Death Notice 2 Destiny

Chapter 50

For the police, placing Du Mingqiang on the stadium's main stand was a good option at this point. Simultaneously protecting both Ahua and Du Mingqiang would inevitably strain police resources. It was better to place them in one location, allowing for concentrated efforts to provide optimal protection for both targets.

Du Mingqiang himself was naturally more than happy to accept this offer. For an ordinary reporter to even get into the stadium to cover a match that was attracting province-wide attention, let alone sit in the VIP box, was an absolutely enviable privilege. He would also likely witness firsthand the fierce battle between Ahua and Eumenides; for a reporter, even winning the lottery couldn't compare to this kind of luck.

However, when there was any unusual movement around the podium, Du Mingqiang's face would betray an undisguised panic. After all, he himself was also on the "death sentence list," and if Eumenides really arrived, would they take him down with them?

Du Mingqiang frequently turned to look at Ahua beside him, perhaps observing the other's reaction, or perhaps trying to find some courage from him to bolster his own. However, most of Ahua's face was hidden behind large sunglasses, making it impossible to see his eyes or discern his expression.

In fact, this was exactly the effect Ahua wanted to achieve. In a battle between experts, the enemy is in the dark while you are in the light. Any subtle change in your expression could be detected by your opponent, thus revealing your battle plan. Wearing sunglasses can conceal this information and prevent your opponent from taking advantage of the situation.

So once Ahua was seated on the podium, his gaze could sweep across the surroundings without restraint, thus using the terrain to his advantage to compensate for the contrast between light and shadow between friend and foe. At the same time, he could also transmit his orders to his subordinates at any time through a microphone hidden in his collar. Some of these subordinates were scattered around the podium, while others were lying in ambush in the Jinhai Hotel outside the stadium.

From Ahua's vantage point, the Jinhai Grand Hotel stood prominently in front of him. This five-star luxury hotel, thirty-six stories high with over two thousand guest rooms, was one of the most magnificent buildings in the provincial capital. The hotel was separated from Jianhe Stadium by only one road, so guests staying on higher floors could enjoy a complete view of the stadium. For Ahua, monitoring the stadium's activities was paramount, and he certainly wouldn't overlook such an important observation point.

The police were also heavily involved in this location. At this moment, in room 2237 on the 22nd floor of the hotel, three special guests stood by the window. The curtains were drawn, and the room was completely dark, making it impossible for anyone outside to see what was happening inside. However, the three men could observe the outside through gaps in the curtains. Sometimes they surveyed the entire room with their naked eyes from afar, and sometimes they used binoculars to examine close-up details, their expressions serious and focused.

The middle-aged man wearing an earpiece and microphone among the three was Luo Fei, the head of the "418 Special Task Force" and the captain of the criminal police. The man and woman next to him were Luo Fei's assistant Yin Jian and psychology expert Mu Jianyun, respectively.

Location-wise, the 22nd floor offered the best vantage point for observing the stadium's main stand. Therefore, Luo Fei and his team designated it as the police command center for this operation. They secretly infiltrated the building an hour before the game began and remained there, closely monitoring the situation on the field while continuously communicating with other police personnel via radio.

As a civilian police officer, Mu Jianyun did not directly participate in the on-site operational planning meetings. However, during the previous operation to protect Han Shaohong at the Civic Square, Mu Jianyun had learned a great deal about police disguise and surveillance techniques from Luo Fei. Now that she was on the scene again, she could take this opportunity to verify them.

"The man with the megaphone in the seventh row of the stands right next to the main stage; and the staff member next to the home team's coaching bench—these two should be our plainclothes officers, right?" After careful observation, Mu Jianyun asked, guessing.

"Yes." Yin Jian, standing to the side, looked somewhat surprised. "You could tell?"

Luo Fei turned his head, stealing a moment of leisure to smile slightly, and said, "Oh, Teacher Mu, you grasped it very quickly!"

