Chapter 65 The Burning Night (Revised)
Almost simultaneously, accompanied by the sound of shattering glass, flames erupted on the window and spread into the room.
He Changyi suddenly stood up—it was a Molotov cocktail!
The little black dog barked wildly at the door, and several figures flashed past the window, laughing and making throwing motions again.
The glass shattered, and flames erupted.
Making a Molotov cocktail is incredibly simple. All you need is an empty glass bottle, some cotton, gasoline or alcohol, a lighter to light the fuse, and you can fling it out and create a fireball with a bang.
The thieves suffered repeated setbacks, each time forced to flee in disarray under the threat of gunfire. Although they were not physically harmed, their dignity was severely damaged.
—Although it's hard to say whether they still have that thing.
Greed for money, coupled with an eagerness to get revenge and a ruthless desire to teach that damned bitch Jong-guk a lesson, led the thief to return and smash a crudely made Molotov cocktail at the two-story building.
Burn them!
Hahahaha!
"Don't let a single person escape!"
Ignoring everything else, He Changyi turned to go upstairs to get his gun. The thieves' behavior had crossed the line and could no longer be tolerated.
She needed to let them know that she wasn't afraid to shoot because she was cowardly; she just didn't want the local police to notice the foreign businessman making his fortune.
Being targeted by a group of legitimate mafia parties is no better than being targeted by the real mafia parties.
But now it seems that if she doesn't deal with these thieves first, she won't even have the chance to be extorted by the police!
However, He Changyi's arm was grabbed.
Andrei stared out the window, pulled He Changyi behind him, drew his sidearm from his waist, released the safety with one hand, and fired a shot out the window!
The movements were so fluid and fast that they left people speechless.
The next second, the bullet pierced the hole in the glass precisely, hitting the nearest thief—who was close to the window, intending to throw the incendiary bomb directly into the room.
The laughter outside stopped abruptly.
Andrei whispered, "Stand behind me," and walked to the window on the other side, where he could see the entire front yard.
Using the wall for cover, Andrei methodically raised his gun and fired.
Restraint, calmness, precision, and a complete absence of personal emotion.
Gunshots rang out one after another, throwing the thieves outside into chaos, while inside, the scene was quite different.
Andrei held the gun with both hands, his hands steady. His face was expressionless as he calmly pulled the trigger, changed the magazine, and even comforted He Changyi between shots.
"Don't be afraid, it will be over soon."
As he said, it all ended quickly, so quickly that when Geng Zhi and Zheng Xiaowei rushed out of the bedroom in fear, the flames on the window were still burning.
"Boss, is the thief here again?!"
They had just fallen asleep when they heard a commotion outside. Startled, they rushed out the door in their shorts without even putting on their clothes.
While Geng Zhi was still searching for the axe he had left by the door, Zheng Xiaowei, with his sharp eyes, immediately spotted the strange man next to He Changyi, who was holding a gun.
"Oh no! The boss has been kidnapped by a thief!"
Geng Zhi was terrified: "Boss, wait for me, I'm coming to save you right away!"
He Changyi: ...
"Wait, put down that axe! And you, throw your broken iron bar aside too! This is my friend, not some thief."
Geng Zhi breathed a sigh of relief, put down the axe, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Turns out he's the boss's friend, that scared me to death."
Zheng Xiaowei had a shifty look in his eyes, which darted back and forth between He Changyi and Andrei.
"Oh, another friend. The boss has so many friends!"
He phrased it in a roundabout way, and coupled with that winking and smirking expression, it was impossible not to have some ulterior motive.
He Changyi walked up and slapped the kid across the face, saying rudely:
"What are you thinking about! Go, put out the fire right now, or you'll be eating human flesh barbecue tomorrow!"
Zheng Xiaowei shrank back and slipped away, pulling Geng Zhi along before leaving, and saying in a mocking tone:
"Didn't you hear the boss's orders? Don't try to slack off, come with me to put out the fire."
Instead of scolding him, Geng Zhi asked curiously:
"Why do you say the boss has many friends? But quite a few people come to see her all the time..."
Zheng Xiaowei scolded him with exasperation: "Idiot! Have you forgotten that man surnamed Yan who came to the store last time? Don't you think that someone who comes in the middle of the night can be just an ordinary friend?"
Suddenly, there was a whooshing sound behind him, and a rag hit Zheng Xiaowei squarely on the forehead.
He didn't dare look back, and with the rag over his head, he dashed into the bathroom.
