Chapter 13: A Savior from the Shadows(1)

Part 1: A Deadly Intervention

The room was thick with tension, the air filled with the soft sobs of Liu Xinyue and Zhao Yue as they knelt beside Lin Feng's crumpled body. Blood pooled beneath him, staining the cold marble floor. The pain of his self-inflicted gunshots was unbearable, and his vision swam in and out of focus. He could barely hear the mocking laughter of Li Wei over the roaring in his ears, but he refused to give in to the darkness creeping over him.

Li Wei stood tall, triumphant, savoring every moment of Lin's suffering. "You sacrificed yourself for these women," he sneered, stepping closer to Lin. "And for what? You can barely move, and they'll watch you bleed to death."

Lin's breaths came in ragged gasps, the world tilting as he fought to stay conscious. His fingers twitched, reaching out for Liu Xinyue and Zhao Yue, who were sobbing uncontrollably, their hands pressed desperately against Lin's wounds in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding.

But Lin wasn't focused on Li Wei's gloating. He was focused on something else, something far more important. Through the haze of pain, a faint but unmistakable sound echoed through the room.

The soft, distant crack of a gunshot.

Li Wei froze, his smile faltering as he turned toward the source of the noise. His eyes widened in confusion. The room had been sealed, his men guarding the doors, ensuring no one could enter. But that sound... it came from outside.

Before anyone could react, another shot rang out, sharp and precise.

One of Li Wei's bodyguards collapsed, his lifeless body slumping to the floor, a single bullet hole in the center of his forehead. His gun fell from his hands, clattering onto the marble, and the silence that followed was deafening.

Li Wei's eyes darted around in panic. "What the hell—?!"

Another shot. Another bodyguard fell.

And then another. And another.

Each shot was lethal, fired with surgical precision. In the span of mere seconds, six more of Li Wei's men were cut down, their bodies dropping to the ground in rapid succession, leaving only two remaining.

"Who's doing this?!" Li Wei shouted, his voice cracking with fear.

But before he could react, a final shot rang out, and the last two bodyguards fell in quick succession, their guns clattering uselessly beside them. The room was now eerily silent, except for the ragged breaths of Lin Feng and the muffled sobs of the women beside him.

Li Wei spun around, his face pale, his eyes wide with terror as he searched for the source of the gunfire. But there was no one in sight—no sign of the sniper who had eliminated his men with such ruthless efficiency.

Then, the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps echoed down the hallway outside the room. Li Wei's heart raced, and he stumbled backward, his earlier arrogance crumbling into pure panic.

The door to the room creaked open.

A figure stepped into the dim light, tall and imposing. A woman—mature, confident, and radiating an aura of authority. She wore a black tactical uniform, her dark hair pulled back in a tight bun, and her sharp eyes gleamed with a deadly focus. Slung over her shoulder was a Barrett sniper rifle, the same weapon that had decimated Li Wei's men with such terrifying precision.

Her eyes locked onto Li Wei with cold intensity as she entered the room. "You're under arrest, Li Wei."

Li Wei took a shaky step back, his hands trembling. "Who the hell are you?!"

The woman didn't answer. She crossed the room swiftly, stepping over the bodies of Li Wei's fallen guards as if they were nothing more than obstacles in her path. She moved with a deadly grace, her expression unreadable.

As she approached Lin's crumpled body, her eyes softened just slightly. Lin, barely clinging to consciousness, looked up at her through blurred vision. His body was weak, his strength failing, but he managed a faint smile.

"At last... you arrived," Lin rasped, his voice barely above a whisper.

The woman knelt beside him, her expression remaining stoic, though there was a flicker of emotion in her eyes. "You did well, Lin," she said softly, her voice steady. "I'm sorry I was late."

Lin's eyes fluttered shut, the pain finally overwhelming him. He felt the cold darkness creeping closer, but he trusted her. He had called her for help, knowing she would come through in the end.

And she had.

As Lin's consciousness faded, he heard Liu Xinyue and Zhao Yue's voices—desperate, broken, calling out his name.

Then, everything went black.

Part 2: Li Wei's Fall

The policewoman's sharp eyes flicked toward Li Wei, who was standing frozen in shock. His earlier bravado had crumbled into fear and confusion. He glanced at the bodies of his men, their guns still clutched in their lifeless hands, and then back at the woman who had just dismantled his operation in a matter of seconds.

"You..." Li Wei stammered, his voice trembling. "How—how did you...?"

The policewoman stood slowly, her gaze cold and unwavering. "I'm Detective Mei Ling, Beijing PD." Her voice was calm, but there was an undeniable edge of authority to it. "You're under arrest for kidnapping, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit multiple felonies."

Li Wei's fear morphed into rage as he backed away, his hands trembling. "You think you can stop me? I own this city! My people—"

"Your people are dead," Mei Ling interrupted, her voice icy. "And your empire is crumbling. Lin Feng made sure of that."

Li Wei's mouth opened, but no words came out. The weight of the situation crashed down on him all at once. His entire operation, everything he had built, was falling apart before his eyes.

He didn't even resist when Mei Ling stepped forward and pulled a pair of handcuffs from her belt. She snapped the cuffs onto his wrists, her expression unreadable as she led him away from the scene.

"You're finished, Li Wei," Mei Ling said as she marched him toward the door. "You'll be spending the rest of your life behind bars."

Part 3: The Hospital

Hours later, Lin Feng lay motionless in a hospital bed, his body covered in bandages, his wounds carefully tended to by the team of doctors who had fought to save his life. The room was quiet, the soft beeping of medical machines the only sound breaking the silence.

Liu Xinyue and Zhao Yue sat at his bedside, their faces pale and tear-streaked. They hadn't left his side since they arrived at the hospital. Their eyes were swollen from crying, their hearts heavy with guilt and fear.

Xinyue clutched Lin's hand, her fingers trembling. She had never felt so helpless, so broken. She had always believed Lin was invincible, that no matter how bad things got, he would always find a way to protect them. But seeing him like this, so fragile and vulnerable, shattered her heart.

"Lin..." Xinyue whispered, her voice hoarse from crying. "Please... please wake up..."

Zhao Yue sat beside her, her hands covering her face as silent sobs wracked her body. She had always been the calm one, the strategist who kept everyone on track. But now, all she could do was cry, feeling the weight of everything Lin had sacrificed for them.

"He did it for us," Zhao Yue choked out, her voice barely audible. "He... he gave up everything for us..."

The two women sat in silence, their hearts breaking as they watched Lin's still form. The doctors had assured them that he would recover, but the fear that he might never wake up haunted their every thought.

Part 4: A Glimmer of Hope

Hours passed, and the weight of exhaustion finally caught up with Liu Xinyue and Zhao Yue. They drifted in and out of restless sleep, still clinging to Lin's hand, refusing to leave his side.

And then, in the stillness of the night, something changed.

Lin's fingers twitched, just slightly. It was a small movement, barely noticeable, but it sent a jolt of hope through Xinyue, who was still holding his hand. Her eyes widened, and she sat up straight, her heart racing.

"Lin?" Xinyue whispered, her voice trembling with hope. "Lin, can you hear me?"

Zhao Yue jerked awake at the sound of her voice, her eyes darting to Lin's face. For a moment, they held their breath, waiting, praying for any sign that he was still with them.

Lin's eyelids fluttered.

And then, slowly, painfully, he opened his eyes.