"A'Cheng... you..." After a long silence, Wen Shilin finally snapped back to reality, his voice trembling with shock. "You're one of Tan Xin's people?!"
Wen Shilin never would have imagined that this assistant, who had been by his side for months, was actually sent by the enforcers... During this time, A'Cheng's performance had been flawless, appearing utterly devoted to him. Even when articles and evidence went missing, Wen Shilin had never once suspected A'Cheng.
Now, hearing A'Cheng reveal his true identity, Wen Shilin felt his mind go blank... Fury and confusion surged in his chest as he growled through gritted teeth:
"So... your orphan background, your resume, everything you said during the interview—it was all fake?"
"Of course it was fake." A'Cheng took a deep breath. "Chief Chu had your personality completely figured out. Everything about me was fabricated specifically for you. He was certain you’d choose me... And I did what I had to do, ensuring you’d never have a reason to fire me.
"You could investigate anything else, and he wouldn’t care... but the 'Hand of Salvation' was absolutely off-limits. All he asked was for me to keep an eye on you and obstruct your investigation. That alone was mercy... Otherwise, you’d have died hundreds of times over."
Beneath the cloth bag, Wen Shilin’s face turned deathly pale.
"Enough."
The voice that had been silent for so long spoke again. "Someone, take these two to the back room first. I want to talk to him alone."
After what felt like an eternity of twists and turns, he was finally locked against something hard. As the footsteps faded, the rattling of chains echoed beside him, followed by the sound of someone spitting something out.
"Mr. Wen... are you alright?"
Wen Shilin hadn’t expected Chen Ling to free his mouth. He immediately yanked at his own chains, using the noise to signal his position. They didn’t seem far apart—after a few metallic clanks, Wen Shilin felt the gag in his mouth being yanked loose, restoring his ability to speak.
"Lin Yan? You got out of the chains?" Wen Shilin asked in disbelief.
"No, I used my teeth. I could just barely reach you." Chen Ling’s voice came from ahead. "The person who gagged me didn’t stuff it in tightly. A few struggles and it came loose."
"Can you reach my chains with your hands?"
"No... We’re probably locked to separate posts. I can’t reach you."
Wen Shilin’s heart sank. Staring into the darkness, his voice was thick with guilt. "I’m sorry... This is all my fault. They were after me."
"What’s done is done. No point apologizing. We should focus on getting out." Chen Ling’s tone was eerily calm.
Wen Shilin let out a bitter laugh. "We’re chained up and blindfolded. How are we supposed to escape?"
Chen Ling didn’t answer. Instead, he yanked at his chains a few times, the metal clanking loudly.
"What are you doing?"
"Do you remember the noise earlier? This must be some kind of warehouse or factory—they’re just using it temporarily to hold us... There might be something useful nearby."
The reminder jolted Wen Shilin into action. His bound hands began groping the ground in small, desperate motions.
As he searched, Wen Shilin couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. This Lin Yan’s mental fortitude was extraordinary. Even now, he wasn’t panicking—instead, he remained perfectly composed. That kind of resilience was rare.
"Nothing here..." Chen Ling said regretfully.
Just then, Wen Shilin’s fingertips brushed against something cold. His heart leapt. "There’s something behind me... Hard. Feels like a metal part."
"A part?" Chen Ling asked immediately. "Can you use it to pry the chains?"
"No... It’s too big. Too heavy."
Chen Ling pondered for a moment. "Throw it to me."
Wen Shilin could only rely on the sound of Chen Ling’s voice to gauge direction. Gritting his teeth, he hurled the object forward. It clattered twice before stopping somewhere ahead.
"Well? Can you reach it?" Wen Shilin wasn’t confident in his aim.
"Yeah." The sound of chains scraping against metal followed. "These aren’t handcuffs—there’s some give... Maybe I can try."
"You can pick the lock?" Wen Shilin’s eyes lit up.
Chen Ling didn’t answer. A sharp inhale was followed by the screech of metal and a pained groan.
Hearing this, Wen Shilin frowned. "Lin Yan? Are you okay?"
Clang!
Clang!!
Clang!!!
Still no reply—just the relentless hammering of metal, punctuated by stifled grunts of pain. A series of clangs echoed before heavy panting filled the air.
"Lin Yan! You’re free?!" Wen Shilin heard chains hit the ground and nearly cheered.
A weak hum of confirmation came from Chen Ling. Just as he seemed about to approach, a voice rang out from the doorway:
"So that’s where the noise was coming from. Trying to escape while the boss is interrogating someone?"
The voice was sharp and sneering. The moment it spoke, Wen Shilin’s heart plummeted. Before he could react, a gust of wind whipped past him—a fist slicing through the air.
"You—"
A brief scuffle later, the sneering voice cut off abruptly, followed by a heavy thud.
Chen Ling seemed to frisk the body before moving behind Wen Shilin, unlocking the chains binding him to the post. Wen Shilin gasped in relief.
"You took care of him?"
"Done... Watch out!!"
Just as Wen Shilin reached to remove the cloth bag, Chen Ling shoved his head down violently. A blade whistled through the air, grazing Wen Shilin’s ear.
Blind and disoriented, Wen Shilin could only bend with the force, stumbling as the sounds of combat erupted around him. Curses and shouts filled the air before Chen Ling yanked him forward, sprinting wildly toward an exit.
"What’s happening?!" In the chaos, Wen Shilin was dragged along helplessly, his world pitch black.
Figures seemed to dart past them, but none managed to land a hit. Spun dizzyingly, Wen Shilin couldn’t tell direction—he could only cling to Chen Ling as they vaulted a low wall and fled into the distance.
After an eternity of running, Chen Ling finally staggered to a stop, gasping for air. Wen Shilin nearly collapsed.
He crumpled to the ground, trembling as he tore off the cloth bag. Before him stood a bloodied figure, crisscrossed with knife wounds... His left arm hung unnaturally, as if shattered by a brutal blow.
Chen Ling wiped blood from his lips with one hand and rasped:
"Mr. Wen... are you okay?"