Chapter 10: Battle in the Abyss

Chapter 10

Cheng Fei and Lin Hui, together with the other detectives, headed to the site where He Beichuan’s body had been buried.

In the car, Cheng Fei glanced at the back seat, then looked at Lin Hui, who was driving, and asked, “Hui, where did Wenxuan go? Why isn’t he with us?”

“I don’t know. He was listening when you mentioned it, so who knows why he didn’t follow. Maybe he’s slacking off somewhere,” Lin Hui replied.

“Wenxuan would never slack off. He’s always diligent in his work. Hui, did you say something to him?” Cheng Fei pressed.

Lin Hui paused, recalling he had told Fang Wenxuan not to follow him around anymore. But was Wenxuan the kind of person to shrink back after just a few words?

“Captain, I think he’s just afraid of seeing body parts. Last time, when he saw the remains of Wang Minmin and Mei Yanqin, he turned pale. Honestly, I don’t think he’s cut out to be a detective,” Lin Hui said.

“That takes time. All the other rookie detectives were like that at first. Don’t let a minor thing make you prejudiced against him. Be honest with yourself—doesn’t Wenxuan have his strengths? For example, during today’s interrogation, if Wenxuan hadn’t used what he learned in criminal psychology at university, we’d never have gotten Xie Yi to talk, let alone reveal where He Beichuan was buried. He’s only twenty-two and already so capable. Think about it—you were more nervous than the suspects when you first started at twenty-two,” Cheng Fei replied earnestly.

Lin Hui nodded. “That’s true—he’s got a knack for that stuff.”

“I’ll call him and get him to the scene,” Cheng Fei said, taking out his phone.

The phone rang for a long time, but no one answered. He hung up and dialed again.

“Hello?” At last, someone picked up.

Cheng Fei said into the phone, “Wenxuan, where are you? Get to the scene, quick.”

“Captain Cheng… This is the officer guarding the crime scene at Xingfu Garden. We were attacked by several masked men just now. Detective Fang Wenxuan came by to collect some evidence, but when we came to, he was gone. All we found was his phone on the ground, and there were fresh bloodstains… I’m afraid…”

“What?” Cheng Fei’s heart pounded as he gripped his phone tightly.

“Captain, what’s wrong?” Lin Hui, seeing Cheng Fei’s unusually grim expression, asked anxiously.

“Pull over,” Cheng Fei ordered.

Lin Hui quickly parked by the roadside, looking at Cheng Fei in alarm. “Captain, what happened?”

“You and Forensic Qin go on and search for He Beichuan’s remains. We’ll discuss this back at the station,” Cheng Fei said, then jumped out of the car.

Following Xie Yi’s statement, Lin Hui, Forensic Qin, and the other detectives finally found a body part at the designated spot. Whether it belonged to He Beichuan would have to be confirmed back at the station.

After collecting the body and nearby soil as evidence, Lin Hui, Forensic Qin, and all the detectives returned to the station. Cheng Fei had arrived ahead of them.

“Hui, did you find any evidence?” Cheng Fei asked as Lin Hui entered.

“We found some things, but the forensics and medical examiner need to verify them,” Lin Hui replied.

“Captain, what’s going on?” Lin Hui asked, noticing the worried look on Cheng Fei’s face.

Just then, Zheng Qiaoshan walked over, holding a piece of paper.

“Well? Is the blood sample I brought back Wenxuan’s?” Cheng Fei asked her.

“…Captain, yes,” Zheng Qiaoshan replied after a moment’s silence.

“What? What happened?” Lin Hui sensed something was wrong and demanded an explanation.

“He went to Xingfu Garden—you didn’t tell me? Who authorized you to act alone? If we thought of retrieving critical evidence, do you think the criminals wouldn’t as well?” Cheng Fei shouted at Zheng Qiaoshan, his anger boiling over.

“Qiaoshan, what happened?” Lin Hui asked her.

“I forgot to take Xie Yi’s phone and computer. Wenxuan knew I had a family emergency, so he went for me. But the officers at Xingfu Garden were attacked, and Wenxuan has disappeared,” she replied.

“That idiot,” Lin Hui cursed, furious. “Damn it, they even dare attack the police.”

“Captain… Captain…” Suddenly, He Xiaopeng at the computer called out loudly.

“What is it?” Cheng Fei strode quickly to his side.

“I just received a video. It’s… Wenxuan…” He Xiaopeng typed quickly. “I immediately tried to trace the sender’s location. Luckily, their methods weren’t sophisticated—I got their IP address… I’ll play the video for you now…”

He opened the video.

A series of snapping sounds filled the room.

