Hostage Trade
Even at midnight City No. 10 was still bustling with activity.
Some have heard that the fighting in the north has paused, and it seems that Kamishiro and Kashima suffered a setback in the war because the Time Walker replaced the key figures.
Some say these sudden replacements were the work of the Li family, while others say it was just a coincidence.
However, the war in the north did not affect the prosperity of City No. 10.
War in the wilderness also seems very far away from everyone.
It's a very disjointed feeling. Even though war has broken out in the north, prices in the city have only risen slightly, and people have gone to the malls to buy up supplies.
People didn't care about the outcome of the war.
The people have no sense of belonging to the federal government or to the corporations.
Qing Hua walked down the bustling street, crowds surged past him, and before he knew it, seven people had surrounded him.
He walked forward, and the seven people followed.
Their auras were intertwined, as if they were connected by a thread. The surging crowd was the river, and the eight of them were the hidden reefs in the river.
Remembering Qing Chen's instructions, Qing Hua immediately said into the Bluetooth headset, "Target has appeared, come over."
The next moment, members of the Seventh Group of Intelligence Department One emerged from a roadside shop. Each of them carried a satchel in their left hand and reached into the satchel with their right hand to grasp a pistol.
In the blink of an eye, more than thirty agents had subtly surrounded the seven people.
The seven people were somewhat taken aback when they saw this scene, seemingly not expecting that so many people from the first group would follow Qing Hua.
This isn't a transaction; it looks more like a bloody battle.
The shadow on the high-rise building laughed at this scene, "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Still as cautious as ever, sending out so many people at once."
At this moment, the shortest middle-aged man among the seven approached Qing Hua and walked alongside Qing Hua, saying, "Inspector Qing Hua, I've come to trade with you for Qingyi Kamishiro."
Qing Hua sneered, "So many people for a transaction?"
The short, middle-aged man was stunned for a moment. He looked around and thought to himself, "I only brought six people, and you brought more than thirty. And you're asking me why I brought so many people?!"
But he didn't dwell on the question. Instead, he said in a low voice, "Where is Qingyi Kamishiro? I know you secretly smuggled him out of the secret prison tonight. Can we make the deal tonight?"
Qing Hua glanced at the other party sideways. "That depends on your sincerity. Remember what we said: one Qingyi Kamishiro should be exchanged for two people of equal value from Kashima. As for whether the value is equal, that is entirely up to our judgment. The final interpretation right belongs to Group Seven."
The short, middle-aged man thought for a moment, then pulled two pieces of paper from his sleeve and handed them to Qing Hua: "These are the details of two members of the Kashima group. If you think it's acceptable, we can proceed with the transaction now."
Qing Hua glanced around, then silently took the two pages and unfolded them.
The first Kashima member the other side wanted to exchange was a well-known intelligence agent, codenamed Jeju, who had been missing for two years.
This intelligence officer was very famous; he was said to be one of Kashima's intelligence chiefs in City No. 10, but his identity was exposed due to an accidental betrayal by his subordinate.
Then they mysteriously disappeared.
Many people thought he had escaped back to Kashima's territory, but they never expected that he had been captured by Kamishiro.
The second member of the Kashima family is also quite famous. He is the grandson of the current head of the Kashima family and was once the chairman of the PCE Public Security Management Committee of City No. 10 in the Federation. He later disappeared on his way back to his hometown to pay respects to his ancestors.
It now appears that they were also captured by the gods.
Qing Hua couldn't help but glance at the short, middle-aged man beside him, thinking to himself, "This Kamishiro is really a scoundrel. He secretly captured two such important figures from the Kashima family. They were allies in the war, yet he resorted to such underhanded tactics."
That's such a grandson.
If Kashima knew that the Kamishiro Family had done something like this, would their intelligence systems in City No. 10 still be able to get along? Forget about it.
This puzzled Qing Hua. While Qingyi Kamishiro was important, was it really worth the Kamishiro Family paying such a high price?
He sighed with some emotion, thinking that his boss's plan was too ruthless and was indeed a powerful tool to tear apart the alliance between Kamishiro and Kashima!
Qing Hua said in a low voice, "I agree to the exchange, but there's a condition: the evidence of these two's crimes must be given to me along with the transaction. Otherwise, it's useless to me if I take them; I can only release them without charge. Similarly, I will also hand over the evidence of Qingyi Kamishiro's crimes to you, ensuring that he can continue to show his face in public in the future."
The Intelligence Department One certainly has the right to arrest members of corporations; it is a power granted to them by the Federal Constitution.
However, they need solid evidence to arrest people; otherwise, they can release them with just a little pressure.
If that's the case, then Group Seven would be making a losing deal.
The short, middle-aged man said, "No problem. Since we're making a deal, we've naturally prepared the necessary materials to ensure you can convict these two. Where shall we make the transaction?"
"Right here, where there are the most people," Qing Hua said coldly. "Both vehicles will drive over at the same time, and after verifying the evidence, the hostages will be exchanged, and then we will have nothing more to do with each other."
