Do you believe in karma and reincarnation?
Inside the temporary command post, the atmosphere was tense, with the faint glow of various instruments and the cacophony of electronic sounds mingling together.
“General Manager Cui!” A technician suddenly looked up.
He pointed to an extremely weak but unusually regular band on the spectrum analyzer screen.
"A short, unnatural low-frequency signal remnant has been detected. It is very weak, resembling a leaked frequency band from some old-fashioned communication device or... an illegal signal jammer. Its approximate location is in the northwest, within a range of about 1.5 to 2 kilometers!"
Almost at the same moment.
Another team member operating the thermal imaging drone control console also issued an urgent report.
"Anomaly detected! Northwest region, area B-13, an abandoned machinery warehouse! Thermal imaging shows an extremely weak but concentrated heat source inside, with a significant temperature difference from the surrounding environment! Furthermore, magnified optical lens reveals an extremely faint light leak from a damaged ventilation opening in the southeast corner of the warehouse! It is not natural light, but more like a low-brightness lighting device!"
All the clues converged instantly.
The unusual signals, heat source, suspicious light, and the direction the silver van fled, as mentioned by the witnesses, all pointed to the abandoned machinery warehouse in the northwest area.
Cui Yu's heart clenched suddenly, then began to pound wildly.
"Target locked! Abandoned machinery warehouse in Sector B-13!"
Cui Yu's voice instantly rose, drowning out all the noise in the temporary command post.
"Attention all units!"
"First and second assault teams, move in immediately! Third team, maintain perimeter security and seal off all possible exits! Drones will continue monitoring and report on internal heat sources! Medical team, be prepared!"
He gave instructions at lightning speed while swiftly grabbing his bulletproof vest and putting it on, his movements swift and his eyes cold.
"Silence! Do not fire unless absolutely necessary! Prioritize the safety of the hostages!" he emphasized at the end, then waved his hand dismissively.
"action!"
He jumped into an off-road vehicle first, the engine emitting a deep roar.
The convoy sped toward the abandoned warehouse in the northwest.
The atmosphere inside the car was extremely tense.
Cui Yu stared intently through the car window at the faint outline of the warehouse visible in the darkness in the distance.
He prayed silently in his heart, praying that Meng Yihe was still safe, praying that they arrived in time, and praying that the worst would not happen...
He didn't even dare to think about that possibility.
He forced himself to suppress his surging anxiety and, speaking in a very low voice into the car's communicator, gave his final instructions: "Team A will launch a feint attack from the main entrance to create a disturbance and draw attention. Team B will follow me and infiltrate through the breached flank. Snipers, take your positions and find the best vantage point. Do not fire without my order."
"The number of the attackers is unknown, but they are extremely dangerous and may be armed. The hostages are likely being held captive, and their condition is unknown. Upon entry, prioritize locating and controlling the kidnappers, and immediately ascertain the hostages' situation!"
"Act swiftly and accurately!"
The convoy quietly stopped a few hundred meters from the warehouse, and the team members dispersed silently and quickly, rushing to their respective positions as planned.
The final encirclement is complete.
The well-trained team members approached the abandoned warehouse silently, like phantoms. Team A made slight noises towards its main entrance, like the sound of night wind blowing through broken metal sheets, to attract the attention of anyone who might be inside.
Led by Cui Yu, Team B silently infiltrated the warehouse through a large hole in the side wall. The warehouse was extremely dark inside, with only a faint, flickering light in a distant corner.
The air was thick with the smells of dust and rust, and... a strong, almost solidified cherry brandy pheromone, carrying a sharp, painful, and uncontrollable scent.
The pheromones were so strong, so unusual.
All the Alpha team members who entered instinctively felt a pang of heart palpitations and intense discomfort.
Cui Yu pinpointed the source of the pheromones almost instantly.
Under that dim light, Meng Yihe was tightly bound to a wooden chair, his body trembling violently uncontrollably, his head hanging limply, his soaked black hair sticking to his forehead and cheeks, and his exposed skin flushed an abnormal red. He seemed to be trying his best to suppress painful groans, and each breath seemed extremely difficult.
The terrifyingly strong pheromones were emanating from him, indicating that he was enduring unimaginable physical torment.
