Chapter 69: At the End of the Road

Chapter 69: Dead End

Jian Ruochen pulled a tightly rolled stack of Hong Kong dollars from his pants pocket, appearing no thicker than a thumb at first glance.

He pressed it into Chen Zhuyao’s palm and spoke rapidly, “Your clothes are stained with blood—it’s not good to go back like this. Your family will worry if they see you. Remember to buy two new sets of clothes and change before heading home. I have to go now.”

Chen Zhuyao was stunned, looking down at the money.

She was about to speak, but when she looked up again, the person was already gone.

She slipped off the rubber band holding the money together. The tightly rolled stack of orange-red thousand-dollar notes instantly expanded into a thick wad.

The cameraman stared, gulped. “How much is that?”

Chen Zhuyao counted quickly. “Twenty bills. That's twenty thousand.”

Twenty thousand.

She split the stack and handed half to the cameraman. “Your share.”

Chen Zhuyao said teasingly, “Weren’t you the one who said earlier… ‘let’s stop filming and go back’?”

Clutching the money, and thinking about his about-to-be-tripled salary, the cameraman muttered softly, “I didn’t join you on this assignment for the money, Ms. Chen. But of course, money is always nice…”

He smoothed out the bills, reflecting on Jian Ruochen’s decisive actions earlier. “You have a sharp eye for people, Ms. Chen. Our boss Jian is truly impressive.”

He just wondered if catching the doctor would go smoothly…

Meanwhile.

Jian Ruochen and his team reached the floor of Jiang Hanyu’s attending physician’s office as quickly as possible.

The officers from Team A, armed with guns, took positions on both sides of the door.

Without a search warrant, they had to knock and follow procedure.

Jian Ruochen raised his hand.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Dr. Liao, are you in?”

No response came from behind the light-colored oak door.

Jian Ruochen frowned slightly and knocked three more times. “Dr. Liao?”

When there was still no answer, he gently pressed down on the handle and pushed the door open.

The roughly 20-square-meter office was bright and clean, with the window wide open. Wind rushed in, rustling the scattered papers on the desk and floor, several of which fluttered toward the doorway.

“Damn.”

Jian Ruochen said quietly, “If Chen Zhuyao and the others left the office in this state, Dr. Liao would definitely know someone had been here and realize the registry is missing.”

Guan Yingjun gave a low “Mhm.” “If Dr. Liao himself left it like this, it means he already knows his scheme has been discovered.”

He’s fled.

Guan Yingjun picked up the radio. “Sir Chen, send four officers to block the hospital’s four exits. The doctor has escaped.”

Chen Jincai: “Roger that.”

Guan Yingjun turned back. “As usual, split into pairs and search. Jian Ruochen, with me. Just now, we were gathered on the main road leading out of the hospital and didn’t see any vehicles or people leaving. The doctor should still be inside.”

Team A was small, with only nine members.

Splitting into pairs made four groups.

Jian Ruochen and Zhang Xingzong followed Guan Yingjun, starting their search from the southern stairwell.

Zhang Xingzong was so nervous he kept muttering, “I don’t know if it’s because so many people have died at Hong Kong International Hospital, but this stairwell feels creepy.”

Jian Ruochen said reassuringly, “What’s there to fear? Even if ghosts exist in this world, the ones in this hospital would definitely be on our side.”

Zhang Xingzong: …

He had a point.

Guan Yingjun said quietly, “The emergency exit is locked.”

Emergency exits should remain open.

A locked door was suspicious.

Guan Yingjun examined the lock. “We can’t shoot this open—the bullet could jam the mechanism.”

Jian Ruochen touched the lock. “Let me.”

He stepped forward, reached behind his head, and plucked out one of the small bobby pins holding his hair in place.

Luckily, Luo Binwen had been the one to do his hair today.

He would never have thought to use so many hardly visible pins himself.

The hairpin was essentially a small piece of thin wire, capable of picking most locks from the 1990s.

As a child, he’d once secretly picked the lock to the military district’s fire safety building and spent the afternoon playing inside with other kids.

To a group of children, it was no different from an amusement park.

