Breach

As Deng Xin spoke, her hands unintentionally tightened. The large cat she was holding let out a soft meow, and she apologized gently, "Sorry, Maomao." Chen Chuan's gaze shifted slightly. He noticed that as Deng Xin's emotions fluctuated, he caught a subtle trace of her field. Ordinary people lacked the vigorous vitality of fighters. While they possessed a field, it was typically so faint as to be virtually imperceptible. Yet Deng Xin wasn't a fighter, and her field could project outward with such ease. It was indeed a natural gift, likely the source of her premonitions. He spoke up, "Miss Deng, what are your intentions now? Do you want to leave the Elephant Gang?" Deng Xin nodded, then shook her head. "I do want to leave, but whenever I sense danger, something bad always happens around me. I suspect this time something might happen to A'nai and the gang. I can't just walk away and abandon them." She looked up. "That's why I wanted to ask for your help and the Disposal Bureau's assistance, Mr. Chen." She wouldn't have had the courage to face the Disposal Bureau alone. But when she decided to contact Chen Chuan, she hadn't felt any danger. Moreover, since Chen Chuan was also being threatened by the Ferris Wheel Company, she felt he might be willing to help her. Most importantly, the Elephant Gang was her last sanctuary. If even this place couldn't ensure her safety, she didn't know where else she could go. She had no other choice. Chen Chuan considered this for a moment and asked, "From the moment you sense danger to when an event actually happens, how much time usually passes?" Deng Xin thought it over and said, "It could be within a day or two, or maybe two to three days. But Mr. Chen, my intuition has never been wrong." "I understand, Miss Deng," Chen Chuan said. "The intelligence you provided is crucial and very useful to me, so I'm glad to help you." Beyond the intelligence itself, Deng Xin's ability to foresee danger was immensely valuable. It signaled that Ferris Wheel might be planning a move in the near future, allowing them to make preparations in advance. Ferris Wheel had been watched closely lately. If they wanted to target the Elephant Gang, their only real playing card was the Swordfish Gang. As long as the Swordfish Gang was kept under tight surveillance, there shouldn't be much of an issue. However, that only accounted for external threats. If trouble arose from within the Elephant Gang, things would become far more complicated. Hearing his promise, Deng Xin bowed deeply in gratitude. "Thank you, Mr. Chen." Chen Chuan touched his boundary credential, intending to contact the bureau to coordinate specific arrangements, when a rustling static suddenly buzzed in his ear. The credential was experiencing interference. The field signal became erratic and broke up. At that moment, the shrill blast of a goose whistle sounded outside, accompanied by someone shouting orders, followed by the hurried clatter of running footsteps. He looked out and saw the drawbridge outside the commercial street being hoisted up, while barricades were hauled back into position. Every gang sentry grew visibly tense. Something had clearly gone wrong. Deng Xin grew anxious at once. "A'le, go see what happened!" "Got it, Sister! Don't worry, I'll go check!" Though young, A'le showed no panic. He stepped to a spot with less interference, pressed a hand to his neck, and tapped into the Elephant Gang's internal field communications. After about two minutes, he hurried back, panting. "Sister, it's bad! Old Master Tu Ge is dead! Brother Tu Nai was arrested! A lot of people are saying Brother Tu Nai was the one who killed him!" Deng Xin clamped a hand over her mouth in shock. "Sister, you have to get out of here right now!" A'le urged. "Someone inside is claiming you're a spy for the Swordfish Gang! You need to leave!" He turned toward the composed Chen Chuan. "Mr. Chen, you can help Sister, right?" Chen Chuan said to Deng Xin, "Miss Deng, I think you should leave first." "He's right, Sister," A'le chimed in. "Brother A'nai is one of the top fighters in the gang. He won't necessarily be in danger. Besides, once you're gone, he won't have to worry about you, and maybe he can get away on his own!" Deng Xin pressed a hand to her chest, trying to steady her breathing, and shook her head. "Your Brother A'nai is completely loyal to the gang. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been taken so easily. If that's the case, he won't run until his name is cleared." She looked pleadingly at Chen Chuan. "Mr. Chen, can you save A'nai? He's been so good to me. I can't just abandon him. Please, I beg you." Chen Chuan looked at her. She possessed genuine loyalty and affection; in such a dire moment, she hadn't thought only of saving herself. He said, "Miss Deng, I know your boyfriend, Tu Nai, is a core member of the gang and Tu Ge's grandnephew. Blaming Tu Ge's death on Tu Nai is strange on its face. When you slipped out, did you know what Tu Nai had gone to do earlier?" A'le cut in, "I know! He just went to fetch medicine for the old master! Lately, the medicine he needed had to come from outside channels. That batch was vital, and the old master would only take