Unexpected Second Chance at Love

Chapter 1060: The question that haunted him

"Wait."

Qi Li’s voice suddenly broke the silence.

Everyone turned toward him.

He had been standing near the coffee table, quietly studying the documents while the others discussed their next course of action.

Now, however, his expression had changed.

He looked directly at Liu Shan.

"Can you still access Red Militant’s surveillance system?"

Liu Shan frowned.

"I can. Why?"

Qi Li adjusted his rimless glasses.

"I found something unusual in Hung Woo’s office."

The room fell silent.

Liu Shan leaned forward.

"What did you find?"

"A hidden room."

Lin Hui’s brows drew together.

"Inside his office?"

Qi Li nodded.

"When I went back to inspect Red Militant, everything looked the same as it did after the cleanup."

He paused.

"But I noticed something strange behind one of the walls."

He explained how he had discovered the concealed entrance.

Inside the hidden room was a safe.

A safe that had already been forced open.

"The lock was damaged," Qi Li continued. "Someone had broken into it."

Liu Shan’s expression sharpened.

"When?"

"That’s what I couldn’t determine."

Qi Li folded his arms.

"It could’ve happened before we attacked Red Militant. Or afterward."

Tang Zhonghui frowned.

"Did you find anything inside?"

"Nothing useful."

Qi Li’s gaze darkened.

"Whatever was stored there had already been taken."

Liu Shan immediately turned toward his laptop.

"Then let’s find out who took it."

His fingers moved rapidly across the keyboard.

The screen changed as he accessed Red Militant’s remaining surveillance archives.

Several recordings appeared.

He narrowed the search to the days closest to before and after the organization’s destruction.

The others gathered behind him.

Minutes passed.

Footage after footage played across the screen.

Then Liu Shan suddenly stopped.

"Found something."

Everyone leaned closer.

On the recording, a familiar figure appeared inside Hung Woo’s office.

Liu Peng.

The man moved cautiously through the room, repeatedly glancing toward the entrance.

He approached the concealed wall and disappeared inside.

Liu Shan checked the timestamp.

"A few days after the attack."

Qi Li’s eyes narrowed.

"So he went back."

They watched in silence.

Several minutes passed before Liu Peng emerged.

This time, he carried a large duffel bag.

Several folders were tucked beneath his arm.

He looked around before leaving the office.

Liu Shan immediately switched to another camera.

"Let’s see where he went."

The footage followed Liu Peng through the corridors.

He avoided the main entrance, choosing a route that led toward a less visible exit.

From there, another camera captured him moving toward a narrow street.

A black sedan waited nearby.

Liu Peng approached the vehicle.

The rear door opened.

He climbed inside with the bag and folders.

Moments later, the sedan drove away.

"Stop."

Qi Li’s voice cut through the silence.

Liu Shan paused the footage.

Qi Li removed his glasses and leaned closer to the screen.

He studied the vehicle carefully then he straightened.

"That’s the car."

Lin Hui turned toward him.

"The one from the lounge bar?"

Qi Li put his glasses back on.

"I’m certain."

Silence settled over the room.

Everyone remembered the night Liu Peng escaped through the alley behind the lounge bar.

A luxury sedan had appeared at precisely the right moment.

And now, that same vehicle had seemingly been waiting for him outside Red Militant.

Tang Zhonghui frowned.

"But what did he take?"

Liu Shan stared at the frozen image.

His eyes darkened.

"Something valuable."

Qi Li nodded.

"Money, most likely. Hung Woo would’ve kept emergency funds somewhere only he knew about."

He gestured toward the folders in Liu Peng’s hands.

"And information."

Lin Hui’s expression turned grim.

"Red Militant’s assets."

"Possibly," Liu Shan replied. "Funds, records, contacts, and anything else Hung Woo kept hidden."

Qi Li folded his arms.

"Since no one discovered the room during the cleanup, Liu Peng must’ve realized he could return and take whatever was left."

Xu Long studied the sedan.

"Then there’s something else we need to consider."

Everyone looked at him.

He pointed toward the vehicle.

"If this is the same car from the lounge bar, Liu Peng may have been in contact with Choi Li Sun much longer than we suspected."

Liu Shan nodded slowly.

Liu Peng had helped when he escaped Red Militant’s demise.

The timing was too convenient.

Then a vehicle had been waiting for Liu Peng after he retrieved the contents of Hung Woo’s safe.

Later, a similar escape had occurred outside the lounge bar.

Someone had been helping him.

And whoever it was appeared to know exactly when and where to find him.

Liu Shan’s expression grew colder.

