Song Yuzhang: Chapter 156 - Guantu
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Chongbei is very far from Haizhou. One must first take a plane to Guantu, then travel by car from Guantu to Shankang, and from Shankang take a boat to Chongbei. All told, the journey takes about twenty days of back-and-forth travel.
It was a long trip, and Song Yuzhang hesitated for some time over whether he should go in person. He could choose not to—Haizhou was not without talent in this field—but the opportunity was simply too rare. This old engineer from the Chongbei arm factory was worth nearly half an arm by himself. If he could be persuaded to come back, the results would be twice the effort for half the work.
Apart from him, there were no other suitable candidates. In the bombing incident, the dead were dead, and the injured were injured; Haizhou’s commercial sector was precisely at a point of shortage, with no one to spare.
Guantu, Shankang, Chongbei—along the way were places Song Yuzhang had never been before. There was nothing much to worry about. Even if something truly did happen, with Song Yuzhang’s current status and standing, it would not really matter.
It had already been a year since he came to Haizhou… Song Yuzhang seemed never to have stayed in one place for so long before. Back then, when he decided to settle down, he had never imagined it would turn out like this.
“Is the road safe?” Meng Tingjing asked, draping an outer robe over his shoulders. He held a map in his hand and moved the desk lamp closer.
Song Yuzhang traced the route with his finger. “All main roads. No war zones.”
Meng Tingjing pointed to the short stretch on the map from Guantu to Ankang. “What about here?”
“Over forty li—less than two hours. The Twenty-Third Division has troops stationed in Guantu. I’ll have them escort us to the main road.”
“The Twenty-Third Division…” Meng Tingjing pondered for a moment. “Bring more gold bars.”
“Of course.”
Meng Tingjing studied the map, still uneasy. “I’ll go with you.” He glanced at Song Yuzhang and warned him in advance, “Watch what you say.”
Song Yuzhang smiled. “Which sentence of mine was improper? Please enlighten me.”
Meng Tingjing withdrew his gaze. “Don’t talk nonsense when discussing serious matters.”
Song Yuzhang reached out, wanting to lean on Meng Tingjing’s shoulder, then remembered that his shoulder injury had not fully healed and restrained himself. “Since when did I not know you were such a serious person?”
Meng Tingjing replied without lifting his head, “Two negatives make a positive.”
Song Yuzhang burst into laughter, leaned over, and kissed Meng Tingjing on the cheek with a loud smack. Meng Tingjing did not feel particularly pleased by this fragrant kiss, because Song Yuzhang had recently taken great pleasure in teasing him, almost to the point of running wild. Meng Tingjing knew Song Yuzhang was naturally flirtatious, but to be flirtatious to this shameless extent was truly rare.
“I’ll go with you. When we reach Chongbei, I won’t even meet that old man—surely that sets your mind at ease.”
“You think I’m really worried you’ll steal someone from under my nose? Tingjing, I’m not that petty. Your feelings for me—”
Song Yuzhang hooked an arm around his neck and kissed his temple. “I know them all.”
Meng Tingjing shot him a sidelong glance. Seeing the ripples in his eyes, he could no longer hold back. With one arm around Song Yuzhang’s waist, he kissed him hard. “Enough sweet talk. If you know my feelings, then let me go with you.”
“It’s precisely because I know your feelings that I can go with ease,” Song Yuzhang said, his fingers brushing Meng Tingjing’s cheek. “Otherwise, I really couldn’t let go of this whole mess.”
“Then you shouldn’t be too at ease with me.”
Song Yuzhang smiled at him. “What can I do? I really am at ease.”
Hearing that, the sternness on Meng Tingjing’s face softened despite himself. “Then be at ease.”
Song Yuzhang laughed loudly and rubbed Meng Tingjing’s back to help relieve the itching.
Meng Tingjing was still worried about Song Yuzhang. He knew it was a lingering unease left behind from those dark days underground. Song Yuzhang was a grown man—capable, experienced, sharp-minded. It was just a long trip, and everything along the way had been arranged. There was no real need for concern. Yet he simply could not set his mind at rest. Thinking about it kept him awake at night. After two consecutive nights of insomnia, the third day arrived—the day Song Yuzhang was to board the plane.
