Chapter 24 Imminent

"I'm sorry~ I didn't mean it~"

Ji Huaisu rubbed his hands with a wry smile, while Chu Hengkong silently turned his head away. This childish behavior made his partner retreat, and he ran to mutter to the others, "Not good, what should we do? He seems really angry."

Ji Qiufeng, sitting at the conference room's main table, blew away tea leaves, pretending he hadn't heard. Youyou, beside him, was trying hard to stifle a laugh. Jie An, distributing documents to the group, shook his head and sighed, "Girl, you can't blame them this time. It's like a swordsmith who's inspired to forge a surprising weapon and is considering whether to call it Juque Tanlang or Bisheng Duangang, and then you suddenly say, 'I see this sword's design is so strange, why not call it Toilet Plunger'... That's the end of it. From now on, no matter what it's called, everyone will just call it Divine Sword Toilet Plunger."

Ji Huaisu took a breath and said, "I didn't really mean to say that you used your hands to unclog the toilet... No, the spring..."

Youyou let out a quacking laugh. This was the first time Chu Hengkong had ever heard a snake laugh. The sound was very similar to a duck. He looked up to the sky and sighed, "Is the meeting still going on?"

"Okay, enough of the nonsense, let's get started. Let's start with the changes in the situation last month..."

The hot pot they didn't get to eat happened the day before yesterday. Chu Hengkong was currently in a meeting in the conference room. Once promoted to Senior Inspector, one became a cadre, required to attend monthly and biweekly meetings, develop emergency plans, and participate in discussions on future decisions. Jie An was standing over a large map of Huilong City, pointing and gesturing. The map was covered in colorful circles, each connected to a wanted poster by a long line.

He raised his black marker and crossed out each wanted criminal. "...Last month, our suspected case clearance rate reached 93%, and our arrest rate for currently wanted criminals reached 65%. Inspector Chu apprehended 14, and Captain Ji arrested 10. The first healing temple has been successfully rebuilt, and the second is on schedule, significantly reducing the pressure on our medical care. It may seem unbelievable, but judging by the Central Court alone, we can safely say that local security is good. Currently, the small and medium-sized gangs in the Central Court have been largely eliminated. What are your thoughts on the next steps?"

If restoring order were a game of "recovering lost ground," then the resurrection force's base now comprised three-quarters of the atrium. The upper workshop area was nearly pitch black, while the lower level was a patchwork of black, divided into smaller and larger groups, signifying the team's near-total control over both levels. Their influence was confined to the atrium.

"The scourge of the Central Courtyard remains unresolved," Ji Huaisu spoke first. She pointed to the western part of the map, where a large gray circle encompassed nearly a quarter of the Central Courtyard. Within that circle lay the most prosperous district of Huilong City, home to the villas of the wealthy, the bars and casinos bustling with revelry, and a gray cat perched atop this wealth, greedily coveting the nighttime capital.

The gray cat's name was the Maivia Club, a giant in the gambling and sex trade, responsible for nearly all disappearances in the Central Court. Everyone in Huilong City knew that the club's protection was available for a reasonable price. Countless criminals with blood on their hands had entered the gray cat's lair, living a life of extravagant pleasures under the glamorous lights.

"As long as the club is still around, the citizens of Central Court will never let go of their worries," Ji Huaisu said coldly. "Now that all the small fry have been caught, we can finally free up our hands. Now we should concentrate our forces and take down the club in one fell swoop!"

Jie An didn't comment, but instead asked, "What is Inspector Chu's opinion?"

"Clear the swamp," Chu Hengkong said succinctly. The swamp was the lowest part of Huilong City, a place of poverty, chaos, and the concentration of various religious sects.

Xie An's face lit up with smiles. "Oh, I think this is a good idea! The swamp is vast and rich in resources. Who knows how many rare medicinal herbs we can find..."

"Don't mix personal factors into the meeting!" Ji Huaisu frowned. "Chu Hengkong, I know you're thinking about that bastard who hired someone to kill you, but the swamp isn't a good place. The people there believe in demons to the point of being foolish. Furthermore, they use too many tricks. It's not a good choice with high risks and low returns."

The five assassins from the day before yesterday were not tight-lipped and readily betrayed their employer. The mysterious white-robed figure resembled a swamp cultist, so Ji Huaisu felt this was a personal vendetta. Chu Hengkong didn't object, but suddenly said, "After Tina's case, I've been looking for White Eyebrows' thugs."

"Did you find it?" Ji Huaisu perked up.

"I've found nothing. There's no relevant information in the relic's thoughts, and the residents around here have no memory of him. Our people are constantly monitoring the club's entrances and exits, but we don't have any information on him." Chu Hengkong pointed out the key point. "The club's confidentiality is so good that I even suspect they have invisible or spatially teleporting relics. Now we can't even track down a single thug, so how can we expect to destroy the organization behind him?"

Ji Huaisu was speechless for a moment, and said angrily: "Smash down their doors and search them one by one!"

