Chapter 84: Are You Lin Qing?

In the hospital room.

On the white hospital bed, the female inspector slowly woke up, struggled to open her eyes, stared at the unfamiliar ceiling, then suddenly snapped them wide open and sat up sharply.

Beside the bed, her assistant had already woken up, sitting nearby scrolling through her phone; seeing her awake, the assistant exclaimed in delight: “Inspector Xu, you’re awake!”

“I’m still alive…”

Xu Qiu murmured, then suddenly snapped back to awareness and turned to her assistant, wanting to ask about Lin Qing—but she opened her mouth and said nothing.

Why ask?

The Chief Inspector wasn’t in Lin’an, and Lin Qing had been attacked by that madman Chu Tianyao—wasn’t death inevitable?

“Inspector Xu,” the female assistant said excitedly, “I just got an insane piece of news—you’ll be shocked when you hear it…”

“I’m not in the mood.”

Xu Qiu cut her off, fell silent for a moment, then shook her head slightly: “Take me to see Lin Qing first. I want to speak with him.”

“Speak with him? Now?” the assistant asked, puzzled.

Even when she received the news, she’d been stunned—how had Inspector Xu guessed this right after waking? Xu Qiu stared at the white sheet, took a deep breath, and said slowly: “If I’d persuaded him better, gone with him, or made him wait for headquarters to arrive, this wouldn’t have happened. I bear some responsibility here…”

“Huh?”

The assistant froze, suddenly realizing Inspector Xu had misunderstood something.

“My aunt came to Lin’an and said she wanted to meet him—but now…” Xu Qiu shook her head slightly, voice low: “Is his body still there? Take me to see it.”

“No, Inspector Xu, Lin Qing—”

The assistant was about to explain when the room door suddenly opened—and Lin Qing walked in.

Xu Qiu froze: “You… aren’t dead?”

“Inspector Xu, why are you wishing me dead the moment we meet?” Lin Qing glanced at her. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine…” Xu Qiu couldn’t believe it, unable to resist asking: “What about Chu Tianyao? How are you unharmed?”

“He’s dead,” Lin Qing said. “His body is at the city bureau.”

“Chu Tianyao is dead?” Xu Qiu stared. “How?”

“Shot to death.”

Lin Qing gave a casual explanation, didn’t want to elaborate, only shook his head: “Details, Inspector Xu, you’ll learn them gradually. Right now, prepare yourself—the city bureau has ordered all active inspectors to report to Lin’an International Airport.”

“Shot to death?” Xu Qiu couldn’t believe it—how could someone like Chu Tianyao be killed by bullets? She suppressed her confusion and said: “Alright, give me a moment—I’ll get ready.”

“I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

Lin Qing grunted, said nothing more, and left the room.

“Xiao Qi, how exactly did Chu Tianyao die?” Xu Qiu couldn’t help asking her assistant.

“I was just about to tell you that, but you told me not to!” the female assistant grumbled, then said: “Chu Tianyao was killed by Team Leader Lin.”

“He killed him?” Xu Qiu blinked. “How? Explain properly.”

“I don’t fully understand either. The news came from—”

…

When Xu Qiu had tidied her hair and uniform and met Lin Qing again on the first floor of the hospital, she couldn’t help studying him several times.

Lin Qing knew what she was thinking and didn’t care, only asked: “Your patrol vehicle was destroyed—ride with me?”

“...Alright.” Xu Qiu nodded lightly.

Once in the car, Xu Qiu finally couldn’t hold back: “Did you really kill Chu Tianyao?”

“He underestimated me—I took advantage and caught him off guard,” Lin Qing shook his head. “In direct combat, I’m no match for him.”

“I heard from Xiao Qi…” Xu Qiu stared at him strangely. “They say you used the full-defense stances of the Martial Arts ‘Rigidity’ and ‘Flexibility’ to lock him down, then had the drone shoot him.”

“That’s right,” Lin Qing nodded.

“But that doesn’t make sense,” Xu Qiu fixed him with a gaze. “I train the Zizai Shen series too—I know full-defense stances have limits. Logically, you shouldn’t have been able to block Chu Tianyao, unless…”

“Unless what?” Lin Qing looked at her with a faint smile.

“You must have mastered the original Morning Training Method,” Xu Qiu asked, incredulous.

“Yes. Lucky break—I just broke through a few days ago,” Lin Qing nodded slightly. “Inspector Xu, you’re quite perceptive.”

“Only this makes sense,” Xu Qiu took a deep breath. “Martial arts training has no shortcuts—you progress step by step. Even if you’re a genius, it’d take at least three months. So it must be the original Morning Training Method.”

She stared at Lin Qing, disbelieving: “You only succeeded with the 77th version two months ago—how did you master the original so fast?”