Jian Ruochen smiled faintly as he gently pressed the hairpin into the lock, gave a slight twist of his wrist, and turned it decisively upon hearing a soft click.

“It’s open.”

Jian Ruochen pushed the door open, revealing the dim emergency stairwell.

He stepped inside, but before his foot could touch the ground, he heard rapid, echoing footsteps.

Someone was fleeing!

There was indeed someone hiding in the emergency stairwell!

Guan Yingjun immediately vaulted over the railing, dropping down one flight in an instant. Zhang Xingzong followed close behind.

Jian Ruochen didn’t know how to do that. He leaned over the railing and looked down the stairwell.

The spiral staircase extended into the darkness, and a flash of white fabric caught his eye.

It was likely a doctor's coat.

He leaned close to the radio, "Detective Guan, I'll head to the other side."

"Alright, be careful."

Jian Ruochen turned and ran out of the fire escape, heading straight for the elevator and pressing the down button.

The doctor hid in the safety passage because he knew there were police both inside and outside the hospital. For the doctor, rather than trying to break through the checkpoints outside, it was better to take a chance in the fire escape.

Best case scenario, he wouldn’t be discovered.

If he was unfortunately spotted, he could still use the time it took the police to open the door to get a head start downstairs, enter the parking lot, and drive through the barriers.

Jian Ruochen stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for B1 (basement level 1) without hesitation.

The numbers on the digital screen decreased one by one.

Until it stopped at L1.

"Ding."

The doors slid open. Jian Ruochen fumbled at his hip.

Empty.

After arresting Lu Qian, all of them had removed their gear.

His gun license hadn’t come through yet, so not only had he taken off his bulletproof vest, but he’d also turned in his issued firearm.

"Freeze!" Zhang Xingzong bellowed from not far away. "Stop or I’ll shoot!"

The footsteps kept going.

Then, the sound of a car engine starting rang out through the garage.

At the same time.

The elevator behind Jian Ruochen dinged again, and a tall man in a colorful shirt emerged.

Humming a tune, he walked over to Jian Ruochen’s side.

The man swayed as he walked, "What are you looking at? Want a ride?"

Jian Ruochen stared intently at the headlights flaring to life in the distance, ignoring the person behind him.

The man glanced at Jian Ruochen’s white hair, thinking it looked familiar, but the West Kowloon Consultant Jian from TV shouldn’t be here, right…

This must be some young person who dyed their hair to follow the trend.

The man raised his hand and slung an arm around Jian Ruochen’s shoulder, "You all really admire that West Kowloon Consultant Jian, don’t you? Lots of my young patients idolize him. Too bad, no matter how good the Hong Kong police sound, they’re still lapdogs of the British Hong Kong government."

Not far away, the low roar of an engine grew closer.

The man’s expression shifted slightly, "Is that Dr. Liao’s car? Ugh, jinxed."

Jian Ruochen glanced back at him, "Stop talking."

So damn noisy.

A red sports car arrived in a flash, followed by Guan Yingjun, his coat flying behind him as he ran.

How could anyone keep up with a car?

Jian Ruochen made a split-second decision and turned around, "I need your car."

The man was stunned, "You’re Jian Ruochen?"

The real one?

Then what he just said…

Did he just insult someone to their face?

"Ah, actually, that’s not what I meant. The police are actually pretty good."

Jian Ruochen raised his voice, "Open the car door!"

"Okay, okay." The man opened the door, and before he could react, someone slid into the driver’s seat.

Guan Yingjun glanced at the man, "Thanks."

Zhang Xingzong pulled open the back door and got in. At the last moment, the man also squeezed into the back seat.

No one had time to deal with him.

Jian Ruochen picked up the radio, "All units, target sighted. Dr. Liao is fleeing in a red Ford sports car. He’s exiting from the underground parking lot. License plate number 4432!"

The radio crackled, "Copy."

No sooner had he spoken.

Chen Jincai added, "4432 is ramming through the checkpoint! He sideswiped a squad car!"

Guan Yingjun picked up the radio, "We’re in pursuit. You handle rescue ops."

