Siheyuan: Hang Jia Dongxu, smash Banggeng to death!

Yan Bugui struggled to get up, but couldn't muster the strength: "Damn it... I've stirred up a hornet's nest. I heard there were at least dozens of people just now."

They were chasing us relentlessly. Damn it, I, Yan Bugui, have lived half my life, and I never imagined I'd be chased like a dog by the police.

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu's teasing expression vanished, and he nodded with lingering fear.

Even a scholar like Teacher Yan was forced to swear, which gives you an idea of ​​what they had gone through before.

As they fled for their lives, the flashlight beams almost grazed their scalps several times.

If he hadn't been somewhat familiar with this nook and cranny, and hadn't been lucky, he would have blindly wandered into this stinking place.

Behind the abandoned outhouse, which even stray dogs wouldn't dare approach, he's probably already pinned to the ground, his wrists clad in cold handcuffs.

Sha Zhu reached out and pulled Yan Bugui, who was as limp as a noodle, to his feet. The two of them supported each other and staggered out from behind the outhouse, greedily taking a few breaths of the relatively "fresh" air.

As Sha Zhu looked at the lingering wisps of smoke in the direction of his own courtyard house, a sense of bewilderment and sorrow welled up in his heart.

My home... has been burned down, my sister died tragically, and Sister Qin is missing... What am I supposed to do now?

Like a rat crossing the street, hiding here and there?

"When I was little, my mom always said that if someone didn't come home at two or three in the morning, it was bound to be bad news."

Sha Zhu muttered to himself, a bitter look flashing across his face, "Now... I don't even have a home anymore..."

Yan Bugui had no time to pay attention to Sha Zhu's sentimentality. Leaning against the wall, he looked around warily, his ears perked up, listening to any sounds from afar.

The commotion of the manhunt seemed to have subsided for the time being, but the area in the direction of the steel rolling mill seemed unusually quiet.

He wasn't quite sure.

Yan Bugui looked up at the increasingly obvious dawn sky and calculated in his mind: it's getting light, and with more people on the street, their ghostly appearance will be more easily exposed.

Our only hope right now is to find Third Master as soon as possible.

"We can't linger here."

"It will be even harder to travel once it gets light. We'll turn back now, bypass the main road, and take the most back alleys to sneak towards Third Master's house. We must get there before dawn."

Sha Zhu snapped out of his daze and nodded: "Okay, Third Uncle, I'll listen to you."

He's completely lost right now; he can't go wrong listening to the shrewd strategist.

The two dared not go in the general direction they had been chased, nor did they dare approach the sensitive area of ​​the steel rolling mill.

After determining the location, I chose a secluded, shady alleyway where no one was walking and tiptoed away.

Near Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill.

Qin Ming's arrest team had quietly laid a tight net.

Based on the directions given by Xiao Wang and the tracking routes provided by Da Liu and Xiao Chen, combined with their familiarity with the terrain of the area, they...

Judging from the fact that the two "criminals" were in a panic, they were most likely to try to hide or maneuver in the complex terrain of the steel rolling mill or the surrounding abandoned areas.

Qin Ming made a decisive move, ordering most of the police officers to set up ambushes at several key intersections and in possible escape directions.

He then led Wang Gang and several key members to lie in ambush in this abandoned yard, which had a relatively open view and could observe the side gate of the steel rolling mill and the surrounding area of ​​bungalows.

Time passed slowly, and the sky grew brighter, but the target still hadn't appeared.

All around were the cool morning breeze and the faint roar of machines from the steel rolling mill in the distance (the early shift had already begun).

Wang Gang, crouching behind a rusty I-beam next to Qin Ming, rubbed his slightly sore eyes, then subconsciously touched his left eyelid, and whispered to Qin Ming:

"Captain Qin, something feels off... My left eyelid... has been twitching nonstop since just now."

