Chapter 169: Do You Regret Becoming a Detective? Gao Chao: Never Once!

Directly across from the Red Rose Beauty Salon.

The engine of a heavily modified off-road vehicle rumbled lowly, already preheated and ready to roar. Black smoke billowed from its exhaust pipe.

In the driver’s seat, Baodan sat, eyes cold and sharp, focused on the activity around the salon. The coordinated glances exchanged by the surrounding officers told him all he needed to know—

Rose had been brought out. She was about to be escorted to the Yuhua Criminal Investigation Unit.

This… was the best chance.

Once Rose was locked away in the Criminal Investigation Department, even if K showed up in person, it’d be nearly impossible to silence her inside the police station.

Baodan’s gaze locked on the salon’s entrance as he gently pressed on the gas pedal, creeping forward. In the traffic-heavy downtown area of Liangxi, an off-road vehicle wouldn’t draw much attention.

In the back seat lay the bomb, its digital timer ticking down steadily.

…

As the officers spread out to maintain the perimeter and establish order—

Three seconds later.

Gao Chao was the first to walk out of the salon, jogging to his personal vehicle, opening the door, sliding into the driver’s seat, fastening his seatbelt, and starting the engine.

He waved to Xu Changsheng and Guo Ping, signaling them to load Rose into the car.

To keep the operation covert, they hadn’t used police vehicles. Gao Chao had driven his personal car, and now it made sense to use it for the transport as well.

Less than thirty meters away, Baodan’s expression remained blank as he watched Rose—her head covered in a black hood—being pushed into the car.

His heart was eerily calm, his eyes cold and dead, like a venomous snake finally spotting its long-awaited prey.

Glancing at the bomb’s countdown on the back seat, he knew he was following in his parents’ footsteps, planning to disappear in an explosion of flames.

But before dying, he had to make sure Rose would never open her mouth.

Only then could all trails go cold. Only then could Xiaowei live her life in peace without being hunted down by these damn cops.

Even if he wasn’t around anymore, she would still have enough money for a good life.

Now.

Seeing Rose locked in the back seat, in a space too tight to escape from in time—

Baodan finally bared his fangs, eyes fierce and unflinching, flooring the accelerator and wrenching the steering wheel.

VROOOOM—

The modified, high-powered engine roared like thunder as black smoke blasted from the tailpipe.

With a terrifying burst of speed, the SUV launched forward like a tank, charging straight at the rear end of the private car Rose had just been placed in.

Against a vehicle like that, a normal car was no better than a toy.

A head-on impact at that speed—especially directed at the back seat—meant certain death for Rose from the force of the crash or from being crushed.

And even if the officers reacted in time, how could they possibly stop a speeding, weaponized vehicle like that?

That was Baodan’s venom—he would make sure Rose died, without fail.

…

“Baodan’s hiding near the salon! He’s going to execute Rose!”

Su Ming’s urgent voice blasted in Gao Chao’s earpiece, making him freeze for a split second.

Then—

The roar of an engine, the shouting and cursing of officers, and even the high-pitched ping of bullets ricocheting off bulletproof glass rang out behind him.

Gao Chao checked the rearview mirror—and there it was: a massive off-road vehicle, easily one and a half times the size of his own, speeding toward his car.

Worst of all—

There was no way to dodge.

Rose’s hands and feet were restrained—there was no way she could climb out of the cramped back seat in time.

Xu Changsheng and Guo Ping, still unsure if they’d be needed inside the secret room, hadn’t gotten in the car yet. They couldn’t reach her in time.

If they tried to drag her out now, even a half-second delay could cost them dearly.

In that moment.

Gao Chao didn’t hesitate.

As a detective through and through, he’d always known he might one day sacrifice his life—always expected to be targeted for revenge.

His body bore countless scars. He had brushed shoulders with death more than once.

But that unwavering sense of duty had never changed—not once. As long as he wore that uniform, he would fight on the front lines.

Did he regret it?

In his more than twenty years on the force, every injury, every hospital stay, every look of worry on his parents’, wife’s, or child’s face made him ask himself that question.

And every time, the answer was the same—

Never. Even if given countless chances to choose again, he would still become a detective—bringing justice, fighting darkness, and crushing evil.

So now—

They had finally caught Rose. Finally opened a crack in the drug ring. Finally found a lead in the five-year-old Face-Replacement Case.

How could he let Baodan destroy it all right before his eyes?

With no time to hesitate, with no thought for himself, only pure instinct—

Gao Chao slammed down on the accelerator, gripping the steering wheel tightly, desperately trying to steer the car to change the angle of the impact.

As long as… as long as he could keep the rear from taking the brunt of the hit, Rose might still have a chance to survive.

And in the span of just under two seconds, before anyone else could react, Gao Chao forcibly wrenched the car to the side, trying to use the front of his car to take the blow.

Most people, when facing a deadly crash, would instinctively steer to save themselves.

“Better the other guy dies than me”—that was the most natural human response.

But not Gao Chao.

To protect Rose, to protect this fragile yet precious lead, he did the exact opposite.

He didn’t just fail to protect himself—he aimed to take the full hit, so that justice and truth could survive.

But before he could finish turning the car—

Baodan’s speeding SUV had already rammed into the side.

BOOM—

The deafening crash erupted in an instant…