Chapter 20

Chapter 20

After safely delivering the target to his doorstep, Tang Qiu watched as a sleepy-eyed Tian Li appeared beside the target before spinning around and, with no hesitation, bounding down the stairs in a couple of leaps, disappearing into the building entrance.

In the distance, she could still hear the target and Tian Li talking.

“He Hongxuan!” Tian Li raised her voice in anger. “You sneaked out again while I was sleeping to feed the cats! I already fed them this morning—you don’t have to go in the evening. As long as you put out the cat food, they’ll eat it themselves!”

He Hongxuan weakly defended himself, “But Egg Tart just gave birth to three kittens! And there’s another stray cat in the community now. I was afraid they wouldn’t have enough to eat.”

“That’s not a reason to sneak out!” Tian Li sounded even angrier. “What did I tell you? You must tell me when you go out. You always let it go in one ear and out the other.”

He Hongxuan’s voice was so low that Tang Qiu couldn’t make out the rest, only hearing bits and pieces.

Tang Qiu flicked her ears but didn’t stop. She quickened her pace and darted out of the building.

By the time Tang Qiu, in her cat form, bounded and sprinted back home, it was already ten thirty at night.

After turning back into human form, she was satisfied to see that the new gadget was still on cooldown. Figuring the time, she’d make it in time to leave again at 5:30 AM to lie in wait for this time’s prey in the target’s community.

She walked over to the photo wall, took the list from behind a picture, and struck out the names Tang Fangfang, Tian Li, Qian Da, and Bao Xiangchen with a black pen. Adding Lv Xinghe and Shen Chen, she had already removed six of the ten names. Staring at the remaining four, she pondered when she’d have the chance to take out more.

After safely putting the list away, Tang Qiu thought it over for two seconds before canceling her night run once again.

With a fight highly likely in about nine and a half hours, she needed a good night’s sleep to build up her energy. After the fight, she’d have to use other methods to reinforce the residents’ memory of her, to create an alibi for herself. That gave her less than seven hours of sleep.

After quickly brushing her teeth and washing her face, she crawled into bed. Before sleeping, she took out her phone, pondered for a few seconds, and cautiously sent a message to Lei Yue, the officer handling her case.

Tang Qiu: Officer Lei, are you free to meet up in the next few days? I have something I’d like to discuss with you.

Tang Qiu held the phone for two minutes before the response appeared on the screen.

Lei Yue: Of course. How about tomorrow night? Can my colleague and I come to your place to see you?

Thinking of the weapons hidden around her house, Tang Qiu politely declined out of safety concerns, “Maybe outside instead? I’ve been spending my afternoons working out at the gym and my evenings running outdoors, so I won’t be at home for long.”

This was a tactful way of saying she didn’t want Lei Yue to have to wait for her at home.

Lei Yue didn’t insist and readily agreed: “Then we’ll drive over to you. Wherever you’re running, we’ll meet you there. We can talk entirely in the car.”

It was both private and perfectly fit Tang Qiu’s schedule. Satisfied, she typed back: “Alright, Officer Lei. See you tomorrow night.”

Lei Yue: See you tomorrow night.

…

Tang Qiu quickly fell asleep, but the lights were still blazing in the office of the Yuntang District First Unit.

Lei Yue closed the chat window with Tang Qiu and immediately called Si Zhao. “Has the suspect started talking?”

Si Zhao’s frustrated voice came through the speaker, “Not yet. This creep is too cunning, just faking insanity.”

Lei Yue thought for two seconds and gave an order, “Show him the photo of the mysterious person’s portrait and see his reaction.”

Si Zhao happily agreed and, as soon as she hung up, pulled up the portrait photo provided by the victim Cui Yueyi. She pushed open the door to the hospital room, strode up to the suspect, who had a dazed look, sometimes laughing foolishly and sometimes showing a terrified expression, and shoved the enlarged portrait in his face.

