Rebirth Immortal-Chapter 78: The Truth Within

The truck rumbled quietly in the empty lot, its engine cooling down after the intense chase. Qin Hao leaned back against the seat, staring at the USB drive in his hand. The small device felt heavier than it should—because he knew it held something dangerous, something worth killing for.

Wu Gang and Bao Lei were both catching their breath. The air inside the truck was thick with tension, the kind that came after surviving a near-death situation.

"We need to find out what's in that thing," Bao Lei said, his voice still laced with adrenaline.

"No," Wu Gang countered. "Not here. We don't know if they're still tracking us. We need a safe place."

Qin Hao nodded. "I know just the place."

Without another word, he started the truck again and pulled onto the road. He took a long, winding route, making sure they weren't being followed. His instincts told him they had lost their pursuers, but he wasn't going to take any chances.

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at a run-down motel on the outskirts of the city. It was the kind of place nobody asked questions—a perfect hiding spot.

Qin Hao parked the truck, and the three of them got out, making their way inside. The lobby was dimly lit, and the old man at the front desk barely looked up as they paid for a room in cash.

Once inside, Qin Hao locked the door, drew the curtains, and checked for any hidden cameras or bugs. Only after he was satisfied did he sit down at the small wooden table in the center of the room.

"Let's see what's inside this thing," he muttered, pulling out his laptop.

Wu Gang and Bao Lei stood close, their eyes fixed on the screen as Qin Hao inserted the USB.

At first, nothing happened. Then, a single folder popped up. It had no name—just a string of numbers and letters.

Qin Hao clicked on it.

Inside, there were dozens of files—videos, documents, and scanned images. He opened the first video.

A grainy recording played. It showed a dark room, a man tied to a chair. Blood dripped from his mouth. His face was swollen, bruised.

A voice spoke from behind the camera. "Tell us the names."

The man in the chair coughed, spitting out blood. "Go to hell."

A loud slap echoed. The man's head snapped to the side. Then, another voice spoke—one that made Qin Hao's blood turn cold.

It was Liu Zhen.

"I'll ask again," Liu Zhen said. "Give me the names."

The man laughed weakly. "You think killing me will change anything? The truth will come out."

Liu Zhen sighed. "Wrong answer."

A gunshot rang out. The screen went black.

Bao Lei cursed under his breath. Wu Gang clenched his fists.

Qin Hao clicked on another file. It was a document, filled with financial records—money being funneled into offshore accounts, bribes paid to officials, deals made in the shadows.

"This is proof," Bao Lei whispered. "This is enough to destroy him."

Qin Hao scrolled through more files. Drug trades, arms deals, human trafficking—all linked to Liu Zhen and his associates.

Then he found something even more shocking.

A folder labeled Project Serpent.

Qin Hao clicked on it. Inside were classified documents, some bearing government seals. He scanned through them, his eyes narrowing.

"Experimentation... human trials... biological enhancement?" Wu Gang read aloud. "What the hell is this?"

"This isn't just corruption," Qin Hao said darkly. "Liu Zhen is involved in something much bigger."

A cold realization settled in. The USB wasn't just a tool to take down Liu Zhen—it was a ticking time bomb.

And now, they had it.

"We can't hold onto this for long," Bao Lei said. "Once Liu Zhen realizes we escaped, he'll throw everything he has at us."

Qin Hao nodded. "We need to be smart about this."

He copied the files onto his laptop, then uploaded them to a secure cloud storage. Even if something happened to them, the truth wouldn't be buried.

Then, he pulled out his phone and made a call.

After two rings, a voice answered. "Did you get it?"

Qin Hao's grip tightened on the phone. "I got it. And it's worse than we thought."

The voice on the other end was silent for a moment. Then, "Where are you?"

Qin Hao hesitated. He trusted the person on the line, but at this point, trust was dangerous.

"I'll contact you when I'm sure it's safe," he said.

"Be careful, Qin Hao," the voice warned. "Liu Zhen won't stop until he gets that USB back. You're in more danger than ever."

Qin Hao hung up.

Wu Gang exhaled sharply. "What's the plan?"

Qin Hao looked at the screen one last time before shutting the laptop.

"We take the fight to Liu Zhen," he said. "But on our terms."

The room was silent, but the weight of their discovery filled the air with tension. The USB drive had revealed more than just corruption—it exposed a web of crime so deep that even the government might be involved.

Qin Hao sat at the edge of the bed, his hands clasped together, deep in thought. Wu Gang and Bao Lei stood nearby, watching him. They all knew what this meant. They weren't just going up against Liu Zhen anymore. This was much bigger.

"We need to act fast," Bao Lei finally said. "Liu Zhen will come looking for us."

"He won't just come looking," Wu Gang added grimly. "He'll send killers."

Qin Hao took a deep breath. "Then we need to strike before he does."

