Chapter 56: Flaw
Inside the dark, cavernous suite of a five-star hotel, Scott stood motionless. "Master, something happened at warehouse No. 32."
The entire room seemed to sink deeper into darkness, and from the shadow came a voice that was neither distinctly male nor female. "By now, you should understand that warnings have no deterrent effect on the people of Huaxia. They will not abandon their investigation. Have all the leads been cut off?"
Scott replied with his head lowered, "Yes, Master. I have already scrubbed every traceable clue clean. Unfortunately, there was a powerhouse at the Public Security Bureau. I failed to eliminate everyone involved. I'm afraid they will continue digging."
The shadow fell silent for a moment. "Then let them investigate. Employ every counter-surveillance measure available. Do not expose yourself."
Scott immediately acknowledged the order. "Yes, Master."
***
Yu Xian returned to the Public Security Bureau, where the entire perimeter was already under heavy guard by fully armed officers of the Combat Police unit.
As soon as Zhang Kai saw Yu Xian return, he asked with a tense expression, "Yu Xian, was that Great Solar Fireball that appeared in the sky just now?"
This upper Wolf-rank mystic art was infamous internationally. Although its area of effect was relatively limited, its temperature was extraordinarily high, high enough to melt everything within its range into magma. That was why many criminals favored the mystic art for destroying evidence and disposing of bodies.
Even though the fireball had hovered above the bureau for less than five seconds, the building's roof was already charred black, and the intense heat had ruined much of the equipment on the top floor.
Yu Xian nodded. "It was indeed the Great Solar Fireball."
Zhang Kai frowned. "Could it be... related to that warehouse?"
Yu Xian nodded again. "That's why our Wickedness Purging Squad is taking over this case. Your department should wash your hands of it."
Had he not been standing guard just now, the entire Public Security Bureau would probably have become a massive crater and the Great Solar Fireball would have reduced every officer of the Combat Police unit inside to ashes.
Most officers of this unit were only at Insect or Ant ranks. They were clearly no longer suited to participate in this investigation. The enemy's opening move had been an upper Wolf-rank attack. It didn't matter how many officers there were, as numbers alone would make little difference.
Zhang Kai nodded. "In that case, we'll transfer Sun Youhu and the others to your custody as well."
He was furious, but he also had a responsibility to the men under his command. The mastermind behind this case was operating on a level far beyond what ordinary officers of the Combat Police unit could safely handle. Continuing to involve them would be far too dangerous.
Yu Xian nodded. "Alright, send them over. While we're at it, I'll have someone perform a thorough examination on them. We need to determine whether those drugs really have no serious side effects."
The claim that the side effects were minor came solely from Sun Youhu's testimony. As for Kang Jimao, his only test subject had been a dog. Neither source was particularly reliable, and their conclusions could easily be wrong.
The handover that followed did not require Yu Xian’s personal involvement. Instead, it was handled by the staff of the branch office and the Combat Police.
Yu Xian floated above the Public Security Bureau inside a bubble, carefully reviewing his actions from moments earlier. If the enemy had been working in pairs and had used a diversion tactic to lure him away from the bureau, then his impulsive pursuit could have ended in disaster. By the time he returned, the entire Public Security Bureau would probably be gone. He had still been too reckless.
Zhang Shou's voice came through the bubble attached to Yu Xian’s right ear.
—Salted Fish, should we wake up Sister Bluebird and the Vice-Captain?
Yu Xian replied.
—No need. We'll tell them tomorrow. Let's wait for the test results before making any decisions. Oh, and ask Brother Li to investigate the owner of the No. 32 warehouse at Cloud Warehouse, and find out who's been renting it recently.
The Combat Police had already been investigating the ownership of the warehouse. But now that the entire case had been handed over to Qilin, the investigation naturally became Qilin's responsibility.
The branch office employed many staff members whose primary role was to assist the various squads. The "Brother Li" Yu Xian mentioned was one of the staff members who happened to be particularly familiar with their squad.
Zhang Shou replied.
—Got it.
After that, Yu Xian continued keeping watch over the area while honing his abilities. Far outside Silver City, he controlled two bubbles, constantly swapping stones, river water, and other objects between them. Even fish that accidentally swam into one bubble would be instantly teleported to the other location.
