Chapter 36: Rescue in Progress

With her lightness skill, Yun Zhi moved with incredible speed. In a flash, she was beside Liu the Second, who had just pulled a pistol from behind his back.

Upon seeing her, Liu the Second instinctively dragged the unconscious Boss Zhou toward him, hoping to use him as a human shield. However, Yun Zhi’s movements were swift and precise. She tapped Liu the Second’s arms twice with what looked like a light touch, yet the pain was so severe it felt as if his bones had shattered. His grip faltered, and he involuntarily released both the pistol in his right hand and the unconscious Boss Zhou in his left.

The unconscious Boss Zhou lost his balance and hit the floor with a thud, followed by the compact black pistol. With a flick of her telekinetic power, Yun Zhi swept up the pistol and a certain item hidden in the inner pocket of Boss Zhou's shirt, pulling them into her personal space.

As Liu the Second stared in terror, Yun Zhi did not immediately begin to pummel him. Instead, she pressed down hard on a point on his body. Liu the Second froze in the exact position he had been in—his buttocks barely lifted a few centimeters off the ground as he had attempted to flee.

This was the first martial arts technique Yun Zhi had wanted to test on an ordinary person: acupoint locking. Even Ziji, who possessed supernatural abilities, would require two or three seconds to break free. But using Ziji as a test subject was not reliable, as he was a powerhouse, and Yun Zhi was unwilling to experiment on her parents or other innocent people. She had to seize this opportunity.

According to the martial arts manual provided by Chi Xiaoyu, the duration an ordinary person remains immobilized after being hit depends on their physical constitution, ranging from one to two hours. Those with exceptionally strong constitutions might recover faster, moving after an hour. For those who had practiced martial arts, the duration depended on their skill level.

Even if the Supernatural Management Bureau found out later, it would not matter. At worst, she would simply hand over the manual, which could be exchanged for contribution points. If others could learn it, it would be a way to strengthen the country's official personnel. Besides, she and Ziji had already memorized the manuals and made copies.

However, Yun Zhi suspected that only martial arts masters who had truly cultivated internal energy, or those who were already super-powered, would find it easy to master these acupoint techniques. For many super-powered individuals who were not skilled in combat or had weak abilities, learning these techniques could greatly increase their survival rates in dangerous situations.

Yun Zhi had left these people alive this time not only to practice her skills but also to demonstrate the effectiveness of the "acupoint locking" technique. Fully showcasing the value of the manual was the only way to earn more contribution points. The Supernatural Management Bureau had access to many rare items, but they could only be obtained through contribution points.

Having immobilized the armed Liu the Second, Yun Zhi leaped into the air like a swallow, her form agile as she moved to immobilize another man who was charging at her with a machete. She easily kicked the blade from his hand and froze him in place.

Ziji, observing one of the men trying to grab an unconscious hostess to use as a hostage, moved like lightning behind him. He tapped the man’s neck and channeled a small amount of electrical energy into him, knocking him cold. Following the same pattern, he neutralized two more.

On the scene, only Yun Zhi and the two men she was currently engaging remained. Both men clearly had martial arts training and were quite capable. Yun Zhi was initially a bit overwhelmed fighting two opponents at once, but her speed and reflexes were superior. Quickly, she shifted from being slightly on the defensive to firmly gaining the upper hand.

Ziji did not rush Yun Zhi. Instead, he swept his mental energy across the entire basement level. Seeing something, he dashed toward a certain spot like a cheetah. A moment later, he electrocuted Liu the Seventh, who was trying to sneak away through a ventilation duct. Recognizing the slight resemblance between the boy and Liu the Second, Ziji dragged him over.

By this time, Yun Zhi had used her combat prowess to floor the remaining two men, who were now wailing on the ground. The younger one shouted in frustration, "Who are you? Why are you opposing our organization?"

"Are you with the police? Impossible. We know every powerful person in the local force, and there’s absolutely no woman this capable. Besides, if the police were acting, we would have..."

"Shut up, Er Gouzi, stop talking!" the other man snapped.

