Start with push-ups to gain experience

Chapter 327 This freezer is big enough to hold two people.

Dongdu, Central Business District, Noah Building.

On the 36th floor, the gleaming marble floor reflects the hurried figures of white-collar workers.

Everyone was dressed in suits and ties, walking briskly.

The air was filled with the aroma of coffee, as well as the invisible pressure from the elite class.

Suddenly, a slight commotion arose at the edge of the open-plan office area.

The employees unconsciously looked up, their eyes focusing on one point, their expressions slightly surprised.

The company chairman, who was usually very imposing and had a loud voice when he scolded people, looked like an intern who had just entered the workplace.

He carefully held a tray in both hands, on which were three cups of freshly brewed top-grade Da Hong Pao tea.

His back was slightly hunched, and his face wore a humble but stiff smile.

First, he walked to the heavy walnut door of the chairman's office and gently knocked on it with his elbow.

After receiving a low response from inside, he turned and pushed open the door, respectfully bringing in the tea.

A moment later, he backed out again and carefully closed the door gently.

The entire process was conducted without making a single unnecessary sound.

After doing all this, the bald old man straightened up, habitually adjusted his tie, and regained some of his chairman's demeanor.

When he caught a glimpse of his employees secretly eyeing him out of the corner of his eye, his brows instantly furrowed.

A stern gaze, seemingly tangible, swept across the entire room in an instant.

In the office area, everyone's heads suddenly drooped.

All that remained was the clatter of keyboard keys.

The luxurious office was completely silent.

A valuable rosewood executive desk was roughly pushed into a corner.

Instead, a simple yet stylish black leather sofa was installed.

Luo Lie sat in the main seat.

He didn't look at the two people standing beside him; his gaze pierced through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, looking down at the steel jungle below.

Skyscrapers stand tall, and traffic flows like a river.

The entire city resembles a giant, intricate chessboard, spread out before your eyes.

Feng Jincai and Zhuo Feng stood by with their hands at their sides, even deliberately slowing their breathing.

The air seemed to solidify, pressing heavily on their shoulders.

Two days have passed since that disastrous "demon-hunting operation".

The East Capital branch suffered an unprecedented blow.

Even more deadly is that the special investigation team, those mad dogs, have somehow obtained a wealth of clues and are conducting a city-wide manhunt for the Noah organization.

One stronghold after another was destroyed, and one member after another went missing.

These surviving cadres had no choice but to temporarily hide in relatively safe "white glove" companies to avoid the limelight.

This is a legitimate property of the Noah Organization, a major taxpayer. Without solid evidence and a search warrant, even a special search team cannot trespass.

The long silence felt like a boulder pressing on Feng Jincai and Zhuo Feng's hearts, making it almost impossible for them to breathe.

Cold sweat had already begun to silently soak Zhuo Feng's back.

He knew that as the head of intelligence, he was absolutely responsible for the failure of this operation.

Feng Jincai secretly glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, his lips moved, but he ultimately didn't dare to make a sound.

In the end, Zhuo Feng could not withstand the suffocating pressure. He mustered his courage, took a step forward, and bowed his head deeply.

"Minister Luo... the responsibility for the failure of this operation lies entirely with one of my subordinates."

"It was a major oversight in my intelligence work, I..."

"Absolutely foolproof?"

Luo Lie didn't turn around; his deep voice interrupted his apology:
“I remember, those were your exact words.”

This seemingly casual remark struck Zhuo Feng like a heavy hammer, choking him and turning his face deathly pale.

"Minister, this...this is indeed an accident!"

Seeing this, Feng Jincai quickly defended Zhuo Feng, his voice tinged with urgency:

"No one expected the target to be so cunning, even... even able to use those mad dogs from the Special Investigations Team against us. This was completely beyond our plans."

Luo Lie finally turned around slowly, his deep gaze falling on the two of them.

There was no anger or blame in his eyes, only a deep, unfathomable calm.

However, it is precisely this calm that is most frightening.

"Tell me about the losses."

He asked casually, as if asking about today's weather.

Feng Jincai and Zhuo Feng exchanged a glance, feeling slightly relieved, but still dared not be careless.

The fact that Minister Luo was willing to listen to the report means there is still room for redemption.

Feng Jincai cleared his throat and answered cautiously:

"Minister, due to the suddenness of the incident, most members have entered a state of silence according to the highest emergency plan, cutting off all regular communication..."

"Therefore, at present... we can only get a very preliminary, general picture."

"Yes."

Zhuo Feng immediately took over the conversation, adding enthusiastically, though his voice sounded a little hoarse:
"Based on the scattered information we have gathered so far, at least eight of our cadres below the level of level six went missing during the evacuation. They were most likely arrested or... shot dead on the spot."

