Chapter 92 14

Chapter 92.14

Outside the cold storage, Lin Hui and Fang Jue had arrived with their team, intercepting Qin Yuheng and a bodyguard attempting to flee.

Staring at the tightly sealed heavy iron door, the group was frantic, desperate to rescue the people inside.

But with only the door between them, they could only listen helplessly to the gunshots and sounds of struggle from within.

Lin Hui frowned and asked Fang Jue, "What's the password?"

Sweat beaded on Fang Jue's forehead as he grabbed at his hair, trying to recall the earlier scene, but he couldn't remember which numbers Li Shang had pressed. "I don't know. Brother Li didn't tell me. He tried it once and the door opened. Right now, all I can think of are the words 'Open Sesame'..."

Lin Hui looked down at the number pad of the password lock. Qin Yuheng's bloodstained hands had smeared them, making it impossible to discern which keys were frequently used.

Lin Hui's eyes sharpened, and he whirled around, grabbing Qin Yuheng and slamming him against the password door. He demanded sharply, "Enter the password!"

A flicker of panic crossed Qin Yuheng's face before he quickly regained his composure. Enduring the pain from his gunshot wound in the shoulder, he slowly raised a hand and pressed a few buttons.

Immediately, an automated, cold voice from the door lock sounded: "Password error."

"Sorry, officer, I'm a bit nervous. I'll open it right away..." Qin Yuheng put on a smile and, pretending to be calm, entered the password again.

Yet the response remained the same mechanical and merciless: "Password error."

"Sorry, my hand was shaking..." Qin Yuheng gritted his teeth, but the corners of his mouth curled upward into a strange, grim smile.

Realizing his intent, Lin Hui's pupils contracted abruptly, and he yanked Qin Yuheng away from the door.

A few more errors, and the lock would trigger its defense mechanism, locking down completely. After that, only professional equipment could cut through it.

Qin Yuheng's plan was clearly to have everyone die inside the cold storage!

.

Inside the room, the others heard the password lock's prompt, but the door remained closed.

Li Shang coughed violently, while Butcher Zheng, eyes bloodshot with rage, gripped the boning knife with one hand, trying to pull it out.

But perhaps the knife was lodged too deeply, stuck between ribs, or maybe he was too severely injured and lacked the strength—for a moment, he couldn't extract it.

Butcher Zheng roared like a wild beast, reached out, and viciously gripped the front of Li Shang's collar, lifting him and slamming him hard onto a metal table nearby.

It was a bone saw, its sharp gears gleaming under the cold storage lights.

Li Shang felt the chill from the metal against his back. His face was pale, cold sweat poured down his face, his damp hair plastered to his forehead.

A sharp knife was embedded in his chest, and every breath sent waves of pain through his body.

Using all his strength, Li Shang struggled to get up. He gripped Butcher Zheng's hand pressing against his chest and raised a knee to attack his wound, but Butcher Zheng stood before him like an iron tower, immovable.

Ignoring his struggles, Butcher Zheng pressed a button, and instantly, the gears at the center of the table began spinning rapidly, emitting a piercing whirring sound.

His arm clamped like a vise, forcing Li Shang toward the gears. Li Shang felt a powerful force controlling his body, the vibrations from the spinning gears transmitting through the steel plate at his back.

With a sickening crunch, the sharp saw teeth bit into the lower edge of Li Shang's combat suit, instantly tearing through his skin. An excruciating pain exploded from his side.

Li Shang couldn't suppress a grunt, and a spray of blood flew from his waist.

Then, bright red blood trailed down his waistline, dripping onto the silver-white metal surface, gradually forming a small pool.

Butcher Zheng's face was twisted like a ferocious ghost. He panted heavily, his voice distorted with excitement: "Three years ago, there was a young journalist... Do you know what happened to him later?"

Li Shang clenched his teeth, held his breath, veins bulging on his forehead.

He used his last ounce of strength, one hand desperately bracing his body to prevent his waist from moving even a fraction closer to the machine.

Yet, though severely wounded, his opponent's strength remained formidable. The stainless steel beneath him was smooth.

Under the tug-of-war, Li Shang's body still inched forward, millimeter by millimeter...

Butcher Zheng let out a bone-chilling laugh: "Back then, I used this very machine to cut him into little pieces!"

Cold sweat soaked Li Shang's back. If his body moved forward even an inch more, the gears would tear into his abdominal cavity, shredding his organs.

