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Chapter 11
“With your attitude, it seems like there are quite a few people who want to take your life, right?” “Just get used to it.”
Jiang Ting swung back with an elbow, hitting the ribcage dead center and causing the incoming person to step back half a pace, emitting a painful groan. However, it was evident that this person was a seasoned fighter accustomed to pain. Just as Jiang Ting turned around, in a flash, the opponent lunged forward again, fiercely pinning him against the surrounding wall. In an instant, the distance between their noses was no more than half an inch.
In this mutually suppressing posture, their bodies were tightly pressed together, and the heat emanating from the robust muscles of the opponent was unabashedly warming them up.
Jiang Ting tilted his head slightly to avoid the other person’s breath and whispered, “…Officer Yan.”
A sly smile played on Yan Xie’s lips as he almost brushed against Jiang Ting’s mouth and asked, “So, did you sleep with someone’s wife and summon her husband?”
Jiang Ting: “…………”
At this moment, a loud bang came from behind the bushes, and a figure in a baseball cap leaped over the wall to chase after them.
Jiang Ting moved, but Yan Xie quickly and decisively pressed him back. The two faced each other in a tense standoff for half a second. Helpless, Jiang Ting could only raise his chin toward the bushes, raising his eyebrows in a gesture that said, “Go ahead.”
Yan Xie got what he wanted.
“Stay still.” Yan Xie patted Jiang Ting’s shoulder, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. Then he turned around and emerged from the bushes.
Crash—
The bushes swayed with Yan Xie’s footsteps, and the figure in the baseball cap turned around at the sound. Before he could utter a “who’s there?” he was kicked squarely in the chest, almost flying through the air. With a loud crash, he knocked down a partially collapsed flower bed.
The wearer of the baseball cap was suddenly ambushed, and instantly a mix of surprise and anger crossed his face. Enduring the intense pain, he staggered to his feet, saying, “Brother, which gang are you from? Why are you blocking my way?!”
Yan Xie remained silent. Swiftly, he lunged forward, and the opponent, cursing with a “Damn!” sound, swiftly drew a dagger, and a cold gleam of light thrust toward him!
Now it was a serious confrontation. The baseball cap was clearly skilled, slashing with several quick moves, the blades almost grazing Yan Xie’s face. Luckily, Yan Xie’s agility, honed over more than a decade of beating thieves, robbers, drug dealers, and even colleagues, remained intact. He dodged quickly and executed a sweeping leg kick, causing the baseball cap to stagger. Seizing the opportunity, Yan Xie grabbed a piece of broken brick from the collapsed flower bed, raised it high, and ruthlessly smashed it down toward the opponent’s head.
The baseball cap twisted his face to dodge, and the brick shattered against his scalp. In a critical moment, the baseball cap gritted his teeth and thrust the dagger viciously toward Yan Xie’s throat. With a crisp sound, Yan Xie grabbed the wrist, twisted it, dislocated it, and snatched away the dagger, tossing it several meters away.
From between clenched teeth, the baseball cap squeezed out a few words, “Which gang are you from? Do you know whose business you’re messing with?!”
Yan Xie gave a modest smile, and with a clattering sound, he took out the handcuffs. “No worries. I am none other than the legendary People’s Police.”
Unexpectedly, the baseball cap paused, not showing any signs of fear. Instead, a hint of ruthlessness flashed across his face. Yan Xie subconsciously felt that something was amiss, but it all happened too quickly—he saw the baseball cap reach into his jacket pocket, and then he pulled out a gun!
Bang!
……
The sound of the gunshot echoed in the narrow alley.
In the driver’s seat of a black SUV in the distance, a young man wearing a leather jacket, high-top boots, and sunglasses that covered most of his face lowered his binoculars and spoke softly, “They’ve started fighting, and the target is hiding behind the bushes on the scene. What should we do now?”
In the Bluetooth earpiece, there was only the sound of signal interference for several seconds before a calm male voice finally came through:
“Do it cleanly.”
The young man said, “I understand, Big Brother,” and then he immediately pulled the handbrake.
In the fraction of a second before the gunshot rang out, Yan Xie rolled on the ground and quickly got up. This reaction was almost godlike. Just as he raised his head, smoke lingered in front of him, and a bullet had created a deep hole in the ground, about two fingers wide.
The wearer of the baseball cap remained silent, got up, and started running.
“F*ck you!” Yan Xie drew his gun and chased after him, shouting, “If you don’t stop, I’ll shoot!”
