A False Alarm, Internal Grumbling

"The item is clearly in my hands, why would they still play this kind of game?" I still couldn't quite understand.

Duan Hongbin in the back seat said, "Because of him."

I turned my head to glance at Old Shu, not understanding why Duan Hongbin would say that.

Duan Hongbin explained, "The other party is clearly wary of him, so they settled for the next best thing. Since they couldn't snatch the item from your hands, they decided to kidnap Xu Qiuyan and Gu Song to threaten you into an exchange."

"Old Shu, is that really how it is?"

"Perhaps." Although Old Shu didn't give a definitive answer, I knew Duan Hongbin was likely correct.

"Who exactly are you?"

"I'm guessing he's the boss of the Ninth Bureau!" Duan Hongbin's words shocked me.

Old Shu glanced at the rearview mirror. "Honestly, the people around you are truly astonishing. No wonder Xie Yi said you alone could be a small team; they're all formidable individuals."

He had indirectly confirmed his identity.

"Let me reintroduce myself, my name is Shu Yi, head of the Ninth Bureau."

My eyes widened. This was truly beyond my expectations.

I had originally thought he was just a minor player, helping to hand over the item to me, probably just a bit player like Old Du. I never expected him to be the head of the Ninth Bureau.

"You're the director?" I couldn't help but ask.

He smiled. "Everyone calls me Old Shu, and I prefer you all to call me Old Shu."

I was a bit speechless, but at this moment, I was more worried about Xu Qiuyan.

He said, "Don't worry too much, she should be fine."

"Why?" Even though I knew Xu Qiuyan had the Red Group and another mysterious figure by her side, I was still uneasy.

"The other party's target is the item in your hands. They won't harm her until they get it. Besides, she has her own trump cards."

His words put my mind somewhat at ease.

The car quickly arrived at my residence. As soon as it stopped, I yanked open the door and rushed out.

I opened the door at top speed. No one was home.

I had clearly seen the car she drove back parked in the yard just now.

Old Shu followed me upstairs.

"They're all gone."

Xu Qiuyan, Gu Song, and Yin Wuyu.

Old Shu lit a cigarette. "Wait."

A chill ran down my spine. Wait? Now?

Even though he was the head of the Ninth Bureau, I didn't give him a good look. "If you want to wait, you can wait. I need to find her. Every minute I delay, she's in more danger."

Unexpectedly, Duan Hongbin stopped me. "He's right. Waiting is the best course of action right now."

I glared at Duan Hongbin.

He gave a wry smile. "Where are you going to look for her? Do you know where they were taken?"

I froze. I had no idea where they were taken.

"Lin City is so big, and there are only a few of us. Where would we even start looking? Even with more people, we might not be able to find them. If they dared to do this, they must have already planned their countermeasures. So, we can only wait. Wait for them to contact us. Didn't he say it? The other party's target is the item in your hands."

I slowly calmed down. He was right, but my heart still ached.

I had promised I would protect Xu Qiuyan, that she wouldn't suffer any harm again.

I had broken my promise.

I glared at Old Shu. "If it weren't for you giving me this thing and spreading the news of its disappearance, this wouldn't have happened."

Old Shu remained silent.

I sat down and lit a cigarette, trying to control my emotions.

Chu Ge hadn't said a word, but his gaze never left Old Shu.

Suddenly, he said to Old Shu, "Let's fight!"

Old Shu glanced at him, then pointed at me. "Aren't you afraid of breaking him?"

Chu Ge looked at me. "Are you afraid?"

I knew why he asked that. He wasn't a real physical entity; to fight, he needed my body as a vessel.

I said, "I'm not afraid."

Chu Ge nodded, and then I stood up and said to Old Shu, "Let's fight!" This wasn't just Chu Ge's idea; I had the same thought. However, unlike Chu Ge, I didn't want to test Old Shu's strength. I just wanted to beat him up and vent my anger.

Although I knew very well that their actions were meant to draw out the mastermind, being used like this and putting Xu Qiuyan in danger made me very uncomfortable.