This time, Song Yuzhang brought Liu Chu with him. Seeing that Liu Chu, though young, carried a sharp, ruthless air between his brows, Meng Tingjing felt slightly reassured.
He picked several guards for Song Yuzhang. Song Yuzhang himself also brought attendants, and he could only laugh helplessly. “The plane can’t seat that many people.”
“Then at least bring two.”
“It’s not like we’re going to war,” Song Yuzhang said with a smile. “Relax.”
Meng Tingjing’s expression was terrible, almost as if his heart physically hurt—not emotionally, but truly his heart felt unwell.
Song Yuzhang sighed softly and patted his back. “Take good care of your injury. Don’t scratch—it won’t look good if the skin breaks.”
Meng Tingjing hugged him fiercely and lowered his voice by his ear. “Report your safety every time you reach a place. If the talks don’t go well, come back early. A strong dragon can’t overpower the local snake.”
From spring to summer this year, he had sent off so many people. Now, finally, it was Song Yuzhang’s turn to be sent off. He took a deep breath and patted Meng Tingjing’s shoulder. “So much nagging—are you just afraid I’ll fool around outside?”
That had never even crossed Meng Tingjing’s mind. But seeing Song Yuzhang’s half-smile, and then watching him turn and pass through the checkpoint, Meng Tingjing was left standing there as a new worry took root in his heart—Chongbei was famous for producing beauties. Several film stars came from Chongbei!
It was Song Yuzhang’s first time on a plane. After a full day of flying, he himself was fine, but Liu Chu vomited until he was utterly miserable.
After getting off the plane, Song Yuzhang first took Liu Chu to find a hotel to stay in. “You’re fearless in everything, yet you get carsick and airsick—do you get seasick too?”
Liu Chu lay weakly on the bed and waved his hand feebly.
Song Yuzhang did not believe him. He went to a Chinese medicine shop to buy some small pills to refresh the mind, then went to pay a visit to the Twenty-Third Division stationed in Guantu, presenting several gold bars. The Twenty-Third Division had long been stationed in Guantu, with limited access to news, and did not know much about Haizhou’s prosperity. However, they had heard that the division commander who had rushed to aid Yeyang, Commander Nie, was from Haizhou. Song Yuzhang smiled faintly. “Commander Nie is my friend.”
After sitting on the plane all day, Song Yuzhang also felt an itch deep in his lungs, so he lay down as well, resting a hand on his stomach.
Master and servant lay there rubbing their bellies when Liu Chu suddenly spoke up. “President.”
“Hm?”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Don’t ask.”
“…”
Turning onto his side and holding his stomach, Liu Chu said, “So are you actually involved with Nie Yinbing, or with Meng Tingjing?”
Song Yuzhang had known nothing decent would ever come out of that puppy mouth. Calmly, he said, “Both.”
Liu Chu instantly perked up, kneeling upright on the bed. “Then—are you the one screwing them, or are they screwing you?”
Song Yuzhang shot him a sidelong glance. “What do you think?”
Liu Chu bounced twice on the bed. “President, you’re amazing!”
Song Yuzhang pressed a finger to his lips. “Shh—”
Liu Chu went completely wild, rolling around on the bed, humming and laughing nonstop. Before long, though, he ran to the bathroom and threw up again—this time from overeating.
The next day, the 23rd Division sent over a small squad. The soldiers were neat and upright in appearance, each equipped with a gun. Three military vehicles arrived, with Song Yuzhang and Liu Chu seated in the middle one, their own attendants and the soldiers guarding them from the front and rear.
The forty-li journey left the city and quickly turned into a bumpy dirt road. Progress was slow, the vehicle swaying violently. Liu Chu clutched his stomach, his face pale as death. Song Yuzhang felt no sympathy at all—only amusement.
He gave Liu Chu a small pill. Liu Chu held it in his mouth and almost spat it out. “What is this?”
“The doctor said it helps. Just keep it in your mouth.”
Liu Chu could only bare his teeth, suffering miserably.
“Sleep,” Song Yuzhang said. “Take a nap. When you wake up, we’ll be there.”
In the end, Song Yuzhang pulled the carsick Liu Chu onto his thigh. “Close your eyes. Sleep.”
