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"what happened?"

The voice on the other end of the headset asked a question, sounding puzzled.

Ghost Scythe lay hidden in the shadows of the seventh-floor corridor, his fingers lightly pressing against his earpiece.

His gaze lingered on the scene below through the broken window frame.

The young man was sitting in the driver's seat, seemingly rummaging through something. His movements were somewhat hurried, and he didn't start the vehicle immediately.

"The target person differs greatly from the description in the intelligence."

Ghost Scythe paused, his voice extremely low, revealing an undisguised confusion:

"The information said he was a strong and tough young man, but the person I just saw had skin as white as a freshly peeled egg, wore gold-rimmed glasses, and was so refined that he looked more like a pretty boy than any idol star on TV."

"Most importantly, he is very likely a member of the Special Investigations Team."

"Special Search Team?"

On the other end of the headset, Night Owl's voice suddenly rose a few decibels, tinged with surprise:

"How could it be someone from the Special Investigations Team? Do you have concrete evidence?"

“I almost bumped into him in the hallway just now and saw the document fall from his hand with my own eyes. Although it was only a corner, I would never mistake that red shield and sword seal.”

Oni-scythe narrowed his eyes, recalling every detail from just now:
"Moreover, he looked anxious when he came downstairs, and he was muttering to himself, saying that Chief of Staff Ling wanted to see him and that it would be difficult to explain if he was late."

"Ling Shaofeng?!"

The owl gasped, looking even more surprised.

"That mad dog-like guy? How did this kid get involved with him?"

After a brief silence, the owl's tone turned suspicious:
"Could it be a forged document? Perhaps they obtained information about us from Xuanzhen, knowing we would retaliate, so they deliberately set a trap under the guise of the Special Investigation Team?"

"I also suspected it was a setup."

Ghost Scythe sneered, his gaze following the constantly flashing reverse light downstairs.

"But only you and I know about this operation; even the departure time was decided at the last minute."

"Unless he can foresee the future, accurately predict that I will appear on the stairs at this moment, and precisely identify my identity."

"The probability of that is even lower than the probability of him being a humanoid dinosaur."

"and……"

Ghost Scythe recalled the moment that finger was thrust out, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes:
"He doesn't look like a combatant at all."

"why?"

"Just now in the hallway, I deliberately attacked him from behind, suddenly making a move to test him."

Ghost Scythe looked at his fingertips, his tone revealing a hint of incomprehension:

“My finger was only two millimeters away from his eyeball. In that situation, even a trained elite member of the special search team would instinctively have their pupils contract and their muscles tense up instantly, but he didn’t.”

"No response at all?"

"Yes, as dull as a block of wood."

Oni-scythe said with certainty:
"I don't believe anyone could resist the urge to fight back and remain so calm in the face of my deadly attack."

"Considering his frail and pale appearance, if he really is a member of the Special Investigation Team, he's probably just an office worker responsible for organizing data."

On the other end of the headset, Night Owl, after listening, was also deeply perplexed, just like his companion.

It felt like encountering an insurmountable problem during my student days, one that I couldn't solve no matter how hard I tried.

"The skin tone is wrong, the temperament is wrong, and the ability is wrong..."

The owl muttered to itself:

"Could the organization have made a mistake? With that person's eyesight, there's no way he could have misjudged the target's appearance. Even if the other party has the ability to disguise themselves, they couldn't escape his keen eyes."

"Or... has the target already been recruited by the Special Investigations Team?"

At this point, a hint of apprehension crept into the night owl's voice:
"This is a sensitive time. If we kill the wrong person, we could provoke the Xia Kingdom's government at this juncture and damage our relations..."

"That guy surnamed Ling will definitely retaliate against us like a mad dog, and then that official will blame us..."

A brief silence fell over the headset.

Only the faint hissing of the electrical current hinted at the turmoil on the other end of the call.

"Buzz-"

The low hum of an engine could be heard from downstairs.

The black SUV had already started and slowly reversed out of the parking space.

However, the road conditions on Old Factory Street are really bad.

The narrow alleyway was crammed full of illegally parked tricycles and barbecue stalls that were blocking the way.

Sitting in the driver's seat, Fang Cheng had to patiently move the car little by little through the crowded flow of people.

The red brake lights reflected on the mottled wall, flickering on and off.

Pedestrians squeezed past the car, close to its side, while children who had just finished dinner patted the front of the car and ran away laughing.

This slow speed also gave the observers upstairs ample time to think.

"He's leaving."

As Oni-Kiri watched the red taillights slowly creeping towards the street corner, a red light flickered in his eyes as well.

"Should we continue hunting?"

The owl was silent for a few seconds before finally making a decision:

"Keep up with the target first!"

