Next to the Fuyuan Processing Factory Plant on Tonghai Road.

Vehicles from the special operations team and the SWAT team were all parked near the residential buildings. The head of the special task force and the captain of the SWAT team were arguing over several blueprints, while Jiang Jingyun stood by, arms crossed, quietly listening.

At the end of the road, a Lincoln came speeding in, reminiscent of a street race on Akina Mountain.

This area had long been abandoned, and the old concrete road was covered in layers of dust that were kicked up into the air by the tires. Several nearby police officers instinctively closed their eyes, followed by a loud screech of brakes.

Under everyone’s gaze, Sui Yuesheng stepped out of the back seat, exuding an overwhelming aura.

His light gray curly hair was tied back, and beneath his black trench coat was a Desert Eagle. An HK P30L was holstered at his lower back as a backup weapon, and a butterfly knife was tucked in the pocket of his tight pants. His expression was stern: “What’s the situation now?”

The head of the special task force was busy deploying at the scene, so Jiang Jingyun took the initiative to handle external communication. He stepped forward to explain, “The SWAT team is already here. They requested the layout of the processing plant from the local police, and Captain Cheng is currently discussing it with their team leader. The idea they’ve come up with so far is to position a sniper at a nearby high point, while sending a small team to infiltrate quietly, retrieve the hostage first without alerting the kidnapper.”

Sui Yuesheng squinted slightly, and Jiang Jingyun continued, “Tao Fengche has a special identity. If we choose to attack forcefully and something goes wrong, no one can bear the responsibility.”

“I understand that,” Sui Yuesheng nodded, but then said, “However, it won’t work.”

“Zhao Jiayang is now acting like a desperate outlaw. Tao Fengche is either being kept close to him or locked up deep inside. If we don’t take them all down at once, the chances of bringing Tao Fengche out are very low. We should consider sending in a small team for an assault instead.”

Sui Yuesheng paused for a moment, as if wanting to say something more, but after a moment, he said, “Forget it. I’ll go take a look.”

He nodded at Jiang Jingyun and strode toward the captain of the SWAT team, leaving Jiang behind.

The SWAT team captain had been in law enforcement for over twenty years and had never encountered a situation where the relatives of a hostage intervened in a rescue plan. As soon as he saw Sui Yuesheng, his brows furrowed noticeably.

The Tao family was incredibly wealthy, and he had heard of Sui Yuesheng, the newly appointed head, although he was young and a beta. However, he was quite capable, managing a vast business empire successfully.

But this was not the marketplace. Wasn’t it just making things more chaotic for an outsider to come and give opinions?

The SWAT team captain was mindful that a high-ranking politician was nearby, racking his brain for softer words to persuade Sui Yuesheng to back off, but Sui Yuesheng had already casually looked at the blueprints and smoothly snatched the pen from his hand, drawing a circle on an aerial view of the area.

Sui Yuesheng spoke calmly: “Let’s add another sniper at this position. If your people aren’t enough, then use mine.”

The SWAT team captain was momentarily distracted from reprimanding Sui Yuesheng for scribbling on the important blueprints. He was drawn in by Sui Yuesheng’s words: “Your people?”

“The bodyguards employed by the Tao family.”

The SWAT team captain’s frown deepened further, and just as he was about to tell Sui Yuesheng not to complicate things, he inadvertently glanced at the blueprints and found himself unable to voice his objections.

He looked down in disbelief, studying the blueprints and was astonished to find Sui Yuesheng’s suggestion was actually correct—placing a sniper there could prevent the kidnappers from escaping with the hostage through the back door.

He could no longer underestimate Sui Yuesheng as he had before. He lifted his head, hesitating to say something, but found himself at a loss for words. The team leader of the special task force assessed the two men, feeling a pang of bitterness in his heart, and was about to step in to smooth things over when Sui Yuesheng suddenly spoke again.

His gaze was fixed entirely on the blueprints, not sparing a glance for anyone else, saying, “It might be a bit of an exaggeration to say they’re better, but the bodyguards from the Tao family are definitely superior to most of your SWAT officers. If you don’t believe it, or if you think coordinating them will be cumbersome, you can use all your people. Let’s not discuss anything else; let’s focus on the blueprints.”

