N-A-A Chapter 56 The Wheel of Death, an Inescapable Fate
Chapter 56 The Wheel of Death, an Inescapable Fate
An abandoned car repair shop in the northern suburbs of Jingzhou.
The air was thick with the pungent smell of engine oil and cheap alcohol. The two Steyr heavy-duty dump trucks, which had been covered in mud, had now been washed to reveal their original menacing iron-gray color. To increase the kinetic energy and destructive power of a collision, a wrist-thick I-beam had been illegally welded onto the front bumper.
"Glug, glug."
Two burly drivers were chugging bottles of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor). Their eyes were cloudy, but a fierce glint, typical of desperate criminals, shone through them.
"I've got it."
In the darkness, a man wearing a baseball cap spoke coldly, toying with two plane tickets to Southeast Asia and two bank cards in his hand. "It was just a brake failure, an accident. You'll spend three to five years in jail, and when you come out, the money in these cards will be enough for you to squander for a lifetime. But if you don't keep your mouth shut..."
The man didn't finish his sentence; he simply made a throat-slitting gesture.
One of the drivers let out a burp, smashed an empty bottle on the ground, shards of glass flying everywhere: "Don't worry, boss. I've driven that road hundreds of times. I could run someone over with my eyes closed. Tonight, even if he were Buddha, he'd have to go on his pilgrimage to the West!"
With the roar of engines, the two steel monsters, spewing black smoke, slowly drove into the thick night of Jingzhou.
Like two moving coffins.
……
The rest room of the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the Jingzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau.
Chen Hai sat on his cot, anxiously staring at the clock on the wall.
It's 10:30 p.m.
That madman Qi Tongwei really confiscated his phone and even sent two young and strong police officers to guard the door, ostensibly for "protection," but in reality, it was house arrest.
"This is utter nonsense!" Chen Hai scratched his hair in frustration.
Just ten minutes earlier, taking advantage of the shift change at the gate, he sneaked into the office next door and used the landline to answer a call from that mysterious informant.
The other party's voice was urgent: "Director Chen, I have crucial evidence! It's the original USB drive related to the financial fraud at Shanshui Group! But I only trust you. Tonight at 11 PM, at that unfinished building on Old Airport Road. No exceptions!"
Original USB flash drive!
These are coffin nails that can directly kill Zhao Ruilong!
Chen Hai's heart pounded. He knew Qi Tongwei was doing it for his own good, but as the director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, how could he possibly cower in his room like a coward in the face of such irrefutable evidence?
"Tongwei, I'm sorry. I'll apologize to you when I get the evidence."
Chen Hai took a deep breath and climbed out of the window.
There were many private cars parked in the backyard of the Municipal Bureau. Chen Hai was in good luck and found a Santana with the engine still running in a corner. It belonged to Xiao Liu from the Trace Evidence Section.
He crouched down and crawled into the driver's seat, shifted gears, and released the handbrake in one fluid motion.
Like a slippery eel, the Santana silently slid out of the city bureau gate and sped off towards the old airport road.
……
Municipal Bureau Command Center.
On the huge LED screen, real-time traffic conditions in Jingzhou City are flashing with colorful dots.
Qi Tongwei stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes as calm as a frozen lake.
On his retina, the virtual interface of the [Shengtian Half-Subsystem] was overlaid on the real screen, presenting an even more breathtaking scene.
[Alert! Key figure "Chen Hai" has escaped protection!]
[Current location: Intersection of Renmin Road and Jianshe Avenue, speed 80km/h.]
[Death countdown: 14 minutes and 23 seconds.]
[Threat source identified: Two heavy Steyr trucks are advancing in a pincer movement towards the target section of the road. Danger level: Sudden death.]
"Oh."
A cruel smile curled at the corner of Qi Tongwei's lips.
Sure enough, fate is like a piece of chewing gum smeared with excrement—you can't shake it off. Even if he put Chen Hai in a cage, that silly roe deer will still find a way to run into the line of fire.
"Director Qi, what's wrong?" The duty officer felt a chill run down his spine when he saw Qi Tongwei's chilling smile.
Qi Tongwei did not answer, but instead grabbed the red microphone on the command platform.
"Connect us to the Traffic Management Bureau, connect us to the Special Police Unit."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable air of authority, as if what he was about to issue was not a command, but a divine decree.
Three seconds later, the communication was established.
"I am Qi Tongwei."
"Immediately activate the 'Thunderbolt One' counter-terrorism plan."
The traffic management bureau chief on the other end of the phone paused for a moment, then said, "Director Qi? 'Operation Thunder One'? That's for major terrorist attacks..."
"Execute the order!" Qi Tongwei interrupted coldly. "The Municipal Bureau has received reliable intelligence that two heavy trucks carrying high explosives have infiltrated the city, their target unknown. To ensure the safety of people's lives and property, I request—"
He paused, his gaze fixed on the two approaching red dots on the screen.
"Effective immediately, all traffic lights along Jianshe Avenue to the old airport road will be locked and switched to red!"
"The Falcon Commando Team of the Special Police Detachment, fully armed, has taken control of the high ground."
"Any heavy vehicle that forcibly breaks through a checkpoint and refuses to stop will be considered a terrorist."
Qi Tongwei's voice echoed in the command hall, carrying a strong stench of blood.
"Shoot him directly, no need to ask for permission."
……
Construction Avenue.
The road was slippery after the rain, and the streetlights were dim.
Chen Hai gripped the steering wheel tightly, the Santana's windshield wipers swung wildly, but they couldn't clear the fog in front of him.
"What happened?"
Chen Hai frowned. The red light at the intersection ahead had been on for a full two minutes, showing no sign of turning green.
The surrounding traffic began to stir, with horns blaring incessantly.