He slammed the gas. The man in the back seat let out a curse in his native tongue, "Dammit, easy on the gas! This is a new car! I’m still making payments! You can’t just take a civilian’s car because you’re police!"

Now his tone lacked the earlier embarrassment of wanting to sink through the floor.

Jian Ruochen pulled out a check, grabbed a ballpoint pen from the dashboard, quickly wrote a string of numbers, and tossed it back, pinched between his fingers. "One million. I’m buying it."

The man’s breath caught in his throat.

Wait, how much?

Zhang Xingzong shot him a look.

Stunned, the man took the check and counted the zeros.

Holy crap, a million?!

That’s twice what I paid!

"Where’s the sunroof button?" Jian Ruochen asked.

"Under the steering wheel. Yeah, right there." The man gulped, suddenly feeling his flashy shirt was a bit cheap.

He should’ve worn a suit to be of service.

That’s a lot of cash.

He might dislike someone, or he might dislike the Hong Kong Police Force, but he would never turn down a million-dollar cheque.

As the moonroof opened, the car sped out of the garage, just barely keeping up with the Ford sports car ahead.

Jian Ruochen said to Guan Yingjun, "Detective Guan, can you lend me your gun?"

"Against protocol," Guan Yingjun replied, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, though one hand had already undone the anti-theft chain on his holster.

But rules are rigid, while people are flexible.

He handed over his service weapon. Jian Ruochen took it, slid the seat back, and stuck his upper body out through the moonroof, aiming the gun with both hands at the car ahead. He shouted, "This is your first warning, pull over now! Or I’ll shoot!"

Dr. Liao scoffed inside his car.

Shoot?

They’d been shouting for so long without firing a shot—let them yell.

He stared intently at the entrance of the undersea tunnel.

Once he crossed the tunnel into Kowloon side and drove another 40 kilometers, he’d reach mainland China.

Once he made it to the mainland, the Hong Kong police would have no jurisdiction!

Hurry!

"He’s heading into the undersea tunnel!" Zhang Xingzong exclaimed. "We can’t fire in the tunnel!"

The tunnel was two-way, with heavy traffic flow in both directions—it was too easy to hit innocent people.

The man in the back seat, clutching his seatbelt, yelled, "Then shoot before he enters the tunnel!"

Zhang Xingzong shouted back, "You think this is a movie? You can’t just spray bullets recklessly! Every shot we fire has to be documented and justified in reports!"

"What do we do then?" The man seemed even more anxious than Zhang Xingzong. "At this speed, Dr. Liao will reach the tunnel in eight seconds. You have to catch him! If he goes down, I’ll be promoted to department chief!"

Zhang Xingzong: "..."

No wonder he hated him so much—they were rivals.

The tunnel entrance drew closer.

Its dark entrance gaped like a giant mouth, swallowing every vehicle that entered.

Jian Ruochen steadied his breathing, bracing himself firmly against the moonroof, lowering his center of gravity slightly.

It was just moving target practice—he’d shot those before in his past life.

He could do this.

Zhang Xingzong, remembering his own missed shots, clasped his hands, eyes fixed on the tunnel entrance as he counted down silently: 5, 4...

Three seconds—was that enough time to aim?

He couldn’t hesitate now...

Jian Ruochen’s finger settled on the trigger inside the guard. At that moment, the wind whipping against his face and the roar of the engine faded from his awareness.

His focus narrowed to the red sports car.

He had to avoid the gas tank and hit the rear wheel...

"Bang!"

Zhang Xingzong tensed up. Did he hit it?

The bullet, accompanied by muzzle blast, struck the sports car’s rear tire.

The tire deflated instantly, screeching against the pavement and sending sparks flying. The screech of friction pierced the air.

The sports car skidded at the tunnel entrance, crashing violently into the impact barriers lining the undersea tunnel.

Water-filled blue safety barrels split open, spilling their contents across the ground.

The car flipped sideways from the momentum before slamming back down, its side window shattering and scattering glass everywhere.

Zhang Xingzong stared in disbelief. "He actually hit it?"

Unbelievable!

What kind of shot was that?

