“How long until the sniper gets here?!”

“This place is remote, cars can’t even get in, it won’t be that fast!”

“What do we do now?!”

“The captain said to keep stalling!”

“Where’s He Le? Why isn’t he here?”

At this moment, He Le had already led his team around to the back of the bookstore and was quietly entering the building. He carefully observed the situation inside through the backyard door. The hostage was still being held at knifepoint by Hei Gou, visibly unstable.

“Boss, I’m inside.”

“How’s your line of sight? Can you shoot?” Di Ye’s voice came through the communication earpiece.

“My view is obstructed, I can’t be sure.”

“Alright, don’t act rashly, find a way to lure him out, I’m setting up the gun on the clock tower.”

While He Le was pondering how to lure the person out, he heard a mobile phone ringtone. Hei Gou kicked the hostage in the back of the knee, took out his phone, and answered it, “Why the hell did you bring the cops here?! Get people to save me now! If I get caught, don’t think you’ll get away!”

“Are you kidding me? Those are criminal police! Do you think this is just a brawl?”

“I don’t care! You have to save me!”

“Bro, no offense, but when you’re in this line of work, you should expect a day like this. If you dare make a sound, I’ll take out Taozi!”

Hei Gou was panting heavily, furious, “Damn you! Try touching her and see what happens!”

“Try me!”

Hei Gou had to keep an eye on the door for any police barging in, pay attention to the hostage in his hand, and negotiate with the person on the phone, while dealing with his drug cravings, pushing him to the brink of collapse, “Brother Jian, as long as you don’t touch her, we can talk about anything!”

Brother Jian mercilessly hung up the phone.

In a fit of rage, Hei Gou threw the phone, which hit the wall and broke into two pieces.

“Whether it’s horizontal or vertical, it’s all the same! We might as well all die together!”

Hei Gou was completely breaking down, dragging Leng Ning outside the bookstore. Leng Ning could clearly feel the knife against his neck trembling.

“Where’s the key?” Hei Gou asked, sweat dripping down like beans.

Leng Ning slowly reached into his pocket, hooking out a bunch of keys with various types on it. Hei Gou glanced at the keychain, then at the iron gate, continuing to drag Leng Ning towards the end of the alley.

That iron gate was his last hope. Once he got away, he would definitely take out that bastard. It didn’t matter if he died, but Taozi had to live!

“You’re holding too tight, I can’t see the lock.” Leng Ning picked up the keys, slowly approaching the rusty lock on the iron gate.

He didn’t actually have the key to the iron gate; tricking Hei Gou outside was just to buy himself a chance to survive. As long as Hei Gou’s head was exposed to the police’s view, he had a chance to be rescued.

This was the only solution his brain calculated. If it failed, he would become a corpse.

He held the keys, inching closer to the keyhole. Just as the key was about to enter the keyhole, his hand suddenly slipped, and the keys fell, making a crisp collision sound when they hit the ground.

At this point, his heart was in his throat, but his face showed no sign of panic, “Sorry, my hand slipped.”

Hei Gou was extremely tense, “Are you messing with me?! Do you want to die?!”

The sharp blade had already cut into Leng Ning’s skin from repeated friction, and sticky blood was flowing down his neck. However, he didn’t beg for mercy, instead calming himself down, slowly bending over, trying to pick up the keys that had fallen to the ground…

As he bent over, most of Hei Gou’s head was exposed.

He only waited three seconds. If no one shot within three seconds, he would have to risk it all!

He Le saw the shooting position exposed, immediately aiming the gun at Hei Ge’s head. Just before pulling the trigger, he hesitated.

Although his shooting score was consistently in the nine-ring, he was facing a living human life now. If he missed or hit the hostage, it would all turn into a nightmare.

Three—

Two—

“Bang—!”

A loud noise wrapped in wind came from behind Leng Ning, and Hei Gou’s body visibly shook, then lost balance and fell.

Blood splattered onto Leng Ning, the smell like boiling rust, stimulating every nerve, causing a moment of distraction.

“Clang—”

Then, the knife also fell to the ground.

