The inside of the truck still carried the damp smell of river water and a faint scent of gasoline.
Eleanor suddenly turned the steering wheel sharply and quickly drove away from the area.
Celine wiped the fog from the window. Her heartbeat was still a little fast, but more than fear, it was the tense feeling of just surviving something dangerous.
But that tension didn't last long.
After driving for less than two minutes, they saw a line of police cars leading a convoy, rushing toward them at high speed.
Eleanor instinctively slowed down. His fingers, with clearly defined joints, turned pale from gripping the steering wheel too tightly.
The police cars stopped about ten meters from their truck. Several black sedans behind them also came to a stop in order.
A tall, stern-looking officer stepped out. He looked about fifty years old. Even in the dim light, the police rank on his shoulder stood out clearly.
His eyes scanned the truck like a scanner, finally locking onto the driver's cabin.
Before he could speak or even make eye contact, Celine leaned forward and rolled down the passenger window.
She couldn't let her third brother face the police. If he got nervous and slipped up, it would be bad.
"Officer, is something wrong?"
Celine's voice was calm, with just the right amount of confusion. She looked the officer in the eye without fear.
The officer clearly didn't expect a young girl to speak first. He paused slightly, then pointed to a large, newly broken section of the roadside barrier behind them.
His voice was cold and commanding. "You just came from over there. Did you see anything unusual? Like, did a car fall off the road?"
It was happening.
Celine's heart tightened, but her face stayed calm. She even looked in the direction he pointed with a bit of surprise and confusion.
"No," she said, shaking her head, her tone sounding innocent.
"We just came from that way too. We were wondering about it. When we went into the city this morning, the barrier was fine. How did such a big piece go missing now?"
Her words came slowly and steadily. Her expression was natural. Her eyes were clear, as if she really were just a curious villager passing by.
At that moment, Celine was even surprised at herself.
She had thought she would be nervous when questioned by police.
But she wasn't.
Her heartbeat stayed steady. Her mind was clear. She could even calmly read the expressions on the officer's face.
Was it the toughness that came from being reborn?
Or had the mysterious space and changes in her body strengthened her nerves?
The older officer stared at her face for a few seconds, as if trying to tell if she was lying.
But her calmness, and those steady eyes that didn't dodge, made him lower his guard.
A young girl, and a truck driver who looked honest, didn't seem like the type who could lie this well.
"It's nothing." The officer looked away, his tone softer. He waved his hand. "There's going to be temporary traffic control here. You two should leave quickly."
"Alright. Thank you, officer." Celine replied politely and gave Eleanor a glance.
Eleanor understood right away and started the truck again, slowly driving past the convoy.
The tires rolled over the road, making a dull, steady sound.
The tense atmosphere inside the truck finally eased once the police car and several mysterious black sedans disappeared far behind them, vanishing around the next bend in the road.
"Whew..."
Eleanor let out a long breath. Sweat had quietly gathered on his forehead.
That moment just now had really pushed his nerves to the limit.
Celine leaned back in her seat too, but the relaxation lasted only about three seconds before a wave of regret and self-doubt hit her hard.
"Brother," her voice trembled slightly, "did we make a mistake?"
She had made a promise to herself that this time around, she would stay away from all unnecessary danger.
But what had they just done?
They not only rescued a few people with unknown identities who seemed like big shots, but they also stored the only piece of physical evidence—the Hongqi sedan—into the space.
This wasn't staying out of trouble. This was jumping straight into it and even hiding the most important clue in the process.
Was this right or wrong?
She even had a strong impulse to turn around, hand the people over to the police, and explain everything clearly. Maybe they could still get out of it…
"Celine!"
Eleanor suddenly cut off her thoughts, his voice low and firm.
"There's no turning back now!"
He kept his eyes on the road and spoke in a deep voice.
"Go back? And say what? That we suddenly got strong enough to pull the car out of the river?"
"Or that you have some secret space where you made the car disappear?"
"If you say that, do you really think we'll still be able to just drive home peacefully like this?"
