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Chapter 6
During the brief moment, Shen Zhuo felt his eyes being gently covered by a hand.
The scene was so silent that not even a myriad of sounds could describe the arrival of death. In that instant, many felt as if they were witnessing the flash of their entire lives.
As Shen Zhuo opened his eyes, his movements were swift as lightning, pushing aside Bai Sheng. He turned around and swiftly grabbed hold of Zhao Jun, who had just awakened from his daze. Before the latter could even think of escaping, a loud bang echoed as Shen Zhuo forcefully pressed him to the ground. With his hands twisted behind his back, Zhao Jun’s head was smashed against the floor tiles, turning them into pieces.
“Motherf*cker—”
Blood streamed down Zhao Jun’s face as he cursed in anger, struggling to escape. But Shen Zhuo was even more ruthless and decisive than he had imagined. Without hesitation, he pulled out a gun and pressed it against Zhao Jun’s ear, firing in quick succession: bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!
Bullets flew, the muzzle spat fire, and the gun barrel aimed at the ground in front of Zhao Jun, pulverizing the floor tile into fragments.
As the gunshots ceased, Zhao Jun was thoroughly frightened, trembling, and unable to even crawl away. Shen Zhuo grabbed him by the hair and forced his face up, “What’s the room number for the black market buyer?”
“O-One…”
“What’s the room number?”
“One-six-two-five…”
Bang! Shen Zhuo struck Zhao Jun’s face with the butt of the gun, causing blood to spurt from his nose and mouth as he fainted.
The hotel security guards were dumbfounded, and Bai Sheng’s lips twitched slightly, “Inspector…?”
At that moment, a door at the end of the corridor swung open, and several figures rushed out, hastening toward the fire escape. It was the evolution source buyers who had been hiding in room 1625!
With no time to explain, Shen Zhuo got up and gave chase. Just as he sped forward, someone closely followed him. It was Bai Sheng. While running, he shouted, “Excuse me, were you playing a Badger game1The badger game is an extortion scheme or confidence trick in which the victims are tricked into compromising positions in order to make them vulnerable to blackmail. Its name is derived from the practice of badger baiting. just now, Inspector?!”
Shen Zhuo displayed an astonishing level of composure. If it were someone else, they would have likely turned their gun and dealt with this cheap “boyfriend” first.
The buyers ahead kicked open the fire escape door and hurriedly rushed in. Two with some sense headed upstairs, while three fools dashed downstairs. Just then, Chen Miao and his team rushed up the stairs, blocking the three fools heading downstairs. The fierce members of the supervision office pounced on them and subdued them.
“Stay where you are!” “Don’t move!” “Escort them down!”
“—Supervisor!” The team members felt a huge weight lifted off their shoulders, nearly bursting into tears of relief.
Chen Miao took a closer look, seeing Shen Zhuo standing a flight of stairs above, looking down at them. His collar was open, and his upper body was partly soaked in alcohol. The thin fabric clung to his waist.
Poor Chen Miao felt as though a bolt of lightning had struck his spine and gone straight to his brain. He almost knelt down with a thud, “S-Senior…”
Shen Zhuo paid no attention to these people and said, “The suspect has been apprehended at the 16th-floor elevator lobby. Go and make the arrest!”
Chen Miao was torn apart, “Senior, are you okay? Senior, I’m guilty! I’m sorry we arrived late!!…”
Shen Zhuo turned and charged upstairs, but the two evolutionists who had fled up the corridor were much faster than regular people. They zoomed up to the 88th floor of the hotel, barged through the fire escape door, and disappeared into the corridor.
A grand party was taking place on the top floor of the hotel.
Shen Zhuo halted his steps. Not far away, amidst fragrances and the sound of music, men and women from high society were elegantly chatting and laughing while holding champagne glasses. The two evolutionists, with no place to run, burst into the banquet hall, causing chaos and knocking people over.
“—Ah!” “Who are these people?” “What’s going on?”
“Don’t come near!” One of the evolutionists grabbed a waiter, using him as a shield in front of himself. He roared madly, “Back off, don’t come any closer! Let me leave this place!!”
With a crash, the tray fell, and the waiter was instantly petrified, “H-Help… Help me—”
The crowd erupted in gasps and hurriedly retreated, leaving a clear space around them.
Amidst this chaos, Shen Zhuo’s cold expression remained unchanged. He strode forward and lifted his gun, firing a shot. The bullet grazed the waiter’s neck and hit the shoulder of the evolutionist, causing blood to spatter in mid-air.
“Aaaaaaah—”
Piercing screams of fear echoed all around, and the evolutionist who had been shot fell to the ground. Due to the effects of the electric bullet, his entire body convulsed uncontrollably, and he could no longer get up.
Shen Zhuo’s voice was deep and commanding, “Shenhai City Supervision Office; everyone, stay where you are and don’t move!”
“…Shen-Shen Zhuo…” Someone trembled and recognized him, “Inspector Shen Zhuo…”
—Shen Zhuo, the immediate superior of the 20,000 evolutionists in Shenhai City, was the Chief Supervisor of the Supervision Office.
