“Seven o’clock, North Coast Pier, come by yourself.”

Jiang Zhi rose from his seat, opened the black briefcase, and glanced at the neatly arranged US dollars inside: “Pick up my girlfriend.”

Hong San activated the speakerphone.

Zhou Xufang shouted, “Jiang Zhi.”

After Jiang Zhi responded, he didn’t speak and waited for a while: “Xu Fang.”

“Uh-huh.”

He said, “Wait for me.”

“Okay.”

This girl seemed compliant, but in reality, she had her principles and her own things she wanted to do. Jiang Zhi didn’t want to influence her; thus, the only option was for him to step back and let her take control.

“If you dare bring the police,” Hong San deliberately banged loudly on the cage, his murderous intent palpable, “I’ll throw her into the sea to feed the fishes.”

Feed the fishes?

Zhou Xufang could swim in both water and on land, so it was uncertain whether she would feed the fishes or the fishes would feed her. Let’s see.

Jiang Zhi said, “No police, don’t harm her.”

Hong San hung up the phone.

“Lin Wanwan,” Jiang Zhi tossed the phone on the table, “you go out first.”

Ah Wan: “Oh.”

Why is he sending me out?!

After Ah Wan left and closed the door, Jiang Zhi then asked Xue Baoyi, “Where’s the stuff?”

Xue Baoyi hesitated for quite some time, but still took out a gun from his pocket, wrapped it in a handkerchief, placed it on the table, and spoke with unusual seriousness, “Brother Zhi, you can’t mess with this casually.” He pushed the gun towards Jiang Zhi, not in his usual frivolous or joking manner; he was very serious, “Don’t take it out unless it is absolutely necessary.”

Jiang Zhi took the gun and simply said, “I understand.”

You understand?

I don’t!

Xue Baoyi was very uneasy.

Half past six.

Jiang Zhi received a call from Hong San, just one sentence: “Turn around.” Hong San said, “Go to South Coast Pier.”

Then, the call was cut.

North and South Coast Piers were separated by half the city; it would take half an hour to drive there even without traffic.

Jiang Zhi put on his Bluetooth headset and contacted Shuangjiang with a different phone: “Is Zhou Xufang moving towards South Coast Pier?”

Shuangjiang replied, “Yes.”

After thinking for a few seconds, Jiang Zhi said, “Send her location to Qiao Nanchu.”

“Okay.”

He knew what Zhou Xufang planned to do, and was worried sick; but what could he do? He had to listen to her, right? He turned the steering wheel, making a U-turn.

Seven o’clock.

The car arrived at South Coast Pier, where the wind was strong, whistling through the sails on the ferry, creating a howling sound. There was no moon tonight, nor a single star, only dim lights that painted the entire pier with a veil of obscurity.

Jiang Zhi stopped the car, barely opened the door, when his phone rang. He got out, his gaze sweeping over the docked boats, and answered the call.

Hong San said, “Put the money on the chair to your left.”

Jiang Zhi looked around and walked to the left, setting down the bag.

Hong San then ordered, “Step back.”

He stepped back.

The largest cruise ship at the center of the ferry terminal had a person descend, wearing a hood that only showed his eyes. He went forward to check the money in the bag, nodded to Hong San after confirming, and then walked back onto the ship with the bag.

The ship’s lights were off, its silhouette indistinct.

Jiang Zhi, phone in hand, approached: “Where is my girlfriend?”

Suddenly, lights flashed at the bow of the ship.

Hong San stood atop, wearing a mask over his face. He turned and instructed, “Bring the person up.”

Two men then dragged someone onto the deck.

Jiang Zhi recognized the clothes as Zhou Xufang’s. Her hands were bound, she struggled, and her head was covered with a black cloth, likely her mouth sealed with duct tape.

Hong San pulled out a dagger from his pocket and grabbed the hostage’s hood, “Go to the outer side of the pier and wait. We’ll release her after fifteen minutes.”

Jiang Zhi hesitated very briefly before turning around and just as he took a step—

Suddenly, the sound of a police siren.

Hong San was shocked, his face turned red in an instant, and he bellowed, “You fucking called the cops!” He immediately turned and yelled to the people inside the cruise, “Start the ship!”

Start the ship?

The entire low-voltage switchgear had been destroyed by someone; how could they start? But it was too late, as boats that had been stationary around the cruise started moving slowly, closing in, their lights blazing bright, and the decks teeming with armed police.

