Feeling the shock brought by these powerful system functions, Xu Ze’s face showed a hint of excitement. He couldn’t help but look around North Lake, experiencing the peculiar sensations this function brought.
Beneath the surface of North Lake, some faintly glowing green shadows could be seen swaying gently. As Xu Ze focused his gaze, the image quickly shifted into clarity. He could clearly see fish, about half a foot long, swimming lazily among the reeds.
As Xu Ze stared intently, the image became sharper and sharper. With a happy smile curling at the corners of his mouth, he gazed at the lake surface and murmured softly, “Hmm… this one is a carp, this one… is a grass carp…”
Xu Ze was like a child who had just gotten a new toy, happily playing with it, when suddenly he heard the sound of a gunshot not far behind him—bang!
“Eh?” Startled by the sudden gunshot, Xu Ze was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t heard a gunshot in a long time since returning from Yanjing. Hearing one tonight by North Lake meant something was definitely happening.
“Type 95 police handgun, straight-line distance two hundred and fifty-eight meters…” The voice of the automatic response system quickly appeared in his mind, providing the analysis of the gunshot.
“A police handgun? The police are shooting?” Xu Ze was taken aback. In this day and age, if the police are firing guns in the middle of the night, it’s definitely no small matter. His expression turned serious as he quickly looked ahead.
Just as he looked, another gunshot rang out ahead.
“Type 95 police handgun, straight-line distance two hundred and eighty-one meters… Based on sound analysis, the likelihood of these two shots being exchanged in a firefight is 85%…” the system prompted rapidly again.
“A firefight?” Xu Ze was startled. Both sides were using police handguns, yet they were shooting at each other. What was the meaning of this?
However, Xu Ze quickly understood. The most likely scenario was that a criminal had stolen a police gun. Instances of police exchanging fire in the country are extremely rare.
For Xingcheng, a city with strict gun control where gun-related incidents are almost unheard of, a police-criminal shootout was practically unimaginable. He never thought he’d get a chance to witness something like this today.
Feeling a surge of confidence, Xu Ze, now brimming with curiosity, quickly jogged cautiously towards the direction of the gunfire.
With his D-level physique, reaction speed, agility, and the training he’d received from Xiao Dao, Xu Ze managed to move forward silently, making no noise as he approached the area where the shots had been fired.
Although Xu Ze wasn’t afraid of attacks from light weapons at this point, he remained cautious. After moving about two hundred meters, he heard the faint sound of footsteps ahead. He carefully hid behind a large tree and activated the Biological Imaging Function to scan the area ahead.
What Xu Ze saw left him stunned. The view in his glasses displayed two faint red human silhouettes. As he focused, the images sharpened. In the green-tinted view, both individuals were wearing police uniforms. The one in front was older, around fifty years old, while the officer behind him appeared to be in his early thirties.
The older man, fleeing in panic, had shoulder insignia showing two leaves and one star. Xu Ze was taken aback. Although he didn’t know exactly what rank that represented, the system indicated that the insignia corresponded to a third-class police supervisor. The younger officer pursuing him also held a respectable rank—two bars and two stars, just two levels lower as a second-class police supervisor.
Xiao Dao’s encyclopedia quickly provided detailed information. The fleeing older man was none other than Zhang Jingming, Deputy Bureau Chief of the Xingcheng City Police Bureau. The second-class police supervisor chasing him, identified as the deputy captain of the Xingcheng Economic Investigation Unit, had a real identity that surprised Xu Ze even more: Gu Xiaobing, Deputy Section Chief of the Xingcheng National Security Bureau’s Supervision Section.
“Well, this is interesting… A National Security Supervision Section Chief chasing a Police Bureau Chief…” Xu Ze hid behind the tree, stroking his chin, watching the two men dodging and hiding.
Zhang Jingming’s status was not low. Xingcheng is a municipality directly under the central government. A deputy bureau chief of its police department holds a significant position—at the sub-provincial level administratively, equivalent to a colonel in military terms. A man who could influence things in Xingcheng was now fleeing alone in the middle of the night.
The man chasing him was no ordinary figure either. While his public position as deputy section chief of the Xingcheng National Security Bureau’s Supervision Section might not seem prominent, his actual role carried considerable power.
