FRGL chapter 47

Many major operations have long, tedious build-ups.

Before the climactic moment of charging in and clashing with criminals, everyone could only sit in their vehicles or hide in the bushes, maintaining the same position for hours while keeping their vigilance razor-sharp.

The reason some officers suggested that Luo Hai didn’t need to come along was that these rough Alpha men, who had crawled through mud and grime, simply didn’t believe that a prosecutor who spent his days in an office could handle this kind of environment. If he passed out midway or suddenly wanted to leave, they would have to divert their attention to take care of him.

But to everyone’s surprise, not only did Luo Hai handle it just fine, he also maintained sharp observation skills and a clear mind the entire time. Even when Fanny accidentally dozed off, Luo Hai was still wide awake.

However, as time ticked by, they had already gone past the scheduled time for the Lightwing Society’s plan, yet there was still no movement at all.

“What’s going on? Are those stupid Omegas incapable of reading a clock?” A stubbled officer put down his binoculars and muttered, “It’s so late already, and there’s still no sign of anything happening?”

Luo Hai picked up his phone. “Colin, what’s the situation at the hideout?”

Colin quickly responded, “Still nothing.”

“That’s strange. Did something delay their operation?” Fanny frowned.

“Could be,” another officer chimed in. “After all, they’re Omegas. Any little thing could hold them up. Maybe someone’s in heat, or someone got tied up by their family… If I were planning an assassination of government officials, I’d want to make sure everything was absolutely foolproof too.”

Someone snickered. “A bunch of disorganized amateurs trying to pull off an assassination this big—should I admire their courage or their stupidity?”

“Speaking of which, why is the Lightwing Society even trying to assassinate government officials?” another officer asked while still looking through the binoculars.

“Are you stupid? They’re terrorists. Terrorists just want to create social chaos,” the stubbled officer shot him a look of disdain. “There’s nothing easier to throw society into turmoil than assassinating government officials.”

“But even if they kill a government official, the new politician won’t be an Omega either. No matter how many times they swap leaders, it’s still an Alpha’s world. What good does that do for Omegas?” The officer looked at the stubbled man, puzzled.

The stubbled officer smacked him on the head. “Do you think Omegas can even think that far? If they were that smart, they wouldn’t be terrorists in the first place!”

But the moment those words left his mouth, Luo Hai abruptly stood up. His face was darker than ever, startling everyone around him.

He had been too stupid.

How had he not realized something so simple?

Maybe the Omegas couldn’t see the bigger picture, but Eugene Oddis could.

Eugene must have known that assassinating government officials might create chaos, but it wouldn’t benefit the Omegas at all. If anything, it could put them in even greater danger.

He might be a flashy, high-profile troublemaker, but he wasn’t the type to do something reckless without any real gain.

Fanny looked at Luo Hai in surprise. “What’s wrong?”

Luo Hai didn’t answer. He grabbed his phone. “Colin, what’s the situation at the hideout?”

Colin quickly replied, “Still nothing. No one has gone in or out.”

“And the other hideouts?”

“All five are the same. We suspect something might have delayed their operation…”

Before Colin could finish, Luo Hai cut him off. “Storm them. All the officers stationed outside every hideout—break in immediately and capture everyone inside!”

Colin hesitated. “R-Right now?”

“Was I not clear? Do it. Now!”

Not daring to delay any further, Colin immediately relayed the order to all the ambush teams.

On the other end of the line, a burst of noise erupted—shuffling, exclamations from passersby, panicked shouting. Then, silence.

“What’s happening?” Luo Hai asked, barely containing his frustration.

Colin’s voice trembled slightly. “Boss… the hideouts are empty. Not a single person inside. But we saw them enter this morning!”

“What about the other hideouts?” Luo Hai raised his voice. “Districts 1, 3, 5, 7! Report in!”

“Nothing… There’s no one here either! The place is completely empty!”

“Same here in District 3! We walked straight into an empty building!”

“This is District 5! We found a backdoor on the north side of the hideout—we have no idea when they slipped away!”

Luo Hai’s expression darkened even further. He hung up the call and stepped out from their hiding spot.

“Fanny, pull our people back. We’ve been played.”

……

Five hideouts. Eight assassination targets.

All of it had been a diversion.

