Chapter 323: 907 Special Task Force!

"Bone Shrinking Technique?" Mu Lingxue snapped her head up to look at him, her eyes wide open. "Is that the kind of skill from martial arts novels that can shrink one's bones? Does this really exist?"

"It does exist, just not as mystical as the novels describe." Lin Yuan picked up a pair of handcuffs, demonstrating by squeezing his own wrist:

"In traditional martial arts, the Bone Shrinking Technique doesn't actually shorten the bones; it adjusts the joint spaces, contracts the muscles and ligaments, making the body's outline smaller."

"Look at the inner diameter of these handcuffs," he pointed to the markings inside; a normal adult wrist can't slip through, but after practicing the Bone Shrinking Technique one can narrow the wrist joint gap by half a centimeter, and with tensed muscles, slip out.

Mu Lingxue stared agape, she gestured to compare the handcuffs' size, then looked at her own wrist, still finding it unbelievable—

How could one possibly squeeze out of such a tiny space?

"What about the iron door?" Xiao Zhang interjected from the side, his voice still timid.

"The iron door was likely forced open with brute strength; after reaching a certain level in ancient martial arts, one's arm strength far exceeds that of an ordinary person." Lin Yuan explained.

Mu Lingxue stared at the handcuffs on the ground, her brows still furrowed, suddenly remembering the surveillance footage, she couldn't help but ask further:

"What about the surveillance? How did they avoid it?"

Lin Yuan didn't answer right away, turned and walked toward the interrogation room door, his gaze sweeping over the surveillance cameras on both sides of the corridor.

He then crouched down, his fingertips lightly grazing the wall.

When his fingertip felt a faint scratch, he paused, looked up at Mu Lingxue:

"There are climbing marks on the corridor wall."

Mu Lingxue followed the direction he pointed and looked…

Sure enough, near the ceiling on the wall she saw several shallow marks, as if something had scraped across.

"They probably climbed up the wall to avoid the corridor's camera angles. Most cameras point at the ground, leaving the area near the ceiling as a blind spot."

Lin Yuan stood up, glanced at the vent at the end of the corridor, "Then they crawled into the ventilation ducts from there to escape."

Mu Lingxue followed his gaze to the vent; the vent's grating looked small.

She immediately frowned: "The ventilation ducts are so small—how could they crawl in?"

Lin Yuan turned to look at her, his tone calm: "Don't forget they know the Bone Shrinking Technique."

"An ordinary person's body simply isn't up to it—their bones and muscles lack the flexibility to open such a tight space." He pointed at the vent's grating, continuing, "But after practicing the Bone Shrinking Technique, they can adjust joint spacing and contract muscles and ligaments, reducing their body outline just enough to slip in."

After hearing that, Mu Lingxue quickly walked to the vent, tiptoed to lift the grating, and bent over to look inside—

Sure enough, the inner walls of the duct showed several fresh scratches, plus some dust smudges wiped away—clearly someone had just crawled through.

She straightened up, immediately grabbed her walkie-talkie, her voice urgent: "All teams, listen up! Immediately conduct a full search of the police station building, focusing on the ventilation ducts and all exits—be sure to find the four escaped bandits!"

From the walkie-talkie came Xiao Zhang's voice, panicked: "Captain Mu! We've already searched the ventilation ducts from the third floor down to the first, found no one, and the exit cameras didn't capture them leaving—it's as if… as if they vanished into thin air!"

Mu Lingxue tightened her grip on the walkie-talkie, her face growing darker.

Just then, hurried footsteps echoed from the end of the corridor; a tall man in police uniform strode over—it was the captain of the criminal investigation brigade, Huo Gang.

Huo Gang saw the mess in the interrogation room, heard Mu Lingxue's report, and his brows knotted into a frown.

Huo Gang's voice was full of shock:

"Bone Shrinking Technique? Slipping out of handcuffs and crawling into ventilation ducts? After all these years solving cases, I've never seen such bizarre martial arts."

Huo Gang paused, his face turning grave: "I've heard the elders mention the ancient martial arts of Yanxia—said to be extremely powerful—but it was long lost; I never expected to encounter someone who still practices it."

Lin Yuan leaned against the corridor wall, his tone calm yet somewhat solemn: "Indeed, few people practice ancient martial arts nowadays. Especially the Bone Shrinking Technique and Turtle Breath Technique—they inflict severe harm on the body; training forces a change in bone and muscle condition, and over time it damages the foundation and can even shorten one's lifespan."

He glanced at Huo Gang, then added:

"These bandits daring to train such a skill are clearly desperate outlaws who don't value their own lives."

Huo Gang let out a heavy sigh after hearing that.

Huo Gang pulled out his phone and dialed, his voice firm: "Notify everyone, issue a city-wide wanted order! We must capture these four bandits—they know ancient martial arts, they're too dangerous to let them roam free and commit more crimes!"