Pressing his stomach, Liu Chu stubbornly replied, “No, I can’t close my eyes. I have to protect you.”
Song Yuzhang laughed. “Wait till we’re on the boat. Here we’ve got the 23rd Division—no need to—”
Before he could finish, the driver slammed on the brakes. Song Yuzhang, holding Liu Chu, nearly went flying.
“What happened?”
“No idea…”
The driver was also from the 23rd Division. Once Song Yuzhang steadied himself, he realized the car ahead had stopped too.
“Please don’t get out,” the driver said. “Looks like there’s trouble.”
Several men had already jumped down from the front vehicle, bending over to inspect it.
“Looks like a tire blew.”
Liu Chu struggled to sit up. “A tire blew? Your military vehicles are this flimsy?”
“The dirt road’s bad—might’ve hit a nail—”
The driver’s head suddenly snapped sideways and smashed into the left window with a loud bang. Blood and brain matter splattered everywhere.
Liu Chu froze for a second, then immediately shoved Song Yuzhang down.
The men of the 23rd Division reacted at once, shouting, “Ambush!”
Song Yuzhang and Liu Chu hid beneath the seats. Outside, intense, dense gunfire erupted immediately. Bullets slammed into the vehicle with loud bang bang sounds. Eyes shut tight, Song Yuzhang clutched Liu Chu with all his strength, his heart surging with panic. What was going on?!
The 23rd Division was just as stunned. They’d long ruled Guantu like local tyrants—no one had ever dared provoke them. Who would dare open fire on their military vehicles? Were these people suicidal?!
“Damn it! We’re the 23rd Division—who the hell doesn’t want to live anymore?!”
Someone shouted loudly from behind a vehicle.
Bullets poured out of the forest like rain. Soon, the men of the 23rd Division noticed something was off—they weren’t firing at Song Yuzhang’s vehicle.
“Damn it, we can talk this out! Say how much you want—we can negotiate!”
Adhering to the principle that a wise man avoids unnecessary losses, the 23rd Division raised a white flag in the face of this clearly well-prepared attack.
Sure enough, the gunfire stopped.
“Throw all your guns down—!”
A loud shout came from the forest.
“President, what does this mean?” Liu Chu whispered.
Song Yuzhang’s heart rate steadily climbed along with the itching in his lungs. He didn’t answer Liu Chu, only quietly tightened his grip on his own gun.
The men of the 23rd Division didn’t throw down their weapons. “Brother,” one of them called out, “which mountain stronghold are you from?”
“Black Cloud Mountain!”
“Who’s the boss?”
“Zhao Tianlong!”
“Good—”
Once both sides had called out names, it meant lives were spared, and the matter would be settled with money.
The men of the Twenty-Third Division threw their rifles out.
“Pistols too!”
There was no choice—they had to keep throwing them.
When both long guns and sidearms lay scattered in the open ground, a scrawny, undersized man darted out of the woods. “The one in the second car—get out!”
Someone from the Twenty-Third Division shouted, “Mr. Song, get out. It’s fine—they just want money. They won’t do anything to you!”
Liu Chu clutched Song Yuzhang’s collar in panic. “President!”
“It’s fine,” Song Yuzhang squeezed his fist. “We’ve run into bandits blocking the road.”
Song Yuzhang sat up. Liu Chu was still gripping his collar. Song Yuzhang pulled his hand away and pushed the car door open.
At the very instant the door opened, the attendants who got out together with the Twenty-Third Division men pulled out grenades and hurled them straight into the woods.
As the explosions went off, Song Yuzhang raised his hand and fired a shot, shooting clean through the scrawny man. He roared at the Twenty-Third Division, “What are you standing there for? Pick up the guns—fire!”
After the explosions, wails rose from the woods, as if they were about to charge out. The men of the Twenty-Third Division cursed and stamped the ground—damn it, these outsiders didn’t know the rules!
What else could they do? Then they’d fight!
The men of the Twenty-Third Division rushed forward, grabbed weapons, and fired into the woods.
Song Yuzhang, meanwhile, slammed the car door shut again with a bang and ducked back inside.
Liu Chu stared, dumbfounded. He hadn’t expected Song Yuzhang to pull something like this.
Song Yuzhang gripped the gun, still hot to the touch. His heart was pounding wildly.
