At the gate of Jianning Municipal Bureau, Yan Xie hurried down the steps, the hem of his black jacket rising in the rain with his footsteps.
"Where are you going, Brother Yan?" Ma Xiang chased after him and asked loudly, "Do you want me to come with you? Hey, Brother Yan!"
Yan Xie got into the police car and waved his hand without looking back, then he stepped on the accelerator, and rushed out.
"After identification, the rifling, primer, and firing pin marks on this 9mm Luger bullet can all be determined to be fired by a Type-92 military police gun, but no matching rifling records have been found within the province's public security system. This shows two possibilities: first, this pistol is a military gun, but the ordnance data has never been disclosed to the outside world, so naturally, it can't be checked. The second is that it didn't come from the provincial public security system, or, it may be a police gun lost by the police officers in other provinces."
"For the first possibility, Lao Wei has asked his old classmates in the army to help him check, and it seems that the possibility is very small. As for the second case, we have already made a report to the Ministry of Public Security and are preparing to conduct a unified screening and inspection from the national database of missing guns."
The headlights of the police car penetrated the rain and fog, and the wipers repeatedly drew two arcs.
The voice of Chief Lu in the office just now was still reverberating in his ears. Yan Xie's black, sword-like eyebrows were locked, and the police car drove through the puddle.
"The road surveillance around the scene of the attack in Jiangyang County has been screened several times, but no trace of the gunman has been found. They didn't find any clues even after Fan Wu and others' interrogation. But Lao Wei called up all the cameras of the surrounding businesses. After a large number of investigations and visits, they finally locked a suspicious man who hurried in and out of the scene at the time of the crime. He was a former criminal who had a history of robbery, theft, "selling small packages" and so on."
"Has he been arrested?" Yan Xie asked immediately.
Chief Lu nodded, and after a while, slowly shook it again.
"You are…"
"The suspect is dead."
Yan Xie's face changed instantly: "Dead?"
Chief Lu let out a sigh.
"National Highway 734, a hit-and-run traffic accident. His corpse has been frozen by the traffic police squadron as an unnamed body in a local funeral home." Chief Lu paused and said in a low voice, "We didn't get the news until the local police station found the source of the body at noon today. We also missed the best time for the investigation… If we calculate the date of the suspect's death in a 'traffic accident', it should be around the eleventh or twelfth day after you were shot."
...…
The phone on the passenger seat suddenly rang, interrupting Yan Xie's chaotic thoughts.
"Hello?"
"I told you that cross-jurisdictional investigations require the approval of the provincial department, so don't act without authorization. Why did Xiao Ma say that you blew out of the city bureau like a tornado?" Deputy Chief Wei was almost half-dead because of this careless bastard. : "Where are you, don't be in a hurry! Old Lu has already sent investigators and a forensic doctor to assist you. You stop for a meal first, they will be there later!"
"What time is it, what's there to eat?! I just bought two pieces of bread from the city bureau to eat." Yan Xie drove the car and glanced impatiently at the sign above the road: "I'm heading to Jiangyang County now and will get on the highway in five minutes. Let the forensic doctor and the others follow behind my car, meet me at the Jiangyang County Funeral Home."
Deputy Chief Wei was about to habitually rant about the importance of eating well and maintaining health, but when he heard those words, he suddenly became furious: "Who's going to meet you at a funeral home? Don't talk if you don't know how to! Stupid boy, don't you realize the seriousness of the matter? As a criminal policeman, the most important thing is to be able to talk properly. How many times have I told you not to speak nonsense all day—"
Chief Lu's persuasion sounded on the other side of the phone: "Old Wei, don't be so angry…"
Yan Xie couldn't help laughing, thinking that the old man was still quite superstitious, and hung up the call.
Who would have known that just as he would throw the phone back into the passenger seat, it would suddenly ring again? This time it was Jiang Ting.
Yan Xie paused, his expression seemed to have changed subtly, but he still picked it up: "Hello?"
"Where are you?"
Yan Xie's eyes flickered, and then he hummed casually: "Hey, that's weird. I was able to receive two calls from Captain Jiang in just three hours. Did I win a jackpot?"
