With a gloomy face, Huo Chen stared at the rapidly disappearing car, then pressed harder on the accelerator, a grim determination etched on his features. He sped up, chasing the vanishing vehicle relentlessly.
Soon, the car arrived in the city, and Huo Chen, following the fresh wheel marks, pursued it directly to Xu Shengwu’s transportation company.
“Huo Chen, Wu Qingsong, why are you two here?” Xu Shengwu asked, confusion clouding his face, which quickly morphed into wariness. These two had been a thorn in his side, now they were here looking for him. No matter how lucrative this cooperation might be, he wouldn’t agree. If his boss found out, his job would be gone. Worse, what if he was arrested ?
“Your sister has been captured!” Wu Qingsong shouted, anxiety lacing his voice.
Xu Shengwu, utterly bewildered, retorted angrily, “My sister was just Kidnapped!” Then, the words clicked. He lunged, grabbing Wu Qingsong’s clothes, his face contorted with fury. “Where is my sister?! How could she be caught? Is it because of you two? Did you harm my sister?”
Wu Qingsong’s face flushed crimson with anger. Without hesitation, he swatted Xu Shengwu’s head. “You’re full of nonsense! Who knows who your sister offended? She was kidnapped! Let go of me quickly! Any more delay, and it’ll be too late for your sister. Even if the gods descended, there’d be nothing they could do!”
Xu Shengwu calmed slightly, releasing his grip, though the sweat beading on his nose betrayed his profound unease. He lit a cigarette, the smoke curling around him, and looked at Huo Chen with red-rimmed eyes. “What do you want me to do?”
“How many cars just came in, and what’s in them? You can take us to check them one by one.”
Xu Shengwu didn’t dare hesitate, even calling some of his brothers for help.
Hidden in a corner, several men panicked. “Who is this man? How can he summon so many people to help him?”
“Brother Monkey, what should we do?”
“What to do, what to do? I don’t know what to do!” Brother Monkey scratched his scalp in frantic agitation. He had established a strong connection, and all he needed to do was transport the people to the foot of the mountain; then the matter would be resolved. Even if the two men were found, an unlicensed transportation company like theirs wouldn’t waste time or manpower helping them search. But he never expected these two men to have connections here, and seemingly important ones at that.
Brother Monkey slowly drove towards the very car they had just used, and several of his accomplices covertly pulled the unconscious figures out again.
Gu Fuying woke up at that moment. She opened her mouth to scream, but found it gagged. She stared at the men in horror, terror flooding her as she imagined what would happen next. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Xu Ying slowly opened her eyes. The moment she grasped her horrifying situation, she was fully alert. When someone grabbed her feet, she swiftly closed her eyes, feigning unconsciousness.
“Brother Monkey, what should we do?”
“Destroy them for me,” Brother Monkey said, a lewd grin spreading across his face. He quickly ran out with a few of the men.
“Someone ran away!” A shout rang out, and Huo Chen and the others immediately gave chase to Brother Monkey and his group. But as they reached the door, a dozen burly men appeared, all armed with weapons.
“Shengwu, you go rescue the others,” a man from the transportation unit declared, patting his chest. “Brothers can handle these people.” The rest of the men were also invigorated; they hadn’t fought in a long time, and their muscles yearned for action.
Xu Shengwu bowed gratefully to his colleagues, then followed Huo Chen and Wu Qingsong, pursuing Brother Monkey and the others.
Brother Monkey, believing he had outrun his pursuers, arrived at an abandoned ruin and roughly threw the unconscious women to the ground. Gu Fuying was trembling with fear, struggling desperately against her bonds. As the men drew closer, a wave of despair washed over her.
At that moment, Xu Ying’s eyes snapped open. She looked at the men, her gaze unnervingly calm. “Who sent you here? The Wu family?”
