Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Gu Yiran looked around again. âIt does seem possible. Should we go find them?â
âThose two motherf*ckers!â Lin Yi cursed.
âIf we go looking for them, weâll blow our cover too. Letâs get to the fourth floor and forget about them.â
âLetâs hurry then, before anything else goes wrong.â
The two of them, acting as naturally as possible, headed to the elevator and got in.
âIs it really that serious? Do you have to keep that stern face?â Gu Yiran asked.
âLing Han is an experienced detective, with a lot of successful cases under her belt. She should be fine. Donât stress out.â
âExperience varies, and so does expertise. That woman might be great at catching criminals, but she doesnât understand how things work here. If they really went to the stairwell, thereâs a good chance theyâll get caught.â
âI told you, Ling Han is a seasoned detective and can adapt to situations. Even if she doesnât know the place well, it shouldnât be a big deal. Besides, sheâs already scoped out the location.â
âLet me tell you something. Qianjiang Bathhouse isnât all itâs cracked up to be. Sure, itâs big and fancy, but the actual experience isnât great. Do you know why itâs always packed?â Lin Yi asked, looking at Gu Yiran.
She shook her head, unaware of the secrets of the place.
âItâs because of safety!â Lin Yi explained.
âCompared to other bathhouses, this place isnât exactly clean. Shady transactions are common here, so they keep a very tight grip on who comes and goes, especially on the upper floors. There are guards on every floor. Those two trying to sneak up is going to be tough.â
Gu Yiran fell silent. She knew Lin Yi wasnât the type to exaggerate.
If he was saying this, there must be a reason for it.
If Ling Han and Zhao Su didnât follow them up, they might really mess things up.
Soon, the elevator reached the fourth floor. As the doors opened, they were immediately greeted by two security guards standing nearby.
âBoss Lin.â
One of the guards stepped forward, greeting Lin Yi with a respectful nod and a deferential smile.
Lin Yi nodded back. âAre the private rooms ready?â
âWeâve got everything set up, and the technicians are all in place.â
âAlright, you can go now.â
Lin Yi waved his hand dismissively and walked briskly toward the private rooms, with Gu Yiran following closely. Their behavior mirrored that of a typical couple.
Gu Yiran let out a quiet sigh of relief. The management here was indeed strict.
They even had security patrols.
If she and Lin Yi hadnât been in bathrobes and if Lin Yi werenât a regular, they might have raised suspicion.
âThey donât seem to be here,â Gu Yiran whispered.
âTheyâve probably run into trouble. We need to move quickly. If the staff at Qianjiang catch on, we wonât be able to carry out the rest of the plan.â
Lin Yi quickened his pace toward room 409. As they turned a corner, he spoke into his walkie-talkie.
âMove in!â
At his command, the sound of police sirens blared outside.
Chaos erupted on the fourth floor of the bathhouse.
Doors flung open, and people scrambled out in a panic.
Most of them were dressed similarlyâshirtless, with only bathrobes or towels around their waists.
Behind them were women in various states of undress, making it obvious what had been going on.
âDamn it, whatâs the police doing here?â
âWhat do we do now? If my sister finds out we were fooling around here, weâre done for!â
âDonât worry, Qianjiangâs security is top-notch. We should be fine.â
The blaring sirens were like a rock thrown into water, creating waves of panic.
The people on the fourth floor were all in a panic, trying to avoid getting caught.
Some were with their sisters-in-law, others with their brothersâ wives, and still others with techniciansânone of them with their actual spouses.
But this chaotic scene provided the perfect cover for Lin Yi and Gu Yiran.
It allowed them to blend in without raising suspicion.
They stayed in a corner, ignoring the commotion, their eyes fixed on room 409. However, it was strange as there was no movement inside.
According to the informant, Bai Yongshou was supposed to be in room 409.
With all this happening, he shouldâve reacted by now. Both Lin Yi and Gu Yiran began to feel uneasy.
It seemed something was wrong.
Perhaps Bai Yongshou wasnât in the room after all.
Soon, the elite forces from both precincts stormed the fourth floor, heading straight for room 409.
They kicked the door open, only to find the room empty.
Li Xianghui and the others stood at the doorway in silence.
They struggled to accept this outcome.
After all the effort, finding no one inside was a heavy blow.
Years of experience told them that the informantâs intel might have been compromised.
âLetâs get out of here,â Lin Yi whispered to Gu Yiran.
With Li Xianghui and his team now there, there was no point in maintaining their cover, so they quietly slipped away with the crowd.
When they returned to the meeting point, it was clear from Liu Guangxian and the othersâ faces that they knew what had happened inside.
âDid you see anything suspicious when you were inside?â Liu Chunjiang asked.
âNo, but I think there are two possible explanations. One is that the informantâs intel was bad.â
He then looked directly at Han Zhongyu. âThe other possibility is that your people tipped them off, causing them to prepare ahead of time. Weâll need to analyze which it was.â
âWhat do you saying? That our people blew the operation?â Han Zhongyu flared up. âLing Hanâs operation was flawless. Iâd say it was more likely your teamâs fault that the operation failed!â
âWhy are you so angry?â Lin Yi remained calm.
âWe all had our radios on, so youâll know what happened. Thereâs no need to argue with me about it. Just figure out what went wrong.â
Lin Yi didnât bother engaging further with Han Zhongyu. He stepped aside, waiting for the others to finish up.
âYou!â
âEnough! Both of you!â
Liu Chunjiangâs face was dark with frustration.
Capturing Bai Yongshou was the key operation of this crackdown campaign, and failing to catch him was not the result he wanted.
Lin Yi yawned, not too bothered by the situation.
The night had been a waste, and all theyâd managed to catch were some minor offenders.
If heâd known it would turn out like this, he wouldâve acted sooner.
All the time and effort was a huge waste.
Meanwhile, the people from the bathhouse were being brought out one by one. Among them were Ling Han and Zhao Su, both looking grim.
But in the crowd of those detained, Lin Yi suddenly spotted a familiar face, and his mouth twitched.
âIsnât that my future father-in-law?â