As though he had heard the approaching footsteps, Gong Yingxian opened his eyes and slowly raised his head. But when he saw Ren Yi, a struggle crossed his face before he lowered his head again in shame.
Ren Yi’s feelings were impossibly complicated. His heart ached, yet he couldn’t suppress his resentment and fury. He had countless questions he wanted to ask Gong Yingxian, the foremost being about Qiu Yan. But he forced himself not to ask. He knew that the moment he opened his mouth, all his resentment and doubts would pour out like a flood bursting through a dam.
And this was not the time to let that flood drown them both.
Huang Yan shoved Ren Yi. “You’ve seen him. He’s alive.”
Ren Yi didn’t even want to look at Gong Yingxian for another second. He turned his face away. “Let him go.”
“Ren Yi!” Gong Yingxian called out. “I’m sorry…” The pain on his face was impossible to conceal.
Ren Yi didn’t respond. Instead, he shouted, “Ziyan, we had a deal! You let him go, and I’ll take Huang Yan to retrieve the things.”
His phone rang again almost immediately. Huang Yan answered the call and held it to Ren Yi’s ear.
Ziyan spoke. “What if we let him go and you break your promise?”
“I’m still in Huang Yan’s hands. How could I break my promise?”
“I have a solution that’s fair to both sides.”
Ren Yi growled, “You kidnapped us! What the hell does fairness have to do with anything?”
Ziyan chuckled softly. “You’re right. There is no fairness. All I want is the result. I can release Dr. Gong, but I won’t give him a car. That way, he won’t be able to interfere with anything.”
Ren Yi gritted his teeth. “We’re in the mountains. Without a car, you expect him to walk dozens of miles through the mountains in his condition?”
“Yes. That doesn’t count as breaking my promise, does it?” Ziyan gave a cold snort. “Letting him go is like releasing a tiger back into the mountains. I’m not that stupid.”
Ren Yi’s mind raced. He knew Ziyan would never agree to anything without keeping some kind of safeguard in reserve. This might be the only way to secure Gong Yingxian’s freedom. Only if Gong Yingxian got away would there be any chance of him coming back to rescue Ren Yi.
Suddenly, something caught in Ren Yi’s chest.
He had hesitated.
He had actually begun to doubt whether Gong Yingxian would come back for him.
In the past, Ren Yi had believed that even if the sky fell, Gong Yingxian would rush to save him without a second thought.
But now…
Ren Yi closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Since he had chosen to come here of his own accord, he should have prepared himself for the possibility of never returning. This was his own decision. What was the point of second-guessing himself now?
Ziyan urged him impatiently, “Stop wasting my time.”
“…Fine.”
Gong Yingxian clenched his teeth and couldn’t help saying, “Ren Yi, don’t be afraid. I’ll come back for you. Don’t—”
“Shut up!” Huang Yan roared.
He stepped forward and kicked Gong Yingxian to the ground.
“You can barely save yourself. What the hell are you talking about?”
Ren Yi snapped, “Just let him go!”
Huang Yan used a knife to cut through Gong Yingxian’s restraints. Gong Yingxian stretched his arms and legs, but it seemed that being bound for so long had left him barely able to move. He struggled for a long time without managing to get up.
Given his condition, Ren Yi doubted he could even make it out of the mountains. But there was nothing else he could do. Gong Yingxian would have to rely on himself.
Gong Yingxian looked at Ren Yi with longing and reluctance, as though he had a thousand things he wanted to say but couldn’t bring himself to speak. In the end, his eyes reddened, and he whispered Ren Yi’s name.
Ren Yi didn’t respond. He didn’t even look at him.
Gong Yingxian gritted his teeth, clutched his injured right arm, and turned to leave.
Huang Yan took Ren Yi back to the garage and shoved him into the car.
“The address.”
“Go back the way we came.”
Huang Yan glanced sideways at him. “Did you leave the things in that alley?”
“You’ll see when we get there.”
Huang Yan grabbed Ren Yi by the chin. “Listen carefully. My boss wants to inspect the evidence personally. I want every single item placed right in front of me. If you dare try even one trick, I have ten thousand ways to torture someone. I’ll try them all on you, one by one.”
