The mountain path was rugged and difficult to traverse, and it was already evening. Even though Deng Lei had reported the call and mobilized his team with the utmost speed, it still took them nearly forty minutes to reach Yang Qi's position.
When Deng Lei, leading a team of fully armed Forest Police and special police—along with Xiao Jun and several elite officers from the narcotics squad—arrived panting at the scene, this was the sight that greeted them:
An unharmed Yang Qi sat on a large rock, with the majestic Bai Wan crouched beside him.
Hu Zi and Leopard flanked the suspect, who lay limp on the ground with bleeding eyes and a body covered in wounds. The two dogs stood guard, never straying a single step.
The black cat, Xiaojiu, was perched on a rock a short distance away, elegantly licking its paws, its cat-like eyes occasionally glancing toward the captive.
