Target

Night had fallen.

Inside Ningcheng Hospital, Peng Fei and Wang Pingcheng arrived at a VIP hospital room carrying a basket of fruit.

Zhang Yi was looking at his phone, watching the news.

A middle-aged male anchor wearing a black suit said with a solemn expression, “According to reports from Ningcheng TV, the number of damaged and destroyed vessels has reached 23, with up to 173 people currently missing!”

“Ningcheng Maritime Inspectorate reminds everyone to refrain from going out to sea without authorization. The inspection departments have partnered with the military to launch maritime patrols and search-and-rescue operations!”

“Team Leader Zhang, I didn't expect you to still be paying attention to this kind of news in your current state,” Wang Pingcheng said as he listened to the voice coming from the phone.

Zhang Yi put down his phone, his expression calm. “I have nothing better to do anyway. I assume this has something to do with him.”

Wang Pingcheng set the fruit aside and said with a helpless look, “It's highly likely. However, I've already reported it. A secret investigation team has taken over, so I have absolutely no idea what their progress is.”

Hearing this, Zhang Yi turned to look at Peng Fei. “I assume the secret investigation team hasn't reached out to you either. It's a waste of your strength.”

Peng Fei pulled up a stool and sat down, utterly indifferent. “The higher-ups don't trust anyone anymore. To be honest, I'm just glad they haven't locked me back up.”

Zhang Yi shook his head slightly at his words, then turned back to Wang Pingcheng. “Chief Wang, you must have a reason for coming over today, right?”

“Yes, that guy has appeared again,” Wang Pingcheng said, his face grim.

He had realized that whenever Zhao Jin appeared, nothing good ever followed.

Hearing this, Zhang Yi's expression instantly turned serious. “How many died this time?”

The only reason he had ended up in this state was because he was trying to track the man down. Hearing this news now piqued his interest immensely.

Seeing this, Peng Fei looked at Wang Pingcheng with some uncertainty. “Did this happen inside the courthouse?”

The only fatal incident in Ningcheng today had taken place at the courthouse.

“Four people died this time. The victims were a convict, Mayor Fu's son, Fu Zilin, and two of Fu Zilin's friends. The surveillance footage caught him standing in a corner,” Wang Pingcheng said.

Logically speaking, anything involving Zhao Jin had nothing to do with them anymore. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that something massive was about to happen.

“Only four? That seems a bit too few to be his style,” Zhang Yi murmured, his brow furrowing slightly.

The last time Zhao Jin appeared in the Yuankou District, it resulted in the deaths of dozens of inspectors and hundreds of civilians.

Just four people didn't even qualify as an appetizer for someone like him.

“That's exactly what's puzzling me. I brought the details of the case with me. Team Leader Zhang, you're smarter than the rest of us and have a reputation as a master detective. Could you analyze this for us?” As Wang Pingcheng spoke, he pulled a manila folder from his coat and handed it over.

Zhang Yi reached out and took the folder. “Sure. I'm bored out of my mind lying here anyway. Might as well find something to do.”

Just as he began reviewing the documents...

It was now eight in the evening.

Zhao Jin was walking toward the city center. The traffic and flow of pedestrians on the streets were gradually growing heavier.

“What? I already clocked out and you want me to go back for overtime? No way!” Along the sidewalk, a young man walked past with his phone to his ear, his face filled with irritation.

“Hurry up! The show is about to start. I heard there are going to be tons of cosplayers today.” Two furries wearing plush animal heads jogged past Zhao Jin.

Zhao Jin sensed his surroundings, his face devoid of emotion.

Suddenly, his footsteps paused, and the corners of his mouth curled upward. “Interesting. It seems you people still won't give up.”

He turned and walked down a street to his right. At the end of the street stood a large shopping mall currently under construction.

About a dozen meters behind Zhao Jin, a hunchbacked, white-haired old woman kept her eyes on him out of the corner of her vision.

Once Zhao Jin turned the corner and disappeared, she spoke in a low voice, “This is Team C tracking. The target has entered Haiwu Avenue.”

“Received. Cease tracking. Someone else will take over to avoid detection,” a faint female voice crackled from her sleeve.

Having received her orders, the hunchbacked old woman continued walking toward the city center.

At the corner, the young man who had previously been complaining on his phone took a wide stride onto Haiwu Avenue.

Meanwhile, fifty meters up in the sky, a small sparrow flew directly above Zhao Jin's head.

The sparrow's eyes gleamed with a faint red light.

On the adjacent street, inside a blue van.

Several suit-clad personnel sat in front of a bank of equipment. Some of their screens displayed surveillance footage of Zhao Jin from various bizarre angles.

“Captain Zhang, he doesn't seem any different from an ordinary person. He doesn't even realize we're tailing him,” a yellow-haired youth responsible for controlling the sparrow said, staring at Zhao Jin with a look of confusion.

The “Captain Zhang” he referred to was a long-haired woman in a black suit sitting behind them, wearing a black eyepatch over her left eye.

Zhang Shuling's expression was icy. Hearing her subordinate's remark, she raised her hand and smacked the back of his head.

“Get your head in the game!” she snapped coldly. “Do you know why the Heaven-Prying investigation team met with disaster? It was precisely because they had the same careless attitude as you!”

The yellow-haired youth shrank back, not daring to argue.

Zhang Shuling stared at the surveillance screen. Zhao Jin continued walking deeper into the area, eventually stepping inside the half-constructed shopping mall.

Strange. Why would he go in there? Is that his hideout? she wondered.

As the commander of the secret investigation team, she was only here to kill people and monsters. Her tactical mind wasn't nearly as sharp as Zhang Yi's.

“Captain Zhang, the target has entered the mall. If I keep tailing him, I'll be spotted,” a voice reported over the radio.

Zhang Shuling pondered for a moment, realizing this was a golden opportunity to eliminate the target.

At this hour, there was no one else inside the mall, meaning there would be no risk of collateral damage.

Switching her radio to the open channel, she ordered, “All teams, arm yourselves immediately and enter the shopping mall at the end of Haiwu Avenue. We are going to eliminate the target once and for all tonight!”

“Team A, copy that!”

“Team B, copy that!”

“Team C, copy that!”

“Team D...”

There were fifteen teams in total, with twenty members each, all drawn from the military or agents from the Security Bureau.

This time, everyone was equipped with heavy weaponry. They had even brought along a significant number of portable rocket launchers and mortar tubes.

On the outer perimeter, an armored convoy and attack helicopters from the garrison were on standby at all times.

Should the situation spiral out of control, the garrison would enter the city directly. They were prepared to do whatever it took to kill Zhao Jin.

Inside the mall, the walls were bare concrete, and no interior design had been installed yet. The entire structure stood five stories tall.

Zhao Jin had already reached the fourth floor. He stood at the edge of the floor, looking down.

Below, numerous armed individuals dressed in plain clothes were moving. Over their eyes, they wore gear that resembled night-vision goggles, though it was clearly something else entirely.

It seems they came well-prepared. To guard against my Hypnotize ability, they even equipped special eyewear, Zhao Jin thought, watching the scene with an expressionless face.

He turned and walked toward the fifth floor.

A few seconds later, he vanished into a dark corner on the fifth floor.