Ren Yi replied coldly, “I’ll give you what you want. There’s no point in keeping it for myself anyway. But I want to get somewhere safe first, somewhere I can be sure you won’t kill me the moment you get your hands on the evidence.”
Huang Yan released his chin and gave him a cryptic smile.
The two drove away from the villa. It took a full forty minutes to get from there to the foot of the mountain. If someone had tried to walk, it probably would have taken an entire day.
Ren Yi shook his head, his gaze hardening. He refused to think about Gong Yingxian anymore. He had repaid the debt he owed Gong Yingxian for saving his life. Now, he needed to figure out how to save himself.
Huang Yan drove all the way back into the city, returning to the same alley where they had first met. The car Ren Yi had driven earlier was still parked there, and Huang Yan stopped behind it.
“Where’s the stuff?”
“Let me get out of the car first.” Ren Yi looked outside. There were pedestrians on the road and residents nearby. Compared with the isolated villa, this was a relatively safe environment for him.
Huang Yan opened the car door, got out, and walked around to the passenger side. He bent down to unfasten Ren Yi’s seat belt.
That was the moment Ren Yi exploded into action.
He tore free of the rope he had been working on throughout the drive, raised the dagger, and thrust it straight at Huang Yan’s eye without the slightest hesitation. Every ounce of hatred and desperation to survive went into the attack.
Huang Yan’s expression darkened. Reacting with exceptional speed, he jerked his head aside. The dagger sliced past his temple, sending a spray of blood into the air.
Ren Yi pulled back his hand to strike again. But he was still inside the car, with very little room to maneuver. His elbow struck the seat, delaying him for just a fraction of a second.
That was all Huang Yan needed.
He seized Ren Yi’s wrist and slammed it against the car frame, while his other hand blocked the punch Ren Yi threw at him.
After slamming his wrist against the frame twice, Ren Yi cried out in pain and had no choice but to release the dagger. It fell to the ground.
Ren Yi rammed his head into Huang Yan’s chest, sending both of them tumbling out of the car.
Ren Yi landed on top of Huang Yan. He raised his fists and began pounding furiously at Huang Yan’s head. Huang Yan blocked several blows and took a few punches before retaliating with a punch to Ren Yi’s waist.
Ren Yi cried out in pain and toppled sideways.
Huang Yan seized the opportunity to roll over and pin him to the ground. His hand swept quickly across the ground beside them, and when it came up again, a small, gleaming blade was clamped between his fingers.
He brought it straight down toward Ren Yi’s face.
Ren Yi instinctively squeezed his eyes shut.
He waited for the pain, but it never came.
After a long moment, he tremblingly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was the sharp little blade, hovering extremely close to his eye. It was so close that he couldn’t make out its precise shape, only a huge, blurred silhouette. He knew that if it moved even a fraction of an inch farther down, he would lose his eye.
Ren Yi’s heart trembled. He barely dared to breathe.
Huang Yan grinned. “You really overestimate yourself.”
Ren Yi stared at him in furious defiance.
Huang Yan lowered his head. “If there weren’t people around, I’d have ruined this eye of yours.”
Ren Yi’s chest heaved violently.
Huang Yan hauled him to his feet and glared at the pedestrians who had been peeking in their direction, making them quickly look away. He had a vicious face and an intimidating presence. Nobody dared intervene.
“Where is it?” he demanded, pressing the tiny blade hidden between his fingers against Ren Yi’s temple. “This little blade isn’t very convenient for killing, but it’s excellent for making someone bleed.”
“It’s… in that car,” Ren Yi said quietly. “I took the spare tire out from under the trunk lining. The stuff is hidden inside.”
Huang Yan dragged Ren Yi to the back of the other car and opened the trunk. He lifted the lining and found that Ren Yi had told the truth.
Huang Yan took out his phone and called Ziyan.
“Boss, I’ve found the stuff. Yes. All right, understood.”
Ren Yi was covered in sweat. He struggled against Huang Yan’s grip.
“I gave you what you wanted. Let me go.”
“The boss has changed his mind.” Huang Yan sneered. “Given how improperly you behaved by attacking me just now, you can’t blame us for breaking our promise. The boss wants to see you.”
