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***
Jiang Yan had grown up in luxury, so the filthy, chaotic environment of the abandoned factory was naturally unpleasant to him. On top of that, his mind was entirely occupied by thoughts of a certain person, leaving him restless from the moment he arrived.
He had only stepped out for some air to ease his irritation, never expecting to stumble upon such an unexpected prize.
His gaze settled on the frozen figure before him, his slightly narrowed eyes carrying a hint of danger. He stepped forward slowly, his tall frame casting a shadow over the other man, radiating an undeniable pressure. "Don’t want to see me?"
"Hmm?"
Jiang Yan’s calm tone sent chills down Luo Qing’s spine. His face had long since paled—seeing this man was no different from seeing a ghost. In fact, it might have been worse.
A flicker of panic flashed in Luo Qing’s eyes, and he instinctively wanted to retreat. But he forced himself to stay rooted in place.
Digging his nails into his palm, he tried desperately to steady himself. There was no point in running now that Jiang Yan had spotted him.
His long lashes trembled slightly before he finally lowered his gaze, avoiding the other man’s piercing stare. "N-no, that’s not it."
Jiang Yan let out a faint, cold chuckle, not believing a single word. There was no way Luo Qing hadn’t noticed him during yesterday’s welcoming.
Just as he was about to speak, movement sounded in the distance—someone had gotten up to use the restroom.
Luo Qing exhaled sharply in relief. As long as others were around, this VIP surely wouldn’t go too far.
But his relief was premature. The moment Jiang Yan heard the noise, he seized Luo Qing’s wrist and dragged him behind the factory machinery and piles of discarded items.
Luo Qing’s eyes widened in alarm. He struggled violently, even attempting to cry out—
Because the direction Jiang Yan was pulling him was straight toward where the trafficked victims were being held. Where the two police officers were imprisoned.
Jiang Yan gave him no chance to make a sound. The moment Luo Qing opened his mouth, a hand clamped over it, silencing him as he was forcibly hauled into the shadows.
The traffickers and their victims were worlds apart. Even at night, the captives couldn’t rest properly. When they caught sight of the two figures approaching, fear flashed across their faces.
Including the two officers.
The police recognized the man immediately and ducked their heads in panic, shrinking deeper into the darkness.
The factory lights were on, but they were positioned on the far side of the building. With the machinery and clutter blocking most of the illumination, only faint streaks of light reached this corner—not nearly enough to brighten the gloom or reveal the identities of those trapped inside the cages.
Jiang Yan didn’t so much as glance in their direction. And even if he had, it wouldn’t have stirred an ounce of pity in him.
Jiang Yan was different from other criminals. He hadn’t been driven to wickedness by circumstance, nor had he thrown away his life for wealth.
He was born bad. He relished the sensation of a blade piercing flesh, the thrill of bloodshed—a pleasure he couldn’t resist.
But since yesterday, he’d found something even more intoxicating.
Jiang Yan lowered his gaze, looking down at the figure struggling in his arms. His voice, quiet enough that only Luo Qing could hear, was dark and deliberate: "Stop moving."
"If he notices us, I’ll take you right here."
Luo Qing went rigid. Disbelieving, he looked up at Jiang Yan as if questioning whether he’d misheard.
But Jiang Yan’s expression was cold, devoid of any humor.
He meant it.
Luo Qing’s lips trembled before he pressed them tightly together, ceasing all resistance.
Jiang Yan was pleased by Luo Qing’s compliance—though not entirely. Still, it didn’t matter. The man was already in his grasp.
Everything about him would belong to Jiang Yan, now and forever.
It was as if Luo Qing’s very existence had been waiting for him. The thought arose abruptly, yet Jiang Yan felt no resistance to it.
This person was his by nature.
His gaze darkened as he studied the figure in his arms. His grip loosened slightly, but he didn’t let go. Instead, his thumb dragged slowly, deliberately, over Luo Qing’s thin lips.
The shape of Luo Qing’s mouth was exquisite. Under Jiang Yan’s teasing friction, the pale lips flushed a tempting red, as if inviting a kiss.
Luo Qing stiffened further—not just from Jiang Yan’s audacity, but from the sound of footsteps approaching in the distance.
Someone was crossing the hall toward the restroom.
Though the shadows hid them from casual view, Luo Qing tensed, holding his breath.
Jiang Yan, however, seemed utterly indifferent to the risk of discovery. His long fingers pressed insistently against Luo Qing’s lips, even attempting to pry them open.
The passerby hadn’t yet left. Luo Qing didn’t dare struggle, clamping his lips shut in silent defiance.
But Jiang Yan didn’t understand restraint. He gripped Luo Qing’s chin, tilting it up, and descended in a kiss that brooked no refusal.
Luo Qing’s eyes widened, his pupils contracting slightly as he instinctively clenched his jaw.
Jiang Yan noticed and tightened his grip on Luo Qing’s chin, forcing his mouth open before invading past his teeth with ruthless dominance.
“Mmph…”
Jiang Yan’s actions grew increasingly excessive. If this continued, things would escalate beyond all limits.
A glimmer of moisture welled up in Luo Qing’s beautiful eyes, his entire body radiating resistance—anyone could see it.
Inside a nearby cage, Han Lin clenched his fists so tightly that veins bulged across his hands. But in the end, he lowered his head.
He couldn’t reveal his identity. Nor could he throw away years of effort for the sake of a human trafficker.