The suspect froze for a moment, then his pupils sharply contracted, as if he’d received a severe shock. His expression twisted in fear and horror, and ignoring his unhealed injuries, he frantically tried to shrink back, letting out a piercing scream.

Even Si Zhao, who had been mentally prepared, was startled by the sudden change.

She glanced back guiltily, remembering that this was a private room specifically prepared for detaining the injured suspect. Its soundproofing was much better than ordinary rooms, and it was located at the farthest corner of the inpatient building, next to the storage room. Apart from the nearby doctor’s office, which might be affected, other wards wouldn’t be disturbed much.

Still, to avoid getting scolded, Si Zhao quickly shoved the phone closer to the suspect’s face again. When she heard hurried footsteps approaching, she hastily withdrew the phone and stuffed it into her pocket.

Even after Si Zhao had moved the phone away, the suspect remained terrified, flailing his arms as if having hallucinations, pressing himself against the headboard while shouting incomprehensibly, “Don’t hit me! I was wrong! I was wrong! I won’t dare again!”

Si Zhao quickly retreated to the door, adjusted her expression, and pretended she had just entered.

Just as she composed herself, the door to the room was pushed open from outside. A tired-looking middle-aged male doctor walked in, speaking sternly, “What’s going on? Shouting in the middle of the night—don’t disturb the other patients!”

Si Zhao said innocently, “I don’t know. We were keeping watch outside, and suddenly he started screaming like crazy. Maybe he had a nightmare?”

The middle-aged doctor gave her a suspicious look, his lips parting as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing. He simply did his duty, pressed the suspect down to check his injuries, and finding nothing serious, turned to Si Zhao. “It’s late, and you need to consider the other patients. If it’s not necessary, try to come and go during the day.”

Si Zhao nodded obediently. As soon as the doctor left, she eagerly called Lei Yue.

“Captain Lei,” Si Zhao said excitedly, “It works. It seems the mysterious person left a serious psychological trauma on the suspect. As soon as I showed him the portrait, he was triggered and started screaming, just like a pig being slaughtered!”

Lei Yue asked calmly, “From his behavior and eyes, are you sure he’s faking insanity?”

Si Zhao studied the suspect carefully, then confirmed, “Positive. I’ve seen real psychiatric patients—their eyes are chaotic and sick. He’s different. The fear in his eyes is real, and his words show his mental state is normal.”

Lei Yue said, “Then let him stew for one more night. Tomorrow morning, as soon as it’s light, we’ll push for a confession, using the mysterious person as a breakthrough.”

Si Zhao agreed enthusiastically, “Got it, Captain Lei. Wait for my good news!”

After checking the handcuffs secured to the bed frame to make sure everything was fine, Si Zhao backed out of the room and winked at her colleague standing guard on the other side of the door. In a low voice, she said, “Brother Xiao, did you hear that? Man, that scream was so satisfying!”

Brother Xiao, who was already balding in middle age, nodded with a gratified expression, then leaned in and whispered, “I’ve been stuck at the hospital these past few days, and you’ve been running between the station and the hospital. You’re more in the loop. How’s it going? Has Captain Lei found any leads on the mysterious person?”

Si Zhao glanced around cautiously. Aside from a busy figure at the nurse’s station in the distance, the entire hallway was empty.

She leaned in closer and whispered back, “We found something, but it was just a silhouette on the surveillance footage. The mysterious person was wearing a hat and a mask—couldn’t even see their eyes. The team couldn’t track them any further.”

“Cautious indeed,” Brother Xiao marveled. “And they cleaned up their tracks well. But pulling off something so earth-shattering requires real skill.”

Si Zhao frowned. “Earth-shattering? Isn’t that a bit much? This case is still under our jurisdiction. If it were that important, the provincial department would have taken over by now, right? I haven’t heard Captain Lei mention any experts coming down.”