His waist was about to be severed by these saw teeth...

.

Outside the door, the tension was like a bowstring stretched to its limit, ready to snap at any moment.

Lin Hui exchanged a few hurried words with the other officers.

Then he turned, his expression dark as he looked at Qin Yuheng. Lin Hui's fox-like eyes narrowed slightly, radiating an immense pressure. Usually approachable with a slight smile, his lips were now pressed into a tight line.

Qin Yuheng had been composed, waiting for the officers to take him to the hospital. Without evidence, no one could touch him or force him. But if the door opened, his entire Qin family would face a huge crisis.

Yet under Lin Hui's gaze, sweat beaded on his forehead, and his voice trembled: "Officer, what are you doing? This is a society ruled by law; you can't use torture..."

"Don't worry. No one will torture you." Lin Hui spoke, his tone icy and devoid of warmth as he slipped on gloves. "But if your wound isn't stopped soon, you might bleed out, maybe even not make it until the ambulance arrives. According to Article 21 of the Police Law, as an officer, I have a duty to provide emergency care..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Hui reached out abruptly, pressing gauze firmly against the gunshot wound on Qin Yuheng's shoulder.

The bleeding slowed temporarily, but it also brought intense pain.

Qin Yuheng hadn't anticipated this move. His mouth fell open, and his body jerked as if electrocuted. After gasping for air, he let out a string of screams: "Fuck your uncle!"

A flicker of ruthlessness passed through Lin Hui's eyes. His hand didn't lessen pressure but pressed down even harder, then wrapped the gauze around once.

Qin Yuheng's eyes widened instantly. The agony forced him to swallow back a stream of curses.

What Lin Hui was doing was by the book; pressure and bandaging were indeed the most effective ways to stop bleeding, and no one could find fault with it. He leaned down, whispering near Qin Yuheng's ear: "Save your energy for cursing. You'd better remember the password quickly. It'll save us all trouble..."

Qin Yuheng's face grew paler, large beads of sweat rolling down. His features twisted with pain: "I... I remember now..." He tremblingly recited a sequence of numbers.

Lin Hui stared intently into Qin Yuheng's eyes, quickly deducing from his reaction. His thin lips parted: "This password is wrong. You know the consequences of lying to me."

Years of interrogation had exposed Lin Hui to all sorts of cunning and deceitful individuals. Time was critical; he couldn't afford a mistake now.

He pressed down hard with both hands, layering pressure on the wound, eliciting continuous screams from Qin Yuheng. The pampered Qin young master finally couldn't endure any longer.

Lin Hui said sternly, "I'll ask you one more time, what's the password?!"

.

By now, the cold storage had turned into an ice cavern, like a bone-chilling hell.

Li Shang was also hanging by a thread.

At this critical moment, Zhao Lunjiang, who had been hiding in the corner, gritted his teeth, picked up a metal meat tray, and moved to Butcher Zheng's side, intending to ambush him. He knew clearly that once this police officer died, he would be next.

But Zhao Lunjiang was, after all, an ordinary, elderly man. Terrified and injured, his hands and feet were weak.

Butcher Zheng glanced up at him, and Zhao Lunjiang's hand trembled, the tray clattering to the ground. Butcher Zheng curled his lips, letting out a contemptuous sneer at him.

Li Shang, however, seized the fleeting moment when his opponent was distracted. With one hand, he gripped the short blade embedded in his chest. With grim resolve, a surge of power erupted within him. Amidst bone-deep agony and flying blood, the previously stuck boning knife was forcibly wrenched out of his chest by brute strength.

The next second, with a resolute look in his eyes, Li Shang didn't wait for Butcher Zheng to regain his composure. With a flick of his wrist, he reversed his grip on the blade and plunged it into Butcher Zheng's neck.

The sharp boning knife nearly pierced through the man's thick neck. Butcher Zheng gushed blood from his mouth in disbelief, clutching the wound with his hands.

Then, mustering all his strength, Li Shang delivered a fierce kick, sending the mountain of a man staggering backward.

Finally freed from restraint, Li Shang rolled over and leaped off the worktable.

Ignoring his own wounds and excruciating pain, Li Shang drove an elbow strike hard into Butcher Zheng's back.