“Ah!” Zheng Qiaoshan screamed, covering her face as tears welled up in her eyes.

In the video, Fang Wenxuan was bound with ropes. A man in black clothes and a hood lashed him repeatedly with a whip while several others punched and kicked him.

The ordeal lasted over ten minutes. Even through the screen, the pain was palpable. Fang Wenxuan’s khaki trench coat was soaked with blood; each blow sent a mist of red spraying.

Bang! Cheng Fei slammed his fist onto the table, splitting it with the force.

When the video ended, a line of words appeared: “For the meddling police who block my business—watch carefully how your colleague is beaten to death.”

“These bastards,” Lin Hui cursed, ablaze with fury.

“Xiaopeng, where was the video sent from?” Cheng Fei demanded.

“Captain, it was sent from Yuehu Dock.” He Xiaopeng brought up a map. “There are a lot of shipping containers at Yuehu, and the background in the video matches. They probably chose this spot because it’s easy to escape once exposed—plenty of fishing boats head to other cities from here.”

“Hui, take the others and head to the dock at once. I’ll go report to the chief and have him coordinate with the coast guard and prosecutors. Every boat must be inspected today. If Wenxuan is smuggled away in a container, he’ll be almost impossible to find. Move fast, everyone!” Cheng Fei ordered, then hurried to the chief’s office.

“This is mutiny! They dare attack the police… Old Cheng, go to the dock at once. I’ll contact the coast guard and prosecutors. Every container and vessel will be thoroughly checked today. Wenxuan must be rescued, and the criminals cannot be allowed to escape!” the chief said.

Pain—pain everywhere.

Fang Wenxuan lay on the ground, staring at the steel ceiling, his mind drifting in and out, unable to focus.

He cursed himself for being useless. It must be rare for a detective to end up kidnapped by criminals.

“Mr. Hou, the coast guard and prosecutors are suddenly inspecting all ships and containers. Something must have happened. Should we go now?” A masked man addressed a man wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap.

“What are you panicking for? No one knows who we are,” Mr. Hou replied coolly.

Fang Wenxuan slowly moved his hand, eyeing Mr. Hou and his four henchmen. All wore hoods; he hadn’t seen any of their faces. If they escaped this time, they’d never be caught. He had to think of something.

Suddenly, he spotted an old lighter on the floor—a goon must have dropped it while beating him after smoking. Fang Wenxuan quickly palmed it and closed his eyes.

Eyes shut, he listened to the sound of rustling clothes. Peeking through a slit, he saw them changing into work uniforms, planning to slip out unnoticed.

He hurriedly flicked the lighter, burning the ropes that bound him.

“What’s that smell?” Mr. Hou suddenly asked, looking at his men.

A scorched odor filled the air, and with only three men in a thirty-square-meter container, it was impossible to miss.

Fang Wenxuan kept his eyes tightly closed, his hands working rapidly behind his back. The ropes finally came loose.

Suddenly, sensing movement, Fang Wenxuan rolled aside, untying his legs in one swift motion. The pain from his wounds made him dizzy, but he couldn’t afford to lose consciousness now.

“Looks like we went too easy on you. After all that blood loss, you’re still able to move. What a pity…” Mr. Hou sneered, drawing Wenxuan’s own gun and aiming at him.

Fang Wenxuan hurled the lighter at Mr. Hou.

In that split second, he dashed forward, twisted Mr. Hou’s wrist, and wrenched the gun free. Without hesitation, he shot Mr. Hou in the leg.

The gunshot alerted the henchmen in the adjacent container—and caught Lin Hui’s attention as he searched nearby.

“Follow me,” Lin Hui ordered his team, running toward the sound.

Fang Wenxuan fired again, hitting another henchman in the leg.

Seeing both their leader and his best man down, the other three scrambled onto the containers to escape.

Seeing the two unable to flee, Fang Wenxuan chased after the remaining three, but the effort tore open his wounds. Blood gushed out, his vision blurred.

After a brief rest, he forced himself to continue pursuit. Maybe due to blood loss or dizziness, he only saw two men ahead—one was missing.

Before he realized what was happening, someone was suddenly behind him.

He spun around to attack, but the person was quicker and kicked him square in the chest.

He lost his balance and fell. From two meters up on the container, in his current state, he couldn’t hope to land safely. His body was battered, his head swimming, his vision fading. He couldn’t see anything to grab, couldn’t steady himself.

“Catch those three!” a voice commanded nearby. Forcing his eyes open, Fang Wenxuan saw, to his astonishment, that he’d fallen straight into Lin Hui’s arms.