Chapter 79

Qin Dong Zhi was rushed to the Security Command Headquarters hospital, the bloodstains on Heavy Name Road still not dry. Zhou Wei walked up to Lin Yu and said softly, "Old Fox at his age, with three shots, two hit vital spots, eight or nine out of ten he's done for."

Lin Yu nodded, his expression unreadable. He turned to Zhou Wei and said, "Today's big show is over. Have the brothers fall back to the Fourth Bureau, and by the way dump Wu Tengqiu's corpse at the Public Administration Bureau's gate."

"Give the French a warning?" Zhou Wei's eyes flashed with realization.

"Well, let them understand that Shen City, even the French Concession, is no longer a place where they get to call the shots." Lin Yu said calmly.

Zhou Wei immediately made arrangements; soon, Wu Tengqiu's corpse was loaded into a black sedan. Fourth Bureau personnel began withdrawing from the scene in an orderly fashion, and the soldiers of the German First Battalion, at Lin Yu's signal, slowly pulled back from Heavy Name Road.

Lin Yu turned and looked at the three foreign guards under control. Their legs had been broken, and they were now kneeling on the ground, covered in blood.

"You've done your job well." Lin Yu looked at them with icy eyes, his voice devoid of emotion.

The three foreign guards lowered their heads, trembling all over. They knew their fate was sealed.

"Lin… Mr. Lin…" a guard stammered, "You said… you said you'd give us a way out…"

Lin Yu said nothing, just stared at them silently. A night wind blew over Heavy Name Road, bringing a hint of chill.

"Do you think I'll give the killer of Commander Qin a way out?" Lin Yu asked softly, the corner of his mouth curling into a cold smile.

The three guards jerked their heads up, eyes full of despair. They finally realized they had been used from the start.

Lin Yu turned and walked away; behind him came three muffled gunshots. Heavy Name Road now had three more corpses.

That night Shen City was destined to be restless, but Lin Yu knew this was only the beginning. Qin Dong Zhi's death would stir up what kind of waves in Shen City; he already had a counterplan.

He got into the carriage, gazing at the night outside the window, a faint smile playing on his lips. This game had only just begun.

Outside the Security Command Headquarters hospital, a black sedan sped toward it, tires screeching against the ground.

"Move! Get out of the way!" Li Mingze shouted, clutching Qin Dong Zhi's body as he rushed into the hospital, his clothes soaked in blood.

Several on-duty doctors rushed forward, but after checking Qin Dong Zhi's pupils and pulse, they all wore grave expressions.

"Commander Qin is already…" an old doctor shook his head, unable to finish before Li Mingze cut him off.

"Impossible! Save him quick!" Li Mingze yelled hysterically.

But Qin Dong Zhi had indeed died en route to the hospital. Three bullets, two hitting vital spots—for a man over sixty, that was already a death sentence.

The news spread quickly through the entire Security Command Headquarters. The previously quiet night was instantly shattered by the sound of marching boots, hurried footsteps, and rising and falling discussion, all intertwining.

Shen City Security Division Commander Yang Chengdong was the first to arrive, his face grim to a frightening degree. As Qin Dong Zhi's direct subordinate, he understood well what the old commander's death meant.

Next came the Seventh Mixed Brigade commander Zheng Shenguo and the Thirteenth Infantry Brigade commander Sun Desheng. Both were trusted aides promoted by Qin Dong Zhi personally, now standing in the hallway, silent.

Outside the hospital, security kept tightening, with live‑ammunition‑armed soldiers setting up checkpoints at every intersection. The whole Security Command Headquarters was heavily surrounded, every bush and tree seeming like an enemy soldier.

At two a. m., a military jeep pulled up to the hospital entrance. Qin Dong Zhi's eldest son, Qin Chang'an, stepped out briskly, wearing a crisp uniform, his face revealing no emotion.

"Where is Father?" Qin Chang'an asked in a calm voice, as if asking about something utterly ordinary.

No one dared answer. Finally Yang Chengdong stepped forward and said, "Chang'an, my condolences."

Qin Chang'an's body trembled slightly, but he quickly regained composure. He walked into the morgue, looked at his father lying there, and his gaze grew sharper.

The atmosphere in the hallway grew ever more solemn. Everyone knew Shen City was about to face a major upheaval; Qin Dong Zhi's death would completely reshuffle the city's power structure.

"Investigate!" Qin Chang'an said only one word after leaving the morgue, his voice icy: "I want to know every detail of what happened tonight at the Grand Triple."

Yang Chengdong and the others sprang into action. But they all knew this wasn't as simple as it seemed on the surface. The death of Wu Tengqiu, the foreign guards' revenge, the German First Battalion's inaction—each link smelled fishy.

In the hospital corridor, Li Mingze leaned against the wall, trembling all over. He had witnessed the whole process himself, yet could not fathom how things had come to this point.

Fourth Bureau Chief Office, night already deep.

Lin Yu sat behind a wide desk, turning a bullet casing in his hand. Zhou Wei stood opposite him, reporting the latest news.

"Definite news: Commander Qin is dead," Zhou Wei paused, "Three shots, two hit vital spots—an old fox his age couldn't possibly make it to the operating table."

Lin Yu gave a slight nod, placing the bullet casing on the table with a crisp sound.

"Chief," Zhou Wei lowered his voice, "the details of tonight's affair won't stand up to scrutiny. After Wu Tengqiu's death, his guards should have been taken into our custody, so how did they suddenly appear on the street? And the First Battalion's reaction was far too deliberate."

"What are you worried about?" Lin Yu lifted his head, gazing calmly at Zhou Wei.

"Once Li Mingze and the others start digging, these loopholes will be glaringly obvious. The First Battalion is ours—that's no secret in Shen City. Why would they just stand by and watch foreigners rush up to Commander Qin?"

Lin Yu gave a light chuckle, took a cigar from the drawer, and lit it slowly. "So what?"

"At least on the surface, it's foreigners who killed that old fox Qin. Who could produce evidence saying I ordered it?" He exhaled a smoke ring, "Besides, those foreigners are already dead—dead men tell no tales."

"But…"

"No 'buts,'" Lin Yu interrupted, "in this chaotic age, what matters isn't what the truth is, but what I let them see. The story that foreigners avenged Wu Tengqiu is enough for everyone to accept."

Zhou Wei fell silent for a moment, then said, "What about Qin Chang'an? He won't let this rest."

"He certainly won't," Lin Yu rose and walked to the window, "but what can he do? Go settle scores with the foreigners? Or come accuse me, the supervising commissioner? Just because I was there and my First Battalion didn't stop them in time?"

Outside the window, Shen City's lights flickered and waned; Lin Yu's voice carried a hint of chill: "This is where our cleverness lies. Everyone knows the First Battalion is mine, but who can prove that everything tonight was arranged by me?"

"You've played this game deep enough," Zhou Wei had to admit.

"This is only just beginning," Lin Yu turned, eyes sharp, "Qin Dong Zhi's death will shake up Shen City. The Security Command Headquarters is leaderless, and all factions are stirring. This is the real test we must face."

Zhou Wei suddenly understood: "So tonight's affair…"

"Just a beginning," Lin Yu reseated himself, "Shen City needs a new order, and we are the ones who will set the rules."