Gushan Village was a true backwater.
Nestled amidst mountains, reaching the nearest town required a fifteen-minute drive, or at least an hour’s hike, possibly even two.
This meant Gushan Village was surrounded by peaks, making it easy to hide.
Li Qiutao’s pupils constricted, and he said in a low voice, “Since they can interfere with communication systems, they’re likely not an external force. They could be insiders.”
“They’re probably after me.”
Chen Jinzhao paused. After his uncle’s analysis, he agreed. He changed the subject, asking, “Uncle, as the pillar of the younger generation in the Yan Jing Wu family, would someone still covet your life?”
“There are plenty of people who want to kill me,” Li Qiutao said with a wry smile.
He was the head of a trillion-dollar conglomerate, and countless people coveted his position.
Moreover, Li Qiutao was not a true Wu family member. Killing him would be more beneficial and less risky than killing a Wu family scion.
Wu Lingyun’s face turned pale. “Dad, who would make a move?”
“Could it be other families?”
The nine great families of Yan Jing appeared harmonious but constantly vied for power in secret. Assassination was not uncommon, as long as one wasn’t caught, they could continue to live with impunity.
Li Qiutao shook his head and sighed, “I don’t know. Let’s focus on surviving first.”
Father and daughter looked at Chen Jinzhao in unspoken agreement. Perhaps only Chen Jinzhao could help them escape now, or they might perish here.
Wu Lingyun had never felt such dependence on Chen Jinzhao.
Chen Jinzhao calmed himself and analyzed, “We can’t go back the way we came. They’ve likely sent people to block the village, so returning would be suicide.”
“Jinzhao, we’ll listen to you. You won’t harm us,” Li Qiutao said.
Wu Lingyun asked, “Cousin, where do we go now?”
Chen Jinzhao pondered for a moment and replied, “We’ll descend the mountain from another direction. I used to play in these mountains as a child and am somewhat familiar with the paths. In any case, we can’t stay here long!”
“Follow me!”
At that moment, on another mountaintop three to four hundred meters away, three individuals lay hidden amidst the trees, their presence undetectable. Each held a sniper rifle, their scopes all trained on Li Qiutao’s head, awaiting the moment to fire.
Behind them stood a commander.
The commander, a man with a thick beard, observed Li Qiutao’s every move through binoculars. He picked up a walkie-talkie and inquired, “Is communications jammed? Are the people in the village ready? Are the people on the other mountain in position?”
Receiving affirmative responses, the bearded man chuckled.
Then, he took out his phone and dialed a number registered in Yan Jing, saying with a smile, “Second Master, everything is ready. We’ll blow his head off as soon as you give the order.”
A hearty laugh came from the other end of the line. “Haha, good, good. I trust you to handle this.”
“But remember, know when to stop. Don’t kill Wu Lingyun or Chen Jinzhao. Killing them would be too troublesome.”
The bearded man nodded. “Second Master, I understand.”
“However, if it comes to a point where we cannot kill Li Qiutao without killing Chen Jinzhao, what should we do?”
The voice on the other end was silent for a moment, then finally said, “If that situation arises, kill Chen Jinzhao. But you must cover your tracks, and I will arrange for your escape abroad.”
“Understood!” the bearded man replied.
“Please rest assured, Second Master, we will complete the mission and not disappoint you!”
The Second Master said nothing more and hung up.
The bearded man turned to the snipers lying on the ground and said, “Open fire. Send Li Qiutao on his way.”
“Yes!”
The three aimed at Li Qiutao’s head.
However, before they could fire, Chen Jinzhao had already rushed Li Qiutao and Wu Lingyun into the woods, and they were about to disappear from view.
One sniper immediately reported this to the bearded man. The bearded man mused, “Even if we can’t get a clean kill, we have to shoot now. Proceed!”
The three nodded again and, while Li Qiutao was still visible, pulled the triggers.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Three bullets pierced the air, instantly appearing behind Li Qiutao.
Chen Jinzhao sensed the impending danger and judged that the bullets were not aimed at him. He decisively pushed Li Qiutao aside.
Li Qiutao lost his balance and fell to the side. One bullet grazed his head, piercing a large tree in front of him. Another grazed his leg and embedded in the mud ahead.
He dodged two bullets.
He failed to dodge the last one, which hit him squarely in the abdomen, causing blood to gush from the wound.
Seeing Li Qiutao’s bleeding abdomen, Wu Lingyun’s face turned pale, and she stood frozen, unsure what to do. Chen Jinzhao reacted instantly, realizing that if he hadn’t pushed Li Qiutao, he would likely have died on the spot. He immediately crouched down to examine Li Qiutao’s injuries and determine the snipers’ location.
“Uncle, how are you?” Chen Jinzhao asked, his brow furrowed.
Li Qiutao’s hands could no longer staunch the bleeding. His lips had turned pale, and the pain rendered him speechless.
Chen Jinzhao looked up at Wu Lingyun. “Lingyun, crouch down quickly!”
Wu Lingyun finally snapped out of her daze and immediately crouched beside Chen Jinzhao, tears welling up. “Dad, how are you feeling now?”
Li Qiutao could not answer.
Chen Jinzhao said in a deep voice, “Uncle, don’t say anything. I’ll get you out of here.”
He then took off his jacket, removed his inner shirt, and tore it into strips, expertly bandaging Li Qiutao’s wound. Wu Lingyun could do nothing to help and could only weep softly.
The sun was obscured by dark clouds, causing the temperature in the mountains to plummet.
It was December, after all, and this was the mountains!
Chen Jinzhao turned to Wu Lingyun. “Lingyun, you need to be strong, understand? Stay close to me and don’t get lost! If we panic, Uncle will be in danger!”
Wu Lingyun nodded frantically.
Chen Jinzhao slung the severely wounded Li Qiutao over his shoulder, took Wu Lingyun’s hand, and fled deeper into the mountains.
On the other mountaintop, the bearded man peered through his binoculars, frowning and asking, “Do you think Li Qiutao is dead?”
A sniper hesitated. “It doesn’t seem like it. I’m sure the bullet didn’t hit his head. It seemed to strike his lower back.”
The bearded man narrowed his eyes and glanced at the darkening sky.
“Pursue them!”
“Alive or dead, bring him back!”