Chu Shen stood a few steps away from Meng Yihe, his back to the direction Cui Yu had sneaked in. He was drawn by the slight noise coming from the main entrance, listening intently, a gleaming dagger clutched in his hand.
Cui Yu gave a hand signal, and the team members quickly dispersed and took up advantageous positions.
The gun barrel was silently pointed at Chu Shen.
Cui Yu took a deep breath, suppressing the anger and heartache that surged within him upon seeing Meng Yihe's condition, and took a step forward.
The sound rang out clearly in the empty warehouse.
"Chu Shen".
Chu Shen's body stiffened abruptly, and he turned around in horror. He saw Cui Yu and several armed men appear behind him like divine soldiers descending from the heavens. Fear flashed across his face for a moment, but it was quickly replaced by madness. He moved closer to Meng Yihe, intending to take her hostage.
"Don't move!" Cui Yu shouted sharply, trying to stop him. "Let him go, and we can still talk about it."
"talk?!"
Chu Shen laughed hysterically as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world, wildly waving the dagger in his hand.
"What's there to talk about?! Do you think you'll let me go?! You forced me into this! You owe me!"
His gaze swept over Cui Yu, and upon discovering that he appeared to be unarmed and unarmed, his eyes instantly became even more crazed and fearless.
"President Cui... Haha, you're here so fast..."
Chu Shen was panting heavily, his eyes shifting venomously between Cui Yu and the tormented Meng Yihe.
"See how your precious director looks now? Feeling good? It's all thanks to you guys!"
Cui Yu's nails were digging almost into his palms, but he remained expressionless.
"What do you want? Money? I can give you enough to run away. Let him go."
"Money?" Chu Shen spat.
"It's too late to say all this now! None of you will get away with this!"
Chu Shen could tell that Cui Yu was hesitant to provoke him, but his emotions only became more agitated and out of control. He brandished his dagger and took a step closer to Cui Yu, as if he had found his weakness.
"Don't you care about him?" Chu Shen's face revealed an almost frantic excitement.
"Then I'll send you on your way first! Let him keep an eye on you!"
Seeing Chu Shen brandishing a dagger and lunging at her like a madman, and because of her emotional outburst, she moved two steps further away from Meng Yihe.
Now!
Cui Yu's eyes sharpened, and he swiftly slid to the side and back, dodging the seemingly chaotic yet deadly dagger thrust. At the same time, he shouted with all his might into the communicator, "Fire!"
Bang!
A muffled sniper rifle shot rang out almost simultaneously, the bullet tearing through the air and hitting Chu Shen's right wrist, which was gripping the dagger.
"ah--!"
Chu Shen let out a shrill scream, and the dagger clattered to the ground.
The commandos, who were already prepared, pounced out from the shadows on both sides and instantly pinned the screaming Chu Shen to the ground, quickly eliminating all threats to him.
The operation ended in the blink of an eye.
Cui Yu didn't even have time to glance at the subdued Chu Shen; the moment the gun fired, he charged toward the figure tied to the chair.
"Meng Yihe!"
His hands began to untangle the rough ropes that were deeply embedded in Meng Yihe's wrists and ankles, both urgently and with extreme care. When his fingertips touched the other's cold, chafed skin, his heart felt as if it had been violently clenched.
The rope was untied, revealing the red and swollen bruises underneath, but what was even more glaring was the ring of purplish-red finger marks around Meng Yihe's neck.
Freed from the restraints of the ropes, Meng Yihe's body slumped forward.
Cui Yu immediately reached out and caught him steadily, pulling him into her arms. The touch was hot and trembling slightly.
Meng Yihe's consciousness was clearly in a state of extreme confusion.
His brows were furrowed, his long eyelashes trembled violently with pain, and his breath was rapid and hot, spraying onto Cui Yu's neck.
Meng Yihe vaguely sensed a familiar and reassuring presence approaching, felt the restraints being released, and felt herself being embraced in a strong arms.
This sensation contrasted sharply with the destructive burning sensation within him.
He managed to squeeze out a few words from his dry, burning throat.
"Cui... Yu..."
"I am here."
