American comics: I am full of martial virtues and I love to be kind to others.

Lin En smiled slightly, took out a bill from his pocket and gently placed it on the bar: "I just want to know if he has been here recently, or if anyone has heard of his name."

The bartender didn't touch the bill. Instead, he moved closer and said in a cold tone, "Listen, people here don't like being watched by the police. If you're smart, leave early, otherwise I guarantee your drink will be spilled on the floor soon."

Lynn didn't show any displeasure, just nodded slightly: "I understand." He picked up the glass, turned and walked to an empty table in the corner, sat down quietly, and observed the movements in the bar.

About ten minutes later, a thin young man sat down opposite him and whispered, "I heard you were looking for the 'Heart of Flame'?"

Lin En's eyes lit up and he nodded: "Yes. Do you know his whereabouts?"

The young man sneered and lowered his voice: "How dare you come here to find him? This name is taboo here. Many people don't even dare to mention it."

"So why are you willing to talk to me?" Lynn looked at him directly with sharp eyes.

The young man looked around, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Because he harms all of us. Every time he shows up here, he brings trouble. He has disrupted the good life of the community. We just want to live in peace, but he always uses this place as his hiding place, making life more difficult for everyone."

"Has he been here recently?" Lynn asked.

The young man shook his head. "He hasn't been here for a while. The last time someone saw him was at the old factory outside the community, but he disappeared quickly. Some people also said that he met with the top management of 'Dawn', but no one knows the specific details."

Lin En frowned. "Old factory? Where exactly is it located?"

The young man hesitated, then said, "The abandoned industrial area at 15th and Hudson. But I warn you, it's a dangerous place. You might not be able to get out once you go there."

Lin En nodded in thanks. As he stood up, the young man grabbed his arm and whispered, "Don't think that capturing the 'Heart of Fire' will change anything. He's just a pawn. The real problem lies with those who manipulate him."

Lin En looked at him and said in a deep voice: "I know, but catching him is the first step."

The young man let go of his hand and watched Lynn leave the bar.

After leaving the bar, Lynn found it was completely dark, and the streets were even emptier. Even after leaving the mutant community, he felt an invisible hostility, as if every wall in the area was resisting his presence. This distrust was profound and painful, reminding him that these mutants lived in a forgotten world.

Lin En called Carter, briefly reported the situation in the bar, and instructed the task force to conduct a reconnaissance in the industrial area. After he hung up the phone, he looked up at the dilapidated building, but his heart was not at peace.

the other side.

Kate's visit to the mutant community didn't start well. Armed with her press credentials and a microphone, she walked into the community's streets, only to discover that the hostility toward outsiders was even deeper than she'd imagined. Pedestrians quickly avoided her when they saw the microphone in her hand, some even turning away and walking into the alley.

She took a deep breath, adjusted her expression, and walked straight into a small shop. The store was dimly lit, and the shelves were cluttered with miscellaneous items. It looked like a cross between a convenience store and a repair shop. Behind the counter stood a middle-aged mutant with a distinct scaly facial feature. He looked up at Kate and said in a cold tone, "What do you want to buy?"

"Actually, I'm a reporter," Kate said carefully, placing her press card on the counter. "I'm following the recent fires, and I heard they're somehow connected to the mutant community. I just want to get some background."

The middle-aged man looked up at her face and was silent for a moment before he whispered, "Are you trying to write an article to make us look more like criminals?"

"No, I want to tell the truth." Kate looked at him directly, her tone sincere. "I know that people here don't trust the outside world, and I know that mutants are often treated unfairly. But if someone uses this anger to hurt innocent people, or even puts people here in danger, don't you think this needs to be exposed?"

The man's eyes softened slightly, but he was still cautious. "What do you want to know?"

Kate lowered her voice. "I heard someone mention a mutant named 'Flameheart.' He seems to be the key figure in some fires. I just want to know his relationship with this community and whether he might be hiding here."

The man's expression froze, clearly sensitive to the name. He hesitated for a moment, then pointed toward an alley outside the window. "Ask the old garage at the end of the street. The old man there might know something. He doesn't like the police, but he might have something to say to you."

Kate nodded, thanked him, and left the shop, following the signs to the garage. The garage was rundown, with several rusted cars parked outside. She pushed open the half-closed iron door and found a gray-haired old man inside, repairing an old engine with a wrench.

"Who are you?" the old man looked up at her and asked warily.

"I'm Kate Bennett, a reporter." She stood in the doorway, not approaching. "I've been told you might know something about Heart of Fire. I only want to get the facts, not your name."

The old man put down the wrench in his hand and looked at her with complicated eyes: "'Flame Heart'? That guy will only bring us trouble. He is not a hero here, although some people admire him."

"Has he been here?" Kate asked tentatively.

The old man was silent for a moment, then finally nodded. "A few weeks ago, he was here for a while. He's always elusive, but I heard he might be hiding in the freight warehouse at the East Pier recently. It's a remote place, and no one wants to go there."

Kate quickly wrote down the address and said gratefully, "Thank you. I will try to be careful not to let this information be misused."

After leaving the repair shop, Kate immediately called Lynn. She knew she was walking on a dangerous road, but she also understood that this was the only chance for the truth to come to light.

When the call was connected, Lynn's voice was a little wary: "Kate, have you found anything?"

"I just came from the mutant community," Kate whispered, "and someone told me that the 'Heart of Fire' might be hidden in the freight warehouse at the East Pier." Lynn was silent for a moment, a hint of nervousness in his tone: "Did you ask in person?"

