Chapter 686: Death Race

On the open ground outside the warehouse, flashing police lights tore the surrounding darkness into a strange blue-red glow.

James was put into a police car, but the scene's atmosphere did not ease; instead, it was shrouded in a deeper shadow by Li Hengbo's 'Golden Cicada Shell' and that kill-order.

Qian Youcai sat collapsed on the ground, bloodless, as Lin Dongfan's words 'He definitely knows you "cooperated" with us' rang like a death knell in his ears.

He grabbed Lin Dongfan's pant leg, as if clutching the last straw, his voice trembling with crying and extreme terror: 'Mr. Lin! Save me! Li Hengbo will surely kill me to silence me! He definitely will!'

Lin Dongfan looked down at him, his gaze calm to the point of cruelty: 'Now you're scared? When you chose to deal with someone like Li Hengbo, you should have anticipated this.'

'I was wrong! I really know I was wrong!' Qian Youcai burst into tears: 'Please, look at the fact that I've seen the error of my ways and helped you capture James, and spare my life! I... I can tell you everything I know about Li Hengbo and Li Zhenyang!'

Jin Zhaofeng walked over, brow furrowed: 'Dongfan, what now? Qian Youcai is an important witness, but Li Hengbo's methods are ruthless, so...'

Lin Dongfan pondered briefly, then told Jin Zhaofeng: 'Old Jin, James is yours—make sure you get him to talk. As for Qian Youcai, I'll borrow him for a while.'

Saying that, Lin Dongfan looked again at the dazed Qian Youcai: 'If you want to live, follow me.'

Qian Youcai, as if pardoned, scrambled to his feet.

Lin Dongfan had Qian Youcai sit in his Land Rover, Lao Ba driving, and the vehicle immediately sped off from the abandoned warehouse area into the suburban traffic flow.

He did not choose to return to the city, but drove toward a more secluded direction, trying to shake off any possible tail.

'Lao Ba, watch the rear.'

Lin Dongfan ordered, his gaze sharp as he swept the rearview mirror.

Lao Ba steadily handled the wheel: 'Understood, Master Fan. Just now, when we came out, it felt like a car was off.'

Sure enough, after driving less than ten minutes, Lao Ba whispered: 'We have a tail—a black unmarked sedan has been following us for a while, very professional.'

Qian Youcai looked through the rear window and instantly trembled with fear: 'It... it's He Qixing! He must have been sent by Li Hengbo to kill me!'

That black sedan suddenly accelerated, trying to overtake and force the Land Rover to stop!

'Hold on tight!'

Lao Ba let out a low roar, slammed the accelerator, and the Land Rover's powerful thrust exploded like a roaring beast lunging forward, instantly pulling ahead.

However, the black sedan's performance was equally impressive, clinging on relentlessly.

On a relatively narrow county road, the two vehicles launched into a heart-pounding chase.

The black sedan several times tried to strike the Land Rover's rear flank, but Lao Ba narrowly avoided each with his superb driving. The tires screeched against the pavement, the sound carrying far in the quiet night.

'Damn, this lingering shadow!'

Lao Ba cursed, then at a bend he jerked the wheel, using the Land Rover's huge body and inertia to execute a textbook drift, temporarily throwing the black sedan off.

But the opponent soon caught up again, and the passenger window rolled down, extending a hand gripping a silenced pistol!

'Bang! Bang!'

The faint gunshots rang out, and the Land Rover's rear window immediately showed two bullet holes; fortunately it was bulletproof glass, so they didn't penetrate.

'Damn!'

'Firing gunshots in the suburbs of Jingcheng—truly fucking arrogant!'

Qian Youcai, terrified, curled up under the seat with his head in his arms, letting out a pig‑like scream.

Lin Dongfan's eyes turned cold, and he told Lao Ba: 'We can't keep taking hits passively—find a chance to strike back!'

Lao Ba understood, his gaze scanning the road ahead.

Up ahead appeared a fork; Lao Ba without hesitation chose the narrower, more complicated road, simultaneously killing the headlights and speeding through the dark using experience and a low‑light night vision device.

This sudden darkness caught the black sedan behind off guard, its speed noticeably lagging.

Taking advantage of the opening, Lao Ba slammed the brakes at a sharp turn, flicked the tail, and threw the vehicle sideways across the road! He then quickly drew his gun and exited, using the car door as cover.

The black sedan obviously hadn't expected the Land Rover to stop and counter‑attack; it braked hurriedly, its tires grinding long black marks on the ground, and came to a halt a few meters from the Land Rover.

Inside, the driver was He Qixing, his face grim, realizing the ambush had failed.

Lao Ba aimed his gun and barked coldly: 'Get out! Hands on your head!'

He Qixing exchanged a fierce glance with Lao Ba through the window, but he knew that, with the other side prepared, a head‑on clash would gain him nothing.

He slammed into reverse, floored the accelerator, and the black sedan roared, backing up at high speed, then in a slightly wider spot he jerked the wheel to turn around, tires smoking as he sped away from the scene.

Lao Ba did not give chase; after confirming the opponent had truly left, he returned to the vehicle.

'He got away.'

Lao Ba reported briefly.

Lin Dongfan nodded; He Qixing's decisive retreat was no surprise. Li Hengbo sent him to carry out an assassination, not to fight to the death.

The still‑shaken Qian Youcai poked his head up from under the seat, his face ashen, stammering: 'Did… did he leave?'

'For now you're safe,' Lin Dongfan said, but his face showed no relaxation: 'But Li Hengbo won't let this rest. He knows your being alive is his greatest threat.'

'What… what do we do then?' Qian Youcai asked desperately.

Lin Dongfan pondered a moment, a flash of resolve in his eyes: 'I'll send you on your way.'

'What?!' Qian Youcai nearly jumped in fright.

'Not really sending you on the road,' Lin Dongfan explained: 'It's about making you "be declared dead." Only if Li Hengbo believes you're dead can you truly be safe, and we can gain time for you to fully disclose what you know.'

Lin Dongfan turned and told Lao Ba: 'Arrange it—stage a crash that looks real. Mr. Qian, for the coming period you'll have to stay in an absolutely safe place and "rest" awhile.'

Qian Youcai first blinked, then grasped Lin Dongfan's plan.

This was to fake his death, pull a fast one! Although it meant losing his freedom for a time, compared to being hunted to death by Li Hengbo, this was already the best outcome.

He quickly nodded: 'Good! Good! I'll do whatever Mr. Lin says!'

That night, a 'serious' accident occurred on a suburban stretch: a sedan of the same model as Qian Youcai's car lost control, crashed, and burst into flames; inside was found a charred, unidentifiable corpse, and the scattered wallet and papers all pointed to Qian Youcai.

The news quickly spread through certain channels and reached Li Hengbo's ears.

He listened to He Qixing's report, looked at the tablet photo of the car burned to a shell, and a satisfied smile spread across his face.

'Better dead.' Li Hengbo sipped his wine contentedly: 'Qian Youcai, this pawn, has finally not been wasted. Lin Dongfan, I'll cripple one of your claws—let's see how you still fight me!'

He thought he had eliminated the hidden danger, unaware that the real contest, with Qian Youcai's 'death' and defection, had only just entered a more perilous stage.

A heaven-and-earth net targeting him and his backing forces is quietly tightening under Lin Dongfan's control, and the 'dead' Qian Youcai will become the key breakthrough to tear open all this.