27: Chapter 27 Public Opinion Storm, Police Pressure

The trending searches exploded.

Not just a normal explosion, but the kind where the servers crashed directly.

In the early morning of Jianghai City, before the sunlight had completely covered the streets, a level-twelve tsunami had already surged through the online world.

Weibo, Douyin, Bilibili, and even WeChat Moments—wherever people could speak, a single name dominated the screens.

Qin Feng.

The man who leaped from four hundred meters high last night, gliding through the urban forest like a demon king of the night.

Out of the top ten trending searches, he occupied eight by himself.

#Qin Feng: Jump of the Century# (Explosive)

#Gentleman Thief Joker: City Judgment# (Boiling)

#Jianghai City Police: Up All Night# (Hot)

#Qin Feng's Wingsuit Sold Out#

#Is This a Damn Drill? I Don't Believe It!#

Tens of millions of netizens were like they'd been injected with chicken blood, frantically posting in the comment sections.

"Who gets it, guys! That look back and smile last night—I licked the screen raw! This isn't a wanted criminal; this is clearly a prince on the run!"

"Keep your thirst in check, person above. The point is the wingsuit flying, okay! I checked—jumping from that height without ground guidance has a 99% fatality rate. This bro is literally putting his life on the line to perform for us!"

"Perform? You call this performing? Those SWAT guns were real! I think he's a real gentleman thief, using the show as a cover to punish evil and promote good!"

"I'm begging for Qin Feng to debut! Compared to him, those 'pretty boys' in the mainland entertainment circle who only know how to wear powder are just trash!"

Several top entertainment agencies even released notices overnight, claiming that as long as Qin Feng was willing to sign, they would cover all contract termination fees, offer S-rank resources at his whim, and make him the top star the moment he walked through the door.

Meanwhile.

Jianghai City Police Headquarters, Director's Office.

The air was as heavy as if it had been filled with lead.

*Thud!*

A heavy enamel mug was slammed onto the desk, splashing tea everywhere.

Zhao Shanhe stood before the desk, head bowed. His usually majestic old face was now the color of pork liver, and the veins on his forehead were throbbing like earthworms.

On the other end of the phone, the roaring was almost loud enough to break the receiver.

"Zhao Shanhe! Look at the public opinion right now! What are they calling you? Incompetent! Useless! This is what the people think of you!"

"Thousands of police officers, plus SWAT, helicopters, and armored vehicles! All played for fools by one man! And he even gave a 'flying man' performance right in front of the entire city!"

"I don't care what method you use, I want results! Three days! I'll give you three more days! If you don't catch Qin Feng, strip off your police uniform yourself and go back home to farm!"

*Beep... beep... beep...*

The call disconnected.

Zhao Shanhe remained in that position, standing frozen for a full half-minute.

The office was deathly silent.

Several deputy directors and captains shrank their necks, not even daring to breathe loudly, fearing they would draw his ire at this critical moment.

"Whew..."

Zhao Shanhe let out a long breath of turbid air and reached for the half-pack of cigarettes on the desk, his hand trembling slightly.

He tried to light it several times but failed.

He suddenly slammed the lighter onto the floor, shattering it into pieces.

"What the hell are you all looking at?!"

Zhao Shanhe turned around, his bloodshot eyes like those of a wounded old lion, flashing with fierce light.

"Didn't you hear what the superiors said? Three days!"

"Send the order down: cancel all leave! Go through the entire city's surveillance footage frame by frame! Even if you have to overturn every inch of Jianghai City, dig that bastard out for me!"

"Yes!"

Everyone left as if granted a grand amnesty, saluting and turning to run.

...

At the same time.

The temporary base of the simulated crime program group.

The general director, Wei Guanqi, was curled up in the corner of a sofa, clutching Fast-acting Heart Reliever Pills in his hand, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Outside, someone seemed to be knocking on the door.

Or rather, pounding on it.

"Director Wei! Come out! I'm the vice president of Star King Entertainment. We want to talk about Qin Feng's commercial contract!"

"Director Wei! I'm from the Public Security Bureau. Please cooperate with the investigation. Who exactly provided Qin Feng's wingsuit equipment?"

"Director! This is bad! A lot of Qin Feng's fans have shown up outside, saying they're going to send razor blades to the program group for pushing Qin Feng too hard!"

The assistant director ran in frantically, drenched in sweat: "This show... are we still recording?"

Wei Guanqi shuddered, stuffed a heart reliever pill into his mouth, and swallowed it dry.

Record?

Record my ass!

This wasn't him recording a show; it was clearly Qin Feng using his life to record!

"Tell them..." Wei Guanqi's voice was as weak as if he had just finished major surgery, "I'm sick, seriously ill, dying... I'm not seeing anyone!"

