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墨書 Inktalez
Wadaozhai is located in a forest, with over fifty households and the Bamboo House, along with five or six ancestral halls and temples. The internal structure of the village is complex, and with the night deepening, it is difficult to discern directions.
Luo Yi and others have been searching the village for a long time but have not discovered anything unusual.
This is clearly an ordinary village, where every household raises cattle and sheep under their Bamboo Houses, with dim yellow lights shining from above, resembling over fifty bamboo lanterns hanging in the shade of trees.
Dinner in the village is served late, with the aromas of Bamboo Rice and Lemon Chicken wafting from inside the houses. Elders mumble, children cry, men grumble, and women gently soothe. Downstairs, the livestock are quietly chewing grass; everything is peaceful and serene.
The group found a thicket to hide in, took out a map, and spread it on the ground, marking all the places they had passed with crosses—they had checked all the Bamboo Houses without finding any abnormalities.
Undercover furrowed his brow: "Think carefully again; is there anything we might have overlooked?"
Another person replied, "We really didn't notice anything on our way here."
Luo Yi looked at the map: "There are still a few ancestral halls and a Buddhist Temple left. Let's check over there."
"Alright. Let's go."
The group quietly rose and stealthily moved through the woods when suddenly a child's cries came from a nearby Bamboo House: "I don't want to eat! I don't want pineapple! I hate pineapple!"
Luo Yi abruptly stopped; that voice was—
Luo Yi looked up at the window. The night made the lights on the Bamboo House particularly bright. Luo Yi saw Yan Lin's younger sister.
He had searched for Tao Tao in Jinghong with Jiang Peng and Lu Xu for a long time but did not expect that she had been sent back here.
The person in front noticed he wasn't keeping up and turned back, whispering, "Luo Yi!"
In the darkness, Luo Yi's eyes were shining as he spoke clearly, "Call Lu Xu. Tell them to set off immediately."
...
Zhou Yao grimaced as she crouched and moved through the forest, constantly rubbing her arms—there were too many mosquitoes in this woods, leaving her with numerous bites.
Jiang Peng sighed, "It's so dark; how are we supposed to find anyone?"
"There's no other way," Zhou Yao replied. "We can't come during the day."
"Hey, how did I go from running a black market to becoming a special agent?"
Suddenly, Zhou Yao lowered her voice, "Shh!"
In the thicket ahead, several young men approached. The two immediately crouched down behind the bushes, watching as the group walked further away. Only then did Zhou Yao peek out and nudge Jiang Peng, saying, "Let's go."
"Where are we going?"
"Follow them."
"Why?"
Zhou Yao paused for a moment, pouting slightly before saying, "I honestly don't know where else to go."
Jiang Peng was speechless and was about to protest when Zhou Yao shrugged and chuckled, "It's fine. If Boss Luo is also in this village and hears footsteps, he will definitely pay attention. Once he notices us, won't he see us?"
Jiang Peng thought it made sense; wandering around in the middle of the night without certainty was not a good idea, so they might as well give it a try.
The two of them stealthily followed behind those few people.
...
Not far away, in the bushes, an undercover police officer returned after making a phone call and said, "They've set off; it will take over an hour." He then asked Luo Yi, "Are you sure that's Yan Lin's son?"
"Absolutely," Luo Yi replied. "Yan Lin cares more about her 'nephew' than her sister. Besides, when Yan Lin was kidnapped in Yading, I found her phone, and there was a call log for 'Teacher Pan.' Later, I discovered that this Teacher Pan is the homeroom teacher at Tao Tao Kindergarten."
"Is that all? An aunt caring for her nephew and contacting his homeroom teacher isn't unusual."
Luo Yi smiled in confusion. "But on Yan Lin's phone, there are two numbers under 'Teacher Pan'—one is for the kindergarten teacher, and the other is for a high school teacher she never contacts."
The undercover officer said, "She hid the kindergarten teacher's number under her high school teacher's name?"