Mu Jianyun frowned, seemingly dissatisfied with her performance. She clicked her tongue and said, "Strange, why can't I find Liu Song?"

Among the frontline personnel, Mu Jianyun was most familiar with Liu Song. Therefore, her first target was this young man from the special police team.

"Liu Song..." Luo Fei turned his head back to the window, scanning the vast stadium with his gaze, and then he said softly, "Even if he were standing right across from you now, you might not recognize him."

"Oh?" Mu Jianyun's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that she had deliberately disguised her appearance? She brought her eyes closer to the binoculars and searched even more carefully. However, in the end, she shook her head in disappointment, still finding nothing.

"Isn't he in the stadium?" Mu Jianyun couldn't help but ask. However, her question seemed rather unconvincing—how could Liu Song be absent from such an occasion? Besides, Du Mingqiang was sitting on the podium, which meant Liu Song must be nearby!

Luo Fei seemed to want to give Mu Jianyun a more definitive assessment. He called into the microphone, "002, 001 calling, please respond."

"Here." Although only one word came through the earphone, Mu Jianyun could still recognize that it was Liu Song's voice.

Luo Fei asked, "How's the situation on your end?"

"The ambush remains at the designated location, and so far there have been no unusual signs."

A predetermined location? Mu Jianyun narrowed his eyes. Where exactly was it?

"Stay vigilant," Luo Fei instructed, his tone extremely serious.

"Understood!" Liu Song replied succinctly and forcefully. Even through the radio waves, the three people inside the room could feel the other's surging fighting spirit and unwavering belief in victory.

Luo Fei nodded silently, a satisfied expression on his face. This was exactly the kind of soldier he needed!

After ending the call, Luo Fei checked the time: the game was nearing its end. He took a deep breath, wishing he could concentrate all his energy. Because he knew: another fierce battle was imminent!

Meanwhile, also at the Jinhai Hotel, in room 2107 on the 21st floor, a man was observing the action at the stadium through a gap in the curtains. From behind, he appeared to be a tall, robust young man dressed in loose-fitting sportswear and wearing a sporty cap. Although he was indoors and it was already dark, he was wearing sunglasses, as if to conceal something.

The man had booked the room yesterday, but he didn't check in immediately, arriving late this afternoon. From the moment he appeared, he never took off his sunglasses, so his eyes were never visible from any angle. He had a thick, black mustache, but it looked unnatural, as if it were haphazardly bunched together.

Once the game started, the man stood by the window and never left. He also held a pair of binoculars, which he used from time to time to observe certain details happening in the stadium.

Clearly, this man is monitoring something, but does he know that he himself is being monitored?

A hidden camera was installed in the ceiling light of the guest room, its lens pointing directly at the window. So from the moment the man walked to the window, his every move was captured by the camera. These video signals were transmitted through a cable and eventually displayed on a small monitor screen.

A robust man in his thirties sat in front of the screen, dressed in a hotel waiter's uniform, but the cold expression on his face was completely out of character for a waiter. He stared intently at the monitor screen, his eyes flashing with a chilling flame of anger.

However, that wasn't the only surveillance screen. In this small room, there were hundreds of similar screens, densely packed together. Among them was a scene from the police command center in room 2237: Luo Fei and two others were intently focused on the window, seemingly oblivious to being spied on.

Another separate monitor was showing a live broadcast of the match inside the stadium. The footage showed the battle on the field had reached a fever pitch. The away team, especially, dressed in white, were running and tackling with almost frenzied intensity.

The scoreboard might explain why. 2-1, the home team is in the lead. With little time remaining, the away team has no choice but to fight desperately to turn the tide.

However, the home team united as one and tenaciously resisted wave after wave of attacks from their opponents. With the final whistle of two short and one long whistle from the referee, the home team finally secured the victory.

Tens of thousands of spectators in the stadium erupted in cheers and shouts as the whistle blew, releasing their overwhelming joy. On the podium, Ahua and others also rose to their feet, joining the crowd in applause to congratulate the team.

