16: A victory party? No, it's your guillotine!

Fire erupted in Zhao Dahai's eyes.

Without a second of hesitation, he snatched the red internal phone from the desk, moving as fast as a pouncing cheetah.

"Connect me to the Port Authority! Now!"

His roar made the entire floor hum.

"This is Zhao Dahai of the Municipal Criminal Investigation Detachment! Initiate the emergency protocol! Blockade all outgoing sea lanes at Jiangcheng Port!"

"Not even a fly is allowed to escape!"

He slammed the phone down, grabbed his coat, and didn't spare a glance for anyone else in the office, his eyes fixed solely on Chen Mo.

"Let's go! We're going to send him off!"

... The night, thick and dark like spilled ink, covered Jiangcheng.

A dozen police cars tore through the city's neon lights, their sharp sirens merging into a piercing sword that cut through the darkness, heading straight toward Jiangcheng Port.

Chen Mo sat in the back seat, the rapidly receding streaks of light outside the window casting his pale face in alternating light and shadow.

That familiar feeling of nausea, originating from the depths of his soul, surged again with the car's jolting movements.

He gripped the seatbelt tightly, his knuckles white, forcing himself to look out the window.

In the distance, the port's massive cranes, like a forest of steel, stood silently against the night sky.

The air began to fill with a salty, damp sea breeze, mixed with the smell of diesel and fish.

"Can you hold up?" Su Qingxue's voice sounded beside him, carrying a hint of subtle concern.

Chen Mo shook his head, remaining silent.

His brain was operating at high speed, reweaving all the clues in his mind into an inescapable net.

Zhou Tian.

This man who fancied himself a god must now be standing on the deck of his luxury yacht.

Holding a glass of champagne, looking down upon the city he thought he held in the palm of his hand, enjoying the posture of a victor.

He surely wouldn't have guessed that the faint scent he was most proud of had become the signpost leading him to hell.

Screech—! The piercing sound of brakes shattered the tranquility of the dock.

The police cars fanned out, completely blocking the only access road to the private yacht berths.

Car doors were flung open, and dozens of heavily armed criminal investigators filed out, moving swiftly and silently.

In the distance, a massive yacht, pure white and brightly lit, was quietly docked at the berth.

The yacht's name was written in large, gilded letters on the hull—The Conqueror.

Elegant classical music drifted from the yacht, mixed with the crisp clinking of glasses and the laughter of men and women.

On the deck, a man in a white suit and gold-rimmed glasses stood with his back to them, holding a wine glass, seemingly admiring the night view of Jiangcheng.

That was Zhou Tian.

"Zhou Tian!" Zhao Dahai's voice boomed like thunder, tearing apart the false tranquility.

"Your party is over!"

The music stopped abruptly.

Everyone on the yacht turned back in astonishment, looking at the unwelcome guests on the dock.

Zhou Tian's body stiffened for a moment.

But he quickly turned around, showing no sign of panic, but rather a playful smile.

"Captain Zhao? What brings you here so late?"

He adjusted his glasses, his gaze sweeping over the dark muzzles of the guns, as if watching a farce unrelated to him.

"Such a grand spectacle—someone might think you're arresting some international fugitive."

"Cut the nonsense!" Zhao Dahai stepped forward, his powerful aura causing the surrounding air to solidify.

"You are a major suspect in the murder case of Zhou Hongfa! I order you now, get off the boat immediately and come back with us for questioning!"

"Murder?" Zhou Tian laughed exaggeratedly, as if he had heard the most ridiculous joke.

"Captain Zhao, are you joking? The forensic report on my father's death clearly states it was a sudden myocardial infarction.

Furthermore, at the time of the incident, I was on a flight to New York."

His voice was soft, yet it clearly reached the ears of every officer.

A perfect alibi.

This was his strongest shield.

Zhao Dahai's expression turned extremely grim.

He knew that without direct evidence, they couldn't possibly shake this man.

Just then, Chen Mo slowly stepped out, steadying himself on the car door.

The sea breeze lifted the stray hairs on his forehead, revealing his eyes—clear yet unfathomably deep.

Zhou Tian's gaze fell upon Chen Mo.

He looked the pale young man, who seemed ready to collapse at any moment, up and down, and the sarcasm on his lips deepened.

"Captain Zhao, is this your final trump card?"

"A... young man who looks like he's about to die?"

Chen Mo ignored his mockery.

He simply looked at the yacht named The Conqueror and spoke softly.

His voice was quiet, yet it was like a scalpel, precisely cutting through all of Zhou Tian's disguises.

"Vietnamese Kyara agarwood, market price over ten thousand US dollars per gram."

The smile on Zhou Tian's face froze for the first time.

"You treat it as a badge to showcase your taste, and you burn it for over an hour every day."

Chen Mo's gaze finally settled on Zhou Tian's face.

"You thought that was the scent of a victor."

"But you didn't know that it was also the stench of the corpse... left on you by the murderer."

Boom! Zhou Tian's pupils suddenly constricted!

"You... what nonsense are you talking about!" A hint of panic appeared in his voice for the first time.

"Nonsense?" Chen Mo took two steps forward, closing in on the yacht.

"The killer you hired has already been caught by us."

This statement was a lie.

But Chen Mo's eyes were locked firmly onto Zhou Tian's face.

His [Heartbeat Locator] system, active in his mind, unleashed its true power at this moment!

Thump! Thump-thump! Thump-thump-thump!

He could clearly "hear" Zhou Tian's heart, hidden beneath the expensive suit, instantly spike from a steady 70 beats per minute to 120!

[Lying Heartbeat! Extreme Panic!] The system's prompt rang out coldly in his mind.

"He is very professional and hasn't said anything."

Chen Mo continued to weave the lie that would crush Zhou Tian's psychological defenses, speaking in a calm tone.

"However, we extracted agarwood molecules from him that are identical to the ones in your incense room."

"We have both human and physical evidence. Zhou Tian, are you still going to keep up this act?"

"Impossible!" Zhou Tian finally lost control, subconsciously taking a step back, his voice turning sharp.

"He took the money and should have disappeared forever! How could you possibly have caught him!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the color instantly drained from his face.

He knew he had spoken wrongly.

A light of ecstasy burst forth in Zhao Dahai's eyes!

This single sentence was a confession in disguise!

"Handcuff him!" He violently waved his hand, and several criminal investigators rushed onto the yacht like hungry wolves.

Zhou Tian collapsed onto the deck, his face devoid of the composure and elegance he had shown moments before.

All that remained was the despair and madness of having lost everything.

He stared fiercely at the slender figure on the dock, his eyes filled with malice and confusion.

"How did you know?!" he screamed hoarsely.

"My plan was flawless! What exactly are you?!"

Chen Mo did not reply.

He merely glanced up at the brightly lit yacht and the large gilded letters on its side.

He turned around and walked toward the police car, leaving behind only a light phrase, yet it weighed on Zhou Tian's heart like a mountain.

"'The Conqueror'?"

"You couldn't even conquer your own heartbeat."