FY - 57

In the morning, Zhou Yan prepared breakfast for Si Wen.

His stomach could handle a sky-high priced dinner as well as a breakfast she made that cost less than five dollars in total.

She didn’t think much of it before. Maybe all rich people were like that, doing things on a whim without needing a reason.

Later, as she learned a little about his past, she understood. Of course he could accept a five-dollar breakfast. He was willing to get involved with drugs for his business, so what couldn’t he accept?

Si Wen came out of the shower, put on his shirt, and buttoned it as he walked toward her.

Zhou Yan was lost in thought and didn’t notice him.

He hugged her from behind, pulling the front of his shirt around her. “What are you thinking about?”

Zhou Yan was startled when he hugged her. She flipped the ham in the pan. “I was wondering if I should wear a dress later, or...”

Mid-sentence, she changed her question to a statement. “I’ll wear a dress later.”

Si Wen tucked her hair behind her ear. “Whatever you want.”

Zhou Yan also told him, “A red one. So the blood won’t show.”

Si Wen’s hand slid down her arm to her wrist and squeezed, forcing her to put down the spatula.

Zhou Yan let go of the spatula, turned off the stove, and looked at him. “What are you doing?”

Si Wen turned her body to face him, pulling her hands to the front of his shirt. “Button it up for me.”

Childish. A smile escaped Zhou Yan’s lips.

After buttoning the last one, she looked toward the walk-in closet. “Didn’t you get a tie? Which one are you wearing today?”

She was about to go and get one when Si Wen grabbed her hand. “Not wearing one today.”

Zhou Yan tilted her chin up, deliberately teasing him. “Going for the flirty look today? I’m already yours, so who are you trying to seduce? If you’re going for that style, I will, too.”

“All your old enemies are men, right?”

Si Wen bit her chin, leaving a row of teeth marks.

Zhou Yan gasped, pushing his face away. “You bit me! It hurts!”

Si Wen watched her rub her chin. “That’s to teach you a lesson. Next time you try to piss me off, I’ll draw blood.”

Zhou Yan scoffed and jumped up to bite his neck. She didn’t want to wait for next time; she wanted to draw blood now.

With his blood still on her lips, she looked smug. “Did that feel good?”

Si Wen truly loved her wild side! After watching her for a while, he willingly extinguished his natural arrogance and submitted to her.

“Yes, it did.”

Zhou Yan laughed and leaned back in, placing her hands on his shoulders. She stood on her tiptoes and licked the bloodstain clean. “I’ll put a bandage on it later. I bought some last week—they’re cartoon ones.”

Si Wen’s infatuation was instantly replaced by annoyance. “No.”

Zhou Yan acted as if she hadn’t heard him and put one on him anyway.

Si Wen: “...”

Zhou Yan served him breakfast. “Eat first.”

Si Wen walked over, pulled out a chair, and just as he picked up his milk, his phone rang—the one he had recently allowed his men to contact him on.

Zhou Yan stopped cutting the fruit pie and subconsciously looked in the direction of the phone.

Si Wen went to answer it.

“Boss, they’re here. They didn’t come through Qizhou. They came from Jianglin Port. Including the ones that were already here, there are about forty of them.”

Forty people.

Si Wen acknowledged this. “Stay sharp. Keep a close eye on Hu Lai. Don’t let him meet with Ban Ma unless I’m there.”

“Got it.”

As soon as he hung up, Zhou Yan had already gone into the bathroom.

She took a shower, put on her panties, and was putting on her bra as she walked out.

She met Si Wen at the entrance to the walk-in closet and turned her back to him.

Si Wen, with a knowing look, fastened the clasp on her bra and kissed the part of her spine just below her shoulder.

Zhou Yan walked into the dressing room, took out a pair of leggings, bunched them up so only the cuff was showing, and put them on, slowly pulling them up. After putting on both legs, she took out a red dress. After a moment of thought, she put it back and chose a black, form-fitting, high-neck dress instead.

Finally, she took a red coat and draped it over her shoulders.

