Unexpected

In District 9, Shadow Candidate Qing Wen stood quietly on the bridge between two buildings.

The suspended walkway is like a steel cable hanging between two buildings.

Whenever Qing Wen stands in such a place, overlooking the most absurd part of a city, he always feels a unique sense of detachment.

This place doesn't belong to him, and he doesn't belong here.

At 3 p. m., 72 agents from the Intelligence Department Three had entered the apartment building to his right and, based on information provided by Kite Falcon under Qing Wen's command, completely sealed off the building.

Gunshots rang out from inside the building, but Qing Wen remained unfazed, simply standing on the cloud and gazing at the scenery.

He didn't seem to take the arrest operation seriously. Although the agents were weak, his Kite Falcon were already lurking in the building, ready to strike at any time.

The strength of those Kite Falcon far surpasses that of agents and assassins.

Less than half an hour later, his agents brought five assassins, handcuffed, to the walkway to report the good news, "Inspector, we've caught them all, but there were only five in this apartment building. During the fight inside, your top men intervened in time, and only three of our men sustained minor injuries..."

Qing Wen smiled warmly and said, "Five is already quite good; we still have plenty of time."

At this moment, an agent walked up to Qing Wen and whispered, "A friend of mine in the Third Intelligence Division said that Qing Yi still hasn't come to work at the Intelligence Department Three. Qing Wu also left not long after we left. Qing Shi is still chasing after celebrities. Qing Xing, she found some money."

Unexpectedly, Qing Wen not only recruited Qing Yi's agents into his ranks, but also secretly bribed the missing agent under Qing Yuan's command.

However, Qing Wen did not bring Qing Yuan's men with him when he took action. Instead, he left them in the Intelligence Department Three to act as informants and monitor the actions of the other Shadow Candidate.

Qing Wen glanced at the detective and said calmly, "Okay, thank you, I understand."

The detective seemed intent on striking up a conversation. "Qing Yi is still young and playful, so there's nothing to worry about. But Qing Wu suddenly going out? Won't that cause any problems?"

Qing Wen smiled and said, "It's alright, we just need to catch one more assassin."

Shadow's requirements are to capture six or more assassins, or to capture Lin Haiping, the commander of this operation.

There are 12 assassins.

Therefore, in theory, a maximum of three Shadow Candidate can gain an advantage in the next mission.

Qing Wen could certainly capture everyone and cut off the path of the other Shadow Candidate, but he felt it was unnecessary. There was still plenty of time, and they could take their time.

He's already ahead of the other Shadow Candidate, so there's no need to panic.

Qing Wen said with a smile, "When we get back to the PCA CIA's underground parking garage, I've prepared some small gifts for everyone there."

The agents were stunned for a moment, then instantly became happy.

They knew Qing Wen very generous, and this was a reward for their efforts in this operation.

This gift is something to look forward to.

On the way back, the detectives saw an undercurrent of tension. Everyone wanted to get into Qing Wen's car so they could get closer to the new boss, but in the end, the three most senior detectives squeezed into the car.

Qing Wen didn't concern himself with any of this, and simply waited for the agents to make their own decisions.

Back in the underground garage of Intelligence Department Three, Qing Wen's servants were already waiting for them.

The management here at headquarters is not as strict as that of the Intelligence Department One. Qing Wen only needs to make a phone call, and all his private vehicles can be driven into the garage.

Qing Wen's servants opened two vans, the trunks of which were filled with 72 gifts.

Those were baskets of beef, bright red and tempting.

The fresh meat was sealed in a basket with plastic wrap, much like a fruit basket brought by an Outer World to a sick person. Thick slices of meat were arranged in a pretty rose shape.

In the Inner World, because real beef is extremely scarce, even the barbecue restaurants sell synthetic beef that tastes similar; it's really just a slightly more advanced form of synthetic protein.

Therefore, the most precious gift in the Inner World is fresh meat.

Firstly, you can only find real fresh meat in the markets of the Upper Third District, and it costs several hundred yuan per kilogram, with the best beef even costing tens of thousands of yuan.

