After the explosion.
Qin Yu hit the ground, shook his head, and asked Lao Mao through alcohol-laced breath, “You alright?”
“Thank god Lao San and the others showed up, otherwise… we’d be totally fucked. I gotta say… Lao San and his guys are true hardcore fighters…” Lao Mao wiped his sweat, still visibly shaken.
Seeing he was fine, Qin Yu shoved him aside. He scanned the area, then barked at a colleague nearby, “Give me the gun.”
The man, cowering behind a wooden table, shot Qin Yu a panicked, confused look.
“Give me the gun!” Qin Yu growled.
Jolted back to reality, the officer didn’t hesitate. He slid the gun across the floor, then stayed huddled beneath the table.
The gun was an A2911 Model, built on an M1911 frame but modified for an extended nine-round capacity—standard issue for frontline police squads. Qin Yu had never handled one, having only seen it in magazines. But the basic mechanics and handling were familiar. He picked it up, gave it a quick look, performed his usual check and racked the slide. His movements were fluid and efficient.
Gun in hand, Qin Yu rose from his crouch. He sidestepped twice to open his angle, leveled his left arm horizontally as a brace, gripped the gun with his right hand, and pulled the trigger.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
Three shots rang out. The middle-aged man who had thrown the grenade earlier had the back of his head blown open. He collapsed instantly.
Qin Yu didn’t shoot to wound; he shot to kill. The assailants were heavily armed and utterly ruthless. Holding back could mean other people being killed or wounded.
Without sparing a second glance, Qin Yu ducked.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
A volley of bullets ripped into the wall, sending plaster flying. Tracking them by sound, Qin Yu crouched forward and fired two quick shots outside, hitting nothing. The remaining two criminals were fast and highly skilled. While one laid down cover fire, the other kicked out a window and vaulted through.
They avoided the door, unsure if police teams were locking down the perimeter. The window offered a better chance at surprise.
Rather than chasing the two fugitives, Qin Yu took his gun and sprinted up the stairs to the second floor.
In the main hall, Lao San sat on the floor, clutching his ass cheek. He stared in dumbfounded shock at Qin Yu, who had just shot a man dead without blinking.
“Holy shit, is Little Qin really that ruthless?” Lao Mao exclaimed, scrambling to his feet. He yelled at Lao San and the others, “Go after them! Help Little Qin, he’s by himself!”
Lao San glared at him, absolutely seething. He was certain his rotten luck was directly tied to Li Fugui—nothing good ever happened when this fucker was around.
…
Second floor.
Qin Yu dashed toward the back, glancing down through a window. Across the street, the short middle-aged man was dragging the girl into an alleyway in an old residential complex.
Weighing his options, Qin Yu gritted his teeth. “Fuck, no backup? There’s only one left. I can risk it!”
“Clang!”
Qin Yu shoved the window open and leaped out into the biting night wind.
Hitting the ground, Qin Yu broke into a sprint. He crossed the street in under three seconds, planted himself at the mouth of the alley, raised his gun, and fired.
“Bang! Bang!”
Two shots echoed out.
Further down, the short man heard the gunfire and immediately dragged the girl against the alley wall. He huddled in the shadows, a deep scowl on his face.
“Brother from the Unplanned Zone?!” Qin Yu called out.
The short man checked his gun and replied in heavily accented Chinese, “Yeah. People are starving to death out there. Came into the city to make a living. Where did you spot us?”
“Didn’t spot you. Just bumped into trouble,” Qin Yu answered honestly.
“Can you look the other way? I’ve got cash in my bag. Say the word, and they’re yours.” The man licked his lips.
Qin Yu blinked. “I know it’s harsh outside. I get it. But I’m wearing this uniform, and trouble found me. I can’t ignore it. Keep the money. Leave the girl.”
The man hesitated. “I’ve got a Gold Fish in my pocket. Let me take the girl, and I’ll leave both the cash and the gold for you.”
“No deal,” Qin Yu flatly refused.
“…Fine. You get the girl.” The short man shoved her forward. “Walk. Start slow, then speed up after three seconds. Don’t listen to me, and I’ll shoot you dead.”
Qin Yu licked his lips, peering into the gloom. “Come here.”
After hesitating, the girl started forward. Footsteps in the alley became erratic.
Three seconds later, she quickened her pace.
Qin Yu hesitated for a split second, then stepped into the alley, waving her over. “Hurry!”
The girl looked up at Qin Yu, her eyes wide with panic. “He didn’t leave!”