As she was thinking about which shoes to wear, Si Wen had already brought a pair over and placed them at her feet.

Zhou Yan looked at the shoes, and they did match her outfit perfectly.

She smiled and lifted her foot.

Si Wen held her foot and knelt to help her put them on.

When she was ready, Zhou Yan put on the watch Si Wen had bought for her. She also took the cufflink and put it in his hand, asking him to help her put it in her hair.

Si Wen’s things only listened to Si Wen. Zhou Yan couldn’t get it to stay at first, but with a gentle flick from him, it was firmly holding her hair by her ear.

On the way to Guangnan Nunnery, Zhou Yan asked Si Wen, “Why a watch? Not a ring?”

Si Wen had long forgotten his original intention for buying the watch. He said lightly, “You’ll look at the watch every day and think of me. A ring can’t do that.”

Zhou Yan “tsk’ed.” “Such a cunning teacher, Si.”

Si Wen: “If you want a ring, I can buy you one. Or you can buy one yourself. All the money is with you anyway.”

Zhou Yan: “No, it’ll get in the way of using a gun.”

Si Wen’s eyes softened.

________________________________________

Feng Zhongliang and Zhao Youjin had been waiting at the entrance of the forest in the southwest since early in the morning. Behind them were armed teams waiting for instructions, hidden by stacks of timber and bricks. Through the gaps, only a part of them could be seen. Yet, every single one of them was standing at attention, ready to fight at any moment.

Zhao Youjin didn’t dare to look back. Her heart was in a panic, for no reason.

Feng Zhongliang saw that she didn’t look well and handed her his water bottle.

Zhao Youjin’s movements were slow. She took it after a moment of hesitation. “Thank you.”

Feng Zhongliang looked at the entrance to the forest. “The other day you said you were tied to Si Wen in some way, but you didn’t say why you went to Candy to find his woman.”

Zhao Youjin finished the water, put the cap on, and handed it back to him. “I was arrogant, I guess. I thought that since I could conquer so many men, Si Wen wouldn’t be any different.”

Feng Zhongliang didn’t care who she liked or seduced. He said calmly, “If I told you he used to be my undercover agent, would you stop having any good feelings for him because of your disgust for me and my profession?”

Hearing this, Zhao Youjin’s expression suddenly froze, and she couldn’t recover for a long time. “You... you mean, Si Wen was that undercover agent?”

Feng Zhongliang looked at her reaction, which was more severe than he had imagined, and gave a self-deprecating laugh. “So you really hate my work that much.”

Zhao Youjin was speechless, filled with nothing but shock and fear.

Si Wen was that undercover agent. So Si Wen was that undercover agent!

Did his targeting mean that he knew she hadn’t reported his being trapped to Feng Zhongliang in the past? He knew!? He must have known! Otherwise, why would he? No, no, it’s impossible. He couldn’t have that much reach!

But how else could she explain his cruel methods toward her?

She was panicking. She was so panicked. Her heart was beating more violently than it did on the day she was deflowered. That day was a mix of nervousness and joy, with only a little fear. Now, it was fear and pain, with only a little bit of hope.

Yes, if Si Wen hadn’t known, why would he have meticulously set up a trap for her to fall into, and why would he have kept such a close eye on her, even knowing so much about her relationship with Hu Lai?

He must have known! He was getting revenge on her! He wanted her dead!

Her mind raced. Zhao Youjin couldn’t stay any longer. She turned and ran, muttering, “I have to get out of here! I have to get out of here!”

The last few sentences were a hysterical scream. Feng Zhongliang was stunned by her sudden frenzy, but his years of experience and quick reactions as a police officer made him have his men pin her down.

He walked over, brushed her hair aside, and looked at her ghastly face. “What’s wrong with you?”

Zhao Youjin’s tears fell. She crawled on the ground toward Feng Zhongliang, grabbed his pant leg, and said, “Save me... He wants to kill me...”

Feng Zhongliang frowned.

________________________________________

Si Wen entered the forest from the southwest entrance.

