Thump!!
A thick wallet fell to the ground. It was open, revealing a substantial amount of money, about fifteen or sixteen hundred yuan.
In this era, fifteen or sixteen hundred yuan was no small sum, equivalent to half a year's income for an ordinary person.
Seeing the wad of cash in the wallet, the eyes of the four men in black lit up with different emotions.
Then, one of them quickly bent down and picked up the wallet.
Just as Qin Chuan thought they were a group of common bandits, the men in black moved closer.
"Friends, I've given you the money, what else do you want?!"
Qin Chuan had been cautiously watching their every move. As soon as the men in black moved, he immediately grabbed Shang Honglian's small hand and retreated rapidly.
As for Shang Honglian, she was already terrified. She was just a young girl in her early twenties, never having witnessed such a scene.
Late at night, four men in black, wearing masks, appeared out of nowhere, armed with sticks, daggers, and other lethal weapons. Who wouldn't be scared?
"What else do you want?"
"Looking at your attire, you two lovebirds are obviously wealthy. You think a mere thousand or so yuan can appease us? Are your lives that cheap, or do you take us for beggars?"
One of the men, who seemed to be the leader, tapped his palm with his stick as he advanced. Beneath his mask, his eyes gleamed with lewdness, constantly lingering on Shang Honglian.
"Run!!!"
Qin Chuan noticed the man's gaze and knew this situation couldn't be resolved peacefully. These men were greedy. He made a decisive call, shouted, and pulling Shang Honglian, dashed towards the nearest alley.
"Trying to escape? Chase them!"
Seeing Qin Chuan dragging Shang Honglian into the alley, the four men in black immediately gave chase.
The alley at night was as dark as ink, with visibility practically zero. At the same time, a foul, fishy stench wafted from all directions. Stepping on the ground often meant encountering mud or something soft and squishy.
But there was no time to care about any of that; escaping with their lives was the top priority.
"Ouch!"
Suddenly, Shang Honglian cried out in pain, staggering and nearly falling.
"What's wrong?"
Qin Chuan asked quickly.
"I lost my shoe!"
Shang Honglian was wearing sandals today, which were completely unsuitable for such strenuous running. Qin Chuan quickly scanned the surroundings. The alley was pitch black; he couldn't even see Shang Honglian's face clearly, let alone her sandals.
In this brief delay, the four men in black had closed the distance. Their footsteps were clear, and their blurry figures could be faintly discerned.
"I'll carry you!"
Qin Chuan made a swift decision, telling Shang Honglian to climb onto his back. He cupped her backside with his hands and again broke into a run, his long legs churning.
However, running with someone on his back was significantly slower than running alone. The sound of pursuit grew closer and closer, and the exit of the alley remained unseen. If this continued, they would surely be caught.
The consequences would be dire!
"Honglian, I have my phone in my pocket. Can you reach in and call for help?"
Qin Chuan said quickly, already feeling his energy depleting.
"Which pocket is your phone in?"
Shang Honglian asked urgently.
"The right pocket of my pants!"
"I... I can't reach it!"
Shang Honglian tried several times, nearly breaking her back, but couldn't find the phone. Her voice was tinged with tears.
"Let me do it. Hold on tight!"
Qin Chuan said helplessly.
Shang Honglian immediately wrapped her arms tightly around Qin Chuan's neck, pressing her body against him like a sloth.
This posture was practically zero-contact, and they could both feel each other's warm bodies.
Fortunately, it was a critical moment, and neither of them had such thoughts. Qin Chuan supported Shang Honglian's backside with one hand and reached for his phone with the other.
Just as he felt the phone, his foot landed in a large pit. Qin Chuan stumbled, his body lurching, and he nearly fell.
"Ah!!"
Shang Honglian, clinging to his back, cried out in surprise. Fortunately, Qin Chuan had strong control and managed to stay on his feet, but a sharp pain shot through his ankle, as if he had sprained a ligament.
Enduring the pain, Qin Chuan continued to run, raising his arm to hand over the phone.
"Quick! Call my construction site and have them bring people over!"
In the pitch-black alley, the light from the phone screen immediately drew the attention of the men in black behind them.
"Damn lovebirds, they have a phone! They're calling for reinforcements!"
"Stop them from calling!"
"Take their phone! It's worth more than those thousand yuan!"
As Shang Honglian had just turned on the phone screen, the pursuing men in black saw the light.
Their footsteps quickened, and it seemed they were accelerating.
Shang Honglian jumped in fright, nearly dropping the phone, and her body began to tremble again.
"Stay calm!"
"If the sky falls, I'll bear it for you. Make the call!"
Qin Chuan's stern voice brought Shang Honglian back to a semblance of composure. She quickly began searching for the number.
"Which number is for your construction site?"
Shang Honglian was on the verge of tears. Everything she was experiencing was beyond her comprehension. She couldn't believe that in such peaceful times, she could encounter such bandits.
"It's in the contacts, labeled 'Construction Site.' Hurry and call."
Shang Honglian finally found the number and quickly dialed it.
"Hello, who is it?"
The call was answered quickly after a few rings, and a deep voice came from the other end.
"Is this Qin Chuan's construction site?"
"Our boss is in trouble!"
Shang Honglian said urgently.
"Who are you? Where is our boss now?"
The man on the phone's tone instantly turned cold and sharp. Even through the phone, one could feel the suppressed anger.
"Brother Dao, is it your shift today?"
Qin Chuan, still carrying Shang Honglian and fleeing for his life, recognized Zheng Chengdao's voice. He spoke up, and Shang Honglian quickly brought the phone to Qin Chuan's ear.
"Boss, what happened? Where are you now?"
Zheng Chengdao asked anxiously.
"We're at the old town snack street, and we've encountered four men in black wearing masks. They're chasing us!"
"I don't know the exact location, but it's deep in a very, very dark alley... Ah!!!"
Just as he finished speaking, a scream rang out, and the call was abruptly cut off.
Zheng Chengdao anxiously called out a few times and tried to call back, but the phone was reported as turned off.
"Damn it!"
Zheng Chengdao, usually calm and collected, cursed for the first time. His weathered face was etched with deep anxiety.
He ran out of the corrugated iron room at his fastest speed and headed to the sales center.
It had already been decorated and was very high-end. Since it hadn't opened yet, it had temporarily become a place for everyone to relax and have fun.
Qin Yang, Qin Gang, Bai Xiaoguang, and others were there, playing poker, the atmosphere lively.
"Stop playing, everyone! The boss is in trouble!"
Zheng Chengdao burst into the sales center and roared.
His words plunged the previously lively room into dead silence...