Chapter 34: Arrow Shadows Break the Sky!

"Speak."

Chen Yanan bit into an apple without turning her head, reading gossip news on her phone.

"Sister, have you heard of the Crimson Kite Society?" Lin Qing asked.

Chen Yanan turned to look at him and said, "Why ask about this? Kids shouldn't pry into such things; it won't do you any good."

"I've already made contact," Lin Qing said. "The merit I recently earned came from capturing a fighter from the Crimson Kite Society's underground boxing ring."

"Just a fighter? Then there should be no problem."

Chen Yanan breathed a slight sigh of relief. "I've also heard of the Crimson Kite Society's underground boxing ring, but I didn't know how to get in, nor was it necessary to fight such a massive underground force over that little salary."

"I didn't intend to fight either," Lin Qing nodded.

He added in his mind: "Not for now."

After all, it was merely a backup plan for earning merit.

"That's good then."

Chen Yanan continued, "The Crimson Kite Society appears to be just an underground organization; theoretically, a captain-level officer shouldn't need to fear them, but in fact, I feel the Crimson Kite Society possesses far more power than anticipated."

"How so?" Lin Qing asked curiously.

"The reason I'm currently hospitalized is related to the Crimson Kite Society."

Chen Yanan said, "During the temporary operation on the night I was severely injured, I led several teams to search a venue suspected of human trafficking, which was the Crimson Kite Society's territory. I had led my people halfway through the search, hadn't gone deep yet, when I happened to encounter that terrifying escapee from Qinghu Island Prison."

"That escapee from Qinghu Island Prison... is related to the Crimson Kite Society?" Lin Qing frowned.

"We cannot rule out that possibility."

Chen Yanan nodded. "Although I think the Crimson Kite Society, an underground force operating within a single province, shouldn't possess such strong military power, that escapee from Qinghu Island Prison appeared too suspiciously at the time; it truly seemed like they were providing a cover."

Lin Qing pondered thoughtfully.

If that were the case, if he forcibly searched the Crimson Kite Society's underground boxing ring, wouldn't he also encounter that escapee from Qinghu Island? Regardless, he must consider this possibility in the future.

One isn't afraid of ten thousand, but one fears the one-in-ten-thousand chance.

"Anyway, you must be careful."

Chen Yanan warned, "That escapee from Qinghu Island Prison is truly terrifying in strength; looking across the entire Lin'an City, I'm afraid only the Chief Captain of the City Patrol Bureau, Yuan Anping, could fight him."

"What is the strength level of a Chief Captain?" Lin Qing couldn't help but ask.

"I'm not clear either."

Chen Yanan said, "At the very least, he has definitely mastered the original Morning Sun Cultivation Method, and his combat techniques are extremely powerful; if he gets serious, he could probably defeat me with a single move."

Defeat a captain-level expert with a single move?

Lin Qing somewhat understood the magnitude of the gap and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Although he now possesses strength comparable to a captain, there are always those stronger among the strong; he must continue to work hard.

Fortunately, he would soon receive two Third-Class Merits, plus the one Third-Class Merit Zhao Jiayi lent him; by then, he could learn another combat technique.

As long as he pre-emptively acquires one instinct-level combat technique, his strength could improve significantly.

Although two combat techniques still have obvious flaws and he lacks absolute confidence to confront the armed forces of the Crimson Kite Society's underground boxing ring, it is actually enough for self-defense.

By then, he could begin considering the search of that underground boxing ring.

After chatting with his cousin for a while, seeing that it was nearly 9:30 PM and the patrol time for today was about to begin, Lin Qing left.

Upon arriving at the branch station, according to the shift schedule, all teams had already departed one after another.

The four members of Team Seven had also already made preparations.

"Where are Team Leader Han and Team Two?"

Inside the branch station courtyard, Lin Qing looked left and right and couldn't help but ask.

Since Team Seven was established a few days ago, every operation had been conducted alongside Team Two.

The official reason given was that Team Seven was a new team with no experience, but he suspected that Xiao Pei Dong didn't want to give him a chance to make money, so he had ordered Team Leader Han to act together.

However, tonight, members of Team Two were nowhere to be seen gathering together.

"Team Leader."

Zhao Jiayi spoke up from the side, "Team Two departed at 9:00; they didn't go with us, saying that tonight there weren't enough hands, so they would act separately."

Lin Qing understood, waved his hand, and said, "Alright, let's go."

Team Seven's main patrol area was the region between Yucai Road and the auxiliary road of Pingcheng Road, mostly concentrated on several bars in this area, one entertainment complex, two abandoned schools, and one abandoned amusement park.

Such abandoned places often become locations used by criminals for transactions and hiding, which is why irregular patrols are necessary.

Of course, those who shrink to such places are mostly guys with no real ability.