The soft words the SWAT team captain had intended to say were completely stifled by Sui Yuesheng’s arrogant remark. However, he couldn’t refute it, and ultimately, he could only snort coldly and lower his head to look at the blueprints, immersing himself in the planning work.

Fifteen minutes later, everything was settled.

In the end, the SWAT team captain chose not to use the Tao family’s bodyguards. Sui Yuesheng made no comments on this, merely nodding at the men he had brought.

The bodyguards who accompanied Sui Yuesheng to Tonghai Road were the same group who had returned with him from the West Continent six months ago. One of the bodyguards stepped forward, walked to his car, and retrieved a bulletproof vest to hand to Sui Yuesheng. Sui Yuesheng accepted it, then naturally removed his trench coat and the jacket underneath.

The bodyguard maintained his silence, diligently acting as a clothing rack for Sui Yuesheng. The police exchanged surprised glances, not understanding what Sui Yuesheng intended to do; Yu Hebai and Jiang Jingyun exchanged looks, incredulously exclaiming, “You’re going in personally?!”

Sui Yuesheng calmly nodded, as if Yu Hebai had asked a foolish question like, “What is one plus one?”

“You…” The SWAT team captain began, his tone hesitant.

He had already been slapped in the face by Sui Yuesheng when he questioned him earlier, but deploying a plan was one thing, while personally putting himself in danger to save someone was another. The factory was full of armed criminals!

Sui Yuesheng didn’t say anything; he suddenly reached for his side, pulled out the silenced Desert Eagle, skipped the aiming step, flipped the safety off, and fired a shot at a distant tree.

Except for the Tao family’s bodyguards, no one anticipated Sui Yuesheng would make such a sudden move.

The setting sun bled across the sky, and Sui Yuesheng moved too quickly. His decisive pull of the trigger left everyone momentarily unclear about what had just happened.

Sui Yuesheng put the safety back in place and returned the gun to his waist, speaking in a flat tone, as if the person who had just fired was not him: “There’s a sparrow hit by the bullet under that tree. If you don’t believe me, you can send your people to check.”

Whispers arose among the officers, and the SWAT team captain’s face was filled with suspicion. Ultimately, he nodded at one of his subordinates. The latter followed orders, pushed through the dense underbrush beneath the tree, and found a sparrow with a bullet wound through its chest.

The alpha turned back hastily, disbelief written all over his face, and gasps echoed around—there was at least one or two hundred meters between them, and it was such a small target. How did Sui Yuesheng do it?

Wasn’t he just a beta who dealt in business?!

Sui Yuesheng was already used to being the center of attention; he spoke nonchalantly: “I have the ability to protect myself and will not drag you down. If something happens, I’ll take full responsibility. Now can I go in? Time is limited; you surely don’t plan to send a few subordinates to challenge me, do you?”

The SWAT team captain was not deaf; he could hear the chilling tone in Sui Yuesheng’s voice, as if it carried shards of ice.

He instinctively looked at Jiang Jingyun, who, along with Yu Hebai, had a complex expression of helplessness and disagreement, but no one spoke up to stop him. With a wry smile, the captain replied, “Of course.”

Sui Yuesheng nodded slowly, methodically organizing his bulletproof vest and putting on his black trench coat.

Suddenly, the whole place fell silent, and the atmosphere became somewhat heavy. As the instigator, Sui Yuesheng remained indifferent to it all. He reached up to loosen his ponytail and carefully tied it back again.

Yu Hebai waited until Sui Yuesheng finished with his hair before leaning in, teasingly saying, “You should hurry up; maybe when you come out, you can still look at the moon with Tao Fengche.”

Sui Yuesheng, with his head down, loaded his gun, ignoring him.

Yu Hebai didn’t feel embarrassed at all and leaned closer to Sui Yuesheng’s ear, lowering his voice: “Maybe… two moons?”

Sui Yuesheng frowned deeply and finally shot him a glance.

Yu Hebai smirked, winking at him, his smile full of mischief.