When such people make a move, it’s never a small matter.
Xu Ze found the situation interesting but also puzzling. Both men held fairly high positions, yet here they were—one running, one chasing, both alone.
At that moment, Gu Xiaobing from behind shouted in a deep, low voice, “Zhang Jingming, stop running! Just give me what you have, and we’ll pretend this never happened!”
Zhang Jingming, his hair streaked with grey now completely soaked with sweat, was panting heavily. He leaned against a large tree, gripping his gun tightly, and shouted angrily at Gu Xiaobing behind him, “Gu Xiaobing, don’t even think about it! Now that this thing is in my hands, I’m not letting it go easily. I never expected you to be from the Yanjing Zhang family. No wonder you’ve been getting close to Deputy Mayor Zhang lately.”
“Hmph… Zhang Jingming, I’m warning you. Even if you manage to keep that thing today, let’s see if Tang Guorui believes you. You’re just a deputy bureau chief. Even if you get away today, we’ll find a way to bring you down,” Gu Xiaobing threatened and cajoled. “Old Zhang, we’re not strangers. Leave the thing today, and I’ll act like nothing happened. Next year during the reshuffle, I’ll guarantee you the bureau chief position. How about that?”
“Tang Guorui? This involves the Tang family?” Xu Ze raised an eyebrow behind the tree. He hadn’t intended to get involved, but since it concerned the Tang family—and he was practically one of them—he couldn’t ignore it.
“Gu Xiaobing, let’s not beat around the bush. I’ve been deputy bureau chief for years. I’ve always walked the straight line and done things properly. I’ve seen it all. Since I have this thing, I’m not giving it to you. I’m telling you, my people will be here soon. Don’t even think about taking it today,” Zhang Jingming said, hiding behind the tree, gasping for breath, glancing sideways warily, afraid Gu Xiaobing might ambush him.
“Hmph… Old Zhang, who are you trying to fool? Did your call go through?” Gu Xiaobing sneered coldly. “I’ve been carrying a jammer. No signal within two hundred meters. That’s why I’m not worried about you calling for backup. Otherwise, do you think I’d be stupidly chasing you like this?”
Hearing Gu Xiaobing’s words, Zhang Jingming’s expression showed a flash of realization, then darkened. He had fled into North Lake Park hoping to use the terrain to make a call and find a way to escape. But he hadn’t expected Gu Xiaobing to be so formidable—not only did he bring a jammer to prevent him from calling for help, but he also managed to track him through several twists and turns in the woods.
Zhang Jingming sighed internally. If this had been ten or fifteen years ago, he wouldn’t have been afraid of this young man. But after more than a decade in leadership positions, he hadn’t kept up with his physical training. After running just over a thousand meters, he was already out of breath. Maybe coming into North Lake Park had been a mistake.
If he had just kept running to the Tianyuan District Bureau, or even risked firing a few shots on the street, Gu Xiaobing would have been more cautious.
But now, here by North Lake with no one around, even firing a gun wouldn’t alert anyone. It seemed today might not end well.
He needed to get what he was carrying to Mayor Tang. Only he and the old man had the influence to stop this. Otherwise, if the Zhang family were allowed to continue unchecked, who knew what the political situation would become?
With another sigh, Zhang Jingming tightened his grip on his gun and carefully watched Gu Xiaobing’s movements.
He still had seven bullets left. If he couldn’t take down Gu Xiaobing with these, then today might be his last. Tomorrow, the department would have a new major case—the Disappearance of Deputy Bureau Chief Zhang—that would never be solved.
Zhang Jingming cautiously peered out but didn’t realize that Gu Xiaobing, using the darkness as cover, had moved closer through the trees and was now only five or six meters away. Zhang Jingming still thought he was over ten meters out.
Xu Ze, positioned about seven or eight meters away, could see everything clearly. Watching Gu Xiaobing’s swift, efficient movements—changing positions twice in just two seconds to close the distance—Xu Ze sighed softly. Gu Xiaobing was indeed skilled.
According to Xiao Dao, Gu Xiaobing had recently retired from a special forces unit. His skills were likely among the elite in the military.
