Chapter 1388
A Thrilling Escape from the Airport
Bao Xiaochun spoke incoherently, but every word struck Xue Shihao's heart like a hammer blow. A high-ranking official? Someone who could read minds? The Director of the National Security Bureau? He had actually ordered people to attack and frame such a figure? Xue Shihao felt dizzy; boundless fear gripped his heart, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
He used to be able to handle many things in Dongguan and even the province by relying on the Xue family's power and money, but this time, the level of his opponent was completely beyond his understanding and control!
This isn't just kicking a hornet's nest; it's like running headfirst into a speeding tank!
"He...he's really the Director of the National Security Bureau? So young? Are you sure?!"
Clinging to the last shred of hope, Xue Shihao asked in a hoarse voice.
"Absolutely true! The uniform, the epaulets, the identification, Director Zhong's attitude... everyone can attest to it! Boss Xue, there's no time to hesitate!"
This man is a devil!
He'll never let us off the hook! Chen Yunfei's in there, and he'll throw us all out in no time! While he's probably just finished with his work and hasn't had time to set up surveillance yet, you need to get out of here! Immediately! Leave Dongguan City right now! Go abroad! The farther the better!
Bao Xiaochun's voice was filled with desperate urging.
The last glimmer of hope vanished. Xue Shihao's face turned deathly pale, and cold sweat poured down his forehead. He dared not delay any longer, and even disregarding the pain in his arm and the need to put on his shoes, he scrambled off the hospital bed and roared at the bodyguard beside him.
"Quick! Pack your things! No, don't take anything! Grab your passport and wallet! Let's go right now! To the airport!"
He frantically grabbed his phone from the bedside table, his fingers trembling as he unlocked it. He quickly opened the ticketing app, disregarding price and comfort, and bought a ticket for the next available flight, departing in an hour, directly to Los Angeles. The payment success notification popped up, giving him a fleeting sense of security.
"Quick! Drive! To the airport! Hurry!"
Xue Shih-hao roared at the bodyguard, hastily threw on a coat, and rushed out of the ward like a stray dog, without even closing the door. He headed towards the hospital's underground parking lot.
He had only one thought in his mind.
Escape! Escape Dongguan immediately! Escape this country that has suddenly become incredibly dangerous! If we get to the United States, perhaps we can still have a glimmer of hope thanks to the assets the Xue family transferred out years ago…
In his hotel room, Luo Fei, who had just fallen asleep and was in a deep rest, was awakened by a sharp and persistent cell phone ringtone.
He opened his eyes, instantly regaining his senses, and glanced at the caller ID—Chen Yifan.
When the call connected, Chen Yifan's calm but rapid voice came through.
"Boss, I'm sorry to disturb your rest."
Emergency situation. As instructed by you, we have been closely monitoring the communications of Xue Shih-hao and his key associates.
Three minutes ago, we overheard a phone call between Bao Xiaochun, the director of the Xijiang District Branch, and Xue Shihao. Bao Xiaochun tipped off Xue Shihao, informing him of your identity and the news of Chen Yunfei's arrest, and encouraged him to flee.
Almost simultaneously, we detected that Xue Shih-hao himself purchased a ticket through a mobile app for a flight departing an hour later to Los Angeles, USA.
He and two entourage members were driving out of the underground parking lot of Kanghua Private Hospital, heading towards Dongguan International Airport.
It seems he's trying to run away.
Luo Fei's eyes narrowed, and all his sleepiness vanished instantly.
He threw back the covers and sat up, his tone calm and decisive.
"Understood. Will our people be able to make it to the airport?"
"There's still time. We have undercover agents at the airport, but we need clear instructions and your authorization to make the arrest. Xue Shih-hao's vehicle is expected to arrive at the airport departure level in 25 minutes."
"it is good."
Luo Fei made a decisive decision.
"Immediately notify our team members at the airport, and coordinate with the airport police station to intercept and arrest Xue Shihao on suspicion of committing a major crime and attempting to flee. I authorize the use of any necessary means to ensure he is apprehended before he boards the plane! I'm coming right away."
"Yes! Execute immediately!"
Chen Yifan answered crisply and decisively.
The call ended. Luo Fei quickly stood up and changed into his crisp navy blue uniform. The young man in the mirror had sharp, piercing eyes, showing no sign of fatigue, only cold decisiveness.
He picked up his car keys and identification, opened the door, and stepped into the dimly lit hotel corridor. The city was shrouded in darkness, while a crackdown on fugitives was quietly underway at the airport.