The moment the words left her mouth, the short man lunged from the shadows, raising his gun at the alley entrance.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
Rapid gunfire tore through the night. Terrified, the girl threw her hands over her head, dropping to a crouch and screaming.
A second later, a heavy thud echoed in the alley. The short man collapsed.
Standing in front of the girl, Qin Yu cautiously stayed where he was. Without a second thought, he raised his arm and put two more rounds into the bandit’s head.
“Ah!”
The girl shrieked, pressing her hands against her ears.
Qin Yu ignored her. He walked over to the corpse, kicked his head, then glanced down at his shoulder. A stray bullet had grazed him. He let out a long breath. “Sneaky bastard. That was close.”
“Fuck, you killed him?!”
A familiar voice rang out from the mouth of the alley.
Qin Yu turned. Lao San was standing alone under a dim streetlamp, clutching his ass. “Where are Lao Mao and the others?” Qin Yu asked.
“Still chasing. The gunfire got too chaotic, they went left,” Lao San gasped, craning his neck. “Bandit dead?”
Qin Yu blinked. He walked up to Lao San, scanned the street, then suddenly reached out with his left hand and dragged him into the alley.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Lao San sputtered, bewildered.
“Did you want to fight me?” Qin Yu asked, his face deadpan.
Lao San froze. He’d completely forgotten he originally went to the restaurant to teach Qin Yu a lesson.
“You wanted to talk earlier. Talk about what? Let’s hear it,” Qin Yu pressed, his eyes narrowing.
“What do you mean?”
Qin Yu leveled the gun right at Lao San’s forehead. “Motherfucker, have you ever been to the Unplanned Zone?! When military grain trucks pass through San Kanzi and Yama’s Jump, even they have to step out and pay tribute! I fought my way out of that hellhole single-handedly, and now you think you can teach me the rules here?! Huh?!”
Lao San was paralyzed.
“Bang!”
A single gunshot shattered the silence.
Seconds later, Lao San slumped to the ground, panting heavily, his eyes wide with terror.
Qin Yu tossed the gun onto Lao San. “From now on, when we get dangerous work, we do it together. Don’t fucking mess with me. Next time I get scared, who knows where my muzzle will point.”
Leaving him there, Qin Yu walked over to the girl. He looked down at her. “Just what kind of trouble are you in, sister?”
…
An hour and a half later, at the hospital directly attached to the Police Department.
Lao San lay on an operating table, holding a phone. “Team Leader Yuan.”
“Where are you?” Yuan Ke’s voice was icy.
“I’m at the hospital.”
“Did you run into a case at the restaurant earlier?” Yuan Ke demanded.
“Yeah.” Hearing this, Lao San immediately launched into a bragging spree. “We were on routine patrol and bumped into some out-of-zone desperados at Sister Er’s Restaurant. I knew something was wrong the second I saw them. I went in for a spot check, but the bastards drew on us. I knew it was a major case, so I led the team and engaged… Heh, the ringleader and an accomplice were killed on the spot. Two got away, but it’s fine, the district has already ordered a search for them. Hey, Team Leader Yuan, I just heard from the station that the ringleader was named Matsushita or something. He’s a major bandit who has been listed in the system for four years, lots of bodies on him. How lucky are we? We ran into him, took him down, and cleared a cold case in one swoop! Team Leader Yuan, you gotta put in a good word for me with the Bureau Director. A guy like that doesn’t have a fixed address, normal cops can’t catch him! I’ve been a second-grade superintendent for two years now, it’s time I moved up. Plus, First Team cracked the case, so it’s a huge win for the entire Police Department!”
“Glory my ass, motherfucker!”
“Team Leader Yuan, what’s with the cursing?”
“Fuck your mother! I ought to come down there and shoot you myself!”
“???” Lao San was stunned.
“You stupid fuck, Matsushita was someone my brother brought in! The job was almost done, and you had to play the goddamn hero!” Yuan Ke snarled. “You’re a fucking liability!”
“Wait, Team Leader Yuan… listen to me…” Panic setting in, Lao San scrambled to explain. “I was just blowing smoke. Let me start over. The truth is, I went there to beat up Qin Yu, but bumped into that dumbass Lao Mao, and he dragged me into it…”
“Beep… Beep…”
Yuan Ke had already hung up.
Author’s Postscript: The new book is underway, and I need your support! Please cast any recommendation votes you have to help it climb the rankings. Tips are welcome too; whenever a reader reaches Alliance Leader supporter status, I will immediately add an extra chapter. Thank you!