Judging from the background sound over the phone, Jiang Ting should have taken a deep breath.
"Where are you? Why didn't you go back home?"
Even though he knew it was impossible, out of a guilty conscience, Yan Xie subconsciously glanced at the rear-view mirror and side-view mirror. At this time, it was getting late, the rain was getting heavier and heavier, and the visibility around was very low. The cars came and went at the entrance of the highway, but no familiar shadows were found in the front and rear.
"Me? Do you care where I am? Don't care about what a man does after getting off work if you're not married. What's the matter? After knowing I'm not home today, you didn't go to find your surname Yang?"
Jiang Ting obviously would not respond to such a provocative and meaningless question, and his voice over the phone increased slightly: "You are driving. Where are you going?"
——Yan Xie suddenly heard Jiang Ting's meaning from these words: He is going home from KTV tonight.
At the entrance of the highway, a black and blue police SUV marked "Jianning Public Security" sped down, breaking through the heavy rain. After a while, a silver G65 followed the police car at high speed, the taillights of the car glowing red in the night.
Yan Xie put one hand on the bottom of the steering wheel, pondered for a moment, and said, "Running away with Ma Xiang."
Jiang Ting: "..."
"I'm not kidding. Before I got off work, the sub-bureau suddenly reported a case, which was about a huge burglary. Lao Wei told me to go to the scene before going home. I might have to go to the sub-bureau to have a meeting with the Criminal Police Brigade later. I'm near the Fuyang District Bureau right now, you may have to stay up all night tonight, so you should go home first."
Division Vice-Captain Yan really lived up to his reputation as the No. 1 Best Actor in Jianning City. He spoke in these few short sentences in a relaxed, calm, and natural way, and one couldn't even hear the slightest unusualness at all. After a while, he suddenly remembered something and hummed: "If I find out that you haven't been honest with me after returning to Jianning, and secretly ran out to meet Yang Mei privately, you have to be careful with me… Hey, hey?"
Jiang Ting's beautiful face was expressionless as he stared at the flickering tail lights of the police car in front of him and suddenly stepped on the accelerator.
Boom—
The G65 was like a monster, roaring like lightning, and instantly jumping out of the cover of darkness!
"Hello?" Yan Xie suddenly felt that something was wrong, he let go of his phone and looked outside.
In the heavy rain in the dark night, a familiar silver shadow broke through the thick fog and drove alongside the police car on the left side. The street lights outlined the iconic car model and Biturbo logo in the rain.
Immediately afterward, the window was lowered, and Jiang Ting's clear and cold profile was revealed in the driver's seat.
Yan Xie: "..."
The two cars were speeding on the highway at the exact same speed, like boats breaking through the stormy waves in the vast darkness. Yan Xie stared at Jiang Ting through the car window as if he had seen a living ghost. It might've been because of shock and anger, but his temples suddenly twitched: "Why are you here?"
Jiang Ting's indifferent voice sounded on the cell phone: "Why didn't you tell me you were going to Jiangyang County?"
"I…" Yan Xie was speechless.
"What happened in Jiangyang County, is there a new clue in the case of Fan Wu's gang attacking the police last time? Yan Xie! If something happened around you, you must tell me!"
Jiang Ting's usually calm and gentle voice was rarely filled with anger. Yan Xie couldn't even take a breath. Suddenly, he felt abnormal chest tightness, and strange anger rushed to the back of his head involuntarily: "Why should I tell you?!"
"You didn't realize the seriousness of this matter…"
"Did you tell me everything?! How much did you hide from me?! Why do I have to tell you everything when it comes to my side, who are you?!"
The speed of the cars was very fast. At this time, they had already driven out of Jianning City, and the two cars rushed onto the winding mountain road at the same time. The road illuminated by the street lights in front of them was like countless curved pythons, strangely entwined.
No, Yan Xie's brain was dizzy, and suddenly a cold feeling crawled through his brain.
It doesn't feel right.