The impact of this name was immediate and profound. The social elites present all paled, and countless gazes of astonishment and fear converged from all directions. The scene fell silent.
Following that, a figure slipped through the crowd and dashed toward the exit of the hall.
It was the last one who had managed to evade capture!
Shen Zhuo pulled the trigger, but the person rolled to the side at the same time, narrowly avoiding the bullet. Then he lunged toward the floor-to-ceiling glass window of the banquet hall. With a swing of his hand, he shot out an ice arrow. He had water-based abilities.
Crash—the massive floor-to-ceiling window shattered, sending countless shards flying.
The crowd screamed and retreated, and the evolutionist jumped out of the hotel’s 88th-floor window!
In the moment when the glass shattered, Shen Zhuo shielded his face, preparing to step forward quickly. However, he felt a tap on his shoulder and heard a calm voice say, “Don’t be in a hurry, Inspector.”
It was Bai Sheng.
Shen Zhuo frowned, “You…”
Bai Sheng smiled and put a finger to his lips, gesturing for silence. With his other hand, he snapped his fingers, and in an instant, dazzling lightning surged from his fingertip into the air. The surrounding guests were immediately alarmed and backed away, exclaiming, “What’s that?”
“Is he an evolutionist?” “He’s an evolutionist!”
Humans instinctively carried a mix of fear and awe toward evolutionists, and for a moment, chaos erupted in the hall. Then, the lightning twisted into ropes, slithering through the crowd like venomous snakes. In a blinding flash, it exploded into a terrifying and brilliant light.
—The electric rope burst out of the window. During the brief moment that could blind a person, Shen Zhuo felt a gentle hand cover his eyes.
At the same time, the jumping evolutionist was ensnared by the descending electric rope. He was pulled back into the hotel’s top-floor hall, crashing heavily onto the ground with a resounding thud.
A bright crackling sound resounded, and the electric current disappeared without a trace.
The intense light finally faded, and the scent of burnt air hung in the atmosphere. The electrically charred evolutionist lay on the ground, twitching uncontrollably.
“Over there!” “Don’t move!”
Chen Miao and his team rushed into the top-floor hall. Their timing was impeccable. The supervision office members swiftly moved in, bringing the two almost incapacitated evolutionist buyers under control and swiftly restraining them.
“Move!” “Arrest him and take him away!…”
The hand covering Shen Zhuo’s eyes finally moved away, and Bai Sheng looked at him teasingly, saying, “Were you planning to jump down and die with him just now, Inspector?”
Shen Zhuo: “…”
Half an hour later, the guests, temporarily blinded by the intense light, gradually recovered. They bid farewell to the apologetic Chairman Bai and dispersed, still shaken.
The supervision office was in the process of clearing the scene. Shen Zhuo stood not far from the crowd, hands clad in black leather gloves, tucked into his pockets. He silently listened to the reports from his subordinates.
“Is that really Shen Zhuo?”
“Is it really him?…”
The position of a supervisor was exceedingly delicate. In Shenhai City’s jurisdiction, Shen Zhuo wielded nearly limitless power, which also made him exceptionally low-profile. Even influential and powerful figures usually had trouble getting in touch with him. At this moment, some were eager to try, attempting to seize this rare opportunity to greet him.
“—I’m sorry, but you can’t enter. This area is temporarily secured. The exit is over there.” Fortunately, the supervision office members were adept at handling such situations. They politely refused, “Our supervisor does not communicate with outsiders. According to the regulations, you can only await his summons for questioning.” “Yes, Captain Chen is busy. If you have any matters, we can pass them on for you.” “Thank you, thank you for your cooperation. Please leave immediately through that exit…”
After hesitating several times, Chairman Bai finally mustered the courage to approach, “Ins-Inspector Shen.”
The subordinate who was briefing Shen Zhuo stopped, and Shen Zhuo turned to glance at him.
“…”
Those few seconds felt infinitely long for Chairman Bai. All his flattering and ingratiating words seemed to get stuck in his throat, as if his brain had been forcefully emptied by the intense gaze from above.
After a while, he swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and with a somewhat bewildered movement, he took off his own coat and held it out with trembling hands:
“Do you want to wear this…?”
The air seemed to freeze.
Shen Zhuo turned around and took his suit jacket from Chen Miao’s hand. He put it on without saying a word, adjusting his collar and sleeves.
“No, thank you.” He then politely declined.
Shen Zhuo took a step toward the scene without even looking back.
Chairman Bai’s composure shattered into pieces.
Chen Miao, feeling sympathetic, asked, “Are you alright?”
Chairman Bai grabbed him and trembled as he asked with genuine anguish, “I’ve paid taxes according to the law my whole life, done good deeds, and accumulated virtue. If I’ve done something wrong, let the tax bureau punish me. Why do I, an innocent old man with a few years left to live, have to go through all this?”
Chen Miao was shocked, “What exactly have you done?”
“… ” Chairman Bai fell silent suddenly. Once again, the image of his great-nephew embracing the inspector in his arms appeared before his eyes.
