244: Chapter 244 The Hongmen Dark Web Four-Man Group, First Member—Code Name X

Ye Qingcheng clenched her fists tightly, her face full of anger and unwillingness. She struggled to break free, but her body felt as if it had been filled with lead, unable to move even an inch.

Sister Hong looked back at Ye Qingcheng with eyes full of helplessness, then immediately drove the motorcycle away into the distance.

The man in black looked completely unfazed. He slowly paced around Ye Qingcheng, a cold, sinister smile curling at the corners of his mouth. He came before Ye Qingcheng and gently lifted her chin, forcing her to look up and meet his gaze.

At the same time, his voice rang out, cold and eerie: "You are Ye Qingcheng? I advise you not to waste your energy. In my domain, anyone with a Realm below mine—anyone who draws breath—will be suppressed."

Ye Qingcheng glared at the man, but he just smiled coldly and continued: "I guess you probably want to know who I am. However, I won't tell you. You only need to know that with your current abilities, you aren't qualified to investigate Hongmen! This time, although Sister Hong fell for your trap, I won't. I'll give you one day. Either obediently hand over Chen Mo, or let him truly die just as the news reported!"

Speaking of this, the man's eyes became increasingly cold. He turned his head and said in an eerie tone: "If you don't do as I say, once the time is up, I will have to handle it myself. By then, it's hard to say whether more innocent lives will be involved! Also, give a message to Chen Mo for me: if he wants his wife and children to be safe, he should keep his mouth shut! If he leaks even a single word about the organization, he can wait to collect his wife and children's corpses! Remember! You only have one day! I will contact you at this time tomorrow!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned into a black shadow and vanished without a trace under the astonished gazes of everyone.

With the man's disappearance, that soul-stirring Aura suddenly withdrew. Everyone felt their legs go weak and collapsed to the ground, and Ye Qingcheng felt her legs trembling uncontrollably. She leaned against the front of the car, barely managing to stay upright.

"S-Sister Qingcheng, who is this person? Why does he feel so bizarre?" Shen Jianan asked with lingering fear, her voice still trembling slightly.

Although she considered herself to have encountered many dangerous situations in her many years as a police officer, no one had ever given her such a terrifying shock. Just now, when that man in black appeared, it was as if she had been hit by an immobilization spell; besides being able to see and hear, she could do nothing else. If that man in black had wanted to do something, they truly would have had no room to fight back and could only be at his mercy.

Ye Qingcheng shook her head. After steadying her mind, she immediately ordered Shen Jianan: "Jianan, go pull the surveillance footage along the route immediately. I need to know where Sister Hong fled to. If she gets away, it won't be so easy to catch her again!"

"Yes!" Shen Jianan replied and immediately turned to contact the people in the safe house. Although her steps were still slightly unsteady, she had clearly regained her composure. That's right, Sister Hong knew the Disguise Technique; if she really escaped from right under their noses, given her god-like Disguise Technique, catching her again would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

"Is everyone injured?" Ye Qingcheng asked the SWAT officers and police who had already stood up. Her gaze swept over each of them, her face filled with concern.

Everyone looked disheveled, but they shook their heads, indicating they were unharmed.

"Good. This matter must not be spread around, especially regarding the masked man in black we encountered. This matter is now under the jurisdiction of National Security," Ye Qingcheng said sternly.

"Yes!" everyone replied in unison.

Afterwards, everyone began to clean up the mess. Ye Qingcheng walked to the side of the road, took out her phone, and made a call.

The call was connected quickly. Ye Qingcheng immediately reported: "Director, the operation failed." Although her voice was calm, it could not hide her disappointment and self-reproach.

"What happened?" The director's voice came from the other end of the line, his tone revealing concern and confusion.

Afterwards, Ye Qingcheng gave the Security Bureau director a detailed report of what had just happened. Especially the masked man in black's bizarre movement technique and the Aura that suppressed everyone, leaving them unable to move.

...

"Masked man in black?" On the other end of the line, the Security Bureau director furrowed his brows, a trace of suspicion and unease flashing in his eyes. "Could it be that that person has returned?"

"Director, do you know him?" Ye Qingcheng's tone carried a hint of urgency.

The director nodded, his expression grave. "Yes, judging from the situation you described, if my guess is correct, this person should be the dangerous individual that National Security has been hunting—Codename X. I really didn't expect Hongmen to have sent him this time. It's understandable that your mission failed after encountering him." As he spoke, he took a deep breath, as if trying to calm the turmoil in his heart.

"Director, who exactly is Codename X? How can his strength be so terrifying?" Ye Qingcheng's voice held a hint of fear and confusion.

