Chapter 112: The Briefcase

Upon arriving in Zhenjiang, the Action Team made no contact with the wealthy individual set to make a transaction.

Based on past experiences, ordinary people wouldn’t even notice those coming for the deal.

Qin Qing and her team immediately set up surveillance at the transaction site.

It was a main road, yet there weren’t many pedestrians.

Some were undercover members of the Action Team.

The wealthy individual left a prepared money box behind a trash can.

The target moved.

This time, Hong Du didn’t show up.

On the System Panel map, Qin Qing saw the red dot representing Liu Xiangjun approaching the trash can’s location.

“He’s here,” she warned. “The target is three meters from Point 1.”

A colleague’s hushed voice came through her earpiece: “Report, no one within a 20-meter radius of Point 1.”

The Captain instructed, “Point 1 report confirmed, Qin Qing, verify the situation!”

Standing in a residential building by the roadside, Qin Qing used her binoculars to check the red dot’s position on the System Panel map. Indeed, there was no one!

“Received! The target is likely in an invisible state, verifying now.”

Qin Qing quickly flipped through Liu Xiangjun’s logs on her notebook while relaying suggestions to the command post.

“In 30 seconds, have Point 2 take five steps east.”

Captain: “Point 2, execute.”

“Received!”

Point 2 shook his hand, and the bottom of the paper bag he was holding tore open, spilling loquat-sized eggs that rolled in all directions.

He followed the loquats eastward.

On the System Panel map.

The green dot about to collide with him paused and skirted around Point 2.

He couldn’t pass through solid objects!

At this moment, Qin Qing found what she was looking for in Liu Xiangjun’s logs on her notebook.

Liu Xiangjun not only carried “Empty as Nothing” but also something called “Visual Shielding.”

It seemed to confuse others’ vision rather than making him disappear entirely.

Qin Qing wished to disable Visual Shielding, but it required 50 Merit Value.

Even someone with abundant merit couldn’t afford such spending.

The Captain urged, “Qin Qing, report the situation.”

“Captain, the target is invisible but has a physical form. Currently approaching Point 3.”

The Captain glanced down to see Meng Yuan sipping watermelon juice beside him.

Under the officer’s gaze, Meng Yuan obediently sat up straight and stopped swinging her feet. “What… what is it?”

The Captain didn’t answer, instead asking Qin Qing, “Can this guy fight?”

“It depends on who he’s up against.” Qin Qing paused for a moment. “…If it’s you, his combat strength is less than two-thirds of yours.”

“Understood.”

The Captain reached for the watermelon juice. Meng Yuan tried to protect her drink, but the Captain raised it out of her reach.

“Stay here and don’t go anywhere. I’ll buy you another one after the mission.”

Before leaving, he also took Meng Yuan’s hair tie.

He spoke into his earpiece, “I’m heading to Point 5. Notify me when the target is within five meters.”

“Okay.”

Qin Qing kept her eyes on the map, watching the dots representing Liu Xiangjun and the Captain draw closer.

She continuously updated the Captain on the target’s direction and distance countdown.

“10 meters… 7 meters… 5 meters…”

Now!

The Captain, casually sipping watermelon juice by the roadside, suddenly sprang into action.

The watermelon juice was thrown, and the explosive power of his arm sent the red beverage shooting out like a short-range missile.

The speeding cup encountered resistance and exploded. The red juice stained the obstacle in its path, gradually revealing the outline of a pink shoulder in the air.

The Captain followed the trajectory of the cup, arriving first and attacking the moment the outline appeared, as if wrestling with a patch of air.

The red shoulder tried to escape several times but was blocked each time.

Passersby fled, watching the Captain as if he were crazy.

Through her binoculars, Qin Qing witnessed everything and marveled at how many times one must practice throwing punches to achieve such speed and power…

The fight quickly reached a conclusion.

As the surrounding team members arrived, the Captain stood up, hands on hips, panting. Qin Qing noticed a familiar purple hair tie tied around an air cylinder.

Analyzing the position of the red shoulder, the hair tie’s location should be the neck.

Just as she was about to celebrate victory, a few gray lines slowly appeared at the end of Liu Xiangjun’s log on Qin Qing’s open notebook.

Qin Qing glanced at it and immediately warned her colleagues.

“Be careful, he’s trying to escape!”

The Captain pressed on his earpiece, his sharp gaze fixed on Liu Xiangjun’s position. The hair tie, handcuffs, and red shoulder securely bound to the air contour vanished under his watchful eyes.

Liu Xiangjun struggled fiercely. The team escorting him was caught off guard by his sudden outburst and couldn’t stop him, allowing him to slip away and dissolve into the air.

The Captain took two quick steps, reached out by instinct… and caught him!

With his other hand, he secured his grip, lifted his leg, and tapped several points in the air like a dragonfly skimming the water.

After four crisp sounds, a figure curled up on the ground appeared, groaning in pain, limbs weak.

His face was flushed, veins bulging. But it was unmistakably Liu Xiangjun.

A pair of tea-colored sunglasses lay on the ground beside his face.

Qin Qing reminded, “The sunglasses!”

The Captain understood, bending down to pick them up.

Liu Xiangjun lifted his head from the ground, his face twisted in rage. “Mine… give it back…”

Naturally, the Captain ignored him, carefully placing the sunglasses into a specially designed handheld case.

