A Mix of Forces

The ink-black night sky was like a painting, as if heaven had dipped its brush in the colors of lightning and drawn it across the canvas. Thunder rumbled deep within the clouds, and lightning illuminated the man soaked to the skin outside the Lu Family villa.

In a room on the second floor, a figure in black silk pajamas leaned against the window, looking down at the man.

"What does he want?"

The figure moved, turning to look at the butler behind him.

The butler hesitated before speaking.

"He wants you to send someone to save one of his... younger brothers, young master."

Lu Changfeng laughed when he heard that, fury simmering in his eyes like a volcano about to erupt. "What does he take me for? He left so decisively back then, leaving me here all alone, and now he's come back to me in such a sorry state, asking me to save his... younger brother?"

He ground out the last two words through clenched teeth.

Butler Lu said nothing, keeping his head lowered, afraid to provoke his young master.

Lu Changfeng stared for a long while at the figure outside, head bowed, refusing to leave. His voice held both resentment and helplessness.

"Go."

"Invite my dear older brother upstairs."

Butler Lu went to do as he was told, only to be called back.

"Bring me that person's information. I want to see who could make him go this far."

Lu Changfeng clenched the curtain in front of him, paying no attention even as his fingers turned white and left marks in the fabric.

"Yes."

Outside the Bai Family's ancestral residence.

A great mass of police cars had gathered, along with two other groups of people.

Butler Bai held an umbrella and looked at the others around him, who were also holding umbrellas. He appeared calm, but inwardly he was panicking.

Wait, who on earth did you kidnap, young master?! Has all of Ancheng turned out??

"Detective Luo."

That was no surprise.

But he was genuinely shocked to see Butler Lu in formal attire on his right and Lin Qi in a trench coat on his left, her face full of hostility.

Butler Lu represented Lu Changfeng's wishes. What relationship did Lu Changfeng have with Shen Yu? Why would he send someone here? Besides, hadn't he and his young master both taken part in a project a couple of days ago? Their cooperation had always been pleasant, so how had things come to this?

He knew Lin Qi too. She was the person at the side of the Lin Family's eldest young lady, who rarely left home, and Lin Qi conveyed her wishes whenever she needed someone to speak for her. How had someone like that become involved with Shen Yu?!

But he was distracted only briefly. His professional training allowed him to smile even when facing this group of people who were about to tear down the Bai Family's ancestral residence.

"May I ask what brings Butler Lu and Miss Lin Qi here?"

As a proper gentleman, Butler Lu said, "My young master would like to invite Young Master Bai over for a visit, to discuss some private matters."

Lin Qi didn't care about any of that. Her tone was cold and blunt. "Let him go."

Luo Ningsang raised the search warrant he had printed, nearly pressing it against Butler Bai's forehead. Without giving him time to react, he ordered, "The agency is handling a case. Take away anyone who obstructs us!"

Butler Bai still wanted to put up a fight, but Xu Shenzheng's gun was already pointed at his head. Butler Bai hesitated for less than a second between betting that Xu Shenzheng's gun wouldn't go off and serving Bai Xiaofan to the death, then stepped aside.

He then leaned over to Xu Shenzheng. "Give me a punch, or it'll be hard for me to explain myself."

Xu Shenzheng: "..."

Having taken a punch to his satisfaction, Butler Bai led the group toward the laboratory with blood streaming from his nose.

On the second basement level.

In front of the cold, massive iron door, Butler Bai tried to make himself look as battered as possible. "Only the young master knows the code."

Luo Ningsang waved a hand, and someone behind him stepped forward with a door breacher.

An abrupt alarm suddenly blared.

The brightly lit corridor went completely dark, leaving only the flashing red lights to sweep across everyone's faces.

Bang—

A sliver of light shone through from inside the door.

Luo Ningsang rushed forward anxiously and pushed the battered door open. The sight before him was like someone smashing a sledgehammer into his brain, almost stopping his breath.

All he could see was Shen Yu's palm, covered in crimson blood.

"Xiao Yu!"

Luo Ningsang tried to step forward and catch the swaying Shen Yu, but the moment he approached, Shen Yu raised his arm. Bai Xiaofan shuddered as the shard of glass was pulled out, but no one paid him any attention.

Acting on instinct, Luo Ningsang blocked the hand swinging toward his neck, but Shen Yu bent his arm, sending it over his guard at a bizarre angle. The bloodstained glass tip came within a hair's breadth of piercing Luo Ningsang's skin.

