"What?"
Ning Xiaolan stared in shock, asking loudly, "Zi Yu, you're saying you're with Qian Fan right now? And you've found the two missing women?"
Her astonished question was filled with overwhelming joy.
This was because her daughter had unequivocally told her—
Her son-in-law was safe!
Not only was her son-in-law safe, but the old bachelor at home had been valiantly fighting four fierce thugs alone during the rescue, incapacitating them all before discovering the two missing persons.
They were currently waiting for Ning Xiaolan in the valley west of Duck Peak.
What news could possibly make Ning Xiaolan happier than this?
"Wait for me!"
"Zi Yu, you and Qian Fan must not wander off. Wait for me right where you are."
"I'll rush over to you as fast as I can."
"Don't run around, and be especially careful, there might be more thugs hiding in the shadows."
After repeatedly instructing her daughter, Ning Xiaolan turned and shouted at Tan Xiaojun, "Quick, take us to Duck Peak!"
While she was on the phone, Xiao Wang, Tan Xiaojun, and many of the surrounding tourists had heard what she was saying.
Xiao Wang and the others were, of course, ecstatic.
And Tan Xiaojun?
His face was filled with the shock of having eaten something foul, but he quickly regained his composure and waved, "Everyone, follow me!"
He jogged up the mountain path.
Then came Ning Xiaolan and her group, over a dozen park service staff, and even dozens of tourists.
They all swarmed up the mountain path.
Among them was a woman in her forties.
If Su Ziyu were there, she would have recognized her instantly.
After leaving the valley with a child, the woman had lingered at the park entrance, secretly waiting for the plainclothes officers summoned by that "young man."
But to her surprise,
The park security had taken no action.
Instead, Ning Xiaolan, all the way from the city, had rushed over with a team.
The woman, mingling with the tourists, had also heard what Ning Xiaolan had shouted.
Her heart sank.
"I absolutely cannot let Tan Xiaojun live."
"After all, he's the direct contact for Wu Neng and those two good-for-nothings."
"If they betray me to the police, not only will I be arrested, but it will also implicate Director Du."
"Tan Xiaojun, you must die."
The woman thought maliciously and secretly followed behind Tan Xiaojun.
A full sixty people crossed Duck Peak half an hour later.
Below them was the location where Su Ziyu and Li Qianfan were waiting.
The terrain here was treacherous.
As Su Ziyu, from the valley floor, saw a group of people appear on the summit, she immediately jumped up and waved, "Mom, be careful!"
Seeing her beloved daughter and son-in-law standing at the valley floor, Ning Xiaolan breathed another sigh of relief. Of course, she no longer needed Tan Xiaojun to lead the way and rushed down with Xiao Wang and the others.
Tan Xiaojun also naturally fell to the back of the group.
"Once Wu Neng and the others are captured alive, they'll definitely give me up."
"Other than exposing Director Du, who's involved in dirty business, what other options do I have?"
"Given Director Du's ruthlessness, to ensure his own safety, he'll definitely try to silence me."
"No, I have to escape while I have the chance."
"Escape now!"
Tan Xiaojun thought to himself, lowered his head, and turned to run towards the south side of Duck Peak.
To ensure his absolute safety, he didn't even dare to drive his car from the office.
He decided to simply cross Duck Peak and disappear into the vast mountains south of Xiaoqingshan.
"It's all those idiot Wu Neng's fault for ruining me!"
As Tan Xiaojun ran swiftly through the tangled woods, bending low, he cursed this sentence again when his foot caught on a tree root.
With a thud, he landed heavily on the ground and rolled down the southern slope of Duck Peak.
It hurt!
As Tan Xiaojun tumbled, his head hit a rock, and the pain made him see stars.
Finally,
Tan Xiaojun was stopped by a tree, and he ceased rolling.
He lay there face down, eyes closed, needing a good rest.
Suddenly,
He heard footsteps.
Tan Xiaojun quickly looked up.
He saw—
A woman with a sinister grin, holding a rock high above her head, savagely smashing it down towards his head.