Brother Xiao lowered his voice even more, almost pressing against Si Zhao’s ear, “You don’t understand. The higher-ups still aren’t sure about this mysterious organization’s stance. Once they cross the line, it won’t just be us investigating.”

Si Zhao could understand, but she said earnestly, “Even though the mysterious organization sounds like a bunch of outlaws, what they’ve done so far has been positive. At least up to now, they haven’t harmed a single innocent person—instead, they’ve saved three lives.”

Brother Xiao said, “That’s exactly why it’s just us investigating for now. But at the end of the day, it’s vigilantism. If they ever hurt an innocent or cross the line, things could turn bad.”

Si Zhao, still young and new to the criminal investigation unit, couldn’t help sighing, “I hope they can hold onto their original intentions—stay true to themselves. I really don’t want to have to go all out to chase them one day. But I’m so curious: how did this mysterious organization come together? How many of them are there? Are they all incredibly skilled? I feel like something out of a manga suddenly appeared in real life. Do they really have superpowers?”

Si Zhao’s imagination ran wild, wishing she could witness it all firsthand.

…

At 5:30 AM, before dawn, Tang Qiu was already ready, using the gadget to transform into her cat form and set out.

She was still very careful, wearing a wig, hat, mask, and gloves. Of course, the Confusion Mask and her weapons were essential. Everything was concealed under her furry cat body, making her inconspicuous and perfectly blending into the night.

After nearly two hours, she arrived at the target’s community right on schedule.

To be safe, after confirming the time was 7:27 AM on March 29, she first slipped into the target’s home through the half-open balcony window used for ventilation. Hiding in the shadows, she observed the target and Tian Li.

They were already awake but clearly running late. Tian Li was hurriedly putting on her shoes while slinging her bag over her shoulder, speaking rapidly, “I left the money for you on the shoe cabinet. Remember to take it when you go to school. I already ordered cat food online last night, so don’t use the lunch money to buy more at the pet store. Listen to your teacher at school, and if any classmate bullies you, you have to tell me. You’re going there to learn, not to be mistreated. Got it?”

He Hongxuan sat obediently at the table eating breakfast, drawling his reply, "Got it~"

After finishing her instructions, Tian Li couldn't spare him another moment; she grabbed her car keys and rushed out the door, heading downstairs.

He Hongxuan let out a sigh like a little grown-up, stood up, walked to the doorway, and neatly straightened the scattered slippers in the shoe cabinet before washing his hands and sitting back down at the table.

It took him over twenty minutes to force down the last steamed bun and half an egg before he finally finished, then changed into his sneakers, slinging his backpack over his shoulders, and heading out the door.

Seeing this, Tang Qiu nimbly backtracked from the balcony window, arriving at the stray cat gathering spot she had visited the night before—just one step ahead of He Hongxuan.

But to her surprise, a grown man was already hiding in the bushes, also wearing a hat and mask, as if waiting for something.

Tang Qiu paused mid-step, thought for a moment, and without hesitation leaped onto a nearby tree, observing the man from a high vantage point.

Because she was a cat, Tang Qiu was small and light on her feet, so the man remained completely unaware.

She watched him silently: he was not tall, around 1.7 meters, with a stocky build. From his slightly protruding belly and the neck not covered by his collar, he was just fat, with hardly any muscle. In close-quarters combat, he was no match for Tang Qiu. The only potential threat was the weapon he carried.

Although hidden in his pocket, the way the man kept nervously touching his pocket and the faint outline visible through his clothing revealed that he, like Tang Qiu, had chosen a dagger as his weapon.

Tang Qiu glanced at the path she had just come from; she could already vaguely make out He Hongxuan’s figure in the distance.

Considering that He Hongxuan’s arrival would only hinder her actions, she made an immediate decision. She leaped down from the tree, found another blind spot for the surveillance cameras, and after making sure no one was watching, she shifted back to human form.

Then, running like the wind, Tang Qiu charged toward the spot where the man was standing.