Zhou Yan was a little confused. Usually, when she and Si Wen came here, they didn’t take this route. He had made a road himself. Why did they take this one today?

But she didn’t ask.

None of Si Wen’s actions were without purpose.

When they arrived at Guangnan Nunnery, Si Wen’s men, who were lazily sitting on the ground, immediately stood up. “Boss.”

Si Wen opened his “armory.” The men quickly went inside and came out with guns, grenades, ammunition, and protective gear. They armed themselves at lightning speed and stood in a row facing Si Wen.

Si Wen looked at them and nodded. “Remember what I told you. After today, you will be free.”

They were reluctant and expressed their feelings awkwardly.

One of the bolder ones spoke up directly. “Boss, we don’t want to leave you...”

With one person starting, the others became more courageous. “That’s right, we don’t have family or relatives. You bought us and saved our lives. If it weren’t for you, we would have been tortured to death in those mercenary companies.”

“You gave us the right to live, taught us to read and write, and gave us guns to protect ourselves... Boss, we don’t want to leave you. Just let us follow you. We want to follow you...”

One of them started crying. “This is the first time I’ve ever been treated like a person... You’re harsh to us... but you’re also sincere...”

“That’s right, boss. Our lives belong to you. If we don’t die for you, we’re not going anywhere else!”

Si Wen frowned, about to scold them, when Zhou Yan held his arm.

He looked back. Zhou Yan looked at him and patted the back of his hand, so he gave her the right to speak.

Zhou Yan took a step forward and gave each of them a tissue. “There is no feast that doesn’t end. The value of your lives is not to die for Si Wen. He bought you and gave you a new life. You should cherish this opportunity. Think about those who are just like you but were not lucky enough to be bought back by Si Wen. What right do you have to be sentimental and dramatic here?”

They all fell silent, wiping their tears with the tissues.

One of the smarter ones shouted to the others, “Listen to our sister-in-law! If this is our last day with the boss, let’s do a great job and let the boss know that he didn’t misjudge us!”

The two speeches boosted their morale.

A little later, Zhou Yan went to get a gun. Si Wen went with her and laid out a few that were suitable for her.

Zhou Yan looked at the row of handguns, then took an M249 light machine gun from the rack, put it on her shoulder, and fastened two belts of ammunition around her waist.

Si Wen raised an eyebrow and looked at her.

Zhou Yan looked back at him. “What?”

Si Wen didn’t answer. He cupped the back of her head, pulled her to him, and kissed her forehead. “Protect yourself.”

Zhou Yan had only been learning how to use a gun for a short time and lacked experience. She wouldn’t rush out to show off. She would protect herself, but even for self-protection, she didn’t want a handgun.

It was just like how she had met so many men but only chose Si Wen.

“Of course I’ll protect myself. I’m your student,” she said.

Si Wen smiled.

Such a clear, genuine smile was a rare sight.

He stroked the back of her head, put on her bulletproof vest, and also put on her helmet and goggles. “This unfinished building is a good place to ambush people. You hide in that spot I told you about last time. If anyone comes up, from your position, you can kill them with one shot, and no blood will get on you.”

Zhou Yan nodded.

She could have stayed at home and waited for Si Wen, but she didn’t want to. Even if she came, she would never cause him trouble or distract him. She would protect herself. Si Wen trusted that she could.

She wanted to welcome Si Wen’s victory in her most beautiful form, at the very first moment.

Si Wen put on his bulletproof vest, took two handguns, two submachine guns, and two rifles, and put on all the gun straps, hanging them around his neck.

Hu Lai came in and said to Si Wen, “Can I have a gun, too?”

Si Wen didn’t give him one. “Someone will protect you.”

Hu Lai: “But if a fight breaks out, who can look out for who? Just give me one.”

Si Wen glanced at the row of handguns on the table, finally took one from the rack, and threw it to him. “Don’t fire unless it’s a critical moment, or my men will shoot you before you can even pull the trigger.”

Hu Lai nodded. “You have to keep your promise, too. When I get back from this, you’ll let my family go.”

