Preparing for Action

At the Special Affairs Bureau, in the interrogation observation room.

On the other side of the one-way glass, Old Smokestack looked more haggard than before. The cunning and stubbornness in his eyes had given way to deep exhaustion and fear.

He had not been tortured into confessing.

Instead, an interrogation expert, an information analyst, and a psychological evaluator had worked together.

After a prolonged, intense series of information-heavy questioning sessions, cracks had finally appeared in his mental defenses.

The interrogation expert laid out more fragments of evidence cross-checked against Li Fu's testimony, communication records, and other black-market informants. Piece by piece, they reconstructed the times and places of several key meetings between Old Smokestack and Scarface King, along with descriptions of their intermediaries.

The information analyst presented diagrams of simulated money flows and routes for moving supplies. The trail pointed ever more clearly in one direction.

Meanwhile, the psychological evaluator kept up the pressure, suggesting that Old Smokestack might have been "abandoned" and stressing the vast difference in sentencing between resisting to the end and cooperating with the investigation.

At last, a processed surveillance still was pushed in front of him. Though blurry, it showed him speaking briefly with a burly, scar-faced figure at the back door of a warehouse. Old Smokestack's mental defenses collapsed completely.

He slumped in his chair, his lips trembling and his voice dry and hoarse. "...I'll talk... I'll tell you everything..."

"Scarface King... He moves around a lot, but he has a few regular hideouts and meeting spots... In the North District, beneath the abandoned factory grounds behind Old Records Bar, there's a warehouse he visits often... And there's a private room on the top floor of the 'Hazy Night' club. He sometimes meets important guests there..."

"Lately... with the heat on, he might be spending more time at the factory... It's a big place, with lots of hidden passages. Easy to defend, hard to storm..."

Haltingly, he gave them several possible locations, contact codes, and descriptions of the capable enforcers who usually stayed at Scarface King's side.

With the crucial testimony in hand, Captain Wang immediately called the operations team together.

The mood in the conference room was grim. A satellite map and a basic layout of the abandoned factory grounds in the North District filled the large screen.

"Targets: Scarface King and his core associates."

"Location: the underground space beneath the abandoned Third Textile Factory in the North District."

"Threat level: high. At least three Genetic Warriors or illegal Awakened are believed to be accompanying him. They may carry prohibited weapons, know the terrain, and have set traps."

Captain Wang's voice was firm. "Operational strategy: breach quickly and make precise arrests. Avoid a frontal assault that could cause widespread chaos or casualties."

"White Butterfly, Sun Haoran, Zhao Tiezhu, you three are the First Assault Squad. You'll enter from the front and secure the primary target."

"The second and third squads will guard the perimeter and seal off the exits. Specialist Bai Ye will provide support from outside and watch for unexpected developments."

His gaze swept over Hua Yin. "Hua Yin, your healing ability may be needed this time, but your first priority is to help control the situation. Remember, these are experienced fugitives with nothing to lose. Don't count on getting away with holding back."

"Understood!" Hua Yin replied in a low voice, his eyes sharp.

"Check your equipment. We leave in ten minutes!"

At the Lin Family home.

The living room was warm and bright, but the atmosphere had turned strained.

Lin Qingqiu sat on the sofa with her hands clasped, her knuckles pale.

Before her lay a black card edged with a subtle gold-embossed pattern.

Her parents—her father, a steady, scholarly businessman, and her mother, an elegant and thoughtful university professor—both frowned as they looked from their daughter to the ominous card.

"Qingqiu, tell us again. Where did this card come from?"

Her father's voice was gentle, but it carried an unmistakable seriousness.

"My classmate... Qing Wuyan gave it to me. He said it might be an opportunity..."

Lin Qingqiu spoke quietly but clearly. She told them everything: that she wanted to try to obtain a Genetic Potion, and what Qing Wuyan had told her about the "high-end black market" and this "Introduction Card."

She made no attempt to hide either her longing or her unease.

"Nonsense!"

Her mother could hold back no longer. Hurt and reproach rang in her voice. "Qingqiu, do you know what kind of place that is? The black market! Illegal trading! No one knows where those things come from, and there's no guarantee they're safe! What if something's wrong with the potion, or something goes wrong during the process? What would your father and I do?"

She went to her daughter and took her hand. "I know what happened at school frightened you. You want to become stronger and protect yourself, and there's nothing wrong with that. But we can go through legitimate channels. Your father has already asked people to look into it. It may be slower and harder, but at least it's safe!"

Her father sighed too and rubbed his brow. "Qingqiu, your mother is right. Genetic awakening is no small matter, and registered potions are strategic resources under strict state control."

"What turns up on the black market is either defective stock rejected by laboratories, stolen goods from dubious sources, or even bait used by illegal organizations for their experiments! The risk is too great!"

He saw the stubbornness and uncertainty in his daughter's eyes. His tone softened, but his words grew more earnest. "And once you step into a place like that and deal with those people, it could leave a mark on your record. That could affect so much of your future. Have you thought about that? Your mother and I don't need you to become some extraordinary Awakened. We only want you to live a safe, healthy, happy life."

"But..."

Lin Qingqiu looked up, her eyes reddening. "How long would the legitimate channels take? A year? Two? What if my turn never comes? If I'm in danger again, am I supposed to do what I did last time—hide behind trash bags, unable to do anything, and wait for someone to save me?"

Images flashed through her mind: Hua Yin spreading wings of light and cutting down a monster with his blade, then the crushing helplessness she had felt when signing the confidentiality agreement.

"I just want... to be capable enough not to drag anyone down. I don't want to regret doing nothing."

Her parents exchanged a glance. Each saw the pain and helplessness in the other's eyes.

They understood how their daughter felt. After an ordeal that terrifying, it was only natural for her to crave strength.

But they knew the darkness and danger of that path all too well.

"Qingqiu," her father said gravely, "we can't agree to this. The card has to be destroyed. As for the Genetic Potion, I promise I'll pursue every legal, proper avenue I can. But the black market is out of the question. This is about your safety and the future of our family."

He picked up the black card, walked over to the shredder, and fed it in without hesitation.

The machine gave a soft hum as it cut the card into countless unrecognizable scraps.

Lin Qingqiu watched the card turn to shreds. She pressed her lips together and said nothing, but the spark of longing deep in her eyes had not gone out. For now, she had merely pushed it back down.

She knew her parents were right. She knew they wanted what was best for her.

But her desire for strength and control over her own fate was like a seed already planted. Once it sprouted, it would not be easily uprooted.

The night grew late.

The Lin Family villa fell quiet.

Lin Qingqiu lay in bed, eyes open, staring at the ceiling.

The shredded card, her parents' objections, Qing Wuyan's seemingly well-meant advice, Hua Yin's distant figure... The thoughts tangled endlessly in her mind.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the city, the Special Affairs Bureau convoy had arrived without a sound in the shadows of the abandoned factories in the North District.

Hua Yin checked the Tang Blade at his waist and his holster, then glanced one last time at the tactical terminal on his wrist. It displayed the assault route and glowing markers for his teammates' positions.

The night concealed the clash about to erupt. It also concealed a young woman's silent struggle.

Two utterly different paths stretched through Youcheng's darkness, each leading into the unknown.