Tao Qiyue's heart leaped into her throat.
After a moment's hesitation, she said, "Could it be that we're worrying too much? Perhaps those dump trucks aren't actually their accomplices?"
Chen Jinzhao said in a deep voice, "I think things are not that simple, but if it turns out to be as you say, then that would be even better."
Tao Qiyue pursed her lips.
In her heart, she prayed, sincerely hoping that those dump trucks were not with the same group.
After ten minutes of unimpeded progress, without seeing any accomplices as Chen Jinzhao had described, Tao Qiyue's taut nerves gradually relaxed.
Just as she was breathing a sigh of relief, several dazzling beams of intense light shot from the front, blinding both of them completely. Tao Qiyue squeezed her eyes shut.
Chen Jinzhao, however, forced his eyes open!
Even as tears streamed from his eyes under the glare, he knew that closing his eyes now meant death!
Through the rearview mirror, Chen Jinzhao saw three dump trucks driving abreast towards them from behind, like roaring ancient beasts.
As for the front…
Chen Jinzhao strained with all his might to see clearly. Three more dump trucks were coming towards them head-on. This must be the enemy's second plan!
"They'll stop at nothing to kill us. You'd better not fall into my hands," Chen Jinzhao muttered to himself, before returning his thoughts to the present. Now, his priority was to find a way to escape with Tao Qiyue.
But clearly—
These six dump trucks had no intention of giving him much time to think. The distance between the two rows of trucks was already less than fifty meters, leaving Chen Jinzhao with very little room to maneuver! He had already determined that escape by maneuvering the vehicle was no longer an option.
Even if he turned the steering wheel sharply, there wouldn't be enough time to escape that distance.
The only option was to jump!
As the thought formed, Chen Jinzhao dared not waste a moment. He yelled to Tao Qiyue in the passenger seat, "We're going to jump out of the car. Don't do anything, I'll get us out of here!"
With that roar, Chen Jinzhao unbuckled Tao Qiyue's seatbelt with one hand and pulled her into his arms with the other! Then, he kicked open the car door and, without hesitation, leaped out of the car with Tao Qiyue!
Thump!
Chen Jinzhao hit the ground hard, breaking several bones in an instant!
Worse still, the powerful inertia sent them sliding for more than ten meters across the cement ground. To protect Tao Qiyue from injury, Chen Jinzhao tried his best to control his body, preventing himself from rolling and keeping his back pressed against the ground, holding Tao Qiyue on top of him.
Tao Qiyue suffered a mild concussion. From the moment they jumped to now, her mind had been blank; she hadn't reacted at all.
It wasn't until they had tumbled off the road and into a roadside rice paddy that she suddenly came to her senses.
The terrifying roar of engines reached her ears again. The six dump trucks had collided, and the car they had been in was crushed into a metal pancake. She could barely imagine what their fate would have been if they hadn't jumped.
She dared not even think about it.
Her gaze fell on the road, where a deep crimson trail of blood stung her eyes!
That was…
The mark left by Chen Jinzhao scraping against the cement road.
Tao Qiyue quickly looked at Chen Jinzhao beneath her, finding his face abnormally pale. She urgently called out, "Jinzhao, how are you feeling?"
Chen Jinzhao opened his mouth, his voice as faint as a mosquito's, making it difficult for Tao Qiyue to hear.
Even Chen Jinzhao, a man of iron, was seriously injured now!
This was the most severe injury Tao Qiyue had ever seen him sustain since she had known him. Anxious, Tao Qiyue’s tears began to fall.
It was fortunate that they had survived the second suicidal attack, otherwise, it would have been difficult for Tao Qiyue to face the powerful enemy alone if Chen Jinzhao had lost consciousness. Tao Qiyue shed hot tears that dripped onto Chen Jinzhao, and choked out, "Jinzhao, I know you're in pain, just hold on. I'll call an ambulance right away."
Tao Qiyue didn't dare to waste any time and quickly searched for their phones.
After a few minutes of searching, she found the shattered remains of two mobile phones. Tao Qiyue fell into despair! Given Chen Jinzhao's current condition, he wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer.
"I can't panic. He needs me!" Tao Qiyue forced herself to calm down.
The car crash had created a huge commotion, but it would still take time for the traffic police system to respond. Tao Qiyue dared not gamble on waiting for them to arrive before getting Chen Jinzhao to a hospital.
After only a few seconds, Tao Qiyue made a decision: she would carry Chen Jinzhao to the town hospital three kilometers away.
If she encountered any kind-hearted people, perhaps they could give her a ride.
Tao Qiyue exerted herself to lift Chen Jinzhao onto her back. It was then that she discovered his entire back was a bloody mess. Tears streaming down her face, she said, "You'll be alright..."
The three-kilometer journey was shrouded in darkness, and not a single vehicle passed by, pushing Tao Qiyue to the brink of despair.
But for the sake of Chen Jinzhao on her back, Tao Qiyue never once considered giving up.
An hour later.
Tao Qiyue finally carried Chen Jinzhao to the nearest town hospital. As she reached the entrance, she hesitated.
She couldn't be sure if this hospital was compromised.
At the very least, she knew that no one had responded to the traffic accident in the past hour. Tao Qiyue knew all too well what this meant – someone was cutting off Chen Jinzhao's lifeline!
Those people could even infiltrate the system, meaning they could easily control the town hospital.
Now, she could trust no one but herself!
If this hospital was controlled by the enemy, it wouldn't save Chen Jinzhao but would instead push him further into peril. However, Tao Qiyue also knew how critical Chen Jinzhao's condition was; she didn't know how much longer he could hold on.
Weighing the two options, Tao Qiyue gritted her teeth and said, "I trust my instincts, just like the intuition I had when I sensed danger after leaving Taoyuan Mountain Villa. I can't stay in town for too long now."
Tao Qiyue settled Chen Jinzhao in a well-ventilated spot and then ran to the nearest small supermarket to borrow a phone from the owner. The owner was an old man over sixty, with very little hair left on his head, which danced in the breeze from the fan.
"Sir, I was in a car accident and need to borrow a phone to make a call. Would you be able to help?" Tao Qiyue said urgently.
The old man glanced at Tao Qiyue and immediately noticed the bloodstains on her clothes. He instinctively placed his hand on the phone, intending to call the police. Tao Qiyue instantly understood his intention and pleaded, "Sir, please don't call the police! My boyfriend and I have encountered a life-threatening disaster, but I can assure you we are not bad people. Just let me make one call!"
The old man still didn't believe Tao Qiyue.
Desperate, Tao Qiyue choked out, "Sir, I truly have no other choice. Would you like me to kneel and beg you?"
Tao Qiyue's tears flowed, deeply moving.
The old man, seeing no other option, waved his hand and said, "Alright, alright. Hurry up, don't linger here too long. Make your call and then leave immediately."
Tao Qiyue was overjoyed and thanked the old man profusely.
"Thank you so much!"