His tone became calm and decisive again:

"Although this person's information shows that he is just an ordinary person, his recent whereabouts are too suspicious. He went to Tiannan Province and then returned to Dongdu at this time."

"Moreover, according to the police files I just reviewed, this person has some connection with our organization. He is the most suspicious person who killed Xuanzhen and ruined our plans."

The owl's voice carried a ruthless edge:
"As instructed above, the key point is not simply revenge, but to find out if there are other rats hiding behind this rat, and what Xuanzhen revealed before he died."

"We must eliminate any potential threats that could affect the organization's plans, understand?"

"clear."

Ghost Scythe's lips curled into a smile as he coldly replied:

"Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free. I've done this kind of job many times. I guarantee I'll handle it cleanly and leave no trace."

At this moment, the black SUV finally squeezed past the last tricycle, turned its head, and accelerated out of the dim streetlights of the old factory street.

"Be careful. Since the murderer was able to kill that old ghost Xuanzhen, he must have some skills."

"And if this young man really is from the Special Investigations Team, something unexpected might happen tonight."

Out of caution, the owl reminded its companion again.

"rest assured."

Oni-scythe smiled contemptuously:
"I am one of Black Shark's three aces. As long as I prepare in advance, even a super S-level team leader wouldn't dare to say he can beat me."

"Even if someone in the Special Investigations Team is targeting me, it would have to be a top-level investigator to qualify. Sending small fry wouldn't even be enough to fill my teeth."

These words were not boasting, but rather represented ample confidence.

After saying that, he hung up the headset and turned to walk back to the corner where he had been standing.

He casually picked off the small piece of clay disguised as wall plaster and threw it into the toolbox.

"What a waste of effort."

He shook his head, seemingly regretting that he hadn't been able to witness a grand explosion of art.

But it doesn’t matter.

Since the prey has escaped the cage, let's deal with it on a wider stage outside.

With a swift movement, Ghost Scythe vaulted over the seventh-floor railing.

Like a black bat, it plummeted vertically down the narrow central courtyard of the staircase.

The dimly lit floors rushed past in front of me.

Snapped.

With toes touching the ground and knees slightly bent, the last bit of downward momentum was dissipated.

When he landed on the concrete ground floor, his body was as light as a falling leaf, without even raising a speck of dust.

Ghost Scythe adjusted the strap of his toolbox on his shoulder, lifted his foot and walked towards the unit door, his figure quickly disappearing into the night.

……………………………… The exit of Old Factory Street.

A black SUV was parked on the side of the road, its engine humming softly, waiting for a break in the traffic to merge into the main road.

Fang Cheng held the steering wheel with one hand, while the other rested naturally on the side of the car window, his fingers tapping rhythmically.

"President, the suspect has caught up with us."

The monkey's voice came through the headset clearly, speaking very quickly and professionally:

"It's an older silver-gray Jetta, a car with a fake license plate, about fifty meters to your left and behind."

"This driver is very skilled. He kept using other vehicles and pedestrians as cover, staying on the edge of your blind spot, and was very close to you."

"They're not that easy to fool after all."

Fang Cheng glanced at the rearview mirror, a slight smile playing on his lips, but his eyes remained icy cold.

"President, should we make a move now?"

Big Hammer's rough voice broke in, eager to try, "With the skills of the few of us, we guarantee he won't be able to escape."

"Need not."

Fang Cheng flatly rejected the idea, his voice calm:
"This play is already half successful. Since the other party is still not giving up, let him come along."

"You two stay on Jiuchang Street and continue to monitor this area, observing whether any other suspicious persons approach. Make sure the safety of the tenement building is ensured."

"Yes, President!"

After the communication was cut off, a gap appeared in the road ahead.

Fang Cheng lightly pressed the accelerator.

The black SUV, like a swimming fish, glided into the city's evening rush hour traffic.

Neon lights flashed outside the window, and the glass curtain walls of skyscrapers reflected flowing light and shadow.

Fashion advertisements are playing on the huge LED screens in the shopping district, while men and women in colorful clothes hurry across the zebra crossing.

This is a modern metropolis brimming with desire and vitality, so bustling that it can mask all the undercurrents.

Fang Cheng drove at varying speeds, always maintaining a pace that suggested he was "in a hurry, but limited by road conditions."

This sense of distance, both close and distant, is both a psychological torment and a temptation that the pursuer must hold on to.

Twenty minutes later.

The black SUV slowly pulled up in front of a luxuriously decorated five-star hotel.

Security here is tight, with luxury cars parked at the entrance and dazzling lights reflected in the revolving door.

Fang Cheng didn't get out of the car. Instead, he rolled down the window, took out his phone, and dialed a number.

He frowned, his fingers tapping anxiously on the steering wheel, and said a few words into the phone.

He looked quite anxious and kept glancing at his watch.

In the distance, inside a silver-gray Jetta parked in the shadows.