Fortunately, he had prepared in advance. He’d feared these hillbillies in uniform might be unreliable—at a moment like this, they’d only push him out to pay up. They didn’t care; who knew, maybe soldiers and bandits were one and the same, dissatisfied with just a few gold bars. If he fell into the bandits’ hands, who knew how long he’d be entangled with them. Better to fight. He didn’t believe these bandits would dare truly harm soldiers of the Twenty-Third Division—the division would come seeking revenge.
The gunfire outside gradually died down, as if the bullets had run out. The Twenty-Third Division hadn’t fought a real battle in a long time; once they’d seen blood, their ferocity was stirred, and they charged into the woods.
Song Yuzhang’s attendants had quietly moved to take cover behind his car.
“President, are you all right?”
“I’m fine—”
Not knowing what was happening in the woods, Song Yuzhang called out, “Send someone up—someone who can drive!”
One of the attendants immediately dragged the dead driver out of the car and jumped into the driver’s seat.
“Whoosh—” A very faint sound. The attendant who’d just gotten in fell straight back out through the still-open door.
Liu Chu’s heart clenched. “President—someone’s lying in ambush at a high position, shooting!”
For a mere bandit gang to have such a sharpshooter—Song Yuzhang froze for a split second, then hurriedly said, “Everyone get under the car!”
As the attendants outside crawled prone, more cold shots came from above.
Song Yuzhang was close enough to hear clearly—five shots in a row. A thick stench of blood spread through the air. In an instant, the attendants outside went completely still. Song Yuzhang’s chest felt stifled. He thought to himself, This is bad.
“President, President—” Liu Chu shook him violently. “I’ll go drive—” Just as he was about to jump forward, Song Yuzhang grabbed his hand. “Don’t go—”
The sounds from the woods seemed to fade as well; it looked like a winner had been decided.
“They’re coming out!”
Liu Chu struggled. “I’ll go drive!”
Song Yuzhang held his hand tight. “Don’t go. We can’t get away. Wait for them to come over and negotiate terms.”
Before long, footsteps sounded outside.
The rough voice that had shouted in the woods earlier rang out by the car door. “Honored guest inside, I don’t want your life. Please disarm, and we’ll talk properly.”
At this point, Song Yuzhang could only toss his gun out the window.
“I’ll send someone in to search you.”
A child climbed in through the front door and crawled into the back seat. Liu Chu glared viciously at him; the child grinned viciously back. With practiced efficiency, he frisked them both, taking all of Liu Chu’s pistols.
The child happily ran out holding the guns. “Boss, they weren’t honest—there were two more guns!”
The bandit chief smiled smugly. “Good job!”
“Honored guest, come out. Don’t hide in there. I promise I won’t take your—”
Before the word “life” could leave his mouth, there was another faint “whoosh.”
The bandit chief collapsed to the ground, brain matter and blood spilling out just the same.
Song Yuzhang heard the screams outside—very short, very panicked, and very fast, like a single instant. The smell of blood grew even heavier.
“President?” Liu Chu said sharply. “They look like they’re dead… bandits killing bandits?”
Song Yuzhang remained silent, then said softly, “Stay in the car. Don’t come out. I’ll go out—they don’t seem to want my life.”
“No—” Liu Chu grabbed his collar. “I’ll go out first!” Liu Chu shouted, “Which heroes are blocking the road? We’re willing to spend money and make friends. I’ll represent our boss and talk with you!”
Outside was eerily quiet. Faintly, it sounded like footsteps approaching again. Liu Chu steeled himself, flung off Song Yuzhang’s grip, and shoved the car door open.
“Bang—”
Liu Chu fell backward, face up. There was a gaping hole in his chest. Warm blood splashed all over Song Yuzhang’s face. Song Yuzhang blinked instinctively, not even having time to form a thought, when his hair was seized violently, and he was dragged out of the car by a tremendous force.
Song Yuzhang slammed to the ground. His gaze followed the pull on his hair upward, meeting a pair of smiling eyes. “Long time no see, Zhu Qing.”
Chapter 156: Guantu
The Twenty-Third Division let such social-climbing remarks slide straight past their ears and did not take them too seriously—but they recognized gold bars. “No problem, no problem. We’ll definitely help.”