"Exactly," Luo Yi continued quietly. "After returning to Beijing, I specifically visited the kindergarten but didn't go inside; I just greeted Yan Lin at the entrance. When I left, I didn't look back at the kindergarten for fear she would become suspicious. But as I crossed the street, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a mirror by the roadside; she was staring at my back not out of reluctance but to determine whether I had other motives for visiting the kindergarten and if I was paying attention to the teachers' wall."
The undercover officer nodded. "That makes sense—coming to Yunnan with her nephew and sending him back to his hometown. If he really is her son, she needs to be controlled." He glanced at his watch. "But right now, we haven't caught him yet; we need to split up. One team will stay here to watch the child while the other goes to find their hideout. Just hold on a little longer; backup will arrive soon."
Two undercover officers went to find the hideout while one stayed behind with Luo Yi to guard the spot. Luo Yi wanted to go along but was stopped: "At this point, let's leave it to the police. You shouldn't get involved in any more adventures. They have guns, and we don't know if they have other weapons. We're short on manpower; Xiao Li will stay behind to protect you."
Luo Yi smiled slightly and shook his head. He added, "Be careful."
The two undercover officers quickly disappeared into the night toward the ancestral hall; Xiao Li and Luo Yi remained at their post. With no way to smoke and unable to talk much, they fell into silence.
Not long ago, they had been quite relaxed, but after seeing Yan Lin's son and confirming that this was Dan Shan's lair, a tense and dangerous atmosphere slowly spread from deep within the forest.
In the night, even the slightest rustle of the wind was particularly clear. At the end of the path, footsteps could be heard as a few young men approached.
Three of them hid in the bushes, holding their breath as they watched the villagers pass by. After a while, the night returned to silence.
The night was too quiet, and soon they heard the faint sound of footsteps on leaves.
Luo Yi stared at the thicket across the path and caught sight of a girl from the Dai Ethnic Group and a man passing by, sneaking out as if they were on a date.
Just as he was about to look away, he noticed that the girl's slim waist looked strikingly familiar.
He recalled Zhou Yao giggling in bed: "Luo Boss, look, I have abs, haha."
Luo Yi was taken aback and immediately crept over.
Zhou Yao was following Jiang Peng, tiptoeing ahead when a shadow flashed behind her, and the light dimmed. Startled, Zhou Yao felt someone wrap an arm around her waist and pull her into an embrace. She almost screamed but had her mouth covered.
She recognized the scent lingering on his fingers and froze for a moment.
Jiang Peng turned around to see it was Luo Yi and let out a sigh of relief.
"Zhou Yao," Luo Yi whispered, turning her body around. Zhou Yao immediately threw herself into his arms, pouting and trembling as she tried to speak, overwhelmed with emotion and unable to form a single word.
Luo Yi also found it hard to contain his feelings; he held her tightly and leaned down to kiss her cheek gently.
Jiang Peng rolled his eyes and continued to watch.
"Weren't you supposed to go back to Beijing?" Luo Yi asked.
"Are you hurt?" Zhou Yao asked.
The two sides quickly exchanged information, and Zhou Yao realized he and Lu Xu were acting. He was annoyed, "Why didn't you tell me in advance? If I had known you were coordinating, I would have obediently gone back to Beijing."
"I came up with this plan on the spur of the moment," Luo Yi explained. "Dao San killing Gambler was too sudden."
Zhou Yao wasn't unreasonable; he pouted, "The important matters take precedence. I'm not angry. I'll settle the score with you when we get back!"
Luo Yi touched her face, feeling a surge of emotions, and couldn't help but give her a firm kiss on the cheek.
Zhou Yao rolled her eyes in dissatisfaction and rubbed her cheek with her hand.
"Tsk tsk tsk," Jiang Peng said, unable to watch any longer. "Since SWAT is coming too, let's retreat. The people inside are armed with knives and guns; we only have our fists. Only a fool would confront them head-on."
Luo Yi said, "We'll wait for those two Undercover agents to clarify the situation before we pull back."