Yun Zhi drew a new hypothesis from these few sentences. Could it be that the police had failed in their previous raids because they had an inside man? This time, because Yun Zhi had specifically requested absolute secrecy—telling the police to limit themselves to surveillance and avoid large-scale operations to prevent unnecessary casualties—and because the collaboration with the local Supernatural Management Bureau involved very few people, there was no chance of a leak. It was no wonder the police had rarely caught anyone despite sensing something was wrong.

Yun Zhi immediately applied acupoint locks to these two men, who clearly knew a great deal, to prevent them from biting down on hidden poison to commit suicide. She would have Deputy Bureau Chief Liu interrogate them later. She trusted the Deputy Chief; otherwise, they would not have been able to infiltrate this place so quietly.

Yun Zhi turned to look at the young man Ziji had dragged over. He had the same "shoe-face" appearance. "Is this Liu the Seventh?"

"Likely so!"

Yun Zhi asked, "Can you wake him up? We need to give them a sound beating."

"Of course!"

Once the main police force arrived, it would be inappropriate for them to administer private justice to criminals who had lost the ability to resist. But beyond the letter of the law, there was human sentiment. Liu the Second was the culprit who had driven Gu Yaya to her death and personally broken the limbs of Si Ming. The bullet that ended Si Ming’s life had come from Liu the Seventh, fired in a fit of rage after his uncle had been bitten by Si Ming. The client had specifically requested that these two be targeted for revenge if the opportunity arose.

The brooch Yun Zhi wore was a pinhole camera. When she made her final move against Liu the Second, having decided she no longer needed to hide her actions within her personal space, she had officially activated it. Now, Yun Zhi took charge of beating Liu the Second, while Ziji handled Liu the Seventh. Yun Zhi even made sure to face the direction of Ziji and Liu the Seventh, ensuring the entire process was recorded.

Liu the Second spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with a few teeth. Collapsed on the ground like a dead dog, he asked indignantly, "Who... who are you people? I don't think I've ever offended you!"

Liu the Seventh, his legs broken, was in too much pain to speak, but he had the same question. He was certain he had never seen these two before. The man was more handsome than current top-tier male stars, and the woman was beautiful as a fairy, yet they were truly ruthless when it came to violence.

Yun Zhi decided to let them die with a clear understanding. "Si Ming and Gu Yaya, the young couple you kidnapped two months ago—they were my friends."

Liu the Second and Liu the Seventh had kidnapped countless people, mostly lone travelers. The names Gu Yaya and Si Ming were distinctive, and in Liu the Seventh's words, they felt like the leads of an idol drama. Moreover, both were exceptionally good-looking—the man refined and gentle, the woman bright and vibrant. They were a very loving couple.

Because of his appearance, Liu the Seventh was rejected every time he confessed his feelings to a girl. If he couldn't have love, he didn't want to see others possess it either. After all, they were just pretty women; once he started working with his uncle, he could have as many as he wanted.

Because Boss Zhou had gone personally to deliver goods and wouldn't be back for several days, his uncle—the second-in-command—was in charge. Liu the Seventh had proposed being the first to "play" with Gu Yaya in front of her fiancé, and after he was done, he wanted his brothers to join in. This was meant to implicate the others as accomplices and to tear apart their so-called love.

If Boss Zhou had been there, a beauty of Gu Yaya’s caliber would have gone to him first. As for Liu the Second, since he had tried to force himself on a lone female photographer two years prior and had been kicked hard in the groin, he had been somewhat impotent. Even after killing that woman, he could not regain his prowess. For the past two years, he rarely participated in such group activities, preferring instead to use a whip dipped in chili water and embedded with tiny iron spikes to lash disobedient "merchandise," whether they were men or women.

He loved the sound of their wailing when they were in pain. Si Ming had been whipped mercilessly by Liu the Second. Rationally, Liu the Second knew he should save Gu Yaya for Boss Zhou, but he had no children and would likely never have any, so he was incredibly indulgent toward his nephew, who promised to take care of him in his old age. Thus, he had tacitly allowed Liu the Seventh’s plan.

Recalling how Gu Yaya had crashed to her death in front of them, and how Si Ming had died by his own gun, Liu the Seventh suddenly realized that retribution was indeed a real thing in this world. Liu the Second also regretted his actions immensely. If he had known, he wouldn't have kidnapped those two. If Liu the Seventh hadn't abandoned his post that day and had driven them away early, these two demons wouldn't have come for them.

