Page 12

"Go over and take a look. I'll keep an eye on these two."

Pei Qingyu gritted his teeth, braced himself on his arms, and leaned heavily to one side. The blood loss made his surroundings feel even colder. His head swam a little, but he paid it little mind. "His gun isn't very powerful, but it's extremely quiet. We're out in the open while he's hidden. Be careful."

"Yes." Obeying orders was a soldier's instinct, and Xun Yin answered automatically. After taking two steps forward, he hesitated and glanced back.

Pei Qingyu sat leaning against something in the darkness, his head lowered like a trapped beast licking its wounds alone. Xun Yin paused, then quickly turned back and strode out.

Only once Xun Yin's footsteps had faded did Pei Qingyu let out an imperceptible sigh of relief. His body shuddered violently, and he gritted his teeth as he lifted his shirt-blood had already soaked through the innermost layer of clothing and was gradually spreading outward.

The medication's effects weakened along with the heavy blood loss. Pei Qingyu felt a dull ache begin in his heart again. His mouth opened involuntarily as he panted softly. After confirming once more that the bullet was not inside him, he took the gauze and pressed it down hard, almost vindictively.

"Ngh..."

Pain exploded through his waist and abdomen. Pei Qingyu went deathly pale and gasped for a long time as though starved of oxygen, but the pain did ease the dizziness in his head. He braced himself on the table beside him and stood. The medication was wearing off. His vision blurred for an instant, and the arm supporting him buckled. His fingers drooped limply, only to brush against something cold.

-the grip of the gun at his waist.

Pei Qingyu blinked hard, forced himself to focus, and took out his phone to make a quick call.

"Hello, Captain Pei." The call connected almost instantly. On the other end, Wang Yu asked casually, "How's it going?"

"Who's at the unit right now?" Pei Qingyu asked quietly, watching his surroundings warily.

"All four of us are here." Wang Yu seemed to realize something too and immediately sat up straight.

"Have Lin apply for two arrest warrants and come straight to Company C. You and Song Ranran follow our location to find us."

Pei Qingyu laid out the plan in a low voice. "Xun Yin is dealing with someone right now. We'll definitely be moving in a bit. You don't need to follow too closely. Once we stop moving, take the high ground immediately. Wang Yu, take the sniper rifle and have Song Ranran act as your spotter. Don't hang up. Stay in contact."

"Yes." Wang Yu immediately rose and headed out, relaying the instructions to those beside him as he went. Suddenly, he heard Pei Qingyu cough softly on the other end, his voice hoarse and indistinct.

"Captain?"

"Ahem... have Su Xiaochen come with you too." On the other end, Pei Qingyu bent halfway over, pressing hard against his chest as he spoke as calmly as he could. "Tell him to bring the medical kit."

By the time Xun Yin crept up near the corridor, everything around him had fallen silent.

The light from the street could not reach the corners deep within the thirteenth floor. Only moonlight tiptoed through the glass and across the corridor. Xun Yin held the corner between the stairs and the elevator, his head lowered as he regulated his breathing. The air seemed to stir faintly. Xun Yin immediately raised his gun and turned in a half kneel, only to see a dark figure dart diagonally into the stairwell. He immediately drew his gun back, rushed forward, and ran down after him.

Rapid footsteps mingled with increasingly heavy breathing in the stairwell. Bracing a hand on the stairs, Xun Yin vaulted around the turn, but the sound-activated lights on this floor did not come on at his footsteps.

At the sight of the darkness ahead, Xun Yin's scalp prickled. He instantly pushed backward with both feet and darted around the corner. At the same time, the dark figure's fist skimmed past his face and just barely struck the wall. Xun Yin struck swiftly from the side, seized the man's wrist, twisted it, and slammed him hard against the wall.

"Who are you?"

Xun Yin frowned at the man before him. He was about the same height as Xun Yin, with a mask covering the lower half of his face and a high nose bridge that cast shadows beneath his eye sockets. Looking at him, Xun Yin felt inexplicably uncomfortable. Instinctively, he reached out to pull off the man's mask.

-Something's wrong.

The man before him suddenly raised an eyebrow. Xun Yin immediately retreated, and the man's hand rose with the movement. A glint reflected the dim light. Xun Yin's pupils contracted. Just as it became clear he could not dodge, a loud bang suddenly came from behind him.

The knife was shot from the man's hand and clattered to the floor. The man made no attempt to keep fighting, immediately turning to run downstairs. Xun Yin was about to give chase when Pei Qingyu suddenly called him back.

"Xun, wait a moment." Pei Qingyu lowered his gun, swayed, and braced himself against the wall. "He's still carrying Lin Zhou's tracker. He can't get away. Lin Shichu will be here shortly. Let's wait until we hand things over before going after him... urgh."

Before Pei Qingyu could finish, he suddenly covered his mouth and retched. Xun Yin immediately steadied him and asked, "What's wrong? Is it low blood sugar?"

"No, I'm a little nauseous. My blood pressure might have dropped again." Pei Qingyu took a moment to recover, then shook his head. "I'll be fine after a little rest."

Xun Yin nodded and helped him sit on the stairs. He was about to turn and put the knife on the floor into an evidence bag when he suddenly froze.

-the knife was gone.

"He must have picked it up as he fled just now." Pei Qingyu noticed it too and frowned slightly. He had not gotten a clear look at the man's face either, yet he felt an inexplicable shudder. "Leaving no fingerprints. He's fast."

"Captain, I'm here." Lin Shichu hurried into the building and spoke rapidly. "The car's right outside. Also, Ranran asked me to tell you-the place the tracker is heading toward is where you fell into the river six months ago."

Xun Yin's grip on Pei Qingyu's hand abruptly tightened. He turned to look at him. Pei Qingyu's head was half lowered, and no expression showed on his face.

"Captain, Wang Yu and I are on a rooftop about four hundred meters northwest of the river," Song Ranran reported quietly. "He's hiding among the shipping containers near the river channel. We can't lock onto him at present."

"Tell me the exact route you just observed," Pei Qingyu ordered simply.

"He got out of the car upstream and entered the gaps between the containers from the north. From what we could see in the light, he seemed to head west." Listening to Song Ranran's directions through his earpiece, Xun Yin quietly brought the car to a stop north of the river channel.

The seat belt pressed against his wound, making it throb faintly. Before the car had fully stopped, Pei Qingyu unbuckled it. Without looking at Xun Yin's expression beside him, he checked his □□, then quickly opened the door and got out.