I Start with a Mysterious Island

Chapter 296 - 242: Overwhelming Hatred

"Don’t mention it. I’m just a concerned citizen. If I can do my part to maintain peace in the city, of course I will..."

Lin Li said with an air of righteousness. At the end, he added, "Is there a reward for catching these guys?"

"Yes, there is. The Bureau put up a huge bounty this time to ensure they were caught quickly," Liu Jialin said with a smile.

"How huge is ’huge’?" Lin Li pressed, hearing Liu Jialin mention a large reward for catching them.

"Two hundred thousand," Liu Jialin said.

’Only two hundred thousand? That’s not much...’ With over eight million in his bank account, Lin Li felt a little disappointed when he heard the reward was two hundred thousand. He quickly admonished himself, though.

’Man, my ego is getting inflated. That’s not good. Two hundred thousand is still a decent chunk of change!’

Liu Jialin saw Lin Li shake his head slightly and then nod, and she grew curious about his strange reaction. However, she couldn’t very well ask him about it in front of her colleagues.

Now that the Investigators had arrived to take custody of the thugs, there was nothing left for Lin Li to do.

After exchanging a few more words with Liu Jialin, Lin Li parted ways with the Investigators, went to his parked van, and drove away from the remote riverbank.

"Liu Jialin, that friend of yours is seriously strong! He caught these four all by himself," one of her colleagues said with a smile after Lin Li left.

Liu Jialin smiled and nodded. Just then, another colleague chimed in, "He doesn’t look very old, either. To be this strong, his aptitude for cultivation must be incredible."

The Investigators chatted as they quickly handcuffed the unconscious Canglan Society members and loaded them into their vehicles.

VROOOM...

The engines of three police cars, each marked with the Superpower Administration Bureau logo, roared to life. In a festive atmosphere, Liu Jialin and her colleagues departed with their hard-won achievement, returning to the Superpower Administration Bureau.

Once all the noisy humans had left, the previously bustling riverbank returned to its usual tranquility.

The only sound was the wind, which occasionally blew in from the river and rustled the swaying trees.

At ten o’clock at night, a small wooden boat appeared on the pitch-black river, moving swiftly toward the faintly lit, pale yellow shore.

A powerfully built man with a crew cut stood on the boat, his hands clasped behind his back. He was the only one aboard.

Strangely, the wooden boat had neither oars nor an engine, yet it was propelled forward by some unseen force.

SPLISH, SPLASH...

The fast-moving boat cut through the water, making soft, lapping sounds.

Upon closer inspection, one would notice a faint, golden Spiritual Light occasionally flashing at the boat’s stern.

In the spots where this pale golden Spiritual Light flashed, jets of air were being expelled.

And it was precisely these jets of air that were pushing the boat forward at such a speed.

"What the hell? It’s already past the appointed time. Why aren’t Liu Ke and his group here yet?" After docking the boat, the crew-cut man standing with his hands clasped behind his back frowned and muttered to himself.

’I’ll wait ten more minutes. If Liu Ke and his crew still haven’t shown up by then, I’m leaving. That way, if the higher-ups come asking questions, it won’t be my fault. It’ll have nothing to do with me.’

The crew-cut man set a time limit in his mind. He had no way of knowing that, thanks to Lin Li, he could wait for another ten hours and Liu Ke’s group, the very people he was there to meet, would never show up.

...

It was a bright, sunny morning, just before ten o’clock. In a dimly lit bedroom, Su Yue was fast asleep on a large, comfortable bed, sleeping sweetly.

Faint sunlight filtered through the curtains and fell across Su Yue’s rosy-white cheeks, draping her in a gauzy layer that made her look tranquil and elegant.

Suddenly, her long eyelashes fluttered a few times like a butterfly’s wings, and Su Yue slowly opened her eyes.

"Yaaawn~!"

Su Yue, who had just woken up, let out a yawn and rubbed her drowsy eyes.

She threw off the covers, sat up, and adjusted the strap of her nightgown that had slipped off her shoulder.

"Strange... Why didn’t Mom wake me up today?"

She raised a hand to scratch her lustrous black hair. A hint of confusion nagging at her, Su Yue got out of bed and walked out of the bedroom.

The house was completely silent.

Normally, her mom would be sitting on the living room sofa watching TV around this time, but not today.

Seeing the living room was empty, Su Yue, dressed in a nightgown embroidered with little flowers, walked to her mother’s room. She raised her hand, knocked on the door, and called out, "Mom."

The room was silent; there was no response.

"Strange," Su Yue mumbled, then reached out and opened the door.

The room was empty, and the blankets on the bed were neatly folded.

"Did Mom go out?" Su Yue turned and left. When she got to the dining room, she saw a plate of spring rolls, two meat buns, a fried dough stick, and a tea egg on the table.

"What’s this...?" Su Yue’s gaze swept past the breakfast and landed on a small, square piece of paper. She reached out, picked it up, and looked at the words written on it.

The handwriting on the small note was her mom’s. ’Of course it is,’ she thought. ’Besides me, she’s the only one who lives here. Who else would leave me a note?’

"Xiaoyue, your dad called me this morning. He said he’s going to the Capital City for business and asked if I wanted to go with him..."