Chapter 18 .. The Hidden Truth

The sound of footsteps grew louder, stopping right outside the locked door.

Zhao Rui and Liang Chen tensed, their eyes flicking toward the stolen bomb.

Zhao Rui (whispering): "If it's another guard, we're dead."

Liang Chen: "Serious If it's Shen Wei, we're really dead."

The lock clicked, and the door creaked open.

A slender figure in a black cloak stepped inside, carefully closing the door behind her. She held a small bag in her hands, her face hidden behind a dark veil.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then, slowly, the woman removed her mask.

Zhao Rui's eyes widened in shock.

"I KNEW IT!" he blurted out, pointing at her. "I told you, Liang Chen! It's Dr. Lin Xiu!"

Liang Chen narrowed his eyes. "Oh, great. A doctor AND a criminal. Love that for us."

Lin Xiu sighed. "If I were truly a criminal, would I be here helping you?"

Zhao Rui crossed his arms. "I don't know, would you? Because right now, things are looking VERY suspicious."

Lin Xiu shook her head and pulled out a small container of food. "Before I explain, you should eat."

Liang Chen eyed the food. "You didn't poison this, right?"

Lin Xiu smirked. "If I wanted you dead, you'd already be dead."

Zhao Rui nudged Liang Chen. "Oh. She's got a point."

Liang Chen sighed. "Fine."

The Shocking Truth

As they ate, Lin Xiu leaned against the door, her expression serious.

"You two have no idea what you've stepped into," she said quietly.

Zhao Rui paused mid-bite. "Yeah, no kidding."

Liang Chen put down his food. "We know Shen Wei is doing something illegal. And we saw those cages—kids, young girls, boys… What is this place?"

Lin Xiu's gaze darkened.

"This is not just a mansion," she said. "It's a human trafficking ring. Shen Wei is part of a much larger network that sells people to the highest bidder."

Zhao Rui's stomach turned.

Liang Chen clenched his fists. "And you? What's your role in all this?"

Lin Xiu hesitated. Then, she reached into her cloak and pulled out a silver badge.

Zhao Rui squinted. "…Wait. Is that a police badge?"

Lin Xiu nodded.

"I'm an undercover agent," she said. "I infiltrated Shen Wei's operation a year ago to bring him down from the inside."

Zhao Rui and Liang Chen stared at her in shock.

Zhao Rui: "So… you're like, a spy?"

Lin Xiu: "More or less."

Liang Chen: "And you're telling us this NOW?!"

Lin Xiu sighed. "Because before, you were just two photographers caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. But now?"

She looked at them seriously.

"You stole a bomb from Shen Wei's arsenal."

Liang Chen and Zhao Rui exchanged nervous glances.

Zhao Rui: "Haha, funny story about that…"

Lin Xiu: "Not funny. Not a story. Shen Wei will notice. And when he does? He'll kill you both."

Zhao Rui swallowed. "Welp. That's… not great."

Liang Chen leaned forward. "Then what do we do?"

Lin Xiu exhaled. "I have a plan. But I need to know something first."

She looked straight at Zhao Rui.

"You came here for money. Why?"

Zhao Rui's jaw clenched.

"For Liang Yue's operation," he said quietly.

Lin Xiu stared at him for a long moment.

Then, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded document. She placed it on the table.

"Read this," she said.

Zhao Rui frowned and opened the paper.

The words shattered him.

Liang Yue's medical report.

Her operation…

Had already been paid for.

By someone else.

Zhao Rui's breath hitched. "This… this can't be right."

Lin Xiu looked at him seriously. "Someone paid for her surgery weeks ago. You never needed to come here."

Silence.

Then, Zhao Rui's hand slowly curled into a fist.

Zhao Rui: "Then why the hell did that hospital still ask me for money?"

Lin Xiu's expression hardened.

"Because, Zhao Rui… The hospital isn't innocent either."