Qin Bing's Doubts

The smell of machine oil and rust that permeated the depths of the abandoned factory hadn't yet dissipated, but the lingering scent of gunpowder and blood had been completely replaced by the cold, clean, disinfectant-tinged air of the Special Operations Ninth Division safe house.

Lin Xiao sat leaning back in a specially made medical chair, his back pressed against the cool metal.

The wounds on his right shoulder and back had been re-dressed, covered with a new type of bio-gel dressing that brought a cool, comfortable, slightly itchy sensation.

The leap in life level brought by breaking through to Martial Disciple peak, combined with the triple nourishment of the Jade Marrow Muscle Growth Powder and the Special Operations Ninth Division's efficient medications, had accelerated his recovery far beyond expectations.

Within his body, the True Qi from the Surging Waves Art flowed like a thawed spring river through his widened and strengthened meridians, warm and full of power.

[Source Energy Points: +0.11 (Surplus)]

The azure light screen in his mind was stable and serene, its previous black cracks almost completely gone, leaving only a few extremely fine, faint silver lines like the crazing on ancient porcelain, which paradoxically added a touch of mystery.

The core pulsed strong and steady, emitting a long-lost, reassuring "vitality." The surplus Source Energy Points felt like a well-stocked ammunition depot, bringing an unprecedented sense of calm.

He toyed with the smooth, white jade bottle in his hand, its stopper slightly ajar, allowing wisps of clear, woody spiritual energy to escape.

With a slight shift of his intention, the modifier operated silently.

[Target Locked: Jade Marrow Muscle Growth Powder (trace energy dissipation)… Energy Attribute: Gentle, Nourishing, Contains Woody Spiritual Energy… Can be converted into Source Energy Points in trace amounts… Absorb?]

"Absorb," Lin Xiao replied calmly in his mind. Every little bit counts.

[Absorption Complete. Gained Source Energy Points: +0.01.]

[Source Energy Points: +0.11 + 0.01 = +0.12!]

A faint warm current flowed in, and the core's pulsation seemed to become slightly more pleased.

This kind of silent accumulation was precisely what was needed to repair his foundation and stabilize his realm.

Tap, tap, tap.

A crisp, rhythmic knocking sound echoed at the ward door, carrying a formulaic, cold quality that instantly shattered the room's tranquility.

Without the door opening, Lin Xiao could clearly sense the aura outside – sharp, piercing, like a polar wind, carrying an intangible pressure.

Qin Bing.

A flicker of understanding crossed Lin Xiao's eyes as he quickly stoppered the jade bottle and tucked it into his inner pocket.

The faint composure on his face, born from the surplus Source Energy Points, vanished instantly, replaced by a carefully calibrated weariness befitting someone recovering from serious injury, and a feigned "awe" towards official personnel.

He adjusted his sitting posture, making himself appear more "frail."

The door opened silently.

Qin Bing walked in.

She was still in her crisp black Special Operations Ninth Division combat uniform, the perfect tailoring hugging her tall, powerful frame and outlining its fluid lines.

Her jet-black hair was meticulously tied back, revealing a smooth forehead and a sharp, angular profile.

She held a thin, paper-like electronic notepad, her gaze like a precise scanner, instantly falling on Lin Xiao.

Her eyes were cold, sharp, as if they could pierce through flesh and bone, striking directly into the depths of his soul. There were no pleasantries, no courtesies, only an undisguised scrutiny, like that of an interrogator examining a suspect.

"Lin Xiao." Qin Bing's voice was like her gaze, carrying a metallic hardness, without any inflection.

She stopped a few steps from the bedside, maintaining a distance that was both convenient for observation and for immediate control.

"Recovering quite quickly." Her gaze swept over Lin Xiao's noticeably improved complexion and upright posture, her tone unreadable as to whether it was a statement or sarcasm.

"Thanks to Officer Qin, the Ninth Division's medicine is good."

Lin Xiao forced a weak, slightly fawning, roguish smile, his voice deliberately raspy. "Officer Qin visiting me when you're so busy is truly... flattering." He lowered his eyelids slightly, avoiding her overly sharp gaze as if unable to bear the pressure.

"I'm not here to see you."

Qin Bing's voice remained impassive as she cut straight to the point. "The explosion at the abandoned factory in the western industrial district. A large number of Blood Wolf Gang members were found dead or injured at the scene, along with... Shadow Alliance markings. You were present for all of this."

