Chapter 1018: The Man Who Should Have Disappeared
Chapter 1018: The Man Who Should Have Disappeared
That afternoon, in another part of Imperial, the search for Liu Peng had finally produced another lead.
A traffic camera had captured the stolen van entering a narrow street in the heart of the city. It was the first confirmed sighting of the vehicle since it disappeared from surveillance after the night Red Militant was eradicated.
Liu Shan had wasted no time.
Together with Lin Hui and Qi Li, he followed the lead to an abandoned commercial building tucked between two occupied properties.
Despite the other buildings still in business, this building had been vacant for years. Its windows were dark, and the faded advertisements on its exterior had long since begun peeling away.
The van was parked inside an old loading bay.
Its doors were unlocked.
And it was empty.
Liu Shan stood beside the driver’s door, examining the interior.
"Anything?"
Qi Li emerged from the rear compartment.
"Nothing."
Lin Hui checked the passenger side.
"Same here."
There were no personal belongings. No discarded clothing, and nothing that might indicate who had occupied the vehicle.
Even the floor mats had been removed.
Liu Shan ran a gloved finger along the dashboard.
"Someone cleaned it."
"Thoroughly," Lin Hui added.
Qi Li stepped back and looked at the van.
"Either Liu Peng knows how to cover his tracks, or someone helped him."
Liu Shan’s expression darkened.
The latter possibility had troubled him since they discovered Liu Peng was missing.
The man had escaped an operation that should have left him with nowhere to run. Yet someone had apparently provided him with transportation, and now the vehicle had been wiped clean.
"Check the building," Liu Shan instructed.
They searched the loading bay and the adjoining rooms.
But the abandoned property offered little beyond empty storage spaces, discarded furniture, and signs that someone had recently passed through.
Whoever had used the building had not stayed long.
Qi Li returned from the rear exit.
"There’s a passage leading to the next street."
Liu Shan glanced toward him.
"Where does it come out?"
"Near the commercial district."
Lin Hui checked the time.
"It’s the weekend. The streets will be crowded."
Liu Shan closed the van’s door.
"Then we’d better start looking."
The commercial district was bustling.
People filled the sidewalks, while customers moved between restaurants, cafés, and retail stores. Vehicles crawled through the intersections, their horns occasionally rising above the noise of conversation.
The three men separated slightly as they entered the crowd.
Liu Shan walked ahead, his phone in hand.
Lin Hui kept to the opposite side of the street, while Qi Li moved behind them.
They had nearly reached the next intersection when Qi Li’s voice sounded through their earpieces.
"Eleven o’clock."
Liu Shan slowed.
"Where?"
"Near the convenience store. Dark coat. Black cap."
Liu Shan casually turned his head.
A man stood among the pedestrians waiting to cross the street.
His oversized coat concealed most of his frame, while the brim of his cap was pulled low over his face.
He looked exhausted.
His cheeks were hollow, his posture slightly hunched, and his movements carried the nervous urgency of someone who had not slept properly in days.
To an ordinary passerby, he would have appeared to be another tired man trying to get through the afternoon.
But Liu Shan recognized him.
So did Lin Hui.
"Liu Peng," Lin Hui murmured.
Qi Li’s expression hardened.
"Found you."
Liu Peng crossed the street with the crowd.
Every few steps, he glanced over his shoulder.
He looked toward the passing vehicles, then at the people walking behind him.
His hand repeatedly rose to adjust his cap.
He was checking for anyone following him.
Unfortunately for him, his cover had already been blown.
Liu Shan maintained a comfortable distance.
Lin Hui moved along the opposite sidewalk, occasionally disappearing behind groups of pedestrians.
Qi Li followed farther back.
None of them hurried.
They had spent too long searching for this man to risk frightening him into another escape.
"Don’t approach yet," Liu Shan said quietly.
"Got it," Lin Hui replied.
Liu Peng turned at the next intersection.
Then again.
His route appeared deliberately irregular.
"He knows we’re looking for him," Qi Li observed.
"Of course he does," Lin Hui answered. "His entire organization disappeared overnight."
Liu Shan watched Liu Peng stop briefly outside a shop window.
