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

Lynn leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the Manhattan skyline outside the window. His thoughts raced, and a disturbing thought surfaced: If Cohen Industries' reach could reach law enforcement, who could he trust? Was this battle still winnable?
Suddenly, the phone on the table vibrated several times, and Kate's name appeared on the screen. Lynn answered the phone. Kate's voice was urgent: "Lynn, I just received news that someone is trying to destroy some sensitive documents of Cohen Industries. They may know that you are investigating."

Lin En sat up straight, his voice becoming low and calm: "Are you sure the information is reliable?"

"Absolutely sure," Kate said. "My informant said they're going to clean up a warehouse on the West Pier tonight. If we miss this opportunity, the evidence might never be found."

Lin En's mind raced. He knew this was an opportunity, but also one fraught with risk. The operation lacked a search warrant and might raise concerns among the higher-ups. But if he gave up, he would lose the key to exposing Cohen Industries.

"I'll take care of it," Lynn said in a deep voice, "but Kate, you have to promise me that you won't get close this time."

Kate on the other end of the phone paused and replied in a low voice: "I understand, but please be careful. They won't let this evidence fall into your hands easily."

After hanging up the phone, Lin En quickly mobilized a small team of his trust. Instead of reporting to his superiors, he directly ordered the preparation of an informal operation. He knew that this might put him on the edge of danger, but he knew even more that if he continued to wait, he would lose his last chance to uncover the truth.

In the darkness of night, Lin En led the team to quietly approach the warehouse at West Pier. From a distance, they saw several trucks parked outside the warehouse, and several men in black were moving boxes filled with documents, apparently preparing to destroy them.

"Move." Lin En whispered the order, and the team quickly surrounded the warehouse and approached silently. Lin En led the charge into the warehouse, pointed his gun at the men, and shouted, "FBI, get down!"

The crowd panicked, and several tried to resist, but were quickly subdued by Lin's team. Lin looked around and his eyes fell on an industrial shredder in operation, the paper inside already shredded. His heart tightened, and he immediately ordered the technicians to check the remaining documents.

The technician pulled out several undestroyed documents from the box, quickly flipped through them, and looked up. "Inspector, these documents contain records of Cohen Industries' cash flow, some of which directly point to Dawn's accounts. This is the evidence we need!"

Lin En's eyes became sharper, and he ordered all the documents to be collected and the suspects to be escorted.

The next day.

Lynn led his team to infiltrate the core stronghold of the Dawn organization—an abandoned building deep in Manhattan's industrial district. The entire building had been meticulously converted into a secret command center, surrounded by surveillance cameras and guards. It was clearly the central hub from which the Dawn organization orchestrated its operations. A hint of tension lingered in the night breeze, and a whisper from the technical team reached Lynn's earpiece: "Detective, we've secured access to the perimeter cameras and confirmed the presence of at least twenty armed individuals in the building, along with several cases of high fever, suspected to be mutants."

Lin En nodded and made a few simple gestures to the team behind him. The task force split into small groups and moved simultaneously from different entrances of the building. Lin En personally led the main attack group, quickly passing through the side door and entering the building.

The lights inside the building were dim, with only a few dim warning lights in the corners. Lynn leaned against the wall, gesturing for the team to advance. The air was filled with a tense, oppressive feeling; every step felt like treading on a taut string in the darkness.

Suddenly, a muffled click sounded from the front—someone pulling the safety of a weapon. Linn reacted quickly, motioning for his team to take cover while pointing his rifle in the direction of the sound. The enemy had clearly sensed their presence. A sharp alarm instantly rang throughout the building, followed by the crackle of gunfire and explosions in the darkness.

"They found us!" Carter's voice came from the headset.

Lin En whispered an order: "Squadrons provide cover, prioritize controlling the outer armed forces, and don't let them have a chance to evacuate. Main attack team, follow me, we must find the 'Heart of Flame'!"

