Chapter 155: The Blazing Fire (Part 2) – 13
Opening his phone, Zhou Zengxiang had once wanted to contact Su Huiquan. At least to send a message to let her know his current situation.
But when he clicked on their chat history, he saw that their last message was from two years ago—when he had just learned how to use this software and had sent a meaningless sticker—and he stared at that sticker in a daze.
And then, he remembered what Su Huiquan had said—“Just the thought of you abandoning a pregnant woman to get close to our family… and she was even your subordinate, it makes me sick.”
Sick?
Although it was harsh, at that moment, he had only wanted to object, but unfortunately… what Su Huiquan had said was completely correct.
What Lisa couldn’t give him, Huiquan could… no, it should be said, the Su family could. And from his perspective, his parents would never have agreed to him marrying a girl like Lisa, who had an unknown background and had been an undercover agent.
From the beginning of their relationship, he and Lisa had no future.
Lisa must have also seen this later, so she had had her daughter alone. Her state of mind was very likely as Tang Yingli had deduced—“she was deeply afraid that this hard-won child would be destroyed by you.”
So, she had strongly denied it, denied the fact that Zhou Jinglin was his biological daughter. But very contradictorily, she had let Jinglin have the surname “Zhou,” and not the “Li” that she had established after she had changed her identity. It was probably with the intention of letting Zhou Jinglin “return to her ancestors” in the future.
Putting away his phone, he saw the two detectives that Fang Zijun had specially sent to protect him, standing at the foot of the bed and chatting in a low voice.
So good. It reminded him of his conversation with Fang Zijun last night. Although he couldn’t completely let go of the superior-subordinate relationship, he did feel relaxed because of this conversation.
He had only closed his eyes for a few seconds when he unexpectedly heard a sudden scream.
“What are you doing?”, “rude”, and other shouts kept coming. One of the police officers stuck his head out, and his expression immediately became very tense. “Director, a group of men who look like gangsters are searching outside…”
Before he could finish, the curtain of Zhou Zengxiang’s bed was forcefully pulled back.
The man who appeared was wearing a white suit—exactly the same as Li Yuejiao’s previous crime—but his build was clearly much stronger. His eyes were bulging, and he met Zhou Zengxiang’s gaze.
“I finally found you.”
This person was the one who had been with Li Yuejiao when she had handed over the list… Wu Jianxiong.
“Over here, over here.” he shouted to his younger brothers, and Zhou Zengxiang had already quickly pulled out his IV and was preparing to escape.
The two detectives fought hard to block Wu Jianxiong and said to him, “Director, go.”
He gave a quick nod, and without even putting on his leather shoes, he just covered his face and ran to the back of the emergency room.
“Damn it, don’t run.”
Following this roar was a gunshot that shook the eardrums.
A police officer fell to the ground.
**
“One hundred and twenty.”
“Keep the change.” Jinglin stuffed one hundred and fifty yuan into the driver’s hand and quickly got out of the car. “I’m here.” she reported through the radio, and stepped into the already very familiar municipal hospital lobby.
‘Very good. Hurry up and find Zhou Zengxiang. I’m very worried that Wu Jianxiong has already arrived…’ Yingli’s voice was accompanied by the familiar sound of an engine. Jinglin couldn’t help but be taken aback. Is that her car?
She had only taken a few steps in the direction of the emergency room when a few security guards next to her were already shouting, “Quick,” “in the emergency room,” “there are a lot of people. Notify the police,” and so on.
“They seem to have already arrived.”
‘Then that’s bad. Officer Cai is driving, and we still need some time to get there.’
“You contact the chief. I’ll find a way to find the director first.” Jinglin adjusted her ponytail as she ran and followed the group of security guards. Before she had even reached the emergency room, she saw a group of people gathered outside the corridor.
There were about seven or eight people. They were fierce, and although they had no weapons, their numbers were more than enough to suppress the three security guards who were holding batons.
While the security guards were distracting a few of them, Jinglin decided to go around to the other side to enter the emergency room, but just as she was approaching the entrance, a sound similar to a gunshot came from inside.
She hit the sensor of the isolation door, but she didn’t have a card, so she couldn’t get in.
At that moment, someone inside the glass door pressed the switch, and as they rushed out, they collided with her.
The person was in a white coat, and after a second of looking at Jinglin, they pulled down their mask. “Y-You’re Yingli’s…”
“I’m here to find the director… where is Mr. Zhou Zengxiang?” Jinglin recognized Ren Liqiong and immediately held her shoulders.
“He’s in ten…” they were blocking the isolation door, and with the approach of Wu Jianxiong and his men, and with the gunshot just now, all the patients, their families, and the medical staff were scrambling to get away.