Besides, the boss was right beside him. He would never allow such a thing to happen.
Since becoming a cop, Han Lin had witnessed too much—too many helpless situations where even the most righteous fury couldn’t change a damn thing. He wasn’t that hot-blooded idealist anymore, the kind who couldn’t tolerate even a speck of injustice.
Lost in his thoughts, Han Lin failed to notice the unusual tension in his usually iron-willed boss beside him.
Sheng Fu watched the scene with darkened eyes, his entire body exuding a chilling aura. A rare flicker of killing intent flashed in his gaze before he abruptly turned toward a shadowed corner of the factory.
Where there were factories, there were rats. Sheng Fu stared at the rodent skittering through the darkness, then emotionlessly picked up a stone from the ground and hurled it without a sound.
The rock struck the rat’s body. Though the impact was quiet, the creature shrieked in pain, scrambling away and crashing into nearby debris—creating a sudden, deafening noise.
The sound startled everyone nearby, including the high school boy locked in a separate cage.
Unlike the others, his cell had a bed. Still groggy from being woken, he blinked in confusion—until his gaze landed on Luo Qing being kissed in the distance. Instantly, he was wide awake.
“Fuck! You bastard!”
The high school boy kicked open his cage door and charged at Jiang Yan, fists swinging, his face twisted with a fury completely unlike his usual demeanor.
It was the rage of seeing the cake he’d been eyeing snatched away and devoured by someone else before he could even unwrap it.
Jiang Yan spun Luo Qing out of harm’s way, dodging the punch effortlessly. He arched an eyebrow at the boy, surprised.
“Young Master Lin?”
Hearing the familiar voice, the high school boy froze mid-lunge. He stared at the man holding Luo Qing and finally recognized him.
An old acquaintance.
“You?”
The male high school student’s expression darkened. “What are you doing here?” he asked coldly.
Jiang Yan didn’t answer. Instead, he countered leisurely, “And what is Young Master Lin doing here?”
“As far as I know, it’s not vacation time for high schoolers right now.”
The boy’s temper had never been good—pretending for two days straight was already his limit. Clearly, he couldn’t keep up the act any longer. He let out a cold laugh as he stared at Jiang Yan.
“As far as I know, you shouldn’t be here either. Did you even finish the task my brother assigned you?”
Neither of them lowered their voices, ensuring everyone present could hear—including the police officers nearby.
Han Lin listened to their familiar exchange, his heart sinking to the pit of his stomach. The Lin Group really is tied to this criminal organization.
Would they ever truly bring these criminals to justice?
The sound of crashing objects hadn’t just startled their group—it had alerted others, too. The human trafficking ring’s leader, assuming something was wrong, threw on his clothes, grabbed his gun, and rushed out.
His underlings followed suit. When they spotted three figures lurking in the shadows, they immediately drew their weapons. “Who’s there?! Come out!”
“Or I’ll shoot!”
Someone flipped on the factory’s main lights, flooding the space with brightness—and illuminating the three individuals.
The leader: “…”
Staring at the two men who turned to glance at him, followed by the bodyguard beside the VIP instantly training his gun in his direction, the leader wished he could vanish on the spot.
Stiffly, he lowered his weapon and raised his hands in surrender, forcing a strained smile.
“…Misunderstanding. All a misunderstanding.”
Even with a hundred extra lives, he wouldn’t dare lay a finger on these two.
***
The farce finally came to an end, but the atmosphere in the abandoned factory grew increasingly eerie—thick with the suffocating tension of an impending storm.
And it was suffocating. Two untouchable figures were now locked in a standoff over a man… who just so happened to be a member of their organization.
If those two noticed Luo Qing getting even slightly close to someone, that person would inevitably end up dead or injured—even if the interaction was completely accidental.
For example, there was that one time when someone accidentally bumped into Luo Qing at a corner because they weren’t paying attention. After that, no one ever saw them in the factory again.
Normally, the others wouldn’t overthink it, but given the expressions on those two bigshots’ faces, it was impossible not to read into things.
Finally, the boss couldn’t take it anymore. He approached Luo Qing when he was alone. “Hey, Luo Qing.”
“Is there anywhere you’d like to go?”
Luo Qing looked puzzled. “Boss, what’s wrong?”
The boss smiled kindly, his tone dripping with concern. “You’ve been with the team for a long time, and you seem exhausted lately. How about taking a vacation? Go relax somewhere for a while, then come back.”
With the police locked up and Jiang Yan—who knew the officer—still in the factory, Luo Qing couldn’t possibly leave now. He shook his head.
“Thanks, Boss, but there’s nowhere I want to go. I’ll stay.”
“No. You’re going.”
The boss had endured enough these past few days. His order was firm, and he turned to leave.
But the moment he turned around, he froze. Standing not far away were the two untouchable bigshots, watching them with cold indifference.
Luo Qing, unaware of the figure in the distance, thought the boss was forcing him out. He quickly blocked his path, his beautiful eyes pleading.
“Boss, please don’t make me leave. Did I do something wrong?”
Under the two men’s deathly stares, the boss felt his scalp prickle—as if a blade already hung over his head, ready to drop at any second.
His survival instincts kicked into overdrive. Fighting the pressure of their gazes, he blurted out, “Fine! Then I’ve got a task for you.”
Luo Qing paused. “What task?”
Boss: “Sleep with those two.”
Luo Qing: “……?”
