Insights Chapter 118: Struggle

Chapter 118: Struggle

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

The street was already lit up with bright lights, while the distant sky was pitch black. This area belonged to the bustling district of West City, where there were already night markets nearby and many cars parked along the roadsides. Now, with an accident occurring, the cars formed a long queue, and people crowded around, making it impossible to move.

Police cars had arrived at the main road near the warehouse, encountering several vehicles blocking the way in and out. Ordinary pedestrians and vehicles couldn’t pass through, and some drivers were impatiently honking their horns.

Lu Ying opened the car door, displaying his police officer’s badge while gesturing with his hand to direct the cars to move. Each car moved forward sluggishly by a few centimeters, then stopped again.

The officers from the sub-bureau had given up, standing with their arms crossed, watching the commotion. One of them said to Lu Ying, “Oh, a colleague from the City Bureau. Are you also on duty tonight?”

Lu Ying patiently asked, “What’s your assignment?”

The sub-bureau officer replied, “Temporary search operation. We were called in by the higher-ups late at night, and when we rushed over, we encountered this accident.”

Gu Yanchen understood after hearing this conversation that his earlier judgment was correct. The leaders of the sub-bureau might have colluded with the mansion and sent people to cover up the truth.

These officers from the sub-bureau were also unaware and were called in temporarily. He asked Bai Meng, “Have they found the license plate of the offending vehicle?”

“It belongs to Brother Security Company,” Bai Meng checked the screen again and said, “Yan Chi’s phone location is showing he’s on the move.”

At this moment, it was likely that they were already engaged in confrontation.

Gu Yanchen called Director Ding to inform him of the situation at the scene. He asked, “Can we make arrests?”

Even the most patient person has their limits. Director Ding, who rarely got angry, was now impatient, “Yes! If there’s trouble, I’ll take responsibility. These people are too arrogant; we must put them in their place! Also, you must do everything to find Yan Chi.”

Both he and Gu Yanchen understood that if you don’t deal with the small devils, you won’t catch the big ones behind them.

With the leader’s command, Gu Yanchen got out of the car. He squeezed through the crowd and reached the core of the situation. In front of him was a seven-seater commercial vehicle, severely damaged at the front, with the entire front end caved in. The rear of a private car had been completely pushed in.

Given the limited speed in the urban area, it was impossible to have caused such damage without stepping on the gas pedal. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries. The driver in front of him had injured his arm. He looked sober, neither drunk nor drugged, suggesting this was intentional.

Gu Yanchen grabbed the man and asked, “Where is the person in charge of your company?”

The man tried to feign ignorance, “What company’s responsible person? I don’t know.”

Gu Yanchen grabbed the man by the collar, pressing him against the car, and asked directly, “Where is Ke Ruhai?”

The driver glanced sideways, and Gu Yanchen saw a tall man stepping out of a car across the street. The man got out of a luxury car, chewing on a toothpick, and walked through the crowd. He was broad-shouldered and muscular, one of the bosses of Brother Security Company, recognizable by a scar on his face. Gu Yanchen identified him as Ke Ruhai, the elder brother.

Gu Yanchen wasn’t short himself, but Ke Ruhai stood at over 1.9 meters tall, with broad shoulders and muscles, resembling a giant.

Ke Ruhai smiled, “Officer, sorry for the trouble. Our company’s car collided when passing the intersection, and we’re waiting for the traffic police to come and deal with it, causing the roadblock. We’ve already made the emergency call, as you can see, the traffic police are here, and the tow truck will arrive soon.”

“Tonight, the City Bureau police have an important arrest operation,” Gu Yanchen presented his police officer’s badge. “You’ve seriously disrupted normal police operations, and we need to detain those involved in the accident.”

“We genuinely didn’t know; isn’t this just a coincidence?” Ke Ruhai calmly engaged Gu Yanchen. “Officer, you’re from the City Bureau? Which department? I have quite a few friends over there. I also know some of the leaders.”

If they delayed any longer, it would be enough time for Yan Chi to cover up the murder. Seeing the situation, Gu Yanchen didn’t bother with further nonsense. He directly took out handcuffs, preparing to arrest Ke Ruhai.

Ke Ruhai frowned, “Officer, what do you mean by this?”

Gu Yanchen replied, “Intentionally setting up roadblocks for vehicles conducting pursuit operations is considered obstructing law enforcement. We have sufficient reason to suspect that you premeditatedly disrupted police operations. Mr. Ke, it’s better if you come with me to the City Bureau to explain tonight’s events.”

“Officer, can a traffic accident still be under your control? Our company operates legally, and I am a law-abiding citizen. Your enforcement actions are unreasonable,” Ke Ruhai said, reaching out to grab Gu Yanchen’s wrist. His palm was large, and his wrist was much thicker than Gu Yanchen’s, indicating a significant difference in strength between the two.

