Chapter Forty: The Jungle Falcon

“Sister Li, since you’re busy, I won’t bother you. I’ll head out first.” Liu Jingye dared not linger with this voluptuous, ripened woman, afraid she might act on impulse.

He hurried toward the door, only to hear Li Yan call after him, “Leaving before spending the night?”

Liu Jingye stumbled out the door, muttering inwardly, “What kind of nonsense is that? Normal people would say, ‘Stay for dinner before you go,’ but she goes straight to ‘spend the night before you leave.’ She’s being way too generous.”

He bolted away, hearing Li Yan shout from the doorway, “Grandpa, come visit often when you have time…”

Liu Jingye had no way to deal with this mature sister, who seemed intent on offering herself to him. Faced with her half-serious, half-playful seduction, he had no resistance whatsoever. All he could do was escape whenever possible to avoid making mistakes.

He carried with him his old companion—one that had been through life-and-death battles with him, had survived countless brushes with death, and with whom he had forged a deep bond. When he returned, he couldn’t bring this fellow through security; after all, he came back as an ordinary citizen. But Li Yan was different. She was a nationally recognized expert in this field, with legal authorization to possess such things, so he temporarily entrusted it to her care.

Now, finally reunited, they could once again evoke the unstoppable, commanding presence they once displayed on the battlefield.

Just then, Liu Jingye’s phone rang. It was Yuan Xiaoying calling. He paused—could it be the girl was all right?

He answered, and Yuan Xiaoying’s voice came through, tired and subdued. “Hey… I’ve been captured by bad people. They want you to come over.”

“What’s this supposed to mean? Are they calling in the parents, or asking family to come pick you up?” Liu Jingye joked.

“You’d better come.” Yuan Xiaoying whispered, “They’ve tied me up, there are candles burning nearby, and someone’s holding a whip. I’m getting a little scared now.”

“Are you dealing with criminals or perverted creeps?” Liu Jingye asked. But from her words, he sensed she wasn’t joking—she was feigning calm, trying her best to maintain her dignity and composure as a police officer.

“Enough, you mouthy woman, you think we’re playing games with you?” Suddenly, a harsh voice sounded nearby, snatching the phone and speaking to Liu Jingye, “You’re Liu Jingye, right? If you don’t want this woman to die, get over here quickly. You know what you need to bring!”

“It’s just the drug manufacturing process, isn’t it?” Liu Jingye replied.

“As long as you understand.” The other person spoke coldly. “Get ready, I’ll let you know the location soon.”

With that, the call ended. Liu Jingye understood: they’d directly captured the reckless Yuan Xiaoying, who thought her police status allowed her to act with impunity. But these people were desperate, and since it wasn’t Huang Xing who personally captured her, she had no evidence to bring him down.

“I wonder if they’ve tortured the girl,” Liu Jingye mused. “But from her voice, it doesn’t sound like she’s been subjected to harsh interrogation. She doesn’t know anything about the drug manufacturing process, but those earrings were found in my hotel, so I naturally became the only possible target.”

Moreover, their actions seemed meticulous—they even arranged to contact him at intervals, keeping their intentions opaque. No matter their plans, Liu Jingye was determined to turn the tables; he hated being passive and always sought the initiative.

He took out his phone, opened a mysterious app, and entered Yuan Xiaoying’s number. Immediately, a map appeared, a blinking dot marking her location.

This was the world’s most advanced positioning system. By using a phone number—especially one that had just made a call—it could capture the signal between the phone and satellite base stations, then pinpoint the source through satellite positioning, revealing the phone’s whereabouts. Such products existed on the market, mostly used for catching cheaters, but Liu Jingye’s software was far superior.

He quickly locked onto Yuan Xiaoying’s location, summoned a motor tricycle, and discreetly made his way there.

They were in an old industrial district, filled with heavy industry factories from the seventies and eighties, abandoned for years after restructuring, and now rarely visited.

Liu Jingye arrived at the entrance of a vacant factory, outside piled high with dismantled machine parts. He quietly climbed up and peered through the exhaust window. Inside was chaotic, cluttered with massive machining equipment. Yuan Xiaoying was tied to a lathe, candles and a leather whip beside her. Yet her clothes were intact and she appeared uninjured—the props were likely meant to intimidate her.

“She wasn’t interrogated at all, just scared into confessing, and even gave up her own contact information,” Liu Jingye broke into a cold sweat. “Traitor!”

His gaze swept the room. There were five or six men—not flashy, but robust and sharp-eyed, their expressions grim and silent. They didn’t cluster together or speak; the atmosphere was tense.