"The initial estimate of the loss of ordinary members is more than fifty people."

At this point, Zhuo Feng's expression became unusually solemn. He paused for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts.

"The worst part is... three of our level-seven officers were confirmed dead last night."

Upon hearing this, Luo Lie's usually composed brows twitched almost imperceptibly.

"Among them was Chen Rui, the captain of the intelligence department responsible for tracking the target."

Zhuo Feng continued, lowering his voice even further:
“When our people arrived at the slaughterhouse where he lived, the police had already cordoned off the area.”

"According to the description sent back by the informant, Chen Rui died a very gruesome death. There were fragments of bones and rotten flesh from those ferocious dogs everywhere, as if an explosion had occurred."

"Moreover, on the wall of the slaughterhouse, someone used his blood to draw a grinning devil's face."

Upon hearing this, Luo Lie's gaze pierced Zhuo Feng and Feng Jincai like a sharp sword.

"It was definitely that bastard, it was definitely Cheng Jiashu who did it!"

Before Zhuo Feng could continue speaking, Feng Jincai interrupted through gritted teeth:
"He's threatening us, it's a blatant provocation!"

Clearly, because the Dongdu branch suffered a heavy blow, he, as the person in charge, also hated the culprit who made him take the blame.

"Yes, Station Chief Feng's guess was correct."

Zhuo Feng nodded, forcing himself to speak calmly:

"The same markings were also found at the scene of the deaths of the other two seventh-level cadres who were killed."

"You are aware of Chen Rui's strength. Although he is only at the seventh level, his special abilities make him extremely difficult to kill. His overall combat strength is even comparable to some eighth-level cadres."

"To be able to eliminate him silently overnight, and also take care of two other level-seven cadres... must have been done by Cheng Jiashu himself."

Zhuo Feng took a deep breath and laid out all the conclusions he had drawn from his two sleepless nights of analysis:
"He must have obtained intelligence from some source before we took action, which is why he was able to set a trap in advance, attract the special search team, and thus break our encirclement."

"After escaping, he used the information he had gathered to track down and kill our core cadres as a form of revenge!"

Upon hearing this, Luo Lie fell silent.

Their fingers tapped lightly on the sofa armrests, producing a rhythmic, soft sound that seemed to strike the hearts of Feng Jincai and Zhuo Feng.

Involuntarily, Luo Lie recalled that stormy night on Yong'an Island, with its blood-stained waves.

And that figure wearing a white mask, who murdered his sworn brother and caused him immense loss. White Owl…

Cheng Jiashu...

The Smiling Devil...

These names gradually overlapped in his mind, eventually transforming into a chilling killing intent.

"Since he has already made his move."

Luo Lie spoke slowly, the chill in his voice making the room temperature seem to drop several degrees.

"As a special envoy sent by headquarters, I can't just sit here and watch the show."

Upon hearing this, both Feng Jincai and Zhuo Feng felt a chill run down their spines, and a layer of cold sweat instantly spread across their backs.

The implication is obvious.

I am extremely disappointed with the performance of the East City branch.

The minister has decided to take action personally!
That's exactly what Luo Lie thought.

Initially, considering Bai Xiao's mysterious origins and the way Zheng Hongxin, that old devil, addressed him as the "divine son" of the True Thought Society, he harbored some apprehension.

To ensure everything went perfectly, he agreed to Zhuo Feng's plan to launch a swift and decisive encirclement and suppression.

But now, the East Capital branch has suffered heavy losses and is being chased by the special search team like a stray dog.

In this tense and alarming situation, it is absolutely impossible to organize an operation of the same scale again.

The foundation built by the Dongdu branch over decades must not be destroyed by a mere enemy.

Otherwise, even if he ultimately succeeds in eliminating the target, he will not be able to explain himself to the board of directors when he returns to headquarters.

After much thought, he concluded that the only way to break the deadlock was for him to personally take action and swiftly suppress the enemy with overwhelming force.

Based on intelligence gathered from various sources, Cheng Jiashu's strength is roughly at A+ level, approaching the threshold of S level.

Even if he's hiding something, his true strength has already reached S-rank...

Luo Lie remains absolutely confident in this.

Because there is a significant difference between S-class vehicles.

He has been an S-class for many years, and his methods and strength have long exceeded the scope of conventional assessment.

However, just as Luo Lie was making his decision, Zhuo Feng hesitated for a moment and then said:

"Minister Luo, there is one more crucial question."

"Cheng Jiashu... has disappeared."

