Chapter 93: Kidnapping!

Jiangzhou First People's Hospital

Chen Feng sat outside the operating room, his gaze fixed on the red light above the door. Unconsciously, his fists clenched tight, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not suppress the murderous intent surging in his chest.

"Chen Feng, it’s been taken care of," Lu Rui said as he stood across from Chen Feng, speaking slowly. "The police have begun their investigation. However, we still haven’t been able to identify those six individuals. It may take some time."

"Thank you, Uncle Lu," Chen Feng replied, forcing a faint smile onto his face as he looked at Lu Rui.

Lu Rui gently patted Chen Feng’s shoulder and spoke in a calm, reassuring voice. "Don’t worry. Your parents will be fine. I’ve already found the best doctors in Jiangzhou to look after them. With their skill, they’ll make sure your parents are safe."

"I understand," Chen Feng said, rubbing his face and glancing at Lu Rui. "Uncle Lu, I’m sorry to trouble you again this time."

Lu Rui smiled slightly. "Don’t take it to heart; it’s nothing. But you need to be careful. I’m afraid those people were after you. They likely have accomplices. Be on your guard—if they failed the first time, there may well be a second. Stay alert!"

"I will. Thank you, Uncle Lu," Chen Feng replied with a gentle smile.

Lu Rui sighed. "I have some things to attend to, so I’ll head back now. Also, I’ve arranged some bodyguards here for your parents. If anyone comes again, they’ll be protected."

"Thank you, Uncle Lu!" Chen Feng stood up, his gratitude evident in his tone as he looked at Lu Rui.

"You’re welcome," Lu Rui replied with a smile.

After Lu Rui left, Chen Feng paced back and forth along the corridor. The red light above the operating room seemed to burn a hole in his heart, filling him with agitation. His parents had been gravely injured, and he had no idea about the outcome of the surgery. Who were those people? What did they want?

For a moment, his mind was in utter chaos.

"Chen Feng!" Suddenly, a voice called out nearby. Chen Feng looked up to see Xiao Yu standing before him.

"Sister Xiao, you’re here," Chen Feng greeted her, casting her a glance before sighing heavily.

"Yes," Xiao Yu nodded. Her gaze lingered on the red light above the operating room, then she took Chen Feng by the arm and said, "Come with me."

Surprised, Chen Feng nonetheless followed her to a quiet, empty corner. Once sure they were alone, Xiao Yu spoke in a low voice, "I’ve almost figured out who those people are."

"What?" Chen Feng exclaimed in shock. "Sister Xiao, you—you know?"

Xiao Yu nodded, narrowing her eyes. "They belong to an organization under the Black Skull Mercenary Corps. Every one of them is a mercenary from Black Skull. This group is active in Africa and has a notorious reputation in the international underworld. They number about five thousand, with excellent equipment. In Africa, they wield considerable influence."

"How do you know this?" Chen Feng asked, astonished.

Xiao Yu continued, "I have some connections. There are things others don’t know that I do. Chen Feng, it seems someone truly wants you dead."

"Luo Yongjiang!" Chen Feng suddenly blurted out. "It’s Luo Yongjiang. It must be him—he must have hired the Black Skull Mercenaries to come after me. There’s no one else; he’s the only one I’ve offended in Jiangzhou. Apart from him, no one else could be behind this."

"That’s unlikely," Xiao Yu shook her head. "You probably don’t know this, but even the underworld has its own forbidden territories. Some places are strictly off-limits. For these mercenaries, our country is such a forbidden zone. Do you see real organized crime here?"

Chen Feng was taken aback. "There must be, right?"

"That’s not real organized crime—at most, it’s just thugs," Xiao Yu replied, shaking her head. "It might look glamorous, but if the authorities decide to crack down, they’re wiped out without hesitation. Are there any famous gangs here? Real crime syndicates—look at the Yamaguchi-gumi in Japan or the Mafia in America. Here, it’s just street thugs at best."

Chen Feng was left speechless. Xiao Yu went on, "So, domestically, the underworld’s foreign powers can’t meddle here. That’s determined by our system. But there’s another reason as well."

"Another reason?" Chen Feng asked in surprise. "What is it?"

"There’s our own martial world," Xiao Yu replied, glancing at him. "Foreign forces can’t get involved here without the approval of the local factions."