During large-scale drug deals, they generally defaulted to avoiding human trafficking. But Liu the Second’s regret was only that he had offended Gu Yaya and Si Ming, who had backers; he felt no remorse for the countless other ordinary people who had died at his hands or lived lives worse than death. Such people had long since lost their basic humanity.

Yun Zhi and Ziji beat the two until they were covered in blood and barely breathing before they stopped. Any further, and they wouldn't survive to reach emergency care. There was still too much information to be extracted from these two; they couldn't be killed yet.

Ziji said, "It seems the signal and network have been jammed here. Will you go out and call for help?"

Yun Zhi nodded. "All right. You stay here and keep watch. Oh, and go to the next room and give Li Su a pill. If anyone else is severely injured, keep an eye on them and feed them some diluted medicinal water."

Ziji had also seen Li Su’s photo. Having caught fragments of the conversation between Boss Zhou and Liu the Second, he guessed that "Su Li" was likely Li Su's alias. "Understood!" he replied. He knew Yun Zhi was referring to the Hemostatic Muscle-Regenerating Pill. Since Li Su was on a mission with Jiao Yuxuan from the Supernatural Management Bureau, he must have signed a confidentiality agreement. Furthermore, given his perseverance in refusing to reveal his true identity under torture, giving him a full pill was perfectly acceptable. Otherwise, if his injuries were too severe and he didn't receive treatment, he might lose his physical foundation and never be able to serve as a police officer again. As for the other kidnapped tourists, a little diluted medicinal water would be enough to keep them alive until they reached the hospital. If they recovered too quickly, they would become suspicious and lacked the strength to keep the secret.

Yun Zhi reached an empty spot, entered the space’s safe house, and easily returned to the surface. After moving a fair distance away from the abandoned factory, her phone signal returned. She called Deputy Bureau Chief Liu to explain the situation. She put the phone on speaker; Feng Na asked if she needed help, and Ye Fenfang anxiously asked about Jiao Yuxuan’s whereabouts.

Yun Zhi relayed Jiao Yuxuan’s status first, then said, "No help needed for now. Too many people will make it harder to operate. Sister Feng, Comrade Ye, why don't you take a group to wait near the other two locations? I will call you if I need assistance."

Yun Zhi felt that once she called in the main force, it would only be for the aftermath. Sometimes, a large crowd was genuinely inconvenient, especially since she couldn't use the functions of her space safe house in front of her colleagues from the Supernatural Management Bureau. That was her trump card and had to remain hidden. Besides, her points were limited, and she couldn't bring everyone into the space.

Feng Na was capable of projecting her mental energy to scan a hundred-meter radius; no hidden corner could escape her. If she and Ziji suddenly vanished, they would certainly be discovered. Ye Fenfang also had mental energy, though it was unclear if she could do the same. While ordinary police officers did not have such strong observational skills, bringing them along made their movements harder to conceal, which could lead to enemies detecting them early, resulting in unnecessary casualties.

After coming out, Yun Zhi discovered that there were many hidden cameras installed within a 500-meter radius of the abandoned factory. They had set up a dedicated monitoring room in the basement, where two people watched multiple screens at all times. In the part of the basement where the ordinary people were held, they had buried a large amount of explosives—enough to level the entire building! It was the kind that could be detonated ten minutes after pressing a remote. There was also a hidden escape tunnel leading to the mountain behind the factory, clearly left for the gang to make their getaway. The other two hideouts likely had similar setups.

Just moments before, Ziji had used his mental power to interrogate the people in the monitoring room through suggestion, confirming there were two detonators: one in the monitoring room and one in the inner pocket of Boss Zhou’s shirt. Ziji had taken the one in the monitoring room, and Yun Zhi had taken the one from Boss Zhou, which was why they had felt safe enough to take their time beating the criminals.

Of course, if the number of enemies were too high—say, hundreds or thousands—beyond what Yun Zhi and Ziji could handle, they would have to involve the police after destroying the cameras, confiscating the detonators, and blocking their escape routes. However, such large-scale gunfights made it difficult to ensure the safety of the hostages or guarantee that the police wouldn't be injured.