Hong San was furious, screaming, “Start the ship! Start it now!”

Let’s rewind half an hour back.

After calling Jiang Zhi, Hong San took a dozen of his men, got into the slaughterhouse truck, and headed for the trading location, North Coast Pier, via the expressway.

En route, he received a text from Hua Jun. After that, he made four calls, but none went through.

Hong San hesitated for a while, “Stop the car.”

Everyone sat in the covered truck, surrounding a pig cage in the middle. Ah Wang asked, “What’s wrong, Brother San?”

Hong San kept dialing in a punchy and irritable manner. “There’s trouble at Brother Hua’s side; he’s asking for our backup.”

Now?

Ah Wang pointed at the person in the cage, “What about her?”

Hong San glanced at Zhou Xufang and then at the hacker who was furiously typing on the keyboard, “Has Jiang Zhi called the cops?”

He adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose, “No, it’s just him alone.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

Despite being cautious, Hong San was still uneasy. He tried another number; it was like all the calls were cursed, none went through, and messages sent received no replies.

At that moment, he received another text from Hua Jun, only then did he put his doubts aside, directed the driver to turn around, and said, “Brother Hua wants us to take her along too.” He sent a reply and instructed Ah Wang, “Notify Jiang Zhi to redeem the person at South Coast Pier.”

Oh, so it’s South Coast Pier.

Inside the pig cage, Zhou Xufang touched the tracking necklace on her neck, revealing a triumphant and delightfully self-satisfied smile.

Six forty.

The Criminal Intelligence Department received an intrusion alert. Yes, an intrusion; their defense systems were breached, and their computers were violently remotely controlled.

With such a strong-arm approach, who else could it be!

Yao An was the first to notice and shouted, “Captain Qiao, take a look at this!”

Qiao Nanchu swiveled his chair halfway and glanced at the screen with a smile, “Send the location to the Criminal Investigation Team and the Drug Enforcement Team.” Those two guys were really quick in their actions.

Li Xiaodong hesitated and asked for instructions, “Shouldn’t we confirm it first?” What if it’s fake?

Qiao Nanchu checked his watch, “There’s no time left, notify them now.”

It seemed as though Captain Qiao knew something; regardless, Li Xiaodong was utterly confused but decided not to worry about it. He would follow his boss’s orders, “Okay, I’ll notify them now.”

Three minutes later, the intel department received a response.

“The Drug Enforcement Team has moved out.”

“The Criminal Investigation Team has also moved out.”

Qiao Nanchu took a sip of water to moisten his throat, then set the cup down and opened the lowest drawer of his desk, took a gun, and put it in his pocket.

The Criminal Intelligence Department is usually an administrative division that doesn’t go to the front line of missions and typically doesn’t carry guns. Qiao Nanchu was the only exception, as he had been involved with many cases from the Drug Enforcement Team, the Anti-Smuggling Bureau, and the Criminal Investigation Team.

Li Xiaodong felt that a major case was unfolding, “Captain Qiao, are you also going to the scene?”

“Yep.”

Qiao Nanchu grabbed his car keys and, striding with his long legs, left.

Li Xiaodong murmured, “Why do I feel so uneasy?”

“I feel the same,” Yao An said while gazing at SpongeBob on the screen and the location, frowning tightly, “After all, they’re our archenemies. Can we trust the intel she provided?”

In addition to the location, the screen displayed a sentence: Seven o’clock, South Coast Pier delivery.

Six-fifty.

On the second floor of the cruise ship, every meter or two, there was someone on guard, all wearing black suits and fully prepared for action.

Hua Jun paced in the room and asked his subordinate for the third time, “Have they arrived?”

The subordinate checked the time and replied, “Ten minutes until they reach the ferry dock.”

“Brother Hua,” someone entered the room to report, “Hong San and the others have arrived.”

Upon hearing this, Hua Jun strode out of the room and saw Hong San in the second-floor corridor, his face immediately turning sour, “Who told you to come?!”

Hong San was stunned, “Didn’t you call me over?”

Hua Jun’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, his expression taut as the tattoo of a black dragon on his neck was grotesquely distorted by the bulging veins, “When did I ever call you?”

Hong San panicked briefly, immediately took out his phone, and showed it to Hua Jun.