"Our martial world?" Chen Feng echoed, puzzled. "But didn’t you say there’s no real underworld here?"

"Where there are people, there’s conflict," Xiao Yu said earnestly. "There are things you’re not ready to understand yet. This world isn’t as simple as you think. But I can be sure—Luo Yongjiang could never contact the Black Skull Mercenaries. They live in two completely different worlds with no intersection. Mercenaries like that can’t just enter our country for money alone. If Luo Yongjiang could pull that off, Lu Rui would never dare lay a finger on him."

"So it’s not Luo Yongjiang?" Chen Feng took a deep breath, and suddenly another name flashed through his mind. "Could it be An Ran?"

But he quickly dismissed the thought. Though he and An Ran had had their differences, their conflict wasn’t deep enough for her to hire foreign mercenaries to deal with him.

"It must be Luo Yongjiang. No one else hates me that much—no one else would go this far!" Chen Feng drew a deep breath and spoke with conviction. "It has to be him. Only he hates me enough to want me dead a thousand times over. I trust my instincts!"

Suddenly, Chen Feng realized something. He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

It was Fang Yue’s phone.

*****

Noon, Jiangzhou No. 1 High School

A van sat quietly in front of the school gates. Inside were several burly men. Despite the summer heat, a cold, sinister air filled the vehicle. There were six people in total, one of whom was Luo Wenqiang.

Luo Wenqiang held a phone to his ear. A voice came through: "Qiang, the mission failed. We made contact with the target. All six are dead."

"I understand," Luo Wenqiang replied coldly. "Find a car and wait at the hospital entrance."

"Okay," came the curt reply before the call was abruptly cut off.

Luo Wenqiang’s gaze remained fixed on the school gates. Soon, the bell rang—the signal for the end of classes. All eyes in the van turned to the entrance as a crowd of students poured out. They quickly spotted their target.

Fang Yue walked out of the school. Ever since Chen Feng had taken the college entrance exam early, she’d felt a little lonely. But Chen Feng, with time on his hands, would come to school every day at noon to have lunch with her, and accompany her home in the evening.

"Not here?" Fang Yue glanced around, a strange feeling creeping into her heart. She wondered to herself, "Chen Feng is always punctual. Why hasn’t he shown up today?"

As she was pondering this, her phone rang. She quickly answered—seeing it was Chen Feng calling brought a sweet warmth to her heart. She picked up eagerly: "Chen Feng!"

"Fang Yue, where are you right now?" Chen Feng’s voice sounded urgent.

"I’m—I’m at the school gate!" she answered, a little puzzled by his tone. "Where are you? Aren’t you here?"

"Listen to me," Chen Feng said loudly, "Go back into the school right now. Don’t come out!"

Fang Yue was startled. "What do you mean by that? Why should I go back in?"

"Just do it! I suspect someone means you harm," Chen Feng’s words came fast, "Find a place to hide—I’m coming to the school now. Remember—"

But as Fang Yue listened, her vision suddenly went black. In an instant, she was surrounded. Instinctively, she looked up and saw a very familiar man walking toward her. She froze, mouth agape, as if she’d seen a ghost in broad daylight. Her voice trembled with disbelief: "Luo Wenhao!"

Before she could finish, a man standing behind her pressed a handkerchief over her mouth and nose.

Muffled cries escaped her as she struggled desperately, but a strange odor rushed into her body—it was ether. She thrashed a few times, then went limp, her phone slipping from her hand and falling to the ground.

"Move," Luo Wenqiang ordered. Two men swiftly carried Fang Yue into the van. The whole process was swift and seamless; the surrounding students didn't even have time to react before she was loaded into the vehicle.

"Fang Yue! Fang Yue!" Chen Feng’s anxious voice still echoed from the phone on the ground.

Luo Wenqiang glanced at the phone and sneered, crushing it under his foot. The device shattered instantly. He climbed into the van, and the vehicle quickly sped away from the school.

(Fifth update. Dear brothers and sisters, this is the fifth update today. There are four more bonus chapters to come, making nine in total. If we get a few more monthly tickets, if we hit two hundred, there’ll be a tenth update today. Even Feng Shao can hardly contain his excitement. Can you all help make it happen?) (To be continued...)