After hanging up, Huo Gang turned his head to look at Lin Yuan, his eyes carrying a hint of pleading.

"Lin Yuan, this case is no simple matter—the robbery that occurred on September 7th, plus their jailbreak today, makes the situation extremely heinous; the bureau plans to set up the 【907 Special Task Force】 to handle this case specifically."

Huo Gang's tone grew more sincere: "You understand ancient martial arts and can see their methods; I'd like to invite you to serve as a consultant for the task force, to assist us in the investigation—compensation can be discussed."

Upon hearing the word "consultant," Lin Yuan immediately shook his head.

Lin Yuan's tone was firm: "No, I can't be a consultant; I have no interest in getting involved in these matters."

Mu Lingxue, anxious beside him, quickly stepped forward and tugged at Lin Yuan's sleeve.

"Lin Yuan, just agree! After all, you're the only one who knows traditional martial arts; these four bandits are extremely dangerous—with your help we could catch them faster and reduce casualties, so I'm begging you!"

Lin Yuan still shook his head, without the slightest wavering.

His tone remained flat yet unquestionable: "Sorry, I still can't agree. I just want to live my own life, not get dragged into these troubles."

(He's) joking—he actually makes a living in the martial world.

Have him be a consultant for the police station?

Are you crazy?

Lin Yuan definitely doesn't want his martial world identity exposed.

Mu Lingxue and Huo Gang invited Lin Yuan repeatedly, but he kept refusing; in the end they could only let the matter drop.

If someone refuses to be a consultant, you can't exactly force them, can you?

……

Late at night Lin Yuan left the police station, Mu Lingxue sent her home.

But just as he stepped out of the police station, Lin Yuan continually felt as if a pair of eyes were watching him from a dark corner.

Lin Yuan turned his head, but saw nothing.

Could it be an illusion?

Lin Yuan shook his head and slipped into Mu Lingxue's Range Rover……

……

The next morning, the Su Group's office building was already filled with the sound of typing.

Lin Yuan sat on the leather chair in the office, several project documents spread before him, a pen pinched between his fingertips, his head lowered as he looked at the data report.

The phone on the desk suddenly rang, its ring breaking the office's silence.

Lin Yuan picked up the phone, his voice still calm: "Hello."

A somewhat aged yet steady voice came from the earpiece, carrying a hint of politeness:

"May I ask if this is Mr. Lin Yuan? I am Du Yun Dian of Zhijiang University."

Lin Yuan's hand holding the earpiece paused; he recognized the name—it was the chancellor of Zhijiang University.

"Chancellor Du, is there something?" His tone had no fluctuation.

"It's like this," Du Yun Dian's voice carried apology, "Regarding your family's affair back then, I have always felt deeply sorry, and these years I haven't been able to properly say sorry to you."

Lin Yuan remained silent, not responding, his fingertip unconsciously scraping the edge of the desk.

"Also, your mentor, Professor Dong Chao, his passing I also regret." Du Yun Dian continued, his tone growing heavier, "These years, the school has also been doing its best to compensate his family."

Lin Yuan's gaze darkened, the image of Professor Dong Chao already surfacing in his mind.

"Chancellor Du, if you have something to say, just say it straight." Lin Yuan interrupted him, not wanting to beat around the bush.

Du Yun Dian caught his meaning and quickly got to the point: "It's like this, Zhijiang University's School of Medicine currently needs someone like you; your expertise in traditional Chinese medicine... is exactly what our school needs. I would like to invite you to join the school—what do you think?"

Lin Yuan didn't even think, directly refusing: "I won't join the school."

After saying that, he gave Du Yun Dian no chance to persuade, and hung up the phone directly.

Setting down the earpiece, Lin Yuan leaned back in the chair, closed his eyes, and his thoughts drifted away instantly.

He thought of Professor Dong Chao, that old man with white hair yet spirited vigor.

Back then he was studying medicine at Zhijiang University; although he had already learned all the school's knowledge, Professor Dong Chao still taught him a lot.

The professor would take out his treasured ancient texts for him to read, would bring him to the mountains to gather herbs, and would pass on his own insights of traditional Chinese medicine to Lin Yuan.

He still remembered the professor's oft-repeated words: "Studying medicine is not for fame, but to save people; every needle and every herb must be worthy of the patient's trust."

Moreover, Professor Dong Chao and Lin Yuan's grandfather were close friends; when they were young they researched traditional Chinese medicine together, often gathering to discuss prescriptions, their relationship as close as brothers.

As a child he often followed his grandfather to the professor's house; the professor would always stuff him with various treats and teach him to recognize medicinal herbs.

But later, his grandfather met with misfortune, and the family collapsed all at once.

Not long after, Professor Dong Chao also met with misfortune, unable to withstand the overwhelming pressure of public condemnation, he leapt from the top floor of the teaching building and fell to his death.

Since then, traditional Chinese medicine has been utterly defeated.

Lin Yuan also withdrew from studies and gave up traditional Chinese medicine.

