Though everything appeared to be an accident, at this moment, whether it was Guan Xia or the others, they all knew deep down—there was a ninety percent chance this was deliberately aimed at them.
Guan Xia turned to look at the severely damaged, overturned vehicle and felt her chest tighten so much she could barely breathe.
Even though she had anticipated it, when the moment actually arrived, Guan Xia couldn’t hide her panic. Everything had happened too quickly, too blatantly. It was as if the organization had bared its fangs openly, brazenly declaring they were coming for their lives.
After a few minutes, Guan Xia finally steadied herself. Once the initial shock faded, an uncontrollable rage surged within her—a fury at how, in broad daylight, someone could so arrogantly disregard the law and trample on human lives.
Just as Guan Xia was about to speak, the long-ignored ringing of a phone pierced the tense silence in the car.
The sound snapped her back to clarity. She picked up her phone and saw it was Xu Nian calling.
She wasn’t surprised. After all, Xu Nian’s car had been trailing behind them. Even if he hadn’t been following too closely, he must have witnessed everything that had just happened.
The moment the call connected, Xu Nian’s tense voice came through: "Are you all okay?"
Given what he’d just seen, the question wasn’t about physical injuries—it was about their state of mind.
Guan Xia exhaled heavily before answering, "We’re fine. We were shocked at first, but we’ve calmed down now."
Xu Nian let out a relieved sigh. "What’s your next move?"
Guan Xia instinctively glanced outside. Fortunately, the road wasn’t crowded at this hour. The few drivers nearby, shaken by the horrific accident, had stepped out of their cars to help the victims instead of honking impatiently at their stalled vehicle.
Rubbing her temples to clear her thoughts, Guan Xia understood the unspoken implication in Xu Nian’s words. After a moment’s consideration, she said, "They’re not just trying to kill us—they’re buying time. If we divert our attention to investigating this hit-and-run, we’ll have less energy to focus on the Rainy Night Murder Case."
The more she spoke, the calmer she became. She paused, then continued, "But their actions also confirm something for me. Before, I wasn’t certain, but now I’m sure—the May 23rd Rainy Night Murder was definitely Wu Yang’s doing. He must have left critical evidence at the scene. That’s the only explanation for why he’d resort to murder to stop us from digging deeper."
Her voice grew firmer with conviction. "The more they try to stop us, the more determined we should be. Since we’re already exposed, unless we uproot them completely, ‘accidents’ like tonight will keep chasing us."
Xu Nian’s tone was grave. "I agree. If we’re on the same page, let’s stick to the original plan—head straight to the district bureau handling the Rainy Night case."
As soon as he finished speaking, the distant wail of police sirens grew louder. All four women in the car turned toward the sound just as two police cars with flashing lights sped toward the scene—evidently, traffic police had been dispatched to handle the accident.
With law enforcement arriving, they could leave with peace of mind. Guan Xia responded, "Alright, let’s keep moving."
Zhong Xiaoyu had been waiting for this. She rubbed her face briskly, gripped the steering wheel, and as soon as the light turned green, pressed the accelerator, smoothly clearing the intersection.
After what had just happened, none of them could relax for the rest of the journey. Whether it was Zhong Xiaoyu in the driver’s seat, Ji An in the passenger seat, or Guan Xia and Pang Le in the back, their expressions were tense, bodies rigid, eyes scanning their surroundings vigilantly—as if expecting another car to come barreling toward them at any moment.
The trip from the airport to the district bureau should have taken only forty minutes, but to Guan Xia, it felt like an endless, perilous journey straight out of Journey to the West, with no way of knowing what awaited them next.
Thankfully, the next few intersections passed without incident. But instead of relaxing, Guan Xia grew increasingly uneasy—like the eerie calm before a storm. Even Pang Le’s lips were pressed into a thin line, as if sharing Guan Xia’s suffocating sense of dread.
At every approaching intersection, their guard instinctively rose.
This one was no different. While Zhong Xiaoyu focused on the road ahead, occasionally checking the rearview mirror, the other three scrutinized their surroundings, leaving no blind spots unchecked.
Then, that spine-chilling sensation crept over Guan Xia again. She instinctively rubbed her goosebump-covered arms and sharpened her focus, studying the intersection ahead.
One glance was all it took to spot the danger.
About fifty meters ahead, all three lanes were occupied by large vehicles—a freight truck, a road maintenance vehicle, and a garbage truck. Given their speed and the traffic light’s timing, none would clear the intersection before the light turned red. In other words, no matter which lane they chose, they’d be forced to stop behind one of these massive vehicles.
Guan Xia immediately turned to look behind them—and sure enough, a freight truck was trailing them at a distance. She had no doubt it would ram into them the moment they stopped at the red light.
Having survived one attack, Guan Xia reacted with icy clarity. "Can we overtake those three trucks ahead?" she asked Zhong Xiaoyu.
