Chapter 87: The Final Task
So where was Lin Jiangye at this moment?
He was standing outside the operating room, guarding the door, staring blankly at the floor with lifeless eyes.
Because this was a public hospital, Bixi and the others had to wait outside. They couldn’t go in with him.
He didn’t know how long passed before the operating room doors finally opened. The doctor came out smiling and told him the patient was fine—thankfully, the bullet hadn’t damaged Shang Fuyan’s heart the way they’d feared.
“Good, good… that’s good…” Lin Jiangye exhaled shakily. “Um—how much is the medical bill? I’ll go pay right now!”
The moment he finished, there was a patter of footsteps behind him. Ciren Sangmu and the others had rushed over after hearing the news.
When they saw the young man standing there alone, eyes fixed on the operating room, all that lingering discomfort in their hearts vanished in an instant.
Fine. He beat him up, so what?
If not for them, Shang Fuyan wouldn’t have been hurt in the first place.
If it were them—coming out to cooperate on a case only to be pushed aside, then getting shot and badly injured by the other side’s team leader—they would’ve fired back immediately.
Whether the other guy lived or died? That would depend on his luck.
So Consultant Lin’s temper was actually so good.
Ciren Sangmu hurried up, blocking between Lin Jiangye and the doctor.
“Consultant Lin, Captain Shang’s injury is entirely our fault, so this medical bill must be paid by us!”
Otherwise, if word got out, forget other colleagues laughing at them—higher-ups would absolutely tear them apart.
He paused, then continued, “As for Zhang Wei, we will definitely give you an explanation. Our city bureau director is on the way back right now.”
The young man slowly turned around. Those pitch-black eyes settled quietly on Ciren Sangmu, and Ciren Sangmu instinctively straightened his back—cold sweat soaking layer after layer through his inner shirt.
No joke.
At this moment, Lin Jiangye’s presence was crushing. Ciren Sangmu genuinely felt like Lin Jiangye could, in the next second, raise a blade and take his head off.
And it wasn’t just him. Everyone behind Ciren Sangmu felt their skin crawl too.
Only after Lin Jiangye withdrew his gaze did the air finally loosen, and they all breathed a silent sigh of relief—thank god we escaped.
Too terrifying…
Sangjie wiped the sweat off his forehead as discreetly as possible and quietly took two steps backward, hiding behind other colleagues.
“Do you have VIP wards here?” Lin Jiangye asked. “I want a single private room.”
The doctor looked at Lin Jiangye, then at the group of uniformed officers. He didn’t know the patient’s identity, but… it had to be an injury sustained during pursuit.
“Sure. Just… it’ll be expensive,” the doctor kindly reminded.
Lin Jiangye’s expression still looked numb. “It’s fine. I have money. Give him the best room and the best medicine. Whether it can be reimbursed doesn’t matter.”
The doctor’s expression softened a bit. Some drugs could speed healing quickly with minimal side effects—the only problem was the price.
Seeing Lin Jiangye didn’t take his words, Ciren Sangmu and the others grew anxious.
After Lin Jiangye left, Ciren Sangmu felt like his back was being stabbed full of holes.
“Captain, why didn’t you stop him?!”
“Heh.” Someone laughed dryly. “Then you go.”
“I… I don’t dare. I feel like he could butcher me.”
If you don’t dare, why would I dare?
“Honestly, the former leader is still alive. That means Consultant Lin still has some restraint,” someone tried to argue—only to be met with meaningful looks from everyone else.
Yes, Zhang Wei was alive.
But only barely “alive.”
After hearing that domino chain of crisp bone-snapping sounds, everyone already knew—whether he ended up crippled or not, he’d definitely be ruined.
But none of them could question Lin Jiangye about it.
Not just because Zhang Wei betrayed the organization.
Not just because no one “saw” Lin Jiangye strike him.
It was because the fractures happened only after they touched him.
Meaning: if some idiot tried to report Lin Jiangye to “avenge” Zhang Wei, it was hard to say whether the reporter would get punished—but they would definitely get held responsible.
After all, the man “went wrong” in their hands.
So anyone who tried to stand up for Zhang Wei would be making an enemy of Ciren Sangmu and his people.
Once everyone realized that, goosebumps rose all over their bodies.
“Too scary…”
—
When Shang Fuyan opened his eyes, seeing the white ceiling and smelling the faint disinfectant, he instantly realized he’d been brought to the hospital.
Then—where was Lin Jiangye?
Did the shooter fire a second shot afterward? Was he caught? Would Lin Jiangye, in a burst of rage, tear the man apart with his bare hands?
Questions poured into his mind, one after another, making his already foggy, injured brain even more muddled.
Just then, a handsome, obedient face suddenly appeared in front of him.
