A Sharp Edge Emerges From The Mist Chapter 7

Rooftop Confrontation

Three days after the operation ended, 4:20 PM.

The wind was strong, carrying the bone-chilling, dry scent unique to early winter as it howled through the canyons of the city’s skyscrapers. On the rooftop of a forty-two-story office building in the financial district, the space was empty save for massive ventilation pipes, cooling towers, and the rugged concrete floor. Beyond the guardrails, the entirety of Shuangcheng spread out under a pale grey sky—a vast, cold, and magnificent steel jungle.

Lin Jianfeng leaned against the cold metal shell of a cooling tower, her jacket collar turned up to ward off the biting wind. She wasn’t looking at the scenery; her gaze was fixed on the woman a few paces away, whose hair was similarly disheveled by the wind.

Shen Qingwu wore a sharply tailored cream-colored trench coat today, unbuttoned, its hem snapping loudly in the wind. Her hands were tucked into her pockets, and she tilted her head slightly, gazing at the blurred silhouette of the distant horizon. The lines of her profile were taut. she looked thinner than she had a few days ago, with faint dark circles under her eyes, but her back remained ramrod straight, like a stalk of bamboo that refused to bend.

The USB drive came from you. Lin Jianfeng’s voice was somewhat scattered by the wind, but her words were clear and unmistakable.

Shen Qingwu did not answer immediately, nor did she turn around. Only after a few seconds did she slowly turn, her calm gaze meeting Lin Jianfeng’s. Where is your evidence, Officer Lin?

Her voice was steady and flat, devoid of any emotion.

There is no direct evidence. Lin Jianfeng took a step forward, the wind rushing into her collar, but she remained unmoved. The USB was a physically encrypted, one-time-use carrier. The content automatically triggered a self-destruct sequence after being read. Even the material of the casing leaves no trail to a source of purchase. The technical team recovered some underlying commands pointing to a long-deactivated overseas virtual server. The tracks were wiped completely clean.

The corner of Shen Qingwu’s mouth twitched upward ever so slightly, perhaps in mockery, or perhaps something else. So, Officer Lin invited me up here to swallow the wind today just to tell me you can’t find evidence that I sent that thing? She paused. Or is it that you police officers have started relying on intuition to solve cases now?

My intuition tells me it was you. Lin Jianfeng didn’t beat around the bush. The operation was a success. We successfully took down peripheral points A and B, seizing many ledgers and computers that are currently being decrypted. At point C… the information you provided was perfectly accurate. Our team breached through a weak point in the window frame, bypassing the front door alarms and that Doberman, catching them completely off guard. Three people were detained at the scene, including a low-level boss responsible for dispatching. More importantly, we found the core server they didn’t have time to fully destroy. The preliminary data recovered includes not only the complete chain for Zhao Ming’s fifty thousand yuan but also multiple records related to abnormal early-stage capital flows for the New City Project, involving massive sums.

She stared into Shen Qingwu’s eyes. This data is enough for us to open a deep investigation into the New City Project. It might even implicate a much larger network of interests behind it. Shen Qingwu, you’ve done us a huge favor. Or rather, you used our hands to poke a massive hole in a hornet’s nest.

The subtle expression on Shen Qingwu’s face vanished, returning to the state of a frozen lake. I am merely a law-abiding citizen who happened to hear about some potentially illegal activities and reported them to the police. As for how the police use that information or what they find, that is your business. It has nothing to do with me.

Does it really have nothing to do with you? Lin Jianfeng pressed closer, the distance between them shrinking to less than two meters. She could clearly see the corners of Shen Qingwu’s eyes, reddened by the wind, and the suppressed, complex emotions churning within them. You know who is behind Xinlong Underground Bank, don’t you? You know exactly what is hidden beneath the surface of the New City Project. You didn’t dare, or couldn’t, touch it directly yourself, so you handed the knife to me. You want to use the power of the police to shake something you can’t move on your own. Am I right?

