You Mingxu held him tightly, sobbing aloud.
When she had taken off her clothes earlier to bandage his wounds, the gun in her hand had already been seized. Now, Xing Yanjun approached with his men, while Huang Long and Guo Feirong helped Xing Jifu to his feet. They all watched You Mingxu kneeling on the ground, clutching Luo Yu.
Xing Jifu said coldly, "Take her away as a hostage."
One of the underlings moved to grab You Mingxu, but she clung fiercely to Luo Yu, kicking the man away. The underlings looked to Xing Jifu, who said, "Come with us without resistance. Otherwise, I'll have someone blow Luo Yu's head off, leaving no intact corpse. Didn't you promise to collect his body?"
You Mingxu raised her head, her eyes bloodshot. Then, slowly, she laid Luo Yu down on the grass, watching as blood stained the green blades. He was already lifeless. An overwhelming wave of guilt and sorrow surged in her heart, but she could only suppress it, burying it deep as she bowed her head and pressed a final kiss to Luo Yu's forehead.
She stood up, and someone brought ropes to bind her hands. Another searched her thoroughly, finding no weapons. Her long hair was still neatly tied back with a hairpin.
They shoved her forward, heading into the woods. Gradually, they were about to leave the valley.
She suddenly turned her head, gazing back at the patch of grass that was no longer visible.
He lay there, with no family or comrades by his side. Lying on the cold grass, he died on the eve of dawn after a long night for an undercover agent. He died at the hands of someone who was once clean and upright.
Everything that happened today was bought with his life.
All the mysteries surrounding Luo Yu finally had answers.
Perhaps all these years, he had truly lived like a criminal—his speech, actions, and way of thinking all ruthless and sinister.
But the heart in his chest never changed until death, right? That heart belonging to a police officer. Though it was only known to her just before he died.
You Mingxu closed her eyes, allowing one last tear to fall. She wiped it away with her arm, fully aware of what she had to do next, what she must do.
To do it in Luo Yu's stead.
These men were all elites among elites under Xing Jifu's command. Though severely weakened by the police, they remained fierce and cunning, far surpassing ordinary people. Soon, they exited the valley and reached a remote, deserted country road.
You Mingxu remained silent along the way, seemingly still lost in the grief of losing Luo Yu, allowing herself to be pushed and shoved forward in a daze.
Dusk had fallen, the mountains were silent, and the wilderness was empty. Only this group of fugitives raced on. You Mingxu knew very well that with a road came the likelihood of people, even vehicles. If they could hijack a car, they would have a chance to completely escape the police encirclement.
This was also why she hadn't resisted too much and allowed herself to be taken hostage. The profound pain of losing Luo Yu made her more resolute and fearless.
Leaving the mountains meant there would be a signal again.
Earlier, for the safety of a secret undercover agent like Luo Yu, it was highly possible that Yin Feng and his team weren't allowed to know about or participate in such a large-scale operation and firefight—it was simply too dangerous. This was likely why he had been completely silent today. He had lost her signal again.
But she believed he must be somewhere nearby.What if he could pick up her signal again now?
A group of people continued fleeing along the rural road. After walking a while longer, they spotted a few isolated farmhouses ahead, devoid of any signs of life. Parked by the roadside in front of the farmhouses was a very old minivan.
Huang Long and the others all brightened at the sight.
Huang Long signaled two of his subordinates to go investigate. They ran over, found no one in the vehicle, and began picking the lock.
The others escorted Xing Jifu and Xing Yanjun forward as well.
You Mingxu noticed the tire tracks at a glance, and her heart stirred.
The rural road was dusty with yellow soil, yet the two tire tracks were clear and distinct, neither covered nor disrupted, indicating the vehicle hadn't been parked there for long.
She was also pushed toward the van, secretly lifting her head to observe. The weeds on both sides of the road were as tall as a person, dense and thick, utterly silent. Her heartbeat quickened, and she felt a flicker of anticipation. She showed no expression on her face, focusing intently on the surrounding sounds.
The van door lock was popped open, and everyone was delighted. They first helped Xing Jifu and Xing Yanjun into the vehicle.
Right at that moment.
Gunfire erupted.
Intense, muffled, and ferocious firepower came from all directions. They were surrounded.
Almost at the first gunshot, You Mingxu threw herself to the ground and rolled under the van. But when she looked out, she was stunned by the scene before her—
Every shot was fatal.
Head, heart, abdomen—the attackers aimed exclusively at vital areas, showing no mercy. Xing Jifu's most loyal and capable subordinates were all shot and fell, dead on the spot. This included Huang Long; You Mingxu heard him grunt and collapse heavily on the ground before her, shot in the head and neck.
After the initial shock, You Mingxu immediately removed her hairpin, cut the ropes binding her hands, and tucked the hairpin back into hiding. Moving closer to the other side of the van's undercarriage, she saw Xing Jifu, Guo Feirong, and Xing Yanjun crouching by the vehicle, covering their heads, utterly defenseless.
You Mingxu's heart sank heavily.
These weren't the police. The police would never operate like this.
And it wasn't Yin Feng either.
Yin Feng would never kill.
Then who was it?
Who could so accurately predict Xing Jifu's escape route and set up an ambush?
Who had waited until the confrontation between Luo Yu, the Yunnan faction, Xiangtan Lao, and the police was nearly settled before revealing themselves—the mantis stalking the cicada, only to be ambushed by the oriole behind?
The answer suddenly surged in You Mingxu's heart.
They had shown themselves.
They were finally showing themselves.
So this time, their goal was still punishment?
Punishing the Kaiyang Group, punishing... Xing Jifu?
The gunfire gradually subsided.
You Mingxu's thoughts raced like lightning. The enemy was fierce and numerous. This moment was her only chance to resist. She abruptly rolled out from under the van and lunged toward Guo Feirong.
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