The abandoned warehouse at two o'clock in the morning.
The Bai family convoy quietly entered the derelict industrial zone at the edge of the city. A dozen black vehicles rolled in without a sound, like death itself had arrived. The night was as dark as ink. A tall figure stepped out of the lead car, his trench coat was billowing in the wind, and his eyes were as sharp as knives.
It was Zhong Yan— Bai Wanyi's most trusted blade. A man who had eliminated countless threats on her behalf with calm, decisive, and never once failing.
As soon as he raised his hand, dozens of well-equipped team members dressed in black and armed with guns instantly dispersed and surrounded the entire warehouse silently.
"Move." He gave the order in a low voice, but it left no room for doubt.
The lock was pried open in an instant, and the iron door slid open with a thunderous crash. A stench mixed with blood and dust rushed out to meet them. Flashlights switched on in unison, illuminating every inch of shadow—
Empty.
The entire warehouse had long been abandoned.
But the blood remained.
In the centre of the ground lay a large patch of blood that had not completely dried up. It was dark in colour and had a strong, pungent smell. It was not a mere smear, but stained in large areas, as if someone was struggling violently here, and even dragged across the wound, splashing all over the floor.
In the corner, a length of severed rope swung slightly in the draft, stained with dried blood. Nearby, there was a shoe lying in the corner with the sole facing up. The blood had seeped into the fabric, and the original colour was unrecognisable.
On the wall, a bloody handprint was clearly visible, as if someone had tried to stand up by the wall before leaving. The trembling strength between the fingers seemed to still remain in the air.
The air seemed to be frozen.
Zhong Yan's eyes flashed and he immediately turned on the wireless communicator.
"Madam—Zeyang is not here."
His tone was low, but it couldn't hide the sharpness in his coldness.
Her silence held for two seconds on the other end.
Then Bai Wanyi's voice came through—each word clear and steady, yet carrying the storm of a thousand frozen waves:
"…Explain it. What do you mean 'not there'?"
"The target has been moved." Zhong Yan's eyes swept over the entire scene. "The signs suggest they already left less than five minutes ago. There's heavy bleeding, but no dragging— footprints remain. He's still alive, but seriously injured."
"Alive…but taken away." She murmured, then slammed the table and said angrily: "We were betrayed and someone tipped them off!"
Deep inside the warehouse, someone found a broken surveillance camera. The wires were cut, and the hard drive was still emitting burnt heat, obviously having just been vandalised.
"Even corpse disposals aren't this clean." Zhong Yan's gaze darkened, eyes flashing with cold intensity. "They are not amateurs…. They seem like a professional team"
He closed his eyes, then opened them suddenly: "Madam, I request to track down the source of the leak, and at the same time… apply for an area-wide interception order."
"Approved." Bai Wanyi's voice was nearly glacial. "Use every resource the Bai family has. Find him."
She paused. Then her voice returned in a low, steady and soaked in righteous fury.
"If Zeyang so much as has a scratch, I want their entire family buried with him."
Zhong Yan nodded. "Understood."
The headlights dimmed. The night grew darker still. The Bai family's fierce rescue had come up empty. But everyone knew that the real storm had only just begun.