Xue Shihao's trembling fingers completed the payment on his phone screen. The confirmation of his first-class flight to Los Angeles was, at that moment, both a lifeline and a symbol of the humiliation he had never experienced before in his life as a wealthy playboy. The bodyguard had already started the expensive black SUV, its engine growling and urging him on. Xue Shihao had one foot already inside the car, the cold night wind blowing into the collar of his hospital gown, slightly clearing his feverish mind.
A thought suddenly popped into his head—Grandpa! The pillar of the Xue family, his grandfather, Old Master Xue! What would the old man think if he found out he had fled in such a panic without saying goodbye? The Xue family in Dongguan City in the future… no, he might not have a “future”, but the family would still exist.
At the very least, the old man needs to know what happened so he can be prepared.
He hesitated, gripping the car door frame, and looked back at the luxurious outline of the hospital building, as if he could see through the wall and into the dignified old man in his old house in Xuejia Town.
Bao Xiaochun on the other end of the phone seemed to have guessed his hesitation, and her voice became more urgent, almost pleading.
"Boss Xue! My young master Xue!"
What time is it?! It's a matter of life and death! What are you still hesitating for?!
Luo Fei is the director of the National Security Bureau!
He captured Chen Yunfei as easily as crushing an ant!
If he knows that Chen Yunfei has a hard drive hidden under the sofa, then he knows everything about us!
He's definitely setting up to arrest you now! Notify the old man? It's not too late to call him once you're safely there! Every second now is a life-or-death situation! Hurry up! It'll be too late if you don't leave now!
Bao Xiaochun's words struck Xue Shihao like a whip. Yes, that Luo Fei was too strange, almost inhuman.
Could the fact that he could pinpoint the exact location where Chen Yunfei hid the evidence mean he also knew he had bought a plane ticket? Perhaps even knew he was currently in the hospital parking lot? The thought sent chills down Xue Shihao's spine, as if countless eyes were watching him from the darkness. The fear of death overwhelmed everything, including his concerns about his family responsibilities.
"Let's go! Let's go right now!"
Without further hesitation, Xue Shihao let out a beastly growl, leaped into the car, and slammed the door shut.
"To the airport! As fast as you can! Running red lights is fine, I'll cover the fine!"
He gave stern orders to the bodyguard in the driver's seat.
Like a startled wild beast, the black SUV suddenly sped out of its parking space, its tires screeching as they ripped through the quiet night air of the hospital's underground parking lot, racing toward the exit.
Almost simultaneously, Bao Xiaochun on the other end of the phone also started his private car, but he drove in the exact opposite direction from the airport—to Xuejia Town, the ancestral home of the Xue family, located in the suburbs and where the Xue family's influence was deeply entrenched.
His face was deathly pale, and his palms were drenched in cold sweat as he gripped the steering wheel. Tipping off Xue Shihao was a self-preservation tactic born of years of intertwined interests, a last-ditch gamble. But he knew all too well that with Xue Shihao's escape, Luo Fei's anger and investigation would inevitably focus even more intently, and he, the branch office chief who had tipped him off and had such close ties with the Xue family, would be doomed. Going to Xuejia Town now to report this catastrophe to Old Master Xue in person was both an act of loyalty and perhaps a way to see if the unfathomable old man, facing such a terrifying opponent, still had any chance of redemption or even retaliation—though deep down, he held no hope whatsoever.
He instinctively fled in the direction he thought might still offer some protection.
Two cars, each carrying a panicked person, disappeared in opposite directions in the dead of night in Dongguan.
A race against time to escape and intercept has begun.
Meanwhile, in a hotel room on the other side of the city, Luo Fei had just ended a call with Chen Yifan.
Without the slightest delay, he quickly changed into his crisp, imposing navy blue uniform, placing his identification and phone in his pocket. The young man in the mirror had sharp, clear eyes; the fatigue of the past few days seemed to be suppressed by the calmness and focus he displayed before taking action.
He opened the door, stepped into the corridor, and strode towards the elevator. Night was falling outside the hotel, but his destination was clear—the airport.
However, as he drove into the sparse traffic of the night and sped toward the airport, Chen Yifan called again, less than twenty minutes after the first call.
"Boss."
Chen Yifan's voice remained steady, but his speech quickened and became slightly tense.
"The situation has changed. Xue Shih-hao is extremely vigilant, or rather... he's lucky. Our plainclothes officers and airport police have just finished setting up a perimeter around the departure level, ready to take him into custody as he gets off the car."
