Qin He took a deep breath, nearly passing out.
"It's the strategist, that man is the strategist!"
Her bloodshot eyes snapped towards the helicopter, now a tiny black speck in the sky.
It had to be the strategist! She was almost certain!
Qian Zimo gritted his teeth and ordered his men to take Qi Yang away.
On the ride back, everyone was silent. In the last RV, Shen Ruiyi’s hand, gripping the gun, tightened. He glared at Qi Yang, laid out on the seat beside him, and punched the car body with all his might.
Qin He sat in the middle row, head bowed, her hands stained with dried blood.
She looked up at Qian Zimo in the front seat. He was speaking into his earphones, his jawline taut, clearly consumed by rage.
"Investigate! How could a helicopter appear in Qingcheng without leaving a single trace! ... What do you mean there's no trace!"
The car drove back to the villa that served as their base.
Everyone alighted. Qi Yang was taken to a sofa in the living room.
The others sat around in silence. After a short while, Qi Zhen woke up.
He sat up abruptly as soon as he opened his eyes, his gaze immediately falling on Qi Yang.
The man’s voice, filled with grief, rang out. Qin He clutched her face in anguish.
Shen Ruiyi’s eyes were venomous. "When we catch that person, I will make them wish they were dead!"
A moment later, another call came for Qian Zimo.
"A model helicopter? What does this have to do with Xicheng District Primary School!"
Qin He’s head shot up.
Whatever was said on the other end left Qian Zimo silent. After hanging up, he looked at Qin He. "The helicopter was originally just a shell, without an engine or fuel, and it was retired. The Xicheng District Ministry of Education acquired it and placed it in the military museum next to Xicheng District Primary School for students to visit—"
Without Qian Zimo needing to say it, the others understood. Someone must have secretly filled the hollow shell bit by bit.
A model helicopter in a military museum, indeed, it would be registered and wouldn't raise suspicion.
Qin He pursed her lips, her hands, resting on her knees, gripping so tightly that her knuckles turned white, trembling slightly.
"Find out who proposed moving that helicopter to the military museum."
Qian Zimo sighed. "We checked. The official intention was for display, but Lev's people discovered it and came up with this plan."
Qin He gritted her teeth, no wonder these people dared to hide in the district she was most familiar with!
"A helicopter without flight clearance wouldn't have flown too far. Keep searching," Qin He said hoarsely.
These people wouldn't leave Qingcheng until they achieved their objective.
As they spoke, there was a sound at the villa's entrance.
Qin He stood and looked outside. Gu Qichen strode in, exuding a cold aura. Upon seeing Qin He, he rushed towards her.
Qin He felt herself enveloped in a warm, solid embrace.
She buried her face in Gu Qichen's chest, biting her lower lip to suppress her tears.
Gu Qichen murmured, "Thank goodness you're alright."
Qin He gently pushed him away, only to notice a patch of her wet clothes on his chest.
His brow furrowed with annoyance and concern. "Since you found out who it was, why didn't you notify me?"
Qin He lowered her gaze, looking at Gu Qichen's legs. "You're not supposed to be discharged yet. Who let you out?"
She figured Shen Bin wouldn't have been able to stop him, so Qin He didn't pursue it further. "Did you just rush in?"
"I came in my wheelchair, but there were stairs just now, so I couldn't wait and came up first," Gu Qichen said softly.
Earlier, when Qin He had held him, his gaze had fallen on Qi Yang on the sofa.
Knowing Qin He had just come through a life-or-death situation and lost a friend, Gu Qichen took her hand.
"It's okay, you go rest first. Leave the rest to me."
The Qin Corporation, Gu Corporation, and even Qingyan Mansion had always kept each other informed.
Today's events were sudden, and Qin He didn't want Gu Qichen to be put in danger, which was why she hadn't notified him.
She shook her head. "We should discuss it together and prepare for Qi Yang's... funeral."
Qian Zimo nodded in agreement. Shen Ruiyi and Qin He, both undertakers, accompanied Qi Yang to the funeral home.
Qi Zhen seemed to have lost his soul, dazed, crying one moment and vowing to hunt down those people the next.
But he didn't even know who they were.
Upon arriving at the funeral home, Qin He, her eyes red, went to the mortuary with Shen Ruiyi.
Before entering, she turned to look at Gu Qichen. "Gu Qichen, have your mother bring Lele to your place from the hospital tonight, alright?"
Gu Qichen paused, then frowned. "I will have people protect Lele."
Qin He shook her head. "The Gu family has Grandma Gu and your mother there. More people, and the Gu family isn't the primary target. I'll only be at ease if Lele is with you."
She felt a surge of determination to fight them.
In a little while, her brother and Wan Wan would be married. They'd surely go on a honeymoon afterward.
By then, she'd convince her mother to return to Haicheng and stay in Qingcheng alone.
This tragedy must not claim any more lives!
After Qin He and Shen Ruiyi entered the mortuary, the curtains were drawn, and everyone else sat outside.
Qian Zimo, his face grim, took out his phone to make a call. "You don't need to come over now. The helicopter is in the air, making it easier to track. You must find those people!"
Qi Zhen, sitting nearby, looked up abruptly, his previously dull eyes now filled with killing intent and cold light.
"Boss, let me go!"
Qian Zimo looked at Qi Zhen in surprise while holding his phone, but still shook his head. "You need to wait here for Qi Yang. He surely... hopes to have his brother's company in his final moments."
Qi Yang was too severely injured. Half of his face was unrecognizable, and the other half was also mangled and bloody.
Qin He gritted her teeth. She had been an undertaker for so long, yet this was the first time she had to prepare the remains of someone so close to her.
Qi Yang, unlike Qi Zhen, was usually uninhibited, his personality lively and straightforward.
Such a personality had a strong presence, yet now he lay there, silent and cold.
Qin He and Shen Ruiyi worked on the restoration until nightfall. They hadn't eaten lunch, only drinking two bottles of water before continuing.
At eight in the evening, Qin He opened the door and looked at Qi Zhen. "Qi Zhen, go see him."
Qi Yang's face had been completely restored and lit.
After such a monumental task, and facing her own friend, Qin He's heart felt as if it were bleeding.
She had to fill in the missing parts, clean the mangled flesh, and rebuild it with prosthetics.
Gu Qichen, in his wheelchair, started to stand up. Qin He immediately walked over.
She leaned down and gently embraced him.
She felt as if she were drowning in a dark sea. As long as the organization Lev existed, she would never escape this dark ocean.
And here, Gu Qichen was the most important person to her.
Qian Zimo spoke, "Qin He, you should go back and rest."
Qin He rose from Gu Qichen's embrace and shook her head. "How's the helicopter tracking going?"
"It landed in a scenic town near Qingcheng. The crowds there are immense—"
Another failure.