Qin Ming was intently watching the commotion ahead when he heard this. He turned his head, glanced at Wang Gang, raised an eyebrow, and asked, half-jokingly and half-seriously:

"What? Old Wang, have you also 'awakened' that 'special constitution' of Little Wang... causing trouble wherever he goes?"

Wang Gang quickly waved his hand and said with a wry smile, "Captain Qin, don't make fun of me. This is an old problem of mine. My eyelids twitch when I stay up late and get nervous."

There's an old saying, "A twitching left eye means bad luck, a twitching right eye means good fortune." I'm just feeling uneasy about it.

After a pause, he expressed his concern, "I feel... isn't it too passive of us to just sit here and wait for them to come to us?"

Moreover, this steel rolling mill... is a very complicated place.

If those security guards trip us up, or even hide the person... we'll be in real trouble.

Qin Ming nodded calmly, "I understand your concerns."

His gaze fell once again on the imposing gates and high walls of the steel rolling mill. "Director Yang transferred Lin Tian's father to overhaul the boiler, and an 'accident' occurred a few days later."

This whole thing is suspicious.

The factory's investigation concluded it was an accident, but considering the conflict between Yi Zhonghai and Lin's father, and everything that happened to the Lin family afterwards... there's probably more to it than that.

Wang Gang continued, "I've inquired about it. Some workers in the fitter's workshop have been talking about it privately, saying that Lin's father has a chance to become a level seven fitter because of his good skills."

He was also very straightforward, which offended Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai then sowed discord among Director Yang, which led to Lin's father being temporarily assigned to overhaul the boiler for a few days. Who could have imagined... that this would lead to the accident?

"Surprised?"

Qin Ming muttered to himself, a cold glint in his eyes, "Too many 'accidents' coming together, then they're no longer accidents. We need to investigate Director Yang as well."

However, the immediate priority is to catch the two audacious criminals who broke into the police station and kidnapped the children, and rescue Lin Tian and his sister.

As for the steel rolling mill and Director Yang... once this matter is settled and the evidence is conclusive, the higher-ups will naturally settle accounts with them.

He patted Wang Gang on the shoulder: "Calm down, Lao Wang. We've laid a big net. Unless they can fly or disappear, they'll run into it sooner or later."

Tell the brothers to be vigilant and stay hidden. Once the target is spotted, act immediately, but be aware that the hostages may be in their hands; ensure the children's safety.

"yes!"

Wang Gang responded in a low voice and relayed the order.

……

Red Star Hospital.

Xiao Wang carried breakfast into the ward, and the sight before him made his scalp tingle – the hospital bed was empty.

Where Qin Huairu should have been lying, only a messy bed sheet and blanket soaked in large patches of dark red blood remained, a shocking sight.

Meanwhile, Xiao Zhao and her best friend Xiao Fang were hugging each other on another hospital bed, covered by a blanket.

"Little Zhao? Little Zhao! Wake up!!"

Xiao Wang rushed over in one stride to check on Xiao Zhao's condition.

He's still breathing and his pulse is normal, but he just can't be woken up.

He then quickly went to check on another female police officer, whose situation was similar.

They looked like they'd been knocked unconscious.

Qin Huai is nowhere to be seen.

There was a lot of blood on the hospital bed, and the guard was unconscious.

A sense of responsibility made Xiao Wang's heart pound. He reflexively rushed out of the ward, found the hospital's phone number, and dialed the police station's number.

The call was answered quickly, and Chief Li's slightly tired but still steady voice came through: "Hey? Police station."

"No...it's terrible! Chief Li!! It's terrible—!!!"

Xiao Wang's exclamation rang out again.

Upon hearing the familiar summons and their contents—so familiar they made his temples throb—Director Li felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, and his blood pressure seemed to spike.

Taking a deep breath and suppressing the urge to curse, he said helplessly, "No... brother, I told you to go home and get some rest, and this is how you 'rest'?"

Where have you gone this time to cause trouble for me?

"Tell me! What big thing happened this time?"

……