Butcher Zheng lost his balance, lurching forward. His palm, pressed against the table, was instantly torn open by the sharp gears, splattering blood across the cold operating surface. He finally collapsed with a whimper, convulsing, unable to get up again.

Just then, the cold storage door swung open from the outside, and sunlight streamed in.

Li Shang turned and looked at Fang Jue, Lin Hui, and the other officers rushing in.

Lin Hui dashed into the inner control room and swiftly cut the power cord of the signal jammer. Communications were restored, and he shouted into the radio, "Get the ambulance outside to the inner area now! There are injured people here!"

Fang Jue rushed to Li Shang's side. Seeing his wounds, he was momentarily stunned, choking back a sob as he cried out, "Brother Li, are you... are you okay? How bad are your injuries? Do you need to stop the bleeding?"

But Li Shang straightened up and gently pushed away Fang Jue's attempt to support him. He lifted his eyelids slightly and said softly, "I'm fine. Keep it down."

Due to his severe injuries and the chaos around him, he was experiencing some tinnitus, but his mind was still functioning clearly. He had to act quickly now; there was no time to dwell on this.

Pressing one hand tightly against the bleeding wound at his side, blood oozed steadily through his fingers. Then, staggering, he walked over to Zhao Lunjiang, who was trembling nearby.

There were still things he had to finish.

Summoning his strength, Li Shang pushed Zhao Lunjiang against the wall, holding him firmly in place.

Zhao Lunjiang, his face filled with terror, sobbed uncontrollably, unable to break free.

He had no idea what this severely injured, blood-soaked officer intended to do and could only stare at him blankly.

Breathing rapidly, Li Shang endured the intense pain. Despite his grave injuries, his mind was unusually clear. He spoke to the man before him: "Qin Youlai wants you dead."

"Yes..." Zhao Lunjiang answered through gritted teeth, his voice trembling and tearful. If not for this man's desperate protection, he would have already lost his life.

"He will keep sending people to kill you, even harm your family. The only way you'll be safe is by telling everything. The police will provide witness protection." Li Shang's exhaled breath turned into mist. The sweat-drenched bangs on his forehead trembled slightly, and his lips were pale from blood loss. His voice, though soft, was clear. "Do you have anything that can prove his guilt?"

"Yes... I do..." Zhao Lunjiang nodded hurriedly. He was no fool; he had kept evidence to protect himself. He now understood the officer's intention. Given how things had unfolded, he had to make a choice quickly. Only by cooperating with the police could he secure temporary safety.

Li Shang's face was deathly pale, making his dark eyes appear even deeper and more resolute. "What is it? Where is it kept?"

"There are recordings, documents... digital copies stored in cloud storage," Zhao Lunjiang replied. "I also have evidence—they killed that journalist. And the kindergarten principal... Qin Youlai and his son hired someone to kill her too."

Li Shang released his hand from the wound and, enduring the pain, pulled out his phone. With trembling hands, he opened the chat thread with He Lin. Glancing at the familiar profile picture, he steadied his voice as much as possible and pressed the voice message button.

Li Shang's long eyelashes lowered. For a moment, a thousand words rushed to his mind, but in the end, he only said calmly, "Captain He, I kept my promise. Zhao Lunjiang has been found, and he is safe now."

After sending the message, he held the phone out to the stunned Zhao Lunjiang. "Send those files to this person."

Zhao Lunjiang's hands shook as he took the blood-stained phone.

He attempted to log into the cloud storage and began downloading.

Watching the evidence being sent out one by one, Li Shang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Fang Jue, seeing how alarmingly pale Li Shang was and the blood from his wound dripping uncontrollably onto the floor, pleaded tearfully, "Brother Li, the ambulance is here... I beg you, please go get help."

The cold in the cold storage gradually subsided. Li Shang felt the pain from his wounds wasn't as intense as before. Among the injuries he had sustained over the years, this wasn't the worst—it just looked more alarming.

The knife definitely hadn't pierced his heart; otherwise, he wouldn't have lasted this long. It was just that the rookies hadn't seen much action yet.

Li Shang wanted to comfort Fang Jue with a few words, but before he could speak, he coughed up a mouthful of blood. Frowning slightly, he covered his lips, and blood streamed through his fingers.

The last bit of strength he had been clinging to gave way. Stars flickered before his eyes, his body swayed, and he finally collapsed to the ground.

Amid the cries of alarm around him, Li Shang's last shred of consciousness faded, plunging him into darkness.