The two chatted for a while. Gu Qichen noticed her weariness. "You rest first. We'll head back with Xiao Liyan tonight."
With the biggest worry lifted, Qin He lay on the bed. "Once this news is sent back to Qingcheng and then to the archaeology team, the information about this matter on the way could be intercepted by Shen Yicong. He'll likely make the Lev organization disappear underground again."
This would make it even harder for them to find Shen Yicong and get revenge.
"Don't think too much about it for now," Gu Qichen said softly. "Rest."
Shazhen Town.
At two in the afternoon, a group entered a roadside restaurant.
The owner, seeing that the person leading the way was a regular local businessman, greeted them with a smile.
"Boss Wang is here to discuss business with Mr. Bian again?"
Boss Wang smiled somewhat forcedly. "Yes, indeed."
"Still the same old stuff, right?"
"Yes, according to the head count."
After the restaurant owner left, Boss Wang cautiously glanced at the man opposite him.
Shen Yicong had his arms propped on the table, talking to the Monkey beside him.
Monkey handed his phone to Shen Yicong. "Boss, news from Qingcheng. Qin He and the others have been found!"
Shen Yicong's gaze was sharp and sinister as he took the phone. After a moment, he chuckled.
"Cangying and Heiying both lost their lives, only to be tricked by the ancients."
Monkey's face was grim. "Are we still continuing—"
Shen Yicong tossed the phone aside.
"Go, my objective was never that damn rock."
It was clear the other party still believed that was his primary goal.
That was also fine.
Shen Yicong looked up. "Have the personnel gathered?"
"They're gathered. Hundreds of men are hidden in the desert around Shazhen Town! We can surround them at any moment."
Shen Yicong nodded.
"What about that small island?"
"Everything is set up on the island, just as you instructed. It's even more luxurious than the royal palace in Country Y."
"Hmm, the cage is ready. All we need is my canary."
Shen Yicong stood up. "They won't be staying here long. Make your move."
At four in the afternoon, Qin He woke from her nap. She felt uneasy sleeping in Shazhen Town and got up to change into travel clothes.
She walked out into the corridor and to Yu Jing's room next door.
Yu Jing's door was wide open. Gu Qichen and Di Shishi were inside, and the three of them were discussing their return route.
Qin He glanced into the room. "Where's Bian An?"
"He's already gone home. He'll probably get a beating," Di Shishi said with a smile. "But it was worth it. Gu Qichen gave him a card. I don't know how much money is on it, but he said as long as his father doesn't break his legs, it'll be fine."
Qin He chuckled. "Has the return route been confirmed?"
Gu Qichen nodded. "If Shen Yicong's reaction is fast enough, he should be on his way to Shazhen now. We'll need to take a different route back."
Xiao Liyan's men were in Shazhen, and Qian Zimo was in Duncheng.
With over eighty people from both sides combined, escorting them back would ensure their safety.
Qin He was bending over, listening intently, when a sharp cracking sound rang out. At the same time, Di Shishi, who was sitting opposite her, collapsed.
"Shishi!" Qin He's eyes widened. She reacted instantly, pulling Di Shishi towards a corner of the wall to hide.
"Someone's sniping us!"
Gu Qichen and Yu Jing were already by the wall. Looking at the shot Di Shishi, Yu Jing's eyes turned red. "I'm going to find the sniper!"
"Don't be reckless," Gu Qichen grabbed him.
"Xiao Liyan's men should be reacting by now. You going out now is suicide."
Qin He pressed on Di Shishi's abdomen. The bullet had hit her left side, not a fatal wound, but very dangerous!
The street outside was quiet. The assailant must have used a silencer, as there was no gunshot.
Only when the glass broke did people downstairs jump in fright, but soon it was as usual.
Qin He clenched her fists tightly. Her weapon was in the room. She had thought the stone was found, and her guard had dropped, so she hadn't brought it.
Only Yu Jing among them had a weapon. Downstairs, the sound of the landlady coming upstairs could soon be heard.
"Oh dear, you're staying in a room, how did you break the glass!"
Hearing the voice, Qin He immediately raised her voice. "Don't come up! I'll pay you ten times the price for the glass!"
The landlady's footsteps paused, then she said displeasantly, "What are you doing? You haven't damaged anything else, have you?"
The window directly faced the door, and the door was wide open. The landlady appearing there could easily be targeted by the sniper.
Gu Qichen's voice was cold. "If you come closer, I'll kill you."
There was no more sound from outside. The landlady left with hurried footsteps.
Three minutes later, there was a commotion outside.
Several black cars were parked downstairs.
Xiao Liyan, carrying a weapon, jumped out of the car and headed upstairs.
More than twenty people got out of the cars, all armed.
The landlady looked at Xiao Liyan's stern face, then at the long object on his back, and quickly slipped out the back door.
"Qichen, the sniper on the opposite side has been found and is under control."
Xiao Liyan's face was grim. "We need to leave immediately. If Shen Yicong goes mad, he could endanger the residents here."
Gu Qichen nodded, then narrowed his eyes. "Then what are you hesitating about?"
Xiao Liyan handed over his phone.
On the phone was a reconnaissance map from all the drones.
Dense red dots covered the ground.
"We're surrounded in Shazhen Town. We can either break through or stay here. But if we stay, we can buy some time, but—the safety of the residents cannot be guaranteed."
The people in the room fell silent.
Qin He looked at Di Shishi on the ground. "We'll go. We can't implicate others. But Liyan, Shishi's injury needs surgery immediately. Can we wait for two hours?"
"Agreed! Just enough time for Qian Zimo's men to get here."
The three of them, with Di Shishi, went to the Shazhen town clinic under Xiao Liyan's cover.
The clinic's medical facilities were limited, but sufficient for surgery.
Qin He finished examining Di Shishi and confirmed the bullet hadn't hit any vital organs. She immediately gave her name, and with Shen Bin's phone call vouching for her, the director agreed to let Qin He perform surgery on Di Shishi.
Two hours later, Qin He came out of the operating room.
Seeing Yu Jing's anxious face, she reassured him. "It's fine. But normally, such an injury requires hospitalization for observation to prevent infection."
Qin He clasped her hands and looked at Gu Qichen and Xiao Liyan beside her. "I think if Shen Yicong's goal wasn't just that stone, then he's likely after me."
In Shen Yicong's eyes, she was the one who had harmed Shen Yilin.
"Leave Shishi here, have Yu Jing protect her. I've already prescribed the IV drip. Let the doctors here prepare it for you."
Yu Jing immediately stood up. "I'll stay and protect Mr. Gu."
Gu Qichen looked at Yu Jing. "You stay."
Yu Jing had been with him through thick and thin for years. To Gu Qichen, he was not just an assistant but also a friend.
Now that Di Shishi was lying here, he couldn't take Yu Jing with him.