Gu Xiaobing held his breath, carefully circling behind a tree, trying to locate Zhang Jingming’s position.
Zhang Jingming was no amateur either. The tree he hid behind was thick enough to conceal his body. Gu Xiaobing was trying to find an angle to get a clear shot. If he could wound Zhang Jingming first, he wouldn’t be able to escape.
Anticipation surged in Gu Xiaobing’s mind. This area around North Lake was part of the park for about five or six hundred meters. It was two or three in the morning, completely deserted. Even if he fired a few shots, it wouldn’t matter.
Even if someone noticed, he’d be done in a few minutes. He’d take the item and disappear. No one would ever trace it back to him.
Gu Xiaobing carefully leaned out, looking toward the tree where Zhang Jingming was hiding. He moved forward cautiously. Finally, his eyes lit up—he saw Zhang Jingming’s shoulder. His right shoulder, no less. From just a few meters away, one well-placed shot would render him defenseless.
Once wounded, he wouldn’t get far. With his right shoulder injured, he’d be at Gu Xiaobing’s mercy.
Fighting to contain his excitement, Gu Xiaobing raised his gun to fire—but suddenly, his vision blurred.
“What was that?” Gu Xiaobing’s pupils contracted sharply as he looked around quickly.
But a quick scan revealed nothing.
Reassured, Gu Xiaobing let out a small breath and raised his gun again.
Just as he did, another shadow flashed past his vision.
This time, Gu Xiaobing was sure he’d seen a person dart past, vanishing in an instant.
“What was that? What was that?” Gu Xiaobing pressed himself back against the tree, his face pale, beads of sweat the size of soybeans starting to form on his forehead.
He’d served five years in the military, three in special forces. He’d seen all sorts of things, even killed in border operations. But he’d never witnessed anything so bizarre.
He swore he’d seen a figure dash past just as he was about to fire. But the speed… it was terrifying. And it moved soundlessly, not even stirring a breeze.
He’d even thought about firing blindly, but before he could move, the figure vanished into the darkness.
Gu Xiaobing took deep, ragged breaths, sweat streaming down his cheeks. He’d never felt such fear.
As a soldier seasoned by life-and-death situations, he hadn’t felt this kind of terror in a long time. But that apparition had truly shaken him.
Once, he might have dismissed as an optical illusion. But twice, each time just as he raised his gun, a figure darted past.
“What is that? What is it?” Gu Xiaobing panted, his face a mask of terror. He was certain it had been a human shape. He couldn’t make out details, but it was unmistakably human. But how could a human move so fast, without a sound?
“Huff… huff…” Gu Xiaobing took two more deep breaths. He didn’t believe it. He wouldn’t believe it. He lunged out again, raising his gun, determined to take his last best chance and hit Zhang Jingming’s right shoulder.
By now, Zhang Jingming was likely aware of him. If he missed this shot, the opportunity would be lost.
Xu Ze watched through his glasses as Gu Xiaobing, pale-faced and sweating, gritted his teeth and moved out. Xu Ze had shifted positions multiple times and was now about four or five meters from Gu Xiaobing. He sighed softly. The country’s special forces soldiers were indeed tough—still showing such courage even after being scared like that.
But he couldn’t let Gu Xiaobing fire. He was about five meters away, with two trees between them. He couldn’t take him down from here.
He couldn’t move recklessly either; Zhang Jingming was still there. If Zhang spotted him, he might get shot too—that would be bad.
“Looks like I’ll have to use that trick again. Scare him a bit more this time,” Xu Ze thought, shaking his head resignedly. He raised his right index finger and pointed it toward Gu Xiaobing.
A beam of light, almost invisible to the naked eye, shot from his ring and quickly formed a human figure between Gu Xiaobing and Zhang Jingming.
But this time, instead of flashing past, the figure moved slowly. A hideous, eerie smile spread across its face as it shuffled toward Gu Xiaobing.
Xu Ze was being shameless. This figure was modeled after a certain virus-infected creature from Resident Evil—baring its teeth, face covered in rotting flesh, slowly, unnervingly advancing on Gu Xiaobing.
Gu Xiaobing’s peripheral vision caught the approaching shadow. But this time, it was moving slowly, a bit faster than a normal walk.