She paused, her gaze like an ice pick, piercing Lin Xiao. "Now, there's been a theft at the Tianhai First High School Martial Dao Research Group warehouse. The stolen items: three special high-concentration Body Tempering Fluid."

Her pace was not fast, but each word was clear and forceful, like cold bullets shot into the air.

"Body Tempering Fluid?" Lin Xiao feigned surprise and confusion at the appropriate moment, his brow furrowing slightly. "What... does that have to do with me? Officer Qin, I've either been 'protected' here by you these past few days or lying in the hospital. I haven't even set foot near the school."

He spread his uninjured left hand, his expression one of utter innocence.

"Time."

Qin Bing seemed not to hear his defense, her gaze still locked onto him like a falcon on its prey. "The warehouse was stolen from late last night. And yesterday afternoon, you just defeated Liu Meng on the school's arena, winning a considerable prize."

She took a small step forward, the invisible pressure suddenly intensifying. "As far as I know, you've been... short on money recently. Especially on the black market."

She deliberately slowed her speech on the last few words, lowering her voice further, carrying a chilling tone of knowing everything.

Here it comes! Lin Xiao's heart tightened.

Qin Bing was indeed investigating him! And she had dug deep!

She had even found clues about his participation in black market auctions!

This woman's intelligence network and operational capability were truly terrifying!

But he maintained his expression of confusion and innocence, even adding a hint of wronged grievance. "Officer Qin, what you're saying... I don't understand. Short on money... a little, who isn't? But being short on money means I'd steal the school's Body Tempering Fluid? That's too much... Besides, with my abilities, could I sneak into the Martial Dao Research Group's warehouse without anyone noticing? Wouldn't that be asking for death?"

He shook his head with a bitter smile, his eyes looking "sincerely" at Qin Bing.

"Skills?" Qin Bing's lips curved into an extremely faint, yet chillingly sharp arc. "Your skills, it seems, always create 'coincidences' in desperate situations."

Her gaze was like a scalpel, beginning to dissect with precision:

"Abandoned gymnasium, Zhao Hu's True Qi backlash."

"Abandoned factory, falling beams, exploding oil drums."

"School arena, Liu Meng's old injury relapses at a critical moment, collapsing in pain."

"Black market auction, 'Viper' Ah Qi's personal terminal mysteriously burns out."

"And last night... the surveillance footage of the warehouse where the Body Tempering Fluid was stolen showed a 0.3-second snow screen interference during the crucial period. The technical department reported that the interference source's characteristics... are very unusual and untraceable."

With every sentence Qin Bing spoke, she took a small step forward.

The icy aura, mixed with the faint smell of gunpowder from her body, almost enveloped Lin Xiao. Her sharp, hawk-like eyes were fixed on every minute change in Lin Xiao's pupils, capturing any potential flaw on his face.

"Lin Xiao, tell me," Qin Bing's voice dropped to a whisper, carrying an undeniable, soul-piercing power. "Aren't these 'coincidences' a bit too many?

Every time, you are at the center of the vortex.

Every time, a seemingly desperate dead end is reversed by some inexplicable 'accident.'

In this world, is there really so much perfect luck?"

The immense pressure, like tangible ice water, squeezed in from all directions!

Deep within his soul, the core of the modifier's pulse slightly accelerated. The azure light screen operated steadily, silently dissolving this mental pressure.

But a fine sheen of cold sweat still beaded on Lin Xiao's forehead—this time, half was an act, and half was genuine vigilance!

This woman was too sharp! She was already at the edge of the truth!

She had connected all the "abnormal points." Although she couldn't explain them, her intuition told her that the core lay with Lin Xiao!

"Officer Qin..." Lin Xiao took a deep breath, the roguish smile on his face becoming a little stiff. His eyes appropriately displayed helplessness as if cornered, along with a hint of imperceptible exhaustion and fear (an act). "Your imagination is... too rich. What you're saying sounds pretty bizarre... but those were just others' bad luck or accidents! What does it have to do with me? As a student still recovering from serious injuries, how could I cause such a stir? If I really had this ability, would I be chased by the Blood Wolf Gang like a stray dog?"

He paused, his voice carrying a slightly hoarse tremor, as if bearing immense grievance. "I know, I used to be a bit of a punk, not very likable. Maybe my luck is a bit stranger than others, encountering both good and bad. But that doesn't mean I'm a thief, or some kind of monster, does it?"

