Qin Bing's Doubts

The smell of motor oil and rust still lingered deep inside the abandoned factory, but the aftertaste of gunpowder and blood had already been completely covered by the cold, clean air laced with disinfectant from the Special Operations Ninth Division safehouse.

Lin Xiao sat back in a specially designed medical chair, his back pressed tightly against the cold metal backrest.

The wounds on his right shoulder and back had been treated again and covered with new biological gel dressings, which gave off waves of cool, comfortable numbness and itchiness.

The leap in his level of life brought about 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 highly effective medicine, had allowed his injuries to heal far faster than expected.

Inside his body, the True Qi from the Surging Waves Art flowed steadily through his widened and strengthened meridians like a thawing spring river, warm and brimming with power.

Source Energy Points: +0.11 (surplus)

In his mind, that dark-blue screen glowed steadily and brilliantly. The black cracks from before had almost completely vanished, leaving behind only a few extremely fine, pale-silver lines resembling the crazing of ancient porcelain. Instead, they added a touch of mystery.

The core's pulse was strong and steady, radiating a long-missed sense of reassuring vitality. The surplus Source Energy Points were like an ammunition depot with ample reserves, bringing him a composure he had never felt before.

He toyed with the lustrous white mutton-fat jade bottle in his hand. The stopper had been opened just enough to leave a narrow gap, and wisps of pure, herbaceous spiritual energy drifted out.

With a slight movement of his thoughts, the modifier began operating soundlessly.

Target locked: Jade Marrow Muscle Growth Powder (trace energy dissipating)... Energy properties: gentle, nourishing, containing herbaceous spiritual energy... Can be converted into a small amount of Source Energy Points... Absorb?

"Absorb." Lin Xiao replied calmly in his mind. Even a mosquito's leg is still meat.

Absorption complete. Source Energy Points obtained: +0.01.

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

A faint warm current flowed in, and the core's pulse seemed to grow a little more pleased.

This silent, imperceptible accumulation was exactly what he needed to repair his foundation and stabilize his realm.

Knock, knock, knock.

The crisp, rhythmic tapping at the sickroom door carried a formulaic, icy quality and instantly shattered the room's tranquility.

Without opening the door, Lin Xiao could clearly sense the aura outside, fierce and sharp like a polar gale, carrying an invisible pressure.

Qin Bing.

A trace of understanding flashed deep in Lin Xiao's eyes. He quickly stoppered the jade bottle and put it into his inner pocket.

The faint composure born from his surplus Source Energy Points vanished from his face in an instant, replaced by an appropriate weariness from having only just recovered from serious injuries, along with a hint of "awe" toward an official.

He adjusted his posture, making himself look a little more "frail."

The door opened silently.

Qin Bing walked in.

She was still wearing that impeccably tailored black Special Operations Ninth Division combat uniform, which fit her tall, powerful figure perfectly and outlined her smooth curves.

Her jet-black hair was tied neatly behind her head, revealing a fair forehead and a cold, hard profile.

She held a thin electronic notepad in her hand. Her gaze was like a precision scanner, landing on Lin Xiao in an instant.

Her gaze was cold and sharp, as if it could pierce through flesh and strike directly at the soul. There were no greetings or pleasantries, only an undisguised scrutiny as though she were examining a suspect.

"Lin Xiao." Qin Bing's voice was like her gaze, hard and metallic, without the slightest fluctuation.

She stopped a few steps from the hospital bed, maintaining a distance that made observation convenient while allowing her to restrain him at any moment.

"Recovering pretty quickly." Her gaze swept over Lin Xiao's visibly improved complexion and straight back. It was impossible to tell whether her tone was a statement or sarcasm.

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

Lin Xiao forced out a weak, slightly ingratiating rogue's grin and deliberately made his voice a little hoarse. "For Officer Qin to visit me in the middle of your busy schedule... I'm truly... flattered." He lowered his eyelids slightly, avoiding her overly sharp stare as if he could not withstand the pressure.

"I didn't come to see you."

Qin Bing's voice did not ripple at all as she went straight to the point. "The explosion at the abandoned factory in the western industrial district. Large numbers of Blood Wolf Gang members were found dead or injured at the scene, along with... Shadow Alliance markings. You were present for all of that."