The director was silent for a moment, seemingly recalling the past. "Codename X became famous ten years ago. At that time, I was not yet the director of the Security Bureau..." He briefly narrated the past of Codename X to Ye Qingcheng:

Ten years ago, a vicious case occurred in Songbei City. It was a rainy night in the Jingyuan residential complex in Songbei City, in an apartment building, where the originally peaceful life was completely shattered.

That night, Codename X, dressed in black as ink, with a mask covering his face, one man with one blade, snuck into that residential building like a ghost.

That night, holding a sharp blade, he killed his way from the first floor to the top floor, leaving 7 dead and 23 injured!

Afterwards, according to the survivors, when that masked man in black appeared before them that night, their situation was the same as what you encountered today: they wanted to scream but couldn't, they wanted to run but couldn't move. They could only watch him in terror as his blade rose and fell. The air was filled with a heavy scent of blood, yet no one could make any sound. Except for the thunder and lightning that night, the entire residential building was deathly silent.

It wasn't until the man in black killed his way to the top floor that this nightmare finally ended.

"After he left, the survivors gradually regained their ability to move, and they reported it to the police immediately afterwards," the director continued. "We followed his tracks to the roof, but lost his trail. Later, because this matter was too bizarre, it was taken over by the Security Bureau, and he has been known as Codename X ever since."

"In the ten years since, the Security Bureau has never stopped investigating the whereabouts of Codename X. It wasn't until last year that overseas intelligence agents finally sent back news about Codename X again."

"However, it wasn't good news. It was that Codename X is suspected to have joined Hongmen, and may have been planted back into the Dragon Country, becoming a member of the Dark Web Quartet, with a Realm that has even reached Peak Anjin, just one step away from a Breakthrough to Huajin."

Hearing this, Ye Qingcheng's expression became increasingly grave. "Director, what should we do now? His strength is too strong. Ordinary SWAT officers are simply no match for him!"

"I understand! This Hongmen is simply too arrogant. Sending people at the Mingjin Stage is one thing, but to even send someone with Peak Anjin strength—this is simply bullying us by assuming the Security Bureau has no one!" The director said, his tone becoming increasingly fierce. He said in a deep voice: "Since they don't follow the rules, we don't need to be polite anymore. You wait, I will report this to my superiors immediately!"

"Yes, Director, time is pressing! We only have one day now. If we can't open a Breakthrough on Chen Mo's side, who knows how much trouble this Codename X will cause! I suggest that the peripheral personnel arranged on Volcano Island must act as soon as possible! Otherwise, it will really be too late!" Ye Qingcheng reminded.

"Rest assured! Since he dared to come, he shouldn't think about leaving again. This time, we will completely root out everyone Hongmen has planted within our Dragon Country!"

"Yes!" Ye Qingcheng replied.

After hanging up the phone, Ye Qingcheng looked around. The chaotic scene left by the grenade explosion had been quickly cleaned up, and people who didn't know the truth only thought a car accident had happened here.

Just then, Shen Jianan ran over in a hurry, her face full of anxiety, and reported to Ye Qingcheng: "Captain Ye, it's bad. The moment that masked man in black appeared, the surveillance on the entire street was destroyed, and Sister Hong... she has disappeared without a trace."

"Damn it!" Ye Qingcheng couldn't help but curse.

Shen Jianan watched Ye Qingcheng's reaction, her heart tightening as well. She took a deep breath and tried to say as calmly as possible: "Captain Ye, what should we do now?"

Ye Qingcheng quickly adjusted her breathing to calm herself down. After thinking for a moment, she immediately ordered: "Like this! We'll return to the safe house first. You immediately call Han Hao, and the two of you get in the car and wait for me. Also," she paused, emphasizing her tone, "immediately arrange for police to go to Sister Hong's shop to search and set up surveillance. As long as she has been there, she will definitely leave traces. Although Sister Hong's Disguise Technique is realistic, she cannot change fingerprints or DNA. Immediately have people collect them for me!"

"Yes!" Shen Jianan replied, turned around, and walked away quickly.

...

At this moment, Sister Hong stood on a steep cliff by the sea in Beibu Gulf, her eyes deep and revealing a touch of complexity, as if hiding endless worries. Beneath her feet, the turbulent seawater constantly pounded against the hard, grey-blue rocks, emitting waves of roaring sounds.

Behind her, the masked man in black walked over slowly. That biting Aura on him had been retracted, but his voice remained cold and eerie, just like a cold wind from the abyss: "Second Sister, your state is very abnormal."