In that brief moment, time seemed to stretch infinitely. Hei Gou’s body fell, a hole appeared on his forehead, and blood-stained brain matter oozed from the wound…

Someone had shot Hei Gou dead.

He had won the gamble.

Leng Ning looked up in the direction the bullet came from, seeing a clock tower with a Gothic spire piercing the sky. A man stood against the light on the tower, quickly putting away his gun.

The next second, the man suddenly leaped, one hand supporting the railing, skillfully flipping down.

*

He Le rushed out like a hunting dog.

He first checked Hei Gou’s condition; the man was dead.

Confirming the hostage was okay, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, then wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

He had been scared out of his wits just now, but fortunately, the boss made the decision for him!

He helped the hostage up, turning to shout, “Quick, bring the medical kit!”

He Le noticed the hostage wasn’t scared out of his wits, exuding an unusual calmness.

Most people would have their legs turn to jelly in this situation, yet this person even remembered to pick up the keys that fell on the ground!

Because of their profession, they often practiced hostage rescues, usually having colleagues play the hostage. Sometimes, if the hostage’s reaction was too calm, they would be scolded by their superiors for being unprofessional.

At this moment, He Le really wanted to record the hostage’s reaction to show his superiors, just to prove one thing.

—There really are hostages in this world who are unnaturally calm.

Calm enough to leverage every possible force, this self-rescue was practically textbook-level, too bad it wasn’t recorded!

Seeing the knife wound on the hostage’s neck still bleeding, he leaned in for a closer look.

Fortunately, the wound wasn’t deep, just a skin cut.

He Le pressed the communication earpiece, reporting the situation to Di Ye, “Hei Gou is dead, the hostage has a minor injury…”

The only female criminal police officer in the field team, Shu Shu, hurried over with a medical kit. When she saw the hostage’s face, she was stunned.

She had never seen a guy who looked this good.

The morning light shone on the side of his face, reflecting a porcelain-like sheen. The fine hairs on his nose and cheeks were visible, yet there wasn’t a single blemish.

A phrase suddenly came to her mind—flawless.

So, the blood oozing from such flawless skin seemed particularly jarring.

She really wanted to help him wipe it off, but hesitated, feeling like touching him would be a violation.

After a while, she snapped back to reality, pulling a pack of tissues from her pocket and handing it to him, “You have blood on your neck, wipe it.”

“Thank you.” Leng Ning took the tissue, pulling out a sheet to wipe the blood from his neck.

After wiping the blood from his neck, he also wiped the blood from the keys.

Shu Shu noticed a planet charm on his keychain and asked, “Is there something special about this charm? You seem to treasure it.”

This charm was the only item on Leng Ning when he woke up. He couldn’t remember anything, but instinctively felt it was important to him.

Not wanting to talk much about the charm, Leng Ning changed the subject, “Who was the one who fired just now?”

“Oh, that’s our captain!” Shu Shu rummaged through the medical kit, pulling out a small bottle of iodine and two band-aids.

Leng Ning took them, “Thanks, I can handle it myself.”

He skillfully dabbed iodine on the wound with gauze, then tore open a band-aid, about to stick it on his neck by feel when a voice came from beside him, “It’s off.”

A pair of hands suddenly reached out, taking the band-aid from him and unceremoniously pressing it onto his neck.

Leng Ning was momentarily stunned, and when he raised his head, the band-aid was already in place.

The person didn’t linger, instead stepping past him to Hei Gou’s corpse. When he lowered his head, the back of his hair was neatly trimmed, exuding a masculine aura.

Leng Ning noticed the person’s tall stature, estimating close to 1.9 meters, wearing police boots, with strikingly long legs, and a perfectly proportioned waist and shoulders, clearly well-trained.

If he wasn’t mistaken, this was the person who had fired from the clock tower to save him.

“Have you found anything?”

The person spoke, his tone crisp, his voice magnetic but not overly deep, the kind that exuded vitality.

“Found it!” The young criminal police officer who had helped him up earlier immediately handed over the pink substance they found, “It’s a shame this lead we’ve been waiting on for so long just broke!”

The person took it, opening the transparent sealed bag to sniff, “The quality is similar to the batch we seized last time. As long as this stuff is still circulating, the lead won’t break. Take it back for testing.”

