The night was as dark as ink. Two drenched figures, supporting each other, hobbled along a mountain path.
They had to prick up their ears from time to time, listening for any movement around them.
Several times, the pursuing figures in black passed overhead. Qin Chuan and Li Ya, hidden in a corner, held each other tightly, daring not to make a sound.
Only after the pursuers had disappeared for a long time did the two crawl out of their hiding place and cautiously continue forward.
After a full half hour, just as both of them were about to collapse from exhaustion, the outline of a village appeared ahead.
"Sister, look quickly, that's the village I was telling you about!"
Qin Chuan said excitedly to Li Ya.
"How much further?"
Li Ya's voice trembled, weak and frail. She felt her eyelids were about to fall shut.
Sensing something was wrong, Qin Chuan quickly felt Li Ya's forehead, finding it burning hot.
"Sister! Sister!!"
"Don't fall asleep, I'll carry you, we're almost there!"
Qin Chuan gritted his teeth, squatted down, and with his last ounce of strength, lifted Li Ya onto his back again and staggered towards the front.
Bang, bang, bang!!!
In the middle of the night, a violent knocking sound suddenly erupted from outside the door of a farmhouse, startling the sleeping residents.
When the male and female owners cautiously opened the door, they screamed in fright.
A man, soaking wet, was carrying a woman, also soaking wet, standing outside. The man's face was pale, supported only by sheer willpower.
The woman on his back was too obscured to see her face, and she had been completely still throughout.
"Uncle, Auntie, can you please call the police? We were robbed!"
Qin Chuan said weakly.
"What?!"
Hearing "robbed," the male and female owners were startled. Then, displaying the simplicity and kindness of farmers, they immediately invited Qin Chuan inside.
Inside the house, two children were still sleeping soundly, undisturbed by the commotion.
"Oh dear, this child has a high fever!"
When Qin Chuan wearily placed Li Ya on a stool, the female owner touched Li Ya's forehead and exclaimed.
"Yes, when we were fleeing, we accidentally fell into the river. That's how we managed to escape."
Qin Chuan explained.
"Uncle, can I borrow your phone? I need to make a few calls."
"Child, we're just a simple family, where would we have a mobile phone!"
The male owner said with a wry smile.
Qin Chuan blinked, then quickly came to his senses. He had almost forgotten the era; mobile phones were not yet widespread in China, and for many, they were still a luxury that ordinary families couldn't afford.
"However, we do have a public phone in our village. If you need to report a crime, I can go and do it for you!"
At this, the male owner's words filled Qin Chuan with renewed hope.
"Husband, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and go to the village head's house to report it!"
"Robbery is not a small matter."
The female owner urged.
The male owner said "En" and immediately prepared to leave.
"Uncle, when you report it to the police, please tell them the victim's name is Qin Chuan, and also ask them to notify the person in charge of Yaoshi Real Estate."
Qin Chuan said weakly.
"Yaoshi Real Estate? Qin Chuan? That name sounds familiar..."
The male owner silently remembered the name and then strode away.
"Child, your clothes are soaked through. If you don't mind, you can wear our clothes!"
At this, the female owner took out two sets of clothes from a chest and spoke.
"Thank you, Auntie!"
"But I don't need to change, please help my girlfriend change her clothes!"
Qin Chuan quickly stood up and thanked her.
"Please don't worry, I will repay your kindness tonight!"
"Oh dear, what are you talking about repayment at a time like this? Everyone has their difficult moments!"
The female owner was very kind. She helped the now drowsy Li Ya and assisted her in changing clothes.
During this, perhaps the movement caused the dazed Li Ya to regain a sliver of consciousness. When she saw a woman undressing her, she was startled.
After Qin Chuan explained, Li Ya relaxed. A faint blush appeared on her pale face. Forcing down her weakness, she thanked the female owner and began to change her own clothes.
"Young man, have a bowl of hot water!"
The female owner brought two bowls of hot water. Casually glancing, she saw the blue and purple bruises on Li Ya's smooth, jade-like back under the lamplight, some places broken. It was jarring, and she sadly put down the water and walked over.
As for Qin Chuan, he had already clenched his fists. Deep within his lowered, dark eyes, a violent aura simmered.
The experience tonight was utterly humiliating. If he didn't avenge this, he'd write his surname backwards.
Not long after, footsteps were heard from outside. The male owner returned, accompanied by two villagers, one of whom was the village head. Both of them carried wary expressions.
After all, at this late hour, a disheveled man and woman suddenly appearing and claiming to have been robbed would make anyone cautious.
About half an hour later, police sirens wailed loudly from outside. Many police cars and other vehicles arrived.
Then, a flurry of footsteps sounded rapidly, and the door was pushed open. Xiao Guodong, leading the police, strode in.
Behind him followed Qin Yang, Zheng Chengdao, Bai Xiaoguang, Yao Dong, and others.
Each of them wore an anxious expression.
Especially when they saw Qin Chuan, completely drenched and without shoes, they were terrified.
"Xiao Chuan!!"
"Qin Chuan!!"
"Boss, how are you?"
"Boss, tell me, which bastard did this? I'll kill him!"
Amidst the concerned voices, everyone in the room was stunned, looking bewildered and clueless.
They were just ordinary farmers; they had never seen such a scene before.
At the same time, they finally understood that the man and woman they had inadvertently helped had a significant background.
"I'm fine!"
"Have someone take Li Ya to the hospital first, she has a fever!"
Qin Chuan said.
"Quick, get Manager Li into the car and to the hospital immediately!"
As soon as Qin Chuan spoke, people sprang into action.
"Xiao Chuan, I'm not going, I'm staying with you!"
Li Ya quickly shook her head.
"Sister, be good. You have a fever now, it's not suitable to stay here. I'll be there soon."
Qin Chuan walked to Li Ya and gently comforted her.
Li Ya's eyes reddened: "Then you must come!"
"Don't worry, I will!"
After Li Ya left, Qin Chuan asked the irrelevant people to wait outside in the yard, leaving only the main personnel in the room.
Only then did he meticulously recount the events of the night to everyone.
Upon learning that the mastermind behind tonight's events was very likely retaliation from the Han family of Longcheng, everyone's faces turned grave.
This news was too immense, too difficult to accept.
No one had expected the Han family's retaliation to come so quickly.
In just a few days, they had sent people to commit violence. If Qin Chuan and Li Ya hadn't been so lucky tonight, they might have been captured by the other party, and the consequences were unknown.
"Damn it, I don't care about their Han family or Wang family! We only know our boss almost didn't come back!"
Yao Dong, full of ferocity, clenched his fists. "Are those four black-clothed figures still in the mountains? I'll take the brothers to search the reservoir area immediately!"
"Yeah, daring to be so arrogant on our territory, they must be tired of living!"
Bai Xiaoguang also radiated ferocity, his eyes bloodshot.
Qin Chuan was more than just their boss; in their hearts, he had long since become their idol. Now that their idol was almost killed by villains, how could they not be enraged.
"Brother Dao, can you go and check on the road to see if that Audi is still there? If it's not, then it means they've already fled!"
After a few seconds of thought, Qin Chuan did not reject Yao Dong and Bai Xiaoguang's suggestion.