Town swirling in his mind. The eastern functional area had a market, school, shops, and guesthouses. Out-of-town merchants selling New Year’s goods parked small trucks near the market. The southern part of the west was a residential area, with new and old houses close together. North of the village was a large graveyard, and inside the village were all old houses where only a few elderly people still lived. The street block Ning Xiechen filmed was there.

“Floating Lights” used to hide there; it was the place they were most familiar with. Would they hide there again this time?

No, after accidents happened in other villages, the police station had already checked. The possibility of Bo Lingxue still hiding there was low.

Ji Chenjiao suddenly saw a truck nearby, and his pupils contracted.

Yes, a truck. To be mobile and escape, one must have a vehicle. Guiweng Town was small and insular; everyone knew everyone. Any foreign car appearing now would easily attract attention, except for trucks!

There were currently seven trucks parked in Guiweng Town. Ji Chenjiao immediately had Shen Qi check these seven.

Five minutes later, Shen Qi’s voice trembled. “Bro, this Jiang L plate… has a problem!”

Hiding water in the ocean is the best way to conceal it. Bo Lingxue obviously knew this well. While talking to Ling Lie, he really wanted to ask, Do you know that both you and I are in Guiweng Town? In the end, you lose.

But he didn’t show it so blatantly; it wasn’t time to declare total victory yet.

Ling Lie asked him for time. The SWAT hadn’t arrived at Basun Village yet, and Guiweng Town was still calm. Fine, he could give Ling Lie time, but not too much.

The trucks were parked haphazardly with their rear canopies open, vendors shouting their wares. The vendor with the Jiang L plate looked no different from the others. Local police disguised as civilians went up to ask prices but didn’t find Bo Lingxue in the truck.

“Just you alone?” the police officer said. “Hard work, huh? How can you watch the stall alone?”

The vendor said honestly, “No, my brother and the others went to eat. They’ll be back in a bit.”

To avoid attention, these vendors either slept in their trucks or stayed in guesthouses at night. Ji Chenjiao sent people to verify the vendors’ information. Only the identity of the Jiang L vendor remained suspicious.

Including the one watching the stall, there were three in total, staying at the inconspicuous “Happiness Hotel,” which was essentially a small guesthouse.

There wasn’t much time left before the agreed time with Ling Lie. Hesitation was not an option. Ji Chenjiao and the three team members from the Special Action Team came up with a plan: the team members would control the market to prevent the vendor from suddenly going crazy and hurting people, while he and Xi Wan infiltrated the “Happiness Hotel.”

Shen Qi took control of the “Happiness Hotel’s” surveillance. Surveillance in such small places often malfunctioned. If someone was monitoring the guesthouse through surveillance, they would see nothing now. Since the time was short, they might not become suspicious immediately.

Ji Chenjiao got the guest information from the front desk. The three of them had booked three rooms. Currently, two were empty. If Bo Lingxue was in Room 305 talking to Ling Lie, the other person was either in the same room or watching from elsewhere.

Shen Qi: “Bro, I see a suspicious person. He entered 305 half an hour ago.”

Xi Wan lowered her voice. “Two people inside. Storm in?”

Ji Chenjiao checked the time again. “The surveillance is blacked out. The other person might come out to check the situation. Wait another minute.”

Half a minute later, the door to 305 indeed opened. A 1.9-meter-tall man walked out warily, heading quickly towards the stairs.

Xi Wan hid around the corner. The moment he appeared, a gun was pressed to his temple.

Shen Qi said in the earpiece, “Bro, I’ve unlocked the door.”

Ji Chenjiao held his breath and quietly opened the door. A simple room with a cloth partition. Bo Lingxue’s voice came from behind it.

“Don’t move,” Ji Chenjiao said.

Amidst Bo Lingxue’s extremely astonished gaze, Ling Lie laughed. “I told you, you wouldn’t want to know what Ji Chenjiao and I talked about before we parted.”

No gunshots were heard in Guiweng Town; everything settled into silence amidst the undercurrents. However, the battle in Basun Village was fierce. Before the SWAT support arrived, Ling Lie, Ning Xiechen, and Wen Zhengchao fought against more than thirty “Floating Lights” members.

Ning Xiechen was shot in the leg and fell silently to the ground. Yet, this raid was initiated by him.

During the hostage exchange, when Ling Lie squatted on the ground and Ning Xiechen reached out to him, he thought it was just a simple handshake. But when his hands covered Ning Xiechen’s palm and back of the hand, he felt a sudden, heavy squeeze.

At that moment, what was gripped seemed not to be a hand, but a nerve!

Ning Xiechen’s face remained expressionless, like a cripple tortured for years whose spirit had long vanished.

But in that brief contact, lasting only two seconds, Ling Lie suddenly understood the message conveyed to him—I am not a cripple.

Not a cripple means staying here and fighting together.

Initially, when the clinic’s diamond iron gate closed, Ling Lie thought he would fight alone. It didn’t matter; he was used to it. His goal wasn’t to take heads, but to buy time for Ji Chenjiao.