“These aren’t ordinary thugs. I can sense their murderous aura—likely they’ve all taken lives. It seems the Huang Dynasty is playing for keeps,” Liu Jingye thought. He even noticed the outline of a handgun on one of them.

Among them was someone who looked familiar, possibly a wanted fugitive he’d seen on television. Criminal gangs often recruited such desperate men—fugitives with nowhere to go, the ideal enforcers or expendable pawns.

“Ah…” Suddenly, the previously dispirited Yuan Xiaoying let out a shrill cry, and the men immediately looked over.

Was the girl hurt? Liu Jingye was startled.

But then Yuan Xiaoying shouted, “I’m so bored! I’m thirsty, hungry, and tired—I want fried chicken and beer! You guys shouldn’t just sit there; someone sing a song for me!”

Liu Jingye nearly tumbled off the rooftop. He knew Yuan Xiaoying was scatterbrained and carefree, but hadn’t expected her to be this much of a fool.

The men sneered at her, openly doubting her mental stability.

Yuan Xiaoying, unfazed, said, “What’s this? We have no personal grudge. You only caught me to get something from Liu Jingye. I won’t try to escape, so relax—someone sing a song!”

No one responded, but impatience crept across their faces. One muttered, “Boss, call Liu Jingye already. Let’s get what we need and get out—this place is a dump.”

The boss shook his head, tossing him a cigarette. “Don’t rush. The higher-ups say this item is crucial—mustn’t let it leak. Now that we have a hostage, we want Liu Jingye anxious and distracted, so he won’t call the police. When the time’s right, we’ll contact him.”

These men were formidable.

Liu Jingye thought, “Yuan Xiaoying isn’t stupid—she’s acting silly on purpose, pretending to be weak so these ruthless bandits won’t want to kill her. And these guys are even more meticulous.”

“Also,” another man said suddenly, “the higher-ups say Liu Jingye is highly skilled. We mustn’t underestimate him.”

“Underestimate?” One drew a pistol from his belt. “With this in my hand, I can look down on anyone.”

The others laughed, emboldened by their weapons.

But to Liu Jingye, these were mere toys.

To Yuan Xiaoying, they were deadly. She calmed, worry flickering in her eyes.

“Will Liu Jingye come? Will he risk himself to save me?” Yuan Xiaoying wondered. “What is this ‘item’ they keep mentioning—why does Liu Jingye have it? Is he really that skilled? If they get what they want, will they kill us both?”

Her mind was chaotic, regretful for her rashness. She never imagined the Huang Dynasty would be so deranged, their power far beyond her expectations. How ironic that she always prided herself on justice, yet her ex-boyfriend turned out to be the head of the greatest criminal organization.

Liu Jingye noticed her changed expression, hoping she’d learn from this ordeal.

He lay in wait outside, quietly watching, searching for a chance to strike.

Time passed; dusk gradually deepened. Both Liu Jingye and the men inside grew restless. Yuan Xiaoying kept yelling she needed to relieve herself, but no one paid her any mind. One suggested, “Boss, it’s getting dark. Looks like Liu Jingye hasn’t called the police.”

“Alright, I’ll contact him now.” The boss took out his phone.

Liu Jingye had already set his phone to silent. When the call came through, he answered in a low voice, exchanged a few words to confirm the location, and hung up.

He planned to use the time after the call—while the gang awaited his arrival—to launch a surprise attack.

Unexpectedly, they were extremely cautious. As soon as the call ended, the boss ordered, “Liu Jingye could come any time. Everyone stay alert. Spread out, take your assigned positions, and get ready to ambush.”

The others obeyed, dispersing throughout the vast factory. There was an overhead crane and huge machines everywhere, offering plenty of hiding spots.

Moreover, the factory’s lighting was broken; only a single lamp shone at the main entrance. The moment Liu Jingye stepped inside, he would be exposed, while the enemies in the shadows remained invisible.

“They really came prepared,” Liu Jingye thought, watching them disappear into the darkness—even Yuan Xiaoying’s figure vanished. A cold smile crept onto his lips. “Darkness—I love darkness most.”

His enemies once nicknamed him “Jungle Falcon”—in the dense jungle, whether day or night, darkness was absolute, but nothing could obscure the eyes of a falcon.

Liu Jingye jumped down from the roof, hugging the wall as he carefully approached the main entrance. From his coat he drew the massive pistol, raised it, and fired—shattering the lamp at the door, plunging the place into utter darkness.