Heibiao also understood Li Chonglou's meaning, and a surge of hope welled up in his heart.
If they could capture this foolish woman as a hostage, there might be a glimmer of hope for survival!
As he was thinking, Lin Qianqian's whip kick swept out again, this time faster than before. Heibiao was startled but instinctively raised his hands.
He intended to block the attack with his elbow; if he could withstand this blow, he was confident he could press on and conquer Lin Qianqian!
But in the next moment, he regretted it.
When Lin Qianqian's foot connected with his elbow, his initial advantage from his physique was overwhelmed. He felt a force penetrate his hands, and the intense pain caused him to retreat uncontrollably!
Impossible, how could she be this strong?
Only now did he truly grasp the strength of Lin Qianqian, the head official in Shangjing. Although not part of their circle, she was a formidable opponent for anyone below her cultivation level!
Li Chonglou was not surprised by this. He had already retreated to the side, calmly watching Lin Qianqian push Heibiao into a corner with kick after kick. He could even hear the sound of Heibiao's bones breaking.
"Director Lin, I was wrong, I surrender! I'll go back with you!"
It took only a few seconds for Heibiao to go from arrogant defiance to begging for mercy while clutching his head, but Lin Qianqian showed no signs of stopping.
Thirty seconds passed quickly. When Li Chonglou issued a reminder, Heibiao was reduced to a silent corpse lying on the ground.
Lin Qianqian, too, had regained her composure.
"Who are you looking for?"
Li Chonglou nodded. "The murder case you asked me to investigate, the killer should be someone from here."
Having witnessed what they called the "workshop," he was mostly certain that he had found the real killer. After all, only such a place could produce such a deranged psychopath.
Lin Qianqian said in a deep voice, "If it's convenient, I'd like you to escort me out first. There are informants in the police department, and we're about to conduct a major purge."
Li Chonglou frowned, feeling reluctant. He had already broken in, and the video recorder from earlier seemed suspicious. He was worried that someone might escape.
However, after a few seconds of silence, Li Chonglou agreed to Lin Qianqian's request.
If he didn't escort her out first, he would have to act with her by his side. Lin Qianqian, after all, was just an ordinary person, and he might be encumbered by her if they encountered difficult opponents.
It was better to ensure her safe departure first, thus removing any worries from his mind.
However, before leaving, Li Chonglou asked, "Should I escort you out, or should I leave the town first?"
Lin Qianqian understood his meaning and shook her head. "Just take me outside the workshop. They have signal jammers inside, so my phone has no signal."
Li Chonglou was momentarily stunned, then took out his own phone. Indeed, it displayed "service unavailable."
"Oh, alright."
With that, he quickly left with Lin Qianqian. They used their internal energy to travel, and it took less than ten seconds to return outside.
Lin Qianqian was already aware of Li Chonglou's capabilities, so she wasn't overly surprised. As soon as they were out, she immediately took out her phone to contact her people.
At this juncture, Li Chonglou wasn't in a hurry to leave. At the very least, he had to wait for reliable people to arrive for her; otherwise, his rescue would have been in vain.
However, while waiting, he continued to use his Heaven's Eye clairvoyance to observe the surroundings, particularly paying attention to areas with distinctly different auras.
"By the way, you'd better have your people check on the shopkeeper after the bridge. That guy might not be a legitimate person either."
The people he encountered when he first entered were clearly prepared. After entering the town, the only person he had interacted with was that shopkeeper, and the implications were self-evident.
Lin Qianqian was taken aback. She recalled that she had also inquired with that shopkeeper when she first arrived. Her sharp vigilance immediately recognized that something was amiss.
"I understand!"
Lin Qianqian then gave further instructions.
Three minutes ago.
Outside the town, about three kilometers away, in a temporarily erected camp, a middle-aged man paced anxiously from side to side. A subordinate next to him reminded him, "Captain, stop pacing. If you keep going, I'll get dizzy just watching you."
The middle-aged man slapped the speaking subordinate's head without hesitation and reprimanded him, "You talk too much! Director Lin has been inside for so long, and there's been no communication! If anything happens to Director Lin, none of you will escape responsibility!"
The subordinate said aggrievedly, "Captain, you were the one who agreed to Director Lin going in. I already raised my hand."
The middle-aged man sighed, "You don't understand anything! Shangjing seems peaceful now, but those guys are clearly waiting for a larger uprising. Director Lin, as a woman, managing to hold things together until today is a miracle."
"But if she doesn't achieve any results soon, and doesn't give these guys a warning shot, Director Lin might even be dismissed by the higher-ups!"
As he spoke, a look of admiration appeared in the middle-aged man's eyes. "In Shangjing's current situation, only Director Lin is completely loyal to the General Bureau. If someone opportunistic were sent here, you'd be living with your heads on your shoulders!"
The subordinate lowered his head, clearly still not entirely in agreement with Director Lin's personal risk-taking.
However, he said consolingly, "Captain, don't worry. Our technical department is constantly monitoring Director Lin's phone. As soon as there's any anomaly, we'll know immediately."
Hearing this, the middle-aged man secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Indeed, to ensure no mistakes this time, they had invited professional personnel from the intelligence department.
One had to know that the intelligence department could obtain information from all parties in a timely manner, not only through force but also through these technical talents. Modern networks were as simple as building blocks in their hands!
However, just then, the captain's phone suddenly rang, and he instinctively answered.
"It's me. Don't make a fuss. There's a traitor in the team. Hurry and bring the main force over and prepare for the general offensive. I suspect it's someone from the technical department. Be careful yourself."
"Oh, and before you come in, control all the shops at the bridgehead. There should be spies from the other side inside. We want to catch them off guard!"
The captain's expression changed drastically. Lin Qianqian's speech was rapid. From the moment she connected to the end of her instructions, it only took about ten seconds. Then, with a click, she hung up the phone.
The subordinate asked doubtfully, "Captain, who was it? Was it Director Lin?"
As soon as he finished speaking, his forehead was slapped again.
"You talk too much! Immediately notify the core team and have them control all personnel in the technical department! Also, notify the First Detachment to clear out the people on the other side of the bridge, and notify the Second to Seventh Detachments to advance at full speed!"
"The rest, surround this entire area! Don't let a single fly escape!"
After saying this, the middle-aged man hurried out of the room!