C12 The Smell of Conspiracy!

Inside the police station, Lin Chen stormed out, slamming the door behind him. The officers were steeped in shame; they had failed to locate the criminal's black car, and now Lin Chen had to take up the pursuit himself, rendering their efforts seemingly useless. With a sense of embarrassment, they turned their attention to scouring the road's surveillance footage.

Time was of the essence. Lin Chen hailed a taxi and followed the route the criminals had taken. Just as he was about to enter the expressway, his phone rang with an update from the station.

"Mr. Lin, we've tracked the last known location of the Buick SUV to the Beiqiwan community in the northern city. It's a construction zone with many old houses being demolished. It's likely the criminals are hiding there. We're mobilizing now!" the middle-aged officer reported.

Lin Chen nodded in appreciation. "Captain Yao, I appreciate your efforts. I'll handle this from here. There's no need to dispatch more officers; we don't want to spook them."

"But the suspects are dangerous, and they're probably armed. Isn't it too risky for you to go alone? We need to send a team to investigate!" Captain Yao Gang insisted with concern.

"Fine, but when you arrive, follow my lead. We can't risk a standoff where everyone gets hurt. I'll update you once I've completed my task, and then you can move in to make the arrests," Lin Chen instructed firmly.

"Mr. Lin, you're not serious, are you?" Yao Gang asked incredulously.

Without further explanation, Lin Chen ended the call with a curt "Du!" and urged the driver to speed up.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the Happiest Bay Community. As Lin Chen stepped out of the car, he sensed eyes on him—a cultivator's instinct and a testament to his heightened awareness.

"These Dragonspire Conclave operatives are quite skilled," Lin Chen thought to himself. No one else could have orchestrated Su Qingxue's abduction.

Blending in with the locals in his plain attire, Lin Chen made his way through the run-down streets of the neighborhood.

...

Meanwhile, in a dimly lit warehouse, Su Qingxue sat bound to a chair, her hands and feet tied, making escape virtually impossible.

Upon waking, Su Qingxue was acutely aware of her dire situation—she had been kidnapped. Her piercing gaze fixed on the menacing figures before her.

"You have one hour to decide. Either transfer the Celestia Group shares to your uncles, pay us ten million, or spend some 'quality time' with us before meeting the Grim Reaper," the one-eyed middle-aged leader declared, waving a document in his hand.

"Who's behind this? Xie Shaofeng or Zhou Cheng?" Su Qingxue demanded, her voice icy.

"Why not consider that the Su family is involved? Transferring shares to them isn't illegal, and it would make things easier for you. Understand? It's your best option," the one-eyed man barked.

"You guys..." Su Qingxue was appalled at the thought of her own uncles conspiring with Zhou Cheng. The betrayal cut deep.

While her mother languished in the hospital, Su Qingxue had single-handedly upheld the business, receiving no aid from her relatives—only treachery. The sorrow was overwhelming.

"You won't succeed. Even if I die, my husband will stop you!" Su Qingxue's defiance shone through, tinged with a mix of resignation and resolve.

"Your husband? The college student?" The middle-aged man scoffed. "Do you really think the Su family would let an orphaned outsider take over the Phoenix Group?"

"That's none of your concern. You'd best abandon this scheme, or I'll never yield, even in death!" Su Qingxue shot back.

The one-eyed man's face darkened ominously. "Fine, have it your way then. Don't blame me for what comes next!"

He began to disrobe, leering at Su Qingxue. But suddenly, the door burst open, and a man in black rushed in.

"Mr. Niu, we've got a problem!"

"What happened?" the one-eyed man asked, turning with a look of bewilderment.

"The old car, it's been found!"

"What? That's impossible, we've only just arrived..." Mr. Niu's brow furrowed in concern.

Su Qingxue, resigned to her fate, lit up with joy upon hearing the news, but then anxiety crept in, and she found herself biting her lower lip with a complex look on her tear-streaked face.

"Should we move before they discover us?" the man in black asked, his voice laced with concern.

The one-eyed man flashed a grin and said, "Su Qingxue is banking on Lin Chen, right? Since he's so eager to meet his end, we'll oblige him!"

"But Lin Chen is incredibly strong. A regular attack would cost us dearly, so we need to outsmart him!" the man in black cautioned.

"Then let's set up an ambush quickly. The moment he shows up, blow him to kingdom come!"

The one-eyed man adjusted his sunglasses, his lecherous gaze lingering on Su Qingxue.

Meanwhile, Lin Chen approached the building, weaving between pillars, seeking cover and keeping an eye on his surroundings. After a moment, sensing nothing out of the ordinary, he realized he needed to find Su Qingxue quickly.

Guided by his senses, he caught a heavy scent of blood and frowned. Following the trail, he arrived at a room. Inside, he noticed cameras at the door and realized he had walked into a trap. It was too late to escape.

With a thunderous roar, an explosion erupted, and flames surged from the room's corner, reducing it to rubble in an instant.

A hundred meters away, the one-eyed man and his cohorts couldn't contain their glee as they watched the monitor. They strode out of the room triumphantly, gazing at the billowing smoke in the distance.

Su Qingxue, bound and helpless, stared at the now-black monitor and the echoing boom that had filled her ears. Her complexion turned ghostly pale, and her eyes brimmed with crystalline tears. She had seen Lin Chen walk into the booby-trapped room, her anxiety turning to despair with each passing moment. The agony was unbearable, a fate worse than her own death.

Lin Chen was merely a discard of the Lin family, a mere pawn for marriage. Yet, for her sake, he had plunged into a fiery grave.