Chapter 117: Conflict

The warehouse was once again filled with the sounds of crying, retching, and sobbing. Chen Yu pulled Li Qing through the crowd of broken people and returned to the cold iron bunk in the corner. The bloodstains where fourteen corpses had been dragged away still lingered on the concrete floor, emitting a sickly-sweet, metallic scent.

Neither of them spoke. Li Qing’s body was still shaking uncontrollably. She hugged Chen Yu’s waist tightly from behind, burying her face deep into his back. Chen Yu could feel her warm tears soaking through his shirt. He didn’t move or turn around, simply letting her hold him.

A long time passed. The wailing in the warehouse gradually subsided, leaving only the sound of muffled sobs. Beyond despair lay numbness.

Chen Yu finally broke the silence. "Why did you come here?"

Almost simultaneously, Li Qing’s voice, thick with a nasal tone, rose from behind him. "Why did you come here?"

They had both asked the same question. Chen Yu turned to face her. In the darkness, he couldn't see her face clearly, but he could feel her bloodshot eyes staring straight at him.

"Me?" Chen Yu gave a self-deprecating laugh. "I came to settle the score with that masked pervert. His name is Shen Feng, the mastermind behind the Luo Xiangdong case. I was just missing a few pieces of key evidence to tie the whole case together, so I sought him out directly to confront him."

Chen Yu shrugged, his tone laced with helplessness and irony. "As you can see, it backfired. I got led around by the nose."

He spoke with total honesty, hiding nothing. In this hellhole, every person you could trust meant one more chance at survival. He stared into Li Qing’s eyes. "I’ve confessed; now it’s your turn."

Li Qing remained silent for a moment, her voice sounding somewhat ethereal. "I... I did it for the money."

"Money?" Chen Yu chuckled.

"Ten billion. Who wouldn't be tempted?" Li Qing’s voice sounded calm, as if she were stating a fact.

"Ha." Chen Yu scoffed. "Give it a rest. Are you still playing games? I’ve been so honest with you, and you’re still putting on an act?"

Li Qing’s body went noticeably rigid. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Fine, let me rephrase." Chen Yu leaned forward, moving closer until their breaths almost mingled. "Did Captain Yan send you?"

"..." Li Qing didn't answer, but her silence was an answer in itself.

"Still acting, are you?" Chen Yu said, feeling a flare of annoyance. "I’ve already had a showdown with Yan Zheng! I even asked him about your situation! He told me to my face that you are absolutely not an undercover agent he sent!"

As the words left his lips, the [Eye of Insight] in Chen Yu’s mind instantly provided feedback.

[Target: Li Qing]
[Heart Rate: 93 (Violent Fluctuation)]

She was lying! Seeing these figures confirmed Chen Yu’s suspicions.

"Who exactly are you?" he demanded. "And what is your purpose in getting close to me?"

Li Qing’s breathing began to quicken. She could feel that the man before her, his eyes still bright in the darkness, seemed capable of seeing through everything.

"I..." Her lips moved as if she wanted to reveal a secret, but in the end, she chose to remain stubborn. "I’m just a call girl! Brother Lei sent me to get close to you! Now that Brother Lei is dead, I have no way to make money. I saw this game had a high prize, so I came!"

She said it all in one breath, raising her voice as if to bolster her own courage. "Believe it or not, it’s up to you!"

"A call girl?" Chen Yu was so amused by her excuse that he almost laughed. He decided to hit her with a bombshell. "A top-tier student from the police academy who spent four years winning first-class scholarships every year, excelling in combat, marksmanship, and criminal investigation theory—only to skip becoming an agent and go work as a call girl for a low-level thug?"

Chen Yu’s voice was filled with mockery. "Student Li Qing, your life plan is certainly unique."

"Boom!"

The words struck like a thunderbolt, exploding in Li Qing’s mind. She was completely stunned, her pupils dilating uncontrollably. For the first time, her face betrayed unconcealable shock and horror.