Sui Yuesheng: “…”

He knew it wasn’t going to be that easy to brush this off!

Zhao Jiayang suddenly said something on the phone, which others might not have understood, but Jiang Jingyun and Yu Hebai definitely did. Jiang Jingyun wouldn’t say much out of courtesy, but Yu Hebai… he was always one to enjoy the excitement, throwing gasoline on the flames the moment he saw a fire, never thinking about using a fire extinguisher.

But he really didn’t expect that even now, in such a situation, Yu Hebai still had the leisure to tease him about his relationship with Tao Fengche; it was really…

Sui Yuesheng helplessly said, “Can you focus on your own business?”

“I already finished mine,” Yu Hebai replied, feigning innocence. “The new confidentiality agreement is ready, and I’ll have them sign it later. Don’t worry; I specifically added the romance section.”

He said the words “romance” lightly and quickly, and Sui Yuesheng’s face darkened immediately, but a moment later, he suddenly smirked.

With Yu Hebai’s antics, some of the frustration and gloom in Sui Yuesheng’s heart did indeed ease. Acknowledging this favor, he reached out and lightly squeezed Yu Hebai’s shoulder, ignoring the latter’s exaggerated grimace, and then nodded at Jiang Jingyun.

Jiang Jingyun didn’t say much, only seriously reminded him, “Be careful.”

“I will.” Sui Yuesheng waved his hand.

···

The Fuyuan Processing Factory Plant, primarily dealing in textiles, had long since closed down over a decade ago due to poor management. Nearby residential buildings had been marked with a big “Demolition” sign a few years back, but for some reason, no construction had ever begun.

The original residents had long moved to relocation housing several kilometers away, and now the area was overgrown with weeds and desolate.

Snipers occupied various high points nearby, reporting that a group of over ten people had been confirmed inside the factory, but they had yet to spot Zhao Jiayang and Tao Fengche.

The team leader, Guan Hui, pondered, “So that means they’re either in the blind spot of the snipers, or… they’ve already moved.”

Sui Yuesheng turned his head, signaling to a bodyguard not far away. The latter quickly darted back to the car, reappearing a moment later and returned the signal.

Sui Yuesheng turned back, speaking with certainty, “The location hasn’t changed; they must still be in the factory.”

Guan Hui nodded, “Alright, let’s proceed according to the original plan.”

The group stopped at the corner of the residential building to make final preparations. Sui Yuesheng instinctively looked back, his gaze sweeping over the positions of several stationed snipers, then moving to the large “Demolition” sign on the old wall, feeling a flicker of doubt.

—Even decades ago, this residential building was not considered a high-end area. Since Chu Yin lived here before, how did he get to know Zhao Jiayang and the others?

Sui Yuesheng had no clues. Meanwhile, Guan Hui quietly made an action signal. The SWAT team formed up in a combat formation, cautiously moving forward. Sui Yuesheng hurriedly kept pace, pushing aside the chaotic thoughts in his mind.

Five minutes later, the action team entered the factory and encountered Zhao Jiayang’s subordinate. Without a second thought, the latter pulled the trigger, and bullets poured out like a tide.

Half an hour later.

The battle reached its conclusion; all the kidnappers on the first and second floors of the processing plant had been subdued. Two SWAT members were accidentally hit during the crossfire, but fortunately, the bullets didn’t strike any vital areas, and there were no fatalities among the officers.

The entire team, as arranged by Guan Hui, was split into two groups: one responsible for guarding the subdued kidnappers who were sitting on the ground with their hands on their heads, and the other tasked with searching the factory for any remaining threats.

Minutes later, Guan Hui’s radio crackled to life: “Report, Captain Guan, we haven’t found any sign of the suspect or the hostage!”

Guan Hui asked, “Have you searched everywhere?”

“Everywhere has been searched; the factory only has two floors, and we’ve thoroughly checked the rooftop as well. There’s no one around. Could they have slipped out through the back door during the chaos?”

There was a rustling sound in the earpiece, and a moment later, the sniper’s voice came through: “Report, Captain Guan, I haven’t seen anyone emerge from my position.”