"I came to you to tell you something, but there is no point in saying it now…"
Jiang Ting's voice came from the mobile phone, but for some reason, it felt like it was coming from far away; it sounded as indistinct as it was coming from across the sea:
"Your safety is very important to me. If there is a new situation in the Jiangyang County case, or anything happened around you, you must tell me as soon as possible…"
Yan Xie was gasping heavily, feeling the blackness in front of his eyes, and his heart was throbbing rapidly in his chest. All the blood was pushed to the ends of the limbs by the disordered heartbeat so that his hands and feet were numb, and it was impossible to breathe. All the scenery was twisted into mottled patches of color behind the galloping windshield.
What's wrong with me? He thought.
This situation is not right, brake, brake quickly—
But his feet seemed to be filled with lead, unable to move, and bit by bit he stepped down on the accelerator. His hands quickly turned blue and purple, and even with all his strength, he could only turn the steering wheel slowly.
"Jiang Ting…" Yan Xie used all his strength, but only let out a breath as thin as a mosquito:
"…Jiang Ting…"
Before he lost consciousness, his last and strongest thought was, stay away from me, I'm going to crash——
Yan Xie closed his eyes and his hands completely slid off the steering wheel. At that moment, the police car lost control and roared toward the overpass guardrail!
Jiang Ting shouted, "Yan Xie!"
On rainy days, the road was slippery, and the police car that lost control could not grasp the ground at all, and spun to the left!
Yan Xie's right side was the winding mountain road. On the left lane was the G65 driven by Jiang Ting, and on Jiang Ting's left side was the guardrail separating the hillside. Although the guardrail seemed to be very strong, the speed of the police car before losing control had reached an astonishing 130. The huge force of the collision was enough to make the car flip over the guardrail and plunge into the valley!
Torrential rain, highways, rolling car bodies, spinning, and violent collisions… All the similar details were like a blood-colored web, sweeping from every corner of the field of vision, all of which did not enter Jiang Ting's pupils that suddenly contracted.
Yes, he went through it.
The car accident that caused him to be in a coma for three years, the nightmare that never disappeared, and the projections of fear that appear in the back of his mind from time to time to this day…
In an instant, Jiang Ting's toes had already touched the brake pedal. As long as he stepped on it, the outstanding braking of the G65 would immediately bring the entire car to an abrupt stop. He would stay in the safety zone and watch the police car roaring to the front, rushing into the abyss.
—Just hit the brakes.
In the next second, Jiang Ting almost closed his eyes and kicked the accelerator to the end!
Roar—!
There was only a trace of G65 left on the spot, and in an instant, it rushed to the left side of the police car, like a steel beast coming out of the gate, forcibly squeezing into the angle between the approaching police car and the guardrail!
The police SUV has completely lost control. Under the terrible effect of inertia, it slid to the left and approached the valley. The G65 went hand in hand with it, relying on its powerful off-road body to push the police car toward the mountain. Jiang Ting violently turned the steering wheel, and the back of his hands and arms were all bursting with blue veins!
Scratch— Scratch—
The sides of the two cars rubbed together, and scorching sparks erupted. At this moment, the G65 shook with a "Bang!", Jiang Ting almost let go of the steering wheel. He glanced out of the corner of his eye, and all the pores on his body suddenly opened up——
The police car had cornered the G65 to the edge of the hill, and the dark valley behind the guardrail was right under the wheels.
The metal of the guardrail could not withstand the heavy pressure of the two cars. While rapidly deforming, it turned the left side mirror of the G65 into powder!
After a lapse of three years, the shadow of the fierce accident once again fell on Jiang Ting's head, and he even heard the ravings of death in his ears again. But at this critical moment, his heart calmed down like never before.
Don't be afraid Yan Xie, you won't fall.
I won't let you—
Jiang Ting forcefully pulled the handbrake and turned the steering wheel. Against the double strangulation of the left guardrail and the right police car, he pushed the heavy body onto the road inch by inch. The friction of the tires of the two cars made a screeching sound which was enough to tear eardrums. The left and right doors of the G65 rubbed out terrifying electric sparks simultaneously, and in that bright moment, the speed on the dashboard rose steadily, one hundred three, one hundred five, one hundred six, one hundred nine…
The speed at the moment of life and death caused the G65 to burst out with greater thrust, and the police car was pushed hard to the road little by little, and it finally slumped away from the guardrail and rushed toward the mountain wall!