Song Yuzhang returned to the hotel, found a telephone, and wanted to call back to Haizhou, but unfortunately, the line was down. He could only send a telegram back to Haizhou to report that he was safe, and then ordered two full tables of good food for himself and his attendants.
Liu Chu felt so miserable that he was practically dying, but when he smelled the food, he still crawled up. With a wan, lifeless face, he swept all the dishes clean, then clutched his stomach and lay back down again.
It was a long trip, and Song Yuzhang hesitated for some time over whether he should go in person. He could choose not to—Haizhou was not without talent in this field—but the opportunity was simply too rare. This old engineer from the Chongbei arm factory was worth nearly half an arm by himself. If he could be persuaded to come back, the results would be twice the effort for half the work.
Apart from him, there were no other suitable candidates. In the bombing incident, the dead were dead, and the injured were injured; Haizhou’s commercial sector was precisely at a point of shortage, with no one to spare.
Guantu, Shankang, Chongbei—along the way were places Song Yuzhang had never been before. There was nothing much to worry about. Even if something truly did happen, with Song Yuzhang’s current status and standing, it would not really matter.
It had already been a year since he came to Haizhou… Song Yuzhang seemed never to have stayed in one place for so long before. Back then, when he decided to settle down, he had never imagined it would turn out like this.
“Is the road safe?” Meng Tingjing asked, draping an outer robe over his shoulders. He held a map in his hand and moved the desk lamp closer.
Song Yuzhang traced the route with his finger. “All main roads. No war zones.”
Meng Tingjing pointed to the short stretch on the map from Guantu to Ankang. “What about here?”
“Over forty li—less than two hours. The Twenty-Third Division has troops stationed in Guantu. I’ll have them escort us to the main road.”
“The Twenty-Third Division…” Meng Tingjing pondered for a moment. “Bring more gold bars.”
“Of course.”
Meng Tingjing studied the map, still uneasy. “I’ll go with you.” He glanced at Song Yuzhang and warned him in advance, “Watch what you say.”
Song Yuzhang smiled. “Which sentence of mine was improper? Please enlighten me.”
Meng Tingjing withdrew his gaze. “Don’t talk nonsense when discussing serious matters.”
Song Yuzhang reached out, wanting to lean on Meng Tingjing’s shoulder, then remembered that his shoulder injury had not fully healed and restrained himself. “Since when did I not know you were such a serious person?”
Meng Tingjing replied without lifting his head, “Two negatives make a positive.”
Song Yuzhang burst into laughter, leaned over, and kissed Meng Tingjing on the cheek with a loud smack. Meng Tingjing did not feel particularly pleased by this fragrant kiss, because Song Yuzhang had recently taken great pleasure in teasing him, almost to the point of running wild. Meng Tingjing knew Song Yuzhang was naturally flirtatious, but to be flirtatious to this shameless extent was truly rare.
“I’ll go with you. When we reach Chongbei, I won’t even meet that old man—surely that sets your mind at ease.”
“You think I’m really worried you’ll steal someone from under my nose? Tingjing, I’m not that petty. Your feelings for me—”
Song Yuzhang hooked an arm around his neck and kissed his temple. “I know them all.”
Meng Tingjing shot him a sidelong glance. Seeing the ripples in his eyes, he could no longer hold back. With one arm around Song Yuzhang’s waist, he kissed him hard. “Enough sweet talk. If you know my feelings, then let me go with you.”
“It’s precisely because I know your feelings that I can go with ease,” Song Yuzhang said, his fingers brushing Meng Tingjing’s cheek. “Otherwise, I really couldn’t let go of this whole mess.”
“Then you shouldn’t be too at ease with me.”
Song Yuzhang smiled at him. “What can I do? I really am at ease.”
Hearing that, the sternness on Meng Tingjing’s face softened despite himself. “Then be at ease.”
Song Yuzhang laughed loudly and rubbed Meng Tingjing’s back to help relieve the itching.
Meng Tingjing was still worried about Song Yuzhang. He knew it was a lingering unease left behind from those dark days underground. Song Yuzhang was a grown man—capable, experienced, sharp-minded. It was just a long trip, and everything along the way had been arranged. There was no real need for concern. Yet he simply could not set his mind at rest. Thinking about it kept him awake at night. After two consecutive nights of insomnia, the third day arrived—the day Song Yuzhang was to board the plane.