"We need to keep our eyes open."

He looked around the room.

"Whatever Liu Peng took, we have to assume it could be used against us."

His gaze eventually settled on Shan Sinan.

"Sinan."

The man looked up.

"Can you keep watch over Ji Jingxu and Grandfather Ji?"

Several people exchanged puzzled glances.

His sudden change of subject was so abrupt that it caught everyone off guard. The conversation had taken such an unexpected turn that, for a moment, no one knew how to respond.

Xu Long frowned.

"Why them?"

Liu Shan leaned back.

"Think about it."

He gestured toward the documents.

"Liu Peng now has access to whatever Hung Woo left behind. He was also involved in Ji Jingxu’s kidnapping. And now, we learn that Ji Chu Hua is connected to Choi Li Sun."

His expression hardened.

"She’s desperate. Boss is about to become chairwoman of Ji Corps, and Ji Chu Hua knows she’s running out of options."

Lian Ni Shang’s eyes narrowed.

"She’ll use anyone who is willing to help her. She won’t hesitate to go after the family."

Liu Shan nodded.

"Jingxu is taking leave from school to recover. Grandfather Ji’s health is declining. We cannot overlook the fact that she will make a deal to harm either one."

He looked at Shan Sinan.

"They’re vulnerable."

The room fell quiet.

No one needed him to explain further.

Ji Chu Hua had already demonstrated how far she was willing to go to get what she wanted.

And if she believed harming someone close to Yue Ling would prevent her from taking control of Ji Corps, there was no telling what she might attempt.

Shan Sinan nodded.

"I’ll keep an eye on them."

Xu Long looked between the two men.

"Wait."

Liu Shan turned toward him.

"Why only him?"

Xu Long gestured toward Shan Sinan.

"Shouldn’t we send an entire team?"

Gui Zhongmin stepped forward and patted Xu Long’s shoulder.

"Because him alone is enough."

Xu Long blinked.

"What?"

Gui Zhongmin pointed toward Shan Sinan.

"There’s a reason we say he has the eyes of an eagle."

Xu Long looked at the man in question.

Then realization dawned.

His eyes widened.

"You’re really a sniper?"

Shan Sinan shrugged.

But the slight lift of his chest betrayed his pride.

"Your one and only."

Xu Long stared at him.

Then he slowly looked around the room.

"Wow."

Tang Zhonghui frowned.

"What?"

Xu Long shook his head.

"I swear, none of you look the part."

Several brows rose.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" Tang Zhonghui asked.

Xu Long laughed.

"Come on. If I didn’t know any of you, I would’ve never imagined what you’re capable of."

He pointed toward Lin Hui.

"Take him, for example."

Lin Hui narrowed his eyes.

"What about me?"

"You look like the type who solves everything with his fists."

Lin Hui stared at him.

"But you’re actually an excellent marksman."

Xu Long turned toward Liu Shan.

"And him. He looks like someone who spends all day behind a computer and occasionally fires a gun."

Liu Shan slowly raised an eyebrow.

"But he’s deadly in hand-to-hand combat."

Then Xu Long pointed toward Qi Li.

"And this guy."

Qi Li adjusted his glasses.

"What?"

"You look like an ordinary office worker."

Xu Long paused.

"Well, minus the tattoos."

Qi Li stared at him expressionlessly.

"But you’re terrifying with both your fists and a gun."

Xu Long looked at the others.

"And I don’t even want to imagine what the rest of you are capable of."

Gui Zhongmin scratched the back of his head.

"I mean..."

He gave Xu Long a puzzled look.

"Isn’t that the whole point?"

Xu Long turned toward him.

"What?"

"Never let anyone know your next move."

Gui Tian Lan, who had finally settled into a chair, spoke.

"That’s the purpose of keeping our abilities hidden."

He looked at Xu Long.

"Besides, we could say the same about you."

Xu Long blinked.

"Me?"

Gui Tian Lan nodded.

"You look like an incompetent assistant."

Xu Long’s smile froze.

"But you’re actually more capable than we expected."

For a moment, the room was silent.

Then Xu Long pressed a hand against his chest feigning hurt.

"How rude!"

Gui Zhongmin burst into laughter.

Lin Hui shook his head.

Even Qi Li’s lips twitched.

Xu Long looked around in disbelief.

"Seriously? That’s supposed to be a compliment?"

Gui Tian Lan shrugged.

"Take it however you want."

"Unbelievable."

Xu Long shook his head dramatically.

"I come here to help, and this is the treatment I get."

The laughter continued.

For a brief moment, the suffocating atmosphere eased.

