Chapter 146

Chapter 146: Standoff The gunshot echoed across the sky. The surrounding residents had long grown accustomed to such sounds, assuming it was just another film crew shooting scenes in the abandoned building nearby. They had no idea that what was happening inside that building at this very moment was more thrilling than anything in the movies. Ten minutes earlier. Jiang Shixu arrived at the building on time. He went up to the twenty-sixth floor. The moment he saw what was before him, Jiang Shixu's eyes nearly split open with rage. Ruan Chutang was covered in blood, her face bruised red and purple in patches. Fu Yuanzhou had her by the throat, her feet dangling off the ground, her entire body suspended in midair, her face flushed crimson from the struggle to breathe. And beneath her feet was the broken, railing-less edge of the unfinished building. If Fu Yuanzhou so much as let go, Ruan Chutang would plummet from the twenty-sixth floor. Even as composed as Jiang Shixu was, there was no way he could remain calm and collected at the sight of such a scene. The man's heart immediately clenched and his breath caught in his throat. Fu Yuanzhou tightened his grip, keeping his hold on Ruan Chutang's neck as he turned to look at Jiang Shixu, raising an eyebrow. "You're here?" Jiang Shixu's throat constricted, a taste of blood spreading through his mouth. He tried to make his voice sound less tense. "Put her down first." "Feeling sorry for her?" Fu Yuanzhou's eyes held a smile, but his grip didn't change. Seeing the girl struggling to breathe, her complexion growing worse by the second, as if she would suffocate to death at any moment, Jiang Shixu felt as though he were being sliced by a thousand blades—flesh and blood torn apart, pain beyond endurance. Jiang Shixu heard his own hoarse voice ring out. "I came to the meeting as you demanded. Let her go." Fu Yuanzhou smiled, casually glancing at the girl whose neck he was gripping. Ruan Chutang was drenched in blood, her face turning purple. She was about to reach her limit. He shifted his grip on Ruan Chutang's neck, dragging her back into the building, then tossed her to the ground like trash. "You—" Jiang Shixu's veins bulged on his forehead as he instinctively took two steps toward Chutang. The next second, a gunshot rang out. "Don't be so hasty." Fu Yuanzhou toyed with a gun in his hand, a cold glint in his eyes. The shot landed at Jiang Shixu's feet—a warning not to take another step forward. "Let my men first confirm that you came alone." Fu Yuanzhou said with a smile. "If you dare pull any tricks, none of you will leave here alive today." Jiang Shixu stood rooted to the spot, a thin layer of frost enveloping him as an oppressive aura radiated from his entire being. Jiang Shixu didn't respond to Fu Yuanzhou's words. He simply stood there in silence. After a long moment, one of Fu Yuanzhou's men walked over to report: "He didn't bring anyone." Fu Yuanzhou hummed in acknowledgment, a mocking look in his eyes. "What a devoted lover." "Can you let her go now?" Jiang Shixu's tone was icy cold. Fu Yuanzhou raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Of course." Ruan Chutang had already lost consciousness. Jiang Shixu walked forward, crouching down beside her to check her injuries. "What grudge do you have against me that you have to drag her into this? She's innocent. Why hurt her?" Fu Yuanzhou curled his lips into a provocative smile. "Because... she's your woman." "Jiang Shixu, nothing brings me more joy than making you suffer." Fu Yuanzhou's smile was full of provocation. Jiang Shixu kept his head lowered, fists clenched tightly, murderous intent flashing in his eyes. He suppressed the overwhelming hatred and rage burning within him, and began performing CPR on Ruan Chutang. After his efforts, Ruan Chutang finally regained consciousness. "Shi...xu..." Chutang's voice was hoarse beyond recognition. Jiang Shixu's heart ached sharply. "Tangtang..." Chutang opened her eyes and saw Jiang Shixu. Her gaze first showed surprise, then quickly shifted to worry and anxiety. "Why are you here? Go, leave now! Don't worry about me!" Chutang forced