The detectives' eyes lit up when they saw this. They roughly estimated that the basket of beef weighed about 20 pounds, enough to cover their monthly salary.

If I took this home, my wife would be overjoyed!

Qing Wen smiled and said, "This is just a small token of my appreciation for everyone since I'm new here. There's a bigger gift coming before the Spring Festival. I hope you can continue to cooperate with me in the near future."

The agents were incredibly excited. Each of them carried a basket of beef and escorted the five assassins upstairs.

As they entered the main office one by one, the other agents who remained behind stared wide-eyed at the sight of Beef Basket, looking utterly incredulous.

In fact, Qing Wen chose to distribute gifts at this time precisely to make the agents under the other Shadow Candidate envious. What he was doing was similar to what Qing Chen did in the Seventh Group, only the level of the gifts was slightly different...

However, at that moment, the door to the Intelligence Department Three was pushed open again.

Qing Wen his head and was shocked to see Qing Hua, the man who had previously come to the PCA headquarters to arrest people, standing outside the door.

But then Qing Hua, beaming, led dozens of people in and barged in. He then circled the five handcuffed assassins twice and asked, "These must be the assassins who attacked the Kamiyo Style Street, right?"

Just as Qing Wen was about to go over and greet Qing Hua, he suddenly saw a boy walk out from behind Qing Hua, looking at him with a smile.

Qing Yi.

Qing Wen's pupils contracted. He hadn't expected Qing Yi, who hadn't come to work today, to suddenly appear with so many people from the Intelligence Department One.

Veteran agents familiar with the PCA's rules and regulations have already realized that Qing Yi is trying to use the priority of Intelligence Department One to reap the benefits!

But Qing Yi didn't speak to Qing Wen; instead, he looked at the agents who were originally under his command.

"This beef was given to everyone by Brother Qing Wen, right? He's always so generous. But eating too much meat isn't easy to digest," Qing Yi said with a smile.

I'm not pretending anymore, I'm coming clean!

In reality, young Qing Yi was just a bit precocious; his cunning wasn't as deep as he imagined.

Therefore, at this moment, Qing Yi was extremely happy and Qing Xing that he had found a powerful and protective master!

With Mr. Qing Chen in Intelligence Department One Division, the other Shadow Candidate have been completely crushed by him in terms of official status!

Why do those in power establish social rules? Because they are the biggest beneficiaries of those rules.

A smart person can sometimes kill without using force; the rules are enough.

In Qing Yi's eyes, her husband was an exceptionally intelligent person.

Qing Yi's agents were still carrying their beef baskets. When they realized that Qing Yi had been pretending to be weak while actually being strong, they wanted to drop the beef baskets and rejoin their side, but it was too late.

Moreover, they were well aware that with the support of the Intelligence Department One, Qing Yi had no need for them at all.

Qing Hua added insult to injury, coldly saying to the detectives, "You've been bribed with just a little beef? You've completely forgotten who your superior is. You're utterly hopeless."

The agents lowered their heads even further.

Qing Wen looked at Qing Yi expressionlessly. "What do you want to do?"

Qing Yi smiled and said, "It's nothing, just taking away the assassin you just caught."

"On what grounds?" Qing Wen said coldly, "I'm the one who captured him."

Qing Yi turned to Qing Hua: "Can we take them with us?"

Qing Hua said, "Article 4 of Chapter 3 of the PCA's regulations states that Intelligence Department One has priority in interrogation, and other intelligence divisions must cooperate with Intelligence Department One in the handover of suspects. Inspector Qing Wen, you haven't even properly read the PCA's regulations, have you?"

In the past, Qing Hua would definitely not have wanted to offend a Shadow Candidate, but things are different now; he has a particularly strong backbone.

Moreover, Qing Hua was well aware that the Shadow Struggle were a life-or-death struggle, and those who tried to be opportunistic would not have a good ending.

You can only bet on one side, and then bet that it will win.

Since Boss Qing Chen has bet on Qing Yi, Qing Hua has no choice.

Qing Hua had a clear understanding of his own position; being a loyal adjutant was the best path for him.

"Yang Xuyang, hand over the prisoner!" Qing Hua said coldly.

