Chapter 17 Hiding

A figure flashed through the door; it was the butler who had brought them here. To everyone's surprise, the butler looked disheveled, his eyes bloodshot, his cheeks swollen, with clear finger marks remaining.

"What happened to you?" Yao Shunyu asked, his tone filled with surprise, but his eyes showed more schadenfreude.

"It's nothing, nothing. I ran into some ignorant guys outside just now, but I've already... already driven them away." The butler subconsciously avoided everyone's gaze, his tone obviously weak.

"Butler Zhou, be careful during these unusual times," Madam Su reminded him with concern.

Butler Zhou quickly bent down, showing great respect to Madam Su, his face full of smiles. "Thank you for your concern, Madam."

After doing all this, Butler Zhou straightened up and turned to look at Jiang Cheng and the others. At this moment, his expression was not so friendly, especially when facing Jiang Cheng and Fatty, a undisguised resentment surfaced in his eyes. "You all heard what the Madam said, right? It's going to get dark soon. Tonight, the Madam and the servants in the house will leave, and you few will stay to keep watch and take care of the Master's safety."

"I don't care what methods you use, but you must not leave this house. I will be back tomorrow morning to check. If my Master gets even a scratch, I'll hold you accountable!" When facing Jiang Cheng and the others, Butler Zhou's words were stern and condescending, a stark contrast to his servile demeanor in front of the Dongyang people (Japanese).

But in order for the plot to continue, everyone did not reveal their dissatisfaction.

Next, Madam Su got up and bid farewell, inevitably shedding tears and instructing everyone to take good care of the Master. Butler Zhou followed behind the Madam.

Fortunately, Madam Su had arranged for food before leaving, and not long after the two left, several large food boxes were delivered to the door.

The food in the boxes was quite lavish. After all, they needed their help, and presumably these Dongyang people wouldn't dare to poison them. Everyone took out the food and casually placed it on the table, eating and chatting.

Before long, Zhang Shiwei and Li Shanru returned, bringing with them a new discovery. "We found the stronghold of these Dongyang people. It's in a teahouse not far from the Su residence. They've booked the entire fourth floor, and people are guarding near the stairs, so outsiders can't get up there."

Zhang Shiwei took off his hat and fanned himself with it, sweat streaming down the sides of his cheeks.

"By the way, we also saw the two Dongyang rickshaw pullers who were following us before. They also went into the teahouse not long ago. The rickshaw is parked outside the alley, and they went in through the back door, changing their clothes before entering, acting furtively."

"Not long after they went in, the butler also went in through the back door, and then..."

"Then it seemed like a fight broke out inside." Li Shanru took over, a look of doubt on her face as she sat on the sofa. "I'm not sure why, but the two Dongyang people were very angry and scolded Butler Zhou. They even started hitting him. I changed my clothes and secretly sneaked into the next room, and I heard it very clearly."

Others might not know, but Jiang Cheng and Fatty knew very well. Recalling the look in Butler Zhou's eyes when he looked at them earlier, Fatty thought that the Dongyang people had been made to pull a rickshaw all day, from the north of the city to the south, and then back from the south to the north. How could they have endured such treatment? But since they couldn't attack him and the doctor, they had to vent their anger on Butler Zhou.

Judging from Butler Zhou's appearance just now, he had clearly been slapped around.

Everyone then shared the information they had gathered again, causing Zhang Shiwei and Li Shanru to frown repeatedly. "So, it really is necessary to protect Song Keli for seven days?"

As soon as these words came out, Li Bai keenly sensed something was wrong and looked at the two, asking, "What, did you also find clues about the mission's time limit?"

Zhang Shiwei shook his head. "We didn't find it. Madam Su told us. We ran into her at the door just now. She told us to prepare as soon as possible, and that we only needed to hold out for three nights. Regardless of whether the matter is resolved or not, the benefits she promised would definitely be offered."

Combining the two pieces of information, Luo Tianhe nodded thoughtfully. "It seems that's right. The mission is to protect Song Keli for seven days, but Madam Su mentioned before that today is already the fourth day, so we only need to survive the last three days. I think these are also the most dangerous three days. After three days, the mission will be completed, and what happens after that is none of our business."

After a hurried meal, the sky outside gradually darkened. Everyone decided to go upstairs, first to Song Keli's room, and then make plans based on the situation.

In any case, tonight would not be peaceful. The moment they stepped onto the stairs, everyone was prepared.

Pushing open the door, the room was very dim. Although it was not completely dark yet, the windows were covered with curtains, with only a little light seeping through the cracks.

Flicking the switch, the chandelier in the room flickered a few times, then lit up with a "pop."

Song Keli was lying quietly on the bed in the center of the room, still wearing the clothes he had on when they saw him today. His hands were placed flat on his sides, his lifeless eyes were open, staring at the ceiling. If it weren't for the slight rise and fall of his chest, his pale face would have made him look like a dead man.

Quiet, helpless, desperate, oppressive... similar atmospheres spread rapidly in the enclosed space. Someone couldn't help but raise their head, following Song Keli's gaze to the ceiling, but found nothing.

After a moment, everyone noticed Song Keli's lips twitching slightly. Jiang Cheng, who was closest, was the first to lean in and listen carefully.

After a while, Ding Zhenzong, who had a violent temper, couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "What is he saying?"

"Hide, don't be found, they're coming." Li Bai stared at Song Keli's lips, interpreting in a very soft voice, "Also, keep silent, don't make a sound... in short, it's words like that." She understood lip reading, so she could translate.

Later, many needle holes were also found on Song Keli's arm. Combining Song Keli's current state, Li Bai, as a doctor, deduced that he had been injected with drugs that had a sedative effect.

"It seems that being a dog isn't that easy." Yao Shunyu shrugged, giving a cold laugh to Song Keli, who didn't know how many days he had left to live.

But the rest of the people did not have as good a mindset as Yao Shunyu. He Ping, with a cold face, said in a rather resistant voice, "Did you hear what he said? He said to hide. I think tonight, it's not just him who needs to hide, we need to hide too. Otherwise, if those things find us, we will also die."