After saying this, Ling Shuang pushed Xu Xiaodong down and quickly escaped along the emergency exit corridor.

Xu Xiaodong fiercely bounced in mid-air, and his neck swayed around from the rope. He was in extreme pain but couldn't make a sound. At this moment, Lin Dongxue couldn't care too much about anything else. She drew her gun and aimed at the rope that was swinging, desperately adjusting her breathing, so that the shaking of her hands would be as minimal as possible.

Seeing Lin Dongxue suddenly pulled out her gun, everyone could only pin their hopes on it because there wasn’t time to climb up and untie the rope. Old Zhang immediately called everyone to hurry over underneath Xu Xiaodong and get ready to catch him.

At the same time, Lin Qiupu rushed into the emergency exit corridor. Caring about Xiaodong didn’t mean that he intended to let the suspects go. At this critical juncture, he couldn’t miss the great opportunity to arrest Zhou Xiao.

Lin Qiupu saw a figure running hurriedly towards the underground garage. His anger gave him courage. He jumped directly from the tenth step of the stairs and threw himself on the person, and the two fell to the ground together.

Zhou Xiao looked up and Lin Qiupu's eyes were facing him. The human skin mask on his face was also crooked. Seeing this face only made Lin Qiupu even more angry.

He punched Zhou Xiao’s face. Zhou Xiao took a punch before he could stand up, so he staggered back and received another punch in the abdomen. Lin Qiupu roared, “Why are you wearing this mask? Why are you committing blasphemy against him?!"

Zhou Xiao tore off the mask on his face and smiled with blood around his mouth. "You really love him!"

These words added fuel to Lin Qiupu’s anger, so he didn't hear the footsteps behind him. It was too late by the time he realized. Ling Shuang threw himself on his back like a skilled vampire, stabbing Lin Qiupu’s chest frantically with a small knife.

Lin Qiupu fell on the ground. A large blood stain on his chest slowly appeared and he could feel his hands and feet getting cold.

Ling Shuang's murder addiction came over her. She was about to finish him when Zhou Xiao stopped her, "It’s okay!"

Ling Shuang pursed her lips and stabbed the knife into Lin Qiupu's stomach. Face to face with him, she smiled. "Captain Lin, you should ask the heavens for more blessings!"

The two fled together. Lin Qiupu looked at the knife in his abdomen. His vision began to blur as someone on the radio called him, "Captain Lin, Captain Lin, please answer if you receive this!", "We are ready to rush in!"

"Underground... garage..." Lin Qiupu said with his last bit of strength.

On the ground level, Xu Xiaodong was successfully caught by everyone. After placing him on the ground, everyone found that his neck was crooked to the side. This wasn’t a good sign. They quickly untied the cloth on his face. Xu Xiaodong gasped for a long time with tears on his face. "Neck pain…"

Lin Dongxue realized that his neck bone might be fractured, so she supported his head and asked, "Can you feel your body?"

"I can…"

"That’s great!" Lin Dongxue cried with joy. Her marksmanship was average, but she was able to make her shot at a critical time. Perhaps there was some power above helping her.

Old Zhang was more experienced with this stuff, so he took off his jacket, tightly looped it around Xu Xiaodong's head, and helped relieve the pressure from his neck bone.

Having been too focused on rescue, Lin Dongxue almost didn’t hear the voice on the radio. "...please answer if you receive this!"

"Lin Dongxue receives!"

"Your captain is in the underground garage. We’re now rushing in from another entrance of the garage."

"Understood!"

Lin Dongxue called everyone to follow her. With the exception of Old Zhang and Little Li who were to stay and take care of Xiaodong, the other policemen and Chen Shi followed her.

The dark underground garage was suddenly illuminated by a large light. The SWAT team jogged in from another entrance with guns in their hands. Lin Dongxue saw a person sitting on the ground amidst the dazzling lights. At first glance, she didn’t recognize who it was. With another look, Lin Dongxue realized that it was Lin Qiupu.

"Brother!" Lin Dongxue rushed over and fell on her knees. Lin Qiupu was covered in blood, and Lin Dongxue didn't know where to put her hands.

Lin Qiupu tilted his head desperately trying to open his eyes, but he didn't have the strength.