"If I were still a killer, I'd smash doors at your command and even take off the club owner's head," Chu Hengkong said. "But now I'm a senior detective, and I'm responsible for the lives of my men when I smash doors. I can get away with it, but others can't."

He didn't use a rhetorical question but a light statement, which suppressed Ji Huaisu's anxiety. She gritted her teeth and said in a low tone: "You are right."

"Of course I'm right. I have more experience in gang wars than you do." Chu Hengkong smiled. "Although there are many sects of varying sizes in the swamp, they all regard each other as competitors. In the early stages of clearing out the cultists, not only did we encounter few obstacles, but the local forces were also happy to see us succeed."

"But there's no benefit in going to the swamp," Ji Huaisu reiterated. She was clearly very opposed to this decision. "If we destroy the club, we can seize a large number of flowing beads and relics..."

"Nearly half of the city's population lives in the swamp. If we eliminate the cult in the swamp, the overall order of Huilong City will be greatly stabilized." Chu Hengkong pointed out, "No amount of money can buy Huilong a stronger power."

Youyou, who was listening in, nodded frequently, looking at Chu Hengkong with the friendliest eyes ever. Ji Huaisu herself was convinced, and she turned her head reluctantly: "Dad, what do you say?"

Ji Qiufeng smiled slightly and gestured for him to wait until he finished his tea. Chu Hengkong felt a little strange. According to his temperament, this person should have come out to make jokes and steer the conversation, so that he wouldn't have to waste so much time talking.

Ji Qiufeng put the teacup aside, opened the paper fan, and said with a smile: "Chu Hengkong's idea is very good. You can discuss the specific details, but be sure to be careful..."

He lowered his paper fan mid-sentence, and a bright red tint seeped through the back of the paper, like an ominous red embroidery. Ji Huaisu stood up anxiously: "Father!"

"It's okay." Ji Qiufeng wiped the blood from his lips with a fan and said with a smile, "I accidentally bit my tongue. I... cough...!"

He suddenly broke out into a violent coughing fit, so painful it felt like he was vomiting his heart and lungs. Large splatters of blood spurted onto the conference table. At first, it was bright red, but then it turned gray. Chu Hengkong had never seen human blood turn this color before, gray and dry like burned bones. The wooden table, stained with blood, began to rot, instantly transforming into a lifeless, rotting mass.

Ji Qiufeng doubled over with coughing. This usually effortless man couldn't keep his smile on his face. His eyes were lifeless, like an old man on the verge of death. Everyone was stunned for a moment. Only Youyou jumped up eagerly, "Xiao An, go grind the medicine! Everyone, get out! Don't come in!"

"I'll go right away." Xie An's face turned pale as he rushed out the door. Ji Huaisu wanted to go and take care of her father, but Chu Hengkong silently dragged her away. His intuition told him that the gray blood was a terrifying thing and he must not touch it at all.

Before closing the door, he saw Youyou wading through the blood without hesitation and spitting out a clear light towards Ji Qiufeng.

·

"Mr. Ji, eat slowly."

"…Much better. Thank you."

"Don't say that." Jie An squeezed his eyes shut. "If I could be more successful, you would have..."

"Don't be too hard on yourself." Ji Qiufeng smiled weakly, "I'm feeling much better now. Go and rest."

Jie An's face was equally pale. He nodded silently and stood in the corner. They were still in the conference room. Ji Qiufeng was seriously injured and couldn't be moved, so they temporarily brought in a bed and quilt.

Ji Huaisu helped his father cover himself with the quilt, his voice trembling unconsciously: "I told you that you were pushing yourself too hard before! You didn't have any rest for three whole days..."

"We're all going to die anyway, so it doesn't really matter whether we sleep or not." Ji Qiufeng said calmly, "You have to learn to accept it. It's a good opportunity for you to write down Dad's will in advance..."

"I don't want to remember!" Ji Huaisu roared, "How can I accept it?!"

Ji Qiufeng looked at her helplessly, his eyes revealing the doting of a father. That look blocked all the words he wanted to say. Ji Huaisu walked out the door quickly, closing it with a loud bang.

Chu Hengkong was standing at the door, holding a water bottle. He took a step back silently, not wanting to look at his partner's red eyes. Ji Huaisu wiped his eyes vigorously and pushed him away: "It has nothing to do with you!"

She hurried away, turning a corner out of Chu Hengkong's sight. A faint sob could be heard in the distance. Chu Hengkong remained standing at the doorway, not entering. He recalled Ji Qiufeng's every move, his fiery eyes and his unflappable demeanor, the reassuring demeanor of a powerful figure.

It turned out that it was all fake. This aging patient was the real Ji Qiufeng, watching death approach every minute and every second. He looked so strong, but in fact, even a water gun was enough to take his life.

That's why Ji Qiufeng was so anxious when teaching for others, because if he didn't hurry up, he would really die.

(End of this chapter)