The smell of hospital disinfectant seemed to have permeated every pore of Li Zhou.
Outside the intensive care unit, cold glass separates the boundary between life and death. Inside is the faint fluctuation of the electrocardiogram waveform and the monotonous "beeping" sound of the instrument, while outside is the solidified air and heavy despair.
Li Zhou leaned against the wall, almost blending into the shadows, with only his bloodshot eyes fixed on the figure entangled by pipes in the glass window.
Ah Cheng appeared silently beside him, like a loyal silhouette.
"The technical team has made progress." He lowered his voice and handed over a piece of printed paper.
There were a few lines printed on the paper:
"Micro-receiver housing fragment - Material: Custom-grade impact-resistant polyamide composite. Restored branding: 'VK-7'."
Cigarette butt (brand: Blackstone) - Saliva DNA: No match found. Tobacco origin traced: Eastern Europe - Specific production area around Vilnius.
"Tracking of unknown information sources: The signal passes through multiple layers of encrypted springboards, and the source points to an overseas botnet network, and the physical location cannot be locked."
"VK-7..." Li Zhou chewed on the code name, which was cold and unfamiliar, like the reflection of a poisonous snake's scales.
"What are those coordinates? Western suburbs of Jiangcheng, 23.1245N, 113.2678E?"
"We checked." Ah Cheng nodded, his eyes sharp. "That area is the site of the abandoned 'Red Star' chemical plant. It's next to the river and is heavily polluted. It's been abandoned for over a decade. The city government plans to make it a future ecological park, but they've never had the money to start construction."
"It's surrounded by a wall, and the interior is a complex terrain, with factories, pipelines, and abandoned warehouses everywhere. It's a natural haven for filth and dirt. 'Dark River' personnel have already set up surveillance on the perimeter. Initial observations show signs of recent vehicle traffic, but no permanent guards. It's very quiet, abnormally quiet."
It was unnaturally quiet. Li Zhou's heart sank. This feeling was all too familiar, exactly like the one before the Northern Suburbs Logistics Park operation. Bait? A trap? Or perhaps another of Night Owl's cunning lair?
He subconsciously reached for the cell phone in his pocket, and the cold, unknown message burned into his memory like a branding iron.
SK - LK-7… Chen Yanbai knows the code on the badge. Does this information point to him? Or is someone deliberately framing him? The fog is thick, and every step could lead to a descent into the abyss.
"Where is Chen Yanbai?" Li Zhou asked in a dry voice.
"Downstairs." Ah Cheng tilted his head toward the elevator. "He needs to deal with… the aftermath of his fallen brothers, and there's also the pressure of an internal investigation. The explosion caused extensive damage, and the police brass is shaken. Blame him for command errors and possible information leaks. He's the center of the storm right now."
Li Zhou was silent. He could imagine the pressure and anger Chen Yanbai was under at the moment. The madness beneath his silver hair was probably on the verge of exploding.
Jiangcheng Central Hospital, second underground floor.
The air here is colder and more stagnant than upstairs, with a pungent smell of dampness and excessive use of disinfectant, which is unique to underground spaces.
Unlike the hustle and bustle of life and death upstairs, this floor was unusually quiet. The corridors were empty, with only a few pale ceiling lights humming softly. This was the special ward area, or rather, a highly isolated temporary detention center.
Outside a ward in the deepest part, two fully armed special police officers with solemn expressions stood on both sides of the heavy metal door like two door gods.
There were no windows on the door, only a narrow observation hole. Inside the door was another world.
The ward contained only a single bed, a monitor flashing basic vital signs, and a high-definition surveillance camera fixed to the corner, its red indicator light like a never-tiring eye. The air was filled with the smell of medicine and a faint hint of blood.
Chen Yanxiu sat leaning against the hospital bed. He wore a blue and white striped hospital gown, with a dark gray cashmere cardigan draped loosely over it, making his face look even paler.
Gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, and the gaze behind the lenses was calm and unwavering, like two bottomless pools of cold water, reflecting the pale light from the ceiling. His abdomen was wrapped in thick bandages, and a faint trace of dark red blood could be seen.
He placed his hands on the blanket, his left wrist clasped in an electronic shackle that gleamed with a cold metallic glow. Its thin chain connected it to the sturdy metal frame of the hospital bed. The shackle silently announced his current status—a serious criminal, not a wounded soldier.
He looked unusually calm, even with a kind of indifference, as if the turbulent collapse of the Shen family, the police's thundering action, and his own near-death gunshot wound and prisoner situation were all stories that happened to other people.
The electronic lock on the ward door clicked softly, and the heavy metal door was pushed open a crack. The officer in charge of the core interrogation walked in, followed by a young officer holding a clipboard.
The police officer had a stern expression and his eyes were as sharp as a hawk, trying to find even the slightest flaw in Shen Yanxiu's face.
"Chen Yanxiu," the officer's voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet ward, carrying unquestionable authority. "Regarding all allegations of transnational money laundering, smuggling, market manipulation, bribery, and murder that the Shen Group has been involved in over the past thirty years."
"We need your full confession. This is your only chance for leniency."
He paused, his eyes sweeping over the bandage on Chen Yanxiu's abdomen, "Interpol has already started investigating your gunshot wound. You need to explain your true identity and the meaning of the number 7749."
Chen Yanxiu slowly raised his eyes and looked at the police officer's face through the lenses.
The gaze was so calm that it made people feel uneasy. There was no fear, no anger, not even a trace of ripples, only an almost nihilistic scrutiny.
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