activa-t Chapter 78 The World of Martial Arts in the Ship's Cabin
Chapter 78 The World of Martial Arts in the Ship's Cabin
Chapter 78 The World of Martial Arts in the Ship's Cabin
"Police station! Special investigation team!"
Zhong Ding flashed his badge and raised his voice, "Get out of the way! This is an investigation!"
The boatman's expression changed slightly, but he didn't move: "An investigation? Do you have a summons? Our boat—"
"Get out of here!"
Zhong Ding, growing impatient, shoved him aside with considerable force. The boatman stumbled, his eyes darkening, but he didn't forcefully stop him again, merely glancing towards the cabin.
Zhou Xing watched coldly.
The boatman appeared to be obstructing them, but his stance was actually weak. This boat is probably involved in something suspicious; it's either smuggling or some other illicit activity.
The captain dared not show himself. If he did, he would not stop the search team from going up, and the passenger would have to change ships. If he tried to stop them, he would not be able to, and he would also have to deal with the search team.
He simply hid and let his subordinates handle the situation, acting according to circumstances.
It seems that Renault's French face and the title of Special Investigations Team are indeed a good shield in these gray areas.
Several people went up to the deck.
A greasy, slippery feeling spread underfoot, and the musty smell lingered. The boat swayed gently with the waves, requiring a little adjustment for most people to maintain their balance.
The entrance to the cabin was pitch black. Inside was a narrow, dimly lit corridor, with only a few dim electric lights humming softly.
On both sides were tightly closed hatches, their door numbers illegible. The air was stagnant, filled with a pungent mix of smells, including the cloying sweetness of opium.
"search."
Renault's words were concise and to the point.
Zhong Ding sniffed, as if he wanted to show off, and rushed to the first door, banging on it.
"Who is it?" came a muffled voice from inside.
"Police station! Open the door!"
After a rustling sound, the door opened a crack, revealing a panicked man's face, behind him a simple bed and messy luggage. After a few questions, it turned out he was a small-time merchant who ran errands, so frightened he could barely speak.
Renault glanced at it only once: "Let's go."
The second person to open the door was an old man with a sallow complexion and cloudy eyes. He stared at the police officer's uniform for a long time before slowly shaking his head.
In the third room, the person inside was cursing and swearing through the door. Zhong Ding shouted at him sternly, and the other person reluctantly opened the door. It was a burly man with a fierce face, who smelled of fish and violence. There was a bloody smell in the room, and bloody fishhooks and fishing nets were lying in the corner.
The man glared at them until Renault turned and left, then slammed the door shut.
One room after another.
Reactions varied: panic, numbness, hostility, and attempts to ingratiate themselves—the small cabin encapsulated the entire underworld of society.
Zhong Ding was initially full of imposing manner, but gradually he became somewhat irritated by the dull environment and all sorts of gazes.
We arrived at a hatch in the middle of the corridor. This hatch looked thicker and heavier than the others.
Zhong Ding knocked on the door as usual.
no respond.
He struck again, this time with more force.
It remained deathly silent inside.
Zhong Ding flew into a rage, yelling, "Is the person inside dead? Police station! If you don't open the door, kick it open!"
Still nothing.
Zhong Ding took a step back, took a breath, and then kicked the door hard!
"Thump!"
The muffled thud echoed through the narrow corridor. The door remained motionless, but the vibration made Zhong Ding's feet go numb. He stumbled backward, his face turning bright red.
Feeling a little embarrassed, he reached for his holster at his waist.
"Wait a minute," Renault said.
Zhong Ding froze.
Renault's gaze fell on Zhou Xing: "Detective Zhou, you come here."
Zhou Xing thought to himself: They're here.
This is a test, to see just how capable he really is. Since Renault said he can tell if someone is a judge of Tianjin from their moves, let's try a different approach and see if he's really that good.
He replied, "Yes."
Take two steps forward and stand in front of the door.
The Fishing Toad Force operates silently, qi and blood sink into the dantian, while the spirit is elevated to its peak. The Listening Force is released, sensing the structure of the door, the direction of the wood grain, and the possible location of the door.
The [River Spirit Appearance] was activated silently, but this time it was not to strengthen the flexibility and power of the fascia, but to contract and bind inward, locking that inhuman power tightly under the muscles and skin, leaving only the purest muscle explosive power.
The lineage of Xingyi spear flashed through my mind, the spear intent fierce and explosive.
He didn't have the complete routine of Xingyiquan, but if you master one method, you can master all methods. Xingyiquan was also created by Yue Fei when he abandoned the spear and created a fist style.