He stood up and walked to the window, peering outside. The streets were quiet, but that didn't mean they were safe. Liu Zhen had eyes everywhere.

"We have two choices," he continued. "We can run and keep hiding, or we can use this information to bring him down."

Bao Lei scoffed. "Hiding isn't an option. Even if we disappear, Liu Zhen will never stop hunting us. The only way to survive is to end him first."

Wu Gang nodded. "Agreed. But how? He has too much power."

Qin Hao turned back to them, his eyes cold and determined. "We take away his power. We expose him."

"But how do we make sure the evidence gets to the right people?" Bao Lei asked. "If Liu Zhen has government connections, he can cover everything up."

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"I know someone," Qin Hao said. "A journalist. Someone who isn't afraid of the truth."

Bao Lei raised an eyebrow. "A journalist? Are you sure we can trust them?"

"She's risked her life before to expose people like Liu Zhen," Qin Hao replied. "If anyone can get this out to the world, it's her."

Wu Gang folded his arms. "Then let's move. Every second we waste, Liu Zhen is getting closer."

Qin Hao grabbed his laptop and the USB drive, stuffing them into his bag. They left the motel quickly, taking the back exit to avoid any possible eyes watching them.

They got into a stolen car Bao Lei had picked up earlier, and Qin Hao drove. His hands were steady on the wheel, but inside, he knew this was a dangerous gamble.

The city lights blurred past as they made their way to an old office building near the outskirts. Qin Hao parked a block away and checked their surroundings.

"Stay alert," he warned.

They entered through a side door, moving cautiously. The place was quiet, almost too quiet.

Qin Hao led the way to the third floor, stopping outside a door labeled Yun Lan, Investigative Journalist. He knocked twice.

A moment later, the door opened slightly, revealing a sharp-eyed woman in her early thirties. Her black hair was tied back, and she wore a serious expression.

"Qin Hao?" she asked.

He nodded. "We need to talk."

She hesitated for a second, then stepped aside, letting them in.

The office was small, cluttered with stacks of papers, photos, and an old computer. The smell of coffee and ink filled the air.

Yun Lan locked the door behind them. "I hope you didn't bring trouble to my doorstep."

Qin Hao placed the USB drive on her desk. "This will change everything."

She picked it up, studying it. "What's on it?"

"Proof of Liu Zhen's crimes," he said. "Drugs, arms deals, human trafficking. But there's more—classified files. Government-level projects."

Yun Lan's eyes narrowed. "If this is real, then you've made some very powerful enemies."

"We already have," Bao Lei muttered.

She plugged the USB into her computer and started opening files. As she read through them, her face turned pale.

"This... This is bigger than I thought," she whispered. "Liu Zhen is just one piece of a larger puzzle."

"Can you expose it?" Wu Gang asked.

Yun Lan looked up at them. "If I do this, they'll come after me too."

Qin Hao met her gaze. "We'll protect you."

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Give me a few hours. I need to verify this and send it to the right people."

"We don't have a few hours," Bao Lei said. "Liu Zhen will know we took the drive. He'll be coming."

Yun Lan took a deep breath. "Then let's hope I work fast."

She began typing furiously, scanning files, making copies, and sending encrypted messages.

Minutes passed in tense silence. Then—

A loud crash.

The window shattered as a smoke grenade rolled into the room.

"Down!" Qin Hao shouted.

The grenade exploded, filling the room with thick, choking smoke. Footsteps pounded outside.

"They're here!" Wu Gang yelled.

Gunfire erupted, bullets ripping through the walls.

Qin Hao grabbed Yun Lan, pulling her to the ground. "Move! We have to get out of here!"

Bao Lei fired back, covering their escape.

Wu Gang kicked open the back door, leading them into a dark hallway. They ran, dodging bullets as the assassins stormed the office.

"We can't lead them to the streets," Qin Hao said. "We need to lose them first."

They rushed down the stairwell, but as they reached the ground floor, more gunmen blocked the exit.

"We're surrounded!" Bao Lei cursed.

Qin Hao's mind raced. They had to think fast.

Then he spotted it—a maintenance tunnel in the corner.

"This way!" he shouted.

They sprinted for the tunnel, diving inside just as more bullets rained down. The narrow passage was dark and damp, leading beneath the building.

Gunshots echoed behind them. Their pursuers weren't giving up.

"Keep moving!" Qin Hao urged.

They reached a metal door at the end. Wu Gang kicked it open, revealing an alleyway.

Without stopping, they ran into the night, disappearing into the city.

Behind them, the assassins poured into the alley—but by then, Qin Hao and his team were gone.

As they slipped into another stolen car and sped away, Yun Lan clutched the USB drive in her hands.

"You still have everything?" Qin Hao asked.

She nodded, her hands shaking. "Yes. And now, there's no turning back."

Qin Hao's expression hardened.

Liu Zhen had made his move.