Seeing Crime Scenes in My Sleep

Yu Huannian scratched his head. "Yeah, it’s legit. The training gym I used to go to recommended it."

Hearing this, Jiang Li’s heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled. The training gym Yu Huannian mentioned was run by a retired soldier.

Since they were the ones who recommended it, it probably wasn’t any kind of illegal job.

"Jiang Li, I’m back!" Wu Ming came in through the door, shouldering her bag.

Hearing Wu Ming’s voice, Jiang Li went forward and hugged her. "It’s good that you’re back."

Wu Ming hugged her tighter and tighter, then let her go and looked around. "Everyone’s here."

Jiang Li glanced at the time. "I might not be home much for the next few days. You guys be careful here."

Jiang Li pulled Wu Ming to sit down. She was about to tell her what had happened over the past few days, but she stopped herself.

’Forget it. This will all be over soon.’

"Wu Ming, I’m heading back first." Jiang Li grabbed her bag from the side and left.

After stepping outside, she looked around. There was no one there.

Jiang Li arrived at Zhu Yan’s home. She opened the door and went inside. Only Zhu Yan was there; Shao Zhenhua hadn’t returned since she’d left that morning.

"Where is he?"

"Ah, your dad? He went out to look for a job," Zhu Yan said, looking at her.

"Oh, I see." Jiang Li returned to her room, closed the door, and sat down.

DING!

Lu Xingye: [Jiang Li, Brother Huo has already taken his men to the wet market. We’re heading to B City now. Keep in touch if anything comes up.]

Jiang Li looked at the message from Lu Xingye and thought about Zhu Yan and Shao Zhenhua outside.

’Is their goal really as simple as just pretending to be my parents to lure me into a trap?’

Jiang Li went over the events of the past few days again and again, then watched as the Red Scorpion crawled out of her bag.

’Time for a more hands-on approach.’

She couldn’t shake the strange feeling. Lu Xingye and the others were already on their way to B City.

Getting a lead on Kun Sha was good news, but she felt it was all going too smoothly.

Jiang Li stood up. ’That’s right, it’s too smooth.’

Jiang Li pushed open the door and walked out. In the kitchen, Zhu Yan heard the noise and turned around in a panic.

"Xiao Li, what’s wrong?"

Zhu Yan glanced at the phone call she had just hung up. ’Shao Zhenhua has been out all day. Why isn’t he back yet?’

Zhu Yan watched as Jiang Li walked over, checked the door lock, and then closed the window.

Zhu Yan didn’t know why, but seeing Jiang Li act like this made her heart pound with panic.

They had been following Jiang Li for a while now, and she had witnessed her methods firsthand.

After securing the door and window, Jiang Li turned back, her gaze meeting Zhu Yan’s.

Zhu Yan’s pupils contracted. Her intuition screamed that something was wrong with Jiang Li.

She turned to grab her phone to send a signal, but in the next second, a sharp pain shot through her scalp as Jiang Li yanked her out and stuffed a handkerchief in her mouth.

Zhu Yan stared at her in terror, wondering what they had done to blow their cover. ’How did Jiang Li find out so quickly?’

Jiang Li picked up the phone that had fallen by her feet. The screen was still lit, showing a group chat with over ten people in it.

Jiang Li scrolled through it and saw that it was filled with reports on her whereabouts over the past few days.

After exiting the chat, she flipped through the contacts but didn’t find any contact information for Kun Sha.

Jiang Li glanced at Zhu Yan, then placed a Gu Worm on her right in front of her eyes.

"Mmph! Mmph! Mmph!"

Zhu Yan struggled a few times, watching in horror as the worm on her arm burrowed into her skin. A lump appeared on her arm, then vanished.

Jiang Li toyed with Zhu Yan’s phone. Her photo album even contained several pictures of Jiang Li’s back.

