Screee—!!
The piercing screech of an electric saw against the van door jolted He Chu San from his brief unconsciousness. The proxy lay heavily atop him, a massive gash on the back of his skull dripping blood that soaked through He Chu San’s shoulder. The interior of the carriage was a scene of utter chaos: the mangled chassis, shattered seats, and bloodied, mangled bodies were all tangled together. He Chu San struggled to shove the proxy’s corpse aside and reached out to shake the blood-masked Kevin beside him.
“Kevin? Kevin!”
His weak voice was swallowed by the shriek of the saw. Hands trembling, he fumbled at Kevin’s nose and mouth—still breathing.
Bang!
The twisted door was ripped open with a jagged gash. Several killers clad in black masks and gloves slipped inside. Their silenced pistols rose, aimed at the still-groaning officers of the ICAC.
Piu! Piu! Piu! Piu!
Gunfire burst in quick succession. In an instant, fresh blood sprayed across the compartment, painting the walls a savage crimson.
He Chu San clutched Kevin tightly and shut his eyes, bracing for death.
But it did not come.
He opened them again, bewildered—the muzzles had avoided him entirely, drifting instead toward Kevin in his arms.
He Chu San rolled over, shielding Kevin with his own body, and shouted hoarsely,
“He’s my personal aide! Many of the Master’s affairs are handled through him—only he knows the details!”
The leader of the killers lowered his gun slightly, hesitating. After a brief pause, he snapped his fingers.
At once, several men rushed forward. They wrenched He Chu San and Kevin’s arms behind their backs, cuffed them, stuffed cloth into their mouths, and dragged them out of the van.
The leader remained behind, stripping identification one by one from the fallen ICAC officers.
Bang!
A sudden gunshot cracked through the van. The killer’s body jerked—and he fell straight to the ground.
Beneath a seat, the ICAC squad leader lay slumped, his pistol slipping weakly from his hand, his eyes half-closed. Blood surged from his mouth in great torrents. Before the killers could return fire, he had already breathed his last.
The remaining assassins showed not the slightest panic. Swiftly, they gathered every piece of identification, phones, and weapons that could reveal identities. Leaving both their fallen comrade and the wrecked truck behind, they doused the scene in gasoline.
Then, hauling He Chu San and Kevin with them, they boarded a business van, ignited the engine—and sped away.
……
At a crossroads, Xia Liu Yi scanned anxiously in all directions.
The van that had carried He Chu San earlier had driven off in great haste. From afar, he had glimpsed it turning into this narrow road—but by the time he caught up, its trail was gone.
Grinding his teeth, he slammed the throttle and chose the path his instincts deemed most likely.
He tore through two streets in one breath—
Boom!!!
A distant explosion thundered behind him.
He twisted around—far off, thick black smoke billowed into the sky.
His heart began to pound wildly. For reasons he could not explain, he knew—this had something to do with He Chu San.
Without hesitation, he spun the bike around and raced back the way he came.
Ahead, the roads were clogged—vehicles and pedestrians had gathered to watch. The closer he drew, the worse the congestion became.
“There’s an abandoned chemical plant over there! It exploded! It’s toxic!”
Panic erupted among the crowd. People screamed and fled in the opposite direction.
Xia Liu Yi forced his way against the tide of humanity and steel, gunning the engine as he roared,
“Move! MOVE!!”
At last, he plunged into the choking black smoke.
The air reeked of gasoline, thick blood, and the nauseating stench of charred flesh. Wreckage littered the ground—twisted car fragments and burning chunks of corpses scattered everywhere.
Throwing aside his motorcycle, Xia Liu Yi charged madly toward the blazing inferno at the center.
“A’San?! A’SAN—!!”
BOOM—!!
A second explosion ripped through the wreckage. The shockwave hurled him violently to the ground.
He tumbled several meters away, face blackened, coughing in agony.
Then—he froze.
Something nearby glinted faintly.
Scrambling forward on hands and knees, he seized it and lifted it up. Wiping soot from his face, he forced his eyes open wide—
It was a blood-stained ring necklace.
A gaudy, oversized diamond was set into the ring, and engraved along the inner band were the words:
“61XR3forever.”
His breath hitched. He glanced around wildly—no corpse lay near it.
