ebookland Chapter 242 Flowers Bloom in the South of the City, Time to Return 13
Chapter 242 Flowers Bloom in the South of the City, Time to Return 13
As usual, we finished work under the bright moon and gentle breeze.
Shen Shuwan squinted, her head drooping, dragging her exhausted legs and weary body as she slowly made her way back.
Just two blocks from Paramount, my foot accidentally stepped on something that felt like soft, mushy dough with a thick, sticky, wet texture.
Startled, she instantly snapped back to reality and looked up to see the corpses lying haphazardly on the ground.
There seemed to be a living person in the shadows of the alley, half-sitting against the wall, holding something in his right hand that looked like a wooden gun.
He suddenly looked up, and Shen Shuwan's eyes met his. The murderous aura emanating from him startled her so much that she turned and left hastily without thinking.
Having worked her way up in Hong Kong for so long, she's seen her fair share of "big scenes."
No matter how many times I've seen it, I still feel incredibly panicked.
Especially this time, there was also a survivor with low health.
The morality and conscience cultivated over the past thirteen years lashed out at her, condemning her for ignoring the life of a living person out of fear.
But her rational side was always on high alert, reminding her that nothing else mattered compared to her own life.
Being alone in a foreign land, she needed to protect herself and wanted to return home alive, so she could only stay out of other people's business.
You shouldn't just pick up injured people you encounter on the street out of kindness.
Who knows whether what we take back is a troublesome little devil or a deadly demon?
Xiao Zhang, who works at the restaurant with me, kindly took in someone six months ago.
As a result, not only did he lose all his savings of many years, but he also almost lost his life.
From this point on, Shen Shuwan dared not make any rash moves.
It was also thanks to the "good fortune and safety charm" she had chosen beforehand that she was always given a warning in advance, which helped her avoid a lot of misfortune and live to this day.
However, Shen Shuwan slowed down.
Just now, she didn't seem to have any bad premonition.
Moreover, the man's appearance from earlier still bothered her somewhat.
It feels like I've seen it somewhere before.
……
Huo Jingchao leaned weakly against the wall, watching the departing figure, and gave a bitter smile.
I'm afraid I'm going to fail here today.
After years of hunting eagles, he ended up getting his eyes pecked by a domesticated sparrow.
He really is his good younger brother.
She acted alongside him for so long, even taking a bullet for him to gain his trust.
Now that the time has come, they will show no mercy when it comes to taking action.
They hired more than a dozen people to deal with him alone; that's giving him a lot of respect.
If it weren't for the instincts I'd developed over years of licking knives, I probably would be dead by now.
However, given his current state, he's not far from death.
The incident happened suddenly; he had left home unexpectedly, and his subordinates were not notified. By the time they realized what was happening, they would probably only be able to find his body.
Huo Jingchao smiled sarcastically, closed his eyes, and made no struggle.
The familiar, light footsteps sounded again.
His steps were unsteady, weak, and hesitant.
It shouldn't be someone sent by his good brother.
He's probably someone who's incredibly reckless and doesn't value his life.
This area is very chaotic. Although there is some control, things like today happen frequently.
If someone happens to be passing by and is bold enough and lucky enough, they can always find a lot of money on the corpse, enough to eat several meals for free.
But if you're unlucky and encounter someone with a bad temper, you can only accept your misfortune and risk your life.
Judging from the footsteps, it must be the person who just left in a hurry.
Her return must have been because she knew he was powerless to fight back, and she wanted to make a quick buck.
She's lucky.
Huo Jingchao kept his eyes tightly closed, enduring the intense dizziness caused by rapid blood loss, and had no strength left to care about her.
The footsteps approached slowly, stepping over several corpses, and then stopped a short distance in front of him, asking in a low voice, "Patriarch Huo?"
Huo Jingchao frowned and forced his eyes open again.
The lighting wasn't good at night, and Shen Shuwan had deliberately smeared mud on her face before returning. Her thick bangs also covered most of her face, making it difficult for him to see her features clearly.
He has always disliked those who hide their true intentions and therefore does not wish to respond.
The prolonged silence forced Shen Shuwan, who was used to keeping her head down to minimize her presence in her solitary life, to look up at him.
When she looked up, her eyes, which had been hidden behind her bangs, were revealed.
Clear and clean, with a rare vibrancy and resilience, it made him feel a little dazed, and also a little familiar.
He paused, then, thanks to his good memory, quickly remembered her: "It's you."
The rabbit that escaped from the jaws of a tiger at the harbor.
Shen Shuwan was stunned, her eyes filled with confusion: "Huh? We... have met before?"
"It was just a brief encounter." Huo Jingchao said no more.
Shen Shuwan didn't want to pursue the matter further, so she spoke quickly in a breathy voice, "Do you have anyone you can trust? I can help you send a message."
Huo Jingchao was somewhat surprised, but he never hesitated to assume the worst of people, and his voice was slightly hoarse: "Conditions?"
"Lift the ban. I want the port to reopen, the sooner the better," Shen Shuwan said directly.
"You're quite arrogant. How can you be so sure I can do it?" Huo Jingchao narrowed his eyes, his cold voice carrying a heavy sense of pressure that surged like a tide.
Shen Shuwan forced herself to meet his gaze without looking down, but her hand gripping her sleeve tightened again and again: "I don't know, but I want to take a gamble. Even if I lose, it's just a wasted trip."
If she wins, she can go home sooner.
I recently heard at the Paramount Ballroom that the port may be reopening.
But she clearly remembered that in the storyline the system gave her, the sea ban lasted for a full four years.
She had carefully compared the differences between the two, and the only variable was the person in front of her.
She had seen this face many times in the newspaper.
The head of the Huo family, who had been pushing hard for the opening of the port, died unexpectedly, and his third brother took over.
Although the person was personally trained by the head of the Huo family and was familiar with the affairs of all the people, the sudden change of the person in charge still brought a lot of trouble to the Huo family.
It was probably because of this change that the Huo family was temporarily unable to manage the port, which led to the development in the original storyline.
If it's really as she thinks...
Tonight might be the key to whether she can go home soon.
Shen Shuwan pursed her lips and added, "And now, you can only trust me."
Huo Jingchao chuckled. It was rare for someone to dare gamble with his life right in front of him.
But since they can live, who would willingly face death? "Runfeng Trading Company, find Xu Zhiyi."
Shen Shuwan: "Okay, hang in there."
Perhaps because he had a glimmer of hope for survival, Huo Jingchao's cold expression relaxed a bit, and he smiled calmly: "Don't worry, I won't die for now."
Shen Shuwan stood up and promised again, "Wait."
She hadn't taken more than a few steps when Huo Jingchao suddenly called out to her, "Wait."
Shen Shuwan stopped and turned around: "What's wrong? Is there something else?"
Huo Jingchao: "What's your name?"
Shen Shuwan paused briefly, her eyes flickering with a thousand broken emotions yet also a glimmer of life: "Shen Gui, the Gui of returning home."