Chapter 79 Targeted
Provincial Headquarters of the Investigation Bureau, Anqing Province.
Xu Ziqiang entered the conference room with a grave expression. Scanning the room, he asked in a low voice, “Has everything for the upcoming operation been prepared over the past few days?”
“Not only us in Heyue City, but also Nanye City in Beijiang Province and Fengkai City in Nanhe Province will be carrying out this campaign against the cult members,” he continued, not giving anyone a chance to speak.
“So, for this operation in Heyue City, we must be thorough, swift, and decisive!”
“Understood,” a middle-aged man to Xu Ziqiang’s right replied. “Over the past few days, our people have confirmed the whereabouts of all known cult members. We can move against them at any time!”
“Then begin at once. Nanye City has already started their operation.”
“Yes, sir.”
This upper-level crackdown on cult martial artists was a decision made after Lin Feng returned to the Investigation Bureau Headquarters. It was also the result of joint discussions between the three provincial bureaus following the Xingmen incident in Nanhe Province.
It was clear from the start that this sweep against the cult members would be far from simple talk.
…
At the gates of the Anqing Martial Bureau.
Qian Qian, having not been selected, looked completely deflated.
“Brother Ze,” he moaned, dragging himself to Zhang Ze’s side, “I feel like I’ve been discriminated against! My heart aches so much.”
To be fair, the act was convincing. But Peng Fei, standing nearby, retorted, “Heartache? What’s the matter, you pregnant or something?”
The group continued to jibe at one another as they made their way back to the dormitory.
Zhang Ze, however, was preoccupied with the phone call he’d just received and paid no heed to his two loyal subordinates—nor did he notice the two middle-aged men lingering at the mouth of a nearby alley.
…
The man in sunglasses perked up as he caught sight of Zhang Ze.
“Hey, isn’t that the kid?” he whispered excitedly.
His companion, the man with the stubbly beard, squinted in Zhang Ze’s direction. “You’re right—it was him who humiliated Lu Shuai with those frilly underpants.”
“Then it’s settled! Let’s get him—maybe that’ll put us on good terms with Lu Shuai’s sister.”
…
Unaware that he was being targeted, Zhang Ze dialed Cai Hu’s number again.
“Brother Ze…” Cai Hu finally answered, his voice weak. “Something’s happened.”
“What is it? Tell me!”
“My parents… something’s happened to them. I’m at Nanye City People’s Hospital now. I need money—lots and lots of money…”
Zhang Ze cut him off, shouting into the phone, “Don’t panic, I’m already done here. I’ll bring you the money right away!”
He hung up and, without explaining to his two subordinates, said, “You two prepare for the next round of the tournament. Cai Hu’s in trouble, I’m heading to Nanye City.”
Without waiting for a reply, he dashed off toward Heyue City’s high-speed rail station.
…
“Hey, fortune smiles upon me!” The man in sunglasses adjusted his frames, grinning. “The kid’s all alone.”
The duo wasted no time and quickly set off after Zhang Ze.
…
Heyue City High-Speed Rail Station.
“Third Brother, looks like he’s heading to Nanye City,” the bearded man said with a conflicted look.
The man in sunglasses shrugged, unconcerned. “Isn’t that just what we want? The sect’s told us to leave; we’ll take the same train and get out of Heyue City.”
“But I’ve heard things are strange in Nanye City lately—a lot of the sect members have already left,” the bearded man said, worry in his tone.
“What are you afraid of?” scoffed the man in sunglasses. “It’s the same wherever we go. And besides, we’re just going after a second-rank brat. You and I are fourth and fifth rank—what could possibly go wrong? Let’s go.”
Muttering, the pair boarded the same train as Zhang Ze.
Little did Zhang Ze know, with his mere second-rank martial arts skills, that he had unwittingly drawn the pursuit of two mid-ranked martial artists. Had he known, he might have admired himself for it, even in the face of death.
…
Meanwhile, at Nanye City High-Speed Rail Station.
A middle-aged man with a crew cut wore a serious expression as he pulled a walkie-talkie from his coat and spoke in a low voice, “Director Li, the rats at the station have been dealt with.”
A faint electric hiss crackled before a rough voice replied, “Good. Finish the cleanup and help block the remaining rats.”
“Understood.”
After switching off the walkie-talkie, the man turned to his team. “Finish up here. Once we’ve confirmed these three cultists’ identities, we’ll head to the bus station to assist.”
“Yes, sir!”
His subordinates sprang into action.
Just then, a young man approached. “Coach Ma, Nanye City’s actions have been swift. With the three provinces joining forces to root out the cultists, I bet our city’s going to have the most success again.”
The young man’s face was all smiles, betraying his heartfelt hatred for the cultists.
But Coach Ma only frowned slightly. “The operation isn’t over yet—not for a moment can we let our guard down. And keep in mind, there’s a lot of foot traffic here at the high-speed rail station. Assign two sharp-eyed men at the entrances and exits. The last thing we need is to kill a few rats here only to have more sneak in from other provinces.”
The young man scoffed, “Who’d dare come to Nanye City at a time like this? They’d have a death wish.”
But he didn’t argue further; as soon as he finished speaking, he turned to give instructions. “You two—take the register and keep watch at the subway entrances.”
“Yes, sir!”
…
Nanye City People’s Hospital.
After a long period of shutting himself off from the world, Cai Hu was gradually coming to terms with the reality—his father was dead, his mother’s mind shattered, her memory in tatters.
Even his own presence failed to elicit any response from her.
“Are you holding up?”
Startled from his daze at the window, Cai Hu heard Ma Cheng’s voice behind him.
Since his mother’s hospitalization, it had been Ma Cheng who helped care for her. Ma Cheng’s younger sister, Qin Yao, had been the first to discover Cai Hu’s parents. The scene had been so horrific that Qin Yao’s own state of mind had since deteriorated.
…
“Brother Ma, you’ve been a huge help lately,” Cai Hu said, his eyes bloodshot, his voice barely more than a whisper.
Thud, thud—Ma Cheng’s cane tapped the floor as he made his way over, handing Cai Hu a lunchbox.
Hoarsely, he said, “When my wife and daughter died before my eyes, it felt as if I died too. Even now, remembering that time…”
Ma Cheng’s voice was soft, but soon enough, the two—one grown man, one young—were silently weeping side by side.