One bubble was located in a river, while the other was in a lake several kilometers away. Quite a few fish ended up enjoying an unexpected one-way journey.
Yu Xian knew the space inside the bubble like the back of his hand, but as for what lay beyond it, he was entirely in the dark. Controlling a bubble from a distance felt like moving forward with his eyes closed, groping through darkness. Only when something entered the bubble's space would he know what he had encountered. Whenever he had free time, he pondered how he could see what was happening outside a bubble located far away.
The next morning, Yu Xian and Zhang Shou took a day off from school. Fortunately, the teachers at the Supernatural Academy were aware that the two were officially attached to the Public Security Bureau, so none of them made things difficult for the duo.
At 8:30 AM, Gong Qian and Bluebird emerged from their rooms. Both of them had briefly awakened when the Great Solar Fireball appeared the previous night. However, it had disappeared so quickly, and nothing else happened afterward. Since neither Yu Xian nor Zhang Shou had contacted them, they assumed it was nothing serious and simply went back to sleep.
In the temporary office, while eating the breakfast Zhang Shou had bought, Gong Qian and Bluebird listened as Yu Xian recounted everything that had happened the night before. Neither of them had expected that a simple case involving a few thieves would unravel into such a massive investigation.
Launching a Wolf-rank mystic art at the Public Security Bureau was a capital crime, a crime so serious that there was no room for negotiation. Once the perpetrator was identified, killing them on sight would likely earn a reward.
After swallowing a spoonful of preserved-egg-and-lean-pork congee, Bluebird asked, "How many leads do we have right now?"
Holding his phone and reading the latest messages from Brother Li, Yu Xian replied, "The analysis of the drug won't be ready until this afternoon. But we've already identified the owner and tenant of warehouse No. 32. The owner is Lu Yingshi, the leader of the Lion Gate and a Serpent-rank martial artist. We've already sent people to bring him back for questioning.
"The tenant is Hu Weijie, one of the Seven Heroes of the Hu Family. He's a well-known cleaner in the underworld. We've also sent people to bring him in for questioning."
Gong Qian said, "Then we'll continue following the trail once Lu Yingshi and Hu Weijie arrive."
Meanwhile, Bluebird cleaned the trash from breakfast. "Still, Salted Fish, I have to criticize you. Next time something like this happens, your absolute first move should be waking the Vice-Captain and me. What if the guy had a hidden trump card up his sleeve? Don't assume we need special treatment just because we're girls. We've been through plenty of battles ourselves, alright?"
Gong Qian nodded. "Exactly. Next time, notify us right away. More people means more eyes, and it'll be much harder for the enemy to pull off diversion tactics."
Yu Xian had already reflected on his actions the night before. Readily accepting the criticisms, he nodded. "Yeah, that's on me. I admit my mistake. Next time, I'll make sure to notify you immediately."
At around 10:30 AM, several staff members of the branch office returned. Along with them were Lu Yingshi, Hu Tu'er, and a woman who bore a striking resemblance to Hu Tu'er.
After knocking, Brother Li entered the office. "Leaders, Lu Yingshi has been brought in. As for Hu Weijie, his whereabouts are currently unknown. However, his wife, Hu Xian'er, and his daughter, Hu Tu'er, have voluntarily come to cooperate with the investigation. They are hoping we can help locate Hu Weijie."
Gong Qian nodded. "Thanks for your hard work, Brother Li. Let's go meet Lu Yingshi first and hear what he has to say."
The group headed to the reception room and immediately saw the broad, powerfully built Lu Yingshi. At first glance, Yu Xian felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. Then he realized why. Lu Yingshi's bearing was remarkably similar to Jin Sheng's, as both men gave off the impression of lions.
There was, however, a distinct difference between them. Jin Sheng felt like a lion radiating brilliance and authority, as though he were born to stand at the center of attention. Lu Yingshi, on the other hand, resembled an old lion guarding his own territory, content to watch over his small domain and uninterested in anything beyond it.
Although Lu Yingshi was already ninety-eight years old, he was a Serpent-rank martial artist, and he had maintained himself exceptionally well. He looked no older than a man in his fifties.
In a few more years, if he still failed to break through to Eagle-rank and had no desire to die, he would probably have to consider becoming part of one of the long-lived races, perhaps even a vampire, to extend his lifespan.