Just then, the sound of vehicles came from the village entrance, their headlights cutting through the darkness.
Zhou Yao exclaimed, "The police are here?"
Luo Yi frowned and looked at his watch. "Not this soon—" He suddenly froze and quickly pulled Jiang Peng and Zhou Yao into the bushes to find the assassins and Xiao Li.
"Yan Lin and the others have already arrived!"
Xiao Li, being young, was also startled. "They're here earlier than we planned!"
"Don't panic," Luo Yi said calmly. "Call them and tell them to be cautious. No need to find hiding spots; just protect yourselves and retreat first."
"Okay!" Xiao Li quickly made the call. On the other end, a very low voice answered, "Hello?"
At that moment, Yan Lin and his group of cars drove past from the thicket, a group of people crouching down, not daring to make a sound.
Hearing the noise of the cars on this side, the person on the other end understood everything. They ordered, "You need to evacuate immediately. We will arrive shortly. Go wait for reinforcements outside the Village."
"Understood."
Yan Lin's car did not stop at their Bamboo House but drove directly towards the ancestral hall.
Zhou Yao was anxious and whispered, "Those two police officers won't be in trouble, will they?"
Jiang Peng sighed, "Although I have a few brothers outside, these people have guns and this is their stronghold. If we act recklessly, we will all be dead."
Officer Xiao Li clenched his fists, saying nothing but finally stated firmly, "I will escort you out."
The group stood up to leave. Luo Yi pulled Jiang Peng back at the end and said, "Do me a favor."
After hearing this, Jiang Peng nodded and turned to slip away with the assassin.
Luo Yi moved forward and tightly held Zhou Yao's hand as they quickly walked towards the Village. Just a few steps out, a gunshot suddenly pierced the night from the direction of the ancestral hall. Birds flew up in panic from the trees.
Zhou Yao shivered in fright and immediately turned back. It was noisy and chaotic over by the ancestral hall.
The two undercover officers had been exposed!
Officer Xiao Li's forehead bulged with veins as he took a step towards that direction—
Luo Yi coldly said, "Officer Xiao Li, your primary task now is to protect our escape, not to save your colleagues!"
Zhou Yao tightly grasped Luo Yi's hand, trembling. She understood Luo Yi's intention. The two of them could retreat on their own, but if Xiao Li rushed to the shrine, outnumbered by enemies, it would undoubtedly mean death.
Officer Xiao Li gritted his teeth and replied, "Let's go."
But at that moment, a deep and resonant bell tolled, as if it could shake the entire forest.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
It was the sound of a charge.
Zhou Yao and Xiao Li looked up in confusion. Luo Yi suddenly felt that something was wrong and immediately said, "Run!"
There was no time left.
The eerie and penetrating sound of the bell echoed in the air, abruptly waking the quiet village. Every bamboo house stirred to life, and all the men in each household rushed downstairs, scanning every patch of forest around them.
Luo Yi and the others were soon surrounded by the villagers.
People wielding long knives—middle-aged men, youths, and boys—each wore expressionless faces with hostile gazes, resembling zombies in a post-apocalyptic world as they gradually closed in on them.
Officer Xiao Li shouted, "I am a police officer, not a thief, and I am not here to harm you. Put down your knives, and we will leave the village right now."
Everyone, young and old, wore expressions of hostility on their faces.
Zhou Yao gripped Luo Yi's hand tightly, trembling.
Luo Yi pulled Zhou Yao behind him for protection, vigilantly observing the movements of the people around them. The group was glaring at them as if they were enemies, as if Luo Yi and Zhou Yao were intruders, the discoverers of the village's dark secrets.
And who would have thought that everyone here was Dan Shan?
Xiao Li refused to give up: "I am a police officer, not a bad person. No one wants to harm you; put down your weapons!"
The crowd remained unmoved, their encirclement tightening, pressing in on them.
Luo Yi said coldly, "Don't waste your breath; they are all in this together. Can't you see that?!"