“Ah!” A chill ran down his spine. He turned to look—and went into a frenzy. In the darkness, he couldn’t see clearly, but he could sense something was wrong. The figure’s ears were misshapen, and part of its scalp was missing.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Gu Xiaobing’s gun fired rapidly. His aim was true; each bullet pierced the figure’s head. But it kept moving, unperturbed, stumbling toward him.
Gu Xiaobing froze, his eyes wide with terror mixed with confusion. Just as his expression began to shift toward understanding, Zhang Jingming, startled by Gu Xiaobing’s sudden outburst, raised his gun to return fire—
—and saw a shadow dissipate. A figure burst out from behind a tree near Gu Xiaobing. A blue arc of electricity flashed, and Gu Xiaobing collapsed with a grunt.
Zhang Jingming stood frozen, gun in hand, staring at the man who had just taken down Gu Xiaobing. He’d almost forgotten the strange figure he’d glimpsed moments before.
Xu Ze, noticing Zhang Jingming aiming at him, smiled. “Director Zhang, you can put the gun away. I mean no harm.”
Snapping back to reality, Zhang Jingming steadied himself, glanced at Gu Xiaobing’s motionless body, then looked back at Xu Ze. “Who… who are you?” he asked sternly.
“My name is Xu Ze. I’m a student at Xingda University. Director Zhang, you’ve probably heard of me,” Xu Ze said with a smile.
“Xu Ze?” Zhang Jingming paused, then remembered who Xu Ze was. He looked surprised. “You’re that Xu Ze?”
Xu Ze nodded, raised his hand, and produced a glow stick, illuminating the immediate area. He looked at Zhang Jingming calmly. “Yes, Director Zhang. I’m Xu Ze. I overheard your conversation and came to help. I think Uncle Tang will be pleased.”
Zhang Jingming stared blankly at the glow stick. He knew what it was, but such sticks were rare and expensive in the country. Why would Xu Ze have one?
But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that. The man claiming to be Xu Ze had appeared here in the middle of the night, saving his life. It was both puzzling and worrying.
He quickly looked Xu Ze over. Under the blue glow, the handsome face matched the photo he remembered. Only then did he relax slightly.
If it really was Xu Ze, then hearing his conversation with Gu Xiaobing and stepping in made sense. After all, he was Mayor Tang’s honorary nephew, the old man’s honorary grandson. Zhang Jingming felt relieved to have escaped, but remained curious about why Xu Ze was there.
Xu Ze’s explanation was simple: he had a habit of practicing martial arts at night, and since he couldn’t sleep, he’d come for a stroll by the lake.
Though Zhang Jingming found it hard to believe, now wasn’t the time to question it. He needed to call for backup and deal with the situation.
Zhang Jingming bent down to check Gu Xiaobing’s carotid artery, but Xu Ze spoke calmly, “He’s dead. Eight thousand volts—would kill an ox.”
Zhang Jingming’s hand paused. He stopped reaching for Gu Xiaobing’s neck and instead searched the body.
He found a small box and examined it with a frown, as if studying it.
Watching him, Xu Ze chuckled. “Director Zhang, you can make your call now. My stun gun fried that jammer.”
“Ah, yes.” Remembering the electric arc, Zhang Jingming nodded, tossed the box aside, and checked his phone. Seeing full signal bars, he quickly dialed a number.
Xu Ze sat quietly on a nearby rock, feeling a bit sleepy but knowing he couldn’t leave just yet.
Even though Zhang Jingming probably wished Gu Xiaobing dead, since Gu Xiaobing had died at his hands, he’d need to wait for the official explanation—or at least until Tang Guorui said something.
And Director Zhang probably had a lot of questions. Tonight was going to be a long one. Tomorrow might be even more chaotic.
The police arrived quickly. Seeing the scene, they were stunned. Only after Zhang Jingming prompted them did they load Gu Xiaobing’s body into a car, carefully collect evidence, and cast curious, questioning glances at Xu Ze.
Xu Ze got into Zhang Jingming’s official car, ignoring the man’s curious, hesitant looks. He settled into the seat, caught a quick nap, and prepared himself for the inevitable barrage of questions ahead.