The battle escalated instantly. Dawn members emerged from all corners, well-armed, some even using their mutant abilities to launch attacks. A mutant with arms covered in rock-like skin charged at Lynn's group, smashing a section of bunker into pieces with such force. Lynn quickly fired, accurately hitting him in the knee, halting him. The team seized the opportunity to subdue him with specialized restraints.

Gunshots and roars echoed through the narrow corridors, transforming the entire building into a battlefield. Lynn and his team advanced floor by floor, finally arriving at a pair of steel double doors. From the other side came a low humming sound, as if some energy were pulsing.

Lin En gestured for his team to retreat, then cautiously pushed the door open. A scorching breath hit him, and in the center of the room stood a familiar figure—Marcos Ramirez, the "Heart of Fire." Behind him was a massive vortex of flames, and he was enveloped in a blazing red light, as if merging with the flames.

"Inspector Lin." Marcos turned around with a sneer on his face. "You're finally here. I thought you were going to let these pawns die."

"Marcos, put down what you're holding." Lin En pointed his gun at him, his voice low but firm. "You know, this fight will only result in more injuries. This is not the outcome you want."

"The result?" Marcos' smile became even more mocking. "Do you think I care about the result? They destroyed my life. I'm just letting this society taste the pain they inflicted on us. I want to see Manhattan burn. Only then will these people face us squarely!"

"Is this what you want, or what Shuguang wants?" Lin En tried to calm him down. "I know you're being used. They're using your anger and abilities to achieve their own goals, and these higher-ups don't care about your life or death at all."

Marcos' smile froze for a moment, but was quickly replaced by anger. He swung his hands violently, and flames instantly erupted, rushing towards Lin En. Lin En quickly rolled to avoid the attack, firing at the same time in an attempt to suppress the enemy. However, Marcos's firepower was clearly far superior to that of ordinary people. Every wave of his hands would set off a rolling wave of heat, igniting everything around him.

"Lynn, retreat!" Carter's voice came from the headset, "His heat value has exceeded the safe range, this place may explode at any time!"

Lin En didn't flinch. He knew that if he allowed Marcos to continue, the building and everyone inside would be engulfed in flames. He switched to a specially made paralyzing bullet and, taking advantage of a gap in Marcos's attack, aimed at his shoulder. A gunshot rang out, and Marcos paused for a moment, but he quickly gritted his teeth, steadying himself, and roaring, unleashed even more fierce flames.

The entire room began to shake, flames leaping from the ceiling and gradually spreading. Lin En, panting heavily, quickly analyzed the situation. He saw that while Marcos's abilities were powerful, he relied too much on his emotions, and each outburst would cause him to suffer a brief period of weakness.

"Marcos!" Lin En shouted. "Do you want those who are using you to succeed? The people you're killing and the cities you're destroying are all what they want! You're their pawn, and I can help you break this trap!" Marcos's gaze wavered violently for a moment, and the intensity of his flames diminished. But the next second, he clenched his teeth again, his eyes filled with pain and struggle. "You can't fool me! You're all the same! There can be no peace!"

Lin En seized the opportunity, rushed forward, and struck Marcos directly in the abdomen with the stun gun. The huge current caused Marcos to fall to his knees in pain, and the flames around him were instantly extinguished. He gasped, supporting himself on the ground with his hands, staring at Lin En angrily, but he could no longer fight back.

"It's over." Lynn whispered, and at the same time signaled the team members to come forward and buckle the special ability suppression device on Marcos' wrist.

The entire room fell into a dead silence, with only the ash from the burning flames drifting gently through the air. Lin En stood there, watching the subdued Marcos, but he felt no sense of relief. He knew this battle was just the tip of the iceberg; the true core of Dawn remained hidden in the darkness. And Marcos's anger was merely a product of the harsh reality of this system.

Lynn turned and ordered his team members: "Clean up the scene and take away all evidence. We are not finished yet." His eyes were cold, as if he could see through the smoke of the battle in the night and look into the deeper darkness.

the other side.

