Chapter 293: Qiang Wei’s Choice, Obtaining All the Human-Skin Mask Facial Data

“Is it worth it?”

“To save a death row inmate…”

Qiang Wei’s words made Gao Chao frown slightly.

He looked at her, eyes fixed on the ceiling, and after thinking for a couple of seconds, he spoke in a calm, steady tone.

“From the moment I put on this uniform, whether something is worth it or not has never been part of my consideration. I only do what must be done—catch criminals, uphold justice, and give the victims’ families an answer.”

“That doesn’t change just because you’re on death row. And it certainly won’t change because of some instinctive fear that might make me hesitate.”

“Because I am a member of the People’s Police. I need you to face the judgment of the law and bring long-overdue justice to the victims’ families.”

“That’s why I won’t allow you to be silenced right in front of me by those criminals, just because you know too much.”

“And most importantly… I need the intel you possess. At that moment, the value of uncovering your drug trafficking organization far outweighed my own safety.”

That answer was the truest reflection of Gao Chao’s beliefs—or rather, it had always been the creed he lived by.

To capture criminals and bring justice, even at the cost of his own safety.

It was true ten years ago, and it remained true now. From the moment he donned the uniform, that conviction had never wavered.

Hearing those words, Qiang Wei slowly turned her head with difficulty to glance at Gao Chao.

But then she looked back at the ceiling, a mocking smile curling on her lips as she spoke with pointed meaning.

“No wonder I’d barely regained consciousness, and despite being seriously injured, you still came here right away.”

“Intel, huh?”

“Looks like… while I was unconscious, the police didn’t make any progress at all.”

“But I suppose that’s to be expected. After all, Boss K’s ruthlessness isn’t something just anyone can match. The moment he heard I’d been caught, he immediately sent someone to shut me up for good.”

“Honestly, if your police had been able to dig him out earlier, the organization wouldn’t have…”

Before she could finish, Gao Chao cut her off directly, shaking his head with a sigh.

“Qiang Wei, I think you’re giving K too much credit. Same goes for your drug trafficking organization.”

“Right now, your Kill Organization is basically defunct. Most of its members are gone. The Priest and the Ghost have already been located by our team.”

“As for your so-called Boss K, he’s probably racking his brain trying to figure out how to flee Dragon Country and ensure his own safety.”

Before he even finished speaking, Qiang Wei instinctively turned to look at him, her eyes filled with disbelief and astonishment.

She hadn’t imagined that in just the few days she’d been unconscious, the entire organization had nearly been exposed, and even K was preparing to run.

After a brief silence, Qiang Wei turned her gaze back to the ceiling, a self-deprecating smile tugging at her lips as she muttered meaningfully.

“Heh.”

“That’s… not exactly good news.”

“Even someone as cold-blooded as K is being forced into a corner by you, sending out his most trusted Priest. Looks like it really is the end.”

Gao Chao knew the situation in Jiahe City was urgent and didn’t want to waste any more time. He got straight to the point.

“Qiang Wei, I need the facial data for the human-skin masks made for Priest and Ghost.”

“Even though providing this information likely won’t reduce your sentence, at the very least… it might help you live out your remaining days a little more comfortably.”

“Besides, I don’t believe that someone who was nearly executed still has any reason to protect them. It was K who gave up on you first.”

Those words plunged Qiang Wei into silence once again.

But this time, Gao Chao didn’t push her. He simply waited quietly at her side.

As a seasoned detective, Gao Chao had already sensed from her initial question—”Is it worth it?”—that Qiang Wei, having barely escaped death, was no longer determined to keep the organization’s secrets.

Or perhaps, K’s decision to send the Bomber to execute her in order to protect the organization’s secrets had left her with nothing but deep disappointment.

After all, when she was first captured by the police, she hadn’t said a single word.

Qiang Wei had believed she could withstand interrogation and never reveal anything about the drug trafficking organization.

But the moment K learned she’d been caught, he hadn’t hesitated to send someone to kill her.

That act didn’t just reveal his ruthlessness—it left her cold to the core, and stirred a deep, buried fury.

…

At this moment, Qiang Wei could feel the pain coursing through her body, her eyes still fixed on the ceiling. The searing pain on her face was constant and unmistakable.

She took a deep breath, then spoke in a hoarse, trembling voice.

“Bureau Chief Gao…”

“Could you have someone bring me a mirror? I want to see… what my face looks like now…”

Gao Chao narrowed his eyes, staring at Qiang Wei’s face—ravaged by the car crash, covered in wounds, some areas even deformed.

Under normal circumstances, doctors would try to preserve the appearance of young female patients during treatment, as long as their lives weren’t at risk.

But because of Qiang Wei’s special status, her treatment had been focused on extracting intel and basic humanitarian care.

As a result, her facial injuries were indeed gruesome. Many of the stitches had been done by interns. Compared to her once glamorous, celebrity-like appearance, she was now unrecognizable.

Gao Chao furrowed his brow, weighing whether the sight of her nearly disfigured face might trigger an emotional breakdown or some unexpected reaction.

But in the next moment, he saw Qiang Wei slowly turn her head to look at him, her eyes filled with nothing but calm and a deeply buried pain.

Letting out a long sigh, Gao Chao turned to the officer beside him and spoke softly.

“Xiao Zhang.”

“Go find a mirror.”

The officer assigned to Gao Chao immediately went to the nurse’s station to borrow one.

Half a minute later, Officer Xiao Zhang returned to the room holding a mirror.

With a slight nod from Gao Chao, he walked over to the side of the bed and held the mirror up in front of Qiang Wei.

In that moment, Qiang Wei finally saw her disfigured face.

Shock, pain, rage, despair—an array of emotions flickered through her eyes.

After several dozen seconds, she slowly closed her eyes. A single tear slid down her cheek, silent and sorrowful.

Gao Chao sighed again, just about to speak when—

With her eyes still shut, Qiang Wei opened her mouth and spoke in a voice so hoarse it was barely audible.

“I have a Private Cloud Drive.”

“Inside… is all the facial data for every human-skin mask I’ve ever made over the years…”