"Captain Fang, major intel!" Qin Xiao suddenly shouted.
Fang Zhiguo immediately signaled us into the conference room. "Go on, what is it?" His tone was strained; the grueling days of nonstop work were clearly wearing him down.
"Today we intercepted a top-secret email sent from the Kawashima Laboratory to America. After decryption, the message revealed that Kawashima Sakurako destroyed the lab and fled with both the virus and vaccine samples. Her whereabouts are unknown."
"In-fighting?" Fang frowned.
"And…" Qin Xiao and Er-Ge glanced at me. "The email also said Sakurako personally killed the demon infant."
My heart skipped a beat. "What? You mean…"
Er-Ge patted my shoulder. "For that innocent life, perhaps it was a release."
He continued, "I analyzed satellite imagery of a certain maritime zone from the past two days. Last night, in international waters between China and Japan, a yacht exploded and sank. But before it went down, two different fishing boats approached it within the span of an hour. Linking these details together, here's my take: Sakurako defected, carrying the virus and vaccine, and arranged a rendezvous on the high seas."
I frowned. "But why two separate pickup boats?"
"That, I haven't figured out. Only by meeting her can we know the truth."
"You mean…" I pressed.
"Yes," Er-Ge nodded. "I believe Kawashima Sakurako is already in China. The Japanese Special Forces and the CIA are both hunting her, but she has nowhere else to turn. And I doubt this is mere internal strife—something deeper is going on."
"Captain Fang," he continued, "have the Coast Guard check all fishing vessels that entered the vicinity of last night's yacht explosion." Then he turned to Qin Xiao. "Qin the Great, dig into the whereabouts of the bald-headed guy who kidnapped Fa-Ge. See what you can pull from the Haiyan surveillance system."
Two hours later, Fang Zhigang came in holding a Coast Guard report. "Liu Yu, you were right. Two Chongming-registered fishing boats were indeed spotted in that area last night. But neither ever returned to port. Their registered owners died over a year ago—so we can't trace who was piloting them."
"I've got something," Qin Xiao said. "I dug deep into Baldy's records in the Haiyan system. Turns out, a week ago he drove straight to Chongming Island. Look here—this is a tollgate photo from the highway."
We all crowded around. On the screen, Baldy and his two partners sat inside the same Hyundai Kia that had rear-ended me back then. My chest tightened. Sakurako… if only you were Wang Zifang. If only it had really been just a car accident.
Er-Ge's deductions were spot on. Now we could be certain that one of the two pickup crews was Baldy's gang. Fang Zhiguo didn't hesitate. "We move out immediately. Qin Xiao, Liu Yu, Xiu Dao—you're one team. I'll take another squad."
"Captain Fang," Er-Ge muttered, "our group are all bookish types. If we run into real danger, aren't we doomed?"
Fang smirked at Qin Xiao. "Didn't think you'd be so attached to life."
"Relax," Qin Xiao replied with mock bravado. "Your Brother Qin will cover you."
On the way, Er-Ge wouldn't stop nagging. "Qin Xiao, don't you dare choke at the crucial moment."
Qin Xiao rolled his eyes. "You yap too much. Don't you know what I'm capable of?"
I stared out the window, my heart thudding like a trapped rabbit. The dangers ahead, the secrets surrounding Sakurako—all of it pressed on me like an impenetrable fog.
As the car rolled closer to Chongming Island, the scenery grew desolate. Qin Xiao tried to lighten the mood. "Liu Yu, you think when we find Sakurako she'll just surrender?"
I gave a bitter smile. "Hardly. She's a dangerous one."
Er-Ge snorted, "Yeah, Fa-Ge's already tasted her skills firsthand."
"Careful," I shot back, "I might use you as a human shield."
Qin Xiao asked more seriously, "So what do you two think? Is Kawashima Sakurako an enemy or an ally?"
Er-Ge and I exchanged a long look. Silence was our only answer. The truth could only be found when we faced her.
We headed straight to the Chongming police station, where Chief Li personally led us into a conference room.
"Comrade Fang, after receiving the photos you sent, we conducted a full sweep of recent transient populations. We found your targets—they're staying in a local guesthouse."
"Thank you, Chief Li. Any suspicious activity?"
"None so far. Our people are watching from a distance. They told outsiders they're college students from Shanghai here for fieldwork, leaving in a few days."
Fang handed over Sakurako's photo. "Did this woman show up?"
"Only at check-in."
My throat tightened, heart pounding in my ears. To see you again… or to never see you again. Wang Zifang, at last, we're about to meet once more.
Suddenly Chief Li's phone rang. He answered briskly: "Understood. Keep eyes on them—we'll be right there."
Hanging up, he turned to us. "New development. They've just gotten into a car and are on the move."
We all exchanged a look.
"Action!"
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