Chapter 24: Imminent Danger

"I am sorry! I didn't mean to!"

Ji Huaisu rubbed her hands together with a sheepish grin. Chu Hengkong silently turned his head away. This childish behavior caused her partner to retreat in defeat, turning instead to mutter to the others, "Oh no, what do I do? He seems genuinely angry."

At the head of the conference table, Ji Qiufeng blew on his tea leaves, pretending not to hear, while Youyou, sitting nearby, tried hard to stifle a laugh. Xie An, while distributing documents to everyone, shook his head and sighed, "Little girl, you can't blame him this time. It’s like a master swordsmith, inspired by a flash of genius, forging a miraculous blade. Just as he’s pondering whether to name it 'Jueque' or 'Tanlang,' or perhaps 'Ever-Victorious Breaking Steel,' you suddenly blurt out, 'That sword looks so peculiar, why not call it the Toilet Plunger?' Once those words are out, it's ruined on the spot. No matter what its real name is, everyone will forever refer to it as the Divine Toilet Plunger."

Ji Huaisu gasped, "I didn't really mean to say you use your hand to unclog the toilet... ah, no, the spring..."

Youyou let out a cackling sound—the first time in his life Chu Hengkong had ever heard a snake laugh; it sounded remarkably like a duck. He looked up to the heavens and sighed, "Are we going to hold this meeting or not?"

"Right, enough nonsense. Let the meeting begin. We shall start with the shift in the situation from last month..."

The hotpot they hadn't managed to eat was a matter of two days ago; now, Chu Hengkong was in the conference room for a meeting. Having been promoted to Senior Inspector, he was now officially part of the leadership, required to attend monthly meetings, bi-weekly sessions, draft contingency plans, and participate in discussions regarding future decision-making. At the moment, Xie An was pointing at a large map of Huilong City. The map was covered in colorful circles, each connected by long lines to various wanted posters.

He picked up a black marker and crossed out the posters one by one. "...The case clearance rate for last month reached 93%, with a 65% arrest rate for current wanted fugitives. Of those, Inspector Chu apprehended 14, and Captain Ji 10. The first Healing Temple has been successfully rebuilt, and the second is on the schedule, significantly easing the medical burden. It might sound unbelievable, but looking solely at the atrium, we can say the local public order is quite good. Now that the small and medium-sized gangs in the atrium have been basically cleared out, what are your thoughts on the next steps?"

If rebuilding order were a game of "reclaiming lost territory," the Recovery Force's base of operations currently held three-quarters of the atrium. The upper-level workshop district was almost entirely dark, while the lowest level was a patchwork of black circles of varying sizes, marking the team’s lack of control over those areas. Their influence was limited to the atrium.

"The greatest threat in the atrium hasn't been dealt with yet," Ji Huaisu spoke first. She pointed to the west of the map, where a massive gray circle was drawn, encompassing nearly a quarter of the atrium. Within that circle lay the most prosperous part of Huilong City, home to the villas of the wealthy, as well as bars and casinos that reveled in nightly decadence. A gray cat crouched atop that wealth, greedily eyeing the metropolis in the dark.

The name of that gray cat was the Mavia Club, a giant in the gambling and vice industries, and the culprit behind nearly all the missing persons cases in the atrium. It was common knowledge in Huilong City that as long as one paid a sufficient price, they could obtain the club’s protection. Countless blood-stained criminals had entered the gray cat's lair to squander their gains under the luxurious lights.

"As long as the club stands for even one more day, the citizens of the atrium will never be able to rest easy," Ji Huaisu said, her tone cold. "The small fry have been netted, and we finally have the capacity to act. We should concentrate our forces and take down the club in one fell swoop!"

Xie An didn't offer an evaluation, turning instead to ask, "Inspector Chu, what is your opinion?"

"Clean the swamp," Chu Hengkong said concisely. The swamp was the lowest district of Huilong City, a place of poverty, chaos, and a congregation of various cults known as "Bize."

Xie An beamed. "Oh, I think that's a great idea! The swamp is vast and rich; who knows how many rare medicinal herbs we could scavenge..."

"Leave personal interests out of the meeting!" Ji Huaisu frowned. "Chu Hengkong, I know you're holding a grudge against the bastard who hired someone to kill you, but the swamp is not a good place. The people there have been driven mad by their belief in demons, and they have too many underhanded methods. It’s high risk and low reward—not a good choice."

The five assassins from two days prior hadn't been tight-lipped and had readily sold out their employer. The mysterious, babbling man in the white robe resembled a cultist from the swamp, which was why Ji Huaisu felt this idea was motivated by private revenge. Chu Hengkong didn't argue; instead, he suddenly said, "Since Tina's case, I have been searching for the goon with the white eyebrows."

"You found him?" Ji Huaisu perked up.

"I found nothing. There was no relevant information in his lingering thoughts, the surrounding residents have no impression of him, and our people watch the club's entrances and exits every day, yet we haven't gathered a single piece of intelligence on him," Chu Hengkong pointed out the key issue. "The club's security is too good. I suspect they possess a Relic capable of invisibility or spatial teleportation. If we can't even grasp the whereabouts of a mere thug, how can we speak of destroying the organization behind him?"

