Hostage

Shen Yu listened to their conversation, but his hands never stopped moving. Shielding himself with his body, he pulled the stopper from the vial with one hand. Only after he had emptied it completely did he let out a long breath.

The man whose neck he had just grabbed undid the handcuffs, crouched in front of him, and hauled him up by the hair. He patted Shen Yu's cheek. "Weren't you pretty good at fighting just now?"

Xiao Qi touched his temple, felt a stabbing pain, and hissed.

Shen Yu propped up his upper body to ease the pain in his scalp. The blood seeping from the corner of his mouth and the defiance in his eyes made Xiao Qi frown in displeasure.

Buzz buzz buzz~buzz.

Three short, one long.

The standing man's phone vibrated. He opened it and took a look. "The higher-ups have discovered us. Watch him and give me the drug."

Xiao Qi dodged the punch Shen Yu had been winding up. "Come get it yourself. I'm going to teach him a lesson."

Shen Yu raised his hand and pressed a pressure point again. Xiao Qi involuntarily released his grip on Shen Yu's hair, but the other man blocked the way to the door. Shen Yu rushed to the cabinet and grabbed a scalpel to defend himself, his shoulders trembling slightly.

"Xiao Qi."

"What is it, Brother Nan?" Hearing his unusually gloomy tone, Xiao Qi turned around.

"He poured out the drug."

There was unmistakable anger on Nan Chuanming's face.

While Xiao Qi was distracted, Shen Yu lunged at his heart with the scalpel. Xiao Qi seized the handle, his head throbbing with anger. Why was he so intent on killing? Did every move have to be lethal?

He wrenched Shen Yu's arms behind his back and handcuffed him, now that Shen Yu had lost his strength.

Nan Chuanming threw away the empty vial and locked the morgue door.

Bang—

The door was kicked open by the person who had rushed over in a rage. The lock held him back for only three seconds before he kicked it apart.

Luo Ningsang spotted the blue-haired young man at once, his hands cuffed and blood on the corner of his mouth. The anger in Luo Ningsang's eyes instantly gave way to tangible worry, along with disbelief at the two men standing before him.

Xiao Qi and Nan Chuanming.

They were administrative officers at the Police Bureau, responsible for handling its internal affairs. They had also helped him process and analyze documents and data on many occasions...

But when he saw the empty vial on the floor and the white sheet pulled back from Liu Wenzhang's body, Luo Ningsang understood. They were members of the fifth faction, just like Liu Wenzhang.

"Let him go." Luo Ningsang had little to say to his enemies.

Seeing Luo Ningsang's expression, Xiao Qi felt pleased in both body and mind. He pressed one hand against the back of Shen Yu's neck, forcing him to raise his head, and held the scalpel to his throat with the other. "Detective Luo, it's time to make a choice."

"Let us go, or he dies."

Xiao Qi pressed down slightly, and thin traces of blood flowed from Shen Yu's skin.

Shen Yu lifted his eyes to look at Luo Ningsang, whose face was covered in stubble and whose eyes were bloodshot. It was obvious he hadn't rested in a long time; even his clothes were wrinkled.

He was about to say something, but for some reason, his throat wouldn't stop itching. Unable to hold it back, he coughed up another mouthful of blood, startling Xiao Qi so badly that he pulled the hand holding the scalpel away.

Xiao Qi said, "I didn't move it."

Under the dim lights, Luo Ningsang's expression was hidden in shadow and impossible to make out. Yet Xiao Qi felt a chill run down his back, a coldness seeping from between his bones. He trembled involuntarily, as though a venomous snake or a ferocious beast had fixed its gaze on him.

Nan Chuanming put a hand on his shoulder and patted it twice in a soothing gesture. "Get us a car with a full tank. I'll give you five minutes. Don't even think about hiding snipers; there's no way you can get them ready in that time. Otherwise, if his hand slips, this young friend of yours will be a goner."

"Do as he says."

"Get moving!"

