Qiao Yanze took a few steps forward hurriedly, before he stopped and turned back to see that the rescue car had disappeared from his sight.
His finger caressed his cheek that she had kissed as a weird emotion that even he didn’t notice, swelled in his heart.
“Young Master.” Qiao Yanze’s close confidant, Da Zuo, walked over. “Xiao Zuo has counted the hostages. There are 38 of them.”
Da Zuo and Xiao Zuo worked for the Qiao family since they were young. When the QIao family fell from its pedestal back then, they were let go as well. When Qiao Yanze returned, they got news about it and returned to work for him.
Qiao Yanze’s expression and eyes were dark and others couldn’t read him properly. “Right now, they want to use the 38 hostages to make us give in. If we give in, all of our hard work in the past two months will go to nothing. The only thing we can do now is to put ourselves in danger!”
Da Zuo instantly replied, “Young Master, let me go!”
Qiao Yanze raised a hand and narrowed his eyes slightly, “No, I’ll go myself.”
Ji Wei, who had come to execute the mission together with Qiao Yanze, exclaimed after hearing Qiao Yanze’s words, “There are more than 20 thieves inside. All of them are fierce and ruthless. You cannot go in and risk your life. Let me go instead!”
Qiao Yanze glanced at Ji Wei. Although he had no feelings for her, he still admired her as his partner. She was decisive, brave and courageous. She dared to work for her goals and possessed a passion that normal women wouldn’t have.
Qiao Yanze explained his plan of subduing the thieves to Ji Wei and Da Zuo, saying lowly, “Wait for my signal later and follow the plan. No matter what happens, do not act on your own without my signal, understood?”
“Yes!”
…
Following Qiao Yanze’s instructions, Ji Wei dropped under the window quietly, observing what was happening in the hotel.
After Qiao Yanze was searched, he walked in with his hands raised.
Dozens of guns instantly turned towards Qiao Yanze’s forehead.
Qiao Yanze’s expression remained unchanged. His eyes were dark as he was completely calm. However, Ji Wei felt her heart jumping to her throat from fear and nervousness.
The leader of the thieves came forward to negotiate with Qiao Yanze. He told Qiao Yanze to let go of his men that they had detained. If not, he would kill all of the hostages.
Instead, Qiao Yanze suggested, “Let the hostages go. You only need me as a hostage. Don’t kill the innocent, if not, with every one person you kill, two of your detained men will die.”
His eyes were cold while his expression was firm with no way for others to put in a word. He was on the weaker side, yet he wasn’t scared at all. Instead, his calmed and murderous expression made others shiver in fear.
They negotiated for nearly twenty minutes, before the thieves were finally convinced by Qiao Yanze. They let all of the hostages go and kept only Qiao Yanze with them.
They hated Qiao Yanze to the core. If he didn’t order to let their men go, they would make this place his burial ground today!
The leader of the thieves tied Qiao Yanze’s hands together, walking in front of him with a gun in his hand. “We have already let go of the innocent hostages. Now, please fulfill your promisー”
Before the leader could finish speaking, Qiao Yanze, who had loosen his restraints silently, snatched the gun from the leader with incredible speed, before he wrapped a hand around his neck and pressed the gun against his temple.
He was so quick it was alarming, and it shocked everyone watching the scene.
“Tell your men to move back.”
Seeing that the hostage had taken their leader hostage instead, the thieves all wore ugly expressions. They wanted so badly to kill the cunning Qiao Yanze.
“You went back on your words and want to use my life to make my men listen. All of you cannot follow his wishes. When I’m dead, you can still elect a new leader. You should all fight until the end!”
Hearing the leader’s words, the thieves all raised their guns and knives and pointed them at Qiao Yanze.
The atmosphere was completely tense and frozen and anything could trigger the incoming fight.
Qiao Yanze glanced at Ji Wei, who was outside of the window, and made a signal.
The lights in the hotel suddenly turned off.
Bang, bang, bang!
The scene erupted into complete chaos.
…
At the safety camp, in a small building built temporarily in the outskirts.
All of the citizens who were saved had all hid themselves in the building. None of them dared to come out.
The little girl that Cen Xi had saved had found her family. She had a single father who was really young and had almost broken down from losing his daughter in the crowds.
When he saw the girl in Cen Xi’s arms at the safety camp, he was terribly grateful to Cen Xi.
Cen Xi went to the second level and stared at where the town was.
Were those gunshots?
Unconsciously, her hands clenched tightly, her palms covered with cold sweat. How was Qiao Yanze right now?
Those thieves were extremely ruthless and fierce and saw lives as nothing. They had taken so many people as hostages. As the leader, not only did Qiao Yanze have to save the hostages, he had to deal with the thieves as well. He was in a rather dangerous situation.
Cen Xi was someone that couldn’t stay still, so she ran back downstairs.
After the rescue vehicle brought all of the hostages to the safety camp, they planned to return to the hotel, which was why Cen Xi snuck into the vehicle when no one noticed.
The vehicle was a bus. She hid behind, so the driver couldn’t see her.
The drive took about thirty minutes before it stopped in front of the hotel.
The two sides seemed to have stopped fighting, though the smell of gunpowder still lingered in the air. After the driver got out of the bus, Cen Xi got out too.
She stood behind the bus, not daring to act casually.
The town’s ambulance had arrived and Cen Xi saw several restrained men dressed in black uniform being carried into the ambulance.
Cen Xi went forward and asked a nurse, “Can I ask what’s the situation inside?”
The nurse looked extremely proud. “With Mr Qiao around, it’s a complete dream for those thieves to cause trouble. Those that aren’t dead have all been arrested.”
Happiness surged in Cen Xi’s heart.
She had to admit that Qiao Yanze was rather strategic and brave.
“Then, did Mr Qiao get injured?” Cen Xi asked again.
“There, Mr Qiao is walking out.”
Cen Xi looked at the direction where the nurse was pointing. However, she saw Qiao Yanze walking out of the hotel with a woman in his arms.
She hurriedly moved away and hid as someone inconspicuous.
After seeing who the woman Qiao Yanze was holding, she furrowed her eyebrow slightly.
…
Qiao Yanze placed Ji Wei, who had been shot at her leg, on the ambulance. Ji Wei’s expression was a little pale as she pulled Qiao Yanze’s arm. She seemed to disregard her own injuries, only concerned about Qiao Yanze’s body. “Are you hurt anywhere? Do you want to go to the hospital with me for a checkup?”
Indeed, a bullet had grazed Qiao Yanze’s arm. However, it was merely a small injury to him and he didn’t need to go to the hospital. Besides, there were quite a few things for him to settle personally over here.
“I’m fine.”
“Yanze, you can let Da Zuo and the rest settle here. You should go back to the safety camp to rest early.”
Qiao Yanze nodded. “I’ll arrange it. Take care of yourself. I’ll go visit you in the hospital when I’m free.”
Seeing the two part with difficulty, Cen Xi turned around and left with a complicated heart.
