"Careful—" Yun Qingqing lunged towards Xue Manting just as the bullet flew from the barrel.
At that moment, Zhou Jinbai and Su Mo Yao's figures appeared at the doorway.
"Ah..." Yun Qingqing cried out in pain, and Xue Manting's disbelieving gaze fell upon her.
"Yun Qingqing—" Xue Manting had never imagined that this woman, whom she had just met, would take a bullet for her.
Xue Manting quickly supported the falling Yun Qingqing as deafening gunshots erupted around them.
It was Zhou Jinbai and Su Mo Yao's subordinates who had dealt with everyone inside the house.
"It's good you're alright... I'm in so much pain... Am I going to die?" The intense pain from the wound left Yun Qingqing pale. Coupled with her previous crying, she now had a tragically beautiful, broken appearance.
"You'll be fine, don't be scared, it's okay."
Xue Manting, witnessing the chaos and violence around her, was terrified.
But seeing Yun Qingqing looking as if she were about to die, she couldn't abandon her.
In just a few dozen seconds, all the commotion in the room ceased.
Su Mo Yao and Zhou Jinbai immediately went to Xue Manting and Yun Qingqing's side.
Yun Qingqing felt two men, like gods, approaching her. When she saw the anxious and worried expressions on their faces, she knew her gamble had paid off.
"Are you alright?" Su Mo Yao asked.
Yun Qingqing quickly shook her head, "Am I... am I going to die soon?"
Su Mo Yao had actually been asking Xue Manting. Seeing her disheveled hair and disheveled appearance, his concern was evident.
But seeing this stranger injured while saving Xue Manting, Su Mo Yao glanced at her wound.
Above the heart, on the left shoulder.
"Where's Xing Wan? Why isn't she with you?" Zhou Jinbai inquired.
His gaze didn't even fall on Yun Qingqing.
To Yun Qingqing, Zhou Jinbai's complete lack of attention was deeply hurtful.
"Miss Lin... she... she's still inside, saving us," Yun Qingqing said weakly. Zhou Jinbai immediately turned and walked outside.
Su Mo Yao then instructed his subordinate, "Take this woman to the hospital."
The subordinate quickly led Yun Qingqing away.
Although Yun Qingqing was unwilling, she wished she could have spent more time with these two celestial beings.
She was confident that if they got to know her, they would surely be attracted to her innocence and vitality.
However, looking at her shoulder wound, Yun Qingqing eventually left with their subordinate.
After all, she had taken a bullet for Xue Manting tonight; her goal had been achieved.
"Are you alright?" Su Mo Yao looked at Xue Manting, who appeared like a discarded kitten, covered in dirt. He tried to approach her, but Xue Manting defensively retreated.
"I'm fine. I hope we can maintain some distance, otherwise, your fiancée will get angry." Xue Manting's eyes towards Su Mo Yao were filled with distance. She no longer wanted to be a caged bird, waiting for this man's handouts.
Meanwhile, Zhou Jinbai, who had left, was now searching room by room for Lin Xing Wan's whereabouts.
The doors of all the rooms in the villa were opened, but Lin Xing Wan was nowhere to be found.
In one large room, there was a pot of warm tea and a group of women whose bodies had not yet stiffened.
Xuan Yin approached one of the women and squatted down. He touched her skin and said, "The time of death should be about fifteen minutes ago. There are no signs of struggle here, and these deceased women were all shot."
Zhou Jinbai's face turned ashen. "Keep searching for her."
"Yes, Young Master."
Xuan Yin acknowledged the order and continued to search the villa again.
Apart from a group of people who had been held captive for an unknown duration, the only other discovery was a basement emitting a foul, rotten odor.
Inside this basement were rows upon rows of glass jars, filled with disgusting specimens preserved in formalin.
Even Xuan Yin, who had witnessed much bloodshed, began to feel nauseous and vomited.
After thoroughly searching the villa five times without any trace of Lin Xing Wan, Zhou Jinbai could no longer suppress his frantic rage. His eyes turned crimson, and his voice was cold and harsh, "Release all the information we've gathered tonight onto the internet. Since they want to play, I'll play with them."
With that, Zhou Jinbai turned and left.
