Liang Mei was startled by Xu Yaoyao in this state.
In her memory, Xu Yaoyao had always been a kind girl, seemingly never losing her temper.
But now, Xu Yaoyao was truly angry.
Liang Mei opened her mouth, wanting to refute Xu Yaoyao's words, but found she had no valid reason.
"I know it's all my fault, but I don't want to die, why do I have to bear all this?" Liang Mei pleaded with a tearful face. Xu Yaoyao's tone was resolute, and she said again, "If it weren't for us, they wouldn't be in danger, do you understand?"
Liang Mei could not refute.
Xu Yaoyao said no more, pulling Liang Mei's hand and rushing towards the library.
This also made the two of them a peculiar sight, going against the flow while everyone else was fleeing.
As Xu Yaoyao walked, she feared she wasn't fast enough, so she started running. Liang Mei let Xu Yaoyao drag her along, not daring to utter a word, her entire face having turned deathly pale.
"Can you tell me now how Zhu Xiaotian and Yang Qianqian died?" Xu Yaoyao asked as they walked.
She then added, "I want to be a ghost who knows."
Liang Mei hesitated, unsure whether to tell Xu Yaoyao. Xu Yaoyao whispered sternly, "If you don't tell me, you might not have another chance. What are you still hesitating about?"
Liang Mei said bitterly, "Alright, I'll tell you now."
"This is what happened..."
She recounted the events of the previous night to Xu Yaoyao. Xu Yaoyao was shocked, then said gravely, "These people are indeed vermin, trampling social order under their feet. They will surely face retribution!"
Liang Mei's face was filled with bitterness.
Now that she was about to die, how could she spare a thought for such things?
Not long after.
The two arrived at the library entrance.
The entrance was crowded with school leaders, headed by the President of Ninghai University, Wu Wen. Wu Wen held a megaphone and said, "Please calm down, do not act rashly and kill our students. I am the President of Ninghai University, and I can be your hostage in their place."
Well-meaning people around were persuading Wu Wen not to take such a risk.
Wu Wen rebuked, "Do you think I am a coward afraid of death? Our students are the future of our nation. If I, as the president, cannot protect them, what right do I have to hold this position?"
"Those inside, listen! I carry the most weight!"
"Release the students!"
Wu Wen was filled with anxiety, wishing he could rush forward and rescue these students.
At this moment.
Xu Yaoyao and Liang Mei walked to Wu Wen's side. Wu Wen clearly recognized Xu Yaoyao, but he had always treated her as an ordinary student, never giving her any special favors or shortcuts.
"Yaoyao, why are you here? You should leave quickly, it's very dangerous!" Wu Wen frowned.
"President, those people are after me and her. She knows certain people's secrets, so she was sent to silence her. Their actions are merely to force us to show ourselves!" Xu Yaoyao explained, causing Wu Wen's brow to furrow deeply.
Wu Wen realized that Xu Yaoyao's words might be true, but he still said, "No, this is too dangerous. No matter who your grandfather is, I cannot let you take this risk!"
This could cost lives!
Xu Yaoyao naturally knew the danger. "President, I understand what you're saying. But if our lives are exchanged for the safety of these students, isn't it worth it?"
After saying that.
She turned to Liang Mei and said, "Don't worry, I promised I would protect you. If we die, I will die with you."
Liang Mei's heart trembled. Had she misheard?
Was she—
Serious?
When Liang Mei saw the sincerity in Xu Yaoyao's eyes, she finally understood that Xu Yaoyao had always harbored a pure heart, and her words were not a joke!
Xu Yaoyao was serious!
Liang Mei finally understood that there would always be people in this world, considered pedantic by others, who defended unseen and intangible justice!
Her heart was deeply moved, and her nervousness gradually subsided. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Perhaps we should forget it. I'll die alone. Your identity is more important than mine. Besides, you already know what happened. I hope you can give Ms. Yang and Mr. Zhu justice! You're right, everyone dies eventually, either heavier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather!"
"I'll risk it all."
Liang Mei had been a petty person her entire life. Now, she wanted to seize the moment with a surge of courage to sacrifice herself for righteousness!
Xu Yaoyao looked at Liang Mei in surprise. This was completely different from the Liang Mei she knew.
Liang Mei said to Xu Yaoyao with a bitter face, "Grandmother, please don't hesitate any longer. I'm afraid if my adrenaline levels return to normal, I'll turn into a coward again. Can you let me be a hero just once?"
"No, there must be other ways. Don't rush!" Xu Yaoyao said calmly.
At this time.
The two killers were becoming impatient and had already threatened to kill someone to establish their authority.
Xu Yaoyao realized that she and those around her were almost incapable of subduing these two killers, not to mention that the killers held dozens of hostages, making it difficult to act decisively.
Therefore—
Xu Yaoyao could only place her hope in Chen Jin Zhao to resolve this situation.
The path before her now became clear: stall for as much time as possible, and wait for Chen Jin Zhao to arrive!
"Two more minutes should be enough!" Xu Yaoyao thought to herself.
She snatched the megaphone from Wu Wen and said to the two killers, "Don't you just want to kill Liang Mei? She is right beside me. But I advise you to release the hostages first, otherwise, I will reveal the secret Liang Mei told me! You holding students hostage at the school is an extremely serious offense. If I reveal that secret, those behind you will also be implicated!"
"Call them and ask clearly if they want to push things this far!"
"It's a mutually destructive situation if it comes to that."
Although they were trained killers, they possessed basic judgment.
Hearing Xu Yaoyao's words, both of them froze and instinctively wanted to seek instructions from their superiors on what to do next.
So, they did not act in haste. One of them made a call for instructions.
A short while later.
Fang Ming Chao and Han Shang Wen also learned of the news. Han Shang Wen cursed, "Why does this Xu Yaoyao keep causing trouble for me? One day, I will deal with her!"
"Young Master Han, what should we do now?" Fang Ming Chao was also at a loss.
If they shot hostages, there was no guarantee Xu Yaoyao wouldn't reveal the secret. At that point, both the Han and Su families would be implicated. Then, if Chen Jin Zhao used the media under the Yu Group to stir up public opinion, it would surely become widely known.
For the two major families, this would be all harm and no benefit.
Han Shang Wen already regretted not cutting their losses the previous night. He slammed the table and roared, "Damn it all, it's all Zhu Xiaotian's fault, that dog! What was wrong with being a dog for our Han family? He had to betray our Han family for a mere actor!"
Without Zhu Xiaotian's betrayal, they wouldn't be in this predicament today.
A moment later.
He said in a deep voice, "Proceed according to the established objective. Contract the front line and only kill Liang Mei, the witness!"
Fang Ming Chao nodded.
"Understood."