A Sharp Edge Emerges From The Mist Chapter 30

Underground team up

The ice layer breaking off the surface is getting thicker and thicker.In the corridor of the city bureau, Lin Jianfeng and Shen Qingwu’s “accidental encounter” turned into a complete stare-down, and even the air seemed to be stagnant when they passed each other.The investigation team’s “preliminary verification” of Shen Qingwu was carried out step by step, including questioning, reviewing information, and interviewing relevant personnel.Shen Qingwu behaved restrained and distant, either avoiding key questions on the grounds that “it involves business secrets” or “it’s too old to remember”, or he gave standard answers that were watertight but of no real help.This uncooperative attitude further confirmed the outside world’s speculation that their relationship was broken and Shen Qingwu was resentful.

But under the ice, hot magma is rushing in a more dangerous situation.

Late at night, one o’clock in the morning.The city fell into a deep sleep, with only sporadic lights and never-ending neon lights.Lin Jianfeng left the apartment quietly without driving. He walked across two blocks and entered a chain convenience store open 24 hours a day.She bought a bottle of water and a pack of cigarettes, and then stopped for a moment in the self-service locker area, her fingers quickly typing in the combination lock of a specific numbered cabinet door.

The cabinet door popped open, and it was empty inside.She reached into an extremely hidden groove on the top of the cabinet, and her fingertips touched a cool, thin piece of metal.Take it off, hold it in the palm of your hand, close the cabinet door, turn around and leave. The whole process does not take more than ten seconds.

Return to the apartment, lock the door and close the curtains.She walked to the desk, turned on the desk lamp, and placed the thin metal sheet under the special reader.The faint blue light swept across, and lines of encrypted characters appeared on the connected laptop screen.It is a translation of Shen Qingwu’s handwritten code.

The content is concise and stunning:

[W (True) Confirmation: Part of the source of the report letter was forged and traced to the server of a technology outsourcing company of the Economic Investigation Detachment. The legal person of this company is Wang Youcai’s distant cousin.The last credible trace of ‘Viper’ appeared in a neighboring city 72 hours ago at the point of contact with overseas smuggling gangs, with the target suspected of obtaining high-performance drugs.Internal black hand investigation: Pay attention to the recent abnormal access records of the Archives Department, and the contacts between a deputy of the technical investigation and the study abroad agency for the children of a shareholder of ‘Changhe’.In addition, I have “leaked” some of the original vouchers (photocopies, which have been technically processed) regarding Wang Youcai’s misappropriation of funds in the “Xincheng” land compensation to his business opponents through loopholes.It is expected that the other party will take action within three days.】

Lin Jianfeng’s heartbeat quickened as he read.Shen Qingwu’s movements were faster and more precise than she expected.Not only did they lock in the forgery of the report letter, but also traced the dangerous trends of the “Viper”, and even had clear suspicions about the possible black hands within.And her initiative to “leak” Wang Youcai’s crime evidence was an even more dangerous move – it could either force Wang Youcai to jump over the wall and reveal a bigger flaw; or she could alert the snake and shrink the entire “underground river” network in advance.

But high risks often come with high returns.Wang Youcai is one of the key nodes in the shady story of the “New City” project, and is also an important tentacle that exposes the “underground river” to the public.If he is forced to take action, whether it is to remove evidence, take revenge on Shen Qingwu, or try to contact the upper-level protective umbrella, it will be an excellent opportunity to capture and break through.

Lin Jianfeng immediately took action.Through her private encrypted line, she contacted two veteran criminal police officers who were absolutely trustworthy and were on a business trip in a neighboring city. She secretly passed on the clues that “Viper” might obtain drugs, and asked them to cooperate with the local police to monitor relevant smuggling channels and personnel without alerting “Viper”.

Then, she began to sort out the internal doubts mentioned by Shen Qingwu.Archives Department?Deputy technical detective?She retrieved the file access logs of all cases in the past month, especially those related to the “New City Project”, “Iron Shield”, and “Long River”.At the same time, let his confidant Xiao Chen quietly understand the recent communications and social status of the deputy technical detective in the name of “internal security inspection.”

After doing this, it was already three o’clock in the morning.She was not sleepy, so she spread out a piece of white paper and began to outline several plans for Wang Youcai’s possible reaction.It is necessary to ensure Shen Qingwu’s safety after “leaking” the evidence, and at the same time, we must seize the opportunity to capture Wang Youcai in one fell swoop.