Ignoring the warning, the baseball cap dashed out of the alley. Yan Xie closely followed, unwilling to let go. They chased for several hundred meters, and just as they were about to burst out of the winding alley, suddenly—swoosh! An SUV rushed out onto the intersecting road, nearly brushing against Yan Xie’s toes, forcing him to retreat.
“Watch where you’re going, you #@￥……” The driver’s curses gradually faded away.
In these few seconds of delay, the baseball cap had already disappeared in the distance, and it seemed impossible to catch up.
“Damn it!” Yan Xie cursed loudly, took out his phone, and dialed a number. “Hey, Ma Xiang, a suspicious person with a gun is attacking police near 52 Central Road in the South Alley of Sanmao Street. Notify the traffic police to assist in maintaining order. The target is 1.85 meters tall, weighs 90 kilograms, and is wearing a white sweatshirt and a black cap. Mobilize quickly and start the investigation!”
Ma Xiang was shocked and alarmed, “Holy cow, I’m on my way!”
Yan Xie hung up the phone, holstered his gun at his lower back, and slowly walked back. Jiang Ting stood in the shade, making a call. When he saw Yan Xie approaching, he hung up and stood still, slightly lifting his chin and quietly watching him.
Jiang Ting was of average height, but he was accustomed to looking at people from a slightly downward angle—no matter how well someone disguised their experiences and words, it was challenging to deceive with the smallest details like eye contact and movements.
The two stood a couple of meters apart, staring at each other without saying a word. After a while, Yan Xie asked, “Can you answer me a question?”
Jiang Ting replied, “Ask away.”
The small alley was quiet in the afternoon, and the distant police sirens became increasingly audible.
Yan Xie said seriously, “Actually, you slept with someone’s mother, didn’t you? Otherwise, why would you provoke someone’s son to the point of pulling out a gun?”
Jiang Ting: “………”
The police car whizzed toward them and abruptly stopped at the entrance of the alley. Over a dozen criminal detectives from the city bureau rushed toward them.
Yan Xie chuckled, “What’s that expression? I was just teasing you.”
As he spoke, he took off the sunglasses hanging from his shirt collar and casually threw them toward Jiang Ting.
………
The person in the baseball cap sprinted around the street corner, nearly knocking down two girls holding sun umbrellas. He didn’t even have time to look at them, speeding across the road to the other side, leaving behind the girls’ scolding voices.
The police sirens were intermittent, sometimes close, sometimes distant. Suddenly, from all directions, it seemed like there was no safe direction. The baseball cap rested on his knees for a moment, intending to call his employer. However, the constant “the other party’s phone is powered off” prompts on his phone made him furious. Just when he felt helpless, a black SUV suddenly sped toward him. The window rolled down a bit, revealing the partially obscured face of a young man wearing sunglasses:
“Fan Si?”
The baseball cap, feeling as if he had been granted amnesty, exclaimed, “Yes, yes, yes, you’re here to pick me up…”
The young man spoke succinctly, “Get in the car.”
“Report, report! Someone witnessed the suspect running past the main entrance of the Construction Bank at the intersection of Zhonghuan Road and Mingguang Road. The physique and appearance match the description. Dispatch a car to the location immediately!”
The walkie-talkie crackled, and Ma Xiang shouted, “Understood!” Then he nodded to the police officer in the front seat.
The police car roared to life and reversed. The criminal detectives on board were armed, forming a stern line of defense.
No one noticed in the rearview mirror as a black SUV brushed against the police car and sped away in the opposite direction.
Fan Si gasped urgently in the back seat and gulped down a mouthful of water, “Brother, what should I call you?”
The young man continued driving, seemingly completely ignoring Fan Si’s question. Only when Fan Si repeated the question did he utter two words, “A-Jie.”
“Where are we going?”
The man who called himself A-Jie didn’t answer immediately: “Have you finished your job?”
“Damn it, it was a tricky job. In the middle of it, a cop showed up! I’m not sure if he’s real or not. He didn’t seem serious, not like a real cop…”
A-Jie calmly said, “You’ve been seen. The boss says she’ll send you to Gongzhou to lay low.”
Fan Si, full of anger and frustration, mumbled and complained incomprehensibly in the back. A-Jie remained silent, his expression hidden behind the sunglasses. He focused on the road ahead until they left the city center and got onto the elevated bridge. It was only then, in the midst of Fan Si’s muttering, that A-Jie spoke during a pause, “It’ll take another four or five hours. You can rest for a while.”