Xiao Li was nearly at his breaking point: "How can every household be like this?!"
No one answered his furious shout. A middle-aged man raised his long knife and swung it at Luo Yi. Luo Yi pulled Zhou Yao aside to dodge it, kicking the man's arm, but another man charged in with a knife.
How many were there? Fifty? Sixty? A hundred?
They came at them with knives and clubs, overwhelming Luo Yi as he protected Zhou Yao; Xiao Li could barely hold his ground.
In the chaos, a gunshot rang out, and everyone froze. A young man sat on the ground clutching his arm.
Meanwhile, two others attacked Xiao Li, trying to wrestle the gun from his hands.
"He shot my brother!" a boy screamed.
Xiao Li exerted all his strength to push the two people off him. In the next moment, a boy swung a stick towards the back of Xiao Li's head.
"Luo Yi shouted, "Be careful!"
With a heavy thud, blood gushed from Xiao Li's head as he fell to the ground, the gun sliding several meters away. Luo Yi immediately rushed over to grab it, while another man also lunged for it. The two of them grabbed hold simultaneously, struggling and rolling on the ground.
Seeing this, a nearby youth swung a knife at Luo Yi. Zhou Yao, without thinking, picked up the fallen long knife and struck the man's face.
The sensation was like cutting through a melon, spreading through Zhou Yao's palm. She felt a chill run down her spine as she watched the man's face split open, blood spraying everywhere.
Zhou Yao stubbornly held onto the knife, her eyes bloodshot, unsure if it was fear or hatred:
"Don't come any closer! If you do, I will kill you!" she screamed hoarsely, "I will kill you!"
A few young men exchanged glances and hesitated for a moment before charging again, but—
Luo Yi was grappling with the man on the ground and pulled the trigger.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
Gunshots rang out continuously, bullets flying wildly as people around them retreated and scattered, pulling back into the woods to hide.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
The magazine was completely empty. Luo Yi and the burly man rolled to the edge of the grass. Luo Yi grabbed a large stone and smashed it hard against the man's face, again and again, turning his face into a bloody mess.
Once the man loosened his grip, Luo Yi immediately got up, grabbed Zhou Yao and Xiao Li, and ran into the woods.
Luo Yi carried the unconscious Xiao Li on one shoulder while pulling Zhou Yao with the other, sprinting through the forest.
Zhou Yao still tightly held onto the long knife, still in shock from having just killed someone.
After running for an unknown amount of time, Luo Yi's steps grew slower and slower until he suddenly collapsed to his knees.
"Boss Luo—" Zhou Yao whispered, pulling him, only to realize his face was pale and covered in sweat.
"Are you very tired? Just hold on a bit longer, we need to keep running—" Zhou Yao felt the sticky liquid on his abdomen and raised her hand, drenched in blood.
He had been shot in the abdomen.
Zhou Yao stared at him in shock, opened her mouth, her eyes reddening.
Luo Yi forced a faint smile, grasped Zhou Yao's hand, and slipped a piece of paper into her palm: "It's a map. You go out first; you can do it, right? I won't be coming with you."
Zhou Yao shook her head and pulled him: "If we're leaving, we're leaving together!"
But she couldn't move him; Luo Yi had already lost all his strength. He couldn't stand up anymore and shook his head: "Listen to me, Zhou Yao. Don't worry about me; Lu Xu and the others will be here soon. It won't take an hour."
"They will find you in just one hour!"
"Listen, Zhou Yao," Luo Yi gently repeated, collapsing to the ground.
Zhou Yao's tears fell as she let out a small sound, biting her lip to keep quiet. She quickly wiped her face and looked for a place to hide, soon finding a pit. She dragged the unconscious Officer Xiao Li into the pit to conceal him; it was too small for anyone else. She removed Xiao Li's jacket and used it to bind Luo Yi's abdominal wound, then pulled on Luo Yi.