However, after Xue Shih-hao's vehicle arrived at the departure level drop-off area, it did not stop immediately but instead slowed down, seemingly observing. Our comrades did not approach immediately so as not to disturb him.
Just then, whether sensing something amiss or simply out of paranoia, Xue Shihao didn't get off at the usual drop-off point. Instead, he directed the vehicle to continue slowly gliding forward. At the same time, he and his two bodyguards suddenly pushed open the car door, jumped out of the still-moving vehicle, and blended into the crowd of a tour bus that had just stopped to let passengers off, disappearing instantly! Our comrades reacted quickly and rushed over, but the SUV had already sped away, and the crowd getting off the tour bus was chaotic. Xue Shihao and his two companions vanished like drops of water into the sea, disappearing into the blind spots of surveillance and the complex flow of people! An urgent search is currently underway inside the airport, but… the chances are slim.
He likely used his familiarity with the airport to slip away via internal staff exits or other discreet routes.
After listening to the report, Luo Fei did not loosen his grip on the steering wheel, and the car did not even slow down.
His face showed no surprise or anger, only a deeper look in his eyes, as if all of this was expected.
He paused for two seconds before speaking calmly.
"Got it. You can run away, but you can't hide."
He was injured and fled in haste, making it impossible for him to have a well-thought-out long-term hiding plan. Within Dongguan City, his only reliance was the Xue family's extensive network of influence and a few secret outposts.
"So, what do we do now?"
Chen Yifan asked for instructions.
"Contact Director Zhong Baoyu immediately."
Luo Fei issued the order, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"In the name of the Municipal Bureau, mobilize all available police forces to immediately block all highways, national roads, provincial roads and even all channels leading out of Dongguan City, and set up temporary checkpoints to strictly check suspicious vehicles and personnel, with a focus on injured men or men whose physical characteristics match Xue Shihao's."
At the same time, notify the railway police and civil aviation police for assistance to prevent him from using other modes of transportation to escape. Remember, act quickly and make a big show of it. I want Xue Shihao to feel that the entire city of Dongguan has been caught in a tight net, and he has no way to escape.
"Yes! Understood!"
Chen Yifan immediately understood Luo Fei's intention—this was to stir up trouble, to intimidate, and to effectively encircle and suppress them. Faced with absolute power and a comprehensive blockade, individual cunning and luck could only play a limited role.
“You continue the search in and around the airport, but shift your focus to investigating the covert departure routes and accomplices he may have used.”
Report to me immediately if anything happens.
Luo Fei added.
"Yes, boss, then you..."
"I'm going back to the hotel to rest."
After Luo Fei finished speaking, he decisively turned on his turn signal, turned the car around at the intersection ahead, and drove back in the direction he came from, as if he hadn't been rushing to the airport just now.
"After all this commotion for the past few days, it's time for a good night's sleep. Call me when you catch them."
Chen Yifan on the other end of the phone was clearly taken aback for a moment, but then responded.
"……Yes!"
After hanging up the phone, Luo Fei drove back to the hotel. He parked the car, went upstairs, and returned to his room.
He took off his coat, washed up, and then lay back down on the bed.
Outside the window, the city's neon lights still flickered, and a large-scale police mobilization was quietly unfolding in the darkness, but he closed his eyes.
After intense mental concentration, one definitely needs to replenish their energy.
As for Xue Shihao, just as he said, he's a sitting duck, it's only a matter of time. Instead of wasting time waiting, it's better to conserve our energy and build up our strength.
Soon, his breathing became even and deep, and he fell into a deep sleep.
Around 11 p.m., his phone vibrated again. Luo Fei opened his eyes, glanced at the time, and answered the call.
"Boss."
Chen Yifan's voice came through, carrying a hint of weariness and apology.
"Repeated searches were conducted within a five-kilometer radius of the airport, including possible employee access points, cargo areas, and nearby villages, but no trace of Xue Shih-hao or his bodyguards was found. Director Zhong reported that all outbound routes in the city have been checked, but no targets have been found so far."
This guy...it's like he vanished into thin air. We believe that after jumping out of the car and blending into the crowd, he most likely used some unconventional means of transportation we haven't yet mastered, or through an underground network of connections, to quickly move to a pre-prepared, extremely well-hidden hideout. Considering his arm injury and limited mobility, the possibility of him engaging in large-scale, long-term movement is low. (End of Chapter)