The black sedan idled at the corner of the street, its headlights off.Inside, two men in dark suits watched through tinted glass as Lu Cheng stepped into his car with Qiao Xinyi.
"Target's moving," one of them said, pressing his earpiece."Stay close," came a voice on the radio. "No mistakes this time. He can't walk away again."
The engine growled.The chase began.
Lu Cheng glanced in the rearview mirror, eyes narrowing."Someone's tailing us."
Qiao Xinyi turned. "You sure?"
"Positive."He shifted gears, cutting sharply through the traffic. The BMW roared down the avenue, lights flashing off glass towers.
Within seconds, two unmarked sedans appeared behind them, weaving in and out of lanes.
Qiao Xinyi gritted her teeth. "Who are they?"
"Not police," Lu Cheng said. "Professional cleanup crew. Chen Group's personal janitors."
"Meaning?"
"They erase problems. Permanently."
The tires screeched as Lu Cheng made a sudden left into a narrow alley.The pursuers followed.
He slammed the handbrake, spun the car around, headlights facing the entrance.Qiao Xinyi's hand went for her gun.
"Stay low," Lu Cheng muttered, stepping out.
He waited.Rainwater dripped from the roof's edge, the alley echoing with approaching engines.
Then—two cars skidded in, headlights blazing.
Before they could react, Lu Cheng hurled a metal rod straight through the windshield of the first car.The driver ducked too late. Glass exploded; the car swerved, crashing into a dumpster.
The second car's door burst open.A man jumped out, pistol raised.
Lu Cheng dove behind a concrete pillar as the first shot cracked through the air.Bullets ricocheted off the walls.
He rolled forward, grabbed the dropped pistol from the ground—two shots.Both clean.Both fatal.
Qiao Xinyi emerged, gun still drawn, staring at the scene."You… you killed them."
"They were already dead the moment they came after me," Lu Cheng said quietly. "Chen Group doesn't send amateurs."
He wiped blood from his cheek and tossed the pistol into a puddle.
Qiao Xinyi looked at him, a strange mixture of fear and admiration flickering in her eyes."You've changed, Lu Cheng."
He gave a small, cold smile. "Prison changes everyone. Some just don't survive it."
They drove toward the old industrial district, where Lu Cheng's hidden base lay beneath a half-abandoned textile factory.
A few men were waiting—tough, loyal, with scars that told their own stories.Among them stood Fang Jie, his old friend and the one who'd kept his operations alive when Lu Cheng disappeared.
"Boss," Fang Jie said with a grin, "looks like you've made some noise."
Lu Cheng dropped his jacket, revealing the faint burn mark across his arm."They sent a message. Now it's our turn."
He turned to Qiao Xinyi."Detective, welcome to the other side of justice."
Outside, thunder rumbled again.The storm hadn't ended—it had only been gathering strength.