Chapter 118 Reverse Tracking, Aiming at Shanghai

Farm office.

Lu Jingyan hung up the phone, his tall figure standing by the window.

He was still clutching the metallic eagle cufflink in his hand, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

Bai Zhu walked in, her steps very light.

She stood beside him, her gaze also fixed on the boundless darkness outside the window.

"Su Yuting is not dead." She said, her voice flat, as if stating a fact that had nothing to do with her.

Lu Jingyan turned his head, his deep eyes showing no surprise, only inquiry.

“The thing that afflicted her is called ‘Soul-Eating Lesion’,” Bai Shu continued, his tone still calm.

“It’s recorded in a rare medical book left by my mother. It’s not poison, it’s a torture device. It can melt a person inside and out within twelve hours, leaving only nerves and a skeleton, but the brain will remain clear until the very last moment.”

She paused, her peach blossom eyes narrowing slightly, revealing a cold, calculating light within.

"To slow down this process, we need the most advanced medical equipment, the cleanest sterile environment, the largest blood bank, and the most professional surgical team. The entire Northwest region cannot do that."

She turned her head and looked directly into Lu Jingyan's eyes.

“Looking across the whole country, there is only one black market that can quietly gather all these things.”

Lu Jingyan's Adam's apple bobbed, and he understood her meaning almost immediately.

"Shanghai".

Bai Shu nodded.

“The people at Eagle’s Nest went to such great lengths to take her away, not to destroy the evidence, but to save her. Or rather, to squeeze the last secrets out of her mind before she completely rotted away.”

Lu Jingyan looked at her, at her calm yet all-seeing eyes, without questioning the origin of the medicine classic or doubting the seemingly fantastical conclusion.

He simply reached out, his warm palm covering her slightly cool hand, and uttered a single word in a deep voice.

"good."

He then added, "I believe you."

These three words were like a warm current, instantly dispelling the chill in Bai Shu's heart.

She paused slightly, her long eyelashes trembled, but ultimately said nothing.

Lu Jingyan turned around and strode towards the phone again, his movements displaying swift and decisive action.

"Receive the military region and arrange a transport plane for me, the fastest one, fly to Shanghai!"

...

With a deafening roar from its propellers, a military transport plane tore through the night and sped off in a southeast direction.

The cabin was dimly lit, with only a few emergency lights on.

Bai Shu leaned against the cold cabin wall, closing her eyes to rest. But her mind was already immersed in her business empire.

Before takeoff, two secret orders were issued simultaneously in the name of the chairman of Tangdi Group.

One of these is for Du Kangnian at the Peace Hotel.

"Miss Bai's instructions: Monitor all formal and informal channels in Shanghai for any large-scale movement of special medical supplies related to burns, skin grafts, blood purification, and biological agents. Pay special attention to private doctors in high society circles and overseas medical channels."

Another one was given to Zheng Kai, who had become a rising star in Shanghai's underground scene.

"The boss's order: Send out all your men and search every single private clinic, underground operating room, and shady operation masquerading as a sanatorium in Shanghai like a comb! Report immediately any establishments with a large number of security personnel or any unusual movement of people or goods!"

Two inescapable nets, one from the clouds and the other from the mud, were simultaneously cast upon that city that never sleeps.

This was the first time she had truly used the war machine she had built herself since leaving Shanghai.

Using the Peace Hotel's intelligence network covering the top echelons of Shanghai, Du Kangnian made countless calls from the hotel's luxury suites. What appeared to be ordinary business greetings were in fact exchanges of secret information in every sentence.

Zheng Kai, on the other hand, was even more direct. His newly recruited, desperate thugs, eager to prove themselves, charged into Shanghai's darkest corners like a pack of wild dogs smelling blood. In an instant, the entire Shanghai underworld was filled with an atmosphere of utter panic.

On the other side, Lu Jingyan was also busy.

He contacted his informant in the Shanghai military-controlled area via military radio.

"This is Lu Jingyan. Immediately investigate all flights, trains, and special vehicles that have arrived in Shanghai from the northwest in the past 24 hours. The focus should be on personnel and supplies with Hong Kong ties or special channels of cover. Report to me immediately if you have any information."

His commands were concise, powerful, and full of the iron-blooded style of a soldier.

The two joined forces, one operating openly and the other covertly, one using official channels and the other operating underground, with a remarkably consistent goal.

Inside the cabin, the two sat side by side, neither speaking, yet a silent understanding flowed in the air.

Wang Hao and Qin Zheng watched from afar, both deeply shocked.

One of them had witnessed Lu Jingyan's ruthless methods in the military, and the other had witnessed Bai Shu's manipulative influence in the business world.

But only today did they realize that these two individuals, taken individually, were already a formidable force, and together they were simply devastating.

As the plane began its descent, the dazzling lights of Shanghai unfolded like stars outside the window.

Not long after getting off the plane, Qin Zheng walked over quickly and handed Bai Shu a telegram he had just received.

Bai Zhu unfolded the scroll and looked at it, and the corners of her mouth slowly curled up.

It's Zheng Kai's intelligence.

"Boss, target identified. Huangpu, 'Victoria' private clinic. Hong Kong-controlled, specializing in high-end cosmetic surgery, but actually Shanghai's largest black market organ trading center."

“An hour ago, under the pretext of ‘urgent treatment of burn-stricken diplomatic personnel,’ a batch of medical equipment and medicines airlifted from Europe was received through a special customs channel. The security level inside and outside the clinic was instantly raised to the highest level. My people were on the outside, and not even a fly could get in.”

Clean, efficient, and precise.

"Let's go." Bai Shu put away the telegram and stood up.

Lu Jingyan also received a message from his informant, the contents of which perfectly corroborated Zheng Kai's intelligence.

He looked at Bai Shu and nodded.

...

The jeep drove out of the airport and merged into the traffic of Shanghai at night.

Outside the window, there are neon lights, unique to this era, carrying a touch of ambiguity and mystery.

“I’m not going to the clinic,” Bai Shu said suddenly, looking at the scenery rushing past the window.

Qin Zheng, who was driving, was taken aback.

"Go to the glass manufacturing factory in Minhang."

Although Qin Zheng was puzzled, he still jerked the steering wheel and turned the car around.

Half an hour later, the jeep stopped in front of a glass factory that had already closed for the day. Bai Shu easily knocked on the door of the old craftsman who was still on duty with a stack of "big unity" bills.

In the dusty warehouse, she ignored the exquisite vases and handicrafts and went straight to a corner.

There, baskets of glass marbles, intended for use as bearings or decorations, were piled up.

She stretched out her slender hand and carefully picked through the baskets of marbles.

Under the light, her profile was beautiful, and her expression was focused and serious.

Lu Jingyan stood behind her, watching quietly. He didn't understand what she was going to do, but he chose to believe her.

Finally, one of the Atractylodes macrocephala plants was selected.

She held the glass marble in her palm, feeling its cold, hard texture.

I got back into the car, the jeep started again, and headed towards Huangpu.

Outside the car window, the bizarre neon lights of Shanghai flickered on her face.

Bai Shu looked at the beautiful "murder weapon" in his palm, and a deep smile slowly appeared on his lips.

She whispered to herself in a voice only she could hear:

"Sister, I'm sure you'll like the 'gift' I've prepared for you."