Volume One, Chapter Five: A Couple of Skilled Hands

Wang Hu nodded firmly. "I am certain there is only one."

Inside the room, there were two kidnappers. One held a gun, while the other was ready to detonate a bomb at any moment. If they failed to take down both simultaneously, the survivor would surely seize the chance to trigger the explosion.

The head of the security department hurriedly responded through a megaphone, "All right, we agree to your terms, but it will take some time to fetch a prisoner from death row. During this interval, I will have someone prepare the money and refuel the vehicle. However, you must ensure the safety of the hostage. If they suffer even the slightest injury, I guarantee you that Wu Hong’s execution will only be moved forward; it will be impossible to maintain the original scheduled date."

While they attempted to appease the kidnappers and stall for time, Gu Nanzhou searched for a vantage point, hoping to neutralize both targets with a single shot to avoid any lingering complications.

Yet, no matter how he angled his view, he could only see half of Xia Niannian’s body and a hand clutching a lighter.

Gu Nanzhou frowned and remarked quietly, "They must have planned this thoroughly, knowing exactly where to hide to avoid being targeted."

...

"Who is Wu Hong?" Xia Niannian turned her head curiously toward the mustached man crouching behind her. "Is she your wife?"

The man with the mustache didn't speak, but a sly chuckle served as his admission.

The man with the scar was displeased by that chuckle. He sprang up from the ground, delivered a vicious kick to the mustached man’s calf, and gritted his teeth. "He isn't even fit to carry Wu Hong’s shoes! She is *my* woman."

The mustached man did not back down. He brushed off the imaginary dust from his legs, rolled his eyes, and retorted, "Your woman? Did you two even get a marriage license? With your performance in bed lasting less than three seconds, how could you ever be worthy of Sister Hong? Every time, it was me helping you out in the middle of the night so you wouldn't embarrass yourself in front of everyone."

He really thought quite highly of himself.

"..." Xia Niannian’s mind was filled with bizarre images. If it weren't for the bomb strapped to her body, she would have liked to grab a handful of melon seeds and sit on the sidelines to listen properly.

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting, you bastard? When did I ever ask you for help in the middle of the night?" The scarred man raised his hand to strike, but remembering their current situation, he quickly pulled back and threatened him, "Once I get Wu Hong out, see if I don't beat you to death."

He finished by squatting back into his original position, his jaw grinding with rage.

The mustached man scoffed and squatted back down, failing to notice that something had changed.

Xia Niannian had heard of infighting during missions, but hearing such explosive gossip at such close range was a first for her—a real eye-opener.

Inside the restroom, gossip flew, while outside, the men were so anxious their backs were drenched in cold sweat.

Liu Zheng handed a piece of paper to the security head and intentionally raised his voice. "The car and the money are ready. The person should arrive in about ten minutes."

The security head looked at what was written on the paper, nodded, and shouted to the empty air beside him, "Go, clear the road outside. A car will be coming through soon; do not block it."

Hearing this, the two men inside were filled with excitement, and in their agitation, they actually embraced. They had completely forgotten that there was still a hostage present.

At that moment, Gu Nanzhou found his window of opportunity. But just as he was about to pull the trigger, he saw Xia Niannian’s lips curl upward slightly. She looked in his direction and gave a faint shake of her head. Her subsequent actions were completely beyond his expectations.

Wang Hu watched in shock as Gu Nanzhou suddenly handed him the sniper rifle. It only took him two seconds to recover before he followed suit.

When he reached the entrance of the public restroom, he saw the two kidnappers looking half-dead, supported by several security guards. They were clutching their groins, blood still streaming from their mouths, and their hair had been pulled out in ragged patches.

Their faces were a ghastly sight, beaten to the point of resembling pig heads, their features crushed together.

Xia Niannian, who had been the hostage, held the defused bomb in one hand and the gun with its magazine removed in the other.

No wonder their captain had suddenly put down the sniper rifle—this young man clearly had some real skills!

Gu Nanzhou stepped forward to take the items from Xia Niannian, handed them to the security guards, and stared fixedly at the young man’s forehead. "Are you alright?"

Only two seconds after Xia Niannian had shaken her head, she had ripped the bomb off her body, tossed it aside, and kicked the men in front of her.

Every blow had landed on the most painful parts of the human body, perfectly avoiding any fatal areas. Just by observing their stance, it was clear that the young man possessed extraordinary leg techniques.

With such calm and composure, coupled with a tall, straight posture, he was certain this young man came from a military family and had received professional training.

With skills like these, he was definitely prime material for the special forces.

Xia Niannian guessed that this was the person who had been holding the sniper rifle. She lowered her voice and shook her head. "I'm fine! Can I go now?"

The train to the Northwest was departing soon; if she missed it, she would have to wait another day. She didn't have that much time to waste in this place.

She took her backpack from Liu Zheng and turned to leave, only to be stopped by the man behind her.

"Your forehead is bleeding. It would be best to go to the infirmary for a checkup." Gu Nanzhou turned and pointed to the clock hanging on the wall nearby. "All trains arriving today are delayed. You have plenty of time to make it."

He wasn't sure if the young man had other injuries, so a checkup was necessary.

Hearing this, Xia Niannian glanced at the security head standing behind the man, nodded, and followed Gu Nanzhou and the others toward the station infirmary with her pack on her back.

She looked as docile as a child who had been caught by their parents after sneaking out.

As the doctor treated the wound on her forehead, Wang Hu asked curiously, "Little comrade, this wound on your forehead doesn't look like it happened just now, does it?"

Xia Niannian didn't hide it, though she didn't tell the full truth either. "My stepmother hit me with an ashtray a few days ago."

A woman who could be so cruel to her own daughter didn't deserve the title of mother.

"Why did she hit you?" Even the usually reticent Liu Zheng was curious.

Hitting a child for no reason—and with an ashtray at that—it was lucky it only hit her forehead; if it had struck her temple, it could have killed her.

Xia Niannian instantly slipped into character. Her reddened eyes, combined with a sharp sniffle, made even the doctor feel a pang of sympathy.

"My stepmother's daughter eloped with an old man and was caught. She insisted it was my idea, so she hit me with an ashtray and kicked me out of the house." Xia Niannian wiped away two falling tears and continued, choking back sobs, "I'm going to the Northwest to find my uncle. Before my mother passed away, she said that if I ever had nowhere else to go, I should go to the Northwest to find him. He is the only relative I have left in this world."

These were words her real mother had said in reality. Back then, she had also been abandoned by her father and only managed to enlist in the army thanks to her uncle.

After saying this, Xia Niannian pulled the letter of introduction and the train ticket given to her by Xia Guo'an from her bag. "My father agreed to it, too. He was the one who went to get this introduction letter for me, and he bought the ticket as well."

She was terrified they might think she was a runaway and send her back.

Once she tapped into her own emotions, her tears flowed uncontrollably. The cold, arrogant, and ruthless image she had displayed earlier vanished without a trace.