Chapter 34: Arrow Shadows Shatter the Air!

“Speak.”

Chen Yanan bit into an apple without looking up, scrolling through gossip news on her phone.

“Have you heard of the Yuanhong Society?” Lin Qing asked.

Chen Yanan turned to look at him. “Why ask that? Kids shouldn’t pry into such things—it won’t do you any good.”

“I’ve already come into contact with them,” Lin Qing said. “The merit I recently earned was from capturing a fighter from their underground boxing ring.”

“Just a fighter? Then it should be fine.”

Chen Yanan exhaled slightly. “I’ve heard of their underground boxing ring too, but I didn’t know how to get in, and there’s no point risking conflict with such a massive underground faction over a little pay.”

“I didn’t plan to fight them,” Lin Qing nodded.

He added silently in his mind: “Not yet.”

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

“Good.”

Chen Yanan added, “The Yuanhong Society seems like just another underground group, and technically, a team leader shouldn’t fear them—but I feel their influence is larger than it appears.”

“How so?” Lin Qing asked curiously.

“The reason I’m hospitalized is tied to the Yuanhong Society.”

Chen Yanan said, “During that emergency operation when I was severely injured, I led several squads to raid a human trafficking site—it was on Yuanhong Society territory. I’d already searched half of it, hadn’t gone deep, when I accidentally encountered that terrifying escapee from Qinghu Island Prison.”

“That Qinghu Island Prison escapee… is connected to the Yuanhong Society?” Lin Qing frowned.

“It’s not impossible.”

Chen Yanan nodded. “I thought a provincial-level underground group like the Yuanhong Society couldn’t possibly have such strength—but that escapee’s appearance was too suspicious. It felt like he was covering for them.”

Lin Qing fell into thought.

If that’s true, would he also run into that Qinghu Island escapee if he forcibly raided the underground boxing ring? Either way, he’d have to consider this in the future.

Better safe than sorry.

“Just be careful.”

Chen Yanan warned, “That Qinghu Island escapee is terrifying. In the entire Lin’an City, only Chief Inspector Yuan Anping of the Municipal Patrol Bureau could possibly match him in combat.”

“What level is the Chief Inspector?” Lin Qing asked involuntarily.

“I don’t know.”

Chen Yanan said, “But he definitely mastered the original Sunrise Training Method, and his combat techniques are extremely powerful. If he’s serious, he could defeat me in one move.”

One move to defeat a team leader?

Lin Qing finally understood the gap—and silently sighed.

Though he now possessed strength comparable to a team leader, there were always stronger hands above—he still had to keep pushing.

Fortunately, he’d soon earn two third-class merits, plus the one third-class merit Zhao Jiayi lent him—he could then learn another combat technique.

As long as he prepaid one more instinct-level technique, his strength would rise significantly.

Though two combat techniques still had clear flaws and weren’t enough to guarantee victory against the armed forces of the underground boxing ring, they’d be sufficient for self-defense.

Then he could begin planning to investigate that underground boxing ring.

…

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

At the branch, according to the shift schedule, all squads had already departed.

All four members of Squad Seven were ready.

“Where’s Team Leader Han and Team Two?”

In the courtyard, Lin Qing glanced around and asked.

Since Squad Seven was formed, every operation had been conducted alongside Team Two.

The official reason was that Squad Seven was new and inexperienced—but he suspected Xiao Peidong didn’t want him to get rich, so he assigned Team Leader Han to accompany him.

But tonight, Team Two didn’t show up for the assembly.

“Team Leader.”

Zhao Jiayi spoke from beside him. “Team Two left at nine, didn’t join us. They said there weren’t enough personnel, so they split up.”

Lin Qing understood, waved his hand. “Alright, let’s move out.”

…

Squad Seven’s main patrol zone was the area between Yucailu and Pingcheng Road’s side streets, concentrated around several bars, one entertainment complex, two abandoned schools, and a derelict amusement park.

Such abandoned places often became hideouts and trading spots for criminals, hence the irregular patrols.

Of course, those who’d retreated to these places were mostly powerless.

So there wasn’t much danger.

The biggest drawback? These places yielded little profit.

