The two of them returned to the hotel lobby first. Gong Yingxian discussed with his colleagues how to capture Bai Chicheng. The absolute minimum requirement was that the hostages survive.
However, after discussing several plans, they all felt the chances of success were too low. The multifunctional conference hall was too large, and its walls were completely enclosed. There was nowhere to hide, and they couldn’t launch a direct assault. Capturing Bai Chicheng alive was almost impossible, and it would be difficult to guarantee Yue Xingu’s safety as well—unless Bai Chicheng was willing to surrender.
One police officer said, “We can only find out what conditions he wants to impose and then act accordingly.”
“That’s the most troublesome part,” Gong Yingxian said gravely. “He hasn’t made any demands. He doesn’t look anxious in the slightest.”
“He didn’t make any demands earlier, but he might now,” Ren Yi said.
Gong Yingxian pondered for a moment. “Fit me with a listening device. We’ll prepare several plans for a direct assault first. Listen for my signal and act accordingly.”
Once everything was ready, Gong Yingxian and Ren Yi went upstairs.
Gong Yingxian said worriedly, “Judging from your conversation with them, Bai Chicheng not only intends to die himself, but he also has no intention of letting Yue Xingu survive.”
“That’s why he allowed Yue Xingu to tell me all those things?”
“Mm. It’s as though he wants Yue Xingu to take all the blame before he dies.”
“But you’ve already seen through their scheme.”
“However, if we can’t find more compelling evidence, Yue Xingu’s account is internally consistent, and you’re a witness. He really did work in bidding and procurement for the group, and he really did have financial dealings with Wang Minde. He had both the motive and the means to commit the crimes, and his confession is entirely plausible. That makes this very troublesome. We already have enough evidence to file for a retrial, and we’re preparing the documents now. But if, after the case is reopened, all we manage to identify as the ‘mastermind’ is Yue Xingu, then everything we’ve done will have been in vain.”
Gong Yingxian narrowed his eyes. “The person pulling the strings behind the scenes is very good at using scapegoats to cover up their own crimes. My father was the scapegoat before, and now it’s Yue Xingu. I absolutely will not let them succeed again.”
“Yue Xingu said he was being coerced. That should be true. Purple Flame even tried to kill Feilan. Was that meant to warn Yue Xingu?”
“If so, it worked. He showed Yue Xingu what he could do to Feilan. The fact that Feilan is still alive is now the biggest bargaining chip he has for keeping Yue Xingu under his control.”
“So Yue Xingu won’t say anything,” Ren Yi said, his expression grave.
“Unless we capture Purple Flame and make him understand that no one can threaten Feilan anymore. But first, we have to keep him alive.”
Ren Yi looked at the conference room doors, now just ahead of them, and took a deep breath. “Let’s go.”
The two of them pushed open the door.
Inside the conference room, everything was just as it had been when they left earlier. Bai Chicheng and Yue Xingu were sitting in their respective chairs, and neither man’s expression had changed much.
When Bai Chicheng saw them, he spoke. “Stop right there. Take off your jackets first, and put down your guns.”
Gong Yingxian threw his jacket and service weapon onto the floor.
Only then did Bai Chicheng allow them to approach. He gave them a cold smile. “You’ve shut down the surveillance cameras throughout the entire building, but I still know exactly where you’ve been and what you’re doing.”
“Did you kidnap the two guests from Room 1206? Where are they?”
“You couldn’t find them yourselves, and now you expect me to tell you?” Bai Chicheng said. “See? I told you that you’d definitely come back to find me.”
“Now we’re back. What do you intend to do next?” Ren Yi glared at him.
“Next, we’re changing the rules.” Bai Chicheng pointed at Gong Yingxian. “This time, you stay. I have something to discuss with you privately.” He then pointed at Ren Yi. “You leave.”
Ren Yi glanced at Gong Yingxian. Only after receiving an affirmative look from him did he back out of the room.
What new trick was Bai Yan planning to pull this time?
Ren Yi felt a heavy weight in his chest and had some difficulty breathing. He wasn’t sure whether it was because of his injuries or simply his anxiety.
Whatever the case, Gong Yingxian should be better equipped to deal with Bai Chicheng than he was.
Ren Yi pressed his face against the door, hoping to hear what was happening inside. But all he could make out was a faint, muffled hum. He couldn’t understand a single word. He paced back and forth outside, growing increasingly restless.
About twenty minutes later, a piercing scream suddenly erupted from the conference room without the slightest warning!
Ren Yi jolted in fright, his adrenaline surging. He spun around and charged at the conference room, slamming his body against the door to force it open.
The first thing he saw was a person engulfed in flames, running and rolling frantically around the room, screaming incessantly and knocking over countless tables and chairs.
It was Yue Xingu!
Ren Yi frantically searched for Gong Yingxian, only to see him leaving through another door in the conference room.