Ning Xiechen’s tight grip gave him another path.

When Ning Xiechen suddenly caused a commotion downstairs, he knew it was Ning Xiechen’s plan. He and Ning Xiechen had the same goal: to keep Ning Xiechen there.

But to avoid suspicion from “Na Sheng,” he pretended to be panicked, scolding “Floating Lights” for breaking their word.

Ning Xiechen was detained, and Wen Zhengchao didn’t leave the entrance.

Anyone familiar with Ning Xiechen knew he was an invalid, unable to speak or care for himself. What kind of waves could such a person make?

Although those sent by “Na Sheng” to watch Ning Xiechen were experts, they inevitably slacked off.

Wen Zhengchao’s appearance was unexpected, but even if he hadn’t been outside, Ning Xiechen would have found a way to stay in the clinic.

Wen Zhengchao initially thought “Floating Lights” meant harm to Ning Xiechen. When “Na Sheng” went upstairs, he saw Ning Xiechen make a subtle hand gesture with his index fingers intertwined.

That was…

Memories of their youth flooded back. That was a gesture they studied together when they first put on police uniforms. He had forgotten the specific meaning, but he knew Ning Xiechen was conveying that he was in disguise. In this small clinic, they might be able to watch each other’s backs just like when they were young!

“Floating Lights” neglected their guard against Ning Xiechen, finding Wen Zhengchao outside more attention-grabbing. One person left temporarily, and another walked to the iron gate, staring at Wen Zhengchao who kept making noise. Ning Xiechen let out muffled cries of pain.

The remaining guard knew this was a sickly invalid who often needed emergency aid. If something happened on his watch, it would be hard to explain to the higher-ups. So he bent down, leaning close to ask, “What is it?”

In that instant, Ning Xiechen suddenly leaped up, delivering a powerful blow to the back of the guard’s neck. The mercenary collapsed onto Ning Xiechen without uttering a cry for help.

Ning Xiechen swiftly took the bulletproof vest and firearms from him and tied him to the wheelchair. Wen Zhengchao caught all this in his peripheral vision while locked in a heated standoff with the fierce mercenary standing before him.

Ning Xiechen approached quietly, the gun muzzle searing against the mercenary’s neck.

The sudden change horrified the mercenary. Just as he was about to shout, he heard the sound of Ning Xiechen pre-pressing the trigger.

Ning Xiechen didn’t fire that shot in the end; he smashed the back of the mercenary’s head, knocking him unconscious temporarily. Wen Zhengchao’s gaze burned, his eyes saying—Let me in!

Ning Xiechen hesitated for a second, took the keys from the mercenary, and opened the diamond iron gate. The gate opened just a crack wide enough for a person to pass. Wen Zhengchao crawled in. Ning Xiechen threw the stripped bulletproof vest in front of him, uttering an ugly, slurred syllable: “Go!”

The mercenary who rushed back discovered something was wrong, but it was too late. Ning Xiechen and Wen Zhengchao fought from the first floor to the second. At the first gunshot, the bullet pierced “Na Sheng’s” skull.

But Ning Xiechen was surviving almost entirely on willpower. After being shot in the leg, he couldn’t move further. Ling Lie gave him simple first aid to stop the bleeding. He leaned gently against Ling Lie’s shoulder, the blankness in his eyes scattering like ashes. With strange pronunciation, he said, “Thank, you.”

Thank you for coming to save me.

Thank you for letting me participate in action again.

The arrival of the Special Action Team finally brought the small clinic under complete control. The “Floating Lights” members lurking inside were all caught. Wen Zhengchao was also injured, taking a bullet to the shoulder.

Ning Xiechen had fallen into a coma due to blood loss and his withered body. He was sent to the ambulance together with Wen Zhengchao.

Ling Lie jumped onto a police car, confirming with Ji Chenjiao via video that neither was injured.

Over in Guiweng Town, Bo Lingxue and two other “Floating Lights” members had been arrested. They were currently detained at the police station, watched by the Special Action Team, absolutely secure.

Ji Chenjiao had heard about Ning Xiechen. After the immense joy, complex emotions surged one after another.

“We thought we were saving Captain Ning, but actually, Captain Ning saved me.” Ling Lie squeezed his right hand. “When he held my hand, I understood I would have the most reliable teammate.”

Ji Chenjiao looked at Ling Lie carefully without speaking.

After a while, Ling Lie said, “Have you worked with Captain Ning? Like today.”

Ji Chenjiao shook his head. “He mentored me, taught me, but we haven’t faced danger together.”

Ling Lie smiled. “Then in the future, he’ll definitely think I’m better than you, his little apprentice.”

While the SWAT team handled the aftermath, Ling Lie lowered his seat back and lay down, letting out a long sigh of relief. A moment later, he sat up again. “Let me confirm again, we really caught Bo Lingxue, right?”

“Really caught him. Your maiden family’s people (Special Action Team) are guarding him. Tomorrow he’ll be transferred directly back to Xiarong City for detention and interrogation.”