According to Liu the Second, the other two hideouts only had about a hundred people each, well within their capability. They would let the police handle the aftermath. The Supernatural Management Bureau had limited manpower, and most of the time, it was the ordinary police officers who had to charge into the fray, using their own flesh and blood to fight these criminals head-on, or risking their lives deep undercover like Li Su.

Sometimes, people in desperate situations wonder, "Why aren't the police coming to save me?" But often, the police are just ordinary people too. Like Li Su, a fresh police academy graduate who went deep undercover; his combat ability was slightly higher than the average person, but even he couldn't fight off a dozen attackers. What he had that others didn't was the perseverance to refuse to reveal his true identity even when beaten to the brink of death, so as not to implicate his colleagues and family. Even if a narcotics officer died, their real name could not be released for fear of retaliation against their kin.

Yun Zhi hadn't wanted to get involved before, thinking it had nothing to do with her. But after truly participating, she realized how respectable and heroic the police and soldiers were. They had no supernatural abilities and no miraculous medicine; they had families and loved ones. They risked their lives for wages that were just enough to scrape by. The stability enjoyed by the vast majority of ordinary citizens existed only because such people were carrying the burden for them. So, Yun Zhi decided that within her power, she would be the one to charge ahead for them.

Of course, no one else knew of these thoughts. Ziji had an inkling, as he felt the same way.

After handing over the factory to the police force sent by Deputy Bureau Chief Liu, and giving key instructions to Captain Zhou Yan on who needed urgent medical attention and who held critical information, Ziji and Yun Zhi departed. They had already warned the Deputy Chief about the potential mole, but he had assured them that Zhou Yan, the man leading the team, was absolutely trustworthy; his parents had been narcotics officers who died in the line of duty, and his sister had been kidnapped by traffickers. He harbored a deep hatred for both.

Zhou Yan asked if they needed a police car. Yun Zhi wanted to decline, but Ziji accepted. Yun Zhi was speechless. "The other two locations aren't far..."

Ziji replied, "I’ve never ridden in a police car. Besides, we can't just vanish into thin air in front of so many officers, can we? Imagine how many confidentiality agreements we’d have to sign."

Yun Zhi: ... Even though their speed while using lightness skills was no slower than driving on these bumpy dirt roads. Lightness skills could be demonstrated, right? But... it was a police car! Yun Zhi couldn't help but look around the interior. It was indeed her first time in a police car.

Once they reached a remote area without surveillance, they got out, and Ziji waved his hand, tucking the car away. They entered the space safe house and repeated their routine. With the space moving at full capacity, they reached the next hideout in half an hour.

This location was an unremarkable KTV. Many didn't know that this KTV was divided into surface and underground sections. The surface was a normal business, but the underground was a paradise for the depraved. The underground KTV was located on the third and fourth floors below the parking level; only a few regulars knew the entrance.

Having gained experience, Yun Zhi and Ziji headed straight for the monitoring room. Fortunately, the two men on duty last time had been busy using drugs, their focus elsewhere. This time, there were four people in the monitoring room, all alert. But within seconds, they were knocked out by Yun Zhi’s mist of sleeping powder.

Unlike the factory, this place housed people who had been "trained" and were ostensibly willing to work for the gang. Good-looking men and women served as hosts, hostesses, or companions. The average-looking ones worked as service staff. The security, cashiers, management, and floor leads were the gang's own people.

The scene in the underground KTV was even more debauched than the factory. It was a major retail point for their drugs and a place where they held the family or lovers of their kidnapped victims—the people most easily controlled. Because the KTV was organized into private rooms and the noise of the music and speakers provided cover, Yun Zhi and Ziji’s operation went even more smoothly than at the factory.

Yun Zhi used sleeping powder; Ziji used electricity. As the sleeping powder ran low, Yun Zhi was reluctant to waste it on this scum and switched to using acupoint locking. She froze the hostages as well, hitting their mute points to prevent them from screaming and alerting other rooms.

Just as they were finishing up, a woman brought by a guest stepped out to touch up her makeup and saw the bodies on the floor, letting out a piercing scream. Her high-pitched voice attracted everyone from the three remaining rooms. Nearly twenty people gathered in the corridor. It wasn't suitable for individual takedowns anymore, as it risked harming the innocent. Fortunately, they were packed tightly together, and a mist of sleeping powder enveloped them all. Ziji flashed a spark of electricity, and the two who had managed to draw pistols dropped them to the ground.