In an instant, all the worry and discomfort vanished, replaced by three clear words in his mind:
“Lin Jiangye.”
“You’re awake! That’s great!” The young man smiled brightly.
Shang Fuyan stared at him for a long while before slowly coming back to himself.
“Are you okay? Did he do anything after that?”
Lin Jiangye blinked, genuinely confused why a man fresh out of surgery, lying in bed, was asking whether a perfectly healthy person with all limbs intact was okay…
That was completely backwards, honey.
“He didn’t get a chance.” That answered Shang Fuyan’s second question.
No chance…
Shang Fuyan’s heart jolted. He looked again—only to see the young man had already flopped back onto the bed, chin propped on both hands, bright eyes staring straight at him.
Shang Fuyan suddenly smiled. “So similar.”
“?” Lin Jiangye tilted his head, confused.
A broad hand landed on his short hair and ruffled it hard.
“I mean the way you look right now—it’s exactly like Zang’ao when she’s lying on the blanket staring at people.”
That little kitten, obedient and clueless, sprawled on the blanket with round, bright eyes fixed on you—so soft it made every passerby want to reach out and pet her.
How to put it… like father, like daughter? After all, Zang’ao was a little female cat.
Lin Jiangye laughed and slapped his hand away. “Rest properly. That guy—I already ‘handled’ him for you. They said the city bureau will take over.”
Shang Fuyan watched him for a long moment, then suddenly asked, “How… did you do it?”
The way Lin Jiangye said it gave him chills—like it definitely wasn’t as simple as “a beating.”
But Lin Jiangye didn’t answer. He only smiled at Shang Fuyan.
Shang Fuyan wanted to say more, but seeing Lin Jiangye lying obediently by his hand, his heart softened anyway.
Fine. If something truly happened, he’d just contact Director Zhou immediately.
As long as Lin Jiangye didn’t kill the guy, Director Zhou could clean it up.
Far away in Yue City, Director Zhou suddenly sneezed hard—three or four times in a row.
“Who’s talking bad about me?” She looked around. Everyone wore the same blank, dazed expression.
—
Not long after, around dusk, the city bureau leader appeared in Shang Fuyan’s ward.
Lin Jiangye didn’t know what they discussed, because during that time he’d stepped out to buy food for Shang Fuyan. When he returned, he only learned the man had already come and gone.
“He came to tell you what?”
Seeing Lin Jiangye’s wary look, Shang Fuyan felt amused—and warmed.
“He came to tell me the real plan.” Seeing Lin Jiangye raise an eyebrow, Shang Fuyan explained slowly.
In fact, there were two plans to purge the cult.
One targeted the high-level members and the bribed officials—a net that had long been spread, just waiting for them to walk into it.
The other was the plan Lin Jiangye had seen—essentially a fake plan meant to deceive the cultists.
“Those high-level cult members who left early have already been caught and brought back. The city bureau’s situation is… not good. People like Zhang Wei aren’t rare. Some of them… are even cult believers.”
Shang Fuyan recalled the leader’s expression when he said that—shock mixed with a sense of absurdity.
Not just the leader—Shang Fuyan himself was shocked. Anyone working in the city bureau should be a Party member, and Party members weren’t allowed to have religious beliefs.
They had to adhere to materialism and atheism. If someone wanted religion, the “simple solution” was: quit.
“So Party members can’t believe in religion…” Lin Jiangye didn’t know that, but thinking about it, it made sense. What if a leader believed in some religion and opened back doors to promote it?
Wasn’t this exactly what happened?
After believing in a cult, those officials must have covered up many disappearance cases to support the cult’s living sacrifices…
Or even actively supplied “offerings” for rituals.
“As for Zhang Wei,” Shang Fuyan continued, “he said you did well—leaving him alive.”
Lin Jiangye listened quietly. After waiting a moment and hearing no more, he lifted his head in confusion.
“That’s it? Nothing else?”
“That’s it.” Shang Fuyan spread his hands. The man really only said a few words, expressed concern, promised reimbursement for medical expenses, and nothing more.
“As for the detailed operation plan, it’ll be publicly disclosed within the police system later.” So the visit really was just to comfort an injured officer.
Lin Jiangye’s expression turned subtle, then indignant. Shang Fuyan got hurt and they didn’t even bring a gesture of apology—came empty-handed and left empty-handed?
Medical expenses were the bare minimum. What about emotional distress? Lost wages? Nutrition costs?
Shang Fuyan listened to Lin Jiangye count costs on his fingers, growing more and more heated, and finally pressed a hand down on Lin Jiangye’s fingers.
“Alright, stop counting. What you said will definitely come later—not only will it come, it’ll be plenty.”