Lin Qing didn’t care too much—even high-profit spots couldn’t let him earn millions in two months. Near midnight, Squad Seven finally completed their routine search of the entertainment complex and one bar—the most troublesome part was over. Tonight’s only remaining target was the abandoned amusement park.

This would be the easiest part—usually just a single patrol loop was enough.

“Stay alert, everyone. After this patrol, we can go home and sleep.”

The patrol vehicle stopped at the entrance to the abandoned amusement park. Lin Qing clapped his hands, about to lead his squad out—when Han Ying, seated opposite, clasped her hands together and pleaded softly, “Team Leader, can I ask you a favor?”

“Can I say no?” Lin Qing looked at her.

“No…”

Han Ying begged pitifully. “I haven’t eaten tonight. Didn’t get a chance in the entertainment complex. I saw a night market on the way—let me buy something to eat. This amusement park doesn’t need much patrolling anyway.”

“Alright, drive there. Go quick and come back.”

“Team Leader,” Ruan Bing chimed in beside him. “I’m hungry too. I want to go with her.”

Lin Qing glanced at him—he knew this guy had long wanted out of Squad Seven, and didn’t bother arguing. “Go if you want.”

After all, it was just a patrol loop around the amusement park. Two fewer people wouldn’t matter.

“Let’s go.”

After getting out, Lin Qing pushed open the amusement park’s gate and entered with Zhao Jiayi and Teng Feiyu.

With the distant glow of the coastal city’s neon skyline, they could barely make out the amusement park’s outline.

This amusement park had existed since before the Cataclysm a century ago, and had been renovated several times after civilization’s reconstruction—but now it lay abandoned.

Under the city’s glow, the most prominent feature was the Ferris wheel at the center.

Soon, the three checked several likely hiding spots—abandoned shops, a carousel—and crossed half the park to reach the central open square, where a stage stood nearby.

Just over a hundred meters away loomed the massive Ferris wheel.

“Team Leader, Spring Festival’s coming—do patrols get time off?” Zhao Jiayi asked quietly.

“Only compensatory leave, no holidays,” Lin Qing replied, scanning the surroundings.

“Oh… jili gulu…”

“You just spoke dialect again? What did you say?”

“Nothing…”

Teng Feiyu remained silent throughout. The string of setbacks today had left him dazed, and he’d grown distant from Lin Qing—even considered requesting a transfer. Naturally, he didn’t want to talk.

Suddenly—

【Current Order Level decreased by 0.3】

A line of blood-red text appeared in his vision.

“Huh? 0.3?”

Lin Qing narrowed his eyes and instantly went on full alert.

He continued walking his patrol route, subtly observing his surroundings—but on this open, unobstructed square, he saw no sign of enemies.

Suddenly, Zhao Jiayi’s steps hesitated slightly, then returned to normal.

“Where’s the enemy? Or is it some other danger?”

Lin Qing wasn’t overly tense—his current strength meant a 0.3-level threat wasn’t particularly dangerous.

Just then—

A sudden, inexplicable sense of danger surged in his chest. Instinct—or subconscious—made him whirl around and look upward, toward the direction of the Ferris wheel.

“Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!”

A sharp, tearing whistle pierced the air. Time seemed to slow.

Three dark, slender, blurred shadows hurtled toward them at a speed too fast for the naked eye—originating from the hundred-meter-distant Ferris wheel!

Arrows? “Watch out!”

Lin Qing’s pupils contracted. He had no time to trace their source—he roared, instantly drawing his stun baton from his waist.

These arrows were terrifyingly fast—at least 700 fps, over two hundred meters per second!

In less than a fraction of a second, the three deadly arrows reached them!

In an instant, Lin Qing assessed—

The three arrows targeted him, Zhao Jiayi to his left, and Teng Feiyu to his right!

“Clang! Clang!”

In that instant, his arm blurred—he preemptively deflected two arrows with precise strikes of his stun baton.

But one arrow slipped past—he couldn’t block it in time. It grazed his baton and flew toward Teng Feiyu!

“Pthsh!”

The sound of an arrow piercing flesh rang out—blood gushed forth.

(End of chapter)