Chapter 033: You Are Too Late!

Chapter 033: You’re Too Late!

“That vain girl is me—I’m not a good woman. Do you still intend to take me away now?” Qi Hong stared at Chu Fei. “Do you think it’s worth it to oppose Cai Jiu for someone like me?”

“I don’t know.” Chu Fei shook his head. He couldn’t even tell if Qi Hong’s story was true.

“Go,” Qi Hong suddenly said. “I won’t leave with you. I’m already used to this life—fine clothes, luxury, indulgence. I can’t run away with you. I just can’t.”

Her gaze toward Chu Fei was tinged with disdain and mocking amusement. “You aren’t me, and I don’t want to change everything for your sake.”

“Is that your final decision?” Chu Fei stared intently into her eyes.

“Is there even a decision to make?” Qi Hong smiled indifferently. “I, Qi Hong, would rather be a caged golden canary than a starving fugitive. You can look down on me if you like, but this is my choice.”

“Very well.” Chu Fei nodded, no longer insisting. He cast Qi Hong a long, searching look. He didn’t believe her words, but he could see she would never leave with him. Chu Fei wouldn’t force her; after all, they had no real ties between them…

With a swift movement, his figure vanished from the window.

Qi Hong hurried to the window, staring blankly into the empty night, lost in thought for a full two minutes. Tears suddenly streamed down her cheeks as she muttered, “Fool, I really don’t want to drag you down.”

She turned, grabbed a bottle of red wine, and gulped down several mouthfuls. Then she collapsed to the floor and began to vomit violently, laughing and crying at once, like a madwoman.

—

In the darkness.

Chu Fei watched the distant villa in silence. He saw Qi Hong rush to the window, heard her murmured words, and even the sound of her wretched vomiting and laughter from inside the villa.

Chu Fei frowned.

But he did not turn back. Instead, he walked away. Everyone has their own choices—whether out of kindness or genuine reluctance, it was Qi Hong’s decision. Chu Fei would never force her…

He returned to his Hummer parked near the villa district, but didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he took out a cigarette and inhaled deeply, his mind replaying Qi Hong’s story—a story both real and stark. Qi Hong had said the girl was herself, but Chu Fei doubted it. He trusted his own instincts more. If Qi Hong truly was that vain and worldly a woman, then she must have endured unimaginable pressure…

Two days ago, Qi Hong wanted to tell him a story, but he’d slipped away. Chu Fei suspected that if he’d stayed, the story she would have told would not have been the one he heard tonight—it would have been different.

“Pop—” Chu Fei took out his phone and dialed a recently saved number.

“Hello, this is Ling Yujiao.” A stern female voice answered immediately, none other than the rookie policewoman who had stopped Chu Fei before.

“This is Chu Fei.” He introduced himself.

“Chu Fei?” Ling Yujiao was briefly startled, then remembered him, her voice suddenly excited: “Chu Fei, did you get some information? Where are you now? I’ll come find you right away.” Her tone was strangely exuberant.

Chu Fei broke into a cold sweat. He suddenly regretted calling this rookie.

“Speak—are you in danger? Don’t be afraid, I’ll save you!” Ling Yujiao shouted, clearly anxious.

“I’m fine now.” Chu Fei hurried to reassure her. Ling Yujiao was so impulsive—it was hard to imagine how she became a police officer. Not wanting her to launch into another series of wild statements, he said, “I’m calling to ask you for a favor.”

“What kind of favor?” Ling Yujiao calmed down, puzzled.

“I want to know where Cai Jiu usually stays at night.” Chu Fei was direct.

“Why are you asking?” Ling Yujiao was curious and did not answer immediately.

“Didn’t you ask me to help you gather intelligence? I just got some information about Cai Jiu, but it’s not confirmed yet—I need to verify it.” Chu Fei lied smoothly, using Ling Yujiao’s interest as a convenient excuse.

“How do you intend to verify it? You’re not thinking of infiltrating Cai Jiu’s residence, are you?” Ling Yujiao’s voice was urgent. “Do you have a death wish? Cai Jiu is a murderous devil, he—”

“Of course I wouldn’t do anything so foolish—it’s for someone else. Did you think intelligence was so easy to get?” Chu Fei continued spinning his story, noting that this rookie wasn’t stupid, quickly picking up on the situation. But naturally, he wouldn’t tell her the truth.

“That’s true. When do you need it? Is it urgent?” Ling Yujiao didn’t press further.

“The sooner, the better. Preferably within half an hour—otherwise, the person will leave and I won’t be able to help.” Chu Fei acted as though it was difficult for him.

