Chapter Three: The Iron Police Descend from the Sky

Just as Ah Yu was forced to the window, and the switchblade was about to pierce her chest, a deafening siren suddenly blared from downstairs! Alternating red and blue lights pierced through the rain, turning the entire chemical industrial zone into a hazy, dreamlike scene.

"Police! Everyone stay still!" The voice from the loudspeaker cut through the rain, carrying an undeniable authority.

The bearded man's face changed drastically. He shoved Ah Yu aside, grabbed the walkie-talkie on the table, and roared, "Retreat! Retreat now—" But before he could finish speaking, several black ropes suddenly hung down from the ceiling, and several special police officers dressed in black combat uniforms and wearing night vision goggles descended like divine soldiers, their guns all pointed at the people in the room.

"Drop your weapons! Hands over your head!" The SWAT team leader's voice was icy, and the beam of his tactical flashlight was blinding.

The tall, thin man was already paralyzed with fear on the ground, while the bearded man tried to put up a fight, but was swiftly kicked away by a SWAT officer, his switchblade clattering to the ground. Ah Yu seized the opportunity to rush over and hug Zhong Hua tightly in her arms. She was trembling all over, her face covered in tears and dust.

“Ayu…” Zhong Hua buried her face in his chest, her voice choked with sobs, “I thought…”

"It's alright, it's alright..." Ah Yu patted her back, but his gaze was fixed on the window. The rain showed no signs of letting up, but the police lights in the distance grew denser, forming a barrier of light. He knew this was no coincidence.

Chapter Four: The Web Behind the Scenes

Ten minutes later, outside the chemical industrial park, Captain Zhang's police car was parked behind the cordon. Lin Wanqing, holding an umbrella, saw Ah Yu carrying Zhong Hua out of the building and immediately rushed over.

"Zhong Hua! How are you?" She supported Zhong Hua's swaying body, and when she saw the marks on her wrists and the abrasions on her face, her eyes instantly reddened.

"I'm fine, Sister Wanqing." Zhong Hua forced a smile and leaned against Ah Yu. "Thanks to Ah Yu and the police officers."

Team Leader Zhang walked over and handed Ah Yu a towel: "Mr. Xiao, Ms. Zhong, it's good that you're alright. The operation was a great success. We captured five kidnappers and found backups of Gu Yanting's call records with them at the scene." He paused, then looked at Ah Yu, "However, your impulsive behavior just now was dangerous. Next time, you must wait for backup."

Ah Yu wiped the rain off her face and looked at Captain Zhang: "Captain Zhang, how did you manage to get here so quickly? The signal was very weak when I tried to call earlier."

Team Leader Zhang smiled slightly and took out a small signal receiver from his pocket: "We have to thank Miss Zhong for her resourcefulness. Although her watch's positioning beacon was blocked, our technical department had already locked onto this area through the base station. Moreover," he lowered his voice, "we've been monitoring Gu Yanting's secret communications channels in prison, and we started deploying this kidnapping plan last night."

Ah Yu and Lin Wanqing exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes. It turned out that the police had already laid a trap, and this kidnapping was more like Gu Yanting's desperate struggle, with them merely bait to lure him out.

"What about Gu Yanting..." Lin Wanqing asked hesitantly.

"He had just learned that the operation had failed and caused a scene in the detention center." Captain Zhang's expression turned serious. "But this is for the best, it has completely extinguished his hopes. On the encrypted phone we found on the kidnappers, there was a recording of him instructing the destruction of evidence in the old fire case, as well as several records of assassination funds traded through the dark web."

Chapter Five: The Lingering Echoes of the Settled Dust

The rain gradually subsided, and the east began to lighten with the first rays of dawn. As the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone on the mottled walls of the chemical industrial park, the last police car carrying the kidnappers sped away. Inside the police cordon, forensic experts and technicians were still busy, their flashes recording the dramatic rescue scene.

Ah Yu sat in the back seat of the ambulance, letting the paramedics treat the wound on his arm. Zhong Hua leaned against him, holding the hot coffee Lin Wanqing had handed him, his fingertips gradually warming up. None of the three spoke; only the fresh air after the rain carried a sense of relief, a feeling of having survived a disaster.

“Ayu,” Lin Wanqing suddenly spoke, her voice a little hoarse, “I’m sorry, I…”

"Sister, stop talking." Ah Yu interrupted her, her eyes gentle. "It's all in the past."

Zhong Hua looked up at Lin Wanqing and gently took her hand: "Sister Wanqing, thank you. If you hadn't contacted the police in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Lin Wanqing looked at the two people clinging tightly to each other, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by relief. She smiled and looked at the city gradually lighting up in the distance: "Gu Yanting is really finished this time."

"Yes, it's over," Ah Yu murmured to herself. The moment the police riot shields smashed through the control room door, the moment the murderous glint in the bearded man's eyes was replaced by fear, Gu Yanting's meticulously constructed empire began to crumble. The crimes hidden beneath the glamorous exterior, the barriers built with money and power, ultimately proved utterly vulnerable before the iron wall of law and the light of justice.

The ambulance started and slowly drove away from the ravaged land. Through the car window, Ah Yu saw Captain Zhang discussing the case with his colleagues, his face showing a tired but determined expression. He knew that this battle was not completely over; Gu Yanting's remaining followers might still be lurking in the shadows, and the truth about the fire had not yet been fully revealed.

But at this moment, holding Zhong Hua in his arms and sitting beside Lin Wanqing, he felt an unprecedented peace in his heart. After the rain, the sun would eventually dispel the gloom. And they, bearing the scars of this battle, would continue their steadfast journey until the truth was revealed and justice was finally served.

Outside the car window, the outline of Binhai City gradually became clear, with skyscrapers standing tall in the morning light, like silent witnesses. They witnessed the rescue that took place on a rainy night, the downfall of a sinister empire, and the inextinguishable light of hope that shone through the darkness.