After a moment, he sighed with sadness, “I didn’t get time to gouge my own eyes out at that time.”
Chen Miao: “Huh?”
“The buyers and the middleman consist of five individuals in total. Along with the seller, Zhao Jun, they’ve all been apprehended. The communication devices and the cash involved in the case from Room 1625 have been confiscated.” A member of the supervision office reported solemnly, “The evolution meteorite that Zhao Jun was carrying has been sent to the Analytical Department. We should have results within eight hours.”
Shen Zhuo said, “Return to the supervision office.”
“Yes!”
All the members in the hall swiftly tidied up and prepared to leave. Shen Zhuo walked toward the exit. Just as he was about to cross the threshold, a hand reached across and gently stopped him.
“Have you forgotten something, Inspector?” Bai Sheng leaned against the door frame, smiling.
The chief supervisor’s collar was buttoned up to his throat. He was dressed entirely in black with a cold face, and his brows and eyes were elegantly curved. As he lowered his eyelashes to look at something, there was a chilling silence that seemed to resemble the tranquility of deep waters. It was as if that intoxicating and deeply fragrant beauty had never existed.
“Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Bai.” Shen Zhuo paused for a moment and then added politely, “But I hope not to see you at a crime scene next time.”
“… ” Bai Sheng said, “You’re being too formal, Inspector. I’m not here to ask for your gratitude. I never seek to repay kindness.”
Shen Zhuo sized him up, as if asking, ‘Are you here to perform?’
Bai Sheng glanced around, put one hand in his pocket, and slightly leaned forward, his thin lips almost brushing against Shen Zhuo’s ear. His smile had a seductive note as he said, “Inspector, three days ago, I submitted an application to be recruited by the Shenhai City supervision office. Don’t you want to have me?”
Chen Miao strode over while listening to the report and suddenly looked up, causing a group of people to stop in their tracks simultaneously.
Shen Zhuo took half a step back, creating a slight distance, and looked at Bai Sheng with politeness and no hint of emotion.
“The Central Supervision Office in District B has the priority of recruiting evolutionists from the country. As far as I know, they have already sent an invitation letter to you. I’m grateful for your kindness, Mr. Bai. The Central Supervision Office should have you more than I should.” Shen Zhuo persistently rejected.
Bai Sheng didn’t give up, “But I only want to follow you. I’ve thought this way ever since I saw you in the newspaper for the first time.”
“… “
“Following you has always been my dream, Inspector Shen.”
Shen Zhuo stared at Bai Sheng’s youthful and sincere face. He slightly narrowed his eyes and remained silent.
Perhaps the dazzling lights of the hotel were too bright, preventing anyone from deciphering the subtle emotions hidden deep in the eyes of the Shenhai City supervision office’s chief supervisor.
“—You’re Director Shen, right?”
On a summer afternoon that year, the wind swept through the corridors of the Research Institute building. The young chief of the Central Supervision Office leaned against the staircase handrail, with the scent of training rounds still lingering on his camouflage uniform. He raised his hand to block the other’s path, a smile illuminating his eyes.
“I’m Fu Chen, an evolutionist from the Central Supervision Office. I had the privilege of learning about your research and found it very interesting. I would like to join your research team.”
At the end of the corridor, a group of researchers passed by, stopping in their tracks. Whispers floated on the wind, “Isn’t that Fu Chen?” “It must be him!” “I heard the institute has been desperately trying to recruit him lately…” “Why would he come to see Director Shen?”
……
Having just left the laboratory, Shen Zhuo stood on the high-level steps with one hand in his lab coat pocket, sizing up Fu Chen for a moment before coldly asking, “Aren’t you evolutionists protesting against my human experimentation and persecution of you at the United Nations every day? Now what do you want?”
Fu Chen was sincere and gentle: “I’ve learned the true nature of your research from the dean.”
Shen Zhuo squinted his eyes but remained silent.
“I want to follow you, to witness this ethically disregarded path of research, to see where the wheel of evolution will eventually lead…” Fu Chen looked up, his gaze meeting Shen Zhuo’s sharp and cold eyes. He extended his hand, palm facing upward.
“Or, to put it differently, if you don’t mind, please allow me to pursue you.”
One tall, one short, separated by a few steps of cement stairs. In the distance, the chirping of cicadas and the hum of voices faded into the background.
Shen Zhuo’s gaze seemed to hold a hint of subtlety as if he were weighing something. After a while, he finally descended a step, slightly leaning down to Fu Chen’s ear.
This position, looking down from above, carried an intriguing interest. He didn’t directly answer Fu Chen’s previous question, “I heard you’re a rare S-class.”
……
Amid the radiant lights of the hotel, Shen Zhuo finally sighed silently and said, “There’s no need for that, Mr. Bai.”
Bai Sheng was about to say something, but Shen Zhuo raised his hand—a gesture that brooked no interruption. Then he leaned in slightly, his voice low, and meant only for them to hear, “Don’t pry into my personal matters anymore.”
“…”
Shen Zhuo straightened up, his expression cold and normal. He didn’t spare another glance for anyone, brushing past Bai Sheng and leaving the hall.
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