THUD!

The burly corpse hit the ground like a slain bear, the heavy thud echoing in the hearts of all present.

Flashlight beams cut through the darkness, illuminating the face—it was Qiu Shan.

The patrol officers rushing in from the factory entrance all stopped dead in their tracks, frozen in place with wide-eyed shock.

"He’s... he’s dead?"

"Is that... Qiu... Qiu Shan?"

Incredulous thoughts welled up, making their words falter.

Even if he was grievously wounded and his power had waned, he was still Elite Level.

’They had planned to just swarm him, and now he was already dead?’

As these thoughts flashed through their minds, everyone subconsciously turned their gaze toward the figure standing before the corpse.

A haze of sweat steamed off his body, shrouding him like a layer of mist.

His ragged breaths seemed to echo in everyone’s ears. He looked as if he had exhausted all his strength, swaying and staggering, only managing to steady himself by bracing against a piece of machinery.

"Lu... Lu Chao?"

Someone’s eyes widened, finally making out the strong-featured face beneath the buzz cut.

Shock, suspicion, curiosity...

’Did he kill Qiu Shan?’

A mix of emotions rose in the crowd. Even Yu Yong, leading from the front, was visibly shaken, a flicker of disbelief in his eyes.

’Lu Chao killed Qiu Shan?’

’He actually... killed Qiu Shan?’

...

"Careful."

In a secret passage beneath the factory, seven or eight figures were climbing upward.

A ladder of welded rebar was fixed to the damp, dark wall, and everyone climbed step by step, using both hands and feet.

The continuous, dull thuds from above had suddenly stopped. Qian Hu, who was highest up, swallowed nervously, feeling both curious and confused.

’What was all that noise?’

’Did Qiu Shan’s crew have a falling out and start fighting amongst themselves?’

Similar thoughts rose in everyone’s minds. Soon, someone couldn’t help but mutter in a low voice, "Could it be that someone rushed them?"

As soon as the words were spoken, a strange silence fell over the secret passage.

But soon...

"Absolutely impossible."

Captain Wang, positioned in the middle of the group, spoke in a deep voice, dismissing the idea. "With the kind of firepower Qiu Shan’s crew is packing, even I would face considerable risk trying to break through head-on. Success would be unlikely."

"Let alone those good-for-nothings under Yu Yong."

’That makes sense.’ Qian Hu nodded to himself. The others from the second squad agreed.

"That noise from before was, nine times out of ten, from Qiu Shan."

"He probably knew there was no escape, so internal conflicts erupted and they started fighting."

Captain Wang speculated, certain he was close to the truth.

Ruan Hui pondered for a moment, a glint in his eyes.

"Contact the ground team,"

he ordered.

They had intentionally maintained radio silence to avoid their signals being detected by Qiu Shan and his men.

Qian Hu and the others hesitated for a moment before complying.

But just then...

BZZZT!!

A burst of buzzing static erupted from the radio. The wireless communication seemed to be jammed, and then there was only silence.

"It seems Qiu Shan and his men set up a jammer."

Captain Wang, at his side, offered the theory with complete conviction.

An expectant silence followed. Ruan Hui remained quiet for a moment.

Finally, he glanced at his watch. They were still more or less on schedule.

"Let’s go, then."

A flicker of curiosity in his eyes, confident that his own strength was more than enough, he said softly, "Let’s go see what sort of interesting things have been happening."

The group nodded and continued their ascent, quickly reaching the top of the passage.

A rust-streaked black steel plate blocked their path, which looked like it could be pushed open from below.

Qian Hu pressed his ear to it for a moment. He could faintly hear the muffled sound of voices, but couldn’t make out the words.

Assuming it was Qiu Shan’s crew, he quickly looked down for instructions.

Sensing his unspoken question, Ruan Hui waved a dismissive hand. "Just go up and hide."

"Once Captain Wang and I move in, it won’t matter what the situation is."

His own power was enough to handle an injured Qiu Shan, to say nothing of having another Elite Level expert with him.

Even if there was some unexpected reason for the earlier commotion, it would be a trivial matter in the face of absolute power.

"That’s right. Captain Ruan has a point."

Captain Wang nodded and chuckled softly. "After this is all over, you all will share in the glory."

"Captain Ruan..." He smiled at Ruan Hui, gesturing. "Shall we head up first, then?"

"Please."

Ruan Hui gave a reserved smile, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes.

’This subordinate my father trained is quite reliable after all.’

’After this, the position of Captain will be in the bag.’

’It’s just...’

As he watched the steel plate being pushed open, the corners of his mouth lifted into a smirk full of curious amusement.

’I wonder what kind of faces Yang Wangtao and those grunts from the third squad will make when I claim the credit for this...’

"Holy shit!"

Suddenly, the voice of Qian Hu, who had just emerged, echoed from above, shouting a curse.

Ruan Hui’s brow furrowed. ’Idiot,’ he cursed under his breath.

He quickened his pace, rushing out of the secret passage close behind Captain Wang.

A harsh, incandescent light shone from the far side of the room, making him squint instinctively.

When his vision cleared and he saw what was before him...

Qiu Shan’s body was impossible to miss, lying on the ground not far ahead.

To the side, the young man with the buzz cut was breathing raggedly, wreathed in a cloud of sweat. He looked utterly drained and was being supported by another patrol officer.

As if sensing their arrival, he looked over at them.

Their gazes met.

Though not a word was spoken, Ruan Hui and his men felt their faces flush with a hot, stinging shame.

They looked around. All the patrol officers who were supposed to be outside on the concrete ramp providing suppressing fire were already inside the factory. Now, they all followed Lu Chao’s gaze, their eyes landing squarely on Ruan Hui’s group.