Desperate people, accept the seed of my soul!

Liao Zhengfeng stood guard at the door, keeping a close eye on the movements inside.

When he saw that Zhang Ziqian was unrecognizable, his breath was weak, and his pupils were beginning to dilate, he knew that if he didn't stop him, Li Rui would really be unable to turn back.

That one step would turn him from a law enforcer into a murderer.

Liao Zhengfeng suddenly turned around and rushed into the ward, grabbing Li Rui's waist tightly from behind and dragging him backward with all his might.

"Let go! Li Rui! Let go!!"

Li Rui remained completely still, his strength was astonishing.

"He's dying! Is it worth sacrificing everything for this bastard?!"

Liao Zhengfeng's voice boomed in Li Rui's ears, filled with anxiety and regret.

"Does Xiaoxiao want to see you become a murderer?!"

Upon hearing the name "Xiaoxiao," Li Rui's body jolted violently.

The clenched fingers loosened slightly.

"Trust me!" Liao Zhengfeng seized the opportunity to tighten his grip on him, his voice firm. "The chain of evidence is complete! No one can protect him this time! We will definitely send him to the execution ground! We will sentence him to death! We will!!"

"Let go now! Don't let this beast's filthy blood get on your hands! Think of Xiaoxiao!"

The words "death penalty" and "Xiaoxiao" were like a bucket of ice water poured over Li Rui's boiling brain.

Yes... the death penalty.

Let him die under the gun of the law; that is the justice that Xiaoxiao has always believed in.

The red light in Li Rui's eyes flickered a few times, and finally, his fingers slowly loosened.

Zhang Ziqian collapsed to the ground like a lump of mud, gasping for breath and coughing violently.

Liao Zhengfeng and several other criminal police officers rushed in and swarmed forward, pulling the two apart completely.

Li Rui slid down to the ground against the wall, breathing heavily, staring blankly at his hands, which were stained with that beast's blood.

"Cough cough...cough...ha...haha..."

Zhang Ziqian, lying on the ground, was spitting out blood and foam while letting out intermittent bursts of maniacal laughter.

"Li Rui... this is... your closest chance to kill me..."

"Too bad...cough cough...you missed it..."

Just then, a flurry of footsteps suddenly came from outside.

"Quick! It's over there!"

Seven or eight men in security guard uniforms rushed over quickly.

They were different from the ordinary security guards before; each of them was physically strong, with cold and sharp eyes, clearly skilled in martial arts.

This is the "security force" that Zhang Zhaoqing urgently dispatched this morning.

They efficiently entered the scene and quickly joined forces with Sun Weimin's men. In terms of numbers and momentum, they instantly overwhelmed the criminal police squad brought by Liao Zhengfeng, forming a de facto encirclement.

Seeing this, Sun Weimin immediately gained confidence and shouted:

"Quickly! Save the patient! Police brutality has caused a patient's life to be in danger! This is utterly lawless!"

"I'm going to notify my superiors! I'm going to notify my lawyer! I'm going to sue you!"

The group of burly men quickly surrounded the ward, and two men who looked like doctors rushed in and began to give Zhang Ziqian "first aid".

Liao Zhengfeng looked around.

The opposing team outnumbered them, and none of them were easy to deal with.

More importantly, Zhang Ziqian has indeed been seriously injured by Li Rui, and the other party's reasons of "saving his life" and "protecting the scene" are legitimate.

If we fight head-on, not only will we fail to take the person with us, but we will also be branded as "violently resisting law enforcement" and "obstructing treatment," which could even lead to large-scale conflict.

In that case, Li Rui would be truly finished.

Liao Zhengfeng's face was ashen, and his fists were clenched so tightly they cracked.

He knew that today's arrest attempt had completely failed.

He had to give up.

"Dean Sun," Liao Zhengfeng glared at Sun Weimin, "this isn't over. We'll be keeping an eye on Zhang Ziqian and your hospital. You'd better not let us find anything fishy."

After saying that, he took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his resentment, and waved to his subordinates.

"Let's go with Li Rui."

Two criminal police officers helped Li Rui, who was completely exhausted, and walked him outside.

Li Rui was like a walking corpse, letting them drag him along.

He turned around and took one last look at the ward.

Through the gaps between the security guards, he saw Zhang Ziqian lying on the ground.

Although the demon's face was covered in blood and he was being "rescued," his eyes were still fixed on Li Rui through the crowd.

In those eyes, there was only the mockery of a victor.

Police were forced to withdraw due to the enemy's numerical advantage and under the banner of "humanitarianism."

The corridor echoed with Sun Weimin's voice giving instructions and the sound of stretcher wheels rolling.

Li Rui reached into his pocket, his fingertips touching the flame brooch.

Not only was Su Xiao's blood on it, but now it's stained with that beast's blood as well.

The two types of blood mingled together, burning hot like an indelible brand.

The "death penalty" promised by law seems so pale and so distant at this moment, under the numerous obstacles of reality and the shadow of power.

------

That evening, in the office of the director of the Chenxi City Police Department.

Zheng Guofeng sat behind his desk, his face as solemn as iron.

Sitting opposite him were three people: Liao Zhengfeng, who was suppressing his anger; Li Ming, the anxious head of the Criminal Investigation Department; and Lu Wenxuan, a prosecutor from the Serious Crimes Prosecution Department of the Municipal Procuratorate.

Lu Wenxuan was around thirty-five years old, with a thin face but sharp, piercing eyes.

He is a well-known "tough nut to crack" in the judicial system of Chenxi City, known for his rigor and uncompromising nature.

"To bring Zhang Ziqian to trial, or even sentence him to death, we must break through the existing legal framework twice."

Lu Wenxuan raised the first finger: "The first step is to apply for the lifting of the compulsory medical treatment. According to procedure, the Chenxi City Court, which initially made the decision to impose compulsory medical treatment, must re-determine that Zhang Ziqian 'no longer poses a danger to others.' Only after this step is completed can the subsequent criminal prosecution be initiated."

"This is a complete paradox!" Li Ming couldn't help but interject. "We need to prove he's a dangerous murderer, but we have to prove he's 'not dangerous' before we can bring him out for trial?"

"That's the logic of the law," Lu Wenxuan explained. "The key point in this step is Zhou Shouzhen, the vice president of the municipal court in charge of criminal trials. He's a recognized professional, but also known for being 'steady,' or even conservative."

"What are the odds of winning?" Zheng Guofeng asked in a deep voice.

"From a purely legal perspective, our reason for lifting the compulsory medical treatment is to 'transfer him to criminal detention,' not to reintegrate him into society, but to place him in a different location. Given the conclusive evidence and the severe social impact, Zhou Shouzheng has no reason not to approve it. For him, this is also a prudent choice to eliminate a potential risk of a 'wrongful conviction' and respond to public opinion. Under normal circumstances, the success rate is over 70%."

Lu Wenxuan raised his second finger: "The real battleground is in the second step—after the compulsory medical treatment is lifted, we must immediately commission the Provincial Forensic Psychiatric Appraisal Committee to re-evaluate Zhang Ziqian's 'mental state at the time of the incident'."