The team's young men were deeply immersed in the celebratory atmosphere. They spontaneously joined hands, walked towards the stands, and bowed to the audience. This gesture ignited the crowd's enthusiasm, and people surged towards the front of the stands. Some enthusiastic young men even jumped off the stands, wanting to get up close and personal with their heroes.

The man in the waiter's uniform had witnessed all of this. He seemed to have been waiting for this moment, and now that the time was ripe, he picked up a microphone and said in a deep voice, "Move!"

Inside the stadium, most of the fans who jumped from the stands were stopped by the police maintaining order, but a few agile individuals managed to bypass the guards and reach the players. The players, still excited, readily gave their jerseys to the first fans to arrive. This scene seemed to encourage others, and more fans jumped down from the stands one after another, rushing towards the players.

The situation seemed to be spiraling out of control. The players started to panic, hastily throwing down a few jerseys and retreating towards the locker room. The police tried their best to restrain the frenzied fans, but their efforts were futile against the out-of-control crowd. The fans swarmed forward, grabbing the jerseys from the ground, and the scene descended into chaos.

In this situation, seven or eight people suddenly broke away from the crowd and ran at full speed towards the podium. They were all agile and quick, clearly not ordinary civilians.

This sudden change, of course, did not escape the eyes of the surveillance cameras on the opposite high-rise building. Inside room 2237, Luo Fei had already begun calling Liu Song: "002, immediately enter Level 1 alert status!"

Liu Song did not reply, and the silence itself represented the most tense situation.

The footage from inside the room was transmitted to a monitor screen via a webcam, but the man dressed as a waiter seemed unconcerned about Luo Fei and the others' condition. His gaze remained fixed on the monitor screen in room 2107.

The tall man in room 2107 had clearly noticed the changes taking place in the stadium. He was holding binoculars close to his eyes, seemingly trying to find a target.

The man watching this scene on the monitor curled his lips into a sneer. Then he stood up and strode towards the door. Reaching the doorway, he raised his right arm and casually grabbed a large white towel, draping it over it. In this way, his attire alone made him look exactly like a waiter about to change a customer's towel.

The "waiter" left the room, which turned out to be the basement of the entire hotel building. He seemed very familiar with the layout, and after turning left twice, he arrived at the elevator entrance. He then got into the elevator and pressed the button for the twenty-first floor.

Meanwhile, inside room 2107, the tall man, whose face was obscured, continued to monitor the situation in the stadium. He subtly moved his binoculars, the lens closely following the "fans" rushing towards the stands. When these people reached within twenty or thirty meters of the stands, several plainclothes men suddenly emerged from various corners. These later arrivals had the advantage in numbers, and they began to surround and apprehend the "fans" behaving strangely. The "fans" did not resist and were quickly subdued by the newcomers. At this moment, one of Ahua's subordinates stepped down from the stands and came between the two groups, seemingly mediating something.

Upon seeing this, the tall man in the room put down his binoculars. He turned his head slightly, his brows furrowing above his sunglasses. Just then, a soft "beep" sounded from behind him.

The man realized that it was the sound of the electronic lock on the door being opened. He turned around abruptly and saw a "waiter" appear at the door with a long towel draped over his right arm.

Using the dim light in the corridor, the man could vaguely make out the figure and features of the newcomer. He demanded, "Who's there?"

The shout was transmitted through a microphone hidden in his collar, and the recipient was Luo Fei, who was in room 2237 of the hotel. Luo Fei whirled around from the window and yelled into his microphone, "Action!"

With this command, Luo Fei and Yin Jian simultaneously leaped out of the building. Meanwhile, on the street in front of the Jinhai Hotel, more than a dozen plainclothes officers, dressed in various uniforms, sprang into action upon hearing the command, rapidly converging on the hotel entrance from all directions.

Inside room 2107, the "waiter" pushed open the door but made no further words or movements. With a gloomy face, he pulled the trigger of the pistol hidden in the towel.

