Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Li Xuyin ultimately took Li Jiayu away.

Before leaving, Li Xuyin sat on a chair outside the infirmary, with Xu Zhangying beside him. Typhoon 21 passed through once again, and Li Xuyin watched the trees outside silently contort in the wind before speaking, "I've admired you for a long time."

Xu Zhangying grunted in acknowledgment, holding his second cigarette of the day between his fingers.

Li Xuyin, with a cigarette in his mouth, revealed a rare trace of confusion and exhaustion on his usually steady and reliable face. "You’ve got shit luck—either way too good or way too bad—but you don’t seem afraid at all."

Xu Zhangying took a drag, coughed, and chuckled. "Being scared doesn’t help, Xuyin."

"I know."

Before leaving, Li Xuyin made a promise to Yan Jianbai: if Qingyuan’s help was needed for the investigation, they would spare no effort.

From the Major Crime Unit’s office, they could see Li Xuyin’s motorcade slowly driving away from the Municipal Public Security Bureau. Raindrops were violently slapped against the windows by the gale, forming an endless sheet of rain. Soon, even the taillights of the last car disappeared into the distorted glass.

Xu Zhangying stood by the window as Qi Feng approached. "Can Li Jiayu really quit his drug addiction? Li Xuyin seems determined to be ruthless about it."

Xu Zhangying turned around to see Xia Qing leaning against the opposite side of the window, shaking his head. "Glory’s a neuroactive hallucinogen. Its addiction rate after first use for secondary gender groups is nearly 100%, and there are no records of successful rehabilitation. Li Jiayu’s neural activity and hormone levels have already been altered."

Xu Zhangying scoffed. "Well, most choices in this world don’t come with a way back."

Gotta hand it to that dumbass," Zhao Yang said coldly. "It’s not like he needed to pretend to be a superior alpha—what the hell was he thinking, messing with this shit?"

Glory’s rapid international spread is largely due to its ability to stimulate the pheromone system, temporarily boosting the user’s pheromone levels. Not only does it enhance the ability to perceive others’ pheromones, but it also enables the release of large quantities of intimidating pheromones.

In other words, Glory allows ordinary alphas to experience godlike control over their surroundings and people. At the same time, Glory possesses hallucinogenic effects a hundred times stronger than heroin, with a sky-high addiction risk even for beta individuals.

By then, it was almost midnight. Outside, the wind howled and trees snapped, but the room was quiet except for the hum of the cabinet air conditioner. Yan Jianbai lit a cigarette, and for once, Fang Puxin didn’t give him shit.

Yan Jianbai said, "A new drug that hooks you from the first hit and can't be quit—that’s terrifying."

Everyone was reminded of the five women who had been turned into human statues. From the moment they were lured with Glory, they were already dead.

Xu Zhangying’s phone screen suddenly lit up. He picked it up and saw a message from Tang Youning.

Looking up at Yan Jianbai and Fang Puxin, he said, "The Tang family won’t be coming tonight. Their flight was diverted to Wenzhou because of the typhoon."

Zhao Yang, arms crossed, laughed from the side. "You AGB guys are real social butterflies. Everywhere this case leads, you’ve got connections."

Xu Zhangying raised an eyebrow. "Same goes for you. The rich and connected are all part of the same old crowd—it’s infiltrated Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan's high society."

Yu Mei finally couldn’t hold back her curiosity. "Qi Feng, so you two graduated from City No. 1 High? How’d you never bring that up?"

Qi Feng looked baffled. "Huh? Figured it was common knowledge."

Tan Song pointed at Zhao Yang and Qi Feng, indignant. "One of you took three years to pass the civil service exam, and the other can’t add three numbers without his phone—how were we supposed to guess? That’s the top damn school in the province! My mom would’ve broken my legs, and I still wouldn’t have gotten in."

Qi Feng protested loudly, "Who says I couldn’t get in? Tan Song, you’re looking down on people! At least I got in legit!"

Fang Puxin, sitting nearby, chuckled. "Well, Qi Feng, I’m impressed."

Tan Song snorted. "What was your middle school entrance exam ranking? Were you in the top 300 in the city?"

Qi Feng bragged. "Who cares about the entrance exam? I ran 800 meters in 1 minute 59 seconds—I got into City No. 1 Middle School’s junior division on an athletic scholarship."

Yan Jianbai choked on his smoke, coughing several times before looking up. "Qi Feng, you ran a national-level athlete’s time at twelve?"

Zhao Yang remarked coldly from the side, "She was 6 feet tall in seventh grade."

The 28-year-old Tan Song, who stood exactly 6 feet tall, was instantly deflated and turned his face away, ignoring them completely.