The crowd also gathered around. Seeing this scene, they were sad, surprised, and full of grief. Lin Dongxue cried and reprimanded, "Why didn't you wait for us to go together!"

Chen Shi also half knelt next to him, grabbed his bloody hand, and called out, "Little Lin!"

Hearing this name, Lin Qiupu opened his eyes in a semi-comatose state and glanced at Chen Shi. In a daze, he saw that the speaker was Song Lang. He squirmed his lips to call him, but finally passed out because of excessive blood loss.

At midnight, Lin Qiupu was rescued and sent to the ICU ward. After crying for several hours, Lin Dongxue's eyes were swollen. When she saw Lin Qiupu wearing a breathing mask through the glass, her tears burst out again.

Chen Shi pat her shoulder to comfort her. "Don't be too sad. He’ll wake up." Then, he handed her a bottle of mineral water.

The hand that Chen Shi used to hand the water to her was the one with the cut thumb. Although there was a wound on the back of the thumb, the five fingers were all there. Lin Dongxue wasn’t in the mood to ask what tricks he played with Ling Shuang at the time.

"You should rest for a while. If you don't eat, drink, sleep, and with you so sad, you’ll collapse by the time your brother gets better." Chen Shi persuaded softly.

Lin Dongxue shook her head.

"Let’s go and see Xiaodong!"

Lin Dongxue nodded.

Zhou Xiao and Ling Shuang still managed to escape. The escape was unbelievable. The SWAT team was only concerned with rushing in. They didn’t expect that there would be an inconspicuous exit under the soil slope in the southern part of the housing community. One minute after Lin Qiupu was stabbed, a car rushed out from there and fled away. By the time the SWAT team responded, they had already fled over ten kilometers away.

After the city-wide hunt began, the police learned the truth with hindsight. It was rumored that a subway was going to be built in that place ten years ago. When the housing community was designed, a part of the underground plan was created and it was planned to be connected to the subway station as an underground business district in the future.

Although the housing community couldn’t be completed smoothly, the underground passage was retained. Zhou Xiao had taken the opportunity of this point and parked a car there long ago to prepare for their escape.

The frustration of failure permeated the police, and Lin Qiupu was seriously injured. Needless to say, the SWAT team’s captain later voluntarily asked for punishment.

The two arrived at Xu Xiaodong’s ward. Xu Xiaodong was wearing a hospital gown and a neck immobilizer. Little Li was stabbing an apple with a toothpick and feeding him. The two were talking and laughing. It seemed that Xiaodong’s state of mind was alright.

Lin Dongxue stood at the door and didn’t enter. She didn't want to bring the heavy atmosphere in with her. Chen Shi said, "We didn't lose. At least Xiaodong and his mother survived. We tried our best to protect them!"

"If my brother really goes to sleep forever..." Lin Dongxue lowered her head and made up her mind. "I will look after him for the rest of my life!"

"You can be a police officer during the day and run a driving service at night. Let's make money together."

Lin Dongxue stopped crying and smiled. "I'll go to your house tonight. I'm so tired that I can’t handle it much longer."

Chen Shi's face sank. "I didn't want to tell you this right now, but I can’t anymore... Yueyue is missing!"

"What?! She wouldn't be..."

"No, she wasn’t kidnapped. She left by herself, leaving behind a diary!"

A few days later, in Lie Guoxiao’s villa, Lie Guoxiao asked Liu Feng to move the empty wine glass that was on the table and opened a box. Lie Guoxiao stretched out a hand. "Mr. Zhou, Miss Ling. You’ve outdone yourselves this time. These are your rewards."

Money was a trivial matter. Zhou Xiao picked up a passport and looked at it. It was a new identity. He could go to any country. He slapped it in his hand and said, "Old Master Lie is so capable. Why didn't you escape yourself?"

Lie Guoxiao smiled bitterly and shook his head. "I can't escape. Nor do I have the ability to. I'm already old and at my end!"

"It was an honor for us to meet."

"I don't mean to interrupt your chat." Ling Shuang said. "But where’s my passport? Is it under the money?"

"Don't worry, don't worry." Lie Guoxiao patted the back of Ling Shuang's hand. "I have other surprises for Miss Ling."

"Old Master Lie, you’re too polite." Ling Shuang smiled.

