Chapter 56

The smell of the disinfectant is so pungent it makes you want to vomit.

Translation: The smell of disinfectant was so pungent it made one want to vomit.

Qin Zhixia suddenly opened her eyes, and all she saw was a bleak white ceiling.

Translation: Qin Zhixia snapped her eyes open to see a bleak white ceiling.

The next second, a piercing, bone‑deep pain shot through her right knee, as if countless red‑hot electric drills were wildly stirring her marrow.

Translation: The next second, a piercing, bone‑deep pain shot through her right knee, as if countless red‑hot electric drills were wildly stirring her marrow.

"Ugh!"

Translation: "Ugh!"

She couldn't help but let out a muffled groan, and cold sweat instantly beaded on her forehead.

Translation: She couldn't hold back a muffled groan, and cold sweat instantly beaded her forehead.

The horrifying scene in the underground garage flooded her mind like a tide.

Translation: The horrifying scene in the underground parking garage surged into her mind like a tide.

Lin Fan's indifferent foot that crushed her knee, and finally, the way he looked at her—as if she were a roadside ant.

Translation: Lin Fan's indifferent foot that had crushed her knee, and finally, the way he looked at her—like he was gazing at a roadside ant.

And that crisp sound that made her soul tremble—

Translation: And that crisp sound that made her soul tremble—

Crack.

Translation: Crack.

"Captain Qin! You're awake!"

Translation: "Qin Team! You're awake!"

A familiar voice with a heavy nasal tone sounded beside her.

Translation: A familiar voice thick with nasal congestion sounded from beside her.

Xiao Zhang had two huge dark circles under his eyes, his face gaunt to the point of almost spilling over; seeing her sit up, he rushed forward to support her.

Translation: Xiao Zhang sported two huge dark circles under his eyes, his face drawn with exhaustion; seeing her sit up, he hurried forward to support her.

"Don't move around—the doctor said your right patella is fractured, you just had surgery, you need to stay lying down!"

Translation: "Don't move around—the doctor said your right patella is fractured, you just had surgery, you need to stay still!"

Qin Zhixia's lips were cracked; she ignored the knee pain and spoke hoarsely, each word squeezed out from between her teeth.

Translation: Qin Zhixia's lips were cracked; she ignored the knee pain and spoke hoarsely, each word squeezed out from between her teeth.

"... Casualty situation?"

Translation: "... Casualty situation?"

Hearing that question, Xiao Zhang's eyes dimmed; he lowered his head, his voice low.

Translation: Hearing that question, Xiao Zhang's eyes dimmed; he lowered his head, his voice low.

"No one died."

Translation: "No one died."

"But... just like in the previous 'Jian Xie' case, all the brothers who took part in the operation... have suffered varying degrees of psychological trauma."

Translation: "But... just like in the previous 'See Evil' case, all the brothers who took part in the operation... have suffered varying degrees of psychological trauma."

He paused, his tone carrying a hint of lingering fear.

Translation: He paused, his tone tinged with lingering fear.

"They're all next door getting psychological intervention now, each one looking like they've lost their soul."

Translation: "They're all next door getting psychological intervention, each one seeming to have lost their soul."

No deaths.

Translation: No deaths.

This news eased the extreme tension in Qin Zhixia's nerves just a little.

Translation: This news eased the extreme tension in Qin Zhixia's nerves just a little.

But what followed was a deeper sense of helplessness and guilt.

Translation: But what followed was a deeper sense of helplessness and guilt.

Once again, the elite squad she prided herself on was routed by the enemy in an inhuman manner under her command.

Translation: Her proud elite squad, once again under her command, was crushed by the enemy in an inhuman way.

As their captain, she suffered a crushing defeat.

Translation: As their captain, she suffered a utter defeat.

Just then, the ward door was gently pushed open.

Translation: Just then, the ward door was gently pushed open.

A smiling figure walked in carrying an exquisite fruit basket.

Translation: A smiling figure walked in carrying a delicate fruit basket.

"Captain Qin, you're awake? Thank you for your hard work—I'm from the Ninth Division, here to visit our operation's great hero!"

Translation: "Team Leader Qin awake? Thanks for your hard work, thanks for your hard work—I'm here on behalf of the Ninth Division to visit our operation's great contributor!"

The visitor was Nie Yang.

Translation: The visitor was none other than Nie Yang.

He wore a warm, friendly smile, his ever‑unchanging half‑old windbreaker, and in his other hand he carried his signature goji‑berry thermos—exactly the image of an old‑school cadre coming to comfort his subordinates.

Translation: He wore a warm, friendly smile, dressed in his timeless half‑worn trench coat, and in his other hand he held his signature goji‑berry thermos—exactly the picture of an old‑school cadre coming to check on his subordinates.

But seeing him like that, Qin Zhixia felt her blood turn to ice.

Translation: But seeing him like that, Qin Zhixia felt her blood turn ice‑cold in an instant.

She clenched her teeth, nails digging into her palms, bracing for the merciless reprimand from this smiling tiger.

Translation: She clenched her teeth, nails digging into her palms, bracing for the merciless reprimand this smiling tiger was about to deliver.

"Section Chief Nie..."

Translation: "Section Leader Nie..."

Qin Zhixia took a deep breath, suppressing shame and pain, and spoke with difficulty.

Translation: Qin Zhixia drew a deep breath, enduring shame and pain, and spoke with difficulty.

"This operation, it was my command error—I..."

Translation: "This operation, I messed up the command, I..."

"Ah, don't say that."

Translation: "Ah, don't say that."

Nie Yang laughed and waved his hand, cutting her off.

Translation: Nie Yang laughed and waved a hand, cutting her off.