If Shen Yu hadn't lost his strength, it likely would have drawn blood.

Luo Ningsang's heart jolted, but when he saw Shen Yu's pale face, an aching pain rose in his chest.

"It's me. I'm your brother."

Luo Ningsang soothed the frightened Shen Yu.

The moment Butler Bai entered, he saw Bai Xiaofan, who had lost so much blood that he was already unconscious. Seeing the bloody line on his neck and the wound on his chest that was still bleeding, he let out a piercing shriek.

He hurriedly called for emergency aid.

Shen Yu's head was somewhat muddled now, his vision filled with crimson. When someone approached, he attacked subconsciously to protect himself, but then he heard a trembling voice trying to soothe him.

A familiar, crisp scent of pine enveloped him.

Shen Yu's strength gave out, and someone wrapped an arm around his waist and lifted him into his arms.

He turned his head to look up, murmuring subconsciously, "...Brother Ningsang?"

Luo Ningsang paused, his voice impossibly gentle. "I'm here."

But paired with his face at that moment, it seemed terribly incongruous. His lips were set in a straight line without the slightest curve, every emotion hidden from his eyes. His face was as still as a bottomless pool of icy water, cold enough to make people shudder.

He watched the young man relax and pass out, yet his expression never settled. His brows remained tightly furrowed, and he kept a firm grip on the glass in his hand, refusing to let go.

His face was so pale it was almost translucent.

At that moment, he actually felt some resentment. When he had held Shen Yu before, he had thought him light. Aunt Jiang was there too, and it wasn't as though no one looked after Shen Yu, so how could he be this light?

He hated himself even more. He visited every week, so how had he not noticed?

The chaotic, dark thoughts made Luo Ningsang want to raze this place to the ground, especially Bai Xiaofan, who lay on the floor with his throat cut and his chest stabbed, receiving emergency treatment.

Butler Bai had already turned off the warning lights and was working with the emergency personnel from the residence to save his life.

Heavens.

He had known things wouldn't be good.

But how could they be this bad?!

He had been prepared to be beaten and cursed by the young master, but instead the young master had been beaten at his own game? They weren't just trying to save the young master's life now; they were trying to save his own as well! If the young master died in front of him, how was he supposed to explain it to the master?

Tell him the young master had kidnapped someone and gotten himself killed?

The master would be showing mercy if he left his corpse intact.

Butler Bai's thoughts were still running wild, though none of it showed on his face as he stood there with a gloomy expression.

The entire laboratory was dim, with only a temporarily lit incandescent lamp illuminating the area around Bai Xiaofan.

A shadow slipped up behind Luo Ningsang.

"He did this to your younger brother, and you're just going to stand by and watch them save him? This was the first time. Can you guarantee that if he lives, he won't go after your brother a second time?"

"Are you really... willing to accept that?"

The seductive words sounded beside Luo Ningsang's ear, so close that he could hear the other person breathing.

It wasn't one of his people.

The Lin Family or the Lu Family?

A remote control was pressed into his hand.

"As long as you press it, I guarantee he'll die here today, and no one will be any the wiser."

Luo Ningsang's Adam's apple bobbed. His voice was low and hoarse, carrying a hint of temptation. "...Really?"

The person sensed his struggle but did not try to persuade him further, leaving only an ambiguous remark. "You can try."

Luo Ningsang lowered his eyes and shifted Shen Yu into the crook of his arm. Looking at the uneasy face of the young man leaning against him, he slowly drew out his other arm and pointed it toward Bai Xiaofan, who was receiving emergency treatment.

"Press it, and everyone can be free."

The person chuckled.

As long as he pressed it, Shen Yu would have nothing left to worry about.

And no one would know.

Luo Ningsang's arm trembled slightly, his fingertip slowly moving down...

Hearing the excited breathing grow louder behind him, Luo Ningsang drove his elbow back with all his strength. Flesh struck flesh with a dull thud.

He turned, seized the other person by the throat, and slammed him against the wall.

"Who sent you?"

The sudden noise drew people's eyes toward them instinctively.

Crackle.

The laboratory lights suddenly came back on. The white glare dazed everyone for a moment before they could make out the scene.

It was a face gone blue and purple, its eyes bulging, plainly dead from suffocation. One hand hung limply, while the other rested on the hand gripping his throat. Following that arm upward...

They saw Luo Ningsang's fierce, interrogating expression, which had yet to fade.