Nowadays, those scenes linger in Lin Yuan's mind, unable to fade……

Lin Yuan shook his head, not allowing himself to think of those again……

……

Zhijiang University, inside the chancellor's office.

Du Yun Dian looked at the hung-up phone, his knuckles lightly pressing the earpiece, a sigh escaped.

From behind came soft footsteps; his daughter Du Wanhe approached, holding a celadon tea cup.

That stunningly beautiful visage left men breathless, unforgettable at a glance.

It's hard to imagine that Du Yun Dian's daughter could be so lovely, just like a movie star.

"Dad, he still refuses to agree to come back?" Du Wanhe handed the teacup to her father, speaking softly.

Du Yun Dian took the cup, his fingertips touching the cool porcelain rim, then slowly shook his head: "No. As soon as mentioning inviting him back to school, his tone on the phone turned cold instantly."

"Or should I go myself?" Du Wanhe sat down beside him on the leather chair, her fingers lightly rubbing the scrolling pattern on the cup's base.

Du Yun Dian suddenly lifted his eyes, his brows knitting tightly:

"No way! If you go, it will only provoke him. Back then those rumors about the two of you spread throughout the city; he already harbored thoughts of avoidance toward you, and your going would only anger him further."

"Dad," Du Wanhe curled the corners of her mouth, the curve at her eyes softer yet hiding determination, "You forgot I'm a psychology PhD? No one understands him better than I do. His reluctance to return to school stems from an unresolved knot in his heart."

She paused, her fingertips lightly tapping the cup's rim, her tone gaining a touch of frankness:

"And rest assured, back then it was just others spreading nonsense; I never had any quarrel with him, where would any 'bullying' come from? On the contrary, he, in order to avoid gossip, would detour around the teaching building whenever he saw me."

As she said this, a faint smile flickered in her eyes; she reached out to gently place the lid on her father's cup: "Leave it to me. I will surely bring him back to school."

Du Yun Dian glanced at his daughter, only able to sigh; now he could only let her try.

……

After work in the evening, Lin Yuan returned home.

He went straight to the desk; when the drawer opened with a faint sliding sound, the yellowed volume *Essentials of Traditional Chinese Medicine Pulse Diagnosis* lay innermost, its cover edges worn fuzzy, the front page still bearing Professor Dong Chao's clear handwriting—

Treat the pulse by first treating the heart; cure illness by first curing the person.

This was written by Professor Dong Chao himself back then.

Lin Yuan's fingertip lightly brushed over that line, his pad feeling a shallow crease on the paper—a habit of Professor Dong Chao when lecturing, always folding the important pages.

Yet this very old man who used to pat his shoulder and say, "Xiao Lin, you've got the makings of a medic"……

Yet it was during Lin Yuan's freshman year that he fell from the experimental building's rooftop, like a withered leaf blown off by the wind.

The image of the police lights flashing on Lin Yuan's face still pops up suddenly at night even now.

Also from that day on, Lin Yuan dropped out of school, and he hasn't even stepped onto the campus of Zhijiang University again.

He slowly pushed the book back into the corner of the drawer, as if it weren't a book but a stone weighing on his heart—

Professor Dong Chao's death and his departure from Zhijiang University had long become an 'obsession mark' he couldn't avoid in this lifetime; even a slight touch would bring a myriad of pains.

The next morning, Lin Yuan drove into the company compound; in the passenger seat, Su Monong was lowering her head to flip through documents, her fingertips pinching a half-finished hot Americano.

Just as the car reached the company gate, a figure in a white dress suddenly flashed into view, her appearance especially eye-catching.

A figure in a white dress stood beneath the Su Group building, her long hair flowing, absolutely beautiful and alluring.

It drew the male coworkers arriving for work in the morning, who couldn't help but glance at that graceful figure…

Lin Yuan sat in the car, staring at that figure for two seconds, a vague sense of familiarity rose in his heart, and his brow furrowed involuntarily.

Familiar faces flashed through Lin Yuan's mind, and in the next second he suddenly realized—

Was it her?

The moment he recognized the person, Lin Yuan's face flushed with surprise and alarm, he fumbled with the steering wheel, trying to drive the car quickly into the underground parking lot to get away.

But just as Lin Yuan's car was about to turn into the underground parking entrance, the graceful figure at the doorway accurately called out his name: "Lin Yuan!"

Lin Yuan came to his senses, gritted his teeth, pressed the accelerator, just wanting to drive away quickly, having no intention of paying any attention to the white‑dressed woman at the door.

Su Monong in the passenger seat glanced toward the rear of the car, calmly reminding: "That young lady seems to be calling you."

Lin Yuan tightened his grip on the steering wheel, didn't look back, and said with a hint of stiffness: "Director Su, you must have misheard."

But as soon as he finished speaking, the white‑dressed woman quickly stepped forward a few paces, walked straight to the front of the car, stopped, and firmly blocked its path.