“It’s fine. You find a place to hide first.” Jinglin’s face darkened, and she tried hard to find a way to get into the emergency room through the crowd.
“Officer Zhou, you have to be careful… they have a gun.”
“I know.” Jinglin’s right hand was on her holster, and like a salmon swimming upstream, she went against the crowd. The crowd in front of her quickly dispersed, and she saw a man in a white suit leading the way, searching everywhere. The patients and their families who could move freely had probably already squeezed toward the exit, leaving only those who were unable to move.
“Don’t move.” She drew her service pistol. “Wu Jianxiong, stop all your and your men’s actions immediately, or I’ll shoot.”
Wu Jianxiong’s movements paused, and he immediately looked up. “You’re here too? What’s up? Are you here to save your old man?”
Jinglin frowned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He turned. “I told you not to move.” she ordered again, and at the same time, from the moment he had turned, she had seen the bloodstains on his suit. “Was it you who shot?”
“Yes, there were two annoying dogs. I treated them to some peanuts.” Wu Jianxiong spat. “Since you’re Ah Jiao’s daughter, and we have so many people. How about this, I’ll give you two choices. One, you leave now and don’t interfere with me catching the Zhou guy, and I’ll pretend you were never here. Two, don’t use a gun, and I’ll play with you with my fists, and I’ll beat you to the ground and make you submit.”
Jinglin’s forehead was veined, and her mind was unconsciously filled with the past of being abused by him with a wine bottle, a slap, and so on.
Raising the muzzle, she shot down the embedded light above Wu Jianxiong’s head, forcing him and his men to take two steps back.
“Damn it, don’t refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit.” Wu Jianxiong was about to take out his M1911 when Jinglin put her service pistol back in its holster and took a few steps forward.
“I have a third option.” Pulling up her jacket sleeve, Jinglin took a Muay Thai stance. “I’ll play with you… but you’ll be beaten to the ground. At that time, you’ll have to take your men and get out of here.”
Wu Jianxiong took off his jacket and handed his gun to the younger brother behind him.
“Last time, you used a despicable trick like a sneak attack… this time, I’m going to get back what you owe me, with interest.”
“As expected of Ah Jiao’s daughter. Even with that coward’s blood, you’re still very brave.” He nodded and cracked his knuckles. “Okay, I’ll fight you, and I’ll beat you until you cry for your parents.”
**
“Take me to the emergency room entrance.”
Even though the sound of sirens could already be heard in the distance, Yingli was still not at ease. If Jinglin went in like this, she would very likely have a direct confrontation with Wu Jianxiong. She was worried that Jinglin would lose control of her emotions, not just physically, but also that if she were to kill someone with her own hands, it would add unnecessary psychological pressure.
“Phew, I’ve been speeding all the way. If I get a ticket, should I pay some for Jinglin…”
“I’ll split it with you later.” She unbuckled her seatbelt. “By the way, do you have a gun?”
“I…” he took out the Walther PPQ-M2, “hey, I do.”
“Let me borrow it.”
His eyes widened. “N-No, if the chief finds out…”
“You want me to rush in and help with my bare hands? What if Officer Zhou is held hostage, or if she runs into an even more dangerous situation?” Yingli retorted in a firm tone. “It’s just in case. Hurry up, I won’t just shoot.”
“Oh, oh, okay.” in any case, the most important thing was that Jinglin was safe. “But don’t say I lent it to you. Especially don’t let the director know.”
“Ah, I won’t say.” Putting the gun in her long skirt pocket, Yingli did not forget to instruct, “remember to go around again before you park. I’m afraid there are still Wu Jianxiong’s men behind.” after she had finished, she strode in.
“I’m just a driver…” he sighed twice and resignedly stepped on the gas.
Meanwhile, Zhou Zengxiang was hiding in a partition in the emergency room office, holding his injured right leg and watching the battle.
Jinglin… his daughter.
Facing Wu Jianxiong’s ringed fist, Jinglin dodged with a head shake, but her cheek was still grazed by the sharp edge of the ring.
Tsk, it’s like wearing a different kind of knuckle duster. She was furious, but she was still able to maintain her reason and found another opening after his attack to counterattack.
“Ugh.” Wu Jianxiong, who had taken a knee strike from her, held his stomach. “Damn it, you’ve been trained.”
Jinglin did not pay attention to his surprise, but snuck closer and first threw a straight punch. The moment it was blocked, she followed with a right elbow strike. Wu Jianxiong roared and, with both hands protecting his head, he charged at her.
She was hit head-on and fell onto an empty hospital bed. Wu Jianxiong used his body weight to temporarily pin her down, and a headbutt came at her.
