Yue Xiaofei, What Makes You So Special? It's Not Like You Can Magically Produce a Police Backer!

At those words, the Deputy General beside him stared in disbelief.

Who in the entire Northern Frontier didn't know Zhao Mengsheng's temper?

Talking to him like that was asking to die!

Yet Zhao Mengsheng didn't seem to mind. He roared into the phone, "Cut the crap! I didn't call to catch up! This is urgent! A matter of life and death!"

"Huh?"

Jin Dapao sounded surprised. "What could get the mighty God of War Zhao this worked up? Has the sky fallen?"

"It's worse than that!"

Zhao Mengsheng's voice trembled.

"Old Company Commander Yue's son, Yue Xiaofei! He just called for help. He's been kidnapped in Jiangcheng! They threatened to kill him!"

"What?!"

A crash came from the other end of the line, as though someone had kicked over a chair.

"Zhao Mengsheng, you're fucking useless!"

Jin Dapao's furious shout exploded like thunder.

"So what if you're a God of War? You can't even protect Company Commander Yue's son?"

His voice rang with anger and disappointment.

"What did Company Commander Yue teach you back then?"

"Cover your comrades! Protect your brothers, even if it costs you your last drop of blood!"

"Did every damn word go in one ear and out the other?!"

The Deputy General sucked in a sharp breath and shrank back, stealing a glance at Zhao Mengsheng.

But the God of War Shanhe, whose name struck fear into his enemies, took the scolding without a word. Guilt filled his face.

"Tell me! Where are they holding Company Commander Yue's son?"

Jin Dapao pressed him at once.

"Jiangcheng! Black Tortoise Manor! The basement! It's in your jurisdiction!"

Zhao Mengsheng gave him the exact location.

"Son of a bitch!"

Jin Dapao ground out the words, his voice seething with rage.

"What little bastard dared touch Company Commander Yue's son on my turf? Does he have a death wish?"

"Listen to me, Zhao Mengsheng—"

"I'm the deputy director of the Jiangbei Provincial Public Security Department now, and the Flying Tiger Squad answers to me!"

"I'll have them assembled in one minute!"

"They'll reach Black Tortoise Manor in ten, tops!"

"You can eat my dust! Once I get him out, you and I are going to settle this!"

"And another thing..."

As though something had just occurred to him, he added:

"Don't think being a God of War makes you such a big deal!"

"To me, you're still that green recruit who used to trail Company Commander Yue everywhere!"

"When this is over, I'm making you call me Platoon Leader again!"

Whew...

At those words, Zhao Mengsheng finally relaxed. A faint smile broke through his tense expression.

"Fine! As long as Xiaofei gets out safely, I'll call you Platoon Leader—or even godfather!"

"Cut the crap! Wait for the good news!"

With a sharp click, Jin Dapao hung up.

Inside the aircraft cabin.

The Deputy General could hardly believe it. He had never seen the iron-willed God of War lose his composure like this, much less seen anyone dare speak to him that way.

"God of War, Deputy Director Jin..."

"He's an old comrade of mine! And the brother Company Commander Yue trusted most!"

Far from angry, Zhao Mengsheng smiled as he answered.

"With Madman Jin on the job, Xiaofei will be fine!"

"It's those thugs who'd better start praying!"

At the Jiangbei Provincial Public Security Department.

"Move, move, move!"

Jin Dapao hung up, seized his radio, and bellowed:

"Flying Tiger Squad! Emergency assembly!"

"Destination: Black Tortoise Manor, Jiangcheng!"

"Armored vehicles, sniper rifles, breaching equipment—bring it all!"

"Assemble in one minute! Show up even one second late, and I'll skin you alive!"

From the other end of the radio.

Came a chorus of crisp replies.

"Copy!"

"Copy!"

"Copy!"

Jin Dapao charged out of his office. The officers nearby recoiled from the murderous aura rolling off him, their legs trembling.

As he ran, he checked his magazine with practiced ease. He had lost none of his old skill.

"Company Commander Yue, just watch!"

A bloodthirsty gleam lit his eyes. He looked like the "madman" he had once been on the battlefield.

"They dared touch your son!"

"I don't care who they are. I'll make them regret ever being born!!!"

One minute later.

RUMBLE!

