The night was already deep.
At this hour, Shouyang Mountain had fallen into profound silence.
Even the birds that were usually active at night seemed to know they shouldn't disturb humans at this time, flying away into the distance.
The two Baojie representatives, not daring to drive for fear of leaving traces, looked like hikers. Each carrying a trekking pole, they made their way along Shouyang Mountain.
"Did you bring everything?" one representative asked.
"Yes! And an extra magazine, just in case," the other replied, patting his waist.
The two had secretly acquired two guns through illicit channels.
"Including the child, there are only three people in the villa. How could it not be enough? But it's good to be prepared."
After their brief exchange, they continued their ascent without further conversation.
Unbeknownst to them, hidden within a clump of bushes directly behind them were a man and a woman.
Their entire conversation had been overheard by this pair.
"Old man, what are they planning?"
"I don't know. But they mentioned a magazine and that there are only three people in the villa. Combined with their route up the mountain, we can probably conclude that they intend to harm Xiao Qiong and the others!"
This man and woman were none other than Min Ziqiong's parents.
Homeless and too ashamed to stay under overpasses or in parks, they feared that news of their destitution would spread throughout Jianghai by morning, making them a laughingstock.
After much deliberation, they could only seek refuge on Shouyang Mountain.
However, their progress was so slow that the two Baojie representatives had caught up to them.
Fortunately, the entire mountain was silent at this hour; any sound could be heard clearly. Upon hearing someone behind them, they immediately hid in the nearby bushes.
At first, they assumed it was just passers-by, never imagining it would be the Baojie representatives.
They were utterly terrified, holding their breath and refraining from making a sound.
While wondering how the Baojie representatives had found them, they happened to overhear their conversation.
In an instant, they understood: the Baojie representatives weren't after them!
They were targeting Min Ziqiong!
A flicker of fear appeared in Min Ziqiong's mother's eyes. "Why don't we call the police! Didn't you hear them? They have guns! And they brought an extra magazine! We're no match for them!"
Min Ziqiong's father slowly shook his head. "No, we can't call the police. They'll reach the villa soon. If we call the police, even if they arrive before the crime, it will only enrage the two men."
"Then what should we do? We fled here to escape them. We can't walk right into their trap now, can we? If anything, let's pretend we didn't see anything and slip away quietly. The villa has a security system, and there's Ying Chen. Those two might not succeed." Min Ziqiong's mother suggested. She was preparing to leave.
"Ying Chen? What good is a mere security guard! Those two have guns! A single bullet would kill Ying Chen first! Conversely, Xiao Qiong, who holds the 'Mirage' technology and its formula, won't die so quickly," Min Ziqiong's father countered.
"Then that settles it! Since Xiao Qiong won't die immediately, why should we interfere? Let's go!" Min Ziqiong's mother said, pulling Min Ziqiong's father and attempting to move away from the dangerous area.
"Heh." To her surprise, Min Ziqiong's father let out a cold laugh and remained still. "I only said Xiao Qiong won't die immediately, not that she won't die at all!"
"If you were in their shoes, after successfully obtaining the 'Mirage' technology and its formula, would you still keep Xiao Qiong alive? It's likely that not only Xiao Qiong but also Nannan would be silenced!"
"Nannan is only five years old! She hasn't even called us grandpa and grandma yet, and she's about to say goodbye to this world. The thought of Nannan's little face makes me unbearable! Can you bear it?"
Min Ziqiong's mother, picturing Nannan's death, showed a flicker of unbearable emotion in her eyes, even as vicious as she was.
"But... we can't call the police, and we can't fight them. If we want to warn Xiao Qiong, our phones are confiscated at home. Are we supposed to rely on telepathy or dreams to warn Xiao Qiong of the danger?"
"Four words: 'Act according to circumstances'!" Min Ziqiong's father, for once, displayed the radiance of a father. "We can't just abandon Xiao Qiong and Nannan on the mountain and watch without doing anything just because we can't do anything!"
"Before, whether it was throwing Xiao Qiong out of the house or disowning her, there was still room for reconciliation. That's why I didn't object when you made those suggestions. But if we stand by and do nothing this time, there will be no room for reconciliation! The only way to make amends will be to apologize to Xiao Qiong in the underworld after we're gone!"
"And at that time, are you sure we'll still have the face to see Xiao Qiong?"
"I certainly don't have the face. As a father, failing to save my daughter when her life is at stake makes me a failure as a father!"
With that, Min Ziqiong's father strode towards the mountain. His demeanor suggested he was going to ascend the mountain alone to save Min Ziqiong and Nannan!
Min Ziqiong's mother was stunned by her husband's actions.
She felt as if she no longer recognized the husband she had lived with day in and day out.
She stared blankly for a long time.
Then, a look of shame flashed across her face.
Even a cruel tiger doesn't eat its cubs. Her previous actions had been excessive. But they hadn't reached the point of "eating cubs." However, if she were to stand by and watch bad people harm her daughter and granddaughter without intervening, it would indeed be no different from eating her own children!
"Am I more heartless than a tiger?"
"No, how can I be more heartless than a tiger! I am human, not an animal."
"Old man, wait for me, I'm coming too!"
"And when this is over and we save Xiao Qiong, I can make her hand over the 'Mirage' formula. I don't believe that stubborn girl can refuse then!"
The last sentence revealed Min Ziqiong's mother's true intentions. Her willingness to risk saving Min Ziqiong was primarily motivated by the desire to seize the 'Mirage' formula!
At the summit of Shouyang Mountain.
Two groups of people, with different objectives, arrived at the summit sequentially.
However, the Baojie representatives were unaware that their movements had been exposed, and they were being followed by two tails.
"Be careful. Villas like this must have security systems. If you try to force the door, you'll definitely trigger the alarms."
One Baojie representative said, sizing up the villa's main door.
"Go that way! We'll climb over the wall!"
The next moment, the two found an excellent spot. They formed a human ladder, helping each other over the wall and into the courtyard.
Although their landing was exceptionally quiet, and they deliberately paused for a moment to avoid creating sustained noise that might alert those inside the villa, it still didn't escape Ying Chen's notice.
Ying Chen instantly heard that someone had climbed over the wall and entered the villa from the outside!
However, these two didn't seem like seasoned professionals. To Ying Chen, the sound of their landing was as loud as thunder!
"Could it be that Min Ziqiong's parents realized they were tricked so quickly and are trying to sneak into the villa to steal the real 'Mirage' formula?"
"If that's the case, I wouldn't mind playing along with them again." Ying Chen thought playfully. He then deliberately feigned ignorance and closed his eyes again.