Chapter 182 Hostages
Panting, they arrived at the cabin and found it surrounded by fully armed soldiers.
"Halt! What are you doing?" a soldier shouted warily.
Liu Zhixia held up the medicine packet: "I'm a family member of Shen Yi! I heard someone was seriously injured, so I came to deliver medicine!"
The moment these words were spoken, the atmosphere around them changed instantly, and the previously serious soldiers all turned to look at them with curiosity.
"This is my sister-in-law?"
"Wow! She's so beautiful? No wonder Old Shen was in such a hurry to submit a report to the army after only seeing her once!"
"That Lu Kai is such a jerk! There's such a pretty girl in our village and he didn't even introduce her to me!"
...
Listening to the teasing of these grown men, Liu Zhixia was both amused and exasperated.
"Where are the wounded?"
"Sister-in-law, come with me!"
A soldier led her into the wooden hut. Shen Yi was standing there, his face stern.
Upon seeing Liu Zhixia, his eyes softened instantly, and he quickly stepped forward: "Why did you run up here? It was so dangerous!"
"I heard someone was injured, so I came to deliver medicine. This medicine is particularly effective at stopping bleeding."
Shen Yi took the medicine packet and turned to hand it to the busy military doctor.
The military doctor examined the wounded soldier, his eyes lit up, and he immediately applied a dressing.
Liu Zhixia peeked out and was immediately stunned.
The seriously injured man lying on the stretcher, covered in blood and on the verge of death, was none other than He Shijie!
"So it was him..." Liu Zhixia curled her lips in disgust. This kind of scum, even if he dies, it would be a good thing for the people. Saving him is a waste of medicine.
She looked around and saw Lu Kai leading his soldiers to clear the battlefield and escorting dejected prisoners.
"Don't worry, everything is under control. How's the fourth brother?" Shen Yi asked with concern.
Liu Zhixia frowned slightly, keenly sensing that something was amiss: "Just these few people?"
Shen Yi nodded: "They're all here."
"Something's not right!" Liu Zhixia's eyes sharpened. "The kid who was supposed to taste the food isn't here! He's always the one who eats first when the food is brought up. He's He Shijie's confidant!"
Shen Yi's heart tightened: "What did you say?!"
The surrounding soldiers instantly went into combat mode, raising their guns in alert.
Lu Kai rushed over, his expression grave: "Keep an eye on He Shijie! Old Xu, come with me and lead a team to search the mountain! We can't let him get away!"
Liu Zhixia added, "He might have gone to the next brigade! Today is the day to pay the ransom, so he's very likely scouting the cave area!"
"clear!"
Just as Lu Kai was about to lead his team out, a soldier came running up breathlessly to report: "Battalion Commander Lu! There's a fugitive! He's taken a female educated youth hostage and is holding a gun to her head, demanding that we release her!"
"A female educated youth?!"
Lu Kai's expression changed drastically, a bad premonition rising in his heart: "Could it be..."
Liu Zhixia also became anxious: "Could it be Zhao Zhiqing? I'll go check!"
After saying that, she took off running.
Shen Yi grabbed Xu Zhigang, who was about to rush forward, and said in a deep voice, "Old Xu, you keep an eye on this side, I'll go!"
Be careful!
Liu Zhixia followed Lu Kai as they ran wildly to a clearing halfway up the mountain.
Sure enough, Zhao Dongmei was being tightly choked by the young man who was tasting the food, with the dark muzzle of a gun pressed against her temple.
"Winter Plum!"
Lu Kai's eyes were bloodshot, and he was about to lose control and rush forward.
"Don't do anything rash!" Liu Zhixia grabbed him tightly, turned around and shouted to the kidnapper, "Brother! Don't be impulsive! Let's calm down! You just want to live, we can talk! Just don't hurt anyone!"
The kidnapper's eyes darted around in panic, like a frightened wild animal, his hand gripping the gun trembling: "Enough nonsense! Surrendering means certain death, might as well take someone down with you! We just want to make a living, why are you so ruthless?!"