Brother Monkey sneered, surprised by her astuteness. “Since you’ve guessed it, we won’t hide it. Yes, it’s indeed the Wu family, but it’s not just them. You are Xu Ying, and you are truly brave. No wonder you could bring down the Wu family. But tell me, you’re just a little girl, why do you involve yourself in so many things? The Wu family committed so many evil deeds in Xiang County and still stood firm. Do you really think it was just because of his status as deputy factory director? There are big shots behind him! If you have truly touched the interests of those powerful figures, do you think you can still survive? I’m afraid you don’t even know how your family members truly died.”
Family!
Xu Ying’s eyes burned crimson, as if she could see the tragic deaths of her parents, her eldest brother, second brother, third brother, and sister-in-law. It was all because of her. No, since God had given her a chance to be reborn, she wouldn’t let her relatives suffer such a tragic fate again. Her body trembled, consumed by the fear of her family’s agonizing deaths. She lay on the ground, a picture of utter despair. “Don’t touch her!” she croaked, her voice hoarse.
But the man ignored her, roughly tearing open Gu Fuying’s coat and placing his hands on her body. Gu Fuying stared at the man with pure disgust, rage filling her chest. She whimpered, but no sound escaped her muffled mouth. “Woooooo~”
“System, help me untie the rope,” Xu Ying commanded, her voice cold and cutting. The rope on her hands instantly loosened. Just as she reached into her space for a weapon, Huo Chen and the others burst onto the scene.
“Damn it, you bastard!” Wu Qingsong roared, kicking the man who was assaulting Gu Fuying. He swiftly pulled Gu Fuying into his arms and rolled several meters away from the melee. “Are you alright? Why are you crying? Aren’t you usually very strong?” Wu Qingsong untied her gag, looking at her with a mix of concern and exasperation.
Gu Fuying, finally free, threw herself into Wu Qingsong’s arms, sobbing even louder. “Uuuuuuuuuuu~ Thank you, Wu Qingsong! I will never scold you secretly again! Thank you!” Wu Qingsong felt the soft weight of her in his arms, his nervous hands unsure where to rest.
On the other side, Huo Chen plunged directly into the crowd, dispatching several men with swift, decisive blows.
Xu Ying, still haunted by the specter of her family’s past, cried out in a hoarse voice, “I want to go home, I want to go home!”
“Little sister, what’s wrong with you?” Xu Shengwu, seeing his usually composed sister so distressed, rushed over to comfort her. “These people have been subdued. You’re fine. Don’t be afraid.”
Xu Ying’s eyes were bloodshot. Suddenly, she covered her face with her hands and broke down, weeping uncontrollably. Her thin shoulders began to convulse violently, a heartbreaking sight.
“Let’s go back,” Huo Chen said, bending down and standing in front of her.
Xu Ying wiped away her tears and looked at Huo Chen’s broad back. A sense of profound security slowly settled over her. She climbed onto his back, rested her face on his shoulder, and closed her eyes. Huo Chen didn’t know why she was reacting this way; he only wanted her to feel less pain. He carried Xu Ying and ran towards the car. Seeing this, Wu Qingsong pulled Gu Fuying along and followed.
“Xu Shengwu, remember to report it to the police immediately!”
Xu Shengwu looked dazed for a moment, then his fists clenched in anger. His little sister would never be bullied again. He would kill these bastards.
Wu Qingsong ran towards Huo Chen, but their car sped past them, leaving only a blur of smoke. Wu Qingsong was so furious he wanted to curse.
Huo Chen drove the car at a terrifying speed, and the driver in the back seat turned pale, tossed violently from side to side. Gu Fuzhu also awoke from the jarring ride. She sat bolt upright, her face etched with horror. Only when she clearly saw Xu Ying’s face did she calm down. “Yingying, where are we? Where is Fuying?”
Before Xu Ying could answer, the driver spoke up. “Girl, we were scared to death just now! You and your friend were kidnapped! Just as we rescued you, another one was lost!”