At this moment, there was an extremely slight and regular tapping sound from her bedroom window.

Not the wind.Three long, two short, pause, and three long.

It was the code of the highest emergency level agreed upon by them.

Lin Jianfeng was instantly alert, quietly moved to the window, and opened a corner of the curtain.Downstairs, there was no one.But the tapping sounded again, coming from… the outer wall on the side?

She quickly determined that the sound was coming from a maintenance or equipment platform on the facade of the apartment building.She carefully unlocked the window and pushed open a crack.The biting night wind blew in, and at the same time, a small waterproof bag tightly wrapped with black tape hung from above, hovering precisely at the window.

Lin Jianfeng quickly took off the bag and closed the window.Go back to the light and turn it on.Inside is a hand-drawn, extremely simple terrain sketch, marked with the coordinates of an abandoned chemical plant located in the outskirts of the Twin Cities, and a time: eleven o’clock tomorrow night.There is also a line of small print: [Wang Youcai made an appointment with the ‘middleman’ to ‘clear’ the evidence and ‘seal’ the transaction.It is suspected that higher-level instructions were involved.I have learned that I will be ‘forced’ to go to negotiate and get the ‘handle’ back.This intelligence source needs to be protected and not touched.】

It’s Shen Qingwu!She actually came in person!Use this method to deliver the most urgent information!The risk is too great!

Lin Jianfeng’s heart tightened suddenly.Shen Qingwu not only “leaked” the evidence, but also deliberately made the other party think that she had a more deadly “handle”, thereby inducing Wang Youcai to meet with the so-called “middleman” for transactions and sealing the deal.And she will be “forced” to go and play the panicked victim trying to save the situation.This is to put yourself directly in the most dangerous trading scene!

Tomorrow night at eleven o’clock, the abandoned chemical factory… The terrain there is complex, making it easy to ambush and silence anyone.

Lin Jianfeng could almost imagine what a trap it would be.Wang Youcai will never just do a transaction, he may want to take this opportunity to completely “clean up” Shen Qingwu, the biggest threat.

She must act.Not only must Shen Qingwu be protected, but also Shen Qingwu must be exploited to catch Wang Youcai and the possible “middleman” (who may even be “Viper” or a more core member).

Time is running out.She immediately started planning.The mobilization of manpower must not alert possible internal informants, the operation must be absolutely secretive, and there must be sufficient firepower to deal with possible armed conflicts and terrorist threats.She needs the most reliable foreign aid.

She thought of a special operations team in the provincial department that specializes in handling major gang-related and explosion-related cases. The captain was her contemporary in the police academy and they had a close friendship.She has access to a top-secret emergency contact line.

At the same time, she needs to prepare the most comprehensive protection and backup for Shen Qingwu.

She quickly wrote down a detailed action plan and Shen Qingwu’s protection points, encoded it in the same secret language, and prepared to pass it back through the convenience store locker again before dawn.She also needed to prepare some things for Shen Qingwu – a concealed positioning tracker, powerful self-defense equipment, and even… a set of plans for disguise and escape in emergencies.

After doing all this, the sky was already turning white.

Lin Jianfeng leaned back on the chair, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.In my mind, I repeatedly deduced various situations, every response, and every variable that might occur tomorrow night.Shen Qingwu’s figure emerged clearly in her mind, with those eyes that were still bright in the darkness, carrying desperate determination and unreserved trust.

She knew that Shen Qingwu chose to take risks personally, not only to advance the plan, but also to prove to her – to prove that she was worthy of the trust, to prove that she was capable of fighting side by side, to prove that she… would never become a drag or weakness.

This realization made Lin Jianfeng feel a surge of complex emotions in his heart, mixed with distress, admiration, and an even more turbulent and unspeakable emotion.

In the darkness, using breakup as a guise and their lives as a bet, they carried out this thrilling underground cooperation step by step.

There is only one goal: to tear apart all the darkness and let the truth be revealed to the world.

The price may be everything for them.

But no one backed down.

The morning light is getting brighter, passing through the gap in the curtains, casting a faint but persistent light trail on the floor.

A new day is also the last preparation day before the decisive battle.

The gears of the underground alliance began to turn in the most dangerous and precise way.