A silencer was already installed on the barrel, so the bullet only made a soft "thud" when it was fired. The bullet struck the man in front of the window in the chest, who let out a heavy groan and fell backward to the ground.

After successfully knocking the man down, the "waiter" immediately threw off the towel on his arm. He rushed forward with his gun, only to find the man lying on the ground, clutching his chest with both hands, his breath catching in his throat, in excruciating pain.

The waiter crouched down, pressed the gun against the man's head, and quickly removed the man's sunglasses and mustache with his left hand. When he saw the man's face clearly, he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "It's you!?"

The man inside stared intently at the "waiter" with his red eyes, struggling to utter the man's name: "Han... Hao!"

Yes, although the room was dimly lit, he could still clearly see the other person's face at such close range. This man disguised as a waiter was none other than Han Hao, the former captain of the criminal investigation team who had been on the run for a long time!

Han Hao naturally recognized the man lying on the ground as Liu Song, Xiong Yuan's most capable subordinate and a special police officer. He suddenly realized something, reached out and pulled open the man's collar, revealing a hidden microphone.

Han Hao's surprise quickly turned into anxiety. He stood up, pulled back the curtains, and looked downstairs, just in time to see plainclothes officers rushing into the hotel.

Han Hao gritted his teeth and turned to leave, but his footing faltered as Liu Song grabbed his right ankle. He immediately aimed his gun at Han Hao's head and hissed, "Let go!"

Liu Song showed no fear, his eyes wide open as he met Han Hao's gaze, filled with hatred and rage. Han Hao, stung by that look, no longer had the courage to pull the trigger. He simply raised his left foot and kicked Liu Song in the forehead. Liu Song's body went limp, and he passed out completely.

Han Hao didn't linger and strode towards the door. Just as he reached the corridor, he heard hurried footsteps coming from the stairwell not far away; clearly, someone was rushing down from the twenty-second floor. Han Hao knew without a doubt who it was, and a fine line of sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.

At this point, it was too late to escape to either end of the corridor. In desperation, he used the universal electronic key card in his left hand to open the door of room 2108 across the hall, slipped inside, locked the door from the inside, and peered out through the peephole.

The people rushing down from upstairs were Luo Fei and Yin Jian, who had already drawn their guns and were ready for battle at any moment. However, when the two arrived at room 2107, they found that their opponent had vanished without a trace, leaving only Liu Song lying unconscious under the window.

"Where did he go?" Yin Jian searched around inside and outside the house, looking anxious.

Luo Fei, however, remained much calmer. While crouching down to check Liu Song's injuries, he used the microphone to order the other officers involved: "Seal off all entrances and exits of the building, and send two people to take over the building's surveillance room."

Just then, another set of footsteps sounded, and Mu Jianyun followed. Seeing the scene inside, she looked somewhat puzzled.

"Liu Song? What's he doing here?" Upon seeing the person lying on the ground, she immediately widened her eyes and asked Luo Fei, "What exactly happened?"

Luo Fei didn't have time to explain to her. He first reached out and checked Liu Song's breathing, then pressed hard on her philtrum. After a moment, Liu Song slowly woke up.

"Captain Luo..." the young man greeted him instinctively, but as soon as he regained his senses, he immediately asked anxiously, "Did they catch Han Hao?"

Luo Fei shook his head: "By the time we arrived, he was already gone."

"He couldn't have gone far!" Liu Song struggled to sit up, but suddenly grimaced in pain and clutched his chest.

Luo Fei frowned, and upon closer inspection, he noticed an extra bullet hole in the front of Liu Song's tracksuit, revealing a black bulletproof vest underneath.

"Damn it..." Liu Song cursed angrily, "It was my carelessness. Who would have thought that guy would open fire right away?"

"Lie down first, you might have a fracture." Luo Fei gently supported Liu Song's shoulder. Although the young man was wearing a bulletproof vest, being hit by a bullet at such close range was no less effective than being struck by a hammer.