Ke Ruhai intended to use force to show Gu Yanchen who was in charge.

With a sharp gaze, Gu Yanchen responded, “Mr. Ke, resisting arrest will only worsen your charges.”

In the moment when Ke Ruhai was about to grab his wrist, Gu Yanchen suddenly reversed his hand, seizing Ke Ruhai’s wrist. This was a kind of martial arts technique, targeting weak points like joints. Even with ample muscles and strength, joints are vulnerable.

Gu Yanchen twisted Ke Ruhai’s wrist with two slender fingers, causing a slight cracking sound. Ke Ruhai cried out, his face turning pale, the pain making his features contort. With just a slight twist from the police officer, he almost felt like his wrist was broken. Ke Ruhai, who had acted like a local tyrant in the western city for years, had never suffered such humiliation. Anger surged in his heart. He clenched his other fist and aimed it directly at Gu Yanchen.

But Gu Yanchen didn’t give him the chance. He slightly dodged Ke Ruhai’s fist and then twisted his right hand behind his back. At the same time, he kicked Ke Ruhai’s shinbone. With a thud, Ke Ruhai knelt down, and due to the change in posture, his arm was completely twisted behind him, causing him to stop breathing momentarily from the pain.

Gu Yanchen lowered himself, reached for Ke Ruhai’s other arm, twisted it over, handcuffed him, then coldly said, “It’s not New Year’s yet; get up.”

Ke Ruhai knelt on the ground, cursed, and shouted, “Brothers, come and help me!”

Seeing Ke Ruhai in trouble, several security guards from the security company rushed over to rescue him. Gu Yanchen dragged Ke Ruhai to the back and pushed him onto the police car. The security guards and the police pushed and shoved, and some even resorted to violence.

Lu Ying and the other officers also approached, wielding their batons. “You dare to attack the police? You’ve gone too far!”

These were nothing more than a bunch of hooligans and thugs, used to being arrogant and causing trouble. They were now clamoring, accusing the police of violent law enforcement.

Gu Yanchen loudly declared, “We enforce the law with civility, and all enforcement actions are recorded. It’s you who are disturbing public order. There are plenty of places for you in the City Bureau! Tonight, each of you will have your turn; whoever dares to use force, I invite you for a cup of tea.”

These people were like ruffians, usually slippery like eels. It was difficult to catch them in the act because they always had someone backing them up. The police from the City Bureau had endured them for a long time. For a while, they arrested several troublemakers. Finally, the situation at the scene has calmed down, and the vehicles gradually resumed their passage.

At that moment, a muffled sound came from a distance, piercing through the night sky. Gu Yanchen looked up; he could discern that the gunshot meant Yan Chi might be in danger. He spoke into his earpiece, “Yu Shen, where are you guys? Pay attention to protecting the witness!”

Yu Shen’s voice came through, “Got it! We’re rushing over, almost there.”

Gu Yanchen turned to Lu Ying, “Take these people away!”

Then he turned and pushed through the congested crowd.

Gu Yanchen ran out about a hundred meters and saw a taxi parked by the roadside. The driver had just finished eating. He got into the car and flashed his police officer’s badge, “Drive forward!”

.

As the gunshot rang out, Yan Chi made up his mind and leaped from the window of the building. His body plummeted, landing with a thud on the car below. The car’s roof was dented, and the alarm blared. Yan Chi’s feet touched the car roof first, then he rolled down, still shaken. He realized he was still alive, albeit with a twisted ankle causing a stabbing pain. He also felt scratches from the broken glass on his arms and several other painful spots on his body, but he couldn’t worry about that now. He struggled to run forward as fast as he could.

The building was too high, and the group chasing him didn’t dare risk their lives like him. They saw Yan Chi escape from the window and followed down the stairs.

“Quick, chase him!”

“He’s coming down!”

“Don’t let that kid get away!”

Several people ran down from the building, and the distance between the two sides shortened again.

Yan Chi ran out of the courtyard through a side door and saw Li Zhongnan and Shen Junci.

“Brother Li, take him and leave,” Shen Junci looked at Yan Chi, who had a similar build to him, handed the laptop to Li Zhongnan, and said to Yan Chi, “Give me your jacket, I’ll distract them.”

Yan Chi recognized the voice; it was the person who had guided him over the phone earlier. With no time to spare, he hurriedly took off his black jacket and handed it to Shen Junci.

Shen Junci changed clothes with him, put on a hat and a mask, and swiftly walked in the opposite direction. The area around the warehouse was desolate, but once they left the area, they would enter the bustling downtown area. As long as they entered the downtown area, those people wouldn’t dare to kill openly on the street.

Another manager from the security company, Ke Rushen, had also chased out from the warehouse building, and he was the one who had fired the gun just now. He had long agreed on a plan with Ke Ruhai. Ke Ruhai stalled the police at the intersection, while Ke Rushen led the others to block Yan Chi from behind.

