Jun Jiuli noticed people looking her way as soon as she stepped out, but she pretended not to notice and strolled leisurely.
She stayed within the crowd all the way, often chatting and laughing with the elders and aunties around her, and successfully made it home.
After putting the groceries in the refrigerator, she asked about Li Hai as usual, then picked up a book and sat on the sofa to play the part.
"Oh, it's already vacation, you should get plenty of rest. Don't always read books, you can go out with your classmates too. You don't need to stay here to look after me."
"I prefer staying at home and reviewing more. It's good."
This statement was meant to let Li Hai know that she wasn't staying home because of him, hoping he would feel at ease and not blame himself.
Jun Jiuli's behavior during this period had been excellent, as if she had never been kidnapped.
Everything was the same as before the incident, and Li Hai was no longer moping around. He actively applied medicine and took his pills.
He was thinking about getting better quickly so he could go to work and earn more money, as university expenses were quite substantial.
"Oh, if you like it that way, then you just keep reading your book."
After he said that, he returned to his room, afraid of disturbing Jun Jiuli. It was evident he treated the original host very well.
However, the original host's mother had died because of him, and the two of them could never get along like a normal father and daughter.
Seeing his phone left on the table, Jun Jiuli picked it up and went to the balcony.
The people watching her must be remnants of Chen Fangze's faction, and they were likely trying to inquire about Chen Fangze.
She was the last person to see Chen Fangze, making it highly probable that she could provide information.
Those who followed Chen Fangze were mostly thugs, some of whom had criminal records. Without Chen Fangze, their benefactor, it would be difficult for them to live normally.
Someone like Chen Fangze would surely have prepared an escape route early on, so even if he was wanted, he would still be an extremely wealthy fugitive, more than enough to pay their salaries.
If something like kidnapping happened again, Li Hai would surely be scared to death. How could the original host dare to go to school then?
Therefore, when her personal safety was threatened, the first thing to do was to call the police.
Jun Jiuli dialed the number of the police sister from before. When it connected, she spoke first.
"Sister, I'm Zhao Jinxiu. I feel like someone is following me."
"Calm down first, what's going on?"
"When I went out to buy groceries, I kept feeling like someone was watching me. Several times when I turned back, I saw some familiar faces in the crowd.
If they weren't following me, why would it be such a coincidence? I'm at home now, and I don't even dare to go out."
"Okay, I understand. Stay put at home and don't go out. Send me your address, and I'll be there immediately."
"Okay, thank you, police sister."
This old neighborhood had four units per floor in the walk-up building. There was no property management, so there were no diligent security guards.
It was easy for outsiders to enter. Before long, there was a knocking at the door.
"Who is it?"
The person outside didn't answer, just started knocking again. The door was made of wood and had no peephole. They knew the situation at the original host's home.
They had also found out that only two families lived on their floor, and the young person in the other family was at work, leaving only the elderly and children at home.
So, he was completely fearless and went straight up to knock. He planned to knock Jun Jiuli unconscious as soon as she opened the door. They didn't consider the injured Li Hai as a threat.
Jun Jiuli texted the police sister, "Someone is knocking at my door, and they're not saying anything."
"I'm almost there, stall them."
"Okay."
Police Sister: "Liu Tao, drive faster. The situation there is very urgent."
"Sister, I'm already driving as fast as I can. It'll still take at least 10 minutes to get there. Why don't you ask in the group chat?"
"Oh, right, right."
The police sister immediately asked if there were any police officers near Jun Jiuli's home. The nearby officers received the message and immediately rushed over.
Li Hai heard the noise and came out of his room. He asked with his eyes what was happening and stepped forward to shield Jun Jiuli behind him.
Jun Jiuli shook her head. The knocking was getting more impatient, and they had started kicking the door.
It was clear they meant trouble. Li Hai's expression turned serious. He went into the kitchen, grabbed a cleaver, and then pushed the table and sofa to barricade the door.
"Xiu Xiu, quickly call the police and then hide in your room. Just stall them for a while."
Jun Jiuli cried and shook her head, looking flustered and helpless. "I've already called the police. I'm not going into my room."
As she spoke, she picked up a shovel from the wall and held it up, ready to attack at any moment.
"Silly girl, listen to me. Hurry back to your room, or I'll get angry."
With a bang, the door was kicked open a crack, and the person outside aggressively pushed their way in.
He guessed that Jun Jiuli had called the police, so he wanted to finish quickly and had someone else following him.
The sofa and table were hardly any obstacle. Before they could fully enter, Jun Jiuli ran to the balcony and grabbed a clothesline pole, poking it directly at their eyes.
The person in front was injured in the eye and roared in pain, covering his face, which blocked the person behind him from exerting more force. The person behind then dragged him out.
With a strong push, he entered the house. Li Hai rushed forward with the knife. The person immediately grabbed Li Hai's right hand holding the knife, trying to snatch it away.
Jun Jiuli threw a shovel, hitting his head. Li Hai gritted his teeth and seized the opportunity to swing the knife down. The person immediately blocked it with his hand and pushed hard. Li Hai fell to the ground, along with the knife.
The person's hand also began to bleed profusely. "Damn it," the person said, holding his injured hand. He got up and tried to kick Li Hai.
"Gouzi, hurry up and come in."
Jun Jiuli picked up a wooden stool next to her and smashed it onto his head. The person was immediately knocked unconscious and fell to the ground.
Li Hai also recovered. His first reaction was to run and block the door with his body, trembling uncontrollably.
Jun Jiuli also ran over to help him block the door. "Don't be scared, the police will be here soon, they'll be here soon."
"Yes, I'm not scared."
The person outside received the news that the police were coming and decided to abandon the struggling pair inside. After kicking the door in frustration, he ran away.
"Xiu Xiu, did he leave?"
"Probably."
As Li Hai breathed a sigh of relief, he quickly instructed, "I'll hold this, you push the sofa to pin down that unconscious person."
"Okay."
When the two plainclothes officers went upstairs, they encountered the fleeing thugs running down. The two officers immediately sensed something was wrong.
After exchanging glances, one of them stopped the thug, while the other continued upstairs.
"Who are you? Let me go, I have urgent business." The thug tried to remain calm, praying he could get away with it.
"Oh, young man, it's like this, I'm a swimming and fitness coach. I was wondering if anyone here needs to sign up for a membership?"
"Oh, I don't have time to sign up."
"What's so urgent that you're in such a hurry? Is it convenient to say? Maybe I can help, my car is parked downstairs."
"No need, I have my own car."
"Oh, then would you mind giving me a ride?"
At this time, the officer going upstairs had already handcuffed the unconscious thug and brought him out with Jun Jiuli to identify him.
Jun Jiuli said softly, "It's him."
The thug struggled for a while but was eventually subdued by the police. Jun Jiuli and Li Hai went to the police station together to give their statements.
Through the phone card used to send them messages, the name of the cardholder was traced.
Following the clues, the police successfully located the hideout of these remaining fugitives.