"Besides," Eleanor added more seriously, "have you thought about this? If that accident was really part of some bigger scheme, handing those people over now doesn't guarantee our safety. It might actually put us right in danger!"
Celine went silent.
His words hit her like cold water, instantly cooling her brief moment of panic and false hope.
He was right. The moment they decided to help, everything had already been set in motion.
At that point, neither she nor Eleanor had any way of going back.
"You're right," Celine said, taking a deep breath, her eyes steady again. "We just have to keep going. First, let's find a safe place and check on those people."
"Yeah." Eleanor nodded. The siblings once again understood each other without needing to say more.
Eleanor turned the steering wheel skillfully, guiding the truck off the main road and onto a bumpy country path leading toward the county town.
This road was rougher and more secluded.
The pothole-filled path stretched into the distance, flanked by green fields and scattered villages.
The truck rattled along for over ten kilometers. Once Eleanor was sure the area was quiet and there were no other cars or people nearby, he slowly pulled over.
"I'm going to check the back."
He turned off the engine, pulled the handbrake, unbuckled his seatbelt, opened the door, and jumped out, quickly heading toward the truck's cargo area.
The truck bed was pitch black. You couldn't even see your hand in front of your face.
The smell of river water mixed with rust and a faint scent of gasoline filled the small space. It made it hard to breathe.
Yujun was the first to wake up.
He forced himself not to cough. The cold metal under him and the soreness in his body reminded him of what had just happened. A sudden accident, and the freezing river.
He didn't move. He held his breath and listened closely.
Besides his own steady heartbeat, he heard two other people breathing heavily.
Zacky and Yullian were awake too.
In the darkness, the three of them shared a silent understanding. They couldn't see each other, but after working together for so many years, they didn't need to.
When did they wake up?
Maybe when the sharp sound of a police siren cut through the silence.
Or maybe it was when a calm girl's voice cleverly answered a serious question.
"Officer, is there something wrong?"
"No, we just came from over there…"
That short conversation reached them clearly through the darkness.
All three of them felt a huge shock inside.
They were saved.
Someone had pulled them from the cold river and hidden them in the back of a moving truck.
And the person who saved them was outside right now, telling perfect lies to stop the police from checking further.
After the fear came more confusion.
They could even feel their bodies recovering too fast from almost drowning.
It felt like a quiet, warm force was gently pushing the cold and water out of their lungs.
Yujun touched his chest. There was still a strange warmth left there.
What had just happened?
Who saved them?
Why would someone take such a big risk to help?
That girl's voice outside was way too calm. Her words were clear and perfect. Even the experienced police officers were completely fooled.
This was definitely not normal.
Countless thoughts spun through Yujun's mind, but in the end, he chose to stay silent.
Zacky and Yullian also wisely stayed quiet.
In a situation like this, any movement could lead to trouble.
The person who saved them clearly didn't want to be exposed. So they had to cooperate.
Sooner or later, the truth would come out.
But
Yujun suddenly felt a heavy feeling in his chest. Regret and urgency rushed in all at once.
The car
That Red Flag car
They had worked so hard to collect evidence right under the eyes of the corrupt officials in Qingnan City.
Evidence that could completely destroy a whole group of corrupt leaders.
There were also letters from ordinary people who risked their lives to send them out. Everything was inside that car.
Especially the small black flash drive hidden in the secret compartment of the armrest.
It had the strongest and most direct proof inside.
Even though the higher-ups already knew about the problems in Qingnan, modern law needed a full chain of evidence.
Without physical proof, those people could still pretend everything was fine and keep hurting the people.
Now that the car had sunk to the bottom of the river, the evidence was probably gone.
When Yujun thought about all the people who had suffered to reveal the truth, and those still waiting for justice, it felt like an invisible hand was gripping his heart. He could hardly breathe.
While he was full of worry
Screech
A sharp braking sound rang out as the truck came to a sudden stop.
They had arrived.
Yujun, Zacky, and Yullian all became alert at the same time. Their bodies tensed.
In the dark, they clearly heard the truck door open. Footsteps moved from the front of the truck to the back.
The person who saved them
Who was it?