Ren Yi’s expression remained blank. “You never intended to let me go.”
“Of course not.”
Huang Yan grabbed him and dragged him toward his own car.
“You’ve ruined so many of our plans. Did you really think you’d walk away unscathed? You know, someone has already offered a million US dollars to watch a spectacular livestream of you, the ace firefighter, being burned alive.”
Ren Yi suddenly began struggling violently, even trying to shout for help.
Huang Yan saw through him immediately and clamped a hand around his throat again.
In barely twenty seconds, Ren Yi went from struggling to breathe, to suffering from a lack of oxygen, to becoming completely dizzy and unconscious.
Ren Yi woke to two sharp slaps across his face.
He hadn’t been unconscious for long. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a parking lot.
The place looked strangely familiar.
This was unmistakably the abandoned amusement park where Bai Yan had once hidden!
Huang Yan dragged him out of the car. Looking down, Ren Yi realized that he had been tied up again.
Huang Yan kicked him. “Move. Go into that visitor center.”
He was carrying the two suitcases.
Ren Yi looked around. The entire area was desolate. Even if he wanted to run, there was nowhere to go.
Was Ziyan here?
Did Ziyan believe that the most dangerous place was also the safest, assuming the police would never imagine that he would dare return here?
It was certainly audacious. And certainly unexpected.
With Huang Yan constantly urging him forward, Ren Yi was forced through the lobby and into the office area behind it.
At last, they reached an office with its lights on.
Huang Yan went over and pushed the door open.
A man with medium-length hair stood hunched over, his back to them. Three computer monitors glowed in front of him. On the screens, Ren Yi could see the villa and several surveillance feeds from the amusement park.
A familiar smell filled his nostrils. It was strong, too.
Gasoline.
Ren Yi wrinkled his nose. Anyone could recognize that smell, let alone a firefighter. His gaze instinctively searched the room for the source, and sure enough, he spotted several gasoline drums in the corner.
He felt a flicker of suspicion, but immediately dismissed it as unnecessary. What was strange about a bunch of deranged arsonists carrying gasoline?
The man at the computer turned around.
He was a slightly overweight man in his early thirties, with a puffy face marked by sleeplessness and exhaustion. His hair was greasy and disheveled, his posture timid and hunched, and behind his thick glasses were a pair of lifeless eyes.
“You’re Qingyan, right?” Huang Yan asked. “Where’s the boss? I’ve brought both the evidence and the man.”
“Ziyan isn’t here.”
Huang Yan frowned. “Then where is the boss?”
“Ziyan told me to stay here and keep you company.”
Qingyan suddenly smiled, revealing a mouthful of rotten teeth. The sight was revolting.
Huang Yan fell silent for a moment. “What do you mean?”
Qingyan suddenly reached out and gave something in the air a sharp tug.
Ren Yi had excellent eyesight. He could just make out what appeared to be a fishing line in Qingyan’s hand.
His heart sank.
But it was already too late to react.
In the next instant, the ceiling panels above them suddenly shattered and came crashing down. Gasoline poured with them, drenching every corner of the room—and all three men.
Ren Yi and Huang Yan were knocked to the floor by the falling ceiling. The impact wasn’t particularly painful, but the scattered plastic panels and metal framework covered them, while gasoline made the floor slippery. For a moment, they couldn’t even get up, let alone escape.
Qingyan picked up a lighter and burst into hysterical laughter.
“May the God of Light take everything away!”
Despair filled Ren Yi’s heart.
He had never imagined that, as a firefighter, he might truly meet his end in a sea of flames.
A gunshot rang out.
The tremendous impact hurled Qingyan backward. He crashed into the computer and desk before finally collapsing to the floor. His blood poured out and mingled with the gasoline beneath him. The two liquids seemed to push against each other for dominance until, in the end, the gasoline floated above the blood.
Ren Yi turned his head in astonishment.
A tall figure stood blocking the doorway. The last rays of the setting sun streamed in from behind him, tracing his silhouette in golden light. He looked as though a heavenly god had descended, radiant and magnificent.
Gong Yingxian?!