He looked up, his eyes holding a stubbornness of someone who had given up, looking at Qin Bing. "If you have evidence proving I stole the Body Tempering Fluid, or that I caused the factory explosion, arrest me now! I'll admit it! If not... Officer Qin, you doing this... puts a lot of pressure on me."

Retreat to advance. Show weakness.

Emphasize his "weakness" and "innocence."

Attribute everything to "bad luck" and "strange luck."

A brief silence fell in the ward.

Only the low hum of the instruments and the invisible clash of their auras filled the space.

Qin Bing's gaze remained cold and sharp, as if welded onto Lin Xiao's face.

She seemed to be weighing the truthfulness of Lin Xiao's words, scrutinizing his every subtle expression and body language.

Lin Xiao's performance was practically perfect. The grievance, helplessness, and fear of being interrogated, along with the final stubbornness of giving up, were all executed flawlessly.

But Qin Bing's intuition, honed on the edge of life and death countless times, like a beast's instinct, was screaming wildly—this seemingly weak youth in front of her was definitely problematic!

He was shrouded in a mist too thick to dissipate!

Evidence... she indeed had no direct evidence.

The scene of the Body Tempering Fluid theft was clean, leaving almost no valuable clues.

The interference source at the black market auction was also untraceable. The factory explosion and the Shadow Alliance marking were highly suspicious, but none could directly point to Lin Xiao.

"Pressure?" Qin Bing finally spoke again, her voice returning to its previous cold and steady tone, but the scrutinizing intent had not diminished in the slightest. "Having pressure is a good thing. It can remind you that some lines should not be crossed. Some 'luck,' used too often, will bring about utter destruction."

She no longer advanced, but instead took half a step back, creating a little distance.

But the invisible pressure did not dissipate.

"I will continue to investigate the Body Tempering Fluid theft case. The Blood Wolf Gang, the Shadow Alliance, and you..." Qin Bing's gaze, like cold probes, swept over Lin Xiao again. "Are all on this chessboard. Take care of yourself."

With that, she stopped looking at Lin Xiao and turned sharply, the hem of her black combat uniform cutting a cold, hard arc through the air.

She walked towards the door, her steps still crisp and silent.

Just as her hand was about to touch the doorknob, the screen of the ordinary-looking black tactical watch on her wrist flashed with a faint, almost imperceptible azure light.

This light was fleeting, as quick as an illusion.

But Lin Xiao's pupils, in that instant, contracted violently to the size of needle points!

[Warning! High-intensity encrypted directional communication band (unknown protocol) detected! Source: Target (Qin Bing)'s wrist device!]

[Band characteristic analysis: Highly directional, instantaneous transmission, content unanalyzable!]

[Energy characteristic: Trace amounts, but containing special spectrum... 0.7% similarity with "Shadow Alliance Marking" residual fluctuations?... (Analysis interrupted, insufficient data)]

The modifier's prompt sounded urgently in his mind!

Although the analysis was interrupted due to insufficient data, the extremely faint similarity fluctuation captured in that instant, like a cold viper, instantly coiled around Lin Xiao's heart!

Qin Bing... who was she communicating with?

That azure light... that faint similarity...

Could the Special Operations Ninth Division be involved with the Shadow Alliance?

The thought exploded in Lin Xiao's mind like a thunderclap, chilling him to the bone!

Qin Bing seemed oblivious. She had already opened the door and disappeared outside.

The cold sound of the door closing echoed in the silent hospital room.

Lin Xiao leaned back against the chair, the pretense of weakness, grievance, and fear vanishing from his face without a trace.

In its place was an unprecedented solemnity and a bone-chilling killing intent!

He slowly raised his left hand, looking at his well-defined knuckles, a hand that now contained the power of a Martial Disciple peak.

The light of [Source Energy Points: +0.12] flickered steadily in his mind.

His strength was recovering, but the fog was deepening.

The stolen Body Tempering Fluid… Qin Bing's interrogation… the Blood Wolf Gang's pursuit… the Shadow Alliance's mark… and the strange azure communication light on Qin Bing's wristband…

"Heh…" A low, cold chuckle escaped Lin Xiao's throat.

This water was much deeper and murkier than he had imagined.

He needed strength, more strength.

He needed Source Energy Points, more Source Energy Points.

He needed to see clearly what truths and killing intents lay hidden behind this heavy fog!

His gaze turned to the hazy sky outside the window, his eyes sharp as knives, as if trying to pierce through the oppressive clouds.

"The black market… the mining vein shares… it's time to collect some interest."