Fan Si, feeling bored, gave a half-hearted agreement and leaned back in the seat, closing his eyes.
He wasn’t really asleep. With every bump in the road, he would open his eyes slightly to sneak a peek at the driver’s actions.
However, the young man called A-Jie remained silent and uninterested in others’ affairs. He focused on driving, not even glancing at Fan Si through the rearview mirror.
After getting off the elevated bridge and onto the provincial highway, they drove for about an hour when suddenly the vehicle stopped by the roadside. Fan Si pretended to have just woken up, rubbed his eyes, and stretched lazily. He saw A-Jie taking out the car key, getting out without a word, and saying without looking back, “Take a leak.”
Fan Si had drunk a large bottle of water in the car, and he couldn’t hold it in any longer. He followed A-Jie and stood in the bushes, relieving himself with the sound of rushing water.
“Brother,” Fan Si, with his guard slightly lowered, took the initiative to pull out a pack of cigarettes and offered one, smiling, “This time, my luck was bad, and I messed up. Thanks for making this trip. Do you know how long the boss wants me to hide in Gongzhou and whether she’ll settle the remaining payment?”
A-Jie took the cigarette but didn’t light it. He asked, “Did she tell you who you were supposed to kill?”
Fan Si replied, “Hey, the boss doesn’t explain things so clearly. Knowing there’s business is enough, right?”
“How much is left for the remaining payment?”
Fan Si gestured two and then extended five fingers.
A-Jie said slowly, “Cheap.”
Fan Si was momentarily stunned.
“To buy his life at this price, add a zero at the end, and it’s still too cheap.”
“Oh? Then…
“But buying you,” A-Jie smiled, “is considered too expensive.”
Fan Si looked at his smile, feeling a chill rising from the depths of his heart. The instinct formed from years of licking blood off a knife suddenly sounded an alarm, causing him to take two steps back.
But it was too late.
He only felt a blur in front of him, and with a whistling sound, he was already kicked in mid-air, crashing onto the rocks. The last sound he heard was a crisp crack. He didn’t know if it was his own ribs breaking, but he felt blood overflowing rapidly from his throat and the gaps between his teeth.
“You… damn you… ancestors…”
A-Jie walked over, squatted down, and stared at Fan Si with a seemingly regretful expression.
He said, “You really shouldn’t have taken this private job.”
—That was the last sentence Fan Si heard in this world.
The young man, who called himself A-Jie grabbed Fan Si’s throat with one hand. In the other party’s gaze, mixed with anger and fear, he exerted a little force—crack! The throat bone snapped, making a crisp sound that sent shivers down one’s spine.
Fan Si’s head bent at a bizarre angle, and his eyes remained fixed on his killer.
A-Jie gently closed his eyelids, the action almost tender. Then he lifted the lifeless Fan Si and carried him into the trunk of the car.
………
“Okay, understood. Continue monitoring along the way. Call for backup immediately if the target is spotted. Be cautious; the suspect may be armed.”
Yan Xie pressed the walkie-talkie with one hand, while the chief forensic doctor, Gou Li, carefully collected the suspect’s DNA from under the fingernails using a cotton swab, as if he were handling something fragile.
“Report to Vice-Captain Yan,” the technical detective said, holding the bullet in an evidence bag, looking somewhat disappointed. “The bullet has no rifling, indicating it’s from a homemade gun. It seems to be exceptionally well-made and mature. We’ll compare it further back at the bureau, but there probably won’t be any more discoveries.”
Yan Xie nodded and waved, indicating he understood.
“What’s going on this time?” Gou Li asked as he meticulously cleaned Yan Xie’s hand with a cotton swab. “Where did you run into bad luck, encountering an armed robber on the street in broad daylight?”
Yan Xie said, “Didn’t you hear when I reported to Chief Wei? We, the People’s Police, draw our knives to help when we encounter injustice. How would I know that I’d be so unlucky to run into an armed one?”
“What about the unlucky victim?”
“He ran away early.”
Gou Li clicked his tongue twice, criticizing the decline of morality in society. He patted Yan Xie’s hand, teasingly saying, “Alright! — Fortunately, your nails are long enough. You haven’t cut them for a few days, have you? Otherwise, shall I take you to get a manicure later to satisfy Vice-Captain Yan’s deeply hidden pink girl’s heart?”