Qing Wen wanted to say something, but found that all his agents had their heads down and didn't dare to say a word.

This is the difference between complete loyalty and being a lackey. Qing Chen has already subdued the agents of Group Seven, and they all have only Qing Chen in their hearts, while Qing Wen has only given them some small favors to win them over.

The difference in quality is immediately apparent.

If Qing Wen had completely won over the agents like Qing Chen, the agents would probably have faced Qing Hua head-on even at the cost of punishment. But what Qing Wen did was far from what Qing Chen did.

Qing Wen remained silent, his face ashen, and watched helplessly as Qing Hua took all five assassins away.

Qing Yi smiled and looked at Qing Wen: "Thank you, Brother Qing Wen."

Just then, the door to the Intelligence Department Three was suddenly kicked open.

Qing Wu stood silently outside the door, carrying a person whose fate was unknown.

Qing Wu dark skin and a resolute face, clearly the marks left by years of arduous training and exposure to the elements.

His body was covered in blood, and no one could tell whether it was Qing Wu's blood or someone else's.

Qing Wu ignored Qing Yi and the others, and coldly said, "Where are my agents? Lock them up in jail. This is Lin Haiping, the leader of the assassin team."

Everyone was stunned. No one expected that this taciturn man who always slumped over his desk would actually go and find Lin Haiping all by himself and bring him back.

Seeing that the other party can lift an adult like a chick, they must have at least C-Class strength, right?

It's even quite possible that it's already at B-Class!

However, the agents in the large office did not move. Some people thought gleefully that although Qing Wu was powerful, he was just doing the work for Qing Yi.

Now is the perfect time; all of Qing Wu and Qing Wen's efforts can be given to Qing Yi.

To their surprise, when Qing Yi saw Qing Wu, she simply smiled and greeted him politely, "Hello, Brother Qing Wu. My mother said a few days ago that you must come to my house next time you go back, and she will stew pork ribs for you."

Qing Wu paused for a moment, then calmly said, "Okay, I understand."

After saying that, Qing Yi simply left with his men, without even trying to snatch Lin Haiping from Qing Wu's hands.

On the way, Qing Hua glanced at Qing Yi and asked, "Aren't you planning to take Lin Haiping?"

Qing Yi smiled and said, "Qing Wu very strong. Even if we all joined forces, we couldn't beat him. If we really anger him, we might be the ones who lose face. Don't worry, I won't let you all take that kind of risk with me."

Qing Hua asked in confusion, "What level is Qing Wu?"

Qing Yi thought for a moment and said, "At least B-Class. He's a well-known Martial Arts Enthusiast among the Qing family disciples. He has nothing but cultivation in his eyes. He's also the only Shadow Candidate who doesn't bring a Protector to the Shadow Struggle, because the highest a Protector can bring is only C-Class, which is not as good as himself."

At this moment, Qing Wu, who was in the large office, handed the prisoner over to the detective and then fell fast asleep on the table, completely unaware of the bloodstains on his body.

It was as if this was something that was commonplace.

However, when the detective took Lin Haiping, he discovered that the mastermind behind the assassin had lost all his limbs, and all of them were comminuted fractures.

Someone pulled up Lin Haiping's sleeve and took a look. The clear fingerprints on it proved that Qing Wu had broken the other person's bones!

Qing Wen glanced at Qing Wu, and he was even a little worried that Qing Wu suddenly become beastly and kill all the Shadow Candidate in the office.

This is also the most direct way to Shadow Struggle.

The usual lively atmosphere was gone from the large office of the Intelligence Department Three. Everyone was quiet, as if the place was shrouded in the center of a low-pressure vortex.

Everyone was wondering what it was about Qing Yi that made the Intelligence Department One so supportive of him.

Weren't Intelligence Department One busy arresting people lately? Why are they suddenly getting involved in the Shadow Struggle?

Qing Hua led all the agents back to the third floor of Intelligence Department One.

Upon entering, they found the large office completely empty, with only Qing Zhun -joon sitting with his legs crossed on the desk, listening to music with headphones on.

