A Bad-Hearted Doctor is Unbearably Beautiful - Chapter 49

“Move out.”

Jiangwan Amusement Park

Inside the rust-streaked iron gates of the amusement park, withered leaves and dry grass swirled in a cold gust of wind kicked up by the passing traffic. Above, vehicles roared across the overpass, their sound blending into a constant, hollow whistle.

Shen Zhao stood alone at the park entrance. Strands of hair fluttered across his forehead in the wind, and the scarf draped over his shoulders swayed gently.

Tucked away in the old city district, the amusement park was small. Since the suburbs had built larger, more advanced theme parks, this place had been gradually abandoned by the children of the city. Even the remaining miniature train had ceased operations two years prior. The rusted tracks of the old train hung suspended in mid-air like the skeletal remains of the city.

Two hundred meters behind the park lay a bustling residential area: children sprinting past, vendors pushing carts of grilled skewers and fried snacks, street-cleaning sprinklers, and a steady stream of cars pouring in from the highway exit.

At this moment, Lu Xiao sat inside a van disguised as a grocery delivery truck, monitoring every movement at Jiangwan Amusement Park.

14:55

Five minutes remained until the appointed time.

Lu Xiao picked up his radio, his eyes fixed on the drone’s surveillance feed as he scanned the area surrounding Shen Zhao. “Less than five minutes to the rendezvous! All units, stay sharp! Keep your eyes on every suspicious vehicle and individual!”

“Two minutes left…” Lu Xiao whispered to himself, his gaze locked onto Shen Zhao on the screen.

If his previous style of handling cases had been arrogant, informal, irritable, and reckless—what was he now?

He was being cautious, hesitant, and plagued by anxiety.

Damn it, he thought. This feels pathetic.

Wang Deng’s voice suddenly crackled over the radio: “Suspected target vehicle spotted! A black Buick SUV on the overpass, currently moving slowly. It’s changing lanes, preparing to exit at the third ramp. Estimated arrival in three minutes!”

“Stay on it! Follow them as soon as Shen Zhao boards the vehicle. Additionally, track every location this car has visited today; investigate them one by one!”

“Copy that!”

Inside the command center, the dispatcher operated the drone with rapt attention, tracking the vehicle from a distance.

Under the watchful eyes of the team, the black Buick rolled toward Shen Zhao. Disguised police vehicles nearby were ready to tail it at a moment’s notice. Everyone was on edge, waiting for the signal.

Lu Xiao’s voice came through Shen Zhao’s earpiece: “It’s likely that black Buick. Pay attention to the driver’s face.”

Shen Zhao gave a faint, muffled hum in response.

The Buick gradually neared Shen Zhao, its speed slowing to a crawl. Just as everyone tensed up, the car suddenly accelerated, brushed past Shen Zhao, and sped off toward the far end of the road.

“It wasn’t that one?!”

“Shit!”

Lu Xiao threw his cigarette butt to the floor and crushed it under his boot.

While the team scrambled to re-identify the target, a medium-sized bus suddenly pulled up in front of Shen Zhao. This type of bus was common in the city, constantly stopping to pick up and drop off passengers, and there happened to be a bus stop right next to where Shen Zhao stood.

To everyone’s shock, the bus made a brief, shallow stop, and in an instant, Shen Zhao vanished.

“Follow it!”

The team was caught completely off guard. Using a bus for a kidnapping? Did the culprits think the police couldn’t keep up?

Four disguised police cars immediately took pursuit. Live feeds from every traffic camera on the route were synced to the dispatch room. Lu Xiao jumped into a pickup truck, his eyes glued to a screen where Shen Zhao’s GPS tracker was blinking and moving forward.

“Captain Lu! The vehicle has entered the North Interchange!”

The drone quickly locked onto the bus’s direction.

“Prepare for a potential shootout! The kidnappers might use weapons to lose us!”

“Shen Zhao! Stay safe!” Lu Xiao lowered his voice, speaking urgently into the comms.

There was no response from Shen Zhao’s end.

The units tracked both the GPS signal and the vehicle’s route. The bus wove through the city, ignoring all traffic laws and driving recklessly. Within five minutes, it veered into a narrow alley, and suddenly, a massive cloud of smoke erupted from the body and roof of the vehicle.

The smoke billowed outward, instantly obscuring all surveillance cameras.

“All units, stay alert! The suspects are likely switching vehicles! Wang Deng, your team stay on the bus. The other team—watch every vehicle exiting the perimeter!”

“Captain Lu! The local surveillance cameras appear to be under a hacker attack! We’ve lost the network!”

“The drone has lost signal!”

Simultaneously, under the cover of the smoke, a black car and a white car sped away into a side street.

“Follow the tracker!”

Lu Xiao stared at the GPS coordinates on his screen, his hand gripping the dashboard in frustration.

They followed the signal rapidly through the city center. Eight kilometers later, in an industrial zone on the west side of the city, the signal slowed down and eventually stopped at what appeared to be a factory building.

“Suspected kidnapper hideout! Deploy at the coordinates! Prepare to breach!”

“Should the armed tactical unit scout ahead first?”

“No need!”

Lu Xiao threw on his helmet, grabbed his pistol, and charged forward. A white sedan was parked at the factory entrance.

For some reason, Lu Xiao felt this was going too smoothly. He sensed a trap.

“Captain Lu! Don’t get too close!”

Lu Xiao ignored the warning over the radio. He approached the vehicle alone, only to find that his position on the map now perfectly overlapped with the GPS point.

He yanked the car door open. There, tucked under the seat, was the tracker.

Lu Xiao slammed the car door shut with a violent kick. “It’s a decoy! They aren’t here! They switched vehicles again!”

“Target has completely vanished…”

Silence fell over the radio.

The veins on Lu Xiao’s forehead bulged, his expression darkening dangerously. He slammed his fist onto the hood of the white sedan, making the metal clang.

He sprinted back to his car, wrenched the steering wheel, and sped back toward the mobile command vehicle.

“All units, do not return to the station! Stand by on-site!”

Ten minutes later, Lu Xiao boarded the command vehicle, which was equipped with an independent signal source. He opened the video link sent by the kidnappers. The screen remained unchanged.

“Shen Zhao, you’d better hold on…”

There was still no response. The comms were as silent as the grave.

As the blood rushed to his head, Lu Xiao could hear his own heart pounding so loudly it felt as if it were about to explode.