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墨書 Inktalez
The eerie blue light from Lin Hai's phone illuminated the coldness behind his glasses.
His finger hovered over the dial key, a cold smile playing at the corners of his mouth, confident of victory.
"The goods are secured, and the target is under control. Mr. ‘Viper’, everything is going smoothly," he whispered into the phone that had yet to connect, his voice as soft as a snake's hiss.
In the back seat, my heart and that of Zhang Zhenbang sank like a stone.
Zhou Bureau's text message felt like the last flicker of hope, burning in my pocket.
"The real net is closing in!" — Zhou Bureau knew Lin Hai was a snake! But could he outpace Lin Hai's finger as it pressed the button of death?
The convoy sped through the night towards the police station — a fortress that might have already been infiltrated by moles.
Lin Hai seemed to believe that the situation was settled. He put away his phone and glanced at us through the rearview mirror, his tone dripping with feigned sympathy:
"Don't be nervous; it will all be over soon. Chen Liming, Wu Jianguo... and Zhang Guodong, they won't die in vain; someone will remember them." He emphasized the word "remember," laced with mockery.
Zhang Zhenbang suddenly coughed violently, his body curling in pain, his hand "accidentally" pressing on the car door lock.
"Comrade Zhenbang, don't move," Lin Hai warned, his voice sharp.
At that moment!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A sudden eruption of gunfire erupted ahead! Accompanied by the screeching of brakes and the deafening sound of metal colliding!
The first vehicle—carrying Zhao Gang and the Fake Key—was violently overturned by a crazed dump truck that came barreling in from the side! It lay across the middle of the road!
Our car screeched to a halt! The tires screeched against the pavement!
An attack?! Was it Viper’s people? Or was it Zhou Bureau’s move?!
Chaos erupted in an instant!
“Enemy attack! Protect the target!” Lin Hai reacted swiftly, barking orders as he drew his gun, pushed open the car door, and rolled behind the vehicle for cover.
The driver and another bodyguard immediately drew their weapons and returned fire!
The attackers unleashed a fierce barrage! Bullets rained down on the car like a storm, sparks flying everywhere!
In the shadows by the roadside, there were at least three or four gunmen!
Zhang Zhenbang and I were thrown back against our seats by the immense inertia, feeling dizzy and disoriented.
An opportunity!
With Lin Hai pinned down by the gunfire at the rear of the car, distracted and unable to look back!
I lunged toward the driver's seat! The driver had already exited the vehicle to engage in combat!
The key was still in the ignition!
“Hold on tight!” I shouted at Zhang Zhenbang, twisting the key and slamming the accelerator to the floor!
The engine roared! The SUV surged backward like a wild stallion, racing away!
“What are you doing, Wang Lei?!” Lin Hai's furious shout came from behind the vehicle, mixed with the dull thuds of bullets hitting the rear.
The back of the car crashed violently into a fire hydrant!
A high-pressure water column shot up into the sky, instantly blurring our vision!
Using the curtain of water and chaos to my advantage, I jerked the steering wheel. The SUV skidded sideways, smashing through the roadside barrier and onto the sidewalk, fleeing madly towards the abandoned dock area in the east of the city—away from the police station!
In the rearview mirror, Lin Hai's figure appeared frantic amidst the spray and gunfire.
My phone in my pocket vibrated again! A text from Zhou Bureau!
“Good job! Luring the tiger away from its mountain! The True Key has been safely retrieved from the maintenance room! The Viper's main body has been locked down—Wu Jianguo is not dead! He is the Viper! He is heading to the maintenance room to erase evidence! Hurry to Warehouse No. 7 at the docks! Final battlefield!”
Wu Jianguo?!
That selfless, steadfast master craftsman… is he the Viper?!
A tremendous sense of absurdity and anger at being deceived surged through him in an instant!
No wonder he could "foresee" danger! No wonder he could "coincidentally" appear at every critical juncture! The warehouse explosion, the attack on the Lao Wu Auto Repair Shop… it was all a self-directed escape act! He disguised himself with tragedy and sacrifice, hiding in the brightest shadows!
Zhang Zhenbang's eyes widened in fury: "It's him! It must be him! Only he knows my brother's encryption method and the location of the key! He needs the True Key to completely destroy the List!"
The abandoned Seven Dock loomed like a massive steel monster crouching by the dark sea.