Within a minute or two, a trending topic exploded online: #Shocking! Human Trafficking Ring Discovered in a Villa on the Outskirts of Rongcheng#
This trending topic dominated the headlines of all platforms, with new hot searches appearing every few dozen seconds.
#Bodies Preserved in Formalin Found in Villa Basement#
#Missing Woman Found Early This Morning, Already Deceased#
#Missing Entertainment Industry Starlet Found, Currently Receiving Treatment in Hospital Due to Severe Trauma#
More and more dark news was exposed: the abduction of women, various human trafficking operations. Rongcheng was thus exposed to the people of China, and countless netizens supported the call to find the culprits and their protectors.
Zhou Jinbai watched as the situation escalated, his expression growing increasingly dark and terrifying.
Xuan Yin had only seen his young master fly into such a rage twice since he could remember.
The first time was when his young master's father passed away, and at a young age, his young master had used his talent and ruthlessness to intimidate those within the Dongfang family who sought to cause internal strife.
The second time was tonight!
The explosive news continued to ferment, and several officials in Rongcheng were forced to step down.
The matter even alarmed some elders of the Dongfang family, who called Zhou Jinbai, urging him not to interfere.
Even though the Dongfang family was dominant, there were many hidden powers in the world.
*Clang—clang—clang—*
The sound of high heels hitting the ground echoed. Zhou Jinbai didn't look up, but Xuan Yin, upon recognizing who had entered, quickly bowed, "Miss Cen—"
"Go attend to your business," Cen Zhiyuan's eyes flicked upwards, her tone lazy, like a wild cat just waking up.
In Cen Zhiyuan's hand, she held a Doberman.
The Doberman wore a black gemstone collar, its demeanor as commanding and noble as Cen Zhiyuan's.
"Yes." Xuan Yin left. The Doberman stood obediently at the door as Cen Zhiyuan walked into the room.
Seeing Zhou Jinbai, who was clearly anxious and restless, Cen Zhiyuan's ambitious face was filled with mockery. "Zhou Jinbai, this is why I don't bother with that woman Lin Xing Wan. She's not even worthy of my attention. There are plenty of people who want her dead. Do you really think a woman like that has the qualifications to be the mistress of a prominent family?"
"If you've come to provide useful information, I welcome it. But if you want to spout meaningless words, then leave immediately. I will protect my woman. Try to touch a single hair on her head, and you'll see."
Zhou Jinbai slowly raised his head, his eyes, like a deep pool, filled with a warning.
Cen Zhiyuan sneered, "You can protect her for a while, but not forever. I advise you to cut ties with Lin Xing Wan. The necklace she wears hides a great secret."
"What do you know?" Zhou Jinbai's sinister and wicked face was filled with interrogation.
"Naturally, I know some things you don't. One of my objectives for coming to the King of Gamblers' Night was to receive information that someone had offered a hundred billion for the necklace around Xue Manting's neck. It's a pity, someone got there first, and a hundred billion was lost just like that."
Although Cen Zhiyuan spoke with regret, her expression remained cold, filled with a strong sense of schadenfreude.
"Who is the one offering the reward?" Zhou Jinbai asked.
Over the years, the Cen family had operated in both legitimate and illegitimate circles, and their dark businesses had formed a global network.
Cen Zhiyuan knew more about many things.
"If I tell you, you'll tell Lin Xing Wan. But why should I help you? Zhou Jinbai, I, Cen Zhiyuan, am not a saint. Don't you have something to offer in exchange?"
"What do you want?" Zhou Jinbai asked, his lips tightly pressed, his chiseled handsome face radiating coldness.
Cen Zhiyuan smiled, walked over to Zhou Jinbai, and sat down. She placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned towards him.
She tried to kiss Zhou Jinbai, but he pushed her away.
Cen Zhiyuan scoffed, "Zhou Jinbai, you're such a boring man. You're the one who needs me now. My condition is simple: marry me, and I'll tell you everything I know. Otherwise, you won't get a single word out of me."
Based on the information Cen Zhiyuan had investigated, she was very certain that Lin Xing Wan would not live much longer.
Zhou Jinbai was too lazy to deal with Cen Zhiyuan any longer and left the room.
...
Time ticked by, and the online reports about the villa continued to be sensational.
