Bao Longtao had not clearly seen anything under the green tree, but it didn't stop him from being vigilant and blocking the young man in front, who threw his hat forward. Taking two steps closer, he lowered his head and whispered in Xu Le's ear with a soft voice, "Perhaps I shouldn't be asking you, I should ask Li Wei."
A government official dealing with the darkness of the street is like a zoo manager dealing with unruly wild animals. Whether it's a leather whip or fresh meat, there are always infinite methods to use. Bao Longtao mentioned Li Wei's name as a threat to Xu Le, even if he himself didn't personally take action, Xu Le couldn't count on hiding his identity.
But Xu Le wasn't worried about that. In his opinion, Li Wei and the other orphans knew how to survive. He skillfully avoided Deputy Director Bao's intimate approach, lowering his head humbly and walking towards the darkness.
Bao Longtao loosened his grip on the nightstick and shouted to the young man's back, "We will meet again when the opportunity arises."
...
...
The next time the two of them met was very short, short enough to be unsettling, short enough to feel somewhat absurd.
In the darkness near the side gate of the Azure Garden Subdistrict, Xu Le raised his head in surprise. His bright eyes narrowed like crescent moons, unable to believe that Bao Longtao, who seemed capable of controlling everything, was leaning against the wall so naturally. How could Xu Le, who was startled, not notice someone following him to such a remote place?
"I told you we would meet again... and I'm quite satisfied with this meeting place. There are no monitoring devices or nosy bystanders here to interfere with our exchange," said Deputy Director Bao, dressed in a black police uniform, as he stepped out of the shadows. A somewhat sinister and self-satisfied smile appeared on his face. The nightstick at his waist was drawn, and the standard rhombus-shaped metal emitted a sharp blue electric arc, faint but powerful.
Before Xu Le could escape or make a confession, Bao Longtao intended to incapacitate him with an electric shock, inflicting sudden pain to weaken his will and make him confess about infiltrating the internal procedures of the police authorities and the secret figure involved in the upper-level struggles of Hexi Province.
The tip of the nightstick was about to strike Xu Le's waist when Bao Longtao suddenly felt a jolt of pain!
A powerful electric current surged through his body, causing him to twitch and convulse. The pain was excruciating, and he trembled uncontrollably as if experiencing an epileptic fit. Foam even started to appear at the corners of his mouth.
A faint smell of burning filled the air, and there were traces of electrical burns on the wall!
Confirming that Bao Longtao was no longer able to resist, Xu Le carefully returned the electric shock stick to his pocket.
This electric shock stick was only the length of a finger, but the electric current it discharged was the same as the one Xu Le had previously used on Li Wei. It was a shock to the system for Bao Longtao.
Bao Longtao pretended to be unconscious, hoping to conduct a cruel interrogation in the gloomy corner. Little did he know that this thin youngster could easily overpower him.
Xu Le approached Bao Longtao's side, squatting down to observe his condition. He placed a metal laminated object against his ear and spoke in a low voice, "No. 78, the TV investigator is returning. The situation has changed. Should we eliminate a potential informant?"
Xu Le squatted next to Bao Longtao's unconscious body, seemingly giving instructions to someone on the other side of a hidden communication device. After a while, he received precise orders and no longer paid attention to Deputy Director Bao lying nearby. He adjusted his clothes, making them more presentable, and disappeared into the dark of Azure Garden, concealing his appearance.
His residence was certainly not in Azure Garden.
...
...
After a long time, Deputy Director Bao slowly opened his eyes under the wall. He confirmed that the mysterious young man had disappeared and dared to struggle to sit up. He wiped away the foam around his lips, his complexion gloomy and uncertain as he looked in the direction the young man had vanished.
The painful ache in his muscles and nerves continued, and it couldn't suppress the shock in Deputy Director Bao's heart. After being struck by that electric shock stick, he wasn't really unconscious but heard the final instructions from the youth clearly. Eliminating a potential informant with such severity as an investigator frightened him and made him reluctant to open his eyes.
The TV investigator? Who would believe such a thing? The Federal Television Station is under the control of the administration committee and the president. A frightened and dreaded expression flashed in Bao Longtao's eyes. Could it be that the person secretly inciting the orphans to cause trouble is a special agent sent by the capital star? Especially that electric shock stick that Xu Le discreetly used at the end strengthened Bao Longtao's judgment.
A weapon so fine, with an electric arc that can penetrate 50 centimeters of space, is not something that factions in the civilian realm can imitate. Bao Longtao had only heard that the military possessed such equipment, specifically for special agents.
Could that young man be a member of the administration committee, or someone connected to the president? But which side is he on, a class that is untouchable by someone as remote as Bao Longtao? Frightened, Bao Longtao climbed up the wall, realizing the huge mistake he had made. This matter couldn't be pursued any further.
...
...
The hot water flowed from the faucet, and the attention to detail in the federal facilities was evident. The steam filled the entire bathroom, creating a hallucinatory atmosphere. Xu Le stood in front of the bathroom mirror, his face gradually obscured by steam, and stood there for a very long time, exhaling heavily.
He secretly exerted force in his hand, gripping the white ceramic basin tightly. His pale finger trembled slightly, betraying his fear. He wanted to expel the fear in his heart through force. He pulled out the metal object used to change his voice from his ear, as well as another metal object, and threw them into the basin, creating two clear sounds—a couple of casual garment accessories.
Xu Le lowered his head, breathing heavily near the edge of the basin, trying to expel the fear from within himself. The truth concealed with those two metal objects had made Bao Longtao, who terrorized countless orphans, afraid. He didn't feel any sense of achievement in his heart. If he hadn't been worried that Bao Longtao would harm Li Wei, he wouldn't have taken such drastic measures.
He wasn't a special agent, nor was he connected to the influential figures in the remote Capital Star Circle. He was just an average person with some mechanical talent, a mere youngster.
Bao Longtao always thought there was some powerful force behind him, but only Xu Le knew the truth. There was only that damn guy behind him. If it weren't for that guy's pleading, Xu Le wouldn't have involved these orphans and gotten into this absurd situation.
He didn't know if Bao Longtao would continue to investigate, and Xu Le lacked confidence in himself.
Xu Le vigorously splashed his face with hot water, washing away the blush on his still-immature face. He regained his composure, staring angrily at his reflection in the mirror, and muttered under his breath, "Feng Yu, who the hell are you?"