Si Wen didn’t answer, but he looked at him with a very determined look in his eyes.

Zhou Yan straightened the guns on Si Wen’s body and grabbed his hand. No matter how noisy it was outside, no matter how wild the plants and animals were in the forest, she asked, “Now, I’ll only ask you one question.”

Si Wen looked into her eyes, his gaze incredibly gentle. “I love you.”

Zhou Yan’s eyes were a little red, but she still insisted on asking. “What’s your plan?”

Si Wen told her, “My original plan was to die together. My plan now is to come back alive to you.”

Tears streamed down Zhou Yan’s face, two fierce, quick lines.

Si Wen leaned down and kissed her tear-stained cheeks. “I was so bad to you, and I haven’t had a chance to make it up to you, or let you get revenge. I won’t die. Before, my life was my own to decide. Now, my life is yours to decide.”

Zhou Yan rushed into his arms. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

________________________________________

Under Feng Zhongliang’s interrogation, Zhao Youjin finally told the truth—how her selfishness had caused Si Wen to be left for dead in the canyon.

Feng Zhongliang’s head was spinning with rage. He slapped her across the face, sending her to the ground, where she couldn’t get up.

Zhao Youjin sobbed. She knew she deserved to die, but she really didn’t want to.

When Feng Zhongliang heard the news, he almost lost his balance. If there hadn’t been a tree nearby, he would have fallen with her. He couldn’t imagine the scene of Si Wen waiting to die in that canyon, and he couldn’t imagine how desperate Si Wen must have been when he escaped on his own.

His Si Wen, who never asked for anything, who only followed him with a brave heart.

It was truly his fault, Feng Zhongliang’s fault.

Feng Zhongliang leaned on the tree with his arm, his forehead resting on his forearm, and cried uncontrollably.

His Si Wen. It was all his fault. It was all his fault for creating this situation today. It was all him.

The new director of the anti-narcotics bureau sent a message at this time, still respectfully calling him Director Feng. “How’s the situation over there? Has he entered the forest?”

Feng Zhongliang calmed himself down for a moment before taking out the walkie-talkie and pressing the button to speak. “He has entered.”

He continued, “But the situation has changed. It’s not suitable for a military response for now. I am requesting to go in alone. I can’t be sure if he’s a criminal or a soldier right now, so I need to see him after the operation.”

The new director didn’t understand what he meant, but he respected his senior and believed he had a reason for doing this. “Alright. But to be safe, please take someone with you.”

Feng Zhongliang didn’t want to bring anyone, but Wei Li’an walked up from the back. “Among everyone here, I understand Si Wen the most.”

Feng Zhongliang refused. “I’m going in alone!”

Wei Li’an had a bad feeling, a feeling that made him have to follow Feng Zhongliang, and he was willing to point a gun at himself to threaten him.

He had no choice. Feng Zhongliang closed his eyes tightly and eventually took Wei Li’an with him. He also dragged Zhao Youjin along.

Zhao Youjin struggled, not wanting to go in. “Please! Please let me go! Please! You’re my husband! How can you make me go to my death? Please let me go! I can go to jail! I can! Twenty years! Life! Anything!”

Feng Zhongliang was unmoved and insisted on taking her with him.

He told her, “If I find out he suffered any misfortune because of you, I’ll have you buried with him.”

Wei Li’an, who was behind them, heard this and his heart sank.

He had heard Zhao Youjin’s confession about the past and knew the whole truth. To be honest, he also wanted her to die, to make her realize what a crime it was to harm a hero. But he still wouldn’t do it or say it.

But Feng Zhongliang did.

He must have been very sad, right?

Wei Li’an was finally at peace. Feng Zhongliang was still the anti-narcotics bureau director he respected and revered.

He might have made mistakes that affected the course of some people or events, but his original intention hadn’t changed.

In this tragedy, no one was wrong, and everyone was wrong.

Wei Li’an gave a self-deprecating smile. This was probably the best explanation for this absurd play.

________________________________________

Si Wen ordered his men to take Hu Lai to meet Ban Ma.