Fang Puxin finally took the opportunity to grill Tan Song: "What happened to your forehead? I don’t recall you having any injuries there yesterday—why is it bruised now?"

Tan Song muttered sullenly, "I walked into a wall while looking at my phone."

Fang Puxin skeptically eyed the purple finger-shaped bruises on his forehead, then glanced at Qi Feng, who suddenly fell silent and looked guilty. Noticing Song Yuli and Yu Mei also turning away in unison to avoid his gaze, he pursed his lips and decided not to press further.

Zhao Yang, arms crossed, observed the two standing side by side by the window and said, "You two investigators should head back and rest. Officer Li, you should go too. There’s nothing else happening tonight."

Li Jiali raised an eyebrow. "Wasn’t A Feng’s identity info supposed to come out tonight? I can wait a bit longer. Xu, you go rest—Professor Xia said you haven’t even been discharged yet."

Xu Changying chuckled and looked at her. "It’s fine, just scratches. Li Jiayu even got into the car by himself earlier."

Everyone laughed. Xia Qing excused himself to take a call, patted Xu Changying’s hand to signal him to sit down, and then walked out.

Yu Mei sighed in admiration. "The Lin family is really something—two high-tier alphas at once, and Professor Xia is even elite-tier. Isn’t a high-tier alpha someone with test scores above 80? Elite-tiers are above 90—there can’t be more than a handful in the entire country, right?"

Zhao Yang scoffed. "What’s so great about high-tier alphas? They’ve still got one nose and two eyes."

Song Yuli interjected, "That’s not fair, Zhao Yang. You’re letting personal bias show, and it sounds like jealousy. Honestly, Professor Xia is the first high-tier alpha I’ve ever met in real life—I’d never even heard of elite-tier before."

Shao Qiaoqiao cupped her face in her hands. "The odds of being a high-tier alpha are one in 300,000. The year I took the college entrance exam, our province didn’t even have 300,000 test-takers. Must be nice being born the top of your peers—I had to work my ass off just to get into the police academy."

Much of Xia Qing’s legendary reputation in the public eye came from his status as an elite-tier alpha. The classification of "elite-tier" had only gained recognition from international gender organizations in the past decade, with numbers being exceedingly rare. The concept was popularized in the early 2000s when a handful of European and American billionaires bragged about being elite-tier.

Of course, many argued that further stratification of gender hierarchies would deepen societal divisions and reinforce stereotypes, hence rejecting the concept outright.

Tan Song chimed in, "Still, it’s odd. You guys were classmates with Professor Xia’s older brother, yet you never knew him? He’s the same age as you, and with grades that good, why wasn’t he at City No. 1 High?"

Qi Feng slammed her thermos onto the table, sending a full cup of tea spilling directly into Tan Song’s lap. Tan Song leapt up like a scalded cat, starting to yell at her.

Xu Changying, still gazing at the doorway Xia Qing had just exited, remarked casually with a smile, "He’s a year younger than us. Lin Shuhua said he attended an international high school in Shanghai."

Yu Mei blinked, with dreamy eyes. "Ah, that makes sense. But if Professor Xia had gone to school with his brother, Chief Lin—imagine how amazing that would’ve been! They look alike but are completely different types of gorgeous, plus they’re the most absurdly rare pair of elite-tier brothers. I can’t even picture the kind of school celebrities they’d be. Only a top-tier high school could feel like something out of a teen drama."

Zhao Yang, slouched across the desk, smirked mockingly. "Really? I wouldn’t be so sure."

When the door opened, Xia Qing entered alongside Shao Qiaoqiao and the others—likely having run into them on the way. The group snapped to attention immediately.

Yan Jianbai asked, "Has A Feng’s info been processed?"

Zhang Qi nodded. Once everyone was seated, he projected the computer screen onto the external TV. "We’ve got it. It’s almost certain this A Feng is connected to the 523 case. Take a look."

All eyes turned to the screen, where the first image that popped up was a copy of a wanted poster.

As everyone studied the materials intently, Xu Changying caught a faint but distinct smell of dirt coming from Xia Qing beside him. He turned to see the man’s shoulder soaked, and upon closer inspection, the hair at his temple was also wet from rain.

"You went outside?" Xu Changying asked quietly, surprised. With the typhoon raging, why would Xia Qing have stepped out to make a call?

As soon as he said this, Xia Qing placed a small ziplock bag on the table—inside were three white pills—and handed Xu Changying a bottle of mineral water.

"Twelve hours. The meds have worn off," Xia Qing said matter-of-factly, offering no further explanation.

Xu Changying took the pills and water, scolding quietly, "You didn’t have to go out for these. The storm's still going—we’re leaving soon anyway."

Xia Qing held his gaze. "The driver was already on his way. He brought them along. Go ahead and take them."