Her words snapped the others to attention. Zhong Xiaoyu’s already stern expression hardened further. After assessing the road, she answered rapidly, "No. They’re all hugging the lane markers. If we try to pass, they’ll just steer to block us, forcing us to slow down."
Guan Xia glanced again at the truck behind them, then dialed Xu Nian while making a swift decision. "Find a way to U-turn. Let’s lose them."
Zhong Xiaoyu acknowledged just as the call connected. Xu Nian’s voice, edged with tension, came through: "Guan Xia, what’s wrong?"
"There’s no time to explain," Guan Xia said tersely. "We’re making a U-turn. Follow us."
Xu Nian knew better than to press for details. "Understood," he replied curtly before hanging up.
Perhaps they were nearing the intersection, or perhaps they had sensed something—just as the yellow light at the crossroad began flashing, about to turn red, the cars ahead started slowing down to brake. Yet the large truck behind them accelerated instead, making no attempt to hide its intentions.
Zhong Xiaoyu glanced at the rearview mirror, let out a cold laugh, and quickly said, "Hold on tight." Then, with a sharp turn of the steering wheel, she deliberately crashed into the guardrail. The impact sent several sections flying, leaving a gaping hole. Without hesitation, Zhong Xiaoyu sped through the opening, swerving onto the opposite lane. Before Guan Xia could even steady herself, she turned to look back, relieved to see Xu Nian's car following closely behind.
But what happened next was both shocking and horrifying. As Xu Nian's car cleared the gap, the truck that had clearly intended to cause them harm tried to pursue. However, the massive vehicle, heavily loaded with cargo, couldn't handle the maneuver. Its momentum sent it skidding uncontrollably before it flipped onto its side.
Fortunately, the opposite lane Guan Xia and the others had entered was under a red light, so aside from the truck’s self-inflicted disaster, no other vehicles were caught in the chaos.
Zhong Xiaoyu witnessed the scene and flashed a triumphant grin, scoffing, "That’s what they get for overestimating themselves. Trying to kill us? They’d need the skills first."
Leaving the overturned truck behind, Zhong Xiaoyu and Xu Nian’s car didn’t stop—instead, they picked up speed and raced away.
But this was still a society governed by law. Just like the earlier accident scene, it wasn’t long before the piercing wail of police sirens echoed in the distance behind them.
Zhong Xiaoyu checked the rearview mirror again and said, "Looks like they’re after us. Guan Xia, should we pull over?"
Before Guan Xia could answer, the approaching police car blared its horn, demanding they stop by the roadside.
Noticing Xu Nian’s car slowing down, Guan Xia sighed. "Seems like we won’t get far without explaining. Let’s pull over and let Xu Nian handle it."
Zhong Xiaoyu parked at the curb but stayed inside, resting her chin on the seatback as she curiously watched Xu Nian step out to deal with the situation.
Thanks to his police credentials, Xu Nian resolved things quickly. Within minutes, Guan Xia saw him shake hands with the lead officer, exchange salutes, and return to their cars.
"Let’s go," Guan Xia said, amused by Zhong Xiaoyu’s disappointed expression.
As Zhong Xiaoyu restarted the engine, she remarked, "I was expecting something more dramatic, like in the movies. That whole chase was straight out of an action flick. I can’t believe that criminal organization would be so brazen and ruthless. Shouldn’t the armed police be involved in this case by now?"
After resetting the navigation route, Ji An replied, "They will be, but not yet. Don’t worry—once we find the evidence to arrest Wu Yang, they’ll step in. I doubt he’ll go down without a fight."
Guan Xia’s interest piqued. "Ji An, are you saying Wu Yang might flee?"
Ji An nodded, and Zhong Xiaoyu added, "Obviously. A man like Wu Yang—rich, used to power, with his own network—would never accept arrest. The moment we reach the district bureau, he’ll probably be making a run for it."
Guan Xia’s mind raced. After a brief pause, she immediately called Xu Nian.
As soon as he answered, she asked, "Earlier, you mentioned bringing Wu Yang in for questioning to get his fingerprints and DNA. Has the task force managed to bring him in yet?"
Xu Nian seemed surprised by the sudden question. After a beat, he replied, "After reviewing Li Miao’s recording, the task force contacted colleagues in Jianyang. If all went as planned, Wu Yang should already be at the station. But since it’s just for questioning and there’s no solid evidence, they can’t hold him long. Plus, given his status, it’s hard to keep him detained."
Guan Xia wasn’t shocked. Wu Yang was a high-profile philanthropist, known for his charity work despite his orphanage background. Even with the task force pushing, she doubted they could hold him for the full 24 hours. At best, he’d be released before dawn, no matter how much they stalled.
Sighing, she rubbed her temples. Even with foresight, stopping Wu Yang’s escape seemed nearly impossible—especially since they still had no clear grasp of the criminal organization’s full scale.
She relayed Zhong Xiaoyu’s earlier concern to Xu Nian, who pondered before responding, "The task force has contingencies in place. Trust me—once we have the evidence, Wu Yang won’t slip away."