“EPS-series high-energy slow-release fluid is supplied daily, plus ultra-sensory essence—I’d be strange if I hadn’t broken through,” Lin Qing shook his head.

“Ultra-sensory essence?” Xu Qiu froze. “Where did you get ultra-sensory essence?”

“I found it by accident in an underground fighting ring,” Lin Qing said casually. “Didn’t turn it in—tested it at home, then injected it.”

This was common among inspectors.

Who would turn in something like ultra-sensory essence once they found it?

He’d already used it, didn’t use public resources, and had broken through because of it—the bureau wouldn’t care about such a small thing; they’d just praise his luck and caution.

“Ultra-sensory essence… so that’s how…”

Xu Qiu murmured, then added: “Even so, ultra-sensory essence only helps you enter the path—you mastered the original Morning Training Method in such a short time, that’s still incredibly fast.”

“Lucky indeed,” Lin Qing nodded slightly.

Ultra-sensory essence only opened the door—later, you had to sense the right second-tier energy, which depended entirely on luck.

Like fishing in the dark—some got lucky and caught one the same day; others failed for years.

“Now you really will join the headquarters’ elite inspectors with me,” Xu Qiu couldn’t help glancing at Lin Qing.

From how he’d trapped Chu Tianyao, she could guess he’d also mastered the Four Martial Arts: ‘Rigidity,’ ‘Flexibility,’ ‘Micro,’ and ‘Force’—otherwise he couldn’t have locked Chu Tianyao down and neutralized his attacks without injury.

As for ‘Speed’ and ‘Agility,’ he’d already mastered those—she’d heard.

In other words, Lin Qing’s strength was now equal to hers.

“When do we go to headquarters?” Lin Qing asked.

“Always mid-year.”

Xu Qiu explained: “Report on July 1st—personnel and resource adjustments happen then every year.”

“So another three or four months,” Lin Qing nodded slightly.

“You can go now if you want—this isn’t a metropolitan zone, no visa needed,” Xu Qiu said.

“I’ll wait a bit.”

Lin Qing studied Xu Qiu across from him and said: “But I’d like to know—how did you end up unconscious before?”

Xu Qiu frowned slowly: “When I spotted Chu Tianyao, I was heading to support you—but a mysterious figure suddenly appeared and attacked me.”

“You’re a Patrol Chief-level strength,” Lin Qing said, puzzled. “Even if it was a sneak attack, the attacker must’ve been extremely strong.”

He’d read the scene report—there were no signs of struggle, meaning Xu Qiu had been taken down effortlessly.

“He wore a mask—I don’t know who he was—but his strength was terrifying.”

Xu Qiu frowned: “I felt he was at least equal to a Senior Patrol Chief—just one move, and he knocked me out.”

“One move?” Lin Qing was stunned. “What level is a Senior Patrol Chief?”

"Normally, only gene-awakened individuals who have perfected their adaptation—or top-tier experts before awakening—can be promoted to Senior Patrol Chief," Xu Qiu explained.

“That strong?” Lin Qing frowned slightly. “What exactly is the level of a Senior Patrol Chief?”

He suspected this man might be the head of Yuanhong Society—but such strength seemed excessive.

“If it’s a gene-awakened person, they must reach perfect gene adaptation and master every martial art in one series to the instinctive level,” Xu Qiu explained.

Lin Qing didn’t fully grasp what level that meant, so he asked: “What about someone who hasn’t awakened yet?”

“That’s not uncommon,” Xu Qiu thought for a moment. “For someone unawakened to match a grown gene-awakened, they need not only one original martial art, but also the ability to control a suitable gene ability in advance.”

Lin Qing understood.

Clearly, Senior Patrol Chiefs were far stronger than regular Patrol Chiefs.

“The one who attacked me was probably helping Chu Tianyao kill you,” Xu Qiu said. “But he had no intention of killing me—and didn’t go after you?”

“No, I never saw him,” Lin Qing shook his head.

He had six martial arts mastered to instinctive level—but this man not only mastered original martial arts, but could also control a suitable gene ability in advance!

He was vastly stronger than Lin Qing now.

With such power, if he’d wanted to kill Lin Qing, he probably wouldn’t have survived.

“If he’s the head of Yuanhong Society, wouldn’t he have helped Chu Tianyao kill me?” Lin Qing frowned.

“It’s very strange,” Xu Qiu also frowned. “He could’ve killed me with one move—but he didn’t hurt me at all, only stopped me from saving you.”

“Still doesn’t add up,” Lin Qing shook his head. “He stopped you to let Chu Tianyao kill me—but if I was dead, why didn’t he act against me after Chu Tianyao died?”

Xu Qiu shook her head slightly, unsure how to explain.

“Maybe he never intended to act against me,” Lin Qing said.