Oni turned off the car lights, lowered his body, and chewed on gum that had long since lost its sweetness.

Like a lurking venomous snake, it stares intently ahead through the tinted car window.

A moment later, the hotel's revolving door began to turn.

Two men dressed in black suits, with solemn expressions, strode out and went straight to Fang Cheng's car.

"Hello, are you Commissioner Fang? Please show me your identification."

One of them asked tentatively.

"it's me."

Fang Cheng got out of the car, his face showing a mix of apology and annoyance. He quickly pulled out a dark blue ID from his pocket and handed it over.

The headlights of passing vehicles on the roadside happened to sweep across this side.

The gold shield and sword emblem on the cover of the document faintly reflected a light in the night.

Oni-gan, who was secretly observing, suddenly narrowed his eyes slightly.

Even from a distance of several dozen meters, with his eyesight, he could still clearly see the special badge that symbolized power and violence.

"It seems that it is indeed the Special Investigation Team."

Oni-Kan pressed the headset, his voice becoming more serious:
"Even the identification documents match. How did the special investigation team find out our secret? Is there really a mole within the team? Or did they see through our cooperation?"

Over there, Fang Cheng had already retrieved his identification documents, his tone somewhat hurried:

"Is Chief of Staff Ling still upstairs? I just finished my report on the recent intelligence analysis, but I accidentally left a few pages at home. I just went back to get them."

"Chief Ling just left; there's an important matter at headquarters that requires his personal attention."

The man in black glanced at the document in Fang Cheng's hand and said in a low voice:
"The Chief of Staff instructed that you should bring the complete report to headquarters tomorrow to see him directly."

Although Onikami is not a psychic, his hearing is far superior to that of ordinary people due to the enhancement of his physical abilities.

Those few dozen meters felt like a whisper in his ear, crystal clear to him.

At this moment, the man in black looked around again, leaned forward, and solemnly said:
"There's one more thing. The Chief of Staff specifically instructed me to pass it on to Commissioner Fang."

"The person in charge of the operation in Tiannan Province has also returned to Dongdu. The Chief of Staff said that you are familiar with him and that you need to meet with him tonight to handle the follow-up matters regarding the situation there."

As he spoke, he handed over a slip of paper and placed it in front of Fang Cheng.

"okay, I get it."

Fang Cheng reached out and took it, nodded, and his expression became solemn: "I'll be there right away."

Upon hearing this, Oni-Kami, who was hiding in the car, suddenly lit up.

"Night Owl, the situation has changed."

"During the contact just now, the other party mentioned that they had been in contact with the person in charge of the operation in Tiannan Province, and that the target is going to make contact with them now."

On the other end of the headset, Night Owl's breathing suddenly became heavy.

"It seems we were right about the target we were tracking, but there was a small mistake in the details."

The owl quickly pieced together all the information, his tone slightly agitated:
"Oni-Kiri, do you know what I just found in the files?"

"what?"

"This target, Fang Cheng, is actually a direct blood relative of Fang Shijie, a former member of Ideal Village."

"And that person was involved in the Guangwu Gate shooting incident; he was one of those defectors who betrayed the organization!"

"You mean..."

The red light in Oni-scythe's eyes intensified.

"Keep following them!"

The owl's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement:

"Regardless of whether he's a member of the Special Investigations Team or not, we must investigate this matter thoroughly. Perhaps we'll uncover something extraordinary, a shocking secret!"

"If we can successfully obtain this secret, we will definitely be favored by that person. Not only will our status in the organization be improved, but we may also have unimaginable opportunities to break through our current level."

"receive."

Oni Scythe licked his dry lips, his eyes burning not only with killing intent but also with a flame called "ambition".

Ahead, Fang Cheng waved goodbye to the two men in black and climbed back into the driver's seat.

The black SUV started up, and this time its speed increased significantly, speeding straight towards the city's outer ring road.

The bustling street scene began to recede rapidly.

The dazzling neon lights gradually thinned out, replaced by dim streetlights and increasingly desolate scenery on both sides.

As the wheels rolled over the potholes, the bumps became increasingly intense.

About half an hour later.

There are no tall buildings in sight anymore, only large tracts of wasteland enclosed by walls.

This is an area of ​​unfinished buildings in the eastern suburbs.

A few years ago, a real estate giant collapsed, its capital chain broke, leaving a huge scar on the city.

A dozen or so high-rise buildings, with only their concrete frames completed, stand like giant skeletons stripped of their flesh and blood, towering in the overgrown darkness, exuding an aura of death.

The night wind whistled through the empty floors, making a sound like the wailing of ghosts and wolves.

In the distance, there was only a lone television signal tower.

The red aviation obstruction light at the top flashed rhythmically, like the blinking eye of a demon, watching over this desolate land. (End of Chapter)