In the midnight darkness, the chilling sound of police sirens pierced the air. Several police cars with flashing lights sped down the coastal road. Leading the convoy was a Mitsubishi SUV, heading to Villa 28 at Huashui Bay Hot Spring Resort. Li Xinjian led the detectives into the luxurious suite on the second floor.
Under the intense lighting, they found Lu Hui lying dead, naked on the bed.
Li Xinjian glanced at the scene, then walked out of the room with a somber expression, standing in the hallway to smoke. The cunning opponent had struck again, cutting off a hard-won lead with such swiftness and precision. Inside, the forensic and technical investigators were busily examining the scene. Li Xinjian re-entered and quietly asked the forensic doctor, "What's the cause of death?"
The forensic doctor removed his mask and replied, "Preliminary determination is an overdose of methamphetamine, leading to a myocardial infarction." "Methamphetamine?" Li Xinjian was slightly surprised and immediately asked, "Can the time of death be determined?" The forensic doctor answered, "We can roughly determine it. About an hour ago, no more than two hours." A technical investigator came over and reported, "Looks like an expert's work; no traces left at the scene." Detectives Xiao Zheng and Old Fan rushed in from outside. Li Xinjian asked, "What's the situation outside?" "The service staff and security reported seeing a woman in a black dress leaving not long ago," Xiao Zheng quickly replied.
Old Fan added, "This woman is very mysterious, like a ghost."
Li Xinjian nodded silently, picking up a pillowcase near Lu Hui's face and noticing a faint lipstick stain. He sniffed it and caught a distinctive scent.
"Maybe a prostitute," Xiao Zheng quickly speculated.
"Do prostitutes use thousand-yuan lipstick?" Li Xinjian glared at Xiao Zheng, "And they can't afford several-thousand-yuan French perfume!"
Xiao Zheng stuck out his tongue, shrank his neck, and fell silent.
The mysterious midnight lady immediately reminded Li Xinjian of that stunning face, and he couldn't help but worry for Qiang Min on the isolated island: could he fall victim too? Could he handle the situation alone? What if...
Li Xinjian dared not think further. He took a few heavy drags on his cigarette, pulled out his phone, quickly dialed a number, and spoke in a low voice, "Hello, Director Zhang..."
Dawn was breaking, the mist thickening. The small island was still in deep sleep.
Suddenly, shouts of battle erupted, the noise deafening. Fully armed SWAT teams, supported by helicopters and speedboats, stormed the drug manufacturing hideout, gunfire echoing across the island. A lookout in the watchtower, aiming his gun, was shot and fell headfirst from the top.
The armed helicopter hovered low, repeatedly broadcasting through loudspeakers, "Attention everyone on the island! You are surrounded! Lay down your weapons immediately!" Awakened by the commotion, the thugs and henchmen panicked. Armed men rushed into the large shed, shouting, "The police are here! Grab your weapons!"
One thug grabbed a double-barreled shotgun from the corner, but Qiang Min leaped up, punched him to the ground, grabbed the shotgun, and shouted, "Nobody move! I'm a cop!"
Another thug raised a homemade pistol at Qiang Min, but he quickly pulled the trigger of the shotgun. With a loud bang, he shot the man in the face. Smoke dispersed, and the thug, bleeding heavily, fell with his face covered in gunshot wounds. Qiang Min shouted, "Drop your weapons! Squat down now! Quick!" The armed men dropped their weapons and squatted with their heads in their hands. Dozens of thugs, not even dressed, squatted in place.
The SWAT officers stormed into the large shed. Li Xinjian grabbed Qiang Min, punching him in the chest, "Good job, kid!" They walked out to the beach, where the SWAT team was loading the "prisoners" onto the ship. Li Xinjian looked Qiang Min up and down, asking, "Were you hurt when you were ambushed yesterday?" "The shooter must have been a novice," Qiang Min flicked the red-hot cigarette butt into the sea, "Couldn't aim properly, and was as timid as a rabbit."
Li Xinjian laughed, "Would you prefer to face a seasoned pro?"
"Too bad I didn't see his face. The guy had good motorcycle skills, hopped away faster than a rabbit," Qiang Min said, pulling out a finely crafted and peculiar-looking pipe from his pocket, "But he left this British pipe behind. Once we catch Lu Hui, with both evidence and witnesses, that guy won't get away!" Li Xinjian's face darkened as he took a deep drag on his cigarette, "Lu Hui is dead."
Qiang Min wasn't surprised, just regretful, "I figured as much. If they dared to target me, a police officer and serious crimes team leader, Lu Hui wouldn't survive either!" His eyes showed a hint of melancholy, "It looks like we're facing a massive machine!"