Ban Ma came in from Jianglin and arrived at the designated location. Behind him were his men, all with shifty eyes and sunken cheekbones and eye sockets that clearly revealed their identities as drug addicts. Their eyes were wide and darting, a clear sign that they had taken drugs before coming.

Hu Lai, following Si Wen’s instructions, said to Ban Ma, “I didn’t see you before, so I thought your sincerity was nothing special.”

Ban Ma’s translator told him what Hu Lai had said. Ban Ma responded, “Now that I’m here, can we start our cooperation?”

Hu Lai chuckled, smoking a vintage pipe. The tobacco in the pipe was a fake imitation of marijuana. “With so many of you on my turf, are you trying to bully me? Haven’t you heard the Chinese saying that a powerful dragon doesn’t oppress a local snake?”

After hearing the translation, Ban Ma’s already raised eyebrows became even more pronounced, adding a cruel look to his face.

Hu Lai secretly glanced at him and was frightened by his ferocious look. His heart pounded, but he didn’t dare to move. Behind him was Si Wen’s gun, and if he moved, Si Wen would blow his head off.

Ban Ma turned his neck and squinted his eyes, looking behind him. He waved his hand, and about thirty people dispersed.

Hu Lai raised his chin, looked at the remaining men behind him. “You call that retreating? They’ll be back in two steps. Go further.”

Ban Ma was furious. He grabbed a gun from a person next to him and fired it at a tree next to Hu Lai, warning him, “Even with you and your motley crew, you’re no threat to me. You’d better know that.”

Hu Lai was also a man of the world and wasn’t afraid of Ban Ma. He just couldn’t die and wanted to save his family’s life, so he seemed timid.

After Ban Ma fired the shot, he felt his heart jolt. When he heard the translation of Ban Ma’s words, he completely forgot what he was supposed to say next.

Si Wen was on high ground, watching them through binoculars. When he saw that Hu Lai couldn’t handle it, he threw the binoculars aside.

He moved behind Ban Ma, passing by Ban Ma’s men. They were surprised to see Si Wen but didn’t stop him. When he got to Ban Ma, Si Wen shot the pipe out of Hu Lai’s mouth, grabbed Ban Ma, and ran toward Hu Lai. “Run! It’s a trap!”

Ban Ma’s eyes widened. He didn’t even have time to figure out what was happening before Si Wen led him away from the scene.

Seeing this, Si Wen’s men quickly pulled Hu Lai back and pinned him against a tree. They spit out the leaves they were chewing, stepped forward with their left foot, propped a machine gun on their leg, and started firing at the men chasing Ban Ma.

The sound of gunfire and screams filled the air, startling all the creatures in the forest.

Ban Ma’s men were not fools. They drew their guns after being attacked and started firing back, using the trees as cover.

Feng Zhongliang and Wei Li’an heard the gunshots and instinctively stopped.

Zhao Youjin screamed twice, desperately broke free from Feng Zhongliang, covered her ears, and ran back.

At a time like this, Feng Zhongliang didn’t have time to chase her. He grabbed Wei Li’an by the neck and pulled him into a small ditch.

In the tense atmosphere, they both breathed heavily, as if they couldn’t get enough air. Even in this state, Feng Zhongliang made sure to secure the Type 11 rifle that was about to fall off Wei Li’an. He patted his shoulder. “You must live. Live and go out there and reveal the truth to the public.”

Wei Li’an gritted his teeth and suddenly realized. “You didn’t want me to come in because you didn’t plan on coming back alive, did you?”

Feng Zhongliang thought that his and Zhao Youjin’s lives would be enough to quell Si Wen’s anger from back then, but the other side’s actions were too fast. He didn’t know what was happening in the forest, but that didn’t conflict with his plan to not come back alive.

He didn’t answer Wei Li’an’s question. “Protect yourself.”

Wei Li’an’s heart was heavy. He didn’t know what to say, probably because he felt there were no words for this moment.

________________________________________

At the command center, they heard the gunfire from the forest and reported it to the new director.

