Chapter 89 – Bait

Deputy Director Wang’s feelings toward his son, Wang Zhao, were complicated. Deep down, he truly did not want his son getting mixed up in anything involving the Xenospecies. Even though his son seemed to have already picked up on a great many things with alarming sharpness. This was the second time Wang Zhao had volunteered to join an operation…

But on the other hand, he thought of what Lv Zifeng had said. How long could they really keep these things hidden? Though learning the truth sooner was not necessarily a good thing.

“Maybe I can help you,” Wang Zhao said again.

“All right. Then come along.” In the end, Deputy Director Wang’s expression dimmed, and he nodded.

Wang Zhao saluted, then turned and walked toward his car. But just then, Deputy Director Wang suddenly called out to him. “Wait.”

“Is there something else?” Wang Zhao stopped.

Deputy Director Wang reached out. After a moment’s hesitation, he patted him on the shoulder. “I know being a police officer was never your dream. But seeing you take the initiative and want to participate in this operation… as your father, I’m truly glad. After this operation… resign. Go do what you really want to do.”

Wang Zhao fell silent for a moment. Then he turned his head and gave Deputy Director Wang a faint smile. “I will.”

“Good. That’s good…” Deputy Director Wang watched his son’s retreating back and let out a quiet breath.

“What we’re doing this time is what I want to do,” Wang Zhao added under his breath.

“Who was that?” A voice suddenly asked from behind him.

Deputy Director Wang immediately snapped back to himself and turned around. “Oh… Captain Lv. That’s my son…”

Lv Zifeng glanced over from a distance, then withdrew his gaze. “The rule is that every household must conduct a self-check…”

“He’s also in the public security system. His unit has already checked him,” Deputy Director Wang cut in at once.

The two men fell silent for several seconds. Then Deputy Director Wang lowered his voice and said, “My wife was tested by my assistant as well. Maybe I’m just getting old. I couldn’t bring myself to face that possibility in person. Back when I was still a soldier, I had that kind of fire in my blood. But after having a family, it slowly wore away. I hope you understand.”

Lv Zifeng’s expression immediately grew complicated. A trace of nostalgia appeared on his face, and then he said, “Yes. I also want very much to know how exactly my daughter died…”

Deputy Director Wang looked at him in surprise. Did he think there was more to the Cruise Ship accident? But before he could ask, Lv Zifeng had already turned and gotten into the car. “Let’s go. We’ll see what’s really going on. Someone is already tailing them.”

That young man surnamed Su. Even if he was not a Xenospecies, Lv Zifeng still felt there was definitely something wrong with him. Perhaps the reason he paid so much attention to him was also connected to his daughter’s death. Lv Zifeng lit a cigarette and thought to himself, “Fire in the blood? What does that even mean? It means being willing to do anything for my family.”

The daughter he had raised for more than twenty years had just died like that? He had not even seen her one last time. More than four hundred people, and only those five had come back, but his daughter had not been among them. Deep down, Lv Zifeng had never been able to accept it.

And Su Lifeng’s behavior was the most abnormal among all the survivors he had observed.

“Panic buying. Jiangnan Biomedical approving a laboratory for him… Are these things an ordinary graduate student would do? Su Lifeng, just what are you hiding?” Lv Zifeng exhaled a ring of smoke, thinking amid the spreading haze.

…When Jiang Yushi noticed the car slowly closing in, she panicked at first. Then she made a quick decision.

She turned her head and glanced at the passenger seat, pretending to be listening to someone, then abruptly snapped her gaze back forward.

“Reporting to Captain Lv, we’ve located the target… Wait, the target has spotted us!” The officer in the car behind her was in the middle of his report when he saw Jiang Yushi look back. The next second, a plume of exhaust burst out, and the target vehicle suddenly floored the accelerator.

“Force it to stop,” Lv Zifeng decided at once.

The officer put down the walkie-talkie and immediately placed the police light on the roof. Amid the shrill wail of the siren, he picked up the loudspeaker and shouted, “Vehicle up ahead, pull over immediately for inspection!”

Inside the car, Jiang Yushi turned a deaf ear to the warning. Even if they opened fire right then, she would not stop.

But after speeding through two streets, Jiang Yushi found several police cars parked at the intersection ahead, completely blocking her way.

Jiang Yushi stared at the vehicles for a moment, slowly eased off the gas, then got out of the car.

Facing the officers surrounding her, she gave a faint smile. “Have I done something wrong?”

“Where’s Su Lifeng?” One officer searched the car, then looked back at her.

Jiang Yushi’s expression remained calm. “I don’t know.”

After receiving the report that the two officers had been fooled by a girl, Deputy Director Wang gave a wry smile inside his car.

“Looks like Su Lifeng must have gotten out long ago. Most likely right when they spotted that car,” Deputy Director Wang said.

“But that area’s huge. It won’t be easy to find him, will it? Especially since the moment that girl started driving and we turned on the siren, Su Lifeng would’ve been warned if he was anywhere nearby,” his assistant said.

“Yes. That girl is clever. If she’d called him, she would have tipped us off too early instead. Using us like this was much more convenient. I didn’t expect it.” Deputy Director Wang sighed.

In a car behind them, Wang Zhao listened to the voices coming through the walkie-talkie, and a cold smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“If you suspect him, you could just arrest him outright, but all you can think about is using him to bait something out. Still, this works for me. You’re treating him as bait, and aren’t I doing the same?”

After muttering to himself, he picked up the walkie-talkie. His tone instantly became calm. “Dad, I’m searching the area where they were discovered. I think I may have found him.”

“Really?”

“Mm. But the place feels very open. To avoid alerting him, it would be best not to send too many people in. Everyone else just needs to seal off the perimeter. Dad, are you coming over?” Wang Zhao continued.

Deputy Director Wang nodded without a second thought. “All right. I’ll be there right away. Now that I think about it, this is the first time we father and son have fought side by side…”

“It is.” Wang Zhao smiled.

He stopped the car, then looked back at the corpse of his colleague lying across the rear seat.

From the very beginning, this had been his destination…

Just then, a sudden thud and tremor came from his trunk.

Wang Zhao got out and opened the trunk, smiling as he said, “That’s right. You’re my bait too.”

Inside the trunk, a figure bound hand and foot was staring at him with wide, terrified eyes, muffled whimpers of “mmph, mmph” constantly coming from behind the gag in his mouth.