As a veteran criminal investigator, Chen Hai instinctively sensed something was amiss. Such unannounced signal light anomalies usually indicate a major incident ahead, or… a special operations mission?
Just then, in the rearview mirror, two blinding high beams pierced the darkness like sharp swords.
Those were two huge Steyr trucks.
They did not slow down.
The roar of the engine was like the howl of a wild beast, making Chen Hai's eardrums buzz.
"Are you crazy?" Chen Hai glanced at the red light, then at the rearview mirror.
Those two cars not only didn't brake, they were actually accelerating!
One hundred meters.
Fifty meters.
A huge shadow instantly enveloped the small Santana. Chen Hai could even see the driver's contorted, grotesque face in the back seat, and the bottle of liquor he was holding.
At this moment, time seemed to stand still.
Chen Hai's mind went blank. He finally understood why Qi Tongwei had locked him up and why he looked at him like he was a dead man.
This was not an accident.
This is murder.
Just as the bumper with the added I-beams was about to hit the rear of the Santana—
"Bang!"
A dull yet penetrating gunshot ripped through the clamor of the rainy night.
That wasn't the crisp "bang" of a pistol, but the distinctive "boom" of a large-caliber sniper rifle.
The Steyr truck speeding behind them had its left front tire explode into a cloud of black rubber dust. The immense inertia caused the unbalanced truck to veer sharply to the left.
"squeak--!!!"
The grating metallic scraping sound was enough to make your teeth ache.
The out-of-control truck, like an elephant with a broken leg, flew sideways past the Santana's body, crashed hard into the roadside green belt, then overturned, slid, and finally crashed to the ground amidst sparks and lightning.
But it's not over yet.
At the side intersection, another truck that had been lying in wait saw this and, seeing his accomplice overturn, the driver suddenly became violent and recklessly rammed into the Santana in the middle of the intersection.
"court death."
Qi Tongwei's voice came through the walkie-talkie, as cold and ruthless as a judge from hell.
"Position 2, headshot."
"Bang!"
Another gunshot rang out.
The windshield shattered into a spiderweb pattern instantly.
The burly driver's head exploded like a rotten watermelon. The out-of-control truck crashed headfirst into a lamppost with a loud bang, leaving the front of the truck deeply dented and steam billowing out.
The entire street was deathly silent.
Only the rain continued to fall, washing away the oil and bloodstains on the ground.
Chen Hai sat in the car, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, his face ashen. His heart was pounding in his chest, and cold sweat instantly soaked his entire back.
It's only half a meter short.
If that car had moved just half a meter further, he would be a pile of minced meat by now.
In the distance, sirens blared.
More than a dozen armored SWAT vehicles with flashing lights roared in and quickly cordoned off the scene. Fully armed SWAT officers, carrying submachine guns, surrounded the two overturned trucks.
A black Audi A6 drove aggressively against traffic, then braked suddenly and blocked the Santana's path.
The car door opened.
Qi Tongwei, wearing a black tactical jacket and military boots, strode over.
Rain lashed his face, dripping down his sharply defined chin. His eyes held no relief at surviving, only a suffocating rage.
"Splash!"
Qi Tongwei yanked open the driver's side door of the Santana.
Chen Hai raised his head, trembling, his lips quivering, "Tong...Tong Wei..."
"Snapped!"
A loud slap landed hard on Chen Hai's face.
Chen Hai was stunned by the blow; his glasses were askew, and his cheek quickly swelled up.
"Are you awake now?"
Qi Tongwei grabbed Chen Hai by the collar, dragged him out of the car like a chick, and slammed him hard onto the wet hood.
He moved closer to Chen Hai's face, his eyes burning with a ghostly blue flame, his voice low and hoarse, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth:
"Chen Hai, open your eyes wide and take a look!"
Qi Tongwei pointed to the two still-smoking scrap metal vehicles, the long skid marks on the ground, and the shocking pool of blood.
"Is this the evidence you're looking for? Is this the informant you want to meet?"
"If I hadn't been keeping an eye on you, you'd be waiting in line at the morgue by now!"
Chen Hai looked at the mess in front of him, and at the two clearly modified killing machines, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably.
A tremendous fear belatedly welled up inside me.
He finally realized that he was not dealing with a reasonable suspect, but a group of ruthless demons who would devour people without spitting out their bones.
"I also want to talk about the law, and I also want to talk about procedures."
Qi Tongwei released his grip and gently straightened Chen Hai's disheveled collar, his movements so gentle they were almost frightening.
He patted Chen Hai's stiff cheek, leaned close to his ear, and whispered:
"But in Handong, before the Zhao family, your life is thinner than paper."
"From now on, put away your sense of justice. If you don't want to die, you'd better behave as blind and deaf."
Qi Tongwei straightened up and turned to look into the depths of the rainy night.
On the system's virtual interface, a golden light representing task completion is flashing.
[Ding! The fateful node "Chen Hai's car accident" has been destroyed.]
[Evaluation: Ruthless and lawless.]
[Reward: Dignity Points +1000.]
[Special Reward: Unlocks "Grim Reaper's Gaze" (Passive Skill): Inflicts mental suppression on criminals, making them more prone to breakdown during interrogation.]
Qi Tongwei lit a cigarette, took a deep breath, and the smoke swirled in the rain.
This shot not only blew out the tires, but also shattered the facade of calm in the officialdom of Handong.
Since you want to play dirty tricks.
Then I'll play along with you guys until the very end.
"Drag those two drivers out. If they're still breathing, revive them." Qi Tongwei waved to Zhao Donglai, who had rushed over, his tone chilling. "I'll make them regret ever being born."
Zhao Donglai looked at the gruesome scene on the ground, then at Qi Tongwei's murderous expression, swallowed hard, straightened his back, and saluted.
"yes!"
That night, no one in Jingzhou slept.