"Yes, I know you don't agree, but this is the only way," Kate replied. "I have no other choice."

Lynn sighed, "Kate, you're taking too much of a risk. If these people knew you were looking for him, they might do something bad to you."

"That's why I told you the news right away." Kate's tone remained firm. "I'll be careful, but you have to act quickly."

"I understand." Lin En whispered, "Thank you for the clue. Leave the rest to me. Don't go near there again."

After hanging up the phone, Kate stood on the street, looking towards the pier in the distance. Although she knew she had done her best, an inexplicable worry came over her.

Lin En led the task force quickly to the freight warehouse at East Pier. Under the cover of night, the dock seemed dead silent and eerie, broken only by the occasional distant ship horn. They carefully infiltrated the warehouse, confirming there was no ambush before launching their operation.

"Be careful and check every corner carefully." Lynn whispered the order, and the team members quickly dispersed and carefully searched the warehouse with tactical flashlights and weapons.

The warehouse was in a mess, with boxes and traces of burning scattered on the ground. A slight smell of sulfur still lingered in the air, indicating that this place was indeed related to the "Heart of Fire". But after several rounds of searching, Lin En discovered a frustrating fact - there was no one here.

"Inspector!" an agent suddenly shouted. Lin En walked over quickly and found that the team had stopped in front of a deliberately placed projection device. The screen was flashing red light, and it looked like a pre-recorded video.

Lin En frowned and signaled to play. On the screen, the figure of "Heart of Fire" appeared against a dark background, his face etched with a particularly eerie glow by the flames. A sneer played on his lips as he spoke, "Inspector Lin En, I knew you would find this place, but you're always a step behind, aren't you?"

The team members looked at each other, and Lin En's eyes became even colder.

"You've been chasing the truth, but unfortunately you haven't seen the bigger picture." The "Heart of Fire" in the video continues, "This is just the beginning. My friends and I are planning a real change, an action that will shake the whole society. And you—are just a small law enforcer who wants to stop the tide."

At this point, the sneer on his face deepened. "If you want to stop us, you might as well try. However, I advise you to save your own life first. You will be too busy to breathe in the coming days."

The image disappeared in a burst of fire and the video stopped abruptly.

Lin En was silent for a moment, then whispered, "Collect all clues here immediately, especially anything that might point to their next plan. Time is running out."

The team began searching the warehouse and found abandoned equipment and fragments of documents. After the technicians recovered some of the documents, they found a map with several locations marked on it, one of which was in downtown Manhattan, but the date next to it was only two days later.

"Inspector," Carter handed the map to Lynn with a serious expression, "They are obviously preparing for a large-scale operation, which may take place in the city center."

Lin En looked at the map, frowning. "What's their target? There are too many critical facilities in the city center—financial centers, energy stations, public transportation hubs. Each one could cause massive damage."

Carter nodded. "Any attack on any of these places would be enough to plunge the city into chaos. They're clearly testing us."

Lin En said solemnly, "We can't wait for them to make a move. We must strike first. Notify all departments to strengthen security at these locations. At the same time, have the technical team analyze the other marked points on this map as quickly as possible."

Outside the warehouse, the wind blew up dust from the dock, ruffling the hem of Lin En's clothes. He stood in the cold wind, his eyes cold and determined. It was clear that the other party was no longer satisfied with small-scale destruction and was preparing for a major move that would change the situation. He had to nip this storm in the bud before it arrived.

Just then, Lynn's phone vibrated. It was a message from Kate. She had apparently also learned about the failed raid. The message contained only one sentence: "They're already playing a bigger game. Do we still have a chance to turn things around?"

Lin En looked at the screen, was silent for a moment, and then replied: "As long as we keep moving, the storm will not engulf the city." He pressed the send button, a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

the other side.

Kate sat in her apartment, a thick stack of documents and a laptop spread out on her desk. An email from an anonymous informant flashed on the screen. Attached to the email were several documents revealing shocking transaction records. These records implicated certain multinational corporations and political forces behind the activities of the Dawn organization.

She carefully read the documents and discovered that one company, Cohen Industries, not only provided financial support to Dawn but also secretly supplied weapons, equipment, and advanced technology. Cohen Industries executives also had close contact with several prominent Manhattan politicians. The documents even mentioned suggestive terms like "strategic coordination" and "balance of interests."

Kate's heartbeat quickened. She knew that if these documents were true, then the so-called "Dawn" organization was likely more than just an extremist mutant group, but rather a tool manipulated by certain political and business interests. They were funding violent activities to create social panic and achieve some ulterior motive.

She dialed the informant's number, and the other party's voice was low and nervous: "That's all I can tell you, Kate. If you continue to investigate, you will find that their true purpose is far darker than you imagine."

"What do these people want?" Kate demanded.

The other party hesitated and whispered, "They hope to promote certain mutant management laws so that their companies can profit from them. More importantly, they need these violent incidents to make the public more afraid of mutants."

Kate clenched her phone, her voice tinged with anger. "So, this isn't just about the violence of Dawn, but a complete manipulation of public opinion?"

"You're right." The informant sighed, "But Kate, you have to be careful. These people are not simple politicians and businessmen. They will protect their own interests at all costs."

After hanging up the phone, Kate fell into deep thought. She quickly sorted through all the documents, trying to piece together the full picture of the conspiracy from a more comprehensive perspective. However, the more she looked, the more shocked she became: these political and business forces were not only exploiting "Dawn", but might even be promoting deeper social divisions. (End of this chapter)