“Damn you…”
She squinted and endured it, and with her right knee, she kicked him away. Before he could regain his footing, she grabbed his neck with both hands, and with two consecutive knee strikes and a hook, she knocked him down.
“Ugh…” Wu Jianxiong fell backward, dizzy, and the few men who were following behind all came forward.
She touched her forehead, and although the dizziness quickly subsided, what came at her were the men who were fighting for Wu Jianxiong.
“Damn it.”, “beat her.” in an instant, it went from a one-on-one to two or three opponents at the same time. Jinglin first knocked down two of them with a kick, but a flash of silver caught her eye, and one of the gangsters actually rushed at her with a small knife.
She tightly held his wrist, which was holding the knife, and then knocked him to the ground with an uppercut.
“She’s very good at fighting. Don’t be polite with her.”
Jinglin wiped her cheek, and not surprisingly, a little blood came out. She was about to draw her gun when a gunshot suddenly came from behind her.
“I advise you to be a little more well-behaved,” Jinglin turned, and what came into view was that very familiar black figure.
Pushing up her glasses, Yingli pointed directly at the prostrate Wu Jianxiong. “Because I won’t be polite with you either.”
“Tang Yingli.” she couldn’t help but smile. “Where did you get the gun?”
“Ah, I borrowed it. Officer Cai told me not to say.”
“Didn’t you just say it?”
“That’s not important.” She shrugged. “Where’s Zhou Zengxiang?”
Jinglin continued to watch the group of gangsters and slowly retreated to Yingli’s position. “I didn’t see him.”
“I saw him.” Yingli found him hiding behind a partition. “Are you okay?”
Zhou Zengxiang shook his head. “But one of the colleagues who came to protect me was shot.” he looked up and finally met Jinglin’s gaze.
“Director, are you okay?”
“Zhou… I’m fine.” he smiled and gave her a thumbs-up.
“Stop pretending. You’re the one who caused this mess in the first place.” compared to Jinglin, Yingli’s attitude was much colder, “but before you fulfill your promise, Officer Zhou and I will definitely not let you die.”
“Damn it.”
Wu Jianxiong staggered to his feet and grabbed the M1911. “So you were hiding here.” he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and loaded a bullet, “you hurt Ah Jiao so deeply back then… and you can still marry a beautiful wife and live a good life. If it weren’t for Ah Jiao… if it weren’t for Ah Jiao’s insistence, I would have had my younger brothers go up one by one and let you feel the taste of being humiliated.”
“Wu Jianxiong, a person like you… you’re not allowed to call my mom so intimately.”
“Ha, you little girl, you don’t know anything. You think your mom is so miserable? And why has Ah Jiao never told you who your dad is? Do you know why?”
Jinglin, who was about to draw her gun, trembled violently. “You… you know my dad?”
Yingli’s finger was lightly on the safety of the trigger, but she did not actually press it.
“Isn’t he lying on the ground?” Wu Jianxiong smiled, and then his expression became ferocious. “It’s this scum, Zhou Zengxiang. He played with Ah Jiao’s feelings, and when he was about to be promoted, he just kicked her away and left you two to fend for yourselves.”
Jinglin was frozen in place, and time seemed to stand still. She slowly looked at Zhou Zengxiang. “You… what he said, is it true? Director… is it me…”
Zhou Zengxiang closed his eyes. “I’m sorry. To you, and to Lisa…”
“You knew.” she turned to Yingli.
“After the Shi Jingde case broke out, he and I had a private confrontation, and he confirmed this fact. I’m sorry… that a person like him is actually your biological father.” Yingli sighed softly and pursed her lips. “I wish it weren’t true.”
“This kind of scum… deserves to die.” Wu Jianxiong was about to pull the trigger when the other side moved faster.
The bullet accurately hit his arm, and the M1911 fell to the ground with a “thud.”
“You have no right to kill him.” after accurately hitting his arm, Yingli turned to his chest, “compared to you, whether it’s Li Yuejiao, Officer Zhou, or even me, we have much more right… and I’ve said it before, I will not let him die.”
“O-Old boss, there are cops behind.”, “and in front.” with the reminder of Wu Jianxiong’s several men, he finally realized that he was completely surrounded.
“Damn it.”
Wu Jianxiong wanted to grab the M1911 that had fallen on the ground, but Yingli, who had seen his intention, rushed forward and kicked the gun to Jinglin before he could.
“This farce is over.” Yingli’s shoe was on his forehead, and Wu Jianxiong wanted to fight back, but he was hit hard in the chin. He fell backward, glaring at her with hatred.