“Yingxian!”
Gong Yingxian looked back at him and gave him a look.
It was a look Ren Yi would never forget for the rest of his life. It was a mixture of struggle, anguish, intensity, coldness, and absolute resolve. He had never seen such an expression in anyone’s eyes before, and he couldn’t understand what it meant.
Ren Yi was beside himself with worry. He started to chase after Gong Yingxian, but when he saw the person rolling around on the floor in flames, he gritted his teeth. After a moment of agonizing hesitation, he had already taken off his jacket and rushed toward Yue Xingu.
He wrapped the upper half of Yue Xingu’s body and his head in the coat, then rapidly patted it, trying to smother the flames by cutting off their oxygen supply. But the strong smell of alcohol permeating the air told him that this fire would not be so easy to extinguish.
He sprang to his feet and rushed out of the conference room. Out of professional habit, whenever he entered a place, he instinctively took note of where the fire extinguishers were. He found one as quickly as possible, ran back into the conference room, and sprayed Yue Xingu with it.
By the time the extinguisher was empty, Yue Xingu was lying motionless on the floor.
Ren Yi threw the extinguisher aside and, with trembling hands, lifted his jacket. Beneath it was Yue Xingu, burned beyond recognition.
He dropped to the floor, calling for help while feeling around for Yue Xingu’s pulse and heartbeat.
An ambulance had already been waiting downstairs. In less than two minutes, the emergency medical personnel rushed upstairs, but Ren Yi knew it was too late.
Yue Xingu was dead.
He had been burned alive right before Ren Yi’s eyes.
No matter how evil a person might be, no matter how deserving of death they might seem, witnessing such a scene could still stir an instinctive sense of shared humanity. Besides, Yue Xingu was not someone who had absolutely nothing to do with him. Ren Yi couldn’t describe the anger and shock he felt at that moment.
The world seemed to spin around him. He staggered backward two steps until his lower back hit a table, which he leaned against to keep himself upright.
“Captain Ren.” Shi Xiaoqian took his hand. “Let me treat your injuries.”
Ren Yi lowered his head. He hadn’t even realized that his own hand had been burned just now.
“Are you all right? Weren’t you still in the hospital? You need to come with me to the ambulance immediately.”
“…No. Yingxian.” Ren Yi came back to his senses, turned, and ran.
“Captain Ren—!”
As soon as Ren Yi rushed out of the conference room, he collided head-on with several police officers.
“Where’s Dr. Gong?”
Both sides had asked the exact same question at the same time. Then they all froze.
Ren Yi was completely bewildered. He had no idea what had happened. Gong Yingxian should have gone to capture Bai Yan. But Bai Yan was only one person, and the entire hotel had been sealed off by the police. Where could he possibly run? If he couldn’t escape, he should already have been caught. Yet these officers hadn’t seen Bai Yan—or even Gong Yingxian.
Very soon, a voice came over one officer’s radio.
“Bai Yan has taken Dr. Gong hostage. The two of them just drove away from the hotel.”
Ren Yi froze in place.
No. Gong Yingxian hadn’t been taken hostage when he left the conference room. And Yue Xingu was already dead. What could Bai Yan possibly use to threaten Gong Yingxian?
Ren Yi felt that everything that had happened in the past few dozen minutes had exceeded the limits of his ability to process it. His mind was in complete chaos.
Then he suddenly remembered that he still had his phone. He hurriedly called Gong Yingxian, but, as expected, the phone was already switched off.
“Captain Ren, what exactly happened just now?” a police officer pressed him.
“I… I don’t know. Bai Chicheng wanted to speak with Dr. Gong privately, so I left the room. Then I heard someone screaming inside, so I went in and saw Yue Xingu on fire. Dr. Gong went to capture Bai Yan, and I… I put out the fire, and then…” Ren Yi forced himself to untangle the events from his chaotic thoughts and recount what had happened, but his mind was already in turmoil.
The officer looked at him as though he might collapse at any moment. “Captain Ren, I’ll take you back to the hospital first. We’ll continue tracking Dr. Gong, and we’ll notify you immediately if we get any news.”
“I’m not going back! I need to know where he is right now. Can you track his phone? What car did he take? Have you caught up with them?” Ren Yi demanded urgently. “Right, he’s wearing a listening device. What did they say to each other? Hurry up and listen to it!”
“Captain Ren,” the officer said more firmly, “we’re already doing everything you can think of. We need you to cooperate with us, but given your current physical condition, you shouldn’t stay here any longer.”
“Show me the surveillance footage! Let me hear the recording! Does Captain Qiu know? I’ll call her!”
Ren Yi pulled out his phone and was about to make the call.
Suddenly, he felt a slight prick in his neck.
He turned around and saw Shi Xiaoqian holding a syringe, looking at him with concern.
His vision went black, and he collapsed.
Gong Yingxian, you absolutely must be all right…