"What's wrong?" Cheng Wei glanced at Cheng Xiang and asked simply.

Cheng Xiang looked at his sister and mother, then back at Cheng Wei, and lowered his head. "Nothing."

The minivan slowly approached the border station, stopping beside a pile of cars. Cheng Wei and five or six other bodyguards closely monitored the situation outside the car windows. After observing for a few minutes, they decided to disembark.

Cheng Qingqing and Cheng Mother wore masks and wide-brimmed hats, while Cheng Wei and Cheng Xiang wore ordinary windbreakers and inconspicuous sunglasses as they got out of the car one after another. Huayan and Lao Qiao were among several people in a surveillance room on the ground floor of the border station, closely monitoring the situation inside and outside the station. Less than five minutes after Cheng Wei and his family got out of the car, their movements were reported to the surveillance room.

Lao Qiao ordered disguised special police officers to slowly approach Cheng Wei as the distance closed. Just as they were about to individually control them, Cheng Wei and one bodyguard suddenly stopped in their tracks.

Without giving Lao Qiao's team a moment to hesitate, Cheng Wei and his group made their move, and the situation escalated.

Two bodyguards remained close to Cheng Qingqing and Cheng Mother, protecting them, while the other three bodyguards and Cheng Wei instantly restrained the real passengers passing by them.

In an instant, chaos erupted at the border station, with many onlookers watching from afar as Cheng Wei and his group took center stage. Plainclothes special police officers and others had already begun on-site control, and Huayan's team rushed to the scene as well.

"Qingqing..."

"Huayan sister..." Cheng Qingqing suddenly burst into tears upon seeing Huayan. Days of anxiety overwhelmed her, and she instinctively wanted to come to Huayan's side, but she was stopped by the bodyguard beside her, while Cheng Mother also held her hand. The numb Cheng Xiang's eyes lit up for a moment upon seeing Huayan.

"Cheng Wei, don't be impulsive. Don't harm the hostages," Lao Qiao tried to stabilize Cheng Wei.

But Cheng Wei sneered and said, "No need to waste your breath. You know, I just want to leave here safely. As long as you get the special police to back off, I won't hurt them."

Lao Qiao and Lao Yang couldn't help but think, truly worthy of a formidable general; his ability to accept danger was outstanding. This also added greater pressure to their work.

The ambush was in place. Lao Qiao was still trying to negotiate with Cheng Wei, but Cheng Wei remained vigilant. Lao Qiao signaled to Huayan, hoping she could persuade Cheng Qingqing or Cheng Xiang to convince Cheng Wei to give up resistance.

Huayan took a few steps forward and said, "Qingqing, Cheng Xiang, you wouldn't want innocent people to get hurt, would you? They are innocent. Let them go. Cheng Xiang, you once served them wholeheartedly without complaints. Why are you now choosing this path? Cheng Xiang..."

"Huayan sister, I don't know what's going on... I..." Cheng Qingqing's tearful appearance pained Huayan's heart. She didn't want to see such a situation now. If she were an ordinary civilian, she would hope Cheng Qingqing and the others could leave safely. But now she felt conflicted.

"Huayan, I didn't expect to meet again under these circumstances, but I'm glad I can see you one last time... I understand what you mean. I will..." Cheng Xiang's words were abruptly interrupted by a fierce kick from Cheng Wei.

As Huayan and Cheng Xiang continued to talk, Cheng Xiang's intentions became clearer. Cheng Wei's gaze toward Huayan grew increasingly hateful, and everyone focused on Cheng Xiang and Huayan, failing to notice Cheng Wei's subtle movements.

Using the hostages as cover, Cheng Wei's right hand quietly reached for his waist. He intended to kill Huayan. In the blink of an eye, another twist occurred.

Smoke emanated from the gun in Cheng Wei's hand, causing a commotion among the crowd. Cheng Mother and Cheng Qingqing collapsed to the ground, holding onto Cheng Xiang, who continued to bleed. Cheng Wei's face paled, his expression agonized. Then he began shooting at Huayan numerous times, but she managed to evade each shot.

Just as the armed special police officers were prepared to open fire, Cheng Wei unbuttoned his coat, revealing a belt full of grenades around his waist. The hostages were terrified, wailing loudly, as Cheng Wei brutally beat them, leaving them covered in injuries and too frightened to move.

The other three bodyguards holding hostages also unbuttoned their coats, revealing belts of grenades as well. This scene made Lao Qiao's team gasp in shock. Helplessly, Lao Qiao arranged for the surrounding crowd to be moved to a safe area, and his own team retreated a distance.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

At this moment, Cheng Wei roared, "Get me a doctor, get me a doctor! If anything happens to my son, I'll make you all pay with your lives."

After Cheng Xiang fell, Lao Qiao called for an ambulance. When Lao Qiao was about to arrange for the special police to infiltrate, he was opposed by Huayan. Cheng Wei was a veteran, and the likelihood of the special police being exposed was high. Moreover, he was emotionally unstable at the moment. If Cheng Xiang's treatment was delayed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Old Yang also agreed with Huayan's suggestion. Three medical personnel were sent in to treat Cheng Xiang. When Huayan saw the chief physician shaking his head, tears blurred her vision.

During a moment when nobody was paying attention, Cheng Wei suddenly pulled out a gun and aimed it at her. Cheng Xiang, closest to Cheng Wei, noticed the situation and without hesitation, used his own body to shield her from the bullet, knowing that at that moment, it was the most effective method.