*How... how could he know?!* These files should have been sealed long ago!

"You... how did you..." She was incoherent, her mind a blank slate.

Chen Yu enjoyed the sight of her being caught off guard; he felt a rush of satisfaction. *[Nice try, kid. You’re still a bit too green to mess with me.]*

Just as he was about to press his advantage and pry the truth out of her, a roar erupted from the other end of the warehouse like a wild beast!

A burly, bald man jumped down from an iron bunk, his eyes bloodshot. He looked manic, drooling at the corners of his mouth. Clearly, after experiencing wave after wave of bloody trauma, his mind had completely snapped.

"Everyone has to die! You all have to die!"

He roared, charging like a crazed bull toward the nearest survivor.

"Thud!"

One punch! The poor victim didn't even have time to react before his face was smashed in. His nasal bone shattered, and he was sent flying, falling unconscious.

The warehouse erupted into chaos. Screams and cries for cover filled the air. After knocking one person down, the bald man didn't stop. He behaved like a madman, striking anyone he saw, venting his pent-up fear and rage on these equally wretched survivors.

Soon, his gaze swept across the entire warehouse. When he saw Li Qing whispering in the corner with Chen Yu, a primal desire suddenly flared in his bloodshot eyes.

"Heh... hehehe..." He let out a sickening laugh.

Under the influence of madness, the ugliest desires of human nature were infinitely magnified. He saw Li Qing’s pure, beautiful face in the dark and her delicate, alluring figure.

"Beauty..."

He licked his chapped lips, changed his target, and strode directly toward Chen Yu and Li Qing! His intent was clearly malicious.

"You’re courting death!"

Chen Yu’s gaze turned icy, and a surge of killing intent radiated from him. He had been looking for a place to vent his frustration, and this blind fool had delivered himself right to his door. He cracked his wrists, preparing to rise and teach the bald man a lesson he would never forget.

But before he could move, Li Qing was faster!

A cold light flashed in Li Qing’s eyes, and she sprang from the bed instantly! Her movements were lightning-fast! The moment the bald man’s fist, as large as a mortar, was about to hit her, she didn't retreat but instead stepped forward, ducking her body to cut directly into his guard!

A crisp, clean throw!

"Bang!"

The bald man’s massive frame, weighing over two hundred pounds, was lifted off the ground at an incredible angle and slammed heavily onto the concrete floor! The ground shuddered.

The bald man was dazed, stars spinning before his eyes. Yet, it wasn't over. Li Qing gave him no chance to catch his breath. She flipped over onto his chest, raised her dainty fist, and without a moment’s hesitation, delivered a heavy, precise blow to his chin!

"Crack!"

A crisp sound of bone snapping echoed through the air. The bald man’s body twitched, his eyes rolled back, and he fell completely unconscious. The entire process was fluid, clean, and over in less than three seconds.

The surrounding survivors were stunned. No one had expected that the most delicate-looking, beautiful woman would possess such terrifying explosive power.

Chen Yu stopped his movement to stand. He looked at Li Qing, who was sitting on the bald man with her chest heaving slightly, his gaze becoming increasingly intrigued. He whistled and scoffed, "With moves like that, you’re telling me you’re a call girl?"

He emphasized the last three words, enunciating each one clearly.

Li Qing stood up slowly from the bald man. She glanced at Chen Yu with a complex expression. Ultimately, she chose to evade the question.

"In short, I don't want to talk about it, and you shouldn't ask!"

With that, she ignored Chen Yu, climbed up to the top bunk, turned around, and fell asleep with her back to him.

"..."

Chen Yu watched her back, rubbing his nose in silence. *[Fine, you’re the boss; you’re right. But the more you act like this, the more curious I get.]*

He stared at the ceiling in the dark. *Li Qing. Sooner or later, I will dig up every secret you’re hiding. None of them are getting away.*