Although the new director had been told by Feng Zhongliang beforehand not to act rashly, he picked up the walkie-talkie for the sake of a successful mission and for Feng Zhongliang’s safety. “Get ready!”

The frontline commander received the order, turned around, and deployed the police and military units involved in the battle. “Proceed as planned!”

Six small teams entered the forest from the designated entrances, closing in on the source of the gunfire.

________________________________________

Zhou Yan, in the unfinished building, heard the gunfire. She gripped the machine gun tightly and took a deep breath to control her trembling body.

She wasn’t scared; she just missed Si Wen so much. It had only been a short time since they were apart, but she already missed him terribly.

Zhao Youjin, in a panic to escape the gunfire, ran into the unfinished building.

It was also because she was so familiar with this area.

Zhou Yan heard the commotion and immediately became alert.

Zhao Youjin ran to the building opposite Zhou Yan. As Si Wen had said, no matter where she went, she would run right into Zhou Yan’s line of fire without fail.

When Zhou Yan saw it was Zhao Youjin, she didn’t shoot. She took her eyes off the scope. “Why is she here?”

Zhao Youjin frantically searched for a weapon to defend herself. She remembered that Si Wen’s men used to practice shooting here. Why were there no guns? Why were there no guns? She screamed, knocking over a stool made of stacked bricks.

Zhou Yan put down the machine gun, stood up, and moved closer to the target from the left.

Zhao Youjin had been running for a long time, suffocated by the constant psychological and physical pain. After venting, she collapsed on the ground, gasping for air as her heart raced.

Zhou Yan entered through the back door and slowly approached.

When she got behind her, she kicked her head, pressing her face into the ground. Pebbles dug into her face, causing her to shriek in surprise.

Zhou Yan twisted her arm, and using the technique Si Wen had taught her, she twisted Zhao Youjin’s entire body, quickly got on top of her, pinned her arms down with her feet, and held a thin rock in one hand while using the other to choke her neck. She deepened the wound on Zhao Youjin’s face.

When Zhao Youjin saw Zhou Yan clearly, she knew her life was probably going to end here, but she still didn’t give up struggling.

Zhou Yan had finally gotten a chance to get revenge. How could she let her go?

A person in their twenties was in better physical condition than a person in their fifties.

Zhao Youjin couldn’t break free and begged for mercy. “Please let me go... I didn’t mean to... My husband had just become the director... If that undercover agent came back... then my husband wouldn’t have any credit... You’re a woman, too... You understand me...”

Zhou Yan was stunned. Undercover agent, director, Zhao Youjin—these words quickly clicked in her head.

Zhao Youjin thought she knew everything and continued, “I just said I didn’t receive his distress signal... And he survived in the end, didn’t he? He even started Dongsheng Pharmaceutical... What does the past even matter now...?”

Zhou Yan stood up, took a handgun from her waist, gritted her teeth, and with red eyes, pointed it at her.

“Bang!”

“Bang!”

“Bang!”

“...”

Every shot hit a vital spot. Zhou Yan didn’t hold back at all.

After emptying the clip, Zhou Yan still felt it wasn’t enough. She went back, picked up the machine gun, and fired a burst at Zhao Youjin’s body, splattering flesh and blood everywhere.

After she was done, she sat down.

So Si Wen was abandoned. He was abandoned.

These people reaped all his glory, but they treated him like a piece of trash, leaving her to see only his brutality later on, and yet she still loved him completely. So why did these people get to live for so long?

They should have died long ago.

The goggles Zhou Yan was wearing were completely fogged up.

________________________________________

Si Wen led Ban Ma to the depths of the forest and stopped.

Ban Ma saw Si Wen and was as surprised as his men. He took two steps forward. “What are you doing here?”

Si Wen didn’t want to say a word to him. He turned around and shot him in the head.

Before Ban Ma died, his eyes were full of shock. He had lived a cautious life, and he never expected to die at the hands of one of his own.

Si Wen crouched in front of his body and said his final words to him. “You were in the borderlands, so I couldn’t touch you. But as soon as you left the border, you were no threat to me. You must be wondering why, since I wanted to kill you, I was able to endure for so many years.”