He walked to the bedside, placed the fruit basket steadily on the nightstand; his eyes, which seemed mild, flickered with a chilling shrewdness.

Translation: He walked to the bedside, placed the fruit basket steadily on the nightstand; his eyes, which seemed mild, flickered with a shrewdness that made one's blood run cold.

"You haven't failed, Captain Qin."

Translation: "You haven't failed, Team Leader Qin."

Nie Yang's smile didn't change, but his words were ice‑cold, devoid of any warmth.

Translation: Nie Yang's smile stayed the same, but his words were ice‑cold, devoid of any warmth.

"On the contrary, you succeeded."

Translation: "On the contrary, you succeeded."

"Young Master Wang was, according to our plan, the 'bait' that had to be sacrificed."

Translation: "Wang Shao, you were nothing but the 'bait' we had to sacrifice in our plan."

"Your excellent judgment, your resistance to that inhuman force, and the way Young Master Wang died gave us the most crucial and core data on Ling Xinyu's killing pattern."

Translation: "Your excellent judgment, your process of resisting that inhuman force, and the way Wang Shao died gave us the most crucial, most core data on Ling Xinyu's killing pattern."

Those words, like the sharpest blade, stabbed hard into Qin Zhixia's heart.

Translation: These words, like the sharpest blade, viciously stabbed into Qin Zhixia's heart.

Treating a living person as the sacrificial "bait" in the plan.

Translation: Treating a living person as the "bait" that must be sacrificed in the plan.

And describing his gruesome death as a "success"...

Translation: And using "success" to describe his gruesome death...

A surge of anger and nausea shot straight to her head, making her almost vomit.

Translation: A surge of anger and nausea shot straight to her heavenly spirit cover, making her almost vomit.

What made her feel even more hopeless was that she could do nothing about any of it.

Translation: What made her feel even more hopeless was that she could do nothing about any of this.

She couldn't protect anything.

Translation: She couldn't protect anything.

Qin Zhixia suddenly gave a bitter laugh; she lifted her head, mustering all her strength, but could only utter a weak, sarcastic question:

Translation: Qin Zhixia suddenly gave a grim laugh; she lifted her head, exerting all her strength, but could only utter a weak, sarcastic question:

"What about my brother Qin Yu? Is he the next 'bait' in your plan?"

Translation: "What about my brother Qin Yu? Is he the next 'bait' in your plan?"

Nie Yang shook his head, his face returning to that cheerful smile.

Translation: Nie Yang shook his head, his face returning to that cheerful smile.

"No, of course not."

Translation: "No, of course not."

"Qin Yu is perfectly safe right now. He's in a specially modified armed helicopter at a kilometer altitude, stocked with bottled water and supplies—a theoretical 'sky fortress' that nothing can penetrate."

Translation: "Qin Yu is perfectly safe right now. He's sitting in a specially modified armed helicopter at an altitude of thousands of meters, stocked with bottled water and supplies— theoretically the safest 'air fortress'. Nothing can seep into it."

Qin Zhixia's heart sank sharply.

Translation: Qin Zhixia's heart sank sharply.

Even the "water" medium she had just inferred from the scene, they had already analyzed and applied to this extent.

Translation: Even the "water" medium she had just inferred from the scene, they had already analyzed and applied to this extent.

"We've already identified that boy—his name is Lin Fan, Ling Xinyu's childhood sweetheart and boyfriend."

Translation: "We've already identified that boy's identity—he's Lin Fan, Ling Xinyu's childhood sweetheart and boyfriend."

"Their relationship is very deep, so it's no surprise that Lin Fan did all this—to avenge Ling Xinyu."

Translation: "Their relationship is very deep, and it's no surprise Lin Fan would do all this—to avenge Ling Xinyu."

Nie Yang unscrewed the thermal cup, took a slow sip of goji berry tea, and continued explaining their chilling plan:

「Qin Yu is the final target; now we have hidden this target, so Lin Fan cannot find him. Therefore, to continue carrying out Ling Xinyu's vengeful obsession, he has only one option left. 」

In the gang that killed Ling Xinyu...... the only one still alive is Li Shao.

And we have already used Li Shao as bait, setting up a Heaven-Earth Net aimed at the 'water' property—this time, we intend to capture him alive.

He paused, then added.

According to L's analysis, the ghosts of Lin Fan and Ling Xinyu have formed a kind of 'symbiotic' relationship, with a living person bearing the weird power—something never seen before in past cases, and highly valuable for research.

Whether dead or alive, we must get hold of it. This might let us find a new power beyond conventional weapons to counter the weird.

Qin Zhixia fell silent.

She felt like a clown; all her struggles, battles, and failures were merely an insignificant data-collection step in the opponent's grand plan.

Nie Yang watched her dazed, lost state, and the smile on his face finally became formulaic.

He pulled a small voice recorder from his windcoat pocket and pressed the record button.

Alright, let's get down to business. Now, Team Leader Qin, please recall and describe in detail all aspects of your encounter with the target.

These firsthand subjective feelings are crucial for L to complete the final step in perfecting the 'model'.

At this moment, Qin Zhixia finally understood.

She lay here, her only value being that of a still-fresh piece of intelligence, to be squeezed dry of its last bit of usefulness.

This is also the main reason Nie Yang came here.

Humiliation.

Endless humiliation.

She looked at Nie Yang's face, her heart filled with hatred for the Ninth Division and self-loathing for her own inadequacy.

A long time.

She closed her eyes, pressing all her turbulent emotions, together with that ridiculous pride and naivety, deep into the depths of her heart.

When she opened her eyes again, those beautiful crimson phoenix eyes held only a dead‑water stillness.

She spoke in a near‑mechanical tone, devoid of any emotion.