Chapter 104 Seeking Help

Gu Qiuhan had already dialed the number, the receiver pressed against his ear, his fingers joints clearly visible from the effort. His voice was deep and clear, with an unquestionable firm tone, and he spoke directly to a core department of the military region:

"Hello, this is Gu Qiuhan! Urgent news! After investigation, it was discovered that Diao San, a member of the Beijing social circle, and his associated forces, as well as Bai Xiaolian, a former salesperson at the Red Star Supply and Marketing Cooperative, were threatening Gu Qiuyue of Beijing University and Xie Shiyu, the commander of the Pingcheng garrison.

Requests: 1. Immediately notify the commander of Xie Shiyu's unit in an encrypted manner, increase the confidentiality level of his and his family's information, strengthen security in the camp, and guard against any abnormal contact or information spying; 2. Immediately coordinate with relevant local forces in Beijing (public security, school security), and implement a level one temporary protection plan for Comrade Gu Qiuyue and his family (parents) in Beijing; 3. Initiate real-time monitoring of Diao San, Bai Xiaolian, and all known related persons.

According to the clues I have received, Diao San and his accomplices will take action against Gu Qiuyue or Xie Shiyu today. Therefore, I request to activate the red alert and quickly determine the location of Diao San and others.

Gu Qiuyue was shocked by the seriousness of Gu Qiuhan's immediate request for help from the organization. Perhaps the seriousness of the situation had exceeded her cognition.

There seemed to be a brief confirmation command from the other end of the phone. Gu Qiuhan said "hmm" and hung up.

He immediately dialed another number, this time to Teacher Zhao from the Beijing University Security Department. His tone was equally firm: "Teacher Zhao? This is Gu Qiuhan. The situation is urgent. Bai Xiaolian and her associated members of society are very likely to carry out retaliatory sexual assault on my sister Gu Qiuyue tonight. I request that the school security department immediately send more personnel to strengthen patrols in the girls' dormitory area, especially Gu Qiuyue's dormitory building and the surrounding areas.

As for Liu Mei, who helped Bai Xiaolian enter the campus, please monitor her movements immediately. Also, please send someone to the Economics Department girls' dormitory immediately to confirm the safety of Gu Qiuyue's roommate and advise them to remain vigilant. I am coordinating with local authorities to handle the situation. Please ensure the safety of students on campus!

After hanging up the second call, Gu Qiuhan turned around abruptly, pressed Gu Qiuyue's shoulders with both hands, and stared into her frightened eyes with a sharp gaze: "Yueyue, listen, now is not the time to be afraid. The enemy is in the dark, but our actions must be faster and more accurate than theirs."

He spoke very quickly, but his logic was exceptionally clear:

"First, you absolutely cannot return to the school dormitory or the military compound tonight. There are guards patrolling there day and night, and Huahua and I are safe there. Furthermore, going back alone is too risky. You and your parents should stay home, as it's relatively isolated here. I've already asked local authorities to send someone over to establish surveillance as soon as possible."

"Secondly," he glanced around the room, "Mom, find everything in the house that can be used as a weapon and keep it handy: kitchen knives, rolling pins, tongs! Yueyue, the window in your room that faces the backyard alley is the most vulnerable point. Go immediately and use tables, cabinets, and anything else that can be used to prop it up. Draw the curtains tightly so no light can get in."

"Third, maintain communication. This phone line is your lifeline. Unless I confirm it's safe, none of you are allowed to leave this room."

Xu Qin was frantically searching for "weapons" in the kitchen. A heavy old-fashioned kitchen knife and a sturdy rolling pin were tightly held in her hands.

Gu Qiuyue was infected by the unquestionable determination and strength in her brother's eyes, and her fear was suppressed by a desperate determination.

She nodded vigorously: "I understand, brother." Then she turned to Xu Qin and said, "Mom, bring out some flour. Each of us should carry a little. If someone sneaks in, throw flour in their eyes first and subdue them when they are not paying attention."

After she finished speaking, without waiting for Xu Qin's nod, she rushed to her room, her heart pounding in her chest, but her movements were extremely nimble. She gritted her teeth and used all her strength to push the heavy old desk over with a "clang", pressing it tightly against the rear window.

She dragged over the wooden boxes full of books and stacked them up. After doing all this, she pulled the heavy curtains tight, and the room instantly fell into darkness that isolated the outside world. Only her heavy breathing was particularly clear in the silence.

She slid down to the ground with her back against the cold wall. In the darkness, Bai Xiaolian's vicious face, Diao San's possible hideous appearance, and the terrifying deadline of "tonight" mentioned by her brother, were spinning wildly in her mind like a kaleidoscope.

At this moment, through the closed windows and thick curtains, she seemed to vaguely hear an extremely slight, short sound like metal colliding coming from deep in the alley. The sound was particularly harsh in the dead of night.

Her breath caught in her throat, and every hair on her body stood on end. Who was it? Was it a passing stray cat that knocked something over? Or... had their people arrived?!

After finally catching her breath, Gu Qiuyue returned to the main room.

At this time, Gu Qiuhan had just put down his third phone call, which seemed to be a call to a person in charge of the local public security system. He was communicating the details of the control in a quick and low voice. Xu Qin and Gu's father, who had just returned, held their "weapons" tightly, staring nervously at the gate and windows, their bodies trembling slightly.

"Brother..." Gu Qiuyue's voice trembled slightly as it came out from the dark room. "There seems to be movement in the back alley..."

Gu Qiuhan's voice suddenly stopped! He whipped his head around, his gaze piercing the darkness, darting towards his sister's room. Almost immediately, he spoke rapidly into the receiver, "There's something unusual happening in the backyard of our residence. Requesting external forces to immediately deploy to the alley behind Liushu Hutong. I repeat, there's something happening in the back alley." Before he could finish his words, he had already slammed the phone shut, his movements so swift that only a shadow remained.

"Dad, guard the front door tightly. Keep an eye on the crack and the latch." Gu Qiuhan's voice was extremely low, yet it carried an unquestionable sense of command, instantly calming the panic. Gu's father, the taciturn father, now wore an unprecedented solemnity. He nodded vigorously, gripping the heavy fire tongs tightly, and nailed them to the door leading to the front yard like a stone statue, his eyes fixed on the heavy wooden door and latch.

The rolling pin in Xu Qin's hand fell to the ground with a clang, and she picked it up hurriedly. Her face was pale and her lips were trembling, but she bit them tightly to avoid screaming.

Gu Qiuhan rushed to Gu Qiuyue's side, and his tall figure protected her behind him. His sharp eyes swept across the side door and back window leading to the backyard of the main room. He listened carefully, and there was deathly silence outside the house, as if the strange noise just now was just an illusion. However, this deathly silence made people even more uneasy.