“I have to say, you’ve done a good job of covering for him. In terms of loyalty, your performance and your dedication far surpass Zhou Zengxiang’s. If it weren’t for you going after Officer Zhou back then, you might have really been able to give them, mother and daughter, happiness.”
Wu Jianxiong was stunned, and his lips twitched. He could only look up at Yingli. “You messed it up yourself, Mr. Wu.”
The police who had just arrived quickly subdued Wu Jianxiong and his men. “You… how did you know I…”
“Do I even have to say it? Your love for your aunt has long been written all over your face.” putting the gun back in her pocket without a trace, she smiled, “the brain doesn’t lie.”
He was quickly handcuffed. “Let’s go.” two police officers supported him and took him away. It wasn’t until the conflict had subsided that the medical staff and the patients gradually returned.
Jinglin picked up the M1911 with a trembling hand. “Jinglin…” hearing Zhou Zengxiang call her, she glared at him, “I’m sorry.”
She gripped the gun. Yingli watched her with bated breath, and it wasn’t until she had locked the safety and had removed the magazine that she let out a sigh of relief.
“I now, I don’t know how to face you.” she turned her head, “I’m going. You take care of yourself.”
**
After a circle, Cai Yuwei simply parked the car on the side of the road and waited. A moment later, he saw Jinglin and Yingli run over together. “Jinglin, that’s great, you’re not… you’re crying? What’s wrong?”
Her eyes were red. “I’m fine.” with the key, she quickly opened the door and got into the driver’s seat.
“Jing…” he was confused, and when he turned, he immediately had two guns in his hands. “Teacher, this…”
“Thank you for the gun. You can take this M1911 back as evidence.” Yingli pushed him away with her elbow and opened the passenger side door.
“Oh.” he nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, “Teacher, you… the gun thing, it wasn’t exposed, was it?”
“Of course, I’m very tight-lipped.” Yingli said with a straight face. She closed the car door, and the small white car quickly started and drove away.
He held the two guns, and it wasn’t until the car was almost out of sight that he reacted. “This… wait a minute. Does this mean I have to go back to the station by myself? Hey.”
As soon as she got in the car, Yingli was busy reporting what had just happened. “Yes… everyone is fine… Officer Zhang was injured, and I’ve already asked a doctor I know to help treat him. It’s not life-threatening… oh? I see. Officer Zhou and I will be there… okay, keep in touch.” turning off her earpiece, she buckled her seatbelt, “we’re going to Linkou. The just-arrested Cao Zhongming has revealed your aunt’s whereabouts.”
“Got it.” Jinglin quickly corrected her direction.
Listening to her faint sobs, Yingli pursed her lips. “I’m sorry, I didn’t tell you right away…”
“You were right not to say it.” blinking, she wiped away her tears, “if I had known earlier… I really wouldn’t have known how to face this case.”
“Yes, and how to face him is also a problem.”
“I can’t even think about this right now.” Jinglin forced a smile. “I’m his daughter? You’re not kidding, are you? My direct superior is actually my dad… but I’m not happy at all.”
“I can understand. And I can imagine that when your aunt found out you had successfully entered the Criminal Investigation Division, her heart must have been even more uneasy.”
“I suddenly really want to turn back time by an hour, back to when I didn’t know who my biological father was.” Jinglin glared at her resentfully. “Why did you call me here?”
“What if Zhou Zengxiang had died, and you had only found out afterward that he was your father? Would you have had the same regret as you do now… no, maybe even more?” Yingli rested her chin on her hand and looked out the window. “Even if I didn’t let you know now, when you meet your aunt, you will also know… I will definitely choose a time to tell you.”
“What, you’re afraid of being bitten by a snake?” she was referring to the period when the two of them had not been in contact.
“Yes.”
It was a red light. Jinglin slammed on the brakes.
“That period was really hard to get through.” Yingli did not turn, but she knew that Jinglin was staring at her. “I’m no longer used to being at home alone.”
“I thought you only needed Antisocial Personality.”
“Ah, that was before.”
“Tang Yingli…”
“In any case, you’ve already figured out everything you should have. The rest…” she slowly turned and met Jinglin’s gaze, “is to go and see your aunt. To talk things out with her. I’m sure she also has a lot to say to you.”
Jinglin nodded, and unexpectedly, a few tears fell. Yingli gently pressed her cheek. “Does it hurt?”
She held Yingli’s hand. “It’s fine… a small injury.”
“In any case, I will be with you to face whatever happens next.” the countdown of the red light was about to end, “let’s go?”
Wiping away her tears, Jinglin slammed on the gas, and the small white car sped forward without hesitation.
It was time to end all of this.