The wind howled between them, kicking up fine dust.

Shen Qingwu finally stopped avoiding her gaze. She tilted her head slightly, a few stray hairs blowing across her forehead. This caused her cold mask to crack, revealing the deep-seated exhaustion, struggle, and even a hint of… almost fragile anger beneath.

So what if you are? So what if you aren’t? Her voice suddenly rose, drowning out the wind. Lin Jianfeng, who do you think you are? A messenger of justice? You think that because you got a few transfer records and arrested a few pawns, you can uproot the behemoth hiding behind them? You are too naive! Do you know why Zhao Ming died? It wasn’t because he investigated Xinlong; it was because he was about to find out where Xinlong’s money ultimately flowed! It was because he was about to touch the real bottom line!

Her chest heaved slightly, her breathing unsteady from agitation. I didn’t give you that USB to help you, nor was I using you as a tool. I was saving you! I gave you a clear target so you could close the case, take the credit, and stop right there! Stop digging! What Zhao Ming found was just the tip of the iceberg above the water. How much more is down there that you don’t know about? Those things… you can’t afford to touch them, and neither can I! If you keep investigating, the next person lying in the morgue might be you, or anyone else on your team!

This was the first time Lin Jianfeng had seen Shen Qingwu show such emotion. She was no longer the precise, cold, and in-control financial queen. Standing before her now was a woman gripped by a massive fear and anger, someone who had walked along the edge of the abyss for too long and was about to break.

Lin Jianfeng did not retreat because of her outburst. Instead, she took another half-step forward, almost feeling the white mist of the other woman’s breath.

So, you choose to live in fear forever? You choose to turn a blind eye to tragedies like Zhao Ming’s? You choose to let that dirty money continue to pollute this city and let more people like Zhao Ming disappear without a sound? Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was like a chisel, driving into Shen Qingwu’s defenses. Shen Qingwu, I admit, I might not know what kind of monster is at the bottom of the water. But I know that if we never check or clean it because we’re afraid of the monster, then this water will eventually become a stagnant pool that drags everyone down.

She reached out, not to touch her, but to point at the sprawling city beneath them. We wear this uniform and take this salary and are called ‘police’ not so we can turn and run when faced with a monster. Our duty is to figure out what the monster is, how big it is, and then find a way to either cage it or… destroy it. Maybe I will fail, maybe I will end up battered and broken, but at least I tried. I won’t be like you—knowing exactly where it is but only daring to hide in the shadows, throwing a few stones and hoping someone else will take the risk!

Shen Qingwu’s face turned pale instantly. Lin Jianfeng’s words were like a sharp blade, accurately dissecting what she had been trying to hide—her fear, her powerlessness, her struggles in the dark, and her almost self-deceiving “balance.”

She opened her mouth as if to argue, but found she couldn’t make a sound. The layer of ice in her eyes shattered completely, revealing a bottomless pit of pain and… confusion.

The wind seemed to die down a little, but the air grew colder.

After a long silence, Shen Qingwu lowered her eyes, avoiding Lin Jianfeng’s burning gaze. She tucked her hands back into her pockets, her shoulders slumping imperceptibly for a moment before she straightened them again. The fragility that had leaked out was quickly and painfully hidden away once more.

…Do as you wish. Her voice regained its calm, but it was hollower than before. You chose this path. You will have to bear the consequences yourself.

She turned around, preparing to leave.

Shen Qingwu. Lin Jianfeng called out to her.

Shen Qingwu stopped in her tracks but did not look back.

Will you cooperate? Lin Jianfeng asked. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it pierced through the wind clearly. Not the kind of ‘cooperation’ where you give me intel and I charge forward. Real cooperation. Tell me everything you know about this murky water. Together, we’ll figure it out.

Shen Qingwu’s back stiffened for a moment.

