Zhang Wan'er, with a speed that belied the urgency of the moment, grabbed the little girl's wrist and forcefully pulled her back.
The girl's eyes turned cold. Clearly trained, she was no pushover. With swift movements, she latched onto Zhang Wan'er's hair and yanked hard.
Zhang Wan'er seemed caught off guard by the girl's despicable tactics. The pain made her gasp, her grip on the girl loosening.
Seizing the opportunity, the girl snatched the fallen dagger and lunged towards Alice's chest.
"Alice, run!" Zhang Wan'er yelled in panic, trying to draw Gu Xingdong's attention. Alice absolutely could not be harmed!
Her identity was sensitive. Any incident could provoke dissatisfaction from Country M. Gu Xingdong was responsible for her protection, and any failure would result in punishment for him!
Fueled by this thought, Zhang Wan'er ignored the throbbing pain on her scalp and bit down on the girl's arm. Caught by surprise, the girl stumbled, her grip on Zhang Wan'er's hair naturally releasing.
The commotion quickly drew Gu Xingdong's attention. Everyone else was preoccupied with their own enemies and paid them no mind. Gu Xingdong frowned and said, "Don't just stand here. Get her to safety immediately. I'll handle these people in the hotel!"
"You all be careful!" Zhang Wan'er cast a worried glance at Gu Xingdong before helping Alice to leave.
Everyone was after Alice. Her departure naturally drew the attention of many. Several fighters disengaged mid-combat and eagerly surged towards them.
Zhang Wan'er couldn't withstand such a barrage of attacks. With Alice's safety paramount, she instinctively shielded her when a gun was aimed at her.
Bang! The sharp crack of a gunshot echoed through the hotel. Zhang Wan'er's eyes widened as she clutched her abdomen, blood gushing out.
"Miss Zhang!" Alice, having known Zhang Wan'er for only a few hours yet being protected with her life, was overcome with a mixture of gratitude and fear.
Seeing that their situation was untenable, Gu Xingdong, along with Xiao Hei and the others, swiftly and ruthlessly dispatched wave after wave of attackers.
Soon, the hotel was in disarray. As Gu Xingdong put away his weapon, he heard a faint whimper.
Gu Xingdong took a deep breath and quickly ordered Xiao Hei, "Take Zhang Wan'er to the hospital immediately! I'll report the situation to Yang Zhiguo."
Zhang Wan'er, lying on the ground, heard Gu Xingdong's words, her breathing growing shallow. How could he entrust her to Xiao Hei and the others when her life was hanging in the balance?
If it were Chen Lishu lying there, Gu Xingdong would probably be too frantic to even find the way to the hospital, she thought. A wave of desolation washed over Zhang Wan'er. Alice, closest to her, was the first to notice.
Her intuition told her Zhang Wan'er likely had feelings for Gu Xingdong. However, Gu Xingdong was married. Alice's brow furrowed. Torn between her savior and morality...
Just as she was contemplating whether to help her benefactor, Zhang Wan'er's breathing grew weaker. Alice, ignoring everything else, glared fiercely at Gu Xingdong and said in broken Chinese, "You take her to the hospital. I don't trust the others. If anything happens to her, I will hold you responsible!"
Gu Xingdong wasn't concerned about responsibility falling on him. Before embarking on the mission with Zhang Wan'er, she had assured Yang Zhiguo that she was willing to bear any consequences, regardless of what happened.
For missions personally handled by Gu Xingdong, it was impossible to claim there was no danger. Knowing the potential outcome, Zhang Wan'er insisted on coming out and courting disaster. Who was to blame now that she was injured?
However, given their years of acquaintance, Gu Xingdong couldn't simply watch her die. With that thought, he pursed his lips, approached Zhang Wan'er, scooped her up, and got into the car prepared by his subordinates, heading to the nearest hospital.
----
Meanwhile, Chen Lishu had visited Qin Lan's company and handled some acquisition matters before returning home.
Upon opening the door, she saw Li Xiulan holding Xiaobai, looking panicked.
Seeing this, Chen Lishu rushed forward and asked, "Mom, what's wrong with Xiaobai?"
Li Xiulan, seeing Chen Lishu, felt as if she had found her anchor and immediately said,
"I don't know what's happening. Xiaobai suddenly has a persistent high fever. I wanted to take the child to the hospital, but it's already dark, and there are no taxis outside.
I was just about to call you two, and then you returned. Lishu, quickly think of a solution. Xiaobai's fever is high and serious. I'm afraid something might happen to the child."
Hearing about Xiaobai's high fever, Chen Lishu also felt a sense of panic. But the more panicked she became, the less she could act. She took a deep breath and, feigning calmness, said, "Don't worry, I'll call Gu Xingdong first."
After speaking, Chen Lishu picked up her phone and called Gu Xingdong. However, as soon as the call connected, it was abruptly hung up.
At the hospital, at this very moment.
Gu Xingdong was arranging the hospitalization procedures. His phone had been entrusted to Xiao Hei to watch, just in case the higher-ups issued an urgent order and he was unable to respond promptly. Xiao Hei was meant to relay the message immediately.
However, he never imagined that Xiao Hei and Alice would be sitting together. The moment the phone rang, seeing the contact on the screen, Xiao Hei instinctively went to find Gu Xingdong. But Alice snatched the phone and hung up.
"You are on a mission, how can you handle personal matters? Do not answer the phone!"
"You b*tch..." Xiao Hei almost cursed, but the words were blocked by a phone call.
Alice, seeing the frequent incoming calls, frowned with displeasure. After a moment, she chose to answer.
"Xingdong, Xiaobai..." As Chen Lishu was about to explain the situation, a mature and intellectual female voice came from the other end.
Alice said, "This lady, Gu Xingdong is not available to take calls right now. Please refrain from calling!"
Listening to the woman's voice, Chen Lishu was momentarily stunned. But she trusted Gu Xingdong. Glancing at Xiaobai, who was whimpering uncomfortably in her arms, she stated firmly, "Please notify Gu Xingdong immediately to take this call!"