After Hua Jun read the two messages, his face became utterly grim, “I didn’t send these.” Enraged, he shouted at Hong San, “Couldn’t you have confirmed with me first?”

Hong San was also frantic, his face flushed, “I made phone calls, but you didn’t answer.”

Didn’t answer?

Hua Jun never heard any incoming calls, “Give me your phone.”

Hong San handed over his phone used specifically for contacting the higher-ups, and pulled up his call history; he had made eight calls in total, six to Hua Jun and two to someone labeled ‘Zhang’.

Hua Jun dialed his own number from Hong San’s phone, his phone did not ring for a long time, while Hong San’s phone kept saying it was unanswered.

Hong San was at a loss, “What’s going on?”

Hua Jun turned and gave him a kick in frustration, his lips trembling with anger, “You idiot, someone tampered with your phone and you didn’t even notice? Is this your first day on the job?”

Hong San collapsed to the ground, sweating coldly and biting his teeth without uttering a sound.

At that moment, a subordinate came to report from downstairs, “Brother Hua, the goods have arrived.”

The people from the Golden Triangle had already arrived, but trouble had arisen at this critical moment. Hua Jun hesitated, then ordered, “Bring them aboard first,” and immediately made a phone call, “President Zhang.”

The person on the other end asked, “Did you get the goods?”

Hua Jun, somewhat panicky, said not yet, “Our position might have been exposed.” He briefly and quickly relayed the sequence of events.

The woman listened silently.

Hua Jun, feeling uncertain, asked for instructions, “President Zhang, what should we do next?”

“Once you get the goods, leave immediately.” Once the goods had literally arrived at the doorstep, there was no reason not to offload them.

Hua Jun’s palms were sweaty, his mind was in turmoil, “Understood.”

“If the police show up, use the hostage if you can. If not,” the gentle, soft voice of the woman articulated slowly, pausing briefly before continuing, “kill.”

At least they still held a hostage in their hands.

Hua Jun understood, hung up the phone, and asked Hong San, “Where’s the girl?”

“In the cage outside.”

Hong San got up from the ground and called for Ah Wang to bring the person up.

The person was still inside the cage without being let out, hooded, with their mouth sealed and all limbs bound with thick rope; they curled up quietly in the cage without struggling.

Hua Jun squatted down, knocked on the iron cage with his phone, and spoke with a sinister tone, “Whether you get off the ship alive depends on how well your boyfriend behaves.”

The person inside the cage shivered.

Good thing they still had this bargaining chip; Hua Jun’s nerves slightly relaxed, “Ah Wang, keep a close eye on her.”

“Yes, Brother Hua.”

Hua Jun glared coldly at Hong San, “You come with me to get the goods.”

Hong San kicked the cage and followed out.

Ah Wang ordered the men to move the cage inside the room, checked the locks carefully, and kept a constant vigil.

Throughout it all, Zhou Xufang remained very ‘honest’ as a hostage inside the cage, while at the same time, she kept her ears pricked up for any noise outside.

Hua Jun was receiving the goods, and the other party was speaking a foreign language. The sound of waves and wind was loud, and the noises from outside the cruise ship were hard to hear clearly amidst the clamor.

“Xufang.”

It was Jiang Zhi’s voice, faint and indistinct.

“Xufang.”

Zhou Xufang quietly let out a soft ‘hmm.’

It was a strange sensation; amidst the cacophony, she tried desperately to catch a trace of his voice, and even the slight details brought her joy.

She took several deep breaths, held her breath in concentration, and listened carefully.

The voice was not clear, intermittent, “If you can safely retreat… hang the necklace on the sail…”

Hmm, Jiang Zhi’s voice was really nice, more pleasant than the sound of the wind.

How did she come to think about this? Zhou Xufang pulled her wandering spirit back and moved her arms slightly. With a bang, the rope binding her burst into several pieces.

Ah Wang heard the noise and glanced at the cage, “You—”

He stared, dumbfounded.

Zhou Xufang tugged at the chain with one hand and bent the steel bars with the other, easily creating an opening in the cage, and squeezed out from within.

Ah Wang’s legs went weak, and he sank down, his hand shaking as he reached for the door handle, “Hong San!”

“San—”

The shout stopped abruptly.

Ah Wang didn’t even see how she got close, but her hand was already around his neck, the slender wrist choking off his airway.

“If you survive this, try to be a good person next time, okay?”