Chapter 38 — Don't Shoot!

"You... don't any of you try anything..." The bald man truly wanted to cry. Weren't those the very words he and his men had just said to the police at the bank? So retribution had come around to him this fast. What did they call instant karma? It looked exactly like this.

"Mm, good." Wei Zhao nodded in deep satisfaction, then asked, "Now can you talk? Who is Brother Cihua?"

"He's my boss... I don't know anything else. He's the one who told me to do this. Young man, please, whatever you do, don't shoot..." The bald man was the sort who clung to life and dreaded death. For all his earlier swagger, once his own life was truly on the line, he was scared stiff.

He had taken this job for money, so he could live it up more freely, eat and drink and play as he pleased. But to throw his life away for it was not worth it.

Wei Zhao frowned. He could tell this bald man was just a small fry, a minnow who knew nothing of what lay underneath.

"All right, stop the car," Wei Zhao ordered the bald man.

"Stop the car? What for?" The bald man was taken aback.

"We're getting out, of course. Or what — the way things are now, were you still planning to kidnap her?" Wei Zhao glared and asked.

"No... what I mean is, you're not taking us to the police station?" The bald man was rather astonished. He hadn't expected Wei Zhao to let them off the hook.

"What's that got to do with me?" Wei Zhao rolled his eyes. "I'm not a cop. Do they pay me a salary?"

At Wei Zhao's words the bald man was instantly overjoyed. He had assumed Wei Zhao meant to hand them over to the police, and to escape disaster now filled him with delight. The mission had failed, true, but they had still robbed a fortune from the bank — enough for them to squander for the rest of their lives. So the bald man excitedly ordered the underling who was driving to stop the car at once.

Wei Zhao searched the bald man and pulled out a gun, which he tossed to Gu Mengyao. "Take it. In a moment, aim for their wheels."

"Oh..." Gu Mengyao had no idea why Wei Zhao was saying this, but she took the pistol and held it tight.

Wei Zhao had Gu Mengyao get out first, then followed her out himself. But as he stepped down he said, "You can choose to shoot at me or at Mengyao, but you'd better kill us outright. If you don't kill me, I'll aim for your fuel tank. Understand, baldy?"

As he spoke, Wei Zhao patted the bald man's shiny pate.

"N-no... we won't..." The bald man shuddered for no reason at all. This Wei Zhao fellow was downright uncanny, and the bald man had no wish to stir up any further trouble.

As Wei Zhao got out, he paid special attention to how the jade pendant reacted, but it gave not the slightest sign. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed the bald man and his crew had made the smart choice.

Had the jade pendant shown even the faintest reaction just now, Wei Zhao would have turned and subdued the bald man again, then taken him along as a hostage while he got out of the car.

After Wei Zhao and Gu Mengyao got out, the van sped off in a puff of smoke. Just as Wei Zhao had predicted, the bald man made no move against them.

"What are you staring at me for? Hurry up and call Uncle Qing, have him come pick us up," Wei Zhao said, looking at Gu Mengyao — who was staring at him blankly — with a mix of exasperation and amusement.

"Oh..." Gu Mengyao could hardly believe it. They were out of danger, just like that? But watching the Hyundai van recede into the distance, it seemed that really was the case. Still — what was Wei Zhao putting on airs for? He had actually spoken to her in a tone of command?

"Hey, why didn't you confiscate all their guns just now and send them to the police station?" Gu Mengyao was still nursing a grudge over what Wei Zhao had said at the end. What did he mean, he wasn't a cop, the station didn't pay him a salary? Couldn't he at least do a good deed or two?

"That whole van full of them are the type who cling to life and fear death. With a gun to their leader's head, they wouldn't dare make a move. But the moment you disarm them too, they know they're finished, and then they'll certainly make one last desperate stand," Wei Zhao said.

"But you had their leader as a hostage, didn't you?" Gu Mengyao asked, still puzzled.

"When a man's own end is upon him, does he still care about his leader? Come on, don't be so naive, all right?" Wei Zhao said with some helplessness. "Getting out of this alive was pure luck. Hey — just who did you offend, anyway? These people were obviously after you."

"Hmph, so full of yourself," Gu Mengyao said, thoroughly displeased with Wei Zhao's attitude. "You're my lackey, aren't you? Is that any way to talk to your master?"

"..." Wei Zhao was speechless. This woman — she really was beyond reasoning with.

Shen Yushu sat in Uncle Qing's car wiping her tears. Gu Mengyao and Wei Zhao had been taken, and who knew how it would end? At best the two of them might be released; at worst... Shen Yushu truly did not dare to think further.

Uncle Qing, his face equally clouded with worry, kept dialing the phone. Of all times, it had to be this critical moment when Gu Pengzhan was unreachable, and it left him thoroughly on edge.

Suddenly the phone rang. Uncle Qing started, picked it up, and saw the caller ID — his face at once lit with an expression half joy, half dread.

It was Gu Mengyao's number, though it was not necessarily Gu Mengyao herself calling. It might also be the kidnappers using her phone to reach him. But no matter what, at least there was finally some word.

"Hello? Yes?" Uncle Qing answered cautiously.

"Uncle Qing, come get me, quick..." For the first time, Gu Mengyao felt that Uncle Qing's voice was so dear to her.

Along with Uncle Qing came Qiu Lingshan and the others — the police contingent.

"Yao-yao!" Shen Yushu was the first to bolt from the car and threw her arms around Gu Mengyao in a tight embrace. "You scared me to death — I thought I'd never see you again!"

"You silly girl, always talking nonsense," Gu Mengyao said. She had already recovered from her earlier fright, and hearing Shen Yushu carry on like that left her not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"Mr. Lin, are you all right?" Seeing the blood on Wei Zhao, Uncle Qing asked hurriedly.

"Took a bullet in the thigh. Nothing too serious, I think." Wei Zhao rose unsteadily to his feet, hobbling. Truth be told, it did rather hurt — the thing had a nasty way of catching up with you afterward.

Uncle Qing now genuinely admired Wei Zhao. Shot and still saying it was nothing — now that was a real man, a man's man through and through. If Wei Zhao could have known what Uncle Qing was thinking, would a few black lines have appeared over his head? Because he seemed to recall that some actress had been jokingly dubbed a "man's man" too, hadn't she?

"You're Mr. Lin, correct? Please come back to the station with us to give a statement." Qiu Lingshan walked over and addressed Wei Zhao in a purely businesslike tone.

Wei Zhao's brow furrowed at once. Was this girl blind or what? Couldn't she see he was wounded? "Shall I drop my pants and show you?" he snapped, thoroughly annoyed.