I again used my grappling hook to reach the corridor on the other side, then found the elevator near the stairs. The floors were too many, I couldn't ascend by stairs. With the special forces not having arrived yet, I rushed into the elevator. Several special forces soldiers opened fire towards me. I took cover in a nearby corner. Bullets whizzed through the baffle next to me. By the time the elevator doors closed, more bullets zipped past!
I pressed the ascent button.
Fifty floors was a bit daunting, but the elevator's speed was good. I quickly reached the 40th floor, and soon would be at the rooftop. As the elevator reached the top floor, a ding sounded. I rushed out in one breath. My submachine gun was out of ammunition, so I abandoned it. Gripping my father's pistol, codenamed Falcon, I pointed it at the people before me!
Old Man Zhuge looked relaxed, drawing closer to the girl beside him. "I didn't expect you to actually make it here. That's right, I was lying before. But I was indeed a great medical expert in the past. If not for my granddaughter, the girl beside me, Zhuge Linglong, and her illness, I wouldn't have become like this. I've spent my life researching medicines for the world's top ten rare diseases. Among them, Morgellons Syndrome has always been my deepest regret..."
Because both I and my granddaughter suffer from this disease, and I am helpless to treat it. Prolactin is merely an anesthetic; it cannot cure Morgellons Syndrome. Thus, my research ultimately ended in failure. kanshuwo.xia
"Zhuge, it's time to surrender. Tell those people to stop resisting. If you continue down this wrong path, there will be no turning back!"
"Turning back? Impossible. Lay down your arms? That's a luxury for me. But I'll ask you a question, He Sheng. If I die, will you take care of Linglong?"
"I promise. If she has no connection to you, she'll merely be a family member of a criminal."
Old Man Zhuge nodded, seemingly agreeing. He looked at his granddaughter with tenderness and peace, bringing her closer.
"Grandpa!" The girl looked at her grandfather but then turned to me. "Officer brother, please don't shoot!"
My hands tightened around the pistol as I cautiously approached. In truth, both individuals before me were Morgellons Syndrome patients, weak and frail. I certainly wouldn't shoot. But the moment Zhuge Tianyu embraced his granddaughter, his expression changed drastically. A grim look spread across his face. "I don't trust the police!"
Bang!
A bullet pierced Zhuge Linglong's body. The girl stared at her grandfather in astonishment, then collapsed to the ground powerlessly. Her blood stained her pink dress. At the same time, Zhuge Tianyu produced a dagger and plunged it into his own throat!
He knelt on the ground, his eyes closing weakly, yet he didn't fall!
I approached him, looking at the girl, and pressed firmly on her chest. "Officer brother, thank you..."
"Don't talk! Hold on!"
"Morgellons Syndrome has eroded me all these years. I've suffered greatly. I actually knew Grandpa would do this. But this is the best ending for us. As the descendant of a crime boss, I can only accept this fate."
"..." I didn't know what to say then, only watching Zhuge Linglong breathe her last...
As we descended from the four-sided building, the entire Thor Island had been cleared by the police. Yu Ning was safe with me. She supported me as we walked towards the sea...
We were about to embark on a speed boat to leave. Apart from Zhuge, all the other survivors on the island were taken with us.
Upon returning to the provincial headquarters, we were transferred to the hospital for treatment. After we recovered, we returned to the provincial headquarters. The subsequent interrogation work was already completed. Because of our efforts, the criminal alliance had completely collapsed, and the individual criminal organizations scattered like birds and beasts. I believed that from then on, regardless of the location, public order would surely improve significantly.
But our story was far from over. One day, I received a strange message: "Detective He, do you remember me? I'm back. Old Turtle is gone, but with my strength and Amber's help, hehehe. Didn't you notice? We weren't on the island at the time; we had left. So I won't let you off. Amber is now the new leader of Punishing Heaven, and I, Gongsun Hao, have always been in contact with her. Everyone is being manipulated by me now. En... Alright, you should immediately go to the nearby Eight Princes Mountain. Otherwise, I'm afraid you won't make it in time... I've prepared a very interesting gift for you there. If you can solve the final riddle, we can finally settle this. Remember, we are the final conclusion.
Old Turtle has no more use. His path should have been death, not leading us in the criminal alliance. This era should belong to us newcomers, us young people. Old Turtle died miserably. Alas, forget it. Come over. You can choose not to come, but you know the methods of our criminal alliance. We still have many people. Even though we suffered a heavy blow on Thor Island last time, as long as I continue to rally, criminals from other places will join again.
Detective He, criminals in this world can never be eradicated. Where there is crime, there is our criminal alliance. Therefore, our resources are infinite. This is merely exploiting humanity's most pathetic desires.
The only way to have no crime is to eliminate desire, but how can this be removed? Alright, I'll wait for you. I'm only giving you 20 minutes.
"How can this be?" This guy dared to openly challenge me, and at this time?
But I knew others couldn't help me with this matter, and I didn't want to implicate anyone else because of it.
So, I decided to make a final decision, one that no one else would know I made alone.
Because below this message was a photo: He Xin and Liu Yuning were seen hanging, imprisoned in a large, rectangular glass bottle.
This time, Gongsun Hao was using them as my bargaining chips. I didn't know how he managed it.
Below the photo were some words: "If I know you've called for backup, I'll kill them immediately. I won't use guns or any hidden weapons. I'll just cut the ropes, and they'll fall into an underground layer filled with poisonous gas. There are many bones there, the remains of those who died here before. Their flesh and blood have long been corroded, leaving only roundworms and decaying flesh, stark white bones. Alright, I know you definitely don't want the people you love most to die in such a place, right?"