The door to Warehouse No. 7 was ajar, and silence reigned inside.
Zhang Zhenbang and I, armed with a pistol we had scavenged from an overturned police car, cautiously slipped inside.
The warehouse was vast, filled with rusty containers.
Moonlight streamed through the gaps in the dilapidated roof, casting cold beams of light.
A figure stood in the center of the warehouse, facing away from us, holding that familiar silver lighter—the True Key.
It was Wu Jianguo! Or rather, "Viper"!
His work clothes were stained with grease and… dark brown blood (clearly a disguise), but his posture was straight, showing no signs of aging.
"You came after all," he said slowly, turning around with a hint of regret on his face, though his gaze was as cold as a blade. "I wanted to let you live a little longer, waiting for that fool Lin Hai to deliver the fake goods to the Evidence Room and thoroughly muddy the waters… what a pity."
He weighed the lighter in his hand: "The real thing is indeed here. That old fox Zhang Guodong played me right until his last breath."
"Why?" Zhang Zhenbang's voice was hoarse, filled with pain and confusion. "My brother trusted you so much!"
"Trusted?" Wu Jianguo, known as Viper, scoffed, a flicker of complexity crossing his eyes before being replaced by greed. "What he offers is nothing compared to what 'they' provide! Power, money, the thrill of control! I've spent half my life serving the Zhang family, and in the end, what do I get? It's better to be the one pulling the strings!"
He raised his gun, aiming it at us. "Alright, the show is over. List, and all of you, it's time to disappear."
The gun was locked on target; death was imminent!
Zhang Zhenbang and I raised our guns simultaneously, fingers poised on the triggers!
A tense standoff hung in the air!
In that critical moment!
"Bang!"
A gunshot rang out!
But it did not come from any of us three!
The bullet struck Wu Jianguo's wrist with precision!
His gun flew from his hand!
“Ah!” Wu Jianguo screamed, clutching his blood-soaked wrist, his eyes wide with horror as he looked towards the source of the gunfire—on top of a stack of containers!
A figure leaped down like a falcon, landing steadily.
Dressed in black combat gear, with silver stars gleaming on his epaulettes and eyes sharp as an eagle—Deputy Director Zhou Zhengguo!
Behind him, several fully armed SWAT officers surged in, their guns raised and aimed at Wu Jianguo!
“Zhou… Zhou Zhengguo?!” Wu Jianguo (Viper) paled, disbelief etched on his face. “How could you… Lin Hai…”
“Lin Hai was ‘accidentally’ shot dead by Zhao Gang while capturing the Fake Key convoy,” Zhou’s voice was icy. “His communication records and bank transactions are enough to keep him silent. As for you…”
Zhou stepped forward, looking down at the crumpled figure of Viper.
“Chen Liming sent me a Morse Code message using the backup transmitter hidden in your toolbox—only the two of them knew about it—just before he was shot in the basement of Lao Wu Auto Repair Shop: ‘Viper is Wu.’”
He picked up the lighter that had fallen from Wu Jianguo’s hand (True Key):
“Did you think you were convincing? The real Wu Jianguo died twenty years ago at the border, leaving behind an indelible scar from a bullet on his left shoulder! Every time you ‘got injured,’ you cleverly avoided your left shoulder! Chen Liming never truly trusted you, this ‘resurrected’ old comrade!”
Wu Jianguo (the fake) turned ashen, his final mask completely torn away.
Zhou turned and solemnly handed the lighter to Zhang Zhenbang. “Comrade Zhenbang, your brother’s wishes have been fulfilled.”
He looked at me, still shaken, and offered a weary yet sincere smile.
"Comrade Wang Lei, thank you for delivering the most important 'takeout' in this city."
A month later.
A sweeping operation that shook the entire city quietly came to an end.
The Viper organization and its vast umbrella network were uprooted, with not a single Mole on the List escaping capture.
Captain Chen Liming was posthumously awarded the title of Hero Model.
Zhang Zhenbang took over his brother's business.
My life returned to tranquility.
Yet occasionally, as I glanced at the polished silver Zippo lighter on my bedside table, no longer in use, I would remember that stormy night, that Delivery Box that changed everything.
And the words that echoed in my heart:
Some things may seem insignificant, yet they can ignite a blazing fire to burn away evil in the darkest of times.
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