The fact the leader personally came during wrap-up to see him at all already represented the bureau’s attitude.
As for “compensation,” it would likely be passed to Director Zhou and then forwarded to Shang Fuyan.
Lin Jiangye tilted his head, not understanding what kind of compensation needed to be delivered through Director Zhou first.
Shang Fuyan didn’t explain. He instead brought up the city bureau’s compensation for Lin Jiangye.
“Oh right—you wanted to see wild animals, didn’t you? They’ll arrange a vehicle and a professional guide for you.”
The vehicle he meant was specifically designed for wildlife viewing—reinforced with iron bars on all sides, so even a Tibetan brown bear couldn’t do a thing to it.
But Shang Fuyan didn’t expect Lin Jiangye to shake his head and refuse.
“No.” Lin Jiangye said. “I’ll stay in the hospital with you. Once you’re mostly better, we’ll go back to Yue City.”
Shang Fuyan’s upturned phoenix eyes widened.
That answer was completely beyond his expectations.
He remembered perfectly—when Lin Jiangye first learned they were coming to Western Qiang, he’d been babbling nonstop about Tibetan foxes, snow leopards, Bengal tigers, wild donkeys, wild horses…
And now he was saying he wouldn’t go.
He was choosing to stay in the hospital and keep Shang Fuyan company.
For a moment, Shang Fuyan didn’t know what to say. Meeting Lin Jiangye’s firm gaze, his mind went blank.
Lin Jiangye valued animals above humans—unless it was a cub, humans rarely reached the same level in his heart.
But now…
Shang Fuyan felt like he’d been lifted to stand on the same level as the animals.
He used to think he’d simply follow behind Lin Jiangye quietly, walking through an entire life.
He never expected Lin Jiangye would stop—then turn and step toward him.
His heart felt like it was soaking in a hot spring—warm all the way through.
“You… don’t need to stay with me,” Shang Fuyan tried to say. “It’s rare you’re here—go enjoy yourself.”
Before he could finish, Lin Jiangye pinched his mouth shut.
“Little mouth—close it. XD”
Shang Fuyan’s brows softened instantly, a faint smile overflowing in his eyes.
—
Even though Lin Jiangye refused, a few days later he was forced to go out to the grasslands anyway.
“What? Who ran? Someone you arrested escaped? How did he escape?” When Ciren Sangmu rushed to the hospital begging for help, Lin Jiangye was stunned.
They’d thought the case ended.
But it wasn’t over?
“Not only that…” Ciren Sangmu said. “From interrogating others, we learned some people are hiding out on the grasslands—waiting to run after this case ends.”
Meaning: there were still plenty of people they needed to arrest.
Lin Jiangye paused a long moment, then looked at Ciren Sangmu in disbelief.
“Even if that’s true, why come to me? Don’t tell me you want me to take Bixi and the others and search the entire grasslands?”
No way. If that was the plan, he’d start punching first and asking questions later.
“No, no, no!” Ciren Sangmu waved his hands frantically, retreating several steps in reflex until he was standing right at the ward doorway.
“Not the entire grasslands. We’ve already locked down a region. It’s just that there are many wild animals there. We’re worried a large-scale search will disturb their lives. And wild animals are sensitive—once we move, if they get spooked, the people hiding inside will know someone’s coming.”
Ciren Sangmu spilled out their plan in one breath, terrified Lin Jiangye would misunderstand if he spoke slower.
Yes, they wanted to use the animals’ abilities to find people—but not in the way Lin Jiangye imagined.
Hearing that it was mainly to prevent wild animals from being startled, Lin Jiangye’s expression improved immediately.
Seeing that, Ciren Sangmu sneaked a glance at Shang Fuyan. Thank goodness he’d coordinated with him beforehand, or he would definitely have been beaten out of the room. TwT
Lin Jiangye glanced at him and said coolly, “Time, location, participants—and information on those people.”
Ciren Sangmu’s face lit up. He nodded again and again.
“Okay, okay! I’ll send you everything later. Please rest well tonight!”
With that, he hurried away.
The moment he left, Lin Jiangye shut the door and turned a meaningful look toward the man lying on the bed.
After days of careful recovery, Shang Fuyan was no longer weak. He looked steady and reliable again—just like before.
Mm. If his ears weren’t so red, it would’ve been even better.
Under that long stare, Shang Fuyan felt heat rising all over his body.
But after waiting a long time, no interrogation came.
Lin Jiangye gave a soft snort, opened the door, and walked out.
“I’m going back to the guesthouse tonight. You stay in the hospital by yourself.”
“Huh?” Shang Fuyan had just been about to explain something, but when he lifted his head—there was no sign of the young man at the door anymore.
Shang Fuyan felt a little deflated.