Old Shu smiled. "Alright, let's fight. It would be a shame if we broke anything in here, though."

I couldn't care less and immediately lunged at Old Shu.

I know that the person controlling my body right now is Chu Ge. I can feel that the power I'm unleashing doesn't truly belong to me. My fist actually carried the sound of the wind, imbued with infinite strength, and its speed was also surprisingly fast.

Old Shu reacted even faster. Just as my fist was about to hit him, he had already sidestepped. He actually moved around me, brushing past my body to get behind me. I knew it was bad. Sure enough, he elbowed the back of my head hard. The force wasn't too great, but it still made my feet stumble.

My hand brushed against the back of the sofa, and I leaped behind it, creating some distance between us again.

He stood there looking at me, a faint smile still on his face. "Fast, accurate, and ruthless. Truly excellent."

"I'm not fighting anymore." That wasn't me who spoke. Chu Ge had already given up control of my body and stood to the side.

I felt a bit annoyed and shot him a glare.

Chu Ge said calmly, "I can't beat him."

I was speechless for a moment, but Chu Ge then asked Old Shu, "Are you using Tai Chi?"

"You could say that, but it's not entirely. I study very broadly, and I never cared about specific forms, as long as they can be used in actual combat."

Chu Ge nodded, and then he vanished entirely.

Old Shu sat back down. The brief exchange had caused no damage to the furniture in the room; it was clear they had stopped well before any real harm could be done.

My phone rang. I quickly picked it up; it showed Xu Qiuyan's number.

She had indeed contacted me.

"Hello!"

It was Xu Qiuyan's voice on the other end. "Xiao Bai, are you okay over there?"

"I'm fine. What about you guys? I didn't see you when I got home."

"We're on our way back. Don't worry, it's nothing major."

Only then did I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Where did you guys go?"

"It's hard to explain over the phone. We'll talk about it when we get back."

I acknowledged her and hung up.

"How was it? Didn't I say she'd be fine?"

I let out a soft snort. Old Shu walked over and patted my shoulder. "It seems you don't know her well enough. Trust me, trust yourself, and trust her."

After hearing his words, I looked at him and asked, "Do you really trust me?"

"Otherwise, I wouldn't have handed the item over to you. As for bringing you home tonight, it was just on the way. My teacher lives in the apartment complex next door; I always stay there when I come to Lin City."

With that, he walked towards the door, looking like he was about to leave.

"You're leaving already?"

He turned around and smiled, "What else? My mission was to deliver the item to you. The rest is your own business. I can't stay with you all the time, can I?"

It seemed he really was just dropping me off on his way.

I don't know if they were too bold or if they trusted me too much.

"What if I really lose this thing?" This was my biggest worry.

"If you lose it, you lose it. What else can be done?" With that, he actually opened the door and left.

Hearing the sound of the door closing, I said to Duan Hongbin, "I suspect they gave me a fake."

This was the Twin Fish Jade Pendant. Losing it would be a disaster. I couldn't believe he could say that so casually.

If this thing was real, there was no way he would be so calm.

Eccentric Song reappeared. "I think it's real, but things aren't as simple as we thought. I believe they must have people in place, hidden from our sight."

I nodded. Up to this point, besides Xie Yi and Old Du, I really didn't know who else was in the Ninth Bureau.

And Old Shu, but someone at Old Shu's level was usually beyond my reach.

I suddenly realized I hadn't gotten Old Shu's contact information.

Of course, he hadn't offered it to me either.

As I was lost in thought, an unfamiliar number called.

"Who is this?" I asked cautiously.

"Save this number. You can call me if you need anything." It was Old Shu's voice.

His call made me feel much better.

"Were you just cursing me in your head for not leaving you my contact information?"

Hearing him say that made me a bit embarrassed. "No."

"Alright, I know what you're thinking. That's all for now, I'm hanging up."

He hung up directly.

Eccentric Song chuckled. "He did that on purpose."

I nodded.

"This person is very good at reading people's minds. Impressive!" Eccentric Song said, then sighed.