...

Binjiang No. 1 Courtyard, Safe House.

There was no clamor from the outside world here, only the faint sound of the river water lapping against the embankment.

Before the giant floor-to-ceiling windows, the curtains were drawn tight.

Qin Feng slumped on a leather sofa, holding a tablet and looking at the string of explosive trending search terms, feeling his head buzzing.

"It's over... there's no way to clear my name now."

Qin Feng rubbed his aching brow, looking utterly despondent.

He had originally just wanted to play a clumsy thief and earn a five-thousand-yuan appearance fee to pay his rent.

And the result?

Now the entire internet called him 'Gentleman Thief' and 'Joker,' and some people had even created a Super Topic for him, with his fan count breaking ten million overnight.

How the hell was he supposed to live his life after this?

The moment he showed his face, he'd probably be stripped bare by those fanatical fans and taken away as a souvenir.

"Brother Feng, have some soup."

Su Tang walked over carrying a clay pot, wearing a pink bear apron. She actually looked a bit like a virtuous wife and mother.

"I specifically had a delivery runner buy an old hen; it's been stewing for three hours." Su Tang handed the bowl to Qin Feng, her face full of concern. "Look at you, flying so high last night—you must have been scared to death, right? Your face is so pale, you need to nourish yourself."

Qin Feng looked at the bowl of glistening chicken soup, his mouth twitching.

Was I pale from being scared?

I was exhausted by these godforsaken system tasks, okay!

"Brother, I've thought about it."

Pei Ji squatted nearby, holding a chicken leg and eating it until his mouth was covered in oil. He said seriously, "Since we're so popular now, why don't we strike while the iron is hot and start a live stream for sales? We'll sell that wingsuit; the orders will definitely explode!"

Qin Feng couldn't help but kick him in the butt.

"Sell what goods! Are you worried the police won't find us fast enough?"

Pei Ji chuckled and didn't get annoyed, just changed his posture and continued gnawing on the chicken leg.

He understood now.

Following Brother Feng meant having meat to eat, a big house to live in, and it was damn exciting.

Wasn't this better than delivering food?

Just then.

Alice, who had been sitting by the bar without speaking, suddenly put down her coffee cup.

*Clink.*

The crisp sound of the porcelain cup touching the marble tabletop caused the atmosphere in the living room to freeze slightly.

Alice turned around.

In those deep blue eyes, a light of wisdom flickered that made Qin Feng feel uneasy.

"Joker, you're worried."

It wasn't a question.

It was a statement.

Qin Feng's heart skipped a beat.

Here it comes! This woman is about to start her 'perfect reading comprehension' again!

"I..." Qin Feng just wanted to explain that he was only worried about how to go out for breakfast later.

But Alice didn't give him a chance to speak at all.

She stood up, her long legs carrying her to the holographic map, her slender fingers tracing red lines across the screen.

"I've been thinking about this problem too."

Alice looked at the map, her expression as serious as if she were formulating a battle plan for World War III.

"Although last night's operation was perfect, it completely enraged those cops."

"Especially that Xie Qingshang."

At the mention of this name, a trace of wariness flashed in Alice's eyes.

"I've checked his files. He's the youngest criminal psychology consultant in the Provincial Department, known as the 'Human Polygraph.'"

"The fact that he didn't appear at the capture scene last night means he's reconstructing the case."

Alice turned her head and looked at Qin Feng, her eyes filled with an 'I understand you' kind of admiration.

"What you're worried about is that he's already guessed our next plan, right?"

Qin Feng: "..."

If I said I haven't even decided where to eat breakfast next, would you believe me?

But to maintain that damn 'Bandit Godfather' persona.

Qin Feng could only remain silent.

He slowly leaned back against the sofa, half-closing his eyes, his fingers lightly tapping on the edge of the tablet.

*Tap, tap, tap.*

In Alice's eyes, this gesture was a silent confirmation.

It was the demeanor of a top-tier master who was masterminding the situation while maintaining respect for his opponent.

"Don't worry, Boss."

Alice's lips curled into a cold sneer, and she clenched her hand as if crushing something.

"The police's current methods are nothing more than city-wide searches, technical detection, and Xie Qingshang's psychological profiling."

"But he overlooked one detail."

Alice walked up to Qin Feng and knelt on one knee, like a knight pledging loyalty to a monarch.

"He doesn't know that in this team..."

"There's also me."

Qin Feng looked at this blonde, blue-eyed, formidable alpha female in front of him, and a thousand WTFs galloped through his mind.

Big sister, who exactly are you?

Where did that modified gun and those prohibited items come from?

The one I'm most worried about isn't the police.