Qing Chen has also disappeared without a trace.

Qing Hua asked Qing Zhun, "Where is the boss?"

Qing Zhun smiled and took off his headphones, replying, "The boss went out alone, saying he had something to take care of."

Qing Hua was taken aback. He walked over to Qing Zhun, picked up the earphones, and listened. There was indeed a very loud singing voice inside. "You can read lips? How come I never noticed before?"

"There's a lot you haven't discovered," Qing Zhun said meaningfully. "Did you bring the person back?"

"We brought him back," Qing Hua nodded. "He's already been imprisoned in a secret prison."

At this moment, Qing Hua suddenly wondered if the boss had just instructed all the detectives to go out together to help Qing Yi catch someone, just to get rid of them so that he could have a chance to go out alone.

What the other party is planning to do is so mysterious.

In addition, this new boss probably doesn't quite trust the agents of Team Seven.

Qing Hua dismissed the other agents and whispered to Qing Zhun, "The boss hasn't publicly assigned you any work lately. Does he have a secret mission for you?"

"Guess?" Qing Zhun replied with a smile.

"I bet the boss wants you to find the mole within Group Seven," Qing Hua said in a low voice. "Right?"

Qing Zhun smiled and said, "It's a secret."

Qing Hua sighed. The internal workings of the Intelligence Department One were extremely complex and intertwined. It was common for each intelligence group to plant spies in other intelligence groups.

At this moment, Qing Chen had changed into a white tracksuit at some point, and somewhere.

He walked silently down the street, personally surveying and scouting the most suitable trading location in his mind.

As agreed with Shadow, he was to tell Shadow the location of the transaction tonight.

The sunset was just right in the evening.

In the depths of winter, sunlight filters through the towering buildings and falls warmly upon you.

However, the red setting sun shone on the glass of the building opposite, reflecting into Qing Chen's eyes and making it difficult for him to open them.

A homeless guitarist was gently strumming the strings on the street. His shoes had holes in them, and his face was covered with an unshaven beard.

The singing was beautiful, and the cover happened to be a song by Song Niaoniao. Originally, Song Niaoniao's clean tone was transformed into a different flavor by the weathered, smoky voice of the vagabond guitarist.

In the distance, a car slowly drove across the intersection ahead, the vehicle appearing to be hidden in the glow of the setting sun.

Qing Chen stopped and listened, seemingly enjoying the tranquility, as if he hadn't noticed anything.

Just then, a pedestrian passing by the homeless guitarist tossed him a coin.

However, the one-yuan coin did not lie quietly on the ground after it fell; instead, it bounced up and rolled upright toward the street.

Upon seeing this, the wandering guitarist hurriedly grabbed his guitar and chased after the coin. This one dollar was very important to him because it meant he could eat fast food tonight to fill his stomach with synthetic protein.

The wandering guitarist didn't notice that the car was already inches away as he rushed into the street.

The driver was caught off guard when a person suddenly darted out from the roadside. As he swerved, the car veered onto the sidewalk and hurtled straight toward Qing Chen.

Qing Chen, who had stopped, the out-of-control vehicle, and the homeless guitarist who bent down to pick up money—all of them seemed unrelated, yet were strangely connected.

With a loud crash, the Mercedes-Benz slammed into a lamppost on the side of the road.

The boy, who should have been in the car's path, had somehow left his spot and was now watching the scene thoughtfully.

The driver, looking at his wrecked vehicle, yelled at the homeless guitarist, "Are you blind? What were you doing driving in the middle of the road?"

The wandering guitarist quickly ran away.

Qing Chen suddenly looked in the direction of the PCA headquarters. If that Qing Xing classmate was lighting the Forbidden Item ACE-054 match, then he must be looking at him from this angle, right?

He smiled and said, "Interesting."

Given the car's speed, if it hit Qing Chen, he would most likely lose both legs, but he wouldn't necessarily die.

It seems that Qing Xing to have him under our control, but we can only create "injury incidents" and not "murder incidents".

There's a 5,000-word chapter, and another chapter will be released at 11 PM tonight.

Requesting guaranteed monthly votes for October!