The man pretended to examine the display while using the reflection to look behind him.
Liu Shan continued walking without turning his head.
"Keep moving."
They passed him.
A moment later, Liu Peng resumed walking.
Qi Li changed direction and picked up the trail.
Several minutes passed before Liu Peng abruptly turned into a narrow alley between two buildings.
Liu Shan slowed. He checked the building.
It was a lounge bar.
"Qi Li, take the rear."
"On it."
"Lin Hui, with me. We’ll enter from the front."
The three separated.
Qi Li disappeared into the alley while Liu Shan and Lin Hui continued around the block.
The alley was narrow, with large trash bins lining one side and service entrances along the other.
Liu Peng hurried toward a steel door at the rear of a building.
He looked behind him once more.
Seeing no one, he slipped inside.
Qi Li reached the door several seconds later.
He tested the handle.
Unlocked.
His eyes narrowed.
He pushed it open and entered.
Meanwhile, Liu Shan and Lin Hui approached the building’s front entrance.
The one-way windows obscured their view of the interior, letting them make out only the faint silhouettes of customers inside.
Liu Shan glanced at the sign, storing its name in his memory, before looking toward Lin Hui.
"Ready?"
Lin Hui nodded.
They were just about to open the door when a familiar voice called from behind them.
"Hey!"
Both men froze.
They turned.
Xu Long stood several steps away, looking at them with surprise.
"Wow, you guys are here too?"
Liu Shan stared at him.
Lin Hui’s expression remained unchanged, but his eyes briefly narrowed.
Of all the people they could have encountered...
Xu Long approached with an easy smile.
He had been out on a date with Zhao Ya’Er.
The two had just finished lunch when she realized she had left her scarf inside the restaurant.
While she went back in to retrieve it, Xu Long had gone to collect his car.
After parking in front of the restaurant, he stepped out to wait for her.
That was when he spotted Liu Shan and Lin Hui.
Naturally, he called out to them.
But as he took a step forward, his smile gradually faded.
Something was wrong.
He had worked alongside these men long enough to recognize the difference between an ordinary afternoon and an operation.
Their expressions were too serious.
Their attention was too divided.
And neither seemed particularly pleased to see him.
Xu Long frowned.
"Why are you guys here?"
Liu Shan glanced toward the restaurant entrance.
"Business."
"What kind of business?"
"Nothing you need to worry about."
Xu Long gave him a look.
"That answer alone tells me I should be worried."
Lin Hui was about to speak when a woman’s voice sounded behind them.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Zhao Ya’Er emerged from the restaurant, wrapping her scarf around her neck.
She smiled at Xu Long before noticing the two men standing beside him.
"Oh."
She recognized them.
They were employees of Yue Ling whom she had met on a few occasions.
She opened her mouth to greet them.
But before she could say anything—
*Crash!
A violent commotion erupted from the nearby alley.
All four turned.
Xu Long reacted instinctively.
He reached for Zhao Ya’Er and pulled her behind him, positioning himself between her and the source of the noise.
"What the—"
A panicked middle-aged man stumbled out through the restaurant’s rear service door.
Liu Peng.
He crashed into a large trash bin, sending it scraping across the pavement.
He nearly fell but managed to catch himself against the wall.
His cap had shifted, exposing his disheveled hair and pale face.
He looked terrified.
Liu Peng scrambled upright and rushed toward the street.
Then his eyes met Liu Shan’s.
He stopped dead.
His gaze shifted to Lin Hui.
For one horrifying second, recognition flashed across his face.
The color drained from his cheeks.
"Fuck!"
He spun around and bolted in the opposite direction, deeper into the alley.
A moment later, Qi Li burst through the same door.
He did not even glance toward the others.
He immediately gave chase.
But right behind him came five burly men dressed in dark suits.
They rushed through the doorway, their expressions vicious.
One of them shouted something before lunging after Qi Li but missed by a hair.
Qi Li didn’t bother to look back and kept running after Liu Peng.
Everything happened within seconds.
Lin Hui’s expression changed.
"Shit!"
He bolted into the alley.
Liu Shan took a step after him.
Then stopped.
His gaze snapped toward Xu Long then Zhao Ya’Er.
’Damn it.’