"Yan—"
Jiang Ting only had time to pronounce this word.
Even the performance monster G65 couldn't handle Jiang Ting's extreme driving and finally lost control at the moment when the police car rushed to the highway.
The silver steel body spun wildly in the heavy rain, and the rear wheels raised fan-shaped sand and gravel mud, shooting in all directions in the heavy rain. The front of the car, which had completely lost its grip, roared and hit the rocks, and the side windows shattered into countless pieces, scattering into the car.
—Bang!!
The final impact sounded as if it was far away, but it also seemed to penetrate the eardrum and exploded directly into the brain.
After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Ting could not feel the existence of his whole body, and he also lost the concept of time. Everything in front of him turned into a double image, and in a trance, he only felt that his nasal cavity was hot, and his mouth and even his throat were filled with sticky warm liquid.
Sleepy...
So sleepy...
He felt his eyelids heavy, and an invisible force dragged him down into the gentle abyss. There was a vast darkness, neither pain nor fear, all the sadness and nostalgia were pulled away, only he was alone floating in the deep sea.
—What about Yan Xie? he thought vaguely.
If I leave, where will Yan Xie go?
In the darkness of the car, Jiang Ting's fingers twitched, his throat spasmed, and he suddenly spurted out a mouthful of blood!
"Cough, cough, cough, cough—"
Jiang Ting was choking violently. He didn't know where the strength came from, and he trembled and pushed open the car door.
The G65 was worthy of the title of Mountain Road Fighter. If it was an ordinary off-road vehicle, its whole body might be completely twisted by now. There was just a deformation of the front bumper, a large pit in the door, and a half-shattered windshield — Fortunately, Jiang Ting was lucky enough that his weak physique could save his life in such a violent impact.
Jiang Ting dragged himself out of the car, and as soon as he touched the ground, his whole body became weak. He couldn't support himself and knelt down, subconsciously putting his hands on the ground.
He couldn't feel the pain anymore, and could only feel that his palms were wet and warm, but he didn't realize that it was blood from the wound cut by the broken windows glass of the car all over the floor.
"Huh…huh…"
Jiang Ting somehow got up and stumbled toward the police car in the heavy rain.
Yan Xie's natural luck was fully demonstrated at this moment — the police car spinning at high speed on the spot slammed into the mountain wall, and the rear half of the car was twisted into steel scraps, but the first half was miraculously intact. Jiang Ting forcefully opened the deformed car door, grabbed Yan Xie's arm, and carried it on his shoulder. He gritted his teeth and dragged him from the airbag to the ground, patting his cold face: "Yan Xie…cough cough cough! Yan Xie !"
There was no response.
Yan Xie's face was blue and purple, and his breathing was weak. Jiang Ting didn't have time to wipe the blood from the corners of his mouth. He knelt on the ground and probed his breath, and pressed the carotid artery to check his pulse. Suddenly his back went cold——
Yan Xie's heart rhythm was seriously abnormal, and he could feel the sudden raising and slowing down just by touching it with his hand. If this continued, it would cause ventricular fibrillation!
What's going on?!
Buzz— buzz—
Suddenly, there was a sound of sudden vibration in the torrential rain. Jiang Ting suddenly raised his head, it was the mobile phone!
"Hello, Brother Yan?"
Ma Xiang was sitting in the back seat of the police car, playing mobile games while talking on the earphone, shouting cheerfully: "Brother Gou and I are rushing to the highway with a few trainees, where are you? Find a place to have dinner by the way—"
"It's me, Lu Chengjiang."
"Oh, Consultant Lu?" Ma Xiang was both surprised and delighted: "I heard Brother Yan say you both are quarreling with each other, that…"
"Yan Xie had an accident. The car crashed in the middle of the Panshan Highway."
Ma Xiang was caught off guard, and the phone fell to the ground: "What?!"
Jiang Ting's trembling breath came from the rushing rain. Although he could hear the calmness, his voice was hoarse as if his mouth was filled with blood:
"Contact the nearest hospital and ambulance immediately. We're trapped in the rain. Yan Xie's situation seems like he has been poisoned."