“That’s because you don’t know that I was once an anti-narcotics police officer, and the one quality I am not lacking in is patience.”

“What does it matter that you wield so much power in the borderlands? You still have a weakness. Your weakness is your death knell. As long as I find your death knell, I don’t even need a gun. I can use a knife and still make you fall straight in front of me.”

“And the thing that killed you wasn’t just your weakness, but also your greed.”

“It’s a pity. You’ll never know why I killed you, but I never planned on telling you anyway.”

“I’m not the type of person who lets my enemies die with clarity. I want you to die without knowing why.”

Only at this moment did Si Wen truly understand the meaning of “sharpening a sword for ten years.”

He had been planning for many years, only to end up with a small movement of pulling the trigger, the bullet leaving the barrel, and piercing the enemy’s head.

Feng Zhongliang’s voice came from behind him. “It’s not too late.”

Si Wen didn’t turn around. He stood up at his normal speed. “It’s too late.”

Feng Zhongliang moved forward again. “I can explain everything that happened back then to my superiors. Everything can be fixed. I know Zhao Youjin concealed your distress signal. I know I ignored you. It was our fault. It was all our fault.”

“Trust me, I will explain it to my superiors. Everything can be fixed.”

Si Wen turned around, his eyes on the aging Feng Zhongliang. His former youthful vigor had been swallowed by his bloated stomach and receding hairline.

He wasn’t surprised that Feng Zhongliang had found him; he had left a trail for him to follow.

He pulled his shirt open, looked at Feng Zhongliang, and pointed to a random scar. “The 411 Golden Triangle drug trafficking case. I was stabbed in the lung. I saved myself in the golden four minutes. I’ve forgotten how long the surgery was.”

“Three hundred and forty-one kilograms of drugs were seized in that case, and seventeen criminals were arrested.”

He pointed down. “The Myanmar cross-border drug trafficking case. I was shot twice. The drug trafficking gang was busted, and six drug dealers were arrested.”

He pulled his shirt aside to show Feng Zhongliang his back. “The Jianglin drug manufacturing case. The drug factory exploded. To save two children, I was injured, and my spine was corroded by the drugs. In that case, I won’t say how many people I arrested. I’ll just say I saved an entire street.”

On his arm. “The Chen Guangping drug and gun manufacturing case. This is a gunshot wound from that case, and this is a blunt force trauma wound.”

On his waist. “The Anbei large-scale youth drug use case. I was stabbed with a fruit knife by a middle school girl who was hallucinating from drugs.”

There were too many more. Si Wen didn’t list them all, and he didn’t need to. These were also cases that Feng Zhongliang had experienced, but he hadn’t been on the front lines.

Feng Zhongliang was pained by what he heard. The light in his eyes was completely gone.

Wei Li’an, who was behind him, felt the same way. The anti-narcotics bureau had been glossing over the truth back then to avoid controversy. He remembered a reporter asking if there were any casualties, and Feng Zhongliang righteously said, “No.”

Si Wen continued, “The Six Lives case. For the mission, I took drugs.”

Feng Zhongliang’s legs went weak, and he stumbled back several steps.

Wei Li’an was even more shocked, but his reflexes were quicker. He managed to catch him.

Feng Zhongliang pushed him away, stumbled forward, and grabbed Si Wen’s arms. “Why? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Si Wen pushed his hands away, took two steps back, and aimed his gun at his head.

Wei Li’an’s eyes widened. He rushed forward to stop him.

Si Wen kicked him away, lowered his gun, and shot Feng Zhongliang in the leg. “You could abandon me without knowing about this. If you had known, would you have been impatient for me to die?”

Feng Zhongliang’s knee was shot, and he fell to his knees.

Wei Li’an reached out a hand to help him but ultimately didn’t.

Against the backdrop of a hail of bullets, the scene here was especially calm, but the tension between the three of them was more intense than the firefight. Feng Zhongliang didn’t plan on leaving alive, and Si Wen wouldn’t let him.

