You went on a blind date and presented an A-level wanted criminal as a meeting gift?

Lin Chen put the blood into a test tube, then placed the blood sample into a sealed bag and retreated through the dark passageway of the black market.

The night wind outside carried the smell of rust as he stood in the shadows of the abandoned shipyard, removing the "Ivan" face that belonged to an Eastern European.

The disguise was removed, and his handsome features returned to normal under the moonlight.

He dialed Su Qingge's encrypted communication.

"The fireworks went away, but his blood remained with me."

"Blood?"

Su Qingge's voice carried a restrained urgency.

"DNA, blood type, and recently ingested medications—we have it all."

"This person is between thirty and forty years old, has been exposed to high concentrations of organic solvents for a long time, has abnormal liver metabolic indicators, and has taken a large amount of antihistamines within the last 72 hours."

As Lin Chen spoke, he crawled into the RS7 parked in the shadows.

"He is also allergic to the chemical weapons he concocts, so he has to rely on drugs to suppress them."

"This is his biggest weakness."

"Qingge, retrieve surveillance records of all antihistamine prescription drug purchases from pharmacies across the city over the past three days, with a focus on men aged 30 to 40 with a background in chemistry or biology."

"clear."

Su Qingge didn't waste any more words and hung up.

Lin Chen started the engine, and the RS7's V8 engine roared low through the night streets.

His mind was racing, piecing together Yan Huo's behavior patterns, methods, and psychological profile.

This guy is an extreme perfectionist.

In Richard's case, his only mistake at the scene was that the temperature was off by 0.5 degrees Celsius, which resulted in the bones not being fully carbonized.

Lin Chen pointed out this flaw to his face in the black market.

For a madman who treats killing as an art form, this is more painful than being killed.

He will definitely come again.

And this time, he will present what he considers to be his most perfect work.

It was still dark when the RS7 slid into the city hall parking lot.

Lin Chen went straight up to the fourth floor and handed the profile report he had compiled overnight and the characteristic portrait of the fireworks to Su Qingge, who was on duty.

Su Qingge took the report, glanced at it, and frowned.

Are you sure he'll try again?

"It's not a question of whether or not they can."

Lin Chen leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed.

When did he make his move?

"When someone points out flaws in a work to someone's face, it's like stabbing them in the heart; they have to prove themselves."

The voice just fell.

Lin Chen's phone vibrated in his pocket.

It wasn't Su Qingge's number; it was Ye Qingcheng's.

He pressed the answer button, but before he could speak, Ye Qingcheng's voice came through the receiver.

His tone was quick, with a rare hint of anxiety.

"Lin Chen, something's happened."

Ye Qingcheng rarely spoke in this tone.

Lin Chen sat up abruptly, all sleepiness gone.

"explain."

"The Ye Group's fine chemical plant, the largest one in Jiangcheng, has just received an anonymous advance notice."

"It wasn't mailed; someone just dumped it in the security room at the factory gate. All the surveillance cameras have been jammed, so we can't find the sender."

She paused for a moment.

"The words on the letter weren't written with ink; they were spelled out with chemical reagents. The security guard was almost burned when he opened the envelope."

"What about the content?"

"I'll read it to you."

Ye Qingcheng lowered her voice, as if afraid of being overheard.

"‘Great Officer Lin, thank you for pointing out the flaws in my work. Tonight at midnight, I will present you with a perfect citywide spontaneous combustion fireworks show at the Ye's Chemical Plant. —Fireworks.’"

There was a two-second silence.

Lin Chen's lips slowly curled into a cold smile.

coming.

It was faster than he had expected.

He glanced at the clock on the wall; it was eight o'clock in the evening. There were still four hours until midnight.

Su Qingge also heard the contents of the speakerphone, and her face instantly turned ashen.

"Yeh's Chemical Plant? That plant stores tens of thousands of tons of chemical raw materials. If it were to explode..."

She didn't finish speaking.

There's no need to finish speaking.

The chemical plant is located in an industrial park on the western outskirts of Jiangcheng, within a radius of more than 200,000 residents.

If tens of thousands of tons of flammable and explosive chemical raw materials were to explode in a chain reaction, the resulting shock waves and toxic gases would be enough to turn a large part of Jiangcheng into a sea of ​​fire.

A series of hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor.

Li Mingyu appeared out of nowhere, clutching a newly printed report in his hand, his face pale and his voice trembling.

"Qing...Qingge! I've checked the hazardous materials list for that chemical plant. It has 3,000 tons of toluene, 2,000 tons of xylene, and 800 tons of hydrogen peroxide... If it all explodes, half of Jiangcheng will be gone! We need to evacuate residents within a 10-kilometer radius immediately! There's no way to defend against this!"

Lin Chen stubbed out his cigarette and turned to look at Li Mingyu.

His gaze was calm, but Li Mingyu's voice caught in his throat.

"evacuation?"

Lin Chen's tone was as cold as a razor blade.

"Making 200,000 people run outside in the middle of the night—are you planning to create a stampede or widespread panic? Are you an undercover agent for the fireworks display?"

"I...I'm not..."

"Then shut up."

Lin Chen slammed the lighter on the table, stood up, and picked up the phone with one hand.

"Qingcheng, send me the complete pipeline network diagram, reactor layout diagram, and access to the automated control system of the chemical plant."

"Now, immediately."

"It's already being sent out."

The keyboard on Ye Qingcheng's end was clattering loudly.

"I've also got the factory's chief engineer on standby, do you want to—"

"Need not."

Lin Chen interrupted her.

"Get everyone out of the factory area, leave no one behind."

"and you--"

"I'll go in alone."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. Ye Qingcheng neither pressed for answers nor offered any dissuasion.

She knew this man too well.

"Okay, be careful."

Lin Chen hung up the phone and looked at Su Qingge.

"Qingge, take your men and seal off the area within three kilometers of the chemical plant. No one is allowed to enter."

"We are closely monitoring the high points and drainage pipes around the factory area; the fireworks may have already infiltrated the area beforehand."

Su Qingge nodded and turned to leave.

She took two steps, then stopped and looked back at him.

His lips moved, but in the end he only uttered two words: "Come back."

Lin Chen smiled at her and picked up the car keys on the table.

Four hours.

enough.