Actually, he was certain.

If he’d ever shown hostility toward Lin Qing, his Order Rank would’ve dropped drastically—such strength, equivalent to a Senior Patrol Chief, could mean his Order Rank plummeted beyond reckoning.

“He’s probably not the head of Yuanhong Society.”

Xu Qiu shook her head: “It’s just Yuanhong Society. Even if its head were Patrol Chief-level, that’s already absurd—let alone Senior Patrol Chief. Unless this ‘head’ isn’t actually leading Yuanhong Society at all.”

Lin Qing nodded slightly.

Senior Patrol Chiefs were headquarters elites—once deployed, they became the highest command across multiple provinces.

Such figures might be insignificant in metropolitan zones, but they were notable across the global inspection network.

“It seems Lin’an’s waters run deep…” Lin Qing fell into thought.

…

Not long after.

After the patrol vehicle arrived at Lin’an City International Airport, it followed a special personnel lane to the government-exclusive airport nearby.

This airport permitted only military and government aircraft to land.

Lin’an City had seventeen patrol officers in total; today, fifteen were unusually gathered.

Except for Chen Yanan, who had not yet returned to duty, and one officer on assignment elsewhere, all fifteen were already waiting at the exclusive airport.

Also present was Director Zhang Guodong of the Municipal Patrol Bureau, accompanied by two subordinates to welcome them.

Although the director held only an administrative rank and no patrol title, he was still the highest leader of the Municipal Patrol Bureau.

The visitors were the legendary Patrol Envoy and three Senior Patrol Officers; if not for work obligations, it would have been proper for General Yuan Anping, the overall commander, to bring all patrol officers to greet them.

Lin Qing and Xu Qiu were the last to arrive; five minutes remained before the headquarters’ special aircraft would land.

Upon seeing Lin Qing, thirteen patrol officers immediately came over to greet him; their attitude had already been friendly, but now it was overwhelmingly warm.

“Haha, Team Leader Lin, haven’t seen you in a while—another big win?”

“I heard you killed Chu Tianyao?”

“I always thought Team Leader Lin was a genius—turns out I was right. At eighteen, you’ve taken down an S-class wanted criminal?”

“First-class merit! With your current strength and first-class merit, you’ll be promoted to Senior Patrol Officer soon, right?”

“An eighteen-year-old Senior Patrol Officer? Lin’an finally has its own prodigy patrol officer.”

“If the Patrol Envoy hears about this, he’ll probably praise you too.”

One by one, patrol officers who were prominent figures in Lin’an City now clustered around Lin Qing, their enthusiasm blazing.

Lin Qing understood their thoughts.

An eighteen-year-old Senior Patrol Officer was rare. Someone with such talent and potential would normally become a student at Chaoyang Martial Arts Gymnasium—why take the patrol path? Such exceptional talent joining the patrol force was exceedingly uncommon.

With such boundless prospects, outstanding achievements, and formidable strength, how could these patrol officers not be enthusiastic?

Director Zhang Guodong stood quietly to the side, giving Lin Qing a slight nod as greeting, maintaining the composure and restraint befitting a superior.

The patrol officers treated him with mere politeness, but treated Lin Qing with blazing warmth.

He had spent years in official circles and didn’t care much about such things.

Mostly, as a superior, he disliked subordinates who rose too fast and gained too much prestige; he also disliked the patrol officers’ casual attitude of placing strength and merit above all else—it was far too unserious.

“Get back in formation.”

Zhang Guodong suddenly spoke sternly: “The Patrol Envoy has arrived. If he sees this, what kind of impression will it leave?”

The patrol officers turned to look—and indeed, a small white military aircraft was approaching from the horizon.

…

After the aircraft landed, the boarding stairs were already in position.

A hiss—the cabin door slowly opened.

A woman, around twenty-five or twenty-six, wearing a white tracksuit and tied in a high ponytail, appeared at the doorway and descended the stairs.

Behind her followed three men.

Lin Qing couldn’t help but study them closely.

So this was the legendary Patrol Envoy and the three Senior Patrol Officers?

The high-ponytail woman walked calmly forward, leading the group to stand before the assembled patrol officers.

Director Zhang Guodong of the municipal bureau stepped forward immediately, leading the salute: “Welcome, Patrol Envoy and three Senior Patrol Officers, to Lin’an City for your inspection. We await your instructions.”

“Hmm.”

The high-ponytail woman glanced at Zhang Guodong with indifference, her eyes sweeping over the group before saying casually: “I am Tang Wanqiu, the Patrol Envoy dispatched by headquarters.”

At that moment, her gaze suddenly paused on Lin Qing. A faint smile touched her lips as she spoke: “You’re Lin Qing?”

Just adjusted my sleep schedule—another chapter later tonight.

(End of chapter)