"You incapacitated a policeman that day. I heard that he’s still lying in the hospital with his life or death being unknown." Lie Guoxiao smiled. "I know that man is called Lin Qiupu. He’s been going against me the whole time. It’s very annoying!"

Ling Shuang raised her eyebrow. "I just did it in passing."

"Haii, not only was this guy annoying, but also not filial. When we met again after so many years, he didn't even want to call me ‘Dad’." Lie Guoxiao's eyes dimmed. "Miss Ling, you’re so amazing. You don’t take action, but when you do... you kill my son!"

Realizing things weren’t good, Ling Shuang was about to stand up, but was slapped back into the chair with one hand. Liu Feng, who had moved quietly behind her, raised his silencer pistol. Ling Shuang's forehead exploded with a flower of blood as broken bone and flesh splashed everywhere. Her head with widened eyes made a dull sound as it slapped onto the table.

Seeing this situation, Zhou Xiao's heart skipped a beat.

Lie Guoxiao cut open a cigar calmly. "I told you guys to absolutely not touch the police and only kill their family members. Why didn't you comply with the conditions? We’ve been working together for so long, so why must we have an unpleasant experience?"

Liu Feng closed the box in front of Zhou Xiao, and Lie Guoxiao continued, "If Mr. Zhou is someone who cherishes his reputation, he would definitely not ask for this balance. I will take care of it by myself. I will find a reason to donate it to Lin Qiupu for surgery... Hey, Mr. Zhou, why aren’t you speaking? That was that - It was her who hurt my son. I know you didn't do anything. Come!"

Lie Guoxiao handed over a cigar.

Zhou Xiao tremblingly took it. Lie Guoxiao brought the lighter over. Zhou Xiao looked straight at Lie Guoxiao, and it took three seconds before he regained his smile and politely moved the cigar to light it.

Lie Guoxiao also returned a smile. "Excuse me, Mr. Zhou, drag this bitch away and bury her! You’re more professional in this respect!"

"Okay, okay." Zhou Xiao glanced at Lingshuang's corpse and accused sternly. "I told her not to touch the police at the time. She didn’t listen no matter what and got herself dead… But Old Master Lie, how is Lin Qiupu your son?"

"Do you know what Xu Wenqiang said to Ding Li when he was leaving Shanghai?"

"Huh?" Zhou Xiao was taken aback.

"'I’ve never liked saying goodbye to others'!"

Zhou Xiao understood, got up, and bid his goodbye. Liu Feng coldly shouted, "Take this trash away!"

Zhou Xiao picked up Ling Shuang's body and moved towards the door step by step. Every time he looked back, Lie Guoxiao smiled and nodded with a cigar in his mouth. Zhou Xiao also smiled and nodded. Turning his face around, he gritted his teeth with hatred.

He said to himself in his heart that if his teacher was still here, he would never have been insulted in such a way!

It took a full century to walk from the courtyard to the door. After he finally left, Liu Feng suggested in a low voice, "I'll follow him and get rid of him. You killed his partner in front of him and he won't let that go. This man is a mad dog."

Lie Guoxiao waved his hand. "We don't need to do it ourselves. I don't need this group of people anymore either. Call the police right now and do Lin Qiupu and the others a favor. Take advantage of this kid burying the body to catch him red-handed."

"That’s good too."

"Liu Feng, do you know why I wanted to kill the police's family?"

"To vent your anger?"

"Haha, am I such a small person in your eyes? Those prosecutors and judges also have family members. I can't blatantly kidnap their families. That's illegal. However, I can threaten, imply, and convey to them that forcing me, Lie Guoxiao, to this point, I can do anything. As long as they’re afraid, the final result isn’t set in stone!"

"I understand. Only by showing your strength would you have the capital to work with!"

Lie Guoxiao nodded. "Go down and leave me alone."

"Rest early."

Lie Guoxiao poured himself a glass of wine, tasting it slowly as he recalled the past. His eyes gradually moistened.

The lights in the villa went out unexpectedly, and Lie Guoxiao woke up from his memories and shouted, "Liu Feng, Liu Feng, how did the electricity stop... Where did you run off to?! Come over!"

A pair of footsteps approached slowly in the dark, as quiet as a cat...