A Chan – CH 135

Chapter 135: Final Rewrite (1)

An inconspicuous black sedan drove across the road in front of the elementary school.

Across the intersection, Ding Chenmo and his apprentice Liu Xinhui sat in the car, binoculars in hand. Liu Xinhui was the only person close to Ding Chenmo who knew the situation; after all, Ding Chenmo needed help. The rest of the team had been positioned further back, awaiting his command.

Liu Xinhui lowered his binoculars: “Master, there’s a hostage! Li Weiyi is in the car too.”

Ding Chenmo’s brows furrowed again—the situation was becoming increasingly complicated. Xu Yi had brought Li Weiyi here to threaten Zhang Jingchan. This high-IQ criminal, capable of both economic and criminal offenses, clearly wasn’t driven by love in a critical moment. Ding Chenmo felt a pang of regret.

“Let’s wait and see,” Ding Chenmo said.

Xu Yi parked the car in the same dark alley, cut the ropes binding Li Weiyi’s feet, leaving only her hands tied, and led her forward, his arm around her. From behind, a passerby would have mistaken them for a young couple embracing.

As the two approached the cave, two men in black appeared: “Who goes there?”

Before Xu Yi could answer, someone inside the gymnasium said, “Let them in, but don’t follow.”

It was Xu Yi’s voice.

Xu Yi pulled Li Weiyi inside. An old, dim light shone. Liu Ying stood in front, Zhang Jingchan holding a dagger to her throat.

There was no one else.

Li Weiyi and Zhang Jingchan locked eyes. She gently shook her head: You can’t take the risk.

Xu Yi: “Where are those two idiots?”

Zhang Jingchan: “The boat’s here. Let them go check it out.”

Xu Yi glanced at his watch; there were still 16 minutes until midnight. He said, “I never imagined that two people like us would end up like two desperados, ending our lives in such a brutal and bloody way. Let’s switch.”

Zhang Jingchan: “I’ll count to three, then release them all at once.”

Xu Yi turned to look at Li Weiyi, pulled out a dagger, cut the ropes binding her hands, suddenly pressed her head down, and kissed her forehead. Before Li Weiyi could react, he was gone.

“Goodbye, Xiao Yi.”

“Turn yourself in,” Li Weiyi said, turning to look at him in a voice only the two of them could hear, “after we switch back.”

Xu Yi looked at her with the same pure and gentle gaze he had when they first met, like a kind older brother next door: “There’s no going back. And I might not even lose.”

Li Weiyi gave him a deep look, then turned to look at Zhang Jingchan. Zhang Jingchan’s face grew even colder: “One…two…three.”

Both men kept their word and released their hands simultaneously. Li Weiyi and Liu Ying walked away facing each other.

Liu Ying glared at Li Weiyi with hatred, then looked at her real brother, seeing him still end up in this dangerous place, and tears streamed down her face. Her brother, however, only offered her his usual gentle smile.

With a few steps to go, Li Weiyi could no longer hold back and rushed forward. Zhang Jingchan caught her in his arms, saying, “Hide behind me.” Li Weiyi obediently hid behind him.

Meanwhile, Liu Ying, having just had the towel from her mouth removed by her brother, screamed shrilly, “Where are they? Get in here, all of you!”

Four black-clad henchmen, who were outside, rushed in upon hearing the commotion.

Li Weiyi clung tightly to Zhang Jingchan, whispering, “I’ll hold them off; you run! Xu Yi won’t hurt me.” Zhang Jingchan replied, “Don’t be afraid.” He didn’t even move an inch.

At the doorway, Zhang Fengming and Cheng Chuan stood two steps apart, not entering, but they had a clear view of the situation inside.

Zhang Fengming frowned: “Old Cheng, did I miss something, or have they gone mad? How come Zhang Jingchan and Liu Ying are together, while Xu Yi and Li Weiyi are now a pair of star-crossed lovers?”

Cheng Chuan pressed down on his shoulder: “If we don’t understand, we shouldn’t get involved.”

Zhang Fengming added, “It’s like Xu Yi and Zhang Jingchan have switched identities.” He clearly thought it impossible himself and scoffed again.

Cheng Chuan paused, staring intently at the people in the room. He looked down and rubbed his temples.

Suddenly, a commotion came from not far away. Several people ran towards them, their footsteps swift and agile. Both men were startled. Cheng Chuan pulled Zhang Fengming, and the two hid in the darkness.

Inside the gymnasium.

Liu Ying pointed at Zhang Jingchan and roared, “Kill him!” His men were stunned. Liu Ying shouted, “Kill him! My brother betrayed everyone!” Only then did his men surround him.

Zhang Jingchan yelled, “Come out!”

Three nimble figures, as agile as leopards, pounced in. It was Zhong Yi and two comrades. They had infiltrated the elementary school earlier and, sensing something was wrong, immediately revealed themselves. The special forces soldiers’ skills were so exceptional that even a policeman like Ding Chenmo hadn’t noticed.

However, the four men inside were Liu Ying’s strongest and most elite subordinates, all former bodyguards with exceptional skills. For a time, the two groups were evenly matched.

Xu Yi and Liu Ying turned and ran. Zhang Jingchan released Li Weiyi’s hand: “You go with Zhong Yi.” He took off after them.

Li Weiyi didn’t listen and ran after him.

Liu Ying, wearing high heels and having been tied up for a long time, had only run a few steps when she tripped and fell on the uneven dirt road. This slight delay allowed Zhang Jingchan to catch up. Xu Yi pulled Liu Ying up and pushed her forward: “Get on the boat! Don’t look back!” Tears streamed down Liu Ying’s face. She kicked off her high heels and ran barefoot along the dirt road towards the riverbank.

On the riverbank, a dark motorboat had appeared.

Xu Yi and Zhang Jingchan were locked in a struggle. The terrain was uneven, with exposed rocks and slippery mud. Each took several punches from the other and quickly fell to the ground, still unwilling to let go, rolling and rolling along the slope until they reached the edge of a cliff.

Li Weiyi picked up a stick and chased after them, tears blurring her vision. They fought fiercely, and she couldn’t find an opening to strike. But when she saw them approaching the cliff, she felt a sudden sense of destiny.

She screamed, “Don’t go! Don’t go! Zhang Jingchan, don’t go!”

Xu Yi, who had been pinned down by Zhang Jingchan, suddenly laughed. He pulled a pistol from under his suit jacket and fired a shot into Zhang Jingchan’s abdomen. Zhang Jingchan froze.

Li Weiyi: “No—”

The gunshot rang out.

Ding Chenmo’s expression changed drastically. He grabbed the walkie-talkie: “Teams One and Two, move out! Arrest everyone! I repeat, arrest everyone near the stadium!”

Several police cars, sirens blaring, converged on the elementary school from all directions.

However, one car was faster than Ding Chenmo’s. It sped out from the intersection, crashing through the school’s parking brake and driving straight ahead.

Ding Chenmo saw Li Yunmo in the driver’s seat, and his lungs nearly burst with rage. But besides Li Yunmo, he also saw Zhang Moyun, Li Jinxiong, and two bodyguards.

“What are they doing!” Ding Chenmo roared. “Is this a place for them? They are insane! This whole family is insane!”

But it was too late to stop them. Under the fierce command of Zhang Moyun, this old wolf desperate to see his son, Li Yunmo drove like a whirlwind, reaching the stadium entrance in an instant.

Zhang Moyun’s eyes were bloodshot. Since rising to a high position and accumulating wealth, how many years had it been since he personally took up a knife and club to kill someone?