Especially in the past four months, this was the first time he had come across a clue about his father's accident.
He could remain calm, but he also refused to stay calm.
Unexpectedly, Li Changzhi didn't answer his question at all and instead started convulsing and spasming.
Blood foamed from his mouth as he coughed uncontrollably.
Gu Jianlin hesitated slightly, wondering if he had really been too heavy-handed.
But he trusted his judgment—he didn't wield that much strength. The consecutive heavy blows earlier definitely weren't lethal,
or even enough to cause unconsciousness.
"So, you're not going to talk?"
Gu Jianlin began the countdown from thirty seconds, pressing the gun barrel against the back of the man's head, finger on the trigger.
At that moment, someone suddenly spoke from behind him, "I'd advise you not to shoot. He's still useful. That guy's mind is severely unstable, and even if he's lucid, it's unlikely he can answer your questions right now."
Gu Jianlin was startled. He hadn't noticed someone appear behind him, and there hadn't even been the sound of footsteps.
Vigilantly, he straightened up, his arm tracing an arc in midair, pointing the gun toward the source of the voice.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, relax."
Lu Zicheng raised both hands high, holding an ID in his right hand, and said with a smile, "I'm Lu Zicheng, an international detective. Chief Zhou from the East Sea Road Police Station sent me to rescue you."
He had sea-blue eyes, a sharp, mixed-race profile, and a tall, lean figure. Dressed in a sleek black trench coat, he exuded an air of efficiency and precision.
Most strikingly, there was a green-feathered parrot perched on his shoulder.
Alongside him stood a coldly elegant woman in a small black business suit, holding a tablet in her hands.
Gu Jianlin felt his heart sink. He hadn't expected the other party to have two people and immediately leaned over to pick up the folding chair again.
A combination of ranged and melee capabilities.
At this moment, he had braced himself for the worst-case scenario. If something felt off, he'd strike first—shoot one of them dead, and then take the chair and fight the other to the end.
Lu Zicheng noticed his expression and movements, and his face darkened. "Good grief, your sense of caution is really something else."
"Hello, please put down your weapon,"
Chen Qing said coldly, "We mean you no harm."
But Gu Jianlin wasn't buying it. His voice turned cold as well. "Save it. Ten minutes ago, there was someone else pretending to be an agent trying to kill me. Whatever you say now, I won't believe it. Hands up, step back, don't force me to shoot."
The parrot's eyes darted around and suddenly squawked, "Don't shoot! Friendly! Don't shoot! Friendly!"
Gu Jianlin froze for a moment, taken aback. This parrot was surprisingly perceptive.
Lu Zicheng shook his head helplessly, raising his hands as he slowly stepped back.
Chen Qing gave him a glance and, reluctantly, followed suit, backing away with her hands raised.
"This kid has some serious aggression. Who knows if he might actually shoot," she muttered to herself.
Gu Jianlin found himself in a dilemma. For safety, the best option was to drive away immediately, but doing so would mean losing the only lead he had found so far, related to that car accident.
Yet if he stayed, he wasn't sure if he could take on both of them.
Humans are different from one another. Some are as shallow as a thin sheet of paper, bearing only a few lines of text that one can grasp with a single glance. Others are like a thick, heavy book, obscure and unfathomable.
For someone you've just met, unless they expose a clear trait, it's nearly impossible to draw a detailed character profile.
Therefore, there was no way of knowing these two's true intentions.
In a low voice, Chen Qing asked, "Boss, what now? Should we just subdue him directly?"
Lu Zicheng shook his head with a faint, amused smile and replied softly, "I can't guarantee I could subdue this kid without hurting him. Plus, he's way too ruthless and appears to be constantly on the verge of awakening. If he suddenly unlocks an ability and shoots one of us in retaliation, what then?"
He paused for a moment. "Judging by his stance, it's obvious he intends to shoot me first, then take on you in a showdown."
Chen Qing frowned. "Can't you just use your speed to overwhelm him?"
Lu Zicheng shrugged. "I probably could, but I can't predict how quick his reactions are. What if I move and he turns around and shoots you instead?"
Chen Qing fell silent.
Even a fool could tell that Lu Zicheng's air of nonchalance was masking a prepared strategy.
In reality, Gu Jianlin felt unsettled too, sensing that these two were extraordinarily dangerous. He was already mentally preparing to flee.
"Gu Jianlin, right? I was a student of your father. I swear, I'm not a bad person,"
Lu Zicheng said with a smile. "Did your father never tell you? The Ether Association—we're from the Ether Association."
Chen Qing added, "Your father was also a member of the Ether Association. We aren't in the same camp as the guy you just beat up. To be precise, the Ether Association exists to hunt down those who have fallen into darkness."
Gu Jianlin's pupils contracted slightly. This must be the Ascender organization he had been looking for.
The last time he had heard this name was in the Qilin Immortal Palace.
Even so, he still couldn't bring himself to trust them. He continued to backpedal step by step until he reached his Volkswagen car.
Ready to drive off at any moment.
"Just now, you said you were international detectives,"
Gu Jianlin said expressionlessly.
Lu Zicheng grinned and explained, "We are. Every member of the Ether Association needs a cover identity when operating publicly. After all, secrets related to the Extraordinary World cannot be exposed to regular people. That cover is our shield."