With that, the second hideout was cleared.

Yun Zhi reached the surface and called Deputy Bureau Chief Liu again. "So fast?" he asked in surprise. Zhou Yan couldn't get there that quickly, and this location was in a neighboring county, outside the Deputy Chief's jurisdiction. However, Feng Na, along with two of the Deputy Chief’s subordinates, had already arrived near the underground KTV. With her monitoring the management staff, there shouldn't be any issues.

After coordinating with Feng Na and discussing the next steps, the Deputy Chief warned, "There is one location left. Comrade Ye Fenfang and my subordinates are on their way, but it will take them an hour. For your safety, it's best to wait until they and the local police are in position."

Yun Zhi and Ziji agreed. But in their minds, they thought: half an hour to reach the site, half an hour to act... Ye Fenfang would arrive just in time for the cleanup!

The third location was a hot spring resort, a drug distribution point for middle-to-high-end clients. Beneath it lay a large medical room—a place where "disobedient" people were squeezed for their final value: their organs.

Two hours later, a pale Yun Zhi and Ziji emerged from the resort. Because the delay had been longer than expected, the Deputy Chief, Zhou Yan, Feng Na, and Ye Fenfang had all arrived. Seeing the weakness in Yun Zhi and Ziji, Feng Na asked anxiously, "What’s wrong? Are you two injured?" She had already decided to request that they become official members of the Haicheng Supernatural Management Bureau and join her third team.

Yun Zhi’s supernatural energy was indeed nearly depleted, and her mental strength was low. But what made her face pale wasn't the exhaustion; it was the horrific scenes she had witnessed in the basement.

There was an eight-year-old girl from an ordinary family, completely healthy, who had been kidnapped simply because her heart was a perfect match for the daughter of a major drug lord who suffered from a heart condition. They hadn't performed the surgery in their own country due to too many rivals and instability, so he had brought his wife and daughter to Y Province to do it. Although the drug lord had many lovers, he valued his only daughter with his wife above all else.

The girl’s heart condition wasn't immediately fatal; she could have lived for years, giving them plenty of time to find a donor—perhaps someone already dying of an incurable illness or a car accident. When Yun Zhi and Ziji infiltrated the medical room, the illegal transplant had just begun. Ziji used his powerful soul energy to force the unethical doctors to stitch the chest of both girls back up. Yun Zhi quietly fed the kidnapped girl half a Hemostatic Muscle-Regenerating Pill. As for the other girl... Yun Zhi knew she was innocent, but the guilt lay with her father and a mother who wasn't even willing to give the kidnapped girl the unhealthy heart they were replacing. Once the surgery was successfully halted and the drug lord's daughter’s wound stabilized, Yun Zhi did not feed her the pill. Even if her wound had complications, she didn't want to save her.

The kidnapped eight-year-old girl was saved because they arrived in time, but many others had not been. They lay in the medical room, some whole, some not. Yun Zhi had once been too afraid to even watch slightly bloody scenes in movies, always covering her eyes. Seeing scenes that would never pass censorship and could not be written about in detail in news reports, she felt so nauseated she had to run to the bathroom to vomit.

Fortunately, Ziji had her back, using his soul energy to control the villains and their accomplices, stopping them from moving or performing surgeries. Yun Zhi wondered if she had chosen this place first, could she have saved one or two more lives? But there were no "ifs" in this world.

In truth, what Yun Zhi and Ziji had done had long surpassed the scope of the original request. But some things had to be done. Yun Zhi said she was fine and, after briefly explaining the situation, told Zhou Yan, Feng Na, and Ye Fenfang to enter and handle the aftermath.

She turned to Deputy Bureau Chief Liu and said, "Deputy Chief, I apply to join your special task force and infiltrate the neighboring country to participate in the follow-up rescue operations."

At this moment, she didn't care that the mission didn't require her to go this far. She still had strength, and since she had encountered this, she would see it through to the end.

Ziji, whose soul energy was slightly overdrawn, added quietly, "Count me in as well."