Chapter 6: The Special Investigation Unit

"Thank you," Du Bin said, sensing an air of mystery about the girl before him. Was she some sort of savior from a science fiction film? If so, did that make him the protagonist? Lost in his foolish daydream, he didn't notice the girl glancing at him with a look of exasperation. Clearly, there was no hope for him. Without answering, she turned and walked away, her demeanor cold and detached.

After a few steps, she paused and glanced back at Qin Ling with a disdainful expression. "So the so-called 'Number One Beauty of the Guangdong Network' is nothing special after all. You'd better be careful. They’re watching you, and who knows what they’re plotting. My advice—leave the mainland by tomorrow."

Qin Ling was startled by her words, her mind thrown into confusion. "What do they want with me?" she wondered.

Du Bin, convinced this enigmatic girl knew everything, felt compelled to ask for guidance, if only for the sake of his own survival. "You said she’s in danger. Miss, can you tell us how to escape this predicament?"

"It’s none of my concern," the girl replied coolly, gesturing to the dismembered corpses on the floor. "I’m only here to clean up this mess, not to protect you." With that, she made for the door. Du Bin had initially thought her mysterious, but now she seemed simply inhuman—utterly devoid of warmth.

"I suppose with a personality like yours, you must be a loner," he said, his tone mocking. "No wonder you don’t have any friends. Keep this up, and you’ll never find a boyfriend, let alone understand love."

The girl halted, her voice calm but edged with warning. "Do you want to die?"

"I’d love to die, but fate seems against it. What do you want to do about it?"

"I don’t want anything," she answered, her tone almost indifferent. "But since you’re so eager to meet the King of the Underworld, it would be rude of me not to oblige." She spun around, swift as a shadow, advancing on Du Bin. Momentarily stunned, he reacted just in time, rolling to the edge of the bed and grabbing a pistol, aiming it at her.

"Stay back! I’ll shoot, I swear!"

But the girl kept coming, unfazed. Du Bin’s hands trembled; his nerves stretched thin, and he accidentally squeezed the trigger. The gunshot rang out.

With a swift motion, she raised her sword and slashed at the bullet, slicing it clean in two. Before Du Bin could comprehend what had happened, her sword was at his throat, its edge cold against his skin. Death had never felt so close.

She gave a contemptuous smile. "Frightened, are you? If I pressed just a little harder, your pathetic life would end right here."

She sheathed her sword and walked away without a backward glance. Du Bin stared after her, unable to gather his wits for a long while.

"Are you alright? That girl is outrageous!" Qin Ling muttered, still smarting from the earlier insult to her beauty. Before Du Bin could reply, he fainted from blood loss. Qin Ling shook him in panic.

Just then, a girl in a military uniform entered. From her explanation, Qin Ling learned she was with the Special Police. Du Bin, drifting in and out of consciousness, felt himself slipping into darkness. He wandered alone through the endless void, reaching out into the blackness, unsure what he grasped. Faint, grating noises echoed around him.

When he finally opened his eyes, his vision blurred. He saw a chubby figure beside him. As his eyes adjusted, he realized it was Hu Guozheng. Only then did he notice he was lying in a hospital bed.

"Du, you’re awake! What a pity you didn’t die," Hu Guozheng greeted him.

Du Bin shot him a glare. "Damn, do you really wish I was dead?"

"No, no, just kidding," Hu Guozheng replied with a sheepish laugh. Du Bin shifted, wincing at a dull pain below. Had someone kicked him while he was unconscious? Mystified, he noticed two Special Police officers in uniform behind him. One of them, a man, greeted him. "Hey, Du Bin! Long time no see."

Du Bin was still confused—until he recognized the man. "Li Ping! Why are you dressed as a Special Police officer?"

Li Ping smiled, but the girl standing beside him, also in uniform, snorted. "What’s so surprising? Country bumpkins are always so easily impressed."

Du Bin looked her over. She was cute, with a baby face and shoulder-length hair; her anger only made her more charming.

"You two know each other?" Hu Guozheng asked, curious.

Du Bin nodded and sat up. "Yes, Li Ping and I were classmates in middle school. He left to study abroad after ninth grade—he was among the top three students in the whole school, while I was always scraping the bottom."

"I can’t stand people like you," the girl sneered. The others burst out laughing, except her. She snorted again, clearly annoyed.

Du Bin was puzzled; he hadn’t offended her, had he? "Miss, I don’t think my business with my classmate concerns you. Why so prickly?"

Her anger flared, and she almost lunged at him, but Li Ping held her back, apologetic. "Don’t mind her. She’s my sister. I’m not sure why she dislikes you so much—she won’t say."

"Your sister? The one you always used to talk about? Huh. I’ve no idea how I offended her," Du Bin mused, rubbing his chin. "All I remember is getting injured at the hotel, then things got fuzzy. So many strange things happened. I passed out, and I recall grabbing something soft… Ah, must’ve been a dream."

"Pretending to be clueless, are you?" the girl retorted, her cheeks flushing. Her eyes glinted with ire as she stalked off, leaving the others bewildered.

"By the way, Li Ping, how did you become a Special Police officer? Weren’t you always interested in business?" Du Bin asked, eager to change the awkward mood.

Li Ping glanced around to make sure they were alone, then lowered his voice. "Don’t be fooled by this uniform. Because of certain events, I’m Special Police in name only. In reality, I’m part of a newly formed covert unit, the Special Investigations Group, which isn’t under any existing department’s jurisdiction."

"Special Investigations Group? What does that mean?" Both Du Bin and Hu Guozheng were at a loss.

"You know all about what happened at the hotel. The government doesn’t want word of it getting out, or it could spark unnecessary public panic."

"Who were those people, really?" Du Bin, having lived through the ordeal, knew how bizarre it all was. Hu Guozheng, ever the journalist, was itching to know more.

"Du Bin, there are things I can’t talk about. As for what happened that day, just let it go. Don’t get involved further."

"I understand," Du Bin replied. "By the way, did you see a girl alone at the hotel that night?" He had a hunch—the government's secrecy meant the affair was no simple matter, and he suddenly remembered the mysterious girl.

Li Ping frowned. "What girl?"

Du Bin considered telling him about the girl who had saved him with her extraordinary skills, but since Li Ping seemed unaware, he decided to keep quiet. "Never mind, maybe I was mistaken."

"Are you free tonight? It’s been ages—let’s get together. Room 201 at the Golden Sands, nine o’clock."

Du Bin glanced at his bandaged body, uncertain. "I’m not sure I should be drinking in this condition."

"No problem, you don’t have to drink. We’re old friends—no need to stand on ceremony," Li Ping chuckled.

Du Bin felt his injuries had mostly healed, so he agreed. "Alright, see you tonight."

Hu Guozheng politely saw Li Ping out, leaving Du Bin alone, staring up at the IV drip, lost in thought. Images of Fang Yilin drifted through his mind. Nearly half an hour slipped by unnoticed. Suddenly, he realized Hu Guozheng had not returned since he left. "Where on earth has that fat fool wandered off to this time?"