This time, Song Yuzhang brought Liu Chu with him. Seeing that Liu Chu, though young, carried a sharp, ruthless air between his brows, Meng Tingjing felt slightly reassured.
He picked several guards for Song Yuzhang. Song Yuzhang himself also brought attendants, and he could only laugh helplessly. “The plane can’t seat that many people.”
“Then at least bring two.”
“It’s not like we’re going to war,” Song Yuzhang said with a smile. “Relax.”
Meng Tingjing’s expression was terrible, almost as if his heart physically hurt—not emotionally, but truly his heart felt unwell.
Song Yuzhang sighed softly and patted his back. “Take good care of your injury. Don’t scratch—it won’t look good if the skin breaks.”
Meng Tingjing hugged him fiercely and lowered his voice by his ear. “Report your safety every time you reach a place. If the talks don’t go well, come back early. A strong dragon can’t overpower the local snake.”
From spring to summer this year, he had sent off so many people. Now, finally, it was Song Yuzhang’s turn to be sent off. He took a deep breath and patted Meng Tingjing’s shoulder. “So much nagging—are you just afraid I’ll fool around outside?”
That had never even crossed Meng Tingjing’s mind. But seeing Song Yuzhang’s half-smile, and then watching him turn and pass through the checkpoint, Meng Tingjing was left standing there as a new worry took root in his heart—Chongbei was famous for producing beauties. Several film stars came from Chongbei!
It was Song Yuzhang’s first time on a plane. After a full day of flying, he himself was fine, but Liu Chu vomited until he was utterly miserable.
After getting off the plane, Song Yuzhang first took Liu Chu to find a hotel to stay in. “You’re fearless in everything, yet you get carsick and airsick—do you get seasick too?”
Liu Chu lay weakly on the bed and waved his hand feebly.
Song Yuzhang did not believe him. He went to a Chinese medicine shop to buy some small pills to refresh the mind, then went to pay a visit to the Twenty-Third Division stationed in Guantu, presenting several gold bars. The Twenty-Third Division had long been stationed in Guantu, with limited access to news, and did not know much about Haizhou’s prosperity. However, they had heard that the division commander who had rushed to aid Yeyang, Commander Nie, was from Haizhou. Song Yuzhang smiled faintly. “Commander Nie is my friend.”
After sitting on the plane all day, Song Yuzhang also felt an itch deep in his lungs, so he lay down as well, resting a hand on his stomach.
Master and servant lay there rubbing their bellies when Liu Chu suddenly spoke up. “President.”
“Hm?”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Don’t ask.”
“…”
Turning onto his side and holding his stomach, Liu Chu said, “So are you actually involved with Nie Yinbing, or with Meng Tingjing?”
Song Yuzhang had known nothing decent would ever come out of that puppy mouth. Calmly, he said, “Both.”
Liu Chu instantly perked up, kneeling upright on the bed. “Then—are you the one screwing them, or are they screwing you?”
Song Yuzhang shot him a sidelong glance. “What do you think?”
Liu Chu bounced twice on the bed. “President, you’re amazing!”
Song Yuzhang pressed a finger to his lips. “Shh—”
Liu Chu went completely wild, rolling around on the bed, humming and laughing nonstop. Before long, though, he ran to the bathroom and threw up again—this time from overeating.
The next day, the 23rd Division sent over a small squad. The soldiers were neat and upright in appearance, each equipped with a gun. Three military vehicles arrived, with Song Yuzhang and Liu Chu seated in the middle one, their own attendants and the soldiers guarding them from the front and rear.
The forty-li journey left the city and quickly turned into a bumpy dirt road. Progress was slow, the vehicle swaying violently. Liu Chu clutched his stomach, his face pale as death. Song Yuzhang felt no sympathy at all—only amusement.
He gave Liu Chu a small pill. Liu Chu held it in his mouth and almost spat it out. “What is this?”
“The doctor said it helps. Just keep it in your mouth.”
Liu Chu could only bare his teeth, suffering miserably.
“Sleep,” Song Yuzhang said. “Take a nap. When you wake up, we’ll be there.”