Kate stood outside the abandoned building, her recorder tightly gripped. The photographer beside her had already fled, leaving only her and the chaotic battlefield under the night sky. Gunfire and explosions echoed from within the building, shaking the ground slightly. She had promised Lynn not to go any closer, but her journalistic instincts prevented her from retreating. She knew what was happening here would be crucial in shifting public opinion, and she had to witness it firsthand.

Just as she was about to move closer to capture more footage, she heard hurried footsteps from the alleyway. Several armed Dawn members suddenly appeared before her, evidently remnants of the battle who had escaped. Kate's heart tightened, and she instinctively stepped back, trying to avoid their sight.

"Stop!" one of them shouted, his eyes fixed on her. Kate knew she had been discovered, so she stood still and said calmly, "I'm a reporter. I'm just recording the incident."

"Reporter?" The leading man sneered, "Do you think your identity can save you? We know you're cooperating with the police."

Kate's heart trembled, realizing her report had caught their attention. She instinctively turned and tried to run, but as soon as she took a step, one of them grabbed her arm. As she struggled, she heard the sound of metal clanging—the sound of a gun being loaded.

"Take her back, maybe she will be of some value." Another voice was low and indifferent.

Kate closed her eyes in despair, her heart beating so fast it threatened to burst through her chest. However, just as she felt the pull intensify, a crisp gunshot pierced the air, followed by a man's roar and the thud of a man falling to the ground. Kate's eyes snapped open and she saw Lynn rush out from the shadows, his gun pointed precisely at the remaining Dawn members.

"Let her go!" Lin En's voice was low and intimidating. His eyes were as sharp as a knife, staring directly at those people, his finger firmly on the trigger.

The Dawn members visibly hesitated, their weapons trembling, but they still tried to resist. Lynn gave them no chance. Another gunshot rang out, and a man who tried to approach Kate fell to the ground. Seeing this, the remaining members turned and fled into the night.

Lynn quickly stepped forward and pulled Kate behind her, her eyes filled with anger and worry: "Didn't I tell you to stay away from here?"

Kate hadn't fully recovered from the shock yet, and her voice was trembling: "I...I just wanted to record everything that happened. I didn't know they would show up."

Lin En cursed under his breath, grabbed her shoulders, and his tone became even lower: "Do you know that you almost died? These people are not ordinary thugs. They will not let go of a target like you."

Kate looked up at him, forcing a forced smile: "But you're here."

Lin En was stunned, looking at her with complicated eyes. His hand loosened slightly, but he still didn't let go of her shoulder completely. He whispered, "Kate, I can't always make it. This time was lucky, but what about next time?"

Kate was silent for a moment, then said softly: "I know you are worried about me, but I also have my responsibilities. This matter is too important, too important to back down."

Lin En looked at her, a trace of struggle flashed in his eyes, and finally sighed: "Okay, I know I can't stop you. But from now on, no matter where you go, I will make sure you are protected. This is not a negotiation, this is an order."

Kate's eyes softened. She looked at Lynn and whispered, "Thank you, Lynn. I knew you wouldn't leave me alone."

Lynn didn't answer, just nodded. He reached out and wiped the dust off Kate's face, his movements inadvertently becoming gentle. He whispered, "We have to leave here. This place is not safe yet."

The two of them quickly left the alley, with Lynn keeping Kate by his side. Although the night was still full of danger, Kate felt a strange sense of security, as if no matter what happened, with Lynn by her side, there was nothing she couldn't face.

When they reached a relatively safe area, Lin En finally breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to look at Kate, his eyes filled with indescribable emotion. "You must promise me that if there is any danger next time, contact me immediately and don't act on your own."

Kate chuckled softly, "I promise, but you also have to promise me that you won't face all the dangers alone again."

Lin En was stunned for a moment, then the corners of his mouth slightly raised: "Okay, deal." (End of this chapter)