Meanwhile, Zhou Jinbai privately dispatched people to search.
However, the matter was tricky. Because the villa was in the suburbs, there were not many surveillance areas.
Coupled with the darkness of the night, even satellite surveillance was useless.
However, Lin Xing Wan, who had been desperately sought, was now sleeping in an ancient, elegant room atop a snow-capped mountain.
Duan Mu Xing, sitting in a wheelchair, stayed quietly in front of Lin Xing Wan, his gaze fixed on her small, delicate face.
Setting aside her abilities, one had to admit that Lin Xing Wan had inherited her mother's stunning beauty.
She was even more beautiful than her mother, the kind of beauty that made men want to put her on display in a showcase.
However, in this world, things that are too beautiful are often easily shattered.
Just like... last night!
If Duan Mu Xing's people had arrived a few minutes later, Lin Xing Wan would have already perished.
"Young Master, this is a medicinal soup brewed with Soul-Resting Grass," Qu Nanzhi said with apparent reluctance, holding a tray with a bowl of emerald green liquid.
"Give it to me," Duan Mu Xing said.
Qu Nanzhi handed the bowl to Duan Mu Xing, who then took a spoon and carefully and gently fed the unconscious Lin Xing Wan.
This was the first time Qu Nanzhi had seen Duan Mu Xing treat a woman with such gentleness, such focus and tenderness that it made Qu Nanzhi almost lose her mind with jealousy.
"Young Master, Soul-Resting Grass is extremely precious. Is it not a waste to feed it to Lin Xing Wan like this?" Qu Nanzhi couldn't help herself. Lin Xing Wan had only sustained minor injuries and temporary suffocation, she didn't need such a potent medicine.
After all, Soul-Resting Grass was a top-grade medicinal herb from the peak of the snow mountains. Its growth conditions were extremely harsh, and for a stalk of Soul-Resting Grass to have medicinal value, it had to be at least twenty years old. The Duan family's warehouse only had one stalk left.
Qu Nanzhi never thought Duan Mu Xing would give the last stalk of Soul-Resting Grass to this wretched woman, Lin Xing Wan.
"She is my most useful pawn. Naturally, I cannot let her get hurt before I achieve my goal. She has been hypnotized by our Duan family's hypnosis techniques since childhood, and now her memory is in disarray. Soul-Resting Grass is the best medicine."
As Duan Mu Xing spoke, his eyes never left Lin Xing Wan.
He even had a strange thought: if so many things hadn't happened, would he and Lin Xing Wan already have children by now?
"She's just a tool. She doesn't deserve it. And after she takes the Soul-Resting Grass, what about your illness, Young Master?" Qu Nanzhi's face was filled with anger and disdain.
"Cough... cough, cough, cough..." Duan Mu Xing coughed violently. Qu Nanzhi quickly handed him a prepared handkerchief. By the time his coughing subsided, dark red blood had appeared on the white handkerchief.
"Nanzhi, this is not something you should discuss. You intentionally delayed your rescue of Lin Xing Wan last night. Your punishment is two weeks of solitary confinement." Duan Mu Xing spoke. Although he appeared pale and frail like a sickly young master, his eyes held a commanding presence, and his tone was authoritative without being angry.
If Zhou Jinbai was an invincible god on the battlefield, then Duan Mu Xing was the cunning strategist beneath him.
Both were outstanding, yet possessed their own unique strengths.
"Young Master, I didn't. You've misunderstood me. I really didn't." Qu Nanzhi was shocked. Last night, her young master had ordered her to rescue Lin Xing Wan, and she had deliberately delayed her journey. However, only Qu Nanzhi knew about this, as everything had been done flawlessly.
"Lying will double your sentence. You will be confined for a month before being released." Duan Mu Xing's tone was even colder than before, and it felt as if a cold draft had entered the room.
Qu Nanzhi dared not speak further and immediately knelt. "Your subordinate admits her mistake."
"Get out—"
Qu Nanzhi glared fiercely at Lin Xing Wan lying on the bed. It was because of this woman that she was being punished.
She would remember this grudge.
Just as Qu Nanzhi left, Lin Xing Wan, who had been lying on the bed, suddenly opened her eyes.