So there isn't much danger.

The biggest drawback is that such places have no fat to skim.

Lin Qing didn't care too much; even in places with plenty of fat, it wouldn't be possible for him to skim millions in two months. As time approached midnight, Team Seven finally finished the routine search of one entertainment complex and one bar; the most troublesome part was over, and tonight's only remaining target was one abandoned amusement park.

This was also the easiest part; generally, patrolling around once was enough.

"Everyone stay alert; after patrolling once, we can go home to sleep."

After the patrol vehicle stopped at the entrance of the abandoned amusement park, Lin Qing clapped his hands. Just as he was about to lead the team members out of the car, Han Ying, sitting opposite, clasped her hands together and said softly, "Team Leader, I beg a favor of you."

"Can I refuse?" Lin Qing looked at her.

"No..."

Han Ying pleaded pitifully, "I haven't eaten dinner tonight yet; I didn't have time to eat at the entertainment complex just now. I saw a night market on the road; let me go buy some food. Anyway, there's nothing much to patrol at this amusement park."

"Fine, you drive," Lin Qing said. "Go quickly and return quickly."

"Team Leader," Ruan Bing from the side couldn't help but speak up, "I'm a bit hungry too; I want to go with her."

Lin Qing glanced at him, knowing the guy had long wanted to leave Group Seven, and was too lazy to say much, so he casually said, "Go ahead if you want."

After all, it was just a patrol around the amusement park; missing two people didn't matter.

"Let's go."

After getting out of the car, Lin Qing pushed open the amusement park's main gate and led Zhao Jiayi and Teng Feiyu into this abandoned amusement park.

Relying on the light from the Binhai City urban circle's city that never sleeps in the distance, they could barely make out the silhouette of this abandoned amusement park.

Before the apocalypse a hundred years ago, this amusement park already existed; it had been renovated several times after civilization was rebuilt, but now it was still abandoned.

Under the glow of the urban circle, the most conspicuous thing was the Ferris wheel at the center of the amusement park.

In a short while, the three of them checked a few abandoned shops and the carousel, places easy to hide in, crossed half the amusement park, and arrived at the open plaza in the center; not far away was a stage.

A hundred meters away stood that huge Ferris wheel.

"Team Leader, it's almost New Year; is there holiday leave for patrols?" Zhao Jiayi beside him asked in a low voice.

"Only compensatory time off, no holidays." Lin Qing observed the surroundings and said casually.

"Oh... gurgle..."

"Did you speak a dialect just now? What does it mean?"

"Nothing..."

Teng Feiyu remained silent the whole time; today's repeated setbacks had made him a bit depressed, and there was now a rift between him and Lin Qing; he even thought about splitting into separate groups, so naturally he didn't want to talk.

Suddenly—

【Current Order Level decreased by 0.3 levels】

A line of bright red warning text like blood appeared in his vision.

"Hmm? 0.3 levels?"

Lin Qing narrowed his eyes slightly and immediately entered a state of complete alertness.

While continuing to stroll on patrol, he observed the situation around him without leaving a trace, but at this moment, standing on the open plaza with a clear view, he could see no sign of any enemy.

Suddenly, Zhao Jiayi's steps beside him also paused slightly, then returned to normal.

"Where is the enemy? Or is it danger from elsewhere?"

Lin Qing wasn't particularly nervous in his heart; with his current strength, a 0.3-level threat was no longer that dangerous.

Just then—

A strange sense of crisis suddenly arose in his heart; instinct or subconsciousness made him turn around abruptly and look up, gazing toward the direction of the Ferris wheel.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Only the sharp whistling sound of tearing air suddenly came from above! Time suddenly slowed down.

Those were three pitch-black, slender, blurred afterimages, rushing down from the sky at a terrifying speed impossible for ordinary human eyes to catch, clearly coming from that hundred-meter-distant Ferris wheel!

Arrows? "Be careful!"

Lin Qing's pupils contracted slightly; unable to observe the source of the arrows in time, he roared loudly and immediately pulled the electric baton from his waist.

These arrows were truly too fast; the arrow speed had at least already approached 700 fps, that is, over two hundred meters per second!

Three terrifying arrows, within a mere fraction of a second, had already arrived before their eyes!

In an instant, Lin Qing judged—

The targets of the three arrows were precisely him, Zhao Jiayi on the left, and Teng Feiyu on the right!

"Clang! Clang!"

In that instant, Lin Qing's arm became a blurred afterimage; with prior prediction, two of the arrow afterimages were precisely deflected aside by the electric baton in his hand.

But one arrow afterimage he still hadn't managed to deflect; it just grazed the electric baton in his hand and flew toward Teng Feiyu!

"Pfft!"

Amid the sound of the arrow piercing the body, fresh blood suddenly gushed out!

(End of this chapter)