But on the ground—there was another trail.
A blood-streaked tire mark.
A clue.
Left behind by A’San.
He’s not dead!!
Xia Liu Yi’s heart jolted. Stuffing the necklace into his pocket, he leapt onto his motorcycle and sped off in the direction the tracks led.
……
A wad of cloth stuffed in his mouth, He Chu San lay thrown on the van floor, pressed tightly against Kevin.
The vehicle rocked constantly.
From outside, he heard the ding-ding of a tram and the honking of buses. The noise grew heavier—then suddenly—
SCREECH!
The van braked sharply and came to a halt.
The driver rolled down the window and leaned out to look.
Voices drifted in from outside:
“There’s been an accident at the tunnel entrance! Traffic’s jammed ahead!”
“Tunnel…? Cross Harbor Tunnel?” He Chu San thought. “Could it be the Hung Hom Tunnel to Kowloon?”
The van idled, swaying slightly.
The killers tried to turn around—but the road behind was already blocked. They were forced to remain where they were.
Rustling movements filled the cabin as several assassins stood, peering out.
Time dragged on.
Ten minutes… perhaps more.
He Chu San nudged Kevin with his shoulder—but still no response.
He could smell the blood on him.
Struggling, he leaned close—listened.
Still breathing.
Good.
“Hey, brother! Got a lighter? Lend me one!”
A stranger’s voice suddenly called from outside the driver’s window.
He Chu San shifted slightly—
Cold steel pressed against the back of his head.
A gun.
He froze instantly.
The neighboring truck driver received a lighter, lit his cigarette, and leaned casually against the door, chatting away.
“No idea how long this’ll take! This tunnel’s been built for over ten years, right? Collapse or accident? Where you headed? I’ve gotta deliver to Mong Kok—said I’d be there by five, and now it’s already 4:50…”
The killer behind the wheel snapped, voice icy:
“Scram!”
“Oi?! What’s with you, kid? No manners? Dressed all fancy with a mask on, windows blacked out—what, hiding ghosts in there?”
The truck driver kept prattling on, even craning his neck to peer inside.
The killer’s hand slid toward the gun at his waist—
And at that very moment—
The vehicles ahead began to move.
The tunnel had cleared.
“Forget it, not worth arguing! I’m heading back!”
Muttering to himself, the driver finally left.
He Chu San, who had been silently sweating for the man’s life, let out the faintest breath of relief.
The van lurched forward once more.
Before long, it reached the toll gate.
A toll worker’s voice sounded:
“That’ll be—”
Then, suspicious:
“Is your vehicle overloaded? Why are there so many people in the back? What’s lying on the floor? Open the rear window for inspection.”
The van suddenly reversed—then surged forward!
CRASH—!!
The barrier gate was smashed aside as the vehicle charged straight into the tunnel!
The toll worker screamed. Security guards gave chase, whistles shrilling, chaos erupting at the tunnel entrance.
At that exact moment—
Xia Liu Yi burst from a side road into the sea of cars.
At a glance, he spotted the suspicious van that had just rammed through the barrier.
His grip tightened.
Throttle slammed.
He launched from the roadside stone barrier—soaring into the air!
CLANG—!!
He landed atop a car roof ahead.
Gliding across the tops of vehicles, he sped forward like a streak of lightning—
Then dropped back to the ground with a thunderous impact, shooting past the shouting security guards and plunging straight into the tunnel in pursuit!
“A’SAN—?! A’SAN—!!”
His voice tore through the darkness.
Inside the van—
During the violent crash through the barrier, He Chu San and Kevin had been hurled hard against the seatbacks, then slammed to the floor.
Dazed—
And then—
Faintly—
He heard it.
Xia Liu Yi’s voice.
A roar that split the heavens.
Heat exploded in his mind.
Without hesitation, he surged to his feet and hurled his entire body against the van wall!
THUD—!!
The reinforced glass did not shatter.
But behind them—
Xia Liu Yi saw the abnormal sway of the vehicle.
He gunned the throttle and veered toward the tunnel wall. The motorcycle shot upward, tires screaming against stone, sparks bursting in blinding arcs!
Midair—he released the handlebars—
And leapt—
Landing atop the van’s roof in a single bound!
Next
Futile Devices Scans 
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