She took out her own phone and sent her location to Zhao Shuo: [Officer Zhao, I’ve found more than ten people connected to Kun Sha here. Come quickly, and don’t alert the enemy.]

After sending the message, Jiang Li figured enough time had passed and finally ripped the rag from Zhu Yan’s mouth.

"Where is Kun Sha?"

"In... in the underground city in B City."

’He really is in B City.’

"What was your purpose in pretending to be my parents?"

Jiang Li took out her phone to text Kun Sha’s specific location to Huo Qing.

"I-I don’t know. They told us to put on a show for you, to make you feel what true family affection is like."

"And then... and then make you fall into hell."

Jiang Li mulled over Zhu Yan’s words. "Fall into hell... you mean by poisoning me?"

"Ye-yes, probably." Zhu Yan couldn’t control her own thoughts; whatever Jiang Li asked, she answered. Inwardly, she was frantic.

Jiang Li was Shao Zhenhua’s daughter. Her father, Shao Zhenhua, didn’t actually have to die back then. But he knew he had been injected with something—a new drug developed in their region, one with no antidote.

After driving them away, Shao Zhenhua killed himself.

Kun Sha had said he wanted Shao Zhenhua’s daughter to experience a fate worse than death.

But they had underestimated this seemingly unremarkable girl, Jiang Li, who had escaped from human traffickers and emerged from the mountains.

Her birth, her school, her living environment—none of it could possibly have forged her into such a formidable state.

They had underestimated their enemy.

Jiang Li listened as Zhu Yan explained the whole story, then gave her a flat, emotionless look.

If she hadn’t developed her abilities of empathy and replication, given her original capabilities...

...she would have just become a plaything for these people, living in agony, never to see the light of day again.

"Too bad I had to disappoint you."

BANG BANG BANG! "Zhu Yan, what’s the door locked for? Open up!"

Shao Zhenhua had just rushed back from outside. Kun Sha’s operation had been exposed, so what was the point of this fucking act anymore!

’Jiang Li is still in our hands. She’d be a good bargaining chip.’

’Damn it, I told them not to enter the country. Now there are cops everywhere.’

Jiang Li listened to the voice outside and looked down at Zhu Yan. "What are your real names? And do you have any power in your organization?"

"My name is Wang Hui Mei, and he’s Gao Haiou. I’m just a dealer. He’s one of Kun Sha’s personal men."

Gao Haiou saw that the door wasn’t opening and grew suspicious. ’Don’t tell me something’s happened!’

Just as his hand reached for his back waist, the door in front of him opened.

"Ah, Xiao Li, I thought you weren’t home." Gao Haiou silently pulled his hand back. ’First, I’ll calm Jiang Li down, then I’ll knock her out and take her with me.’

Jiang Li didn’t say a word, just stepped aside to let him in.

The moment Gao Haiou stepped inside, he saw Wang Hui Mei on the floor and knew this was bad. In the next instant, something tightened around his neck.

He desperately clawed at the bag strap around his neck, one hand reaching to draw his gun, but Jiang Li was one step ahead of him.

CLICK.

Jiang Li pressed the gun to his head. ’As expected of a second-in-command, he even has a gun.’

With the muzzle pressed firmly against him, Gao Haiou instantly froze, not daring to move.

Jiang Li tied the two of them up and sat on the sofa. "Who else is with Kun Sha?"

"No—"

SLAP!

Jiang Li slapped him right across the face, leaving a clear red handprint.

She frowned. ’Hurts my hand to slap him like that.’

She pulled off Gao Haiou’s shoe and started slapping his face with it.

"AHHHH!"

"Scream again and I’ll pull out your teeth."

"Mmph! Mmph! Mmph!"

Wang Hui Mei shrank to the side in terror. By comparison, her earlier treatment had been a walk in the park.

"Are you going to talk, or not?"

"I’ll talk! I’ll talk! Besides us, Kun Sha only brought one other person with him this time."

"A total maniac. He’s the one who develops all those drugs."