Tonight, dozens of their men were deployed, but so far, Yan Chi’s whereabouts were still unknown. Ke Rushen spat and cursed, “You’re all useless! How can so many of you not catch one person, and he ran away right under your noses!?”

His subordinates felt wronged, “Brother Shen, that kid seemed to know the way early on, like a rat, especially good at escaping!”

Ke Rushen was still furious, “Where is he now?! How do I explain this to the young master later?!”

Someone looked at where Yan Chi had jumped down, “There’s blood on the car roof; he’s injured! He can’t run far.”

Ke Rushen waved his hand, “What are you waiting for? Go after him!”

For a moment, people scattered in all directions. Ke Rushen led a few men in search. They quickly walked out of the warehouse area and were about to return to the car when they saw a figure that looked like Yan Chi.

One of his men asked urgently, “Brother Shen, is that him?”

Ke Rushen squinted; the clothes seemed right, but the man wore a hat, and at a distance in the darkness of the night, he couldn’t see the details clearly. Ke Rushen said, “Whether it is or not, let’s catch up and see! Better to be wrong than to let him go.”

As they spoke, the man crossed the street ahead and entered a dark alley. When he saw someone following, he noticeably sped up, occasionally looking back. Ke Rushen caught up when they were only about ten meters apart and shouted, “Stop right there, you little rabbit!”

The man in front didn’t stop but accelerated forward.

Ke Rushen now suspected it was Yan Chi trying to escape. With a few of his men, he hurriedly caught up.

In the pitch-black alley, firing a gun would easily attract police attention. Ke Rushen didn’t pull out his gun but chose hand-to-hand combat. He ran a few steps forward and struck the man ahead from behind. His subordinates had already coordinated with him tacitly, blocking the retreat.

The man seemed to anticipate his move, reached out to block Ke Rushen’s attack, then turned to run forward. But Ke Rushen grabbed his collar and forcefully pulled him back. The man twisted like a fish, evading Ke Rushen’s grasp and shedding his clothes, which ended up entangling Ke Rushen’s hands. He swiftly turned and kicked Ke Rushen’s side.

Ke Rushen, tall and large, with his hands tied up, couldn’t maneuver in the narrow alley. He braced himself for the blow, his muscles tensing, steadying his lower body. Nevertheless, he staggered back two steps from the impact.

One of his men stepped forward, throwing a punch at the man. The man was surrounded but nimble, moving fast. He dodged two blows and seized the opportunity to grab the incoming fist, pulling it towards him. At the same time, he raised his knee and kicked, hitting the man’s abdomen directly. He followed up with a straight punch, hitting another person’s eye socket, knocking down two men in an instant.

At this moment, Ke Rushen charged forward again. In this dark and lightless alley, a man dressed in black took advantage of some opportunities, his fist swinging with the wind, brushing past Ke Rushen’s cheek.

In the pitch-black alley, the two exchanged a few moves in an instant, then separated.

“You’re not Yan Chi…” Ke Rushen confirmed, Yan Chi couldn’t possibly have such skill.

The one diverting Ke Rushen’s attention was none other than Shen Junci. He didn’t reveal his identity, partly to lure these people in and give Yan Chi and Li Zhongnan some time, and partly because these people in front of him had no fear of the police.

Under normal circumstances, revealing oneself as a police officer could make the other party stop, but in this dark alleyway, alone against several thugs, declaring oneself a cop was as good as signing a death warrant. Shen Junci stood opposite them, silent and head down.

Ke Rushen cracked his knuckles. “Whoever you are, you’ve ruined my good fortune today, and you’ll pay with your life!”

In the dim alley, Ke Rushen clenched his fist and struck at Shen Junci. His fist carried a gust of wind, and Shen Junci hurriedly blocked it to protect his head and face. But Ke Rushen’s strike was a feint. He suddenly pulled back, creating a diversion, then lifted his foot and kicked towards Shen Junci’s chest.

Ke Rushen, towering and heavy, like a monster, charged forward. Shen Junci, recognizing the vulnerability of his opponent’s chest, attempted to engage a few of the men. His skills were not lacking, but against the relentless onslaught, his stamina waned, revealing a weakness. Ke Rushen grew bolder with each strike. He noticed Shen Junci consistently protecting his chest, realizing it was his weak spot.

As Shen Junci was besieged, trying to handle a few lackeys first, someone brandished a weapon, pulling out a blade. Shen Junci found himself cornered against the wall. He reached out to block Ke Rushen’s punch aimed at his chest, but someone suddenly charged from the side.

A flash of white, and Shen Junci felt a chill in his abdomen as he was stabbed. The weapon withdrew, blood sprayed. Intense pain engulfed him.