That's Detective Guan-level shooting!

Guan Yingjun opened the door and got out. "Zhang Xingzong, snap out of it. Arrest him. The sports car’s gas tank is compromised—be careful of an explosion."

Jian Ruochen remained in the passenger seat, unmoving, his fingers still trembling slightly.

That was close!

Truth be told, that shot was 70% thanks to his past life experience honed in the compound, and 30% pure luck.

Thank God...

Thank God he hit it.

He turned to look out the window.

Dr. Liao was being dragged out of the car by Zhang Xingzong and Guan Yingjun.

A cut on his face, his complexion pale as a sheet.

Organ trafficking, illegal harboring of minors—he was finished.

It was all over!

He had to escape!

Dr. Liao thrashed violently, trying to break free from Guan Yingjun’s grip. But he was just a doctor—how could he overpower a professionally trained plainclothes detective?

As Guan Yingjun brought him back, Jian Ruochen pushed open the passenger door, about to speak, when a massive explosion erupted nearby.

A ball of fire, billowing black smoke, shot upward, a blast of heat rolling outward.

"Watch out!" Guan Yingjun slammed Dr. Liao to the ground, then ducked down, shielding Jian Ruochen with his body and pressing him firmly into the passenger seat.

His muscles tensed, his body recoiling from the shockwave. He let out a pained grunt.

Jian Ruochen was surrounded by Guan Yingjun’s scent. The hand on his shoulder gripped firmly, but he barely felt the pain. From nearby came Zhang Xingzong’s yelp of pain and muttering: "Shit, that's hot! So damn hot!"

Soon, the wave of heat dissipated.

Guan Yingjun released his grip on Jian Ruochen, straightened up, picked up the radio, and said coldly, "All units, attention. Dr. Liao has been captured. Team A, prepare to wrap up. Bi Wanwan and Ding Gao, drive to the subsea tunnel to transport the suspect. Notify the police station to send someone to process the accident scene."

"The rest of you, head back to the station directly."

Jian Ruochen waited until he finished giving orders before asking, "Your back... does it hurt?"

Guan Yingjun pressed his lips together. "It's nothing serious."

Jian Ruochen didn't believe him, but with so many people around, it wasn't the right time to press further. Detective Guan was the leader; he needed to maintain some dignity and space in front of his subordinates.

He'd ask again back at the station...

The group waited by the subsea tunnel for an hour.

Finally, the explosion scene was processed, and they could take the suspect back to the station.

As they escorted Dr. Liao into Team A's area, the door to the adjacent interrogation room swung open.

Lu Qian, his hands cuffed, looked disheveled, clearly worn down by the routine questioning.

His former glory was gone; a few strands of his slicked-back hair had fallen loose, making him appear somewhat in disarray.

Though only a few hours had passed, it felt like years to Lu Qian.

In the interrogation room, he wasn't the powerful Boss Lu, but a prisoner stripped of all dignity.

These damned cops...

Once he got out, he'd make them pay! A surge of intense hatred, mixed with vengeful fantasies, flashed in Lu Qian's eyes.

Then he caught sight of Dr. Liao, disheveled and with his white coat burned at the corner.

Lu Qian's face instantly paled. How had Dr. Liao been caught?

How could he have been caught?

He should have died rather than be brought to the police station!

What about the tapes?

Had those tapes, which documented the British Hong Kong government's complicity in human experimentation and organ trafficking, also fallen into Jian Ruochen's hands?

No, that couldn't be.

Without the tapes, who could protect him now?

An indescribable fear welled up in Lu Qian's heart. He turned his head toward Dr. Liao, trying to get a word in.

But a member of Team B, temporarily responsible for interrogation and escort, shoved him. "No looking around! You're out here to eat, not sightsee!"

Dr. Liao shuffled forward dazedly, as if he'd left his soul back in the car.

Jian Ruochen brushed past Lu Qian and escorted Dr. Liao into the interrogation room.

He glanced around the room but didn't see Guan Yingjun, so he said to Bi Wanwan, "Wanwan, could you handle the basic interrogation? This one should be easy. I need to take care of something else."