“Got it, boss!”

Leng Ning looked at the pink substance in the person’s hand, noticing it refracted a light pink glow in the sunlight. In a daze, he felt the contents of the bag seemed familiar, like he had seen it somewhere before.

Leng Ning squinted, studying it for a moment, then asked, “What are you holding?”

The person turned his head at the sound of his voice, “Never seen it? Pink is indeed rare. This thing is called Pink Widow, something that makes a man leave his wife a widow.”

Leng Ning nodded thoughtfully, his gaze lingering on the person’s hand.

The black tactical gloves held the pink crystals, shaking them in front of him, “Remember, never touch this stuff. What’s with that expression? Think I’m joking?”

Leng Ning snapped back to reality, trying to find a topic, “That scary, yet people still use it?”

Di Ye handed the Pink Widow back to He Le, continuing, “Once you get involved with this stuff, you can’t shake it off. Skin contact alone can make you addicted, and the withdrawal symptoms are severe, life-threatening even. I’m not scaring you; leaving a widow is the least of your worries. Losing everything, real widows aren’t uncommon.”

Leng Ning noticed the person’s facial features were very defined, with a high nose bridge, a lock of hair falling over his forehead, and sharp, strong eyebrows, yet his eyes looked deep and affectionate.

He suddenly felt a sense of familiarity but couldn’t pinpoint why.

Di Ye saw the other looking at him without speaking, thinking he was scared, and said to He Le, “Quickly find some people to move the body, don’t scare the hostage.”

Then he added, “Leave a couple of people nearby, the rest withdraw.”

“Got it!” He Le was about to move the body when he remembered something, “Oh, boss, are we still investigating the caller?”

“Investigate.” Di Ye said, glancing at Leng Ning, “And do it thoroughly.”

“Got it!” He Le trotted off.

Once everyone dispersed, Leng Ning found Di Ye eyeing him with a not-so-kind gaze.

He was very sensitive to this kind of gaze but couldn’t figure out why the other was looking at him like that.

For a moment, neither spoke, a strange atmosphere spreading between them.

“Your shooting is accurate,” Leng Ning said.

“Of course!” Shu Shu chimed in, “Our captain is a sharpshooter, always on target!”

Di Ye coughed, maintaining his composure, “I rarely shoot. If you hadn’t suddenly crouched, I wouldn’t have been confident in hitting. By the way, how did you know I was aiming at Hei Gou?”

The question sounded a bit like an interrogation.

“I guessed.” Leng Ning’s tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable penetrating power.

As they spoke, several criminal police officers had already loaded Hei Gou’s body into a body bag and carried it into a van.

Di Ye didn’t seem in a hurry to leave, “Having a knife at your throat and still thinking, not bad!”

Leng Ning felt this didn’t sound like a compliment, “You’re flattering me.”

“Smoke?” Di Ye pulled out a pack of Huazi from his pocket, offering it to Leng Ning.

Leng Ning reached out to take it, “Thanks.”

Di Ye lit a cigarette, taking a quick puff and exhaling slowly, “You live here all the time?”

Leng Ning: “Just moved in yesterday.”

“Where are you from, why live here? Do you know this place is about to be demolished?” Di Ye stepped into the bookstore.

“Ningzhou, staying at a friend’s old house temporarily, moving out in a while.”

Hearing Leng Ning’s response, Di Ye paused, “You’re pretty smooth with your answers!”

Leng Ning felt this didn’t sound like a compliment either.

“Judging by your situation, just graduated?”

“Yeah, short on cash.”

As they spoke, Leng Ning felt his pockets but couldn’t find a lighter.

Di Ye glanced at him, “Need a light?”

“Yeah.”

Di Ye didn’t hand over the lighter, instead lighting it in his hand.

Leng Ning leaned in with the cigarette, lighting it from his hand.

While lighting, Di Ye noticed the other’s fingers were very white, with overly slender joints, and a thin callus on the tip of the index finger.

“Why would someone from Ningzhou come here?” Di Ye continued to ask.

“For work.”

Di Ye: “What do you do?”

“Forensic doctor.”

