The night had not yet lifted from the ruins of the chemical plant. The air was still thick with the smoke of battle. Su Wanqing leaned against the wall, clutching her grazed arm and breathing heavily. Beads of blood dotted her forehead, but her resolve did not waver. Standing before her was Lu Chenzhou, his gun aimed steadily at the elevated platform ahead. On it, Zhou Zhengxiong had his hand gripped tightly on Lu Guodong's shoulder, a sharp military knife pressed against the elder man's neck.
"Hand over the evidence, and I'll release him immediately," Zhou Zhengxiong said, voice low and laced with arrogant certainty. "Otherwise, I guarantee you'll watch your father die right in front of you."
Under the dim yellow light, Lu Guodong's face was pale and streaked with blood. It was clear he'd endured no small amount of torture during captivity. Yet his gaze remained sharp, unwavering, and resolute. He looked directly at Lu Chenzhou and said clearly:
"Don't give up the evidence for me… it's not worth it."
Su Wanqing's eyes narrowed, her right hand inching toward the backup weapon at her waist. She knew this standoff couldn't last — they had to strike first.
"You've already lost," Lu Chenzhou said coldly, staring Zhou Zhengxiong down. "The police already have everything they need. If you think you can destroy it, you're too late."
"Is that so?" Zhou Zhengxiong sneered, raising his left hand and snapping his fingers.
A metallic clatter followed as a door opened behind him. Two "Abyss" operatives wheeled out a portable bomb device. The red timer flashed ominously: "00:14:52."
"If I can't walk out of here, then no one will," Zhou said with chilling calm.
The tension spiked. Lu Chenzhou and Su Wanqing exchanged a brief glance—enough for mutual understanding.
"I'll draw his attention. You go around the side," Lu whispered, then raised his voice. "Your so-called loyalty? Just another excuse to trade lives. Zhou Zhengxiong, your followers won't die for you."
Zhou Zhengxiong's expression shifted, but before he could respond, Su Wanqing had already slipped behind a side shelf for cover. She adjusted her tranquilizer gun to maximum dose, steadying her breath.
"You think I care about them?" Zhou Zhengxiong spat. "Since the day I founded 'Abyss,' I knew this world doesn't reward mercy."
"It rewards madness." He lifted the remote control, his finger hovering over the detonation button.
Bang!
The dull thud of a tranquilizer dart cut through the tension. It struck Zhou Zhengxiong square in the shoulder. His body jolted, the remote slipping from his grasp—just as Lu Chenzhou lunged forward, a blur of motion toward the platform.
Even hit, Zhou's reflexes were formidable. He yanked out his handgun and the two engaged in fierce close combat—blows, gunfire, and grit colliding in a brutal melee.
Su Wanqing raced up the stairs and quickly cut through Lu Guodong's restraints. "Dad, get back!" she shouted.
The fight reached its peak. Lu Chenzhou finally overpowered Zhou Zhengxiong with a hard punch to the chest, knocking him to the platform's edge. The gun skidded away.
"You've lost," Lu Chenzhou said, grabbing him by the collar.
"You think this is the end?" Zhou Zhengxiong coughed blood, still grinning. "You have no idea how many people built their faith on what you just destroyed."
Lu Chenzhou's eyes were like blades. "You're wrong. I just dragged it out of the dark and into the sun."
Su Wanqing had picked up the remote by now. She quickly opened the battery case and severed the detonation line. The countdown stopped at "00:01:24."
Silence fell—like a wave receding after a storm. For a moment, peace returned.
Reinforcements arrived. Zhou Zhengxiong was arrested, the site sealed off. The first light of dawn began to glow on the horizon.
Outside the hospital ER, Su Wanqing sat wrapped in an army-green jacket, staring at her phone screen—the evidence backup upload had completed.
Lu Chenzhou approached, hand wrapped in gauze, his expression tired but soft. "Dad's stable. The doctors said he's recovering well."
Su Wanqing nodded gently. "That's good."
She looked out toward the rising sun. In a quiet voice, she asked, "Did you ever think—if I was just a second late… if the bomb went off, or the shot missed…"
Lu Chenzhou looked straight into her eyes. "But you weren't late. And I never doubted you."
She turned to him, eyes trembling slightly, as if recalling the emptiness of her lost memories. "You were always there, weren't you?"
"Yes," he said without hesitation. "Whether you remember or not, I'll always be here."
A weary but relieved smile spread across her face. "Then we won."
Lu Chenzhou nodded. "We won."
The "Abyss" organization had finally fallen. But they both knew there were more shadows in the world waiting to be exposed. They didn't stop walking forward—just leaned on each other in that fleeting dawn, sharing a rare moment of warmth and solace.