Even Liu Shan allowed himself a small smile.

But the relief did not last long.

"Alright."

His voice brought everyone’s attention back to him.

"We need to focus."

The laughter faded.

Liu Shan looked around the room.

"We have several leads, but they’re scattered. If we keep chasing everything without a plan, we’ll waste time."

He gestured toward the documents.

"We need to find these bastards before they disappear again or decide to finally make their move."

Everyone straightened.

Liu Shan turned toward Lin Hui and Qi Li.

"You two will continue following the leads on Liu Peng."

He paused.

"If we want to find Choi Li Sun, Liu Peng might be our best way in."

Lin Hui nodded.

"Understood."

"He’s easier to break," Liu Shan added coldly.

Qi Li adjusted his glasses.

"We’ll find him."

Liu Shan turned toward the twins.

"Zhongmin. Tian Lan."

Both looked at him.

"You two investigate the masked woman."

His gaze lingered on Gui Tian Lan.

"And the man you’ve been searching for."

Gui Tian Lan’s expression darkened.

"Leave him to us."

Liu Shan nodded.

Then he looked toward Ju Suo and Lian Ni Shang.

"You two will keep an eye on Ji Chu Hua. Find out if she’s making deals with anyone else."

Ju Suo crossed her arms.

"Gladly."

Lian Ni Shang nodded.

"We’ll monitor her movements."

"Good."

Liu Shan glanced toward Tang Zhonghui.

"Work with Qi Li on tracing the black sedan. Find out where it’s been going and who owns it."

Tang Zhonghui nodded.

"I’ll start with the traffic cameras."

He turned toward Shan Sinan.

"Your priority is Ji Jingxu and Grandfather Ji."

"Understood."

Finally, Liu Shan looked at Xu Long.

"Once Lu Tian returns, tell him what we’ve found."

Xu Long nodded without hesitation.

"And afterward, follow his instructions."

"Naturally."

He folded his arms then he frowned.

"Wait."

Liu Shan looked at him.

"What?"

"What about you?"

The others turned toward Liu Shan.

He glanced at the folders from Qin Jun’s hideout.

"I’m going through everything they gave us again."

Lin Hui frowned.

"Looking for what?"

Liu Shan did not answer immediately.

He walked toward the table and picked up one of the folders.

Inside were records, photographs, and reports dating back years before Choi Li Sun appeared in Imperial.

Information that had taken Qin Jun and the others considerable time to gather.

Information that had exposed the truth behind Lee Shin’s death.

But Liu Shan had a feeling something was still missing.

He slowly opened the folder.

"I need to understand something."

His voice was low.

Everyone waited.

Liu Shan’s gaze settled on a photograph.

A face they all recognized.

A face that should have belonged to a dead man.

"Choi Li Sun murdered Lee Shin to silence him."

The room grew still.

"That much we know."

He looked up.

"But why?"

Xu Long frowned.

"Why what?"

Liu Shan’s expression turned grim.

"Why, out of everyone in the world, did Choi Li Sun choose Lee Shin’s face?"

Silence.

No one answered.

Liu Shan looked back at the photograph.

Choi Li Sun had gone through the trouble of altering his appearance until he bore an almost identical resemblance to the man he had killed.

It was too deliberate to dismiss as coincidence.

And far too dangerous to be meaningless.

If his only objective had been to silence Lee Shin, why preserve the face of the very man he wanted erased?

Why risk being recognized by people who had known Lee Shin?

Why carry a resemblance that could expose his connection to a death everyone believed had been an accident?

Liu Shan slowly closed the folder.

His eyes darkened.

There had to be a reason.

Something hidden in the information they had gathered.

Something they had overlooked.

He glanced toward the frozen surveillance image of Choi Li Sun walking out of Glory.

The man’s expression was calm.

Almost amused.

And that disturbed Liu Shan more than he cared to admit.

Because whatever Choi Li Sun was planning, he had chosen to wear the face of someone Yue Ling had once loved more than life itself.

Someone Qin Jun and the others held dear to their hearts.

However, who is his real target?

Liu Shan’s jaw tightened.

He would find the answer.

Even if it meant going through every document, every recording, and every detail of the man’s past.

He would not allow Yue Ling to walk blindly into whatever trap might be waiting for her.

Outside, the winter wind rattled against the bungalow’s windows.

No one spoke.

For a long moment, they simply stared at the photograph.

Then Liu Shan finally asked the question that had haunted him since he learned the truth.

"Who is his real target?"

And somewhere in the darkness of Imperial, the man who held that answer remained beyond their reach.