the words out through her raspy throat. "Tangtang..." Jiang Shixu's expression was deeply moved. Fu Yuanzhou clapped his hands slowly, looking at Jiang Shixu and Ruan Chutang with a sarcastic tone. "What a touching love story." Jiang Shixu raised his head to meet Fu Yuanzhou's gaze. "I'll trade places with her. Have your men escort her out of here." Fu Yuanzhou smiled, looking almost too pleased. "Tsk tsk tsk, shouldn't young lovers share each other's hardships? Why fly apart when disaster strikes?" Jiang Shixu ignored Fu Yuanzhou. He carefully lifted Ruan Chutang in a princess carry, afraid of hurting her wounds. But Chutang had multiple cuts across her body—not deep, but still seeping blood. The crimson stained her clothes, and Jiang Shixu's heart had long since shattered into pieces. In a tone that brooked no argument, Jiang Shixu spoke coldly: "I'll take her downstairs. You arrange for someone to get her out of here." Even as he said this, his body moved swiftly, carrying Ruan Chutang as he dodged to the side. At the same moment, a red dot appeared on Fu Yuanzhou's forehead. And every single one of Fu Yuanzhou's men had red dots on their foreheads and chests as well. "You brought a goddamn sniper?" Fu Yuanzhou spotted the red dots on his men and roared in fury. Jiang Shixu curled his lips in a contemptuous smirk. Fu Yuanzhou's men exchanged uneasy glances, clearly not expecting Jiang Shixu to have kept an ace up his sleeve. "Fuck, didn't we say he came alone? Who did the check just now?" one of the underlings muttered in a low, irritated voice. "He really was alone just now," someone replied. "Then how the hell do you explain all these snipers?" "Well..." Fu Yuanzhou had been through scenes like this countless times. After his initial shock, he quickly composed himself and shrugged nonchalantly. "Right, this is the Jiang Shixu I know. If you really came alone to die for a woman, then you wouldn't be worthy of being my opponent." But judging by Fu Yuanzhou's demeanor, he had been prepared for this. However, at this moment, Fu Yuanzhou was out in the open while Jiang Shixu's men were hidden in the shadows. Besides the snipers, Fu Yuanzhou had no idea what other forces Jiang Shixu had lurking in the dark, ready to strike at any moment. In an instant, the tables had turned, putting Fu Yuanzhou at a severe disadvantage. Yet Fu Yuanzhou didn't seem the least bit rattled. His expression remained perfectly calm. Just then. A helicopter descended from the sky, hovering directly at the level of their floor—the twenty-sixth. The helicopter was positioned in the same direction as the rising sun. Chu Tang turned to look, and the morning light stung her eyes, making her squint instinctively. But in the next second— "Sister..." she heard a familiar voice laced with fear. Chu Tang's eyes flew wide open. Ruan Jiaojiao was being held by a burly, muscular man, dangling like a chick in his grip as she appeared in Chu Tang's line of sight. They were close enough that Ruan Chutang could clearly see the terror and fear etched across Ruan Jiaojiao's face. Ruan Chutang's expression turned ashen in an instant, the blood in her veins running cold. After she had gone missing, Ruan Shaodong and Yang Xuelian had been running around frantically for her sake, leaving no time to look after Ruan Jiaojiao at the Ruan family villa. Yang Xuelian had managed to lull Ruan Jiaojiao to sleep before leaving, but she had no idea that not long after she was gone, Fu Yuanzhou's men had arrived at the villa and abducted Ruan Jiaojiao. This time, Fu Yuanzhou had brought several mercenaries from Country A to China. The one he'd sent to snatch Ruan Jiaojiao was a mercenary who had undergone years of rigorous military training—ordinary bodyguards were no match for him. Fu Yuanzhou smiled as he looked at Ruan Chutang and Jiang Shixu. "What do you think... if we threw her off from here, how do you reckon she'd splatter?" "No! Don't you dare touch her!" Chu Tang roared, her voice hoarse and ragged. "Pfft—" Fu Yuanzhou let out a laugh. "Tell your man to let us all leave, or your little sister will be smashed to pulp right before your eyes."