Xu Zhangying didn’t know what else to say. After taking the medicine, his heart felt as if scratched by a cat, itching restlessly. When he looked up, he saw Qi Feng and Zhao Yang staring at him intently, their chins propped on their hands.

Xu Zhangying: ?

Zhao Yang and Qi Feng exchanged a glance before turning their heads back to the screen in unison.

Once everyone had finished reviewing the materials, Zhang Qi began summarizing in detail: "A Feng's real name is Shen Feng, 31 years old, a male Beta. In January of this year, he was accused of supplying the new drug 'Glory' in a narcotics case. Taiwanese police issued an arrest warrant, but he has evaded capture."

The mention of "Glory" instantly put everyone on edge. Song Yuli remarked, "Now it all adds up. The 'Glory' found with Li Jiayu was almost certainly supplied by him."

Zhang Qi continued, "Shen Feng has been involved with local gangs in Hong Kong since 15 years ago, when he was just 16. Initially, he engaged in sex trafficking and smuggling but managed to evade capture due to his cunning and caution. Ten years ago, he began expanding his operations to Guangzhou and Shenzhen with connections he made in casinos. It’s said that during this time, he came into contact with more powerful organizations and eventually severed ties with his former gang brothers in Hong Kong.

However, two years ago, he returned to Hong Kong and began frequently traveling to Taiwan. According to a statement from Hong Kong's Narcotics Bureau, an informant from a Kowloon-based gang revealed that Shen Feng is now a high-ranking member of a Southeast Asian crime syndicate. After returning to Hong Kong, he took over two underground casinos and continued providing venues for illicit entertainment to high-ranking officials and elites. He suddenly disappeared in January this year, and only later was his wanted status discovered."

Yan Jianbai stubbed out his cigarette and pondered for a moment before asking, "Is there any record of his suspected relationship with Zhao Lanyue eight years ago? Li Jiayu mentioned he was closely connected to Tang Xinyun. Could Tang Xinyun be part of that more powerful organization?"

Shao Qiaoqiao tapped a few keys and pulled up a photo, explaining, "Since Shen Feng's drug trafficking case only involves Hong Kong and Taiwan—where he acted as a supplier of 'Glory' to underground markets—authorities in both regions didn’t consider his potential criminal activities in mainland China.

Currently, we only have some statements and photos from informants about Shen Feng's early days on the mainland a decade ago, most of which are of little value. The latest one is from 2011, likely taken in a private room at an entertainment venue. Tang Xinyun isn’t in the photo, but Li Xuyang's father, Li Jiahao, and Tang Xinrong's elder brother, Tang Xinyu—also Tang Yingshao's father—are present."

The photo had a warm, dimly lit tone, showing about a dozen men in suits, flushed with drink. Seated at the head of the table were Li Jiahao and Tang Xinyu. Shen Feng, looking much younger, stood behind Tang Xinyu in a formal suit, holding a wine glass. He wasn’t looking at the camera, but Li Jiahao was—his gold wire-framed glasses catching the light, his expression radiating a businessman’s calculated charm.

At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary business gathering. Yet this single photo almost perfectly mapped out the key connections in the current Case 523. The mystery surrounding the "living 'artworks'" centered on Zhao Lanyue, an ordinary woman, was now on the verge of being unraveled.

Zhao Yang leaned back in his chair, his tone icy. "So the logic of the case is clear now. The Li and Tang families colluded through an underground criminal organization at least ten years ago—possibly earlier.

Shen Feng, a trusted member of this organization, expanded from sex trafficking to organ trafficking and drug dealing in recent years. The women he once exploited were killed for their organs once their 'value' was exhausted, with their remains turned into so-called 'artworks' to satisfy the twisted desires of the group."

Despite the bright fluorescent lights illuminating the office, everyone felt a chill at the sheer brutality of the case.

Yu Mei rubbed her hands together, shaking her head in disgust. "I always thought 'capitalists bleeding people dry' was just a metaphor. Turns out it’s literal. What’s the difference between these rich people’s actions and cannibalism? Those five girls were treated as playthings while alive, and in death, their organs, flesh, and bones were commodified. Even pets are treated better than these girls."

Fang Puxin sighed. "The Li family, the Tang family, and now ties to Taiwan and Southeast Asia... How vast is this criminal empire? This is shaping up to be another bloodbath."

At this point, Benjamin, sitting beside Shao Qiaoqiao, glanced at Xu Zhangying. After receiving a nod from his superior, he spoke up: "It probably extends beyond Southeast Asia."

Yan Jianbai looked up. "What?"

Benjamin and Li Jiali quickly shared files from the Colombian underage sexual assault case five years ago. The entire Major Crime Unit turned pale at the gruesome photos of the burned-out crime scene—many of which were taken by Li Jiali and Xu Zhangying on-site. Some charred remains still lay in bright yellow body bags, too horrific to comprehend.