Forensic doctor?

The callus on the index finger did match the job, but this person wasn’t like their rough, sun-exposed guys, clearly not someone who goes out much.

Their bureau’s forensic doctor, Old Li, often went on fieldwork, his skin tanned dark. This person was as white as tofu.

Thinking of this, he squinted, “Where do you work?”

“Jinmai.”

“I know Jinmai, we’ve worked together before. I heard they pay well?”

“Just graduated, getting a basic salary, can’t compare with others.”

“How old are you this year?”

“Twenty-five.”

“Graduate student?”

“Undergraduate.”

“I heard Jinmai only hires graduates, did they pull strings for you?”

Leng Ning slowly took a drag, exhaling slowly, “Maybe they think qualifications are just one aspect, the important thing is work ability.”

“What ability can a twenty-five-year-old kid have? Where did you graduate from?”

“Ningzhou University.”

“No wonder, why not continue studying?”

“You can see my situation.” Leng Ning didn’t shy away from the question, “Got to fill my stomach first, then think about the next step.”

Di Ye nodded, not delving further into the topic.

He walked up the old wooden stairs of the bookstore, “Let me check if there are any safety hazards here.”

Leng Ning: “Be my guest.”

Di Ye’s gaze swept over the items on the second floor, confirming it was recently moved into.

Di Ye poked his head into the bedroom, seeing the neatly made bed and a glass tank on the windowsill with a turtle inside, motionless.

“You should keep the window locked, it’s not safe open. Not to scare you, but with the current economic situation, petty theft is on the rise.”

“Thanks for the reminder.”

Di Ye glanced at the balcony, “The balcony isn’t enclosed either. I could easily climb in at this height; the safety factor is too low. Also, you should work on your physique; otherwise, you’ll be at a disadvantage against criminals. If necessary, get some pepper spray or a stun baton; they can come in handy.”

“I’ll consider it.”

“What’s there to consider? This area used to be Yaojia Village’s territory, generations involved in crime. If you encounter bad guys, run if you can. If you can’t, give in. Even if you win a fight, they’ll bring reinforcements, and you’ll still lose. If you can’t resolve it, call the police and let them handle it.”

“Got it.”

“But not all cops are like me; some have big bellies and greasy hair. If you meet one of those, run as fast as you can.”

Leng Ning: “…Alright.”

Di Ye immediately noticed the book Leng Ning used to prop up his soup bowl last night. He picked it up, flipping through a few pages, “You like reading novels?”

Just then, Leng Ning’s mentor sent a greeting message. He was busy editing a reply, so he casually responded, “It’s alright.”

Di Ye glanced at the book’s cover, the title striking—”Lovers in Flames.”

The image showed a male police officer holding a beautiful woman, with a backdrop of blazing fire.

“Reading such brainless books? Solving cases while falling in love? What are you thinking? Got a partner?”

“No.”

“Want one?”

Having finished responding to the message, Leng Ning looked up, thinking: Why did the topic suddenly shift to this?

“Not interested, and no time.”

Di Ye nodded, thinking: A bit closed off emotionally, so he resorts to romance novels to ease loneliness. This fits his understanding of contemporary young people.

“I get it,” Di Ye said.

As they chatted, He Le’s voice came from downstairs, “Boss, Hei Gou’s phone is broken, can’t turn it on.”

Only then did Di Ye stop scrutinizing Leng Ning, heading downstairs.

“Check the call records first, then get the phone repaired.” After speaking, Di Ye glanced at Leng Ning standing at the top of the stairs, “What did Hei Gou say on the call?”

“A man named Brother Jian called, sounded middle-aged.” As Leng Ning spoke, he walked down the stairs.

Di Ye watched him descend, particularly noting those exceptionally long legs.

The person was clearly half a head shorter than him, yet their legs weren’t any shorter, with proportions quite superior.

“Brother Jian mentioned someone named Taozi, seemed to be using Taozi to threaten Hei Gou to keep his secret.”

After saying this, Leng Ning had reached Di Ye, “Captain, do you have any more questions?”

Di Ye placed the book “Lovers in Flames” back on the table, “It’s getting late, come with me to make a statement.”