Just as the first gunshot rang out, You Mingxu’s rope shot forward, looping around the driver’s neck. The driver struggled desperately, but You Mingxu caught him off guard, seizing his wrist and twisting it sharply until the gun fell from his grip. She grabbed his head and slammed it against the car door, knocking him unconscious. After retrieving the gun, she turned to find Xing Yanjun staring at her, his face pale.

You Mingxu sliced through the ropes binding him and commanded, “Get down and stay still until the police arrive.”

Xing Yanjun nodded frantically, watching as she pushed open the door and leaped from the vehicle.

Outside, chaos had erupted.

Half of the drug dealers were already down, while the survivors had taken cover and were returning fire. These were hardened criminals capable of handling such large transactions—each one as skilled as special forces operatives. The situation had reached a stalemate.

You Mingxu took cover behind a car, looking up to see police officers in the woods getting hit, which alarmed her. She steadied her breathing, realizing her position was perfectly situated behind the drug dealers and within close range. She began taking precise shots, picking them off one by one.

After several shots, they noticed something was wrong. Several gun barrels turned in You Mingxu’s direction, forcing her to duck back. She thought to herself, “Jing Ping, I’ve created this disruption at their rear. If you don’t seize this opportunity, don’t blame me.”

But how could Jing Ping miss such a fleeting chance?

Several of the dealers turned around, fear evident on their faces, believing they had been ambushed from behind. Their firepower momentarily decreased. At that instant, multiple police officers charged forward, led by Jing Ping and Xu Mengshan.

You Mingxu noticed both men wore camouflage with faces painted in combat colors, carrying assault rifles. In this desperate situation, the bold prevailed—after a burst of intense gunfire, another half of the dealers fell. Only the leaders remained, and by the time they realized what was happening, Jing Ping had already led his men to surround them.

Jing Ping’s side still had about twenty armed officers, all wearing bulletproof vests, while the dealers were down to four or five guns. The gunfire ceased. Unless Luo Yu and his remaining men wanted to die in a hail of bullets, they had no choice.

Jing Ping’s gun remained steady, aimed at Luo Yu’s forehead as he shouted, “Police! Nobody moves! Drop your weapons!”

Luo Yu’s face was ice-cold, Huang Long’s eyes blazed red, and Guo Feirong gritted his teeth. Behind them stood only two more men. Everyone else, including all their Yunnan associates, had been shot—some dead, most wounded and unable to rise from the ground.

You Mingxu stood up, advancing with her weapon raised until she reached Jing Ping’s side.

Luo Yu glanced at her, his expression growing darker.

You Mingxu said, “Luo Yu, put down the gun.”

Huang Long exploded with rage, cursing at You Mingxu, “This bitch must have led the police here. Luo Yu, I want you dead!”

As Huang Long turned his gun toward Luo Yu, Xu Mengshan, who was right behind him, twisted his arm and tackled him to the ground.

Luo Yu turned to give Huang Long a cold look before dropping his gun. Guo Feirong’s face stiffened as he too was forced to discard his weapon. Their two remaining subordinates followed suit. Jing Ping jerked his chin, and several officers moved in to restrain them all and apply handcuffs.

Only then did Jing Ping lower his weapon and look at You Mingxu, examining her from head to toe before smiling, “Are you alright?”

You Mingxu smiled back, “I’m fine, completely fine.”

Jing Ping quickly removed his bulletproof vest and tried to put it on her. You Mingxu refused, “Don’t give it to me, keep it to yourself!” But Jing Ping was stronger and forced it over her head, “Wear it!” You Mingxu had no choice but to comply. Fortunately, the gunfight was over and the dealers were captured, so there shouldn’t be any more danger. Jing Ping drew another gun and handed it to her.

Xu Mengshan approached, and You Mingxu punched his shoulder playfully, making him smile. Around them, officers were arresting the wounded dealers, their faces showing a mix of tension and excitement after the battle. With their flesh and blood, they had prevented these drugs and illegal funds from reaching the public.

You Mingxu asked, “How are our people?”

Jing Ping replied, “We had 50 people in our group. Half are wounded, but with the bulletproof vests, nothing should be life-threatening. This operation deployed 200 officers in total across the mountain. But once you entered the area, we lost all signals. This mountain region is vast, so we had to split into four groups. I came across their transaction while searching and had no time to notify the others. We need to regroup now and get medical attention for our wounded brothers.”

You Mingxu nodded. This operation could be considered highly successful. The dealers had chosen this location carefully, but justice prevailed—only an experienced narcotics officer like Jing Ping could have tracked down their meeting spot in these vast mountains.

You Mingxu thought of Yin Feng but didn’t ask. Time was of the essence; they needed to clean up and move out quickly.

As the three walked toward the pile of cash and goods, Xu Mengshan muttered, “It’s a shame Xing Jifu didn’t come personally. We could have arrested him on the spot, and he wouldn’t have escaped.”

You Mingxu paused, speaking softly, “His son is here, and three of his subordinates participated in this deal. I don’t believe he can escape.”

Jing Ping and Xu Mengshan agreed.

“Where’s your Teacher Yin?” Xu Mengshan asked.

You Mingxu stopped walking, “He’s not with you?”

Jing Ping said, “No. We haven’t had contact with him since yesterday.”

You Mingxu turned and met Jing Ping’s gaze. His usually clean face was painted with camouflage, giving him a more rugged appearance than usual. Sweat beaded on his neck, but his eyes were bright and profound.

Jing Ping said, “Don’t worry. Once we regroup with the main force, I’ll send people to—”

“Bang.”

Jing Ping’s voice suddenly cut off.

He was still looking at You Mingxu, his eyes widening slightly. Standing at his side and slightly forward, You Mingxu saw his body jerk as a bloody hole appeared in his back.

In that instant, You Mingxu’s mind went blank, but her body reacted automatically, grabbing him and diving to the ground. Jing Ping was stunned only momentarily before pain crossed his face, though his eyes remained determined as he worked with You Mingxu to crawl behind a car.

Several bullets struck near their feet. Xu Mengshan, who had been momentarily frozen, suddenly turned and returned fire in the direction of the shots, covering their retreat.

Gunfire erupted from all directions.

Xu Mengshan’s body suddenly jerked violently as he fell. You Mingxu pulled him to cover, seeing that a bullet had struck his left thigh. His face contorted in pain, and he too had lost his mobility.

Terror gripped You Mingxu’s heart as she surveyed the scene. Countless heads appeared in the dense forest, with intense gunfire coming from all directions. Though the officers in the center wore bulletproof vests, they couldn’t protect their entire bodies. They were being hit in their arms and legs, and one or two had already fallen with head wounds, their fate unknown!