Ling Lie asked again, “You aren’t injured? What about Ms. Xi? My brother?”

Ji Chenjiao said, “Don’t worry.”

Ling Lie sighed softly. “We finally caught him. This way, ‘Floating Lights’ will retreat too, right?”

Uprooting the dark web completely was difficult, but driving its tentacles outside the national borders was the most practical goal the Chinese police could achieve.

Ling Lie felt a bit sleepy and covered his eyes with his arm. “I’ll rest a bit.”

Ning Xiechen and Wen Zhengchao were sent to a hospital in Qianbing City for treatment. Wen Zhengchao had bone injuries but was not in life-threatening danger. Ning Xiechen’s situation was extremely tricky. The trouble wasn’t the gunshot wound on his leg, but the long-term physical depletion. Doctors preliminarily diagnosed that he had undergone surgeries and been paralyzed. He had been kept alive by drugs all these years, and excessive drug use had damaged his internal organs.

His pretense of being a cripple in front of “Floating Lights” wasn’t entirely fake; his condition was indeed not far from it. Subduing the mercenaries and killing “Na Sheng” with one shot this time was nothing short of a miracle. But this high-tension action also exhausted his last bit of mental and physical strength.

He lay in the ICU and hadn’t woken up.

Because of “Snow Child,” local police arrested many people. The chaos in the towns had been brought under control. Xiarong City police, Qianbing City police, and the Special Action Team concentrated at the Qianbing City Bureau. Bo Lingxue and the other “Floating Lights” members were also transferred there.

Since his capture, Bo Lingxue hadn’t spoken a word. Technical reconnaissance detected that the activity trend of the “Floating Lights” dark web seemed to plummet abruptly due to the capture of its leader.

Ling Lie met with Ji Chenjiao, visited Wen Zhengchao in the hospital, and stayed outside Ning Xiechen’s ward for a while. They couldn’t see Ning Xiechen for the time being.

The medical level in Qianbing City was average. Ji Chenjiao originally wanted to take Ning Xiechen back to Xiarong City, but Xie Qing said since travel was involved anyway, might as well go directly to the capital for expert consultation.

No matter what, they had to find a way to wake Ning Xiechen up. He was not only a hero but also a key witness to expose “Floating Lights'” crimes.

Ling Lie asked, “Have you interrogated Bo Lingxue?”

Ji Chenjiao said, “Still refuses to speak. Others have confessed details of crimes within the borders. But I feel something isn’t right.”

Ling Lie said, “Bo Lingxue isn’t right?”

Ji Chenjiao rubbed his brow. “Yes, his silence is too strange.”

Ling Lie propped up his chin. “Is he setting another trap for us?”

Ji Chenjiao said, “Was there a problem with our operation?”

Ling Lie thought for a moment and shook his head. “Wen Zhengchao receiving Captain Ning’s email was Bo Lingxue’s plot. Bo Lingxue wanted to lure me to this place where it’s very easy to leave the country. As for Captain Ning, ‘Floating Lights’ could release him or not. To avoid being caught by us, Bo Lingxue set up a bunch of traps. He just didn’t expect Captain Ning to help us, nor did he expect to be caught by you in the end.”

Ling Lie looked at Ji Chenjiao: “Process, outcome, logic—there are no problems.”

Ji Chenjiao exhaled lightly and nodded. “Maybe I’m just too nervous.”

Calm returned to the counties and villages of Qianbing City. Xiarong City police and the Special Action Team evacuated successively. Bo Lingxue and the “Floating Lights” mercenaries were strictly transported to Xiarong City for centralized detention.

News from Shen Xun indicated that “Floating Lights” dark web activities had dropped significantly not only domestically but also overseas.

It seemed the operation to capture the “Insect Queen” was very effective.

The only unsettling thing was Bo Lingxue’s continued silence.

A week later, he suddenly requested Ling Lie to interrogate him.

Ling Lie said, “Is he finally planning to confess his crimes?”

Xie Qing chatted with Ling Lie for about ten minutes, urging him to keep Bo Lingxue stable and not to provoke him unnecessarily, since he was already in police hands.

Ling Lie sat down. Bo Lingxue smiled. ” A’Dou, you came to see me again.”

Ling Lie said, “Bo Lingxue, A’Xue, you made a wrong decision. The thing ‘Floating Lights’ shouldn’t have done most was step onto this land.”

Bo Lingxue suddenly raised his index finger and wagged it. “Wait a moment. Let me correct another mistake first.”

“What mistake?”

“I am not A’Xue.”

Ling Lie’s brows knitted together as he stared intently at the pair of dark green eyes.

“My codename is ‘Gray Peacock’. The true leader of ‘Floating Lights’ is ‘Black Peacock’, which is that A’Xue in your heart.”

Bo Lingxue laughed, like he had successfully fooled a pitiful wretch who thought he had won. “A’Dou, you think you’re smart. I’m not A’Xue. I’m just a shadow of A’Xue. Just like no matter how deep the color of a ‘Gray Peacock’s’ feathers are, they can never become the color of a ‘Black Peacock’.”