Mu Jianyun squatted down beside Liu Song, watching him with concern. However, her confusion was growing, and she finally couldn't help but ask again, "Why is Han Hao here too? What exactly are you guys up to?"

Liu Song looked at Mu Jianyun and said, "This was all arranged by Captain Luo. His analysis was very accurate. It's just a pity that I failed to complete the mission." As he spoke, a look of self-reproach and frustration appeared on his face.

As he said, what just happened was actually Luo Fei's "luring the snake out of its hole" strategy.

Two days ago, in the afternoon, when Liu Song was receiving his assignment in Luo Fei's office, he listened to Luo Fei's detailed analysis of the true nature of the Longyu Building murder case:

"No one could have entered or left Deng Hua's office during the time of the incident, and the video footage of the mysterious killer appearing at the scene was authentic—" Luo Fei analyzed at the time, "--a paradox seems to exist between the two, but if we hold onto this paradox tightly, we can arrive at a completely new deduction, which may be the most crucial key to unlocking the mystery of this case."

"What kind of deduction?" Liu Song looked at Yin Jian, who was also present, but neither of them seemed to be able to come up with any clues.

Luo Fei continued, "No one could have been at the scene, yet another assassin did appear. There can only be one explanation: this assassin was already present at the scene."

"But there were definitely only Meng Fangliang and Lin Henggan in that office before," Yin Jian still felt it didn't make sense. "The video recording started when the two victims entered the office and continued continuously until the power went out. There's no possibility of it being faked. There were clearly only two people at the scene when the power went out, so where did the killer come from?"

Luo Fei smiled slightly, attempting to guide his assistant's thinking: "This is another paradox. We should like paradoxes rather than fear them, because the explanation for a paradox is often unique, and that unique explanation is the answer we've been searching for."

"The only explanation?" Prompted by Luo Fei, Yin Jian focused intently on the crucial point of the paradox: "There were only two people present when the power went out, and no one else could have entered afterward, yet the assassin did appear. The only explanation must be—"

He paused abruptly at this point. The deduction was on the tip of his tongue, but he felt that the answer was too absurd and simply impossible.

Liu Song, who was standing next to Yin Jian, shared the same line of thinking, so he finished the sentence for the latter: "The only explanation is that the assassin is one of the two people in the office."

Yin Jian stared wide-eyed at Luo Fei. Luo Fei was silently nodding, clearly agreeing with their reasoning. The clues seemed to be gradually becoming clearer, but the logic was becoming increasingly confusing. Yin Jian could only shake his head in bewilderment: "But how does this make sense? The two people in the office were clearly Meng Fangliang and Lin Henggan, both of whom were Eumenides' targets. And the subsequent video clearly showed that when the killer appeared, both of them were still fast asleep in bed."

Liu Song also frowned as he looked at Luo Fei, his eyes clouded by the same confusion.

"Your thinking has entered two blind spots," Luo Fei said, raising an eyebrow. "But you can't be blamed for that, because these two blind spots were deliberately set up by the enemy, and I was also completely baffled by them for a while. In fact, the enemy's scheme this time was very ingenious. If it weren't for a piece of foam stained with blood, and if that piece of foam hadn't happened to land on the building's terrace, I probably still wouldn't have found the answer."

Since Luo Fei said so, then the pile of scattered foam pieces is clearly the key to analyzing the case. Yin Jian looked at Liu Song, who was now wearing those foam pieces, including the blood-stained clothes found on the terrace.

"Do you remember what you just said?" Luo Fei asked Yin Jian.

Yin Jian rolled his eyes: "What?" He had said too much, and it was unclear which sentence the other person was referring to.

Luo Fei then prompted, "You just said, what did you feel when you saw Liu Song wearing this outfit and surrounded by foam?"

Yin Jian recalled that conversation: "Yeah, I said he looked a lot like the killer in the video."