Even Xu Zhangying was fully absorbed in the photos, failing to notice Shen Feng beside him, barely noticeable, pressing fingers to his temple as his gaze fell on the burned remains, his brow furrowing slightly as if resisting something surfacing in his mind.

Li Jiali pinned two photos to the whiteboard: one an enlarged image of a black flag from the high-seas casino case, the other a wall from the room where the girls were imprisoned. The same eerie eye symbol appeared in both, despite the vastly different times, locations, and crimes.

"This can’t be," Tan Song immediately objected. "No criminal organization has ever spanned such extremes. Even major syndicates in the Golden Triangle are regional—they don’t spread to Europe and North America. Colombia and Southeast Asia? That would make this a global criminal network. This isn’t a movie!"

Tan Song voiced what everyone was thinking. Fang Puxin, grim-faced, nodded. "Criminal networks rely on real-world social connections among members. Expansion depends entirely on profit. It’s impossible for members to collaborate across oceans and entirely different cultural-political environments. That exceeds the scale limit of any syndicate. Unless the leader has connections with elites worldwide?"

Song Yuli crossed his arms, serious. "Crime syndicates aren’t multinational corporations opening branches everywhere. Even Interpol hasn’t uncovered a global criminal chain like this. If it’s truly this vast, how has it spread over the past decade?"

Despite rational doubts, the room sank into deep unease. Qi Feng cracked his knuckles and looked up. "Enough. Let’s focus on interrogating Tang Xinrong again before his family bails him out tomorrow. As an American, he’s trickier to handle than Li Jiayu."

Zhao Yang rubbed his temples, smiling bitterly. "Maybe he’s just another cog in this transcontinental elite ring—some 'North American-East Asian elite circle' wreaking havoc worldwide."

The others gave hollow laughs, recognizing the grim joke. At least five women of three different nationalities had been injected with a new drug, had their organs professionally harvested, and were turned into grotesque artworks displayed at China’s largest art exhibition. This crime involved an immense drug network, organ trafficking, and an unknown art market—far beyond the reach of entitled brats.

Yan Jianbai, as the leader of the Major Crime Unit, showed no hesitation. He rapped the table firmly. "No matter how big, we’ll take them down one piece at a time. What happens overseas is beyond our jurisdiction, but on our soil, we will bring them to justice. I’ll report to higher-ups immediately. We start with Shen Feng. Given the timeline, he likely fled to the mainland after being wanted in Taiwan and Hong Kong. A nationwide APB will flush him out eventually."

His resolute words lifted the team’s morale. Xu Zhangying added, "Our unit will loop in Interpol HQ. Case 523 could be this syndicate’s first mistake. Interpol won’t miss this chance—they’ll provide more intel and resources."

The meeting about Shen Feng's identity finally wrapped up at midnight, as the wind outside died down from level 11 to 8. In the Major Crime Unit, everyone decided to crash at the office for the night except Song Yuli, who needed to go home to see her daughter, Tan Song and Shao Qiaoqiao, who lived nearby, and the AGB specialist. Xu Changying still needed an IV for his infection, so he headed back to the hospital with Xia Qing.

As soon as they got into the car, Xia Qing handed Xu Changying a dry handkerchief. Shielded by Xia Qing from the wind, Xu Changying had his pant legs and shoes drenched from the rain before getting in the car. He didn’t think it necessary to wipe them, so he looked up at Xia Qing and asked, "Do you have your own handkerchief?"

Xia Qing nodded, and the assistant in the passenger seat handed over a fresh handkerchief, which he then used to wipe the rainwater from his face and clothes.

The interior of the car was dimly lit. Under the fleeting glow of streetlights, Xu Changying noticed Xia Qing’s smooth, pale cheeks were still damp.

"Are you grooming like a cat?" Xu Changying chuckled, raising his hand to press the handkerchief against Xia Qing’s cheek, carefully wiping it twice.

His tone and movements were so natural, as if he had repeated this action countless times before. He dabbed the handkerchief against Xia Qing’s temples before pulling back.

A few strands of Xia Qing’s rain-dampened hair slipped down his forehead, making his face appear even more delicate and fair. While Xu Changying wiped his face, Xia Qing sat obediently, only gazing at him with eyes that seemed even clearer in the darkness of the night.

Xu Changying said nothing more after finishing, leaning back to watch the rain outside the window, swiftly blown apart and then blurring the glass again.

The car fell quiet, soon filled only by Xu Changying’s steady, medicated breathing. Sitting upright, Xia Qing turned his head slightly, noticing the sleeping man’s right hand still tightly clutching the handkerchief.