Yan Xie said, “No need. Your tonnage won’t allow me to squeeze into the same car with you.”
Gou Li: “…”
At this moment, the intern who was sent to buy lunch happened to return. Yan Xie intercepted the person, grabbed two bags of egg-filled pancakes with ham sausage without any explanation, carried one in each hand, and mockingly smiled at Gu Li: “I know you’re on a diet, so I ate on your behalf; no need to thank me.”
Gu Li grabbed a brick and was about to rush over to fight with him, but was firmly held back by several forensic experts. Yan Xie took advantage of the situation and quickly ran back to the car.
Yan Xie slammed the car door shut and turned around.
In the spacious leather back seat of the Phaeton, Jiang Ting’s hands were folded on his thighs in a very cultured sitting posture. The cold air blew on his face, and the lower half of his face behind the sunglasses appeared exceptionally fair with a delicate yet rigid texture.
Yan Xie glanced at him obliquely for a moment. Jiang Ting remained unchanged, meeting his gaze. After a while, Yan Xie threw a bag of egg-filled pancakes at him and said, “Eat; fill your stomach for better work.”
“Do what?”
Yan Xie quickly opened the plastic bag, took a big bite of the freshly fried and crispy ham sausage, and mumbled unclearly, “Ma Xiang just got a message. A witness saw the suspect running hurriedly outside the Construction Bank on Zhonghuan Road around noon, at about twelve ten. Five minutes later, the police car arrived, but it was empty. All the surveillance cameras along the way were guarded, and the traffic police and public security teams were all deployed, but they still couldn’t find the suspect’s trace.”
Jiang Ting calmly ate, listening to his narration indifferently with almost no reaction.
“I confronted the suspect at around twelve. The shortest distance from here to the Construction Bank is two kilometers, which means the suspect’s escape speed is about two hundred meters per minute. According to this calculation, a one-kilometer radius around the Construction Bank is the best search area. However, the police have blocked the route from Zhongzheng Street to Mingguang Road, Jinyuan Road, and even the entrance to the elevated bridge. They dug three feet into the ground but found nothing.”
Yan Xie paused and stared at Jiang Ting.
“Now, what should we do? Huh? Can you analyze it for me?”
In the intense gaze of Yan Xie, Jiang Ting took a small bite of the ham and chewed it thoroughly before calmly saying, “I’m just an ordinary person, not good at solving cases. What can I analyze?”
“Hey, someone is here to take your life, and you don’t care at all?”
Jiang Ting said, “Precisely because I care, I can’t analyze it randomly. It must be handed over to professionals for handling.”
Yan Xie was chocked up by his flawless answer.
Jiang Ting took another small bite of the ham, chewed slowly, and licked the soy milk foam on his lips with the tip of his tongue. It was just a half-second detail, and Yan Xie’s eyelids suddenly twitched a few times. He shifted his gaze away, saying:
“With your attitude, it seems like there are quite a few people who want to take your life, right?”
Jiang Ting replied, “Just get used to it.”
Yan Xie: “…”
Jiang Ting’s way of eating was as refined as his usual demeanor, elegant as if no one else were present. Yan Xie watched him take small bites of the egg-filled pancakes with ham sausage, his gaze shifting away and coming back several times. After a while, unable to resist, Yan Xie asked, “Could you stop eating ham sausage like that?”
Jiang Ting: “?”
“Can you not eat ham sausage like this in front of people in the future?”
“…………” Jiang Ting asked, “How do you think it should be eaten?”
Yan Xie turned his head, facing away from Jiang Ting, sitting upright in the driver’s seat. After several minutes, he wiped his face and turned back, his handsome face expressionless, as if the inexplicable conversation just now had never happened.
“How about this, let’s talk about something else. —Plastic factory, serial explosion, the fire scene that reached a significant level of burning; how can someone who rushes into the fire scene escape unharmed?”
“Since you don’t want to analyze the whereabouts of the gun-wielding suspect, that’s fine. Let’s discuss this mystery.”
Jiang Ting’s movements paused for 0.1 seconds, then he swallowed the last bite of the egg-filled pancake, disposed of the garbage in a paper bag, meticulously wiped his fingers with the included wet wipes, and performed the whole set of actions without a trace of fireworks. Then he reached out to open the door.
Click!
Yan Xie locked the car.
The two looked at each other. Yan Xie smiled and asked, “Can you escape, Mr. Lu?”
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