He knew this wasn’t quite right of him. But this task really wasn’t heavy. More importantly, it would let Lin Jiangye see wild animals up close.
Yet Lin Jiangye would definitely be angry that he’d exposed his “weakness” to others…
Just as Shang Fuyan was starting to regret it, a head suddenly popped out at the doorway.
“Damn you, Captain Shang! When we get back to Yue City, I’m making you grill meat for me!” It was Lin Jiangye—he hadn’t actually left!
The dimness in Shang Fuyan’s eyes brightened again. He nodded hard, smiling. “Deal!”
Not just grilled meat—he’d do anything, as long as Lin Jiangye didn’t stay angry.
That night, after Lin Jiangye returned to the guesthouse, he told the cubs about going out to work tomorrow.
Bixi lay on his chest, sulking. [What about Uncle? Can Uncle come?]
These past few days, they’d stayed obediently at the guesthouse and hadn’t flown around.
They knew Shang Fuyan had been hurt—seriously hurt—and that he’d been hurt protecting Dad. So even though they hardly saw Lin Jiangye except at mealtimes, they didn’t complain at all.
Now that Lin Jiangye suddenly came back to sleep here, they couldn’t help worrying about Shang Fuyan.
“He’s fine. Someone will help me look after him for now.” After they finished this task, Shang Fuyan should be able to leave the hospital too.
Hearing they could go home soon, the little ones all lit up with happiness.
Seeing them grinning like fools, Lin Jiangye finally felt his chest loosen a little.
Bixi had originally been thrilled about earning merit, but the moment it heard Shang Fuyan was injured, that joy vanished completely.
Especially after it learned Shang Fuyan had been shot, it immediately remembered how Opal and Lin Jiangye looked when they’d been hurt before—so anxious it nearly cried.
In the end, Lin Jiangye had no choice but to set up a video call between Bixi and Shang Fuyan, letting it see with its own eyes that he was okay. Only then did it stop wailing.
Even so, for the next few days their mood stayed low—and Lin Jiangye, having to go to the hospital to look after Shang Fuyan, had also neglected the cubs’ feelings.
This Western Qiang trip… was nothing like he’d imagined.
He wanted to go home.
“Yeah. Once this task is done, we’re leaving. Going home. Going home to rest properly and have fun properly!” Lin Jiangye hugged the cubs, kissing and petting each one.
Maybe because they knew they were going home soon, the cubs were unusually energized when they woke up the next morning.
[Work! Go home! Work! Go home!] Fine—it wasn’t “maybe.” The words “go home” had clearly struck them deep, making them take this mission extremely seriously.
After Lin Jiangye fed them, a yellow off-road vehicle stopped at the guesthouse’s back entrance.
From the outside, it looked no different from a tourist’s SUV. But when Lin Jiangye opened the door, he found it had been specially reinforced and thickened—so that even if they ran into a Tibetan brown bear, the bear still wouldn’t be able to do anything to it.
The driver was Ciren Sangmu. He greeted Lin Jiangye cheerfully. Even when Lin Jiangye responded coldly, he didn’t look discouraged at all.
Only after watching the raven, the saker falcon, the white-tailed sea eagle, and the two North American grey wolves climb into the vehicle did Ciren Sangmu start driving—and explain their destination.
“The search area is a coniferous forest. Nearby is a high-mountain shrub zone. All kinds of wild animals gather there, and because it’s uninhabited, the terrain is tangled and complex—if you’re not careful, you can get lost easily.”
Ciren Sangmu wanted Lin Jiangye’s help not just to “use” the power of these five cubs, but like the Nanhai police had done—using animal-to-animal communication to build a bridge between humans and animals, letting the local wildlife help them locate the targets.
“So we’ve also prepared a ton of food ahead of time!” Whether it was leopards, tigers, bears, or takin—they’d prepared the appropriate food for all of them!
All along the drive, Lin Jiangye stayed silent, and Ciren Sangmu grew more and more uneasy.
But in truth, Lin Jiangye was thinking about the search area Ciren Sangmu mentioned—more precisely, the county where it was located.
That county was one of the country’s four major coniferous forest belts, and it also had four vertical climate zones.
Which meant the variety of wildlife living there was astonishingly rich.
That also meant he could come into contact with animals he’d never encountered in Yue City, Nanhai, the capital, or even Taibai Mountain.
Just thinking about it made a quiet excitement rise in Lin Jiangye’s chest.
The only pity was that Shang Fuyan still couldn’t get out of bed—otherwise Lin Jiangye could’ve brought him along.
“We’re here!” Ciren Sangmu exclaimed with delight.
And what entered Lin Jiangye’s eyes was a boundless stretch of emerald-green, like a real-life enchanted forest.