Luo Ningsang and Chu Jingsong spoke one after the other.

Lin Xinluo and Chu Sheng exchanged a glance and divided the work. Lin Xinluo went to get the car, while Chu Sheng went to arrange the personnel.

Shen Yu was pushed forward, stumbling as the blood he had coughed up dripped from his chin. Luo Ningsang had already reached for his waist before he remembered his gun had been taken away.

"Back up."

Xiao Qi kept his back against the wall, using Shen Yu to cover his vital areas. Nan Chuanming had also taken a scalpel and held it in his palm, making himself look unarmed as he followed beside Xiao Qi, watching the people closing in behind them.

They continued until they reached the entrance of the Police Bureau.

Lin Xinluo threw a car key in front of the two men, who had their backs against the wall, and pointed at a police car parked in the middle of the street. "The car."

Nan Chuanming didn't even look. He casually pointed at a black sedan parked in the front courtyard. "I want that one. Who knows whether you've tampered with this one?"

Lin Xinluo, who had removed the brake pads, let the air out of the tires, and installed a tracker, said, "..."

"Here."

Her face dark, Lin Xinluo took the key hanging from her waist and threw it at Nan Chuanming's feet.

Xiao Qi and Nan Chuanming left the entrance of the Police Bureau with Shen Yu as their hostage, and a gap opened between Xiao Qi's abdomen and Shen Yu's hands, which had been pressed tightly against it. Luo Ningsang kept his eyes fixed on the two men. Suddenly, he saw Shen Yu's whole body tremble; he was biting his lip hard, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Realizing what he was about to do, Luo Ningsang shouted, "Shen Yu, stop!"

Xiao Qi noticed it too and was wondering why this man was so physically weak when Shen Yu turned his head, paying no heed to the blade at his throat. The sharp edge cut through his skin in an instant, but Shen Yu tilted his head back and gave him a bloody smile.

"Fuck!"

Xiao Qi's heart jumped in fright, and he involuntarily pulled the scalpel a little farther away.

Shen Yu had no intention of letting him off. He raised his left hand, now free of the handcuffs, and seized the blade, then kicked backward at his lower body.

The kick struck the man squarely in his most vulnerable spot. Bluish-purple veins bulged on Xiao Qi's face as he clutched his crotch, forcing himself not to drop to his knees. He reached out to grab Shen Yu, who was falling to the left.

Bang—

Thud.

A gunshot.

And the sound of bodies colliding rang out almost simultaneously.

Chu Sheng held his gun steady, wisps of white smoke rising from the barrel. The shot had hit Xiao Qi squarely in his raised shoulder.

Immediately afterward, Luo Ningsang caught Shen Yu in his arms as he fell sideways, his strength gone. Then Luo Ningsang's furious kick made intimate contact with Xiao Qi's face, sending his entire body crashing into the concrete at a thousand meters per second.

At the same moment Shen Yu made his move, the people hidden nearby sprang out as well. Nan Chuanming, who had just reached the door handle, struggled for only a few seconds before being pinned against the car door.

Lin Xinluo snatched the key from his hand. "You think you can drive my car?"

Then she called a car repair company on speakerphone in front of him.

"Dear member, Miss Lin, what car would you like repaired?"

"The brake pads, displays, and tires of every car parked around the Ancheng Police Department."

"Understood. We'll come tow them in an hour."

Lin Xinluo gripped his chin and drove the scalpel confiscated from his hand precisely into his palm, which was pinned against the car door. A piercing scream rang out.

"You didn't really think you could get away, did you?"

Lin Xinluo's sinister voice sounded beside his ear.

She was really very... very angry right now!

Shen Yu had been taken hostage even while he was at the Police Bureau!?

"Miss Lin, you've gone a little too far."

Chu Sheng's disapproving voice came from behind her.

"Oh, then call the police and have me arrested."

Lin Xinluo shoved aside the person blocking her way, ignored the handcuffed Xiao Qi, and headed straight for the person in Luo Ningsang's arms.