She paused, her gaze stabbing toward Lin Xiao like an icicle. "Now, there has been a theft at the martial arts research group's warehouse at Tianhai First High School. The stolen items—three specially supplied, high-concentration doses of Body Tempering Fluid."

Her speech was not fast, but every word was clear and forceful, like cold bullets fired into the air.

"Body Tempering Fluid?" Lin Xiao appropriately showed surprise and confusion, knitting his brows slightly. "What does that... have to do with me? Officer Qin, these past few days I've either been 'under your protection' here or lying in the hospital. I haven't even touched the school gates."

He spread his uninjured left hand, looking completely innocent.

"Time."

Qin Bing acted as though she had not heard his defense. Her gaze remained fixed on him like an eagle locking onto its prey. "The warehouse was robbed late last night. Yesterday afternoon, you had just defeated Liu Meng on the school's arena and received a substantial prize."

She took one small step closer, and the invisible pressure suddenly intensified. "As far as I know, you have been... short of money lately. Especially on the black market."

She deliberately slowed down on the last few words, lowering her voice with a coldness that seemed to see through everything.

Here it comes! Lin Xiao's heart tightened.

Qin Bing really is investigating me—and thoroughly!

She even found clues about my participation in the black-market auction!

That woman's intelligence network and efficiency are truly frightening!

But his face still maintained that confusion and innocence. He even added a trace of aggrieved indignation at being falsely accused. "Officer Qin, I really don't understand what you're saying. Short of money... a little, I suppose. Who isn't? But does being short of money mean I'd steal the school's Body Tempering Fluid? That's too... Besides, with my meager ability, could I sneak into the martial arts research group's warehouse without anyone noticing? Wouldn't that be suicide?"

He shook his head with a bitter smile and looked at Qin Bing with "sincerity."

"Ability?" The corner of Qin Bing's mouth curved into an almost imperceptible arc, so cold it was bone-piercing. "Your ability seems to be capable of creating 'coincidences' whenever you find yourself in desperate situations."

Her gaze was like a scalpel as she began dissecting everything with precision:

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

"Abandoned factory. A falling beam and an exploding oil drum."

"School arena. Liu Meng's old injury flaring up at the crucial moment, leaving him writhing on the ground."

"Black-market auction. The personal terminal of 'Fang' Ah Qi mysteriously burning out."

"And last night... the warehouse surveillance footage from the Body Tempering Fluid theft showed 0.3 seconds of static interference at the crucial moment. The technical department reported that the interference source had... highly unusual characteristics and could not be traced."

With each sentence, Qin Bing pressed one small step closer.

Her cold aura mixed with the faint smell of gunpowder on her body, almost enveloping Lin Xiao. Those sharp, hawk-like eyes stared fixedly at every minute change in his pupils, catching any possible flaw that appeared on his face.

"Lin Xiao, tell me." Qin Bing lowered her voice to its deepest point, imbuing it with an undeniable force that pointed straight at the heart. "Aren't there too many of these 'coincidences'?

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

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

Does the world really have this much perfectly timed luck?"

Powerful pressure squeezed in from all directions like solid ice water!

Deep in his soul, the modifier's core began pulsing slightly faster. The dark-blue screen continued operating steadily, silently dissolving the mental pressure.

Even so, fine beads of cold sweat still appeared on Lin Xiao's forehead—half of it was an act, and half of it was genuine vigilance this time!

This woman is too perceptive! She has practically touched the edge of the truth!

She has connected every "anomaly." Although she cannot explain them, her instincts tell her that the core lies with me!

"Officer Qin..." Lin Xiao drew a deep breath. The roguish smile on his face grew somewhat stiff, while his eyes appropriately revealed the helplessness of someone driven into a corner and a trace of... barely perceptible exhaustion and fear (acting). "You... your imagination is far too rich. What you described does sound pretty sinister... but those were other people being unlucky or accidents! What does that have to do with me? I'm a student who hasn't recovered from serious injuries. Could I really cause this much commotion? If I had that kind of ability, would the Blood Wolf Gang have chased me around like a stray dog?"

He paused, his voice trembling slightly with hoarseness, as though he were suffering a tremendous grievance. "I know that I used to be a bit of a thug and wasn't well-liked. Maybe my luck is stranger than other people's, and I just happen to run into both good and bad things. But that doesn't prove I'm a thief or some kind of monster, does it?"