More than a dozen special police vehicles roared out, lights flashing as they sped toward Black Tortoise Manor in Jiangcheng.

Meanwhile.

At Gao Corporation Building in downtown Jiangcheng.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was about to begin.

The venue was already packed with guests and buzzing with conversation.

There were business titans from Jiangcheng and prominent figures from other cities and provinces.

Dressed in their finest, they made for a glittering, carefree scene.

For the Gao Family, it was a day that would go down in history!

The building was complete, and their business empire had expanded once again.

Before long, it seemed, all of Jiangcheng would belong to the Gaos!

In an expensive suit, Gao Tianxiong raised his glass, beaming with pride.

"Thank you all for coming. The Gao Family couldn't have achieved this without your support!"

Gao Zisheng was busy mingling nearby, unable to hide the smugness on his face.

He basked in everyone's attention as though he were already Jiangcheng's undisputed crown prince!

Suddenly, someone cried out:

"Look! What's that?"

Everyone turned toward the voice.

On the distant horizon, a column of thick smoke shot skyward like a signal flare.

Then came a second, a third...

The columns joined into a vast plume, coiling above the city like a scarlet dragon.

"It's the Beacon Fires!"

Someone screamed, their voice shaking.

"My God, am I seeing this right?"

"The last time Jiangcheng lit the Beacon Fires was decades ago! Are we going to war?"

"It's not just Jiangcheng!"

A well-informed young man held up his phone, his face deathly pale.

"I just got word. More than a hundred cities have lit the Beacon Fires!"

"What on earth is going on?"

The venue descended into chaos.

People traded guesses about the sudden upheaval, worry and fear plain on their faces.

The Gao father and son had noticed too.

"Dad, what's happening?"

Gao Zisheng's eyelid twitched wildly. His chest tightened with a terrible premonition.

"Why panic? It's probably some kind of drill. Today's a big day for the Gao Family. Don't let this distract you."

Gao Tianxiong sounded calm, but unease gnawed at him.

The Beacon Fires were no ordinary signal.

More than a hundred cities lighting them at once could not be a simple drill.

But right now, the ribbon-cutting came first!

"By the way, what's happening with Yue Xiaofei?"

Gao Tianxiong lowered his voice.

At the mention of that name, Gao Zisheng looked smug again.

"Don't worry, Dad. Brother Dao got him. He's locked the kid in the basement at Black Tortoise Manor."

"I had him put in leg irons. His phone was thrown away ages ago."

"He's not going anywhere!"

Gao Tianxiong nodded, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes.

"If we're going to do this, we do it cleanly. Leave no trace, or it could come back to haunt us!"

"Dad, you can stop worrying."

Gao Zisheng thumped his chest. "Brother Dao knows what he's doing."

"The car had fake plates, and they grabbed him in an urban village with no cameras."

"No one can trace it back to us!"

Satisfied, Gao Tianxiong nodded and took a sip of champagne.

"Well done. When this is over, I'll buy you a new sports car!"

An excited grin spread across Gao Zisheng's face.

Heh!

Yue Xiaofei, you think having a big shot in the military behind you makes you untouchable?

How naive!

The military is the military, and the police are the police. They stay out of each other's business.

No matter how powerful the military is, it has no authority over a local case.

What can they do to me?

Your whole family served with honor?

That's ancient history!

You're still just an ordinary man with no power or influence!

Your grandfather's a hero?

He has dementia now. He can't even remember who he is.

Your uncles were martyrs?

They died long ago. Once the attention faded, who remembered them?

Your mother was a hero?

She died years ago too. Is she going to climb out of her grave to help you?

Your father—the only one left—is in prison!

And not just any prison: Black Prison. He'll never see daylight again!

Yue Xiaofei, who do you have left to rely on?

What, are you going to conjure up a Police Backer out of thin air?

What a joke!

Once the ribbon-cutting's over, I'll head back to Black Tortoise Manor and show you what I have in store!

In Jiangcheng, anyone I want dead dies!

The more Gao Zisheng thought about it, the smugger he became. He opened another bottle of champagne and drained it.

He looked toward the thick smoke in the distance, utterly unconcerned.

Little did he know...

Those Beacon Fires filling the sky had been lit for Yue Xiaofei!

A storm powerful enough to shatter Jiangcheng was about to strike!