They had intended to keep Liu Peng’s escape within Alpha Team until they could bring him in.
Now Xu Long had seen enough to realize something was wrong.
And given his position beside Lu Tian, it would not take him long to start asking questions.
Liu Shan clenched his jaw.
"It’s not safe here. Take her home."
Xu Long frowned.
"Liu Shan—"
"Now!"
Liu Shan did not wait for a response. He turned and sprinted into the alley.
Within moments, he disappeared around the corner.
Xu Long remained rooted to the pavement.
He stared after Liu Shan, his expression growing increasingly grim.
He wanted to follow.
Every instinct told him to.
But Zhao Ya’Er was standing behind him.
He brushed the thought away and turned immediately.
"Are you alright?"
She nodded.
"I’m fine."
He looked her over anyway, checking that she had not been struck or injured during the commotion.
Only when he was satisfied did he glance back toward the alley.
Zhao Ya’Er followed his gaze.
She did not need to ask what was happening.
She had lived long enough to recognize danger when it appeared.
And she knew Xu Long well enough to understand the conflict written across his face.
He wanted to help his friends.
But he did not want to leave her alone.
She reached up and gently touched his cheek.
"Go."
Xu Long looked at her.
"Ya’Er..."
"They need you."
He pressed his lips together.
"I can’t just leave you here."
She smiled softly.
"I’ll be fine."
His expression remained troubled.
"This is a public place," she continued. "Your car is right there. I’ll go straight home."
He glanced toward the vehicle parked only a short distance away.
Then toward the alley.
Zhao Ya’Er gave him a gentle push.
"Go before you lose sight of them."
Xu Long hesitated for another moment.
Then he reached into his pocket and placed his car keys in her hand.
He drew her closer and pressed a lingering kiss against her forehead.
"Go straight home."
She nodded with flushed cheeks.
"Don’t stop anywhere else."
"I won’t."
"And call me when you arrive."
"I will."
He looked at her one last time before stepping away.
Zhao Ya’Er gave him a reassuring smile.
"Be careful."
Xu Long nodded.
Then he turned toward the alley.
He had barely taken a step inside when he stopped.
Something occurred to him.
He turned back.
"Ya’Er."
She looked up.
"Keep this from Miss Han."
Her brows drew together slightly.
Xu Long’s expression was serious.
"Just until I know what’s going on."
She studied him.
Then nodded.
"Alright."
He turned and ran.
As Xu Long disappeared into the alley, his mind began working through what he had witnessed.
Liu Shan.
Lin Hui.
Qi Li.
All three pursuing a man who had looked as though his life depended on escaping them.
And because everything had happened so fast, he did not get a good look at the man they were chasing.
But he saw the face of the five men after Qi Li.
They were no ordinary men in suits.
His eyes turned dangerous and he quickened his pace to reach his friends.
This was no ordinary assignment.
More importantly, Liu Shan had seemed genuinely displeased to see him.
That alone was suspicious.
Xu Long knew the men well.
They were not the type to conceal an operation without reason.
And if they were working on something serious, Yue Ling would ordinarily know about it.
Yet the look Liu Shan had given him suggested otherwise.
What the hell are you three hiding?
He quickened his pace.
Whatever was happening, he intended to find out.
Left behind, Zhao Ya’Er wasted no time.
She hurried toward Xu Long’s car and slipped into the driver’s seat.
After locking the doors, she placed the keys in the ignition.
For a moment, she remained still.
Her gaze drifted toward the alley.
The commotion had already disappeared from sight.
Pedestrians continued along the street, some glancing curiously in the direction of the noise before returning to their afternoon routines.
The city carried on as though nothing had happened.
Zhao Ya’Er tightened her fingers around the steering wheel. She had promised Xu Long that she would go straight home.
And she intended to keep that promise.
But before pulling away, she looked toward the alley one last time.
’Please be safe.’
Not only Xu Long.
Liu Shan.
Lin Hui.
Qi Li.
All of them.
She drew a steadying breath and started the car.
As she drove away, the restaurant gradually disappeared in her rearview mirror.
She could only hope that the four men would return safely.
And that whatever trouble they had stumbled into would not follow them home.