Chapter Seventy Captain Ling

The three of them could not comprehend Qin Yang’s near-madness at this moment. Even Qin Lie, who had watched him grow up, could not understand why he now saw in his own son the wildness of someone who had experienced life and death. At that moment, the appearance of the East Sea Star had reached its scheduled time. As the three were lost in thought, the host’s voice attracted the attention of most guests, for the much-anticipated East Sea Star was about to make its debut.

“Distinguished guests, dear friends, as the host of this exhibition, I feel deeply honored, for the radiant East Sea Star, acclaimed as the brightest jewel in the Asian sky, is about to be unveiled before you all.”

As the host finished speaking, the exhibition hall was suddenly plunged into darkness. The faint glow allowed everyone to see the anticipation on the faces around them. Then, as a brilliant beam of light appeared, all eyes fixed on its source—a dazzling diamond slowly rising, bathed in gentle, refracted light. All women present were instantly enchanted, as if they had been transported into a fairytale world.

Sparkling brilliance is a charm no one can resist. Even Han Caixuan, who had seen it many times before, could not help but marvel at how, under these special effects, the diamond’s true beauty was so breathtaking.

“Qin Yang?” Qin Lie glanced around, only to find that Qin Yang, who had just been standing beside him, had vanished without a trace.

Suddenly, startled cries broke out among the crowd, sending a chill through everyone present. As people looked toward the commotion, they saw that at some unknown moment, a shadowy figure, black as ink, had appeared beside the diamond. No one could see his face; they could only make out his right hand gripping the East Sea Star, shrouding its brilliance and seemingly plunging the entire hall into darkness. In those few fleeting seconds, the staff hurriedly switched on all the lights, and as vision returned to the room, the specially designed display stand was found empty.

“What’s going on?” Liu Yan reacted instantly, ordering her subordinates to secure all exits. In such a short time, even if the diamond was stolen, she was confident it could not have left the hall.

Yet when a group of foreign men in security uniforms entered, everyone was shocked. Why had foreign security been hired for this exhibition? And what was with the metallic glint of the guns in each man’s hand? At their head was a man with piercing, eagle-like eyes that seemed to see through everything. He forced his way through the crowd to the display and, seeing it empty, clenched his jaw in rage.

“Who are you?” one of the venue’s security guards demanded sternly.

His answer was a foreigner’s gun barrel—and a bullet.

Bang. Blood spattered. Terror swept through the crowd, chilling them to the core. Even Liu Yan, who was nearby, turned pale with fear. Han Dongxue, furious, wanted to confront the gunmen, but Liu Yan stopped her. This was no joke—these men would kill without hesitation.

“Looking for the diamond?” Just as everyone was fearing a massacre, a playful voice rang out. Looking up, they saw a man in a clown mask on the second floor, idly toying with a beautiful diamond the size of a pigeon’s egg. Everyone recognized it at once as the East Sea Star, and a few could discern the speaker’s identity—Qin Yang. Among them were Liu Yan, Liu Molan, the Qin Lie couple, Old Han, and several others.

“Who are you, boy?” the eagle-eyed man asked in gruff, heavily accented Mandarin.

“Half a year ago, I was the one you almost killed,” Qin Yang replied, the smile on his clown mask seeming almost real, a hint of murderous intent in his voice. “Don’t be so quick to shoot. I promise you, I won’t die, and you won’t get the diamond.”

As the diamond spun nimbly between Qin Yang’s fingers, everyone swallowed nervously.

The eagle-eyed man sneered. “I can just as well promise to take the diamond after you’re dead.”

“Cut the nonsense. If you want the diamond, follow me.” Qin Yang pocketed the diamond and, in a blink, melted into the darkness, leaving only a lingering message: “Do as you wish, but none of the jewels here are yours for the taking. As for whether this East Sea Star is what you’re truly after—I cannot say.”

“Move!” the eagle-eyed man snapped, making a split-second decision. He led his men in wild pursuit, leaving the rest of the hall in stunned confusion.

“What just happened?” “What on earth is going on?”

Qin Lie’s eyes darkened. With a wave of his hand, Old Cao appeared beside him like a ghost. “Sir.”

“Keep him alive. If anything happens to him, don’t bother coming back,” Qin Lie growled, his voice as low and menacing as an enraged beast. “A so-called foolproof defense breached so easily—if my reputation is ruined, I’ll hold you all responsible.”

Old Cao nodded grimly. Of course he recognized the mysterious clown-masked figure as Qin Yang. If Qin Yang hadn’t taken the diamond and lured these men away, Old Cao dared not imagine what disaster might have unfolded. He wasted no more time and, issuing orders to his subordinates as he moved, resolved to protect Qin Yang at all costs. Though he knew Qin Yang’s skills were formidable—his own elite men couldn’t get near him—who could predict what reckless act the young master might attempt next?

“Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for the panic caused,” Qin Lie announced. “For your safety, please leave the premises. I, Qin Lie, will give you all a satisfactory explanation as soon as possible.”

With that, the crowd hurried out. As Liu Molan exited the hall, two men stepped forward quietly. “Miss Liu, Young Master Qin instructed us to wait for you. Please come with us. We must ensure your safety.”

“You?” Liu Molan asked, puzzled.

“Go with them,” Old Cao said, appearing as if from nowhere. “If anything were to happen to you, Qin Yang would likely kill these two himself.”

Liu Molan recognized him as one of Qin Lie’s men and understood this was indeed Qin Yang’s arrangement. She got into the car and left at once.

“That boy really has no fear. Old Cao, it seems you’re going to be very busy from now on,” a stern-faced middle-aged man said, appearing beside Old Cao.

“Captain Ling, if you don’t want this jewel heist to end without a result, I suggest you don’t waste your time here,” Old Cao replied quietly, glancing at the man. “Haven’t you worked with Interpol precisely because of this group?”