In the end, Song Yuzhang pulled the carsick Liu Chu onto his thigh. “Close your eyes. Sleep.”
Pressing his stomach, Liu Chu stubbornly replied, “No, I can’t close my eyes. I have to protect you.”
Song Yuzhang laughed. “Wait till we’re on the boat. Here we’ve got the 23rd Division—no need to—”
Before he could finish, the driver slammed on the brakes. Song Yuzhang, holding Liu Chu, nearly went flying.
“What happened?”
“No idea…”
The driver was also from the 23rd Division. Once Song Yuzhang steadied himself, he realized the car ahead had stopped too.
“Please don’t get out,” the driver said. “Looks like there’s trouble.”
Several men had already jumped down from the front vehicle, bending over to inspect it.
“Looks like a tire blew.”
Liu Chu struggled to sit up. “A tire blew? Your military vehicles are this flimsy?”
“The dirt road’s bad—might’ve hit a nail—”
The driver’s head suddenly snapped sideways and smashed into the left window with a loud bang. Blood and brain matter splattered everywhere.
Liu Chu froze for a second, then immediately shoved Song Yuzhang down.
The men of the 23rd Division reacted at once, shouting, “Ambush!”
Song Yuzhang and Liu Chu hid beneath the seats. Outside, intense, dense gunfire erupted immediately. Bullets slammed into the vehicle with loud bang bang sounds. Eyes shut tight, Song Yuzhang clutched Liu Chu with all his strength, his heart surging with panic. What was going on?!
The 23rd Division was just as stunned. They’d long ruled Guantu like local tyrants—no one had ever dared provoke them. Who would dare open fire on their military vehicles? Were these people suicidal?!
“Damn it! We’re the 23rd Division—who the hell doesn’t want to live anymore?!”
Someone shouted loudly from behind a vehicle.
Bullets poured out of the forest like rain. Soon, the men of the 23rd Division noticed something was off—they weren’t firing at Song Yuzhang’s vehicle.
“Damn it, we can talk this out! Say how much you want—we can negotiate!”
Adhering to the principle that a wise man avoids unnecessary losses, the 23rd Division raised a white flag in the face of this clearly well-prepared attack.
Sure enough, the gunfire stopped.
“Throw all your guns down—!”
A loud shout came from the forest.
“President, what does this mean?” Liu Chu whispered.
Song Yuzhang’s heart rate steadily climbed along with the itching in his lungs. He didn’t answer Liu Chu, only quietly tightened his grip on his own gun.
The men of the 23rd Division didn’t throw down their weapons. “Brother,” one of them called out, “which mountain stronghold are you from?”
“Black Cloud Mountain!”
“Who’s the boss?”
“Zhao Tianlong!”
“Good—”
Once both sides had called out names, it meant lives were spared, and the matter would be settled with money.
The men of the Twenty-Third Division threw their rifles out.
“Pistols too!”
There was no choice—they had to keep throwing them.
When both long guns and sidearms lay scattered in the open ground, a scrawny, undersized man darted out of the woods. “The one in the second car—get out!”
Someone from the Twenty-Third Division shouted, “Mr. Song, get out. It’s fine—they just want money. They won’t do anything to you!”
Liu Chu clutched Song Yuzhang’s collar in panic. “President!”
“It’s fine,” Song Yuzhang squeezed his fist. “We’ve run into bandits blocking the road.”
Song Yuzhang sat up. Liu Chu was still gripping his collar. Song Yuzhang pulled his hand away and pushed the car door open.
At the very instant the door opened, the attendants who got out together with the Twenty-Third Division men pulled out grenades and hurled them straight into the woods.
As the explosions went off, Song Yuzhang raised his hand and fired a shot, shooting clean through the scrawny man. He roared at the Twenty-Third Division, “What are you standing there for? Pick up the guns—fire!”
After the explosions, wails rose from the woods, as if they were about to charge out. The men of the Twenty-Third Division cursed and stamped the ground—damn it, these outsiders didn’t know the rules!
What else could they do? Then they’d fight!
The men of the Twenty-Third Division rushed forward, grabbed weapons, and fired into the woods.
Song Yuzhang, meanwhile, slammed the car door shut again with a bang and ducked back inside.