Shen Junci knocked the knife from his attacker’s hand, managed to take down two more. But his injuries slowed him down. Shen Junci staggered back, hand covering his wound, kneeling on one knee.

“Let me see who you really are!” Ke Rushen approached, reaching for Shen Junci’s mask.

But Shen Junci suddenly lifted his head, grabbing Ke Rushen’s outstretched hand, swiftly coiling around him like a snake.

Ke Rushen, caught off guard, felt Shen Junci’s knee strike his back, then found himself pinned down, Shen Junci’s arms around his neck from behind… The tables turned in an instant.

Ke Rushen struggled to breathe, forcefully slamming his back against the wall, trying to break free from Shen Junci’s hold. With his height advantage, he was like a heavyweight, but even with Shen Junci, he slammed into the wall with a loud thud.

Shen Junci took the blow, grunting, spitting out blood, but he didn’t loosen his grip; instead, he exerted more pressure. The wound in his abdomen throbbed with pain, blood and the smell of iron rising up his throat.

Ke Rushen’s neck was constricted, unable to breathe, gasping, eyes rolling back, body trembling, his steps faltering. The lackeys, crawling up from the ground, didn’t know what to do.

After a stalemate of several seconds, Shen Junci hesitated. He’d seen too many corpses. He knew that if he exerted more force, the man before him would be strangled to death. He didn’t want to kill. He eased up a bit.

Ke Rushen felt like he had visited the gates of hell and back, finally catching his breath. At that moment, his reinforcements arrived, several security company personnel entering the alley. Not daring to linger, Shen Junci released his grip, giving Ke Rushen a shove forward.

Ke Rushen coughed a few times. When his men tried to support him, he waved them off hoarsely, “Don’t mind me, just kill him!”

In no time, four or five people came rushing from behind.

Shen Junci dashed forward a few steps. Figures appeared at the dark end of the alley. His heart sank, ready to fight to the end, but then he recognized the leader as Yu Shen.

Yu Shen recognized him, nodded, and deliberately let Shen Junci pass.

After they passed each other, Yu Shen intercepted the pursuers, shouting, “Police!”

Seconds later, other officers arrived, confronting the security team.

Seizing the opportunity, Shen Junci slipped out of the alley, blending into the crowd. Though not far from the warehouse, the area was bustling with people. There was a small night market along the roadside, some shops still open, and vendors selling barbecue. People were enjoying their late-night snacks.

Shen Junci felt like he had finally returned to the earthly realm. Walking on the street now, moving too fast would only draw attention. He feared there might still be security company personnel around, so he couldn’t let his guard down. He lowered his head, covering his wound, pretending to be a passerby, gradually slowing his pace.

The wound wasn’t fatal, but it was deep enough. Waves of pain emanated from it, cold sweat soaking his collar. The wound on his back connected to his chest, causing pain with every breath. Pressing his hand against his abdomen, blood continued to drip incessantly, soaking his clothes along the way. His heartbeat wasn’t steady, and the pain grew more intense. Ringing filled his ears, like being submerged underwater. He felt incredibly tired, exhaustion washing over him.

Rain started falling from the sky, unnoticed. It landed on his skin, making him feel even colder. Feeling like he had walked a distance, Shen Junci could no longer hold on. He sat down at an empty bus stop. As soon as he sat down, he heard his phone beep. He picked it up and looked at it, but the words on the screen blurred. It took him a while to make them out.

It was a message from Li Zhongnan, saying that he and Yan Chi were safe. Finally, Shen Junci breathed a sigh of relief. He tried to focus, pressed a shortcut on his phone, and brought it to his ear.

Gu Yanchen’s anxious voice came through, “Shen Junci, where are you?”

Before he could answer, the voice on the other end said, “I see you!”

Shen Junci hung up the phone, lifted his sweat-dampened eyelashes, and saw a familiar figure running towards him. His vision blurred, and just before he collapsed, he was embraced by the familiar person.

“Are you injured?” Gu Yanchen exclaimed anxiously, pressing on his wound. “I’ll take you to the hospital!”

Shen Junci shook his head, “I can’t go to the hospital now. They might have people waiting there. If we go now, they’ll know Yan Chi is in our hands, and all our previous efforts will be in vain.”

The people behind could mobilize personnel from the sub-bureau, and there might be their insiders in the City Bureau as well. It would be dangerous to send Yan Chi to the detention center rashly. They had to consider a more cautious approach…

“Regardless, you must deal with your wound as soon as possible!” Gu Yanchen felt the blood hadn’t slowed down despite the pressure.

Enduring a wave of intense pain, Shen Junci spoke softly, his lips pale but his voice calm, “It’s not a fatal wound. I’m just a bit tired.” After a moment of contemplation, he wrapped his hand around Gu Yanchen’s neck, whispered in his ear, “Gu Yanchen, take me home…”

In the cold and pain, he longed for that place that could bring him warmth, missed his cat and dog.