Liu Zhixia laughed angrily: "Just trying to make a living? Who's stopping you from doing legitimate business? It was your boss who poisoned people first! Don't you know how many heinous things you've done with him?"
The kidnapper roared hysterically, "So what? It's survival of the fittest! Those people deserved to die! It's because you were too weak!"
"Since it's a dog-eat-dog world, now that you've lost, shouldn't you accept your defeat?" Liu Zhixia calmly retorted.
"No! I haven't lost!" The kidnapper pressed the gun firmly against Zhao Dongmei's head. "I still have chips! Release my boss right now! Get the car and the money ready! Or I'll kill her!"
Zhao Dongmei trembled with fear, tears streaming down her face, but she gritted her teeth and shouted at Lu Huaiyuan, "Don't listen to him! He Shijie is a bad guy! Letting them go will only hurt more people! Don't worry about me! Shoot!"
Lu Kai's eyes were red and his heart was breaking: "Dongmei... I'm sorry... but I can't let the tiger return to the mountain..."
Seeing this, Liu Zhixia panicked. If this stalemate continued, Zhao Dongmei would surely die if the kidnappers broke down.
The kidnapper panicked and thrust his gun forward: "You really think I wouldn't dare kill someone?!"
"Shut up!"
He roared and pulled the trigger.
"Wait a moment!"
Liu Zhixia shouted, her back instantly drenched in cold sweat: "Zhao Zhiqing isn't afraid of death! If you kill her, you'll be buried with her! Let's find another way!"
The kidnapper was taken aback: "Exchange what?"
"I'll take her place!" Liu Zhixia said firmly as she stepped forward.
"No!" Lu Kai and Zhao Dongmei said in unison, looking at her in horror.
The kidnapper also looked at Liu Zhixia suspiciously: "Is there a difference?"
“Yes!” Liu Zhixia pointed to Shen Yi, who was still rushing over. “My man is a battalion commander, the commander of this operation. Take me with you, and you can negotiate better terms!”
Shen Yi's expression changed drastically. He was about to rush forward when Liu Zhixia stopped him with a stern look.
The kidnapper's gaze swept back and forth between Liu Zhixia and Shen Yi, as if weighing the pros and cons.
"Fine! Come here! If you dare to play any tricks, I'll shoot this woman first, then you!" the kidnapper said viciously, his gun still pointed at Zhao Dongmei's head.
Liu Zhixia raised her hands and slowly approached. With each step, her heart pounded faster. She was gambling on the kidnapper's greed and will to survive.
She stopped less than two meters from the kidnapper.
"Let her go, I'm coming over."
The kidnapper hesitated for a moment, then suddenly shoved Zhao Dongmei aside, grabbed Liu Zhixia, and pressed the muzzle of a gun against her temple.
"Dongmei!" Lu Kai rushed over and caught the staggering Zhao Dongmei.
Shen Yi took out his pistol, his finger tightly gripping the trigger, veins bulging on his forehead, staring intently at the kidnapper.
"Now, make way! Get the car ready!" The kidnapper, with Liu Zhixia by the neck, retreated step by step.
Liu Zhixia felt the cold gun barrel, but remained calm.
The cold muzzle of the gun pressed against her temple, and Liu Zhixia's forehead was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat.
This is a high-stakes gamble. Zhao Dongmei is certain to die as a hostage, but she has the trump card of her spatial ability, which might offer her a glimmer of hope.
But if she loses the gamble and the bullet pierces her forehead, no amount of magic can save her life.
A deathly silence enveloped them; everyone's hearts were in their throats, awaiting Shen Yi's command.
Shen Yi's eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the kidnapper, gritting his teeth: "Don't move! I'll go get someone to prepare a car for you!"
As soon as he spoke, he suddenly met Liu Zhixia's eyes.
There was no fear in those eyes; instead, they revealed a resolute and calm demeanor.
She was hinting at him...
Fire a shot?!
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