Sister Hong didn't turn around, just shook her head slightly, a bitter smile curling at the corner of her mouth: "What is called normal, what is called abnormal? Is the way you and I are now considered normal?"

The masked man in black walked to Sister Hong's side and stood shoulder to shoulder with her, his gaze also cast toward the vast sea: "Today, if I hadn't appeared in time to save you, would you have already been prepared to commit suicide?"

Sister Hong was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "Death might be a relief for me. At least, I could use it to repay Godfather's life-saving grace from back then."

The masked man in black sighed: "Sigh, I understand how you feel. Facing Ye Qingcheng, you couldn't bring yourself to act because she was once your comrade-in-arms. However, seeking your own death is not a way to solve the problem."

A trace of helplessness flashed in Sister Hong's eyes: "What else can I do? Do you want me to openly disobey Godfather's orders?"

"Doesn't your current behavior count as disobeying orders?" the masked man in black asked back.

Sister Hong was silent for a moment, then resolutely said: "If I died today, it would only mean that my skills are inferior to others; this does not count as disobeying Godfather's orders. Of course, if you choose to tell Godfather about today's events, I have nothing to say."

The masked man in black turned to look at Sister Hong, a trace of deep meaning flashing in his eyes: "Do you really think Godfather doesn't know anything? Have you not thought about the reason why I appeared here at this time?"

Sister Hong's body trembled slightly. Of course, she had thought about this question, but she just didn't want to face reality.

She took a deep breath, trying to keep herself calm: "I have thought about it. Godfather never easily trusts anyone; he leaves a backup plan for everything he does. However, I didn't expect him to choose to have you appear at this time. Next, the people from the Dragon Country Security Bureau will definitely hunt you down with all their might. You must be careful."

The masked man in black smiled coldly: "Rest assured, based on those people, they couldn't do anything to me ten years ago. Now that ten years have passed, my strength has reached a higher level. Below Huajin, I am invincible; above Huajin, I can take one with me!"

Sister Hong smiled lightly: "Big Brother, you are still so confident. It's just that times have changed; many things cannot be solved solely by force and slaughter."

Speaking of this, Sister Hong paused for a moment, then continued: "Big Brother, haven't you thought about why the organization let the third and fourth members stay with the Zhao Family of the Capital and Chu Weimin of Hong Kong Island?"

"Why?" the masked man in black asked curiously.

"That is to intervene in the economy of the Dragon Country. The organization has its eyes on the economy of the Dragon Country, and the upper echelons of the Dragon Country have their eyes on the foundation of the organization. Both sides have what the other wants, which shows that there is no irreconcilable contradiction here. Since it is not irreconcilable, there is a possibility of negotiation. And we, perhaps, are just bargaining chips for both sides..."

The masked man in black clearly didn't want to dwell too much on this topic and changed the subject directly: "Alright. Don't say any more unnecessary words. Godfather's order is that if your mission fails, return immediately. A boat will come to pick you up tonight; this is the address." As he spoke, he handed a note to Sister Hong. Sister Hong took the note, looked at the address on it, and then silently put it away.

"And you?" Sister Hong couldn't help asking.

"Me?" The masked man in black turned to look at Sister Hong, a trace of sharpness flashing in his eyes: "Naturally, I am to take over your work. The fourth member has already been captured, and the organization will no longer trust him. Therefore, he must die! Godfather's exact words were: Only the dead can keep secrets forever. The foundation of our Hongmen must absolutely not be known by the Dragon Country!"

"Then, what about the others?" Sister Hong felt her heart tremble upon hearing this and asked back.

"The others? You mean Ye Qingcheng?" The masked man in black raised his brows slightly, his tone carrying a hint of playfulness and provocation, as if he didn't put Ye Qingcheng in his eyes at all.

"Yes, if possible, I hope you can consider our many years of friendship and let her go." Sister Hong looked at the masked man in black and said with a sincere gaze.

"Sigh," the masked man in black shook his head helplessly. After a sigh, he continued: "You, you are just too soft-hearted towards her! However, rest assured, the order I received is just to let Chen Mo die; as for the others, I can't be bothered to act. Besides, Ye Qingcheng's status is special, and the organization is not yet prepared to fall out with the high-level officials of the Dragon Country. Therefore, she will be fine for the time being."

"Since that's the case, then I can rest assured. Then, you also take care of yourself."

"Yes. Alright, after going back, admit your mistake to Godfather properly, and this matter will be over. After I finish the things here, I will go over and join up with you." After saying this, he turned and left the cliff, leaving only Sister Hong standing there quietly, gazing at the vast sea.