All the snipers reported the same thing; none had seen the two figures. Meanwhile, the location software still showed Tao Fengche’s little red dot moving slightly but remaining within the factory’s boundaries.

The task force had set up a net around the processing plant, making it nearly impossible for Zhao Jiayang to escape. But where could these two living people have gone? Guan Hui rubbed his chin, lost in thought.

Sui Yuesheng contemplated for a moment: “Let’s search for any secret passages, preferably leading underground.”

“What do you mean?” Guan Hui looked over.

“Since Zhao Jiayang brought Tao Fengche here, he must have made some arrangements. The floor plan we received is quite old; the factory has been abandoned for over ten years, and the area is desolate. If he dug a basement, as long as he didn’t make too much noise, it could easily be concealed, or he could simply pay someone to do it. He’s a major shareholder of the Tao Corporation; he definitely isn’t short on money.”

“Moreover, if I were Zhao Jiayang, I would choose the basement. This way, the snipers would be rendered useless,” Sui Yuesheng emphasized.

Guan Hui’s eyes slowly brightened. He grabbed the radio with urgency, “Everyone, gather on the first floor. I want every inch searched. I don’t believe we can’t find that secret room!”

The second hand ticked away on the clock, mirroring the tension in everyone’s hearts. The passing time made people anxious, but the eventual result was worth waiting for.

“Report, Captain Guan! We found it!” The SWAT officer’s voice couldn’t hide his excitement. “In the northwest corner, there’s a very small mechanism; once opened, there’s a locked secret door!”

Guan Hui immediately looked at the kneeling kidnappers: “Who has the key?!”

The leader snorted coldly, refusing to answer.

Sui Yuesheng stepped in to stop Guan Hui, whose anger was about to boil over, his tone unexpectedly calm: “Don’t bother with that; just shoot the lock open.”

Provoked face-to-face by the kidnappers, Guan Hui’s lingering anger remained, but Sui Yuesheng had already stepped forward, “I’ll go first.”

As it turned out, Sui Yuesheng’s method was effective.

The iron lock was blasted apart, and the heavy iron door swung open, revealing a narrow staircase that could only accommodate one person at a time. The staircase twisted and turned, seemingly with no end in sight.

Sui Yuesheng insisted on being the one to lead the way. Guan Hui initially wanted to persuade him against the danger, but knowing he was concerned for Tao Fengche’s safety, he hesitated for a moment before relenting, “Alright then.”

The staircase was dark, and Sui Yuesheng held a flashlight in one hand and a gun in the other, carefully making his way down, followed by a team of SWAT officers.

He didn’t know how long they had walked, but a faint light began to emerge ahead. Sui Yuesheng exchanged a glance with Guan Hui, both eyes filled with excitement.

—They were right in front!

Sui Yuesheng turned off the flashlight, switching to holding both guns with both hands, and quickened his pace.

Moments later, he rounded the last corner, and his surroundings suddenly opened up—this space below was unexpectedly vast and brightly lit, illuminated by countless bright lights as if it were daytime!

In the center sat Tao Fengche, wearing the school uniform he had on the day he was kidnapped, tightly bound to a chair with hemp rope, his hands tied behind his back, and a large towel stuffed in his mouth, looking quite pitiful.

However, he was physically unharmed, and there was no bloodshed as Sui Yuesheng had imagined. While he appeared somewhat miserable, his exposed skin showed no signs of injury.

What surprised Sui Yuesheng even more was that Tao Fengche was fully awake at this moment. Upon seeing him, he widened his eyes in disbelief.

Sui Yuesheng’s anxious heart finally settled.

He made an effort to put on a reassuring smile for Tao Fengche, wanting to tell him he was here, but the next second, Tao Fengche shook his head desperately, stuttering some sounds.

…What’s wrong? Did I smile too awkwardly?

Sui Yuesheng was a bit perplexed when he suddenly sensed a faint sound, his ears perked up and keenly capturing the nearly inaudible noise.

He turned his head in the direction of the sound, and in the next moment, his pupils dilated rapidly—

A bullet, appearing from nowhere, silently shot out from the barrel, aimed directly at his position, slicing through the air toward him!