Liu Chu stared, dumbfounded. He hadn’t expected Song Yuzhang to pull something like this.
Song Yuzhang gripped the gun, still hot to the touch. His heart was pounding wildly.
Fortunately, he had prepared in advance. He’d feared these hillbillies in uniform might be unreliable—at a moment like this, they’d only push him out to pay up. They didn’t care; who knew, maybe soldiers and bandits were one and the same, dissatisfied with just a few gold bars. If he fell into the bandits’ hands, who knew how long he’d be entangled with them. Better to fight. He didn’t believe these bandits would dare truly harm soldiers of the Twenty-Third Division—the division would come seeking revenge.
The gunfire outside gradually died down, as if the bullets had run out. The Twenty-Third Division hadn’t fought a real battle in a long time; once they’d seen blood, their ferocity was stirred, and they charged into the woods.
Song Yuzhang’s attendants had quietly moved to take cover behind his car.
“President, are you all right?”
“I’m fine—”
Not knowing what was happening in the woods, Song Yuzhang called out, “Send someone up—someone who can drive!”
One of the attendants immediately dragged the dead driver out of the car and jumped into the driver’s seat.
“Whoosh—” A very faint sound. The attendant who’d just gotten in fell straight back out through the still-open door.
Liu Chu’s heart clenched. “President—someone’s lying in ambush at a high position, shooting!”
For a mere bandit gang to have such a sharpshooter—Song Yuzhang froze for a split second, then hurriedly said, “Everyone get under the car!”
As the attendants outside crawled prone, more cold shots came from above.
Song Yuzhang was close enough to hear clearly—five shots in a row. A thick stench of blood spread through the air. In an instant, the attendants outside went completely still. Song Yuzhang’s chest felt stifled. He thought to himself, This is bad.
“President, President—” Liu Chu shook him violently. “I’ll go drive—” Just as he was about to jump forward, Song Yuzhang grabbed his hand. “Don’t go—”
The sounds from the woods seemed to fade as well; it looked like a winner had been decided.
“They’re coming out!”
Liu Chu struggled. “I’ll go drive!”
Song Yuzhang held his hand tight. “Don’t go. We can’t get away. Wait for them to come over and negotiate terms.”
Before long, footsteps sounded outside.
The rough voice that had shouted in the woods earlier rang out by the car door. “Honored guest inside, I don’t want your life. Please disarm, and we’ll talk properly.”
At this point, Song Yuzhang could only toss his gun out the window.
“I’ll send someone in to search you.”
A child climbed in through the front door and crawled into the back seat. Liu Chu glared viciously at him; the child grinned viciously back. With practiced efficiency, he frisked them both, taking all of Liu Chu’s pistols.
The child happily ran out holding the guns. “Boss, they weren’t honest—there were two more guns!”
The bandit chief smiled smugly. “Good job!”
“Honored guest, come out. Don’t hide in there. I promise I won’t take your—”
Before the word “life” could leave his mouth, there was another faint “whoosh.”
The bandit chief collapsed to the ground, brain matter and blood spilling out just the same.
Song Yuzhang heard the screams outside—very short, very panicked, and very fast, like a single instant. The smell of blood grew even heavier.
“President?” Liu Chu said sharply. “They look like they’re dead… bandits killing bandits?”
Song Yuzhang remained silent, then said softly, “Stay in the car. Don’t come out. I’ll go out—they don’t seem to want my life.”
“No—” Liu Chu grabbed his collar. “I’ll go out first!” Liu Chu shouted, “Which heroes are blocking the road? We’re willing to spend money and make friends. I’ll represent our boss and talk with you!”
Outside was eerily quiet. Faintly, it sounded like footsteps approaching again. Liu Chu steeled himself, flung off Song Yuzhang’s grip, and shoved the car door open.
“Bang—”
Liu Chu fell backward, face up. There was a gaping hole in his chest. Warm blood splashed all over Song Yuzhang’s face. Song Yuzhang blinked instinctively, not even having time to form a thought, when his hair was seized violently, and he was dragged out of the car by a tremendous force.
Song Yuzhang slammed to the ground. His gaze followed the pull on his hair upward, meeting a pair of smiling eyes. “Long time no see, Zhu Qing.”
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