The "crack" force of the spear thrusting straight forward is transformed into the "cannon fist" of boxing, capturing the essence of a breakthrough and explosive burst.
Zhou Xing slightly steps back with his right foot, then steps forward in a bow stance, toes gripping the ground, power originating from the ground. His waist and hips twist like a millstone, his spine flowing smoothly from segment to segment, and his right fist retracts to his ribs, knuckles facing upwards.
Exhale and speak!
"Hey!"
The exhalation was short and sharp like thunder, the swaying boat deck resembled a cannon emplacement, and the right fist, with the twisting of the waist and the thrust of the hips, was like a cannonball that had been released from its barrel, blasting straight towards the wooden door!
This is the purest, most concentrated linear force. The fist strikes the door panel, and the force explodes along the gaps in the wood grain!
"boom!!!"
The loud noise was ten times more powerful than the slam of the bell! The entire heavy wooden door was violently blasted away by a brute force!
With a creak, the door hinges swung open sharply inward!
A wave of air surged out from the doorway, carrying with it stale air.
The corridor seemed to shake slightly.
Zhong Ding and Chen Qi subconsciously took a half step back, and their gazes toward Zhou Xing completely changed, as if they were looking at a humanoid beast that had suddenly sprung up.
Zhou Xing withdrew his fist, lowered his hand, and remained calm, except for a slightly deeper breath, as if the earth-shattering punch he had just delivered was merely a casual gesture.
The light inside the door dimmed further. After a brief, deathly silence, a woman's piercing scream suddenly erupted!
"ah!!"
Inside the cramped cabin, on the messy bed, a woman with her upper body bare was frantically trying to cover herself with the blanket, her face pale with fright.
A man wearing only a short-sleeved shirt was still pinned down on top of her. He froze in mid-air, turned around in astonishment, and looked at the broken door. His face instantly turned ashen.
"Damn it! Who is it?! Are you looking for death?!"
The man realized what was happening and started cursing, spitting everywhere.
Zhou Xing's gaze swept calmly across the room.
The furnishings were simple, with only a bed and a small table with some miscellaneous items on it.
His gaze paused briefly on one of the objects, then casually shifted elsewhere.
After a moment, his expression remained unchanged as he nodded to the couple who had given up halfway: "Sorry to bother you."
Then he turned to Renault by the door and shook his head slightly.
Renault stood in the shadows, his vertical pupils unfathomable in the dim light.
He glanced at Zhou Xing for two seconds, then turned and said, "Let's go."
Zhou Xing turned and left.
Zhong Ding followed at the back, but his eyes couldn't help linger on the woman's bare shoulders and terrified face for a few moments. He clicked his tongue twice before closing the door, even though it wasn't completely shut.
The corridor fell silent again. The group headed towards the next cabin.
Zhong Ding seemed to want to save face, so he took the initiative to walk to the door, cleared his throat, and raised his hand to knock.
"Knock, knock, knock."
After waiting a moment, just when Zhong Ding thought he would have to go through another round of trouble, a soft "click" sounded and the door opened from the inside.
A face with dark brown skin, high cheekbones, and deep-set eyes appeared behind the door.
A typical Southeast Asian face.
He was wearing a slightly tight suit, no tie, and calmly looked at the group of people outside the door. He asked in slightly accented Chinese, "Gentlemen, what's the matter?"
Behind him, the cabin was dimly lit and difficult to see clearly, with only a faint scent of sandalwood wafting out.
Zhong Ding puffed out his chest and flashed his badge: "Police station, special search team! Go in and check!"
The Southeast Asian man's gaze swept over the documents, then over Renault and Zhou Xing, before he shook his head and said in a flat tone, "It's inconvenient. This is private property. You have no right to check."
Zhong Ding was taken aback, then his temper flared up instantly: "This is a search team from the French Concession! What qualifications do you have! Get out of the way!"
"I said, you're not qualified." The man from Southeast Asia stood motionless, his hand resting on the doorframe.
Chen Qi frowned and stepped forward: "Sir, we are investigating a major case, and we have reason to suspect—"
"Reason? A Chinese person asking me for a reason? Let your master speak to me."
The Southeast Asian man scoffed.
Zhong Ding was furious.
Just then, Zhou took action.
He stepped forward half a step to the side, and with a swift motion of his right hand from his waist, the Colt slid into his palm, and the sound of it being cocked rang out.
The dark muzzle of the gun was firmly pressed against the center of the Southeast Asian man's forehead in the next instant.
The movements were fluid and fast, almost invisible.
"Now,"
Zhou Xing looked at him, his voice calm, "Do you have the qualifications?"