The middle-aged man thought for a moment and said, "Okay!"
Qing Hua specifically chose this place, partly because there are many people here, and partly because the surveillance cameras here have all been destroyed by the local gangs in City No. 10, making it the most suitable place for the transaction.
Soon, two minivans arrived at their call, one from the north and the other from the south, meeting in the middle of the long street.
The car door opened, and both parties quickly checked the other party. After confirming that it was indeed Qingyi Kamishiro in the car, the short middle-aged man handed over a stack of documents, accounts, and photos to Qing Hua.
Qing Hua nodded slowly only after confirming that the evidence of the crime was irrefutable.
The people in the two vehicles quickly exchanged hostages and then left the scene under the escort of their respective groups.
Standing in the middle of the long street, Qing Hua felt a sense of unreality. Had the boss's plan already been completed?!
He watched the departing vehicle, feeling an indescribable sense of satisfaction. He knew that the two Kashima members sent to him by the Kamishiro Family were of immense value, even with just a glance.
Most importantly, if the Kashima Family discovers that Kamishiro has committed such underhanded acts, the alliance between the two intelligence systems will inevitably collapse.
At the very least, huge cracks will appear.
In the past, Kamishiro and Kashima in Intelligence Department One always stuck together, making it difficult for the other groups to deal with them. Now, this alliance should be broken up under the Seventh Group's plan, right?
It's so satisfying to think about.
Qing Hua's younger brother was fighting against Jinshiro and Kashima on the front lines at the time, so he had a natural hatred for them. By dismantling their alliance from the rear, he might be able to reduce the number of Qing's soldiers who died, just like the butterfly effect.
With this in mind, Qing Hua continued walking forward, feeling much more relaxed.
However, just a few minutes later, a girl with dyed red hair suddenly approached him and whispered, "I am a representative of the Kamishiro Family. I would like to ask you how you plan to conduct the transaction."
Qing Hua turned to look at the girl, stunned. "???"
What is that?
The Kamishiro Family wants to make a deal?
Didn't we just make a transaction?
Qing Hua hesitated for a moment before asking, "Are you from the Kamishiro Family?"
The girl had a lip piercing and a nose piercing, making her look particularly punk.
She said calmly, "I am Qingyi Kamishiro's older sister, Kongshu Kamishiro. You should have seen me before."
Qing Hua suddenly remembered. Yes, this was Qingyi Kamishiro's older sister, a well-known figure. He never expected her to come to the transaction in person.
It seems she's worried about her younger brother's safety.
But if this Kongshu Kamishiro is a transaction representative of the Kamishiro Family, then who the hell were those people just now?!
Someone's stirring up trouble!
Group 7 certainly didn't lose out in this deal, because they gained at least two important figures from the Kashima Family.
But this matter was so strange that Qing Hua couldn't help but feel a bit of a headache.
He hesitated for a moment and looked at Kongshu Kamishiro: "If I told you that Qingyi Kamishiro has just been bought by someone else, would you believe me...?"
Kongshu Kamishiro: "???"
Who bought her brother? What would they do with him?
At that very moment, on the rooftop of a tall building, a small iron gate suddenly opened.
The short, middle-aged man who had previously completed the transaction with Qing Hua came up carrying the unfortunate Qingyi Kamishiro, and said respectfully, "Mr. Shadow, we've switched him over. I gave him anesthesia, and he's currently unconscious."
But then they saw that Mr. Shadow was looking down at the bewildered Qing Hua and Kongshu Kamishiro downstairs, laughing so hard he was pounding the ground.
Neither the young man behind him nor the short middle-aged man made a sound to disturb him.
"Hahaha, Qing Hua is totally confused now, look at his expression, it's unbelievable!" Qing's Shadow laughed heartily.
The building was extremely tall, at least several hundred meters above the ground, and Qing Shi's shadow seemed to have excellent eyesight, as he could see the expression on Qing Hua's face from such a distance.
The transactions that were completed earlier were clearly arranged by him deliberately.
The two Kashima members who had previously gone missing were also intercepted by experts under the shadow of the Kei clan.
The young man said softly, "Boss, it's been a long time since I've seen you smile so happily."
Qing Shi's shadow stood up and said with a smile, "That's because you guys are too boring. No one can make me laugh so happily. Life is just a playground. Don't always be so tense. Be happy and relax. The Qing family has stood for so many years. It won't collapse just because we laugh happily."
The young man thought for a moment and asked, "But what are you trying to achieve by doing this?"
"Don't you think it's fun?" Qing Shi's shadow asked with a smile.
The young man fell silent...
Qing Shi's shadow said, "Those two Kashima members are in our hands, but they still don't know who captured them, right? Actually, these two are just a burden to me. We've extracted all the information we needed, and we were just wondering what to do with them. Then Qing Chen gave me a new idea. This deal is perfect for putting these two to good use. Now, everyone thinks these two were given to Group Seven by Kamishiro. Even if Kamishiro doesn't admit it, how could Kashima not be suspicious? Sometimes, it's enough to make them suspicious. Once a rift appears, it can't be mended."