Cui Yu immediately tightened his arms, holding the hot and trembling body in his arms even more firmly.
As if receiving some kind of confirmation, yet unable to grasp it due to the blurring of consciousness, Meng Yihe, caught in a vortex of pain, once again softly murmured, "Cui Yu..."
"I'm here." Cui Yu responded again without hesitation, his voice still steady and carrying a comforting power.
"It's alright, I'm here."
He responded repeatedly, as if trying to pull the other person back from the abyss of pain.
Meng Yihe's extremely concentrated and unstable cherry brandy pheromones spread wildly like uncontrolled liquor.
For Cui Yu, the sensations brought by this pheromone were far beyond the repulsion and conflict between ordinary Alphas.
It is a powerful attraction.
An impulse stemming from a deeper instinct—an urge to cover, to soothe, to control. He forcefully suppressed all physiological agitation and pheromone leakage with powerful willpower.
He absolutely cannot show any abnormality now, especially with Meng Yihe so vulnerable and so many people around.
"Medical team! Quick!" He raised his head and shouted sharply towards the warehouse entrance, concealing the momentary tremor in his voice.
"The hostages need immediate medical attention! Quickly!"
Cui Yu carefully handed Meng Yihe over to the professional medical staff, but her eyes were fixed on the face that had lost its color due to pain.
Meng Yihe was quickly and carefully carried out of the warehouse on a stretcher by medical personnel and sent to the nearest hospital for emergency treatment.
For a moment, only the commando team members, Chu Shen who was pinned to the ground, and Cui Yu who stood still with an eerily low aura were left in the warehouse.
Chu Shen's wrist was hit by a sniper bullet, but his curses and cries did not stop.
"You will all die a horrible death! Cui Yu! Meng Yihe! And that bitch Ji Nan! You will all suffer retribution! I will haunt you even as a ghost!"
Cui Yu slowly turned around.
The last trace of gentleness and anxiety that had remained on her face when she was facing Meng Yihe had completely vanished.
He didn't speak immediately, but instead strode steadily towards Chu Shen, who was pinned to the ground in a disheveled state. His boots creaked softly on the dusty, gravelly ground, the sound particularly clear in the suddenly quiet warehouse.
Every step felt like stepping on one's heart.
The team members instinctively held their breath and pressed Chu Shen even tighter.
Cui Yu stopped in front of Chu Shen, looking down at him with disdain, his eyes as indifferent as if he were looking at a piece of trash. He raised his foot and stomped heavily on Chu Shen's wrist, which had just been hit by a bullet.
"Ughh ...
Chu Shen let out a scream ten times more piercing than when he was shot. His body convulsed violently, his eyeballs almost bulging out of their sockets, and the excruciating pain from this double injury nearly made him faint instantly.
Cui Yu's face remained expressionless as he leaned forward slightly.
"retribution?"
Cui Yu chuckled lightly, but then applied more force with his foot, causing Chu Shen to let out another pig-like scream.
"It seems that Mr. Chu believes in karma and reincarnation."
"Coincidentally, I believe it too."
He paused, his tone becoming even more "gentle".
"Look, what you're experiencing now is the 'effect' of the 'cause' you just inflicted on Director Meng, isn't it? How about it? Isn't this more immediate and effective than the retribution you were hoping for in your next life?"
His words, laced with strong irony and cold humor, coupled with his ruthless footwork, sent a chill down the spines of the team members who heard them.
Chu Shen was in so much pain that he could barely speak, only whimpering in agony and trembling with fear. All the resentment he had felt before had been transformed into terror by this absolute crushing.
Cui Yu slowly withdrew his foot, took out a tissue, and leisurely wiped away non-existent stains from the sole of his shoe, his tone regaining its usual businesslike indifference.
"Take him away, stop the bleeding, don't let him die."
His gaze swept over Chu Shen's mangled wrist, and he added, his voice devoid of any emotion.
"His 'retribution'... has only just begun. The law will give him a fair trial, and President Ji... must be 'missing' this old friend very much."
The implication in those words made Chu Shen shudder violently, his eyes filled with even greater fear.
"Yes, Mr. Cui!"
The team members immediately responded and roughly dragged the almost limp Chu Shen to his feet.
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