If it weren't for Cheng Xiang, given Cheng Wei's perfect marksmanship, Huayan's life would undoubtedly have ended then and there, unnoticed.

The night sky remained bright, but as Huayan stood in the high-risk ward looking at Cheng Xiang, tubes inserted all over his body, her heart weighed heavy. Sometimes she wished it was herself lying there. Though Cheng Xiang's heart was still beating, he remained unconscious. Doctors said the bullet had caused significant damage to his spine, and it was fortunate enough to save his life. The chance of him waking up again was only one percent.

Cheng Xiang had saved Huayan's life with his own, and as Cheng Wei and Cheng Mother stepped onto the car that came to pick them up, Huayan would never forget the hatred and bloodlust in his eyes.

It was a hatred and curse that shook the souls of people. Huayan had been unable to sleep for several days. Every time she managed to fall asleep, she would be awakened by nightmares, leaving her extremely restless.

Lao Qiao and his team were very worried and consulted the doctors, who said it was a psychological issue that couldn't be controlled with medication. This grim November was now draped in an even heavier atmosphere.

Cheng Xiang remained in the mainland because Cheng Wei knew that taking Cheng Xiang away would mean no chance for treatment, resulting in Cheng Xiang's certain death. Cheng Wei and his group passed through Myanmar, holding hostages. Lao Qiao and his team later found the hostages, battered and barely conscious, in a hotel. However, Cheng Wei and his group disappeared once again.

The situation at the time was such that if multiple snipers successfully killed the few people holding the hostages at the same time, once they fell, the grenades on their bodies would explode due to the intense vibration, causing a chain reaction. Then the hundreds of grenades would level everything within a few kilometers.

This was why Cheng Wei dared to be so audacious. These grenades were easy to detonate and incredibly powerful. One such modern grenade could destroy a twenty-story building made of anything less than reinforced concrete.

Three heavily modified, dual-engine off-road jeeps arrived shortly after and successfully escorted Cheng Wei and his group away from the border station. Cheng Wei's escape this time was meticulously planned, with every detail perfected. His smooth cooperation with certain forces, coupled with his insistence on ensuring the safety of the hostages at all times in the mainland, allowed him to slip away right under the noses of Lao Qiao and his team.

The members of the secret commission, who arrived in Myanmar shortly after, had their pursuit confused by the sudden appearance of a dozen or so identical jeeps. They ultimately lost their target.

Upon hearing about Cheng Wei's escape, Shang Guanjian, who was in the coastal city, sat in his study all night without closing his eyes. The next day, he submitted his retirement report to his superiors.

Because of Huayan's involvement in this incident, Ke Shaozheng suddenly focused his attention on her. Someone had informed him that her shadow had been seen several times in drug-related cases.

"Cousin, didn't you say there was no news about the person who harmed us? Now I have a target. Please use your influence to help confirm it?"

Hu Li, who was looking at a thick recipe book in the villa, was stunned when he heard this news. Then he calmly asked, "Who is the target?"

"A woman named Huayan." Ke Shaozheng chuckled on the other end of the line, while Hu Li's hand holding the phone bulged with blue veins, his eyes gleaming with cold light. "Is the information confirmed? Don't bother me with irrelevant people."

Ke Shaozheng smiled awkwardly and said, "Cousin, what are you talking about? Of course, I confirmed it after careful consideration."

"Then wait for my message." With that, he hung up abruptly. Hu Li poured himself a glass of wine from the bar and thought about Ke Shaozheng. Ke Shaozheng wouldn't just wait for his message; he would definitely use his own power and money to confirm this matter. In this way, Huayan's safety would no longer be within her control.

Publicly announcing that Huayan was under his protection wasn't the best approach given the current situation. The uncertainty made Hu Li feel uneasy and restless. Unable to sleep even in the middle of the night because Huayan's phone was turned off, Hu Li called Lao Yang.

Before Hu Li could say anything, he was startled by Lao Yang's words and quickly got dressed, rushing out. Initially, Lao Qiao and Lao Yang had discussed the increasingly unstable emotional state of Huayan and agreed that it was necessary for Hu Li to visit. They had planned to call him after daybreak, but they hadn't expected him to call so early.

Having just slept for half an hour, Huayan woke up again, drenched in cold sweat. The moment Cheng Xiang fell, the blood flowing from under him, and Cheng Mother's cries kept replaying in her dreams. Her dreams were everywhere with blood-red colors, and thick blood always chased her on the ground, like shadows.

The doctors wanted her to take sleeping pills, but she refused. Relying on medication would only make her dependent on them, and the scar in her heart would remain forever.

Facing Cheng Xiang's sacrifice to save her life, she felt an indescribable guilt; facing the once lively Cheng Xiang, now lying unconscious, she harbored endless resentment toward herself.

During another period of hardship, Huayan faced another blow: her X-ray vision had disappeared, and her jade pendant had turned into an ordinary stone. She had become an ordinary person. Despite a thorough examination by Lao Qiao's team, no cause was found, and the situation was very grim.

Under this double blow, Huayan fell ill. When Hu Li arrived, she looked haggard, with deep dark circles under her eyes. She remained silent, staring out the window, and her daily routine included visiting Cheng Xiang once a day.