He raised his head and looked at Qin Bing with the stubbornness of someone ready to throw everything away. "If you have evidence proving that I stole the Body Tempering Fluid or caused the factory explosion, arrest me right now! I'll admit it! But if you don't... Officer Qin, treating me like this... is putting me under a lot of pressure."

Advance by retreating. Show weakness.

Emphasize his "weakness" and "innocence."

Blame everything on "bad luck" and "strange fortune."

The sickroom fell into a brief silence.

Only the low hum of the equipment and the invisible collision of their auras remained between them.

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

She seemed to be weighing the truth of Lin Xiao's words and scrutinizing every minute expression and movement he made.

Lin Xiao's performance was flawless. The grievance, helplessness, fear, and finally that stubbornness of someone ready to throw everything away were all perfectly measured.

But Qin Bing's instincts—the beastlike instincts honed at countless edges of life and death—were screaming furiously. This seemingly weak youth definitely has a problem!

A thick fog that could not be dispersed shrouded him!

Evidence... she indeed had no direct evidence.

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

The interference source from the black-market auction was also untraceable. The explosion at the abandoned factory and the Shadow Alliance marking were even more suspicious, but neither could directly point to Lin Xiao.

"Pressure?" Qin Bing finally spoke again. Her voice had returned to its previous cold steadiness, but the scrutiny in it had not diminished in the slightest. "Pressure is a good thing. It can make you remember that some lines must not be crossed. Use some kinds of 'luck' too often, and they will bring utter destruction."

She stopped pressing forward and instead took half a step back, opening up a little distance.

But the invisible pressure did not dissipate.

"I will continue investigating the Body Tempering Fluid theft. The Blood Wolf Gang, the Shadow Alliance, and you..." Qin Bing's gaze swept over Lin Xiao again like a cold probe. "You are all pieces on this chessboard. Take care."

With that, she no longer looked at Lin Xiao. She turned crisply, the hem of her black combat uniform cutting a cold, hard arc through the air.

She walked toward the door, her steps still brisk and soundless.

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

The light vanished in an instant, quick as an illusion.

But Lin Xiao's pupils suddenly contracted to pinpoints at that moment!

Warning! High-intensity encrypted directed communication band detected (unknown protocol)! Source: target's (Qin Bing's) wrist device!

Band characteristics analysis: Extremely directional, transmitted instantaneously, contents impossible to parse!

Energy characteristics: Trace amount, but containing a special spectrum... 0.7% similarity to residual fluctuations from the "Shadow Alliance marking"... (analysis interrupted, insufficient data)

The modifier's alert sounded urgently in his mind!

Although the analysis had been interrupted by insufficient data, that extremely faint similarity fluctuation captured in that instant was like a cold viper, suddenly winding around Lin Xiao's heart!

Qin Bing... who was she communicating with?

That dark-blue light... that faint similarity...

Could the Special Operations Ninth Division also be connected to the Shadow Alliance?

The thought exploded in Lin Xiao's mind like thunder, leaving him cold all over!

Qin Bing seemed completely unaware. She had already opened the door, and her figure vanished outside.

The cold sound of the door closing echoed through the silent sickroom.

Lin Xiao leaned against the back of the chair. The feigned weakness, grievance, and fear on his face vanished without a trace.

In their place was unprecedented gravity and a killing intent cold enough to pierce bone!

He slowly raised his left hand and looked at his long-jointed palm, which now contained the power of Martial Disciple peak.

Source Energy Points: +0.12

The light flickered steadily in his mind.

His strength was recovering, but the fog was deepening.

The Body Tempering Fluid theft... Qin Bing's interrogation... the Blood Wolf Gang's pursuit... the Shadow Alliance's marking... and that strange dark-blue communication light on Qin Bing's watch...

"Heh..." A low, icy laugh spilled from Lin Xiao's throat.

This pool of water was much deeper—and much muddier—than he had imagined.

He needed power. Stronger power.

He needed Source Energy Points. More Source Energy Points.

He needed to see clearly what kind of truth and killing intent were hidden behind this layered fog!

His gaze turned toward the gray sky outside the window, his eyes sharp as knives, as if he meant to pierce through the oppressive clouds.

"The black market... the mining-rights share... It's time to collect some interest."