Luo Yi was much taller and heavier than Officer Xiao Li, and Zhou Yao couldn't carry him on her back. As she struggled to pull him along, she heard the searchers getting closer, causing her to cry in desperation. Gritting her teeth, she dragged his arm for a few meters, but the nearby bushes were too low and made them easily visible.
She lay down on the ground, pressing Luo Yi onto her back, inching forward with him. He had lost consciousness and kept slipping down; she pulled his sleeve to the front and bit down on it as she crawled ahead.
Branches and stones scraped against her fingers, arms, belly, and knees, but she no longer felt any pain.
Halfway through, the searchers arrived.
Zhou Yao gritted her teeth tightly, lying on the ground without daring to make a sound; only her tears flowed silently.
"Are there only a few people?"
"They ran away."
"Hurry up and search. Sister Yan said everyone who broke into the village must be caught. Alive or dead, not a single one can escape!"
"Yes!"
"You few go guard the entrance of the village. No one is allowed to leave!"
"Yes!"
The feet of those people were right next to Zhou Yao, separated from her by a few small bushes. Luo Yi's blood slowly seeped out from his clothes, damply sticking to Zhou Yao's lower back.
Zhou Yao lowered her head and bit her finger, tears stubbornly swirling in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.
That group of people finally moved on to another place. Zhou Yao propped herself up with her elbows and knees, using all her strength to continue crawling forward. After an unknown amount of time, she arrived at the Bamboo House.
The entire village was searching, with nowhere to escape.
Zhou Yao saw the Cattle and Sheep Pen beneath the Bamboo House and dragged Luo Yi inside to hide him.
Exhausted and worn out, she still dared not relax for even a moment. She pressed down on Luo Yi's abdominal wound with one hand while holding him close with the other, resting her face against his cold cheek as tears streamed down like rain.
Why was time passing so slowly? Why hadn't reinforcements arrived yet?
The searchers drew closer again, their flashlights flickering between the bushes and the Bamboo House.
This time, the leader's voice was unusually cold and powerful; Zhou Yao felt it was familiar but couldn't recall where she had heard it before.
"What does that skilled man look like?"
"An outsider, around thirty years old, very handsome."
The leader fell silent for a moment before asking, "Is he with a woman?"
"Yes, she's from the Dai Ethnic Group."
"Dai Ethnic Group?"
"Yes."
"Let's not worry about anything else for now. We must capture that man tonight, no matter what!"
"Yes."
Zhou Yao listened to his voice, stunned for a moment. Suddenly, the blank memories from that night at Aden Hospital surged back like a tide.
She finally remembered. That night when she had a fever, Luo Yi held her tightly in the last stall of the bathroom. His embrace was tight, frantic, and filled with fear, so much so that his tears fell onto her eyes.
She remembered it all.
Zhou Yao gritted her teeth, lowering her head deeply as tears fell one by one.
The flashlight's beam suddenly shone into the Sheep Pen. Zhou Yao held Luo Yi's head tightly in her arms, instinctively gripping the knife with one hand.
Inside the Sheep Pen, the sheep bleated softly as they grazed.
The flashlight beam retracted, and the footsteps faded away.
Zhou Yao mechanically loosened her grip on the knife, her face streaked with tears. Just as she took a breath, she heard a woman's footsteps coming down the stairs of the Bamboo House. Zhou Yao had no time to escape; the woman came downstairs carrying a bundle of hay to feed the sheep in the Sheep Pen.
As soon as the Dai Girl entered the Sheep Pen, a knife was placed against her neck.
The girl raised her hands and turned her head to see Zhou Yao's tear-streaked but fierce gaze. She glanced at the bloodied man on the ground and softly asked, "Did you come here following the police?"
Bamboo House On the second floor, this is a rather simple room, everything is tidy and clean.
The most striking feature is a row of memorial portraits on the wall: an elderly person, a middle-aged person, a young man, and a boy...
In black and white, the old and the young smile together, which is quite unsettling.
White candles are placed beside the portraits, silently burning and dripping wax.