Bang!
Tan Xiaojun's scream was faint.
Ning Xiaolan, of course, knew nothing of what was happening here.
As soon as she rushed down into the valley, she hugged her son-in-law tightly, "Don't be afraid, Mom is here!"
Mother's love.
The great mother's love made Li Qianfan feel a bit dazed, and he just grinned foolishly.
Su Ziyu looked at him with envy, jealousy, and hatred.
She was the continuation of Mother Lan's life, wasn't she?
But Mother Lan hugged her "little husband" first, what kind of logic was that?
Fine.
Given how scared the kid was, Su Ziyu decided not to argue with him about it.
After her mother had embraced Li Qianfan, Su Ziyu proactively opened her arms, wanting to share an even closer hug with her mother.
But Ning Xiaolan—
Opened her mouth and asked, "Are the thugs and the missing people in this cave?"
Su Ziyu froze.
Where was the embrace full of motherly love?
"Mom, I'll take you inside."
Li Qianfan stepped forward in time, his spirit renewed, as if he had been the one to subdue the four thugs.
It made Ziyu's teeth itch with annoyance.
She inwardly roared sweetly, "Little husband, you just wait! I'll break both your legs sooner or later!"
However,
Half an hour later, Su Ziyu became an unrivaled beautiful heroine in the eyes of sixty people!
Except for her mother's smug look of "My daughter only knows a few tricks, but it's mostly thanks to my good teaching," everyone else, including Li Qianfan, Xiao Wang, and the other special agents, looked at her with adoration.
Ning Xiaolan immediately arranged for people to quickly carry the two barely alive missing persons down the mountain.
Then, she called the sub-bureau, briefly reported the situation, and then, with Xiao Wang and the others, escorted the finally awakened Wu Neng and his companions down the mountain slowly.
"Huh?"
Ning Xiaolan suddenly thought of something and turned to ask Xiao Wang, "Where's Tan Xiaojun?"
Tan Xiaojun was gone.
He had escaped!
"Escaped?"
Ning Xiaolan sneered, "As long as you're still alive, even if you escape to Mars, we'll still apprehend you and bring you to justice!"
Mother Lan was destined to be disappointed.
As she led her team, escorting Wu Neng and the others down the mountain, a woman took out her phone.
After she finished her report, a man's calm voice came from the other end of the line, "You did well. You will be handsomely rewarded."
Before the woman, whose face was beaming with joy, could thank him, the man asked again, "What are the names of the man and woman who ruined our plans?"
"The woman is Su Ziyu."
The woman looked down the mountain path and replied, "The man's surname is Li, and his name is Li Qianfan."
Ah-choo—
Li Qianfan, who was descending the mountain, suddenly sneezed.
Mother Lan immediately asked with concern, "Qian Fan, do you have a cold?"
Su Ziyu immediately rolled her eyes.
"Hold on, you and Ziyu are the parties involved, so you both have to go to the sub-bureau. It might be late."
Mother Lan was absolutely prescient.
It was already 1:30 AM when Li Qianfan and Su Ziyu returned home (Mother Lan was working overtime).
To avoid worrying Old Su, Mother Lan had already found an excuse, saying she had something to do and would be back late.
Old Su hadn't paid much attention and had already gone to bed.
After the two returned home, Su Ziyu's knees felt weak, and her whole body was drained.
Li Qianfan recognized it as the "aftershock of fear" kicking in.
"Little husband, carry me inside."
Su Ziyu leaned on Li Qianfan's shoulder, her voice soft, her playful pout cool, "We're both taking tomorrow off. We'll stay home and recover from the shock."
Li Qianfan happily agreed to his black-belt wife's command.
He bent down, picked her up, and walked quickly into the bedroom.
The door closed.
When the door opened again—
The morning sun had already poked its head out.
Glancing at Su Ziyu, who was still sleeping soundly on the floor mat, Li Qianfan closed the bedroom door, went to the living room window, and took out his phone.
He called his boss.
Sigh.
He had to ask for leave again today.