Feng Zhongliang’s blood stained the ground, and his face became increasingly pale, but he still insisted on asking, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Si Wen shot him in the arm again and said his last words to him. “It’s too late.”

His heart was no longer set on the bright moon, and he would not be saved by anyone. From the moment he left the canyon alive and survived in the borderlands, there was no place for him on the righteous path. He would only, and he was only willing to, go all the way into the darkness and die in the gutter.

He put away his gun and turned to leave. In his mind, he saw the pills that had fallen out of Feng Zhongliang’s pocket when he knelt down.

He was sick and didn’t have long to live.

Only then did Wei Li’an step forward and help Feng Zhongliang. “Director Feng! Hold on! I’ll call for help now!”

Feng Zhongliang forcefully knocked his walkie-talkie away and shook his head.

Wei Li’an’s feelings were complicated. His heart was with Si Wen, but he didn’t want Feng Zhongliang to die.

Feng Zhongliang grabbed his hand. He was losing too much blood to speak clearly. “Remember... I... I told you...”

Wei Li’an remembered. “I remember! I will!”

Feng Zhongliang’s face slowly became peaceful. He looked up at the sky, which was completely covered by trees, but the sunlight was tenacious, always finding a way to penetrate the depths and cast a mottled light on the ground.

Why did he want to see the sun?

Why did he insist on looking at it even though it was so glaring?

Because that was his Si Wen.

The Si Wen who resolutely kicked away the mortal world and fearlessly walked into the swamp.

He brought him out, and he finally grew into the man he was supposed to be.

But he could no longer bring him back.

Feng Zhongliang slowly closed his eyes.

Until his last moment, his face was full of sadness. He couldn’t forgive himself.

________________________________________

Si Wen returned to Guangnan Nunnery and found Zhou Yan.

When Zhou Yan saw him, she threw her gun down and ran to him, her tears soaking into his shirt.

Si Wen saw Zhao Youjin’s body nearby and frowned, but he didn’t ask her about it. He kissed her hair. “It’s over.”

Zhou Yan didn’t let go of him. “You still have me.”

Hearing this, Si Wen looked at Zhao Youjin again. She had told Zhou Yan about her evil deed.

Zhou Yan slowly pulled away from him and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his lips. “You still have me. I’m always here.”

Si Wen rubbed her face. “The helicopter has arrived. Let’s go.”

Zhou Yan nodded.

The two of them got on the helicopter from the back of the Guangnan Nunnery.

________________________________________

The command center spotted the helicopter, quickly identified and analyzed it, and concluded that it was not a military aircraft.

Just as the director was wondering how to deal with this sudden situation, the front line sent a battle report. The conflict with the drug dealers was over. Everyone present had been killed, except for a few Asian faces who had escaped.

One of them tried to shoot at them, but apparently, he didn’t realize his gun was out of bullets and was killed by a single shot from them while in shock.

It would have been a long shot to win against the drug dealers with an equal number of people, as the drugs kept them from getting tired.

Unless there was a traitor, which would give them the element of surprise, they would have had to fight for a long time against anyone on the other side.

However, the ending was good.

The director wasn’t quick to celebrate. He had them describe the physical features of the drug lord from the borderlands and see if anyone matched the description.

The front line carefully checked every body but couldn’t find a match. This meant the drug lord wasn’t among the people involved in the gunfight.

At this time, an internal technical staff member reported to the director that the helicopter’s registration number was not domestic.

A non-domestic number meant it couldn’t have been Si Wen. If it wasn’t Si Wen, it had to be the drug lord!

The director panicked, grabbed the walkie-talkie, and yelled to the frontline commander, “That helicopter! Shoot it down!”

The front line received the order and deployed the heavy weapons team.

The heavy weapons team brought out large-caliber machine guns and rocket launchers, aiming at the helicopter in mid-air.

Under the high-intensity and concentrated firepower, the helicopter exploded in the air and didn’t even have a chance to fall.

Hearing the loud bang from the walkie-talkie, everyone at the command center cheered.