“No need for half an hour. Ten minutes at most. I’m heading to the records department now…” Ling Yujiao replied confidently, and Chu Fei could hear her hurried footsteps.

Chu Fei was surprised—this rookie really was dedicated. Working overtime?

—

Ling Yujiao’s efficiency far exceeded Chu Fei’s expectations.

Three minutes later, she called back, told him Cai Jiu’s residence, and sent him a detailed dossier. Clearly, the police were keeping a close eye on Cai Jiu.

After hanging up, Chu Fei drove his Hummer straight toward the outskirts.

—

Red Moon Villa was an inconspicuous resort on the outskirts of Kun City. Normally, it wasn’t open to the public and only occasionally hosted corporate training events.

In reality, this was the headquarters of Kun City’s underground boss, Cai Jiu. A former soldier, Cai Jiu understood the hard truth that power comes from the barrel of a gun. Red Moon Villa was his secret base for training his core followers. All those fearless henchmen didn’t emerge from thin air—very few people knew this.

But no matter how deeply hidden, secrets cannot escape the state’s investigation. If not for fear of alerting him, the police would have wiped out this private military base long ago.

Cai Jiu knew nothing about all this—and even if he did, he wouldn’t care. Without evidence, no one in Kun City could touch him. Not only because of his own power, but also because of the boss behind him. Few knew that the arrogant Cai Jiu was actually just Lin Shao’s dog. The ruthless man who always trusted only in his own strength had, for the first time last year, bowed his stubborn head to Lin Shao.

From that day on, Cai Jiu became Lin Shao’s most loyal hound.

And the higher the position, the greater the fear of death—a universal truth. Cai Jiu was no exception. He almost never spent the night elsewhere; even after socializing or womanizing, he always returned here. Only at Red Moon Villa could he sleep soundly.

Today was no exception; according to the information from Ling Yujiao, Cai Jiu had returned to Red Moon Villa before dark. In fact, since learning the police were investigating him, Cai Jiu had been coming back earlier each day, sometimes not venturing out at all—a fact that left the authorities helpless. A fox constantly on guard is the most cunning, and flaws are hard to find.

—

Still quite a distance from Red Moon Villa, Chu Fei parked his Hummer in a secluded spot, then vanished into the darkness like a blade.

A few minutes later.

Chu Fei successfully infiltrated Red Moon Villa. The so-called sentries posed no threat to him; he could have eliminated them all silently, without a trace.

But he didn’t. He hadn’t come here for a bloodbath.

He moved through the villa like a ghost. Behind the villa was a small hill less than a hundred meters high—this was Cai Jiu’s true stronghold, where he lived in a villa halfway up the slope.

“Hmm?” As Chu Fei reached the foot of the hill, he frowned—the air was thick with the stench of blood.

In the next instant, Chu Fei darted behind a waist-high boulder. His eyes narrowed. A man dressed in black lay there, motionless. Blood stained his brow, and his wide-open eyes stared blankly at the sky, as if he never understood what had happened.

A sentry, dead—killed in one blow, not even given the chance to react. No fear had time to show on his face before death claimed him.

Chu Fei quickly deduced what had happened. Judging by the fresh blood, the killing had occurred only recently.

Someone had arrived before him?

What was their goal?

Cai Jiu?

Chu Fei glanced up at the villa halfway up the hill, then vanished, reappearing moments later behind a thicket ten meters away. On the grass, another black-clad man lay dead, also killed instantly, eyes blank—death had come before fear.

This time, Chu Fei didn’t hesitate. He moved straight toward the central villa. Cai Jiu lived in the one at the center.

Ascending the slope, Chu Fei’s frown deepened—the stench of blood grew stronger. Cai Jiu must have stationed many sentry bodyguards here, all of whom now appeared to have been killed.

The grand three-story villa was brightly lit.

A stronger reek of blood emanated from within; even ten meters away it was unmistakable.

Chu Fei paused only briefly, then strode inside. The sight that greeted him: corpses scattered across the floor, all killed instantly, without exception.

They lay in every direction, blood streaming from their brows, staining the ground. There were no dismembered limbs, no gory brutality, but the scene was even more shocking.

It was like hell on earth.

Everyone was dead; everywhere he looked, only corpses.

Chu Fei saw, at a glance, Cai Jiu lying dead in the living room.

“You’re too late.”

A voice, tinged with devilish charm, sounded behind him.

Chu Fei turned.

On the stairs, a young man was descending slowly. Behind him followed a disheveled, alluring woman—her beauty undimmed even in distress, a true enchantress.

“It’s you?”

Chu Fei stared hard at the young man coming down the stairs, realization dawning on his face.