Qiang Min, leaning tiredly against the railing, said, "If you don't have anything in your gut, you'll wear out your shoes before you come up with anything. This isn't a movie!"
Li Xinjian, lost in thought, didn't hear Qiang Min's words. He stopped in front of Qiang Min, "For someone to get pregnant, there must be sexual intercourse, right?"
Qiang Min added, "Or artificial insemination."
Li Xinjian was struck by the idea. "Artificial insemination uses test tubes. Test tubes? Test tubes?" He suddenly slapped Qiang Min's shoulder, "Yang Chun only needed to solve the test tube transport problem for Liu Mei to get pregnant!" Li Xinjian excitedly measured the distance between Yang Chun's cell and the death row cell. Qiang Min, initially confused, soon caught on. Li Xinjian said confidently, "It's entirely possible!" Qiang Min, now understanding, nodded in agreement.
"Let's find out who put Yang Chun in that cell." Li Xinjian said as he headed down the stairs.
With Zhang Xiaohua's approval, Li Xinjian and Qiang Min swiftly took action against Jia Sidong. Initially nervous, Jia Sidong quickly confessed everything under pressure. To avoid disrupting their plans, Li Xinjian suggested to Zhang Xiaohua that Jia Sidong be kept under watch without immediate legal action, allowing him to redeem himself. Zhang Xiaohua agreed and reinstated Li Xinjian.
Meanwhile, Guo Xiaopeng's trip to Shanghai had shaken him. Although he emerged unscathed, it heightened his alertness. He knew he had to consider potential disasters and plan his escape routes. Without informing anyone, he flew to Xiamen and checked into the Jinhui Hotel, where he could watch Chen Ran's residence from his window.
Guo Xiaopeng spent the entire day in his room, binoculars in hand. The next morning, he finally spotted Chen Ran. Unkempt and dressed in wrinkled sportswear, Chen Ran was exercising on his balcony. Guo Xiaopeng admired Chen Ran's choice of a perfect hideout. Not alerting Chen Ran, he flew back to Haizhou that afternoon.
Dusk found Guo Xiaopeng once again at the Xishan Villa. He felt a deep sense of melancholy, sensing it might be his last visit.
With great care, Guo Xiaopeng trimmed his mother's toenails. His precision was a silent admission of the gravity of his situation. His mother, sensing something was amiss, caught every subtle gesture. With her eyes closed, she asked, "Peng'er, are you going on a long trip?"
Guo Xiaopeng hesitated, masking his complex emotions of anxiety and farewell, and replied, "I'm going to the U.S. for a conference. It might take a while."
"How long?" his mother asked, still not opening her eyes.
"About half a year," he said, unsure.
"Really?" she asked, her doubt clear in her voice.
Guo Xiaopeng couldn't lie to his mother. When faced with difficult questions, he would avoid them altogether. "I've deposited money in the bank under your name. They'll deliver it to you on the first of every month."
Understanding, she shifted topics, "So, Xiaoliang is going with you?"
"Yes," he answered honestly.
Her sigh was long and heavy, "You're all leaving."
Tears streamed down Guo Xiaopeng's face.
"Don't worry about me," she said softly. "I'm old and frail; living a day more or less doesn't matter. Just take care of yourselves." Though her eyes remained closed, she reached out with a trembling hand to wipe his tears. Guo Xiaopeng's throat tightened, his heart aching, "Mom, please don't say that."
The room was meticulously cleaned. Electronics were covered, and the furniture draped in white cloths.
Guo Xiaopeng entered the business suite, glancing around.
Wang Jingfei was packing clothes into a suitcase. Seeing him, she stood up, "On the eve of a big operation, the chairman comes to see me. Must be something important."
"Yes," he replied, stepping forward. He pulled a business PDA from his pocket and handed it to her. "This contains our bank account numbers—Swiss, Liechtenstein, Venezuela. Only a bit in Hong Kong; it's not safe there. These are digital accounts, withdrawable with the correct passwords. Also, contact info for Mr. G in Hong Kong and Thailand."
Wang Jingfei hesitated, puzzled, "Why give this to me?"
"If I don't, and something happens to me, all our money will be lost to the banks!" Guo Xiaopeng explained earnestly. While she coveted the PDA, Wang Jingfei feared it might be a test. With the final confrontation near, she couldn't afford any mistakes. She firmly refused, "I can't take it then."
"It's my wish and there's a duplicate." He showed her another identical device.
She remained resolute, "Nothing will go wrong."
Resigned, he said, "Alright. We'll follow the original plan. If all goes well, we'll return and settle everything in Haizhou before leaving. If things change, we escape."
Night descended quietly.
In the Haizhou Pharmaceuticals yard, two box trucks were loaded at the underground warehouse. Duan Hai supervised the operation.
Once loaded, the trucks sped out of the compound.
In the police squad yard, a row of police cars waited, each with an officer in the driver's seat and armed soldiers visible in the back.
The wall clock showed 11:00 PM.
An officer hurried in, "Haiyan reports, Haigui has left its den!"
Zhang Xiaohua replied, "Understood. Keep us informed."
The trucks left the factory. In the lead truck were Lin Xiaoliang's men. Guo Xiaopeng, Wang Jingfei, Lin Xiaoliang, and Duan Hai were in the second truck. As the truck hit the highway, it accelerated. The headlights flickered in the dark, and the passengers were tense. An officer rushed in, urgently reporting, "Li squad reports they're in position. Coast Guard reports an unidentified vessel near Sector 7." Zhang Xiaohua stopped pacing. The ticking clock echoed in the tense room.
The trucks reached the seaside road. Guo Xiaopeng instructed Duan Hai, "Turn off the headlights. Slow down. Keep a distance." The truck slowed, the lead truck fading into the night. Suddenly, Guo Xiaopeng ordered, "Head to Wolf's Fang Point!"
Duan Hai, puzzled, glanced at Guo Xiaopeng.