It's you!

...

Jianghai City Police Headquarters, Temporary Command Center.

This was another battlefield without the smoke of gunpowder.

Xie Qingshang had locked himself in that windowless little dark room for a full twenty-four hours.

The room was filled with a rich aroma of black coffee and a mess of dark chocolate wrappers all over the floor.

The walls were covered with photos.

Every look Qin Feng gave in the bank.

The tire tracks from the wuling hongguang's drifts.

The Joker playing card marked with a red marker at the top of the TV Tower.

And that shocking wingsuit flight trajectory map.

Xie Qingshang sat in a chair, his hair as messy as a bird's nest, and a layer of dark stubble had grown on his chin.

His eyes were bloodshot from staying up, but the light in them grew brighter and brighter.

Frighteningly bright.

"Not right... something's not right..."

Xie Qingshang chewed on a piece of bitter dark chocolate, his brow furrowed deeply.

He was reconstructing.

Reconstructing every detail of last night over and over again.

From the moment Qin Feng entered the TV Tower, all his actions seemed wild and imaginative, but were actually closely linked.

The cleaner's disguise fooled the SWAT at the entrance.

The hacking techniques paralyzed the city's signals.

The final wingsuit flight was so precise it seemed to be mocking the laws of physics.

"How could one person be so all-around capable to this extent?"

Xie Qingshang suddenly stood up and walked quickly to the photo of Qin Feng jumping from the top of the TV Tower.

In the photo.

The black figure spread its wings against the backdrop of the bottomless night sky.

"Equipment."

Xie Qingshang's finger tapped heavily on the wingsuit backpack on Qin Feng's back.

"This set of equipment isn't a civilian version."

"The refractive index of this polymer material, this special airfoil designed for urban air currents..."

Xie Qingshang narrowed his eyes, his pupils contracting sharply.

"This is military-grade special equipment! And the kind of custom-made gear that only top-tier agents or Black Ops teams possess!"

"Qin Feng is just a background actor with no money and no background. Where did he get this kind of thing?"

"Unless..."

Xie Qingshang turned abruptly, his gaze staring fixedly at the complex relationship chart on the whiteboard.

At the center of that chart was Qin Feng.

And around Qin Feng, countless dotted lines were connected.

There was the hostage Su Tang, the driver Pei Ji, the Director Wei Guanqi...

But Xie Qingshang's gaze passed through these people and landed on a blank corner.

"A helper."

Xie Qingshang's voice was raspy, carrying the excitement and shiver of having discovered prey.

"Qin Feng has an extremely professional helper by his side."

"This person knows firearms, explosives, special operations, and even..."

Xie Qingshang picked up a red pen and drew a heavy question mark in that blank space.

The tip of the pen was so forceful it pierced the paper, leaving a striking red mark on the whiteboard.

"Even, this person is right where we can't see, mocking our ignorance."

"A mole?"

"No... perhaps an even more terrifying existence."

Xie Qingshang threw away the red pen, unwrapped another piece of chocolate, and put it in his mouth.

The bitter taste spread through his mouth.

He looked at the photo of Qin Feng's half-smiling face on the wall, and his own lips actually curled into a slight arc.

It was the madness of meeting one's match.

"Qin Feng, you're hiding very deep."

"But as long as it's a fox, it will eventually reveal its tail."

"This person who provided you with equipment..."

"Is your Achilles' heel."

...

Binjiang No. 1 Courtyard.

Qin Feng, who was drinking soup, suddenly shivered for no reason.

"Achoo!"

Qin Feng rubbed his nose, looking bewildered.

"Who's talking smack about me?"

Alice looked up, her gaze alert: "What is it?"

"Nothing."

Qin Feng waved it off, glancing at the sky outside that was gradually darkening.

Although he was panicked as hell inside, he knew this play had to continue.

For that five thousand... no, now it was for that ten-million-yuan prize.

And also to be able to walk out of this damn safe house alive.

Qin Feng put down the soup bowl, stood up, and walked to the holographic map.

His gaze fell on the other end of the Jianghai City map.

There was a red marker there.

"Stop guessing."

Qin Feng stood with his back to the three of them, his voice low and carrying an unquestionable decisiveness.

"Get ready."

"For the next act, we're changing the stage."

Alice's eyes lit up, Pei Ji made a bitter face, and Su Tang excitedly pulled out her makeup bag.

Only Qin Feng himself knew.

His legs now were even more like jelly than when he jumped off the building last night.

"System, next time can you give me a task that doesn't involve risking my life?"

[Ding! New task is being generated...]

[Task Hint: It's all about the thrill.]

Qin Feng: "..."

"Just let it all end, I'm exhausted."