Chapter 753: Tracking Lu Xun

"Puxi? How could he be there? Twenty minutes ago, wasn't he still in Pudong?"

"He has no cash, his transaction cards are under our surveillance, and surveillance footage from major transportation methods hasn't shown him... How did he move back and forth between Pudong and Puxi in such a short time?"

"Alright, I understand... Tell them to keep a close eye. I'm on my way now."

Hanging up the phone, the figure walked straight towards a building behind him, while simultaneously dialing another number.

He walked through the office building lobby and directly into an elevator. As a card was placed against the sensor, the elevator immediately ascended to the upper floors. The red floor indicator lights rapidly changed, and through the transparent curved glass, the neon-lit city seemed to fall away beneath his feet.

Tens of seconds later, the elevator doors opened, revealing a vast rooftop helipad.

Buzzing—A roaring sound of rotors came from a distance. A black helicopter approached from the night sky. He walked forward against the whistling night wind, his clothes flapping.

The helicopter briefly hovered in the center of the building. He pulled open the cabin door and climbed inside.

"Director, what's happening?" a figure asked, handing him headphones while speaking over the wind.

"Lu Xun seems to have acquired some kind of rapid movement ability, constantly moving back and forth between Pudong and Puxi," the director said gravely. "How could you let him escape on his own?!"

"You can't blame me for this, Director... Before this, Dr. Lu had been very cooperative. No one expected him to leave midway... Moreover, none of the lab's alarms were triggered, so we had no idea how he left."

"Where's Dr. Chu?"

"He's still on standby in the lab."

"...Lu Xun clearly has rapid movement capabilities, yet he hasn't left Shanghai. And he's intentionally left clues along the way, leading us by the nose... What exactly does he want?"

"Director, should we contact the Master?"

"No, the superiors have stipulated that, unless absolutely necessary, we should avoid involving the Master... I've already called back three 'Black Hands.' If we still can't catch him, then we'll consider bringing in the Master."

"Understood."

The helicopter sped through the night, past brightly lit skyscrapers and the silently flowing river, like a ribbon in the darkness, heading straight towards a certain location.

"Wow! Mom, look! A Ferrari!"At the crossroads, a boy pointed at the leading red sports car, exclaiming excitedly.

"You need to study hard. Only then will you be able to afford a car like that someday, understand?" The woman glanced enviously at the roaring vehicle, then, holding her child's hand, ambled across the road, chattering on.

Chen Ling emotionlessly turned the steering wheel, driving towards an underground parking garage nearby.

"Are we almost there?"

"Yes, it's just across the street."

"Then why are we going into the basement garage?"

"This car is too conspicuous. Now that we're in the city, we need to disguise it."

Chen Ling spoke while driving the car to an unoccupied spot in the underground garage. After disabling all surveillance cameras, he reached out and patted the car's exterior again.

Faint currents flickered, and in the blink of an eye, the original red sports car transformed into an inconspicuous family sedan. It slowly drove back to the surface via another exit of the garage.

Chen Ling parked the vehicle by the roadside. After both got out, they looked at the neon-lit building beside them.

Next to the building's elevator, a list of all businesses in the building was displayed. Chen Ling scanned it, then tapped his finger on the open-air cafe on the top floor.

"The address is here... Why is it a coffee shop again? Do all you scientists like meeting in coffee shops?"

"What's wrong with coffee? When you're pulling all-nighters for experiments, you rely on it to survive... And by the way, what do you mean 'all'? Who else likes meeting in coffee shops?"

"...Never mind. Let's go up first."

The two entered the elevator. Chen Ling directly pressed the top floor button, and the elevator slowly ascended with an old creaking sound...

Just then, Yang Xiao seemed to remember something:

"Oh, right, I've always wanted to ask, when you arranged to meet, did Old Lu tell you a time?"

"No... He only gave the address."

"What if we get there and he's not there?"

Chen Ling paused for a moment, glancing at the flickering floor indicator lights.

"He said... once we arrive, he will naturally come."

Ding-dong—As the elevator came to a stop, with a chime, the elevator doors slowly opened...

Ding-dong—"First floor."

The elevator doors opened, and over a dozen figures quickly stepped out. The director's gaze swept around, quickly settling on a teahouse in the bustling commercial district.

Around the teahouse, many plainclothes figures were intentionally or unintentionally watching the vicinity. Upon seeing the dozen or so people arrive, someone immediately rushed up.

"What's the situation now?"

"Director, it's confirmed that Dr. Lu is inside," the person stated confidently. "Our people have infiltrated and scouted, and they personally saw Dr. Lu sitting in a private room drinking tea..."

"When was that?"

"Once fifteen minutes ago, and again five minutes ago. And no one has entered or exited the teahouse during this time."

The director nodded slightly. "We finally have him... By the way, what's the deal with this teahouse?"

"It's just an ordinary teahouse, but we investigated. Dr. Lu comes here for tea every time he's in Shanghai for business. He even has a loyalty card here, so he's a regular."

"Good, we'll rush in and apprehend him shortly. What about the 'Black Hands'?"

"Two have already arrived, but the photographer is late. They said their car broke down on the way..."

"Their car broke down on the road??"

The director was taken aback, but then he shook his head. "Never mind, we won't wait for him... Organize the team, move in now!"

"Yes, sir!"

At the director's command, many plainclothes agents, who had been lying in wait, rose and converged on all the teahouse's doors and windows. Among the crowd, two figures stood out prominently.

One was a tall young woman wearing a white hoodie; the other was a tall Caucasian man carrying an expensive hiking backpack. After exchanging glances, the blonde woman headed for the back door, while the white man pushed past other plainclothes figures and walked straight towards the front entrance.

Both pressed their palms against the surface of the teahouse doors. After taking a deep breath, they pushed them open with force!

Wisps of white steam rose from the teacup.

Inside the log-style private room, Lu Xun took a small sip of tea, then slowly placed the cup back on the table...

"Have they arrived...?"

He murmured, stood up from his seat, and walked step by step to the window.

He looked up. Outside the window was the flickering neon city and the silent, dark night... And at that moment, reflected in his deep eyes, was a boundless, brilliantly sparkling sea of stars!