On what grounds? she asked quietly, with a hint of self-mockery. Why should I trust you? Based on your hot-blooded passion? Or that uniform? Lin Jianfeng, I’ve seen too many people who start with solemn vows only to be bought off, scared away, or… disappear for no reason. Trust is the cheapest and most dangerous thing in this city.

On the grounds that I am standing here tonight and wasn’t scared off by your warnings. Lin Jianfeng walked to her side and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with her, looking out at the bustling yet cold city. On the grounds that even though I knew you were using me, I still took your USB and used the information you gave to secure key evidence. On the grounds that in all my time investigating this case, I haven’t taken a single cent of dirty money or compromised with any threat.

She turned her head, looking at Shen Qingwu’s wind-reddened profile. And on the grounds that you… clearly could have chosen to stay out of it, yet you still gave me that USB. Something inside you hasn’t died yet, Shen Qingwu. You still care about the truth and fairness, even if you might not admit it to yourself anymore.

Shen Qingwu’s eyelashes fluttered violently. She still didn’t turn her head, but her tightly pressed lips betrayed her inner turmoil.

Time ticked away in the howling wind. The blurred clamor of the city drifted from afar, making the silence on the rooftop feel almost solidified.

Finally, Shen Qingwu spoke very softly, almost like a sigh, her voice so low it seemed it might be blown away by the wind at any moment:

…Give me an untraceable, encrypted communication method. Only for you and me.

Lin Jianfeng’s heart skipped a beat.

Fine. She didn’t ask further. She pulled an ordinary black gel pen from the inner pocket of her jacket, unscrewed the end, and took out a tightly rolled, thin slip of paper printed with a long string of complex characters. She handed it to Shen Qingwu. Use this address and key to create a private section that only we can see on an anonymous dark web forum called the Deep Blue Library. After the first login, the key will update dynamically.

Shen Qingwu took the paper and, without looking at it, clenched it in her palm. her fingertips were ice cold.

I will organize the clues I have regarding the abnormal funding of the New City Project and anything potentially related to Zhao Ming’s death and send them to you. But only clues. It won’t include my information sources or any details that might expose my own actions. She finally turned her head to look at Lin Jianfeng. In those eyes, beneath the ice, a very faint flame seemed to be struggling to reignite. Furthermore, Lin Jianfeng, this is a transaction between us, not a partnership. I don’t trust your system, I don’t trust your colleagues, I only… temporarily trust you as a person. If one day I feel you are no longer trustworthy, or if you touch a line I cannot retreat from, I will disappear immediately and wipe all traces. Do you understand?

I understand. Lin Jianfeng nodded. This was the greatest concession Shen Qingwu could make.

Shen Qingwu gave her one last deep, unreadable look—a gaze filled with warning, suspicion, a sliver of desperate resolve, and… perhaps a tiny spark of hope that even she hadn’t noticed.

Then, she pulled her trench coat tight and walked toward the rooftop exit, her figure soon disappearing into the shadows of the stairwell.

Lin Jianfeng didn’t leave immediately. She stood alone on the empty rooftop, letting the cold wind fill her clothes. The icy touch of Shen Qingwu’s fingertips as she took the paper still lingered in her hand.

A fragile alliance built on the edge of a cliff.

Ahead lay deeper, darker, and unknown waters.

But the fire in her heart seeking the truth, rather than being extinguished by the cold wind, burned hotter and more determined because she now had an unpredictable companion treading through the darkness with her.

She took out her phone and sent a brief message to the team: Continue the deep data mining of the Point C server. Focus on tracing all abnormal financial nodes related to land acquisition and early-stage financing for the New City Project. Simultaneously, secretly investigate the subsequent movements of all bidders and evaluators after the Nanwan Logistics Park project final tender failed three years ago, especially personnel changes and financial statuses.

After sending the message, she put her phone away and took one last look in the direction Shen Qingwu had left.

The wind continued to blow, and the city continued to operate silently beneath her.

But some things had already changed.