With the dust settled, Qin Qing went to join the main team.

“What about the sunglasses?”

The Captain patted the handheld case locked to his left hand.

“Want to see?”

The Captain refused. “This handheld case is a one-way lock. Once locked, it requires special equipment at headquarters to open.”

Qin Qing: “…You could just explain its function. Do you have to look at me like I’m a thief? Without me, you wouldn’t have gotten it.”

The Captain turned his head, avoiding Qin Qing’s gaze. “It’s important, no playing around!”

Qin Qing jumped out of the car.

Before the door closed, she heard the Captain sigh.

She went to the vehicle escorting Liu Xiangjun.

An hour later, they returned to the temporary office building.

Qin Qing got out of the car, now holding a toy she had played with the whole way.

It was an ordinary-looking folding briefcase.

It originally belonged to a previous suspect and was lent to Liu Xiangjun as “Empty as Nothing.”

In reality, it was just a folding space of less than two cubic meters.

This was fun!

She had tried it in the car, and the System Panel couldn’t simulate this effect.

【Warning! Warning! Cradle Holder attempting to interfere with Space Law beyond their level during infancy. This action may endanger life. Please stop immediately.】

Suddenly, two streams of blood gushed from her nose.

The two escorting team members were startled.

“Is this wallet dangerous?”

Qin Qing stuffed her nose with a wad of paper, which quickly turned bright red.

She stopped the team members from calling other vehicles.

“No, it’s not related to this. It’s my issue.”

She had checked her System Panel’s health value, and not a single decimal point had dropped.

She was perfectly healthy.

【Warning! To avoid self-harm from reckless actions, please note the following when using the exchange function.】

【Until the Cradle Holder reaches completion, do not attempt to interfere with the Creation Law, Time Law, or Space Law. Do not attempt to alter the emotions and perceptions of other intelligent beings.】

Couldn’t they have said so earlier?

They had to wait until she tried it.

Qin Qing bundled up the blood-soaked paper, feeling a bit dizzy.

She shook the wallet, spilling cash, documents, and gold bars all over the seat.

The escorting team member’s eyes nearly popped out.

His finger hovered nervously over the car communicator’s button.

“Hey!”

Qin Qing startled him.

The team member quickly withdrew his finger, hesitating. “This… doesn’t comply with regulations. Besides, you…”

He pointed at Qin Qing’s nose.

Qin Qing looked down, seeing two more lines of blood.

Grabbing some paper to wipe it away, she was unconcerned. “Why panic? I’m not keeping it for myself. Just report it normally when we get back. We’re on the highway now; do you want the Captain to stop?”

The team member fell silent.

Qin Qing continued to examine the wallet.

Ha, just a folding space.

Was she some country bumpkin who had never seen the world?

Such a small space, after all, was like carrying two 40-inch suitcases. What could it hold?

Hmm… quite a lot, actually.

She really wanted it. ￣へ￣

Qin Qing, with her nose still bleeding, played with this “portable suitcase” the entire way.

By the time they arrived, her nosebleed had stopped.

However, her face was pale, with a hint of excitement from finding a new toy, making her look quite odd.

As soon as the car stopped, the team member quickly got out. Probably to report her.

Soon after, the Captain blocked Qin Qing at the car door.

Qin Qing looked at the Captain. He appeared slightly blurred, holding two cups.

The Captain looked at Qin Qing, or more accurately, at the briefcase she was tossing in her hand, then at the cups in his hands.

He frowned for a moment.

He extended his hand, offering the two cups to Qin Qing. “Watermelon juice and red bean paste for Meng Yuan. Why don’t you have them first?”

She did need some sugar. She tentatively took the watermelon juice in her left hand.

The Captain placed the red bean paste by her right hand.

“Thanks for your hard work today. You can have this too. Oh, your hands are full; let me hold that for you.”

Qin Qing: “…”

Captain: “…”

This was too obvious!

Qin Qing wasn’t that childish.

She tossed the briefcase aside.

Who would fight over a toy at her age?

She angrily bit the straw!

Later, Meng Yuan came to Qin Qing, fuming.

“You intercepted my snacks, fine, but couldn’t you leave me at least one cup?”

Qin Qing pointed to her nose. “I intercepted them?”

“Yeah, the Captain said so. He’s such a serious person; he wouldn’t lie.”

Qin Qing accurately located the Captain. Before her gaze reached him, the Captain, holding two handheld cases, turned his head away.

“…” What kind of person was this, even coaxing a child?

–

Support staff arrived to take the two handheld cases.

The Action Team continued their pursuit.

After Liu Xiangjun’s capture, Hong Du had escaped.

Chasing one person was easier than two covering for each other.

But this person was giving them quite a run.

Hong Du’s relocation seemed random each time, and Qin Qing was unable to help.

For half a month, the chase continued relentlessly.

Exhausted in both body and mind, Hong Du finally chose to stop running.

The Action Team cornered him in a small inn.

He didn’t flee again; instead, he opened the door to greet them.

However, he wasn’t about to surrender without conditions.

“I know why you’re here to capture me. I’ll go with you, but not as a suspect.”

Hong Du declared haughtily, “I request a direct conversation with your leader. I possess skills the nation needs, and I can be of great help. Recruit me, and I’ll go with you.”