it if Brother A'nai brought it back in person!" Chen Chuan understood at once. Nine times out of ten, Ferris Wheel was pulling the strings behind this. Since Ferris Wheel was orchestrating it, he couldn't let them have their way. Moreover, he had reviewed the Elephant Gang's records before coming here. Tu Ge had led the gang for over thirty years and commanded unmatched prestige. With his death, chaos was bound to erupt. He held no affection for gang members, but a sudden collapse in an organization of over ten thousand people would be disastrous for the entire Yinglu District. He said to Deng Xin, "Miss Deng, since I gave you my word, leave this matter to me. I'll see you safely out first." "I know a way to get Sister out," A'le offered. "Mr. Chen, leave that part to me." "Are you sure?" Chen Chuan asked. "Positive." Chen Chuan sent a quick message through his boundary credential, then said, "Then take Miss Deng and go ahead. Once you get outside, you'll see a sports car. That's our extraction team. Someone will protect you there." Deng Xin stood and bowed to Chen Chuan. "Thank you, Mr. Chen. I leave it in your hands." With that, she gathered the cat, Maomao, into her arms and hurried out behind A'le. Chen Chuan watched as A'le manipulated his boundary credential and shouted something toward the guards stationed at the drawbridge. The sentries eyed them suspiciously and contacted someone inside. Only then, with great reluctance, did they lower the bridge and let the pair through. It was evident that A'le had used his resonator abilities to broadcast a fake authorization, but doing so would likely make it easy for those inside to track their movements. Chen Chuan picked up his tea, took a sip, and stood. Stepping out of the teahouse, he walked onto the street and cast his gaze toward the tallest structure deep within the Elephant Gang's compound, casually loosening his collar. "Time to end this quickly." The street was practically deserted now. Seeing him standing there alone, the sentries on the watchtowers sensed that something was amiss and pivoted their crossbows and gun muzzles toward him. "Hey, you—" Before they could finish the sentence, a thunderous boom erupted. A cloud of dust burst into the air, and his silhouette vanished on the spot. When their eyes caught up, only a sunken crater remained in the pavement. The sentries gaped in shock. Then a roar echoed from further down the street. In a straight line extending into the distance, barricades and masonry walls were blasted apart as if struck by artillery shells, exploding into a storm of flying splinters and pulverized brick. *** Under A'le's escort, Deng Xin safely made it to the perimeter. A car horn sounded, and she spotted a red sports car parked by the curb with its door already pushed open. The two hurried over. Ni Xixi glanced at them. "Deng Xin? I'm Brother Chen's colleague. Get in." "Thank you," Deng Xin said breathlessly, climbing into the back seat with A'le and her cat. Ni Xixi eyed the large cat with mild amusement, then pulled down her goggles. "Come with me. I'll take you somewhere safe." Noticing Deng Xin's anxious backward glance, Ni Xixi gave a light chuckle. "Don't worry. Since Brother Chen promised you, it'll get sorted out. Hold on tight." She floored the pedal, and the sports car surged forward with a deep roar. *** By this time, Chen Chuan had arrived before the towering edifice and halted. As he came to a stop, the billowing dust chasing behind caught up, forming a cloud that billowed outward before gradually settling around him. He tilted his head back. Before him stood a spire-like Sheni Grand Residence, coated in shimmering gold and silver lacquer. It was the only building in the area equipped with light curtain projectors. Projected above was the image of a massive white elephant wearing a pot-shaped crown and draped in sacred banners—the Pot-Topped Elephant Lord, a deity venerated by the Sheni people. Numerous armed gang guards were stationed here. Seeing him appear with such startling momentum, their faces drained of color, and they raised their guns to aim at him. Yet before anyone could pull a trigger, they were struck by an invisible shock wave. Their eyes rolled back into their heads, their bodies went limp, and one after another, they thudded to the floor. Chen Chuan seemed not to notice them at all. Holding the Xuejun Saber, he strode along the walkway into the depths of the residence. As he advanced at an unhurried pace, gang members lining the corridor collapsed like dominoes, the hollow thuds of falling bodies echoing continuously. Inside the grand hall sat several elders dressed in traditional Sheni attire. Before them, Tu Nai knelt on the floor, his hands bound tightly behind his back. They had evidently been interrogating him, but upon seeing the scene through the open corridor entrance, shock washed over their faces, and they rose to their feet in unison. The gang fighters guarding them grew visibly tense, shifting forward to shield the elders with their bodies. However, a tall, heavily wrinkled elder reached out, brushed the guards aside, and said in a deep voice, "That is Captain Chen from the Disposal Bureau. Stand down. Invite him in."