With a crisp sound, a bullet fell into a plate. A Dai Girl named Sina stitched up Luo Yi's abdomen, applied medicine, wrapped it with bandages, and then gave him anti-inflammatory medication.
Zhou Yao sat nearby in a vigilant kneeling position, watching her every move while holding a knife.
“He's lucky; I'm the only doctor in the Village,” Sina said softly, glancing at the dirty Zhou Yao, and asked, “Do you want to wash up?”
Zhou Yao only asked, “When will he wake up?”
“Tomorrow, I suppose. Instead of worrying about that, how are you going to escape this Village?”
“The police will be here soon,” Zhou Yao replied.
“It won't matter when they arrive,” Sina shook her head sadly. “All the men in the Village are involved in this line of work. Are they going to arrest all the men?”
“Exactly, whoever breaks the law gets arrested!” Zhou Yao answered.
Sina was taken aback for a moment before smiling: “I hope so. Actually—the women in the village don’t like this; it would be much better to live honestly and do things properly. But Men act like they’ve gone mad. My father, husband, and brother all followed Dan Shan and Yan Lin... and ended up dead.” A hint of hatred flashed in her eyes.
Just then, there was a commotion from the Village, with Men loudly calling out the names of all the men as if gathering them together.
Zhou Yao warned, "Are we going to search every household?"
"I'll go take a look," Sina said as she stood up. Zhou Yao immediately grabbed his knife, and Sina added, "I'm not going downstairs."
She went to the window and opened the bamboo shutters, while Zhou Yao stood behind her with the knife.
Sina looked down at the street. "Where are you going?"
"We'll be back in a few days."
"Safe travels."
She closed the window.
Zhou Yao asked, "What do you mean?"
Sina looked at Luo Yi, who was lying on the mat, and said, "He's quite impressive."
"What do you mean?"
"The men in the village are planning to relocate to avoid trouble. The last time this happened, it was thanks to an undercover agent I helped three years ago. It seems your friend has pushed Yan Lin into a corner. It's just a pity..."
"Pity about what?"
"SWAT won't arrive for another half an hour, and that’s more than enough time for them to escape Border. As for the women and children, even if they don't support what they're doing, they wouldn't want to expose them. That's why Dan Shan's hideout has been so hard to find."
Zhou Yao stared blankly at Luo Yi, and gradually, his eyes turned red again. "He has been looking for Dan Shan for a long time; he has been searching for years and has nearly lost his life many times."
"Is he a police officer?"
"No." Zhou Yao looked at Luo Yi's pale face and smiled slightly. "He doesn't really want to clear his name; he just wants to protect what his brother cherishes the most, what his brother has guarded with his life."
Sina seemed to understand a little and also looked at Luo Yi, sighing lightly. "Then he's really unlucky. Yan Lin just tried to catch him, which means he is important. But now, Yan Lin must realize that he has come, and the police will arrive soon. So they need to evacuate quickly."
Zhou Yao coldly curled one corner of his lips. "I won't let them escape smoothly."
"But just you?"
"Yes, just me." Zhou Yao quickly wiped away the tears in his eyes and asked, "Do you have any flour at home?"
"Yes—what's up?"
"Get me some bags of flour, small ones, as many as you can."
Sina didn't understand but complied.
Zhou Yao then rummaged through the bloody tissues in the trash can.
Sina prepared more than ten bags of flour, and Zhou Yao stuffed bloodied tissues into each bag of flour.
Sina asked, "What are you going to do?"
Zhou Yao quickly replied, "I've noticed that near the Border, there are many drug checks on the road; vehicles must be inspected. If the drug enforcement officers see small white packages of powder, they will definitely open them. Yan Lin and his team are on the run and will be very nervous. As long as they are nervous, even if there are no drugs in the car, the drug enforcement officers will notice and become suspicious. We need to delay them as much as possible until Lu Xu arrives to contact the Border Police; we will definitely be able to catch them!"
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