"Before the demon-hunting operation began, to ensure complete control over the target's movements, our people maintained surveillance of the area surrounding his villa."

"However, since the day he left the villa and went to the orphanage, he has not returned home all night and has not gone back since."

Feng Jincai's face was full of worry, and then he echoed:
"He made such a big commotion, he must have expected us to retaliate fiercely, so he probably went into hiding long ago."

"Dongdu is so big, finding a superhuman with extraordinary abilities who is deliberately hiding is like finding a needle in a haystack..."

Luo Lie frowned, his gaze sharpening once more:

"Do you have any ideas on how to bring him back to justice?"

This question stumped Feng Jincai. A troubled look appeared on his face, and he muttered to himself:

"Perhaps...we could try asking his agency?"

On the contrary, Zhuo Feng's eyes flashed with a glint of shrewdness, as if he had been waiting to seize this opportunity, and he confidently replied:

"Have!"

"Cheng Jiashu's ability to respond so precisely must mean he has planted an informant within our organization and is maintaining constant contact with him!"

"As long as we can find this rat hiding among us, we can follow the clues and dig it out completely!"

Luo Lie looked at him with his deep gaze, signaling him to continue.

Zhuo Feng then began to analyze the situation methodically, his voice revealing a determination to atone for his past mistakes:

"The security measures at the meeting to discuss the action plan were extremely tight, and there was no possibility of being eavesdropped on."

"The specific action plans were only issued separately before the operation began. Therefore, the source of the leak could only be one of the twenty-seven cadres who attended the meeting at that time."

"Now, of these twenty-seven people, eight are missing, three are dead, and if we exclude myself and Station Chief Feng... there are only fourteen suspects left!"

"The scope has been greatly narrowed down."

"Next, if we pay a little attention, we can even deliberately release some false information as bait to test the waters. I believe it won't be long before the rat shows its tail on its own..."

After hearing these words, Luo Lie's tense facial expressions finally relaxed a bit.

"Very good, this task is entrusted to you."

He nodded approvingly, then changed the subject:
"Report to me immediately if you find any trace of that killer. Do not act on your own."

"Yes, Minister! Please rest assured, I guarantee the mission will be accomplished!"

Zhuo Feng immediately straightened his back, his tone filled with excitement at regaining trust.

"Just go for it."

Luo Lie's words carried a hint of encouragement:
"If you need any resources, just tell Station Chief Feng. From now on, we must ensure that all confidential information is only passed between the three of us."

Upon hearing this, Zhuo Feng felt a chill run down his spine and instantly understood the minister's deeper meaning.

Indeed, if we were to find the mole within the organization, the first three to be ruled out as suspects would be myself, Minister Luo, and Station Chief Feng.

Because they were all new faces in the East Capital branch, even the most senior station chief, Feng, had only been in office for a little over two months, so they had no chance to collude with local forces.

"What about...the Special Investigation Team?"

Feng Jincai still asked with great concern, as this was the most troublesome problem for him at the moment.

A contemptuous sneer curled at the corner of Luo Lie's mouth.

"They're just a bunch of government lackeys, what can they possibly do?"

“Our foundation in Dongdu, and even the entire Xia Kingdom, is far beyond what a mere special search team can shake. The power struggle above is far more complex than you can imagine.”

He paused, then said in a calm yet powerful tone:

"They won't be able to cause trouble for long; things will calm down soon."

Upon hearing this, both Feng Jincai and Zhuo Feng felt a surge of excitement.

The two looked at each other and saw a sense of relief in each other's eyes.

The gloom that had been weighing on their hearts for days, almost suffocating them, seemed to be easily dispelled and swept away by those words.

Luo Lie said no more and turned his gaze back to the floor-to-ceiling window.

A ray of sunlight broke through the thick clouds and shone between the city's skyscrapers, reflecting a dazzling light.

....................................

Haitian Garden, Guanlan District.

Inside a bare-bones apartment where basic renovations have just been completed, the air still carries a faint smell of latex paint and wood.

"Master, this way, the sofa is against this wall, and the table is placed in front of the living room..."

Fang Cheng, dressed in slightly worn casual clothes, was directing several moving company workers.

"Hey!"

The workers shouted instructions and worked together to lift a huge horizontal freezer, which could almost fit two adults, off the ground and carefully moved it to the designated location.

The freezer feet made a screeching sound as they rubbed against the cement floor.

"Come a little more to the left, yes, good, right here."

Fang Cheng took a few steps back, squinted at it, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Hey buddy, your freezer is huge! Do you live alone and run a convenience store?"

A worker wiped the sweat from his brow and asked, half-jokingly.

(End of this chapter)