Ji Huaisu was momentarily speechless, then said petulantly, "Then smash down their doors and search them one by one!"

"If I were still a hitman, I'd smash them down the moment you gave the order. I'd even pluck the club owner's head off for you," Chu Hengkong said. "But now I am a Senior Inspector. When I smash down a door, I am responsible for the lives of the brothers under my command. I could retreat unscathed after breaking down the door, but the others cannot."

He hadn't used a rhetorical question, but a flat, declarative statement that suppressed Ji Huaisu's impatience. She ground her teeth, her tone dejected: "You're right."

"Of course I am. I have more experience in gang warfare than you do," Chu Hengkong smiled. "And while the swamp is filled with various cults, they view each other as competitors. When we begin clearing out the cultists, not only will we face less resistance, but the local factions will even be happy to see it happen."

"But there's no benefit in going to the swamp," Ji Huaisu emphasized again, clearly resistant to the decision. "If we take down the club, we could seize a large amount of Flowing Pearls and Relics..."

"Nearly half the city's population lives in the swamp. If we eliminate the cults there, the overall order of Huilong City will be greatly stabilized," Chu Hengkong pointed out. "No amount of money can buy the strengthening of Huilong."

Youyou, listening from the side, nodded repeatedly, looking at Chu Hengkong with the friendliest gaze he had ever shown him. Ji Huaisu was also persuaded. Reluctantly, she turned her head: "Dad, what do you think?"

Ji Qiufeng smiled faintly, signaling for them to wait until he finished his tea. Chu Hengkong felt it was a bit strange; given his personality, the man should have chimed in with a joke or guided the topic long ago, rather than letting him do so much of the talking.

Ji Qiufeng set his teacup aside, opened his paper fan, and said with a smile, "Chu Hengkong's opinion is excellent. You two can discuss the specific details, but you must be very... care... ful..."

Halfway through his sentence, he lowered the paper fan slightly. A bright crimson stain seeped through the back of the paper, resembling an ominous red embroidery. Ji Huaisu stood up in a panic: "Dad!"

"It's nothing," Ji Qiufeng used the fan to wipe the blood from the corner of his lips, smiling. "Just accidentally bit my tongue. I... cough...!"

He suddenly began to cough violently, so painfully that it seemed he would cough up his heart and lungs. Large amounts of foul blood sprayed onto the conference table. At first, it was bright red, but what followed was gray blood. Chu Hengkong had never seen human blood turn such a color—gray, withered, and dry, like the ashes of incinerated bones. When the wooden table touched the blood, it began to rot, turning into lifeless, decayed wood in an instant.

Ji Qiufeng doubled over, coughing. The man who had always been so composed could no longer maintain his smile. His eyes lost their luster, making him look like an elderly man on the verge of death. Everyone was stunned. Only Youyou leaped up urgently: "Little An, go prepare the medicine! Everyone else, get out! Don't come in!"

"I'm going!" Xie An, his face deathly pale, rushed out the door. Ji Huaisu wanted to go and care for her father, but Chu Hengkong pulled her away in silence. His intuition told him that the gray blood was something terrifying and that they must not touch even the smallest drop.

Before closing the door, he saw Youyou throwing himself recklessly into the bloodstain, spitting a clear, cold light toward Ji Qiufeng.

***

"Mr. Ji, eat slowly."

"...I feel much better. Thank you."

"Don't say that." Xie An closed his eyes tightly. "If I were more capable, you would have already..."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Ji Qiufeng smiled weakly. "I feel much better. Go and rest."

Xie An, also pale as a sheet, nodded silently and stood in the corner. They were still in the conference room; since the severely injured Ji Qiufeng could not be moved, they had brought in a bed and quilts.

Ji Huaisu helped her father cover himself, her voice trembling involuntarily: "I told you that you were pushing yourself too hard before! You haven't rested for three whole days..."

"We all have to die eventually; it makes no difference whether I sleep or not," Ji Qiufeng said lightly. "You must learn to accept it. It just so happens you can help your old man write down his will ahead of time..."

"I won't write it!" Ji Huaisu roared. "How could I possibly accept this?!"

Ji Qiufeng looked at her helplessly, his eyes filled with a father's doting affection. That look choked back everything she wanted to say. Ji Huaisu hurried out the door, the impact of it closing with a loud bang.

Chu Hengkong was standing at the door holding a water bottle; he stepped back silently, avoiding the sight of his partner's reddened eyes. Ji Huaisu wiped her eyes vigorously and pushed him aside: "This has nothing to do with you!"

She rushed away. After she reached a corner where Chu Hengkong couldn't see her, a faint sob drifted from afar. Chu Hengkong remained at the door, not entering. He recalled every move Ji Qiufeng had made in the past, thinking of the man's fiery eyes, his perpetually composed attitude, and that reassuring, strong demeanor.

It turned out it had all been a performance. This decaying patient was the real Ji Qiufeng, watching the approach of death every second of every day. He looked so powerful, yet a single water-pistol could have taken his life.

That was why Ji Qiufeng had been in such a hurry to teach others; because if he didn't hurry, he would truly be dead.