Jiang Linhai didn't speak, but smiled at him and slowly lowered his raised hands. "Take it down!"

Suddenly, a large number of men in black, all dressed in Green Gang uniforms, rushed up from all directions and surrounded Shi Zhenlin.

"Commander Shi, don't waste your energy."

"You plotted to make Major General Xu and me fight like the snipe and the clam, so you could reap the benefits. But you were too impatient, or rather, too arrogant."

Jiang Linhai chuckled softly, "Why don't you clean up your mess first before doing these things? You're likely to make things worse this way, and here it is. You've already dealt with all the soldiers under your command who refused to surrender."

"What did you say!" Shi Zhenlin held a gun in his hand, and the men in black dared not approach, but could only surround him.

“You thought Xu Shaojun and I would fight to the death, but I never expected that I would humble myself and make peace with him.”

"Major General Xu is a smart man. If I give him a few pointers, he will find out the whole story. Besides, you have been having too close contact with the Japanese lately."

"I advise you to hand over the gun, otherwise..."

Before Jiang Linhai could finish speaking, Shi Zhenlin, who was now furious, grabbed Luo Jiu, who was standing frozen in place, and pressed the muzzle of his gun directly against her temple.

Luo Jiu was caught off guard and was taken hostage by Shi Zhenlin.

"Shi Zhenlin, let her go!"

Seeing Luo Jiu being held hostage, Xu Shaojun, who was not far away, lost his usual calm and composure.

Luo Jiu is his weakness.

"Don't move, little girl," Shi Zhenlin whispered with a soft laugh in Luo Jiu's ear. "If you move, and the gun goes off accidentally, things could get complicated."

The cold muzzle of the gun pressed against Luo Jiu's temple. In the sweltering June heat, the cold sweat pouring down her back almost soaked her clothes.

"Please put the gun down first."

Luo Jiu tried her best to keep her tone gentle, not wanting to upset him.

"Shut up."

Luo Jiu's words did not comfort him at all; instead, he was glared at fiercely.

“Xu Shaojun, I know. This woman is the one you wanted to marry, isn’t she? How ridiculous. I even thought I would hand over half of my military power to you after you married Shi Zixi.”

"It seems you don't care. But what about this woman?"

Shi Zhenlin is now like a prisoner in the apocalypse, and Luo Jiu, whom he has captured, is his only hope of escape.

"Get me a car and a million dollars. If you don't agree, then I'll have to send your woman to hell to keep me company."

After listening, Luo Jiu's palms were already covered in sweat. She looked intently at Xu Shaojun with her eyes.

A struggle flashed in Xu Shaojun's eyes, but he didn't meet Luo Jiu's gaze.

Luo Jiu chuckled softly. It seems that it's just a liking.

Indeed, throughout history, those who would choose love over power are few and far between, so why should Xu Shaojun be expected to give up this readily available high-ranking official position and lucrative salary? The only question is, if this mission fails, will there be any chance of returning?

"Lin Fu! Prepare it for him."

Xu Shaojun's words shocked everyone present. Each person looked at him with disbelief. Even Jiang Linhai looked at him with surprise, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

If Xu Shaojun were to let Shi Zhenlin go like this, he would not only have accomplished nothing, but would also be guilty.

In such an era of warlordism, far too many people died. No one cared about a woman's life or death, regardless of whether she was innocent or not.

When Luo Jiu met his gaze, it was filled with love.

Silly boy, how could I not want you?

"Ha! You talk to me about loyalty to the emperor and patriotism? It seems you're nothing special. Besides being pretty, what else does this woman have that's worth giving up for you?"

"Don't touch her!" Xu Shaojun said, each word seemingly squeezed out of his mouth. Seeing the red marks left on Luo Jiu's face, he felt a pang of heartache.

"Oh!"

Shi Zhenlin shoved Luo Jiu's face away and whispered, "Lead the way."

He dragged Luo Jiu along, slowly retreating step by step. With each step back, Xu Shaojun took a step forward.

As he stepped onto the stairs, his foot slipped, and "Bang!" a gunshot rang out.

Shi Zhenlin was momentarily stunned, and Luo Jiu broke free. He looked at his chest where he had been struck, blood gushing out.

He slowly raised his head and looked at Xu Shaojun's face. Just when everyone thought Xu Shaojun was about to be shot, Shi Zhenlin fired the last bullet.

Two figures fell to the ground with a thud.

Shi Zhenlin was already dead when he fell to the ground, while the other person who was hit was Shi Zixi, whom no one expected.

"Shi Zixi!"

Lin Fu quickly hugged her and pressed on her wound, but blood still kept seeping from the corner of her mouth.

"I'm sorry..."

I'm sorry I can't go with you to the water towns of Suzhou, the flower-filled Dali, or the magnificent desert.

After saying these last words, she looked at him with a smile on her lips, slowly closed her eyes, and just like that, she lost her life.

Shi Zixi, the famous dancer in Shanghai, wore that expensive wedding dress and fell into eternal sleep in the arms of the man she loved most.

"Shi Zixi, no..."

Lin Fu felt the person in his arms gradually losing warmth, and the blood from the corner of her mouth stopped. He tried hard to warm her body, but to no avail.

Upon seeing this scene, Luo Jiu couldn't stop the tears from flowing. She wanted to get closer to Shi Zixi, but was frightened by Lin Fu's condition.

It was because of him that Shi Zixi died.

If I hadn't hesitated then, I wouldn't have been taken hostage...

She couldn't stop calling out 007 in her heart, wanting to exchange it for Shi Zixi's life.

However, no matter how she called out, no one responded.

This frightened Luo Jiu. She was afraid that she had become the Luo Jiu of this world, and that the 007 System was just something she had imagined.

My mind was filled with chaotic sounds, and my overwhelmed body finally collapsed.

“Jiu’er…”

This spectacular wedding ultimately ended with the deaths of the bride and her father.

...

The next day, everyone in Shanghai knew about the incident and praised Xu Shaojun's wisdom, decisiveness, loyalty, and patriotism. The central government had already sent people to investigate the matter, and it was believed that Xu Shaojun would soon be promoted and ennobled.

At this moment, Xu Shaojun, who should have been wise and capable, had dark circles under his eyes and looked exhausted.

"Is Miss awake yet?"

Xu Shaojun's expression was somewhat frightening, making Xiao Li afraid to look up. She simply whispered, "He's awake."

Xu Shaojun breathed a sigh of relief, stood in front of Luo Jiu's door, hesitated for a moment, and finally slowly opened the mahogany door.

The little figure on the bed was curled up in a ball, wrapped tightly in the blanket. Hearing Xu Shaojun's voice, it couldn't help but flinch.

Upon seeing this, a trace of heartache flashed in Xu Shaojun's eyes.

“Jiu’er…”

Luo Jiu didn't turn her head. A hush fell over the air.

He sat down blankly on the chair beside her bed, saying nothing, just watching Luo Jiu's back.

"Shi Zixi, she...?"