Luo Hai rushed to Colin’s location at the central district hideout. When he walked in, all he saw were empty rooms and a group of bewildered officers, weapons drawn, looking around aimlessly.

The moment he stepped inside, everyone instinctively made way for him, not daring to make a sound.

Even though they were used to Luo Hai’s cold, expressionless face, this time, his expression was worse than it had ever been.

He walked from one side of the room to the other, flipping through every book, file, and notebook left behind. But the more he read, the worse his expression became. By the time he reached the last page, he suddenly lifted his foot and kicked the round table hard. The stack of books on top crashed to the floor with a loud thud.

No one dared to speak. Only Colin cautiously approached. “Boss?”

Luo Hai braced himself against the table, his bangs falling over one eye. He lifted a sheet of paper and handed it to Colin.

Colin took it and saw a page covered in dense musical notes, letters, and a title. It was sheet music.

“It’s a violin,” Luo Hai said in a low voice. “He used the violin to communicate.”

Colin and Fanny exchanged shocked glances, momentarily at a loss for words.

“Wait, so you’re saying Oddis deliberately threw out the Nantes Square hideout as bait, making us uncover a fake assassination plan?” Fanny asked, stunned. “That means he sacrificed six hideouts and a dozen members just to set up this trap? Why would he go that far?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Luo Hai stared at the scattered books on the table, his expression grim.

With this elaborate setup, the prosecution office’s entire focus had been diverted to the hideouts and assassination targets. The police force had also gone all-in, mobilizing everything they had to protect those high-ranking officials.

It would be almost effortless to take advantage of this opportunity.

The question is—what exactly is the goal?

The room fell into silence as everyone contemplated this question.

Luo Hai closed his eyes, recalling every detail of the past month spent with Eugene.

He must have overlooked something.

He understood Eugene. He knew that beneath that frivolous exterior was a reckless, obsessive, and unyielding soul.

A person like him would never give up so easily, nor would he allow himself to be captured simply because of a foolish reason like “wanting to see you.”

Luo Hai had always known that Eugene had a purpose for coming to him, but he had never been able to figure it out.

Or rather—was it that he subconsciously didn’t want to think about it?

That familiar, dull ache struck his heart again, each beat tearing through his nerves. But he forced down all his emotions, rapidly searching his memories for an answer.

Something that Eugene could only obtain by staying by his side—something that would benefit Lightwing…

Scenes of their time together flashed through his mind like a film reel.

The meals Eugene had cooked for him, the teasing remarks he made with a smile, the roads they had walked side by side. Every gentle kiss Eugene had given him when he was at his most exhausted and vulnerable…

There were too many of these moments to count.

Eugene would bring him warm water when he had a fever, wipe the cold sweat from his face. When he was in pain, Eugene would deliberately suppress his pheromones and buy him painkillers. When he was lost in childhood memories, Eugene had unexpectedly gifted him a courtyard full of blooming osmanthus—then leaned against a tree, watching with a smirk as the prosecutors emptied his residence.

Even when Luo Hai couldn’t lift his arm, Eugene had helped him inject his medication. And for some reason, Eugene was exceptionally skilled with a syringe—he could locate the vein in an instant, and it never hurt at all…

Luo Hai’s breath caught.

Where had those syringes gone after Eugene used them? Had they been thrown into the trash? And who had been taking out the garbage in the apartment?

Fanny quickly noticed the change in Luo Hai’s expression and asked urgently, “What is it? Did you figure something out?”

“Our approach was all wrong.” Luo Hai abruptly straightened. “This isn’t a terrorist attack… Eugene Oddis never intended a terrorist attack. Blowing up the church was to liberate Omegas from religious control. The Offering Day rebellion and the factory sit-in were to fight for Omega rights. His goal has never changed—it’s always been about the Omegas.”

Fanny was momentarily stunned, clearly struggling to grasp what Luo Hai was implying. The others were equally bewildered, unable to follow Luo Hai’s sudden shift in logic.

“Investigate the Central Pathology Research Institute, the Gender Control Bureau, and Nantes Comprehensive Medical University,” Luo Hai ordered urgently. “Check if any experimental drugs have gone missing from these places today.”

The officers froze, unable to react.

Luo Hai slammed his palm on the table with a loud bang, jolting everyone back to their senses.

“Now! Immediately! Go!”