The cleaning lady, holding a gun, stood at the top of the stairs and asked He Changyi, her face pale:
"I think I hit someone..."
She stood at the second-floor window and fired outwards. The thief, focused on throwing Molotov cocktails, didn't notice the gun barrel above his head and was shot to the ground like a wild deer.
He Changyi walked up the stairs and gave her a big hug.
"It's okay, you did a great job, you protected everyone."
Andrei stood downstairs, silently watching He Changyi comforting someone.
The thieves escaped, leaving behind several corpses and wounded.
No one mentioned the thieves outside, whose fates were unknown, as if they were naturally meant to lie in the yard, like statues or decorative stones.
Damn local police, they're unwilling to even respond to calls in the middle of the night.
Should victims be asked to contact funeral homes or hospitals themselves? Or would digging a large pit and burying them on the spot be more in line with local customs and traditions?
He Changyi went out to check the situation. The thief, who was still breathing, screamed in terror when he saw her: "Don't kill me! Don't kill me!"
He Changyi scoffed, "That's not what you said when you threw the Molotov cocktails into the house."
Andrei stood behind her, looking at her expressionlessly, as if it had nothing to do with him.
The Molotov cocktails and gunshots finally woke up the entire street. Someone called the police, who arrived late, with sirens blaring in the distance.
He Changyi spoke to Andrei in Emei:
"I'm sorry to have troubled you again."
Andrei, however, said, "This is no trouble for me."
His gaze was intensely focused, and he exuded a faint aura of gunpowder. His blond hair was meticulously combed back, and he always wore white gloves.
This should be unfamiliar, but inexplicably, it is more than just unfamiliar.
He looked completely different from the young policeman patrolling in front of the train station.
The police in Vladimir arrived late. If they had come any faster, they might have been able to see the embers of flame on the windows. Now, all they could see were two young men in shorts carrying basins of water and splashing it around.
"Squat down! Hands up! Put down your weapons!"
Geng Zhi and Zheng Xiaowei were startled and dropped the basin of water, standing at attention on the spot. One hurriedly raised his hands, while the other scrambled to squat down on the ground, creating complete chaos.
When the thieves broke into the house to burn, kill, and rob, they didn't see a single policeman. But now, three police cars have arrived in a flurry, forming a semi-circle and blocking the entrance to the building.
Well done! The Virginia Police Department acted swiftly and successfully apprehended the victim and saved the criminal gang from disaster.
He Changyi rolled her eyes as she stuffed cash into her pocket; it seemed she would have to bleed a lot to feed these guys.
Just as He Changyi was about to push the door open and leave, Andrei stopped her.
"I'll handle it."
He put on his hat, casually straightened his uniform, and walked out of the small building first.
Outside, Virginia police officers, hiding behind their patrol cars, aimed their guns at the small building where a gunfight had reportedly taken place. They first spotted two young East Asian men who appeared not very bright and were only wearing underwear, not like they were carrying weapons.
So the police relaxed a little.
Then they saw a senior police officer in an internal affairs uniform come out.
The stars on his epaulettes were practically glowing!
The Ministry of the Interior is the central police agency, which vertically leads the police force throughout Emei and wields immense power.
The police officers hiding behind the police car immediately felt a surge of anxiety.
Is this a real Ministry of Internal Affairs police officer or an imposter?
No one could be sure, and even the on-site commander hesitated and did not give any orders.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the Ministry of Internal Affairs officer calmly walked towards the police car, facing the muzzle of the gun, and slapped his police ID onto the hood of the car.
Where is your supervisor?
The boldest policeman picked up his police ID, and after seeing it clearly, he snapped to attention and saluted the other man with perfect form.
Immediately afterwards, the other police officers also stood up and saluted. The on-site commander jogged over, his face full of smiles, and explained something in a low voice.
Not far away, Geng Zhi and Zheng Xiaowei were both stunned.
"Holy crap!"
"Wow, what kind of awesome friend has the boss made?"
Zheng Xiaowei tentatively stood up from a half-squat position; his legs were numb from squatting, but the police officers didn't react at all, as if they hadn't seen anything.
So he stood up confidently, stretched his legs, and casually patted Gengzhi's outstretched arm.
"Still surrendering here!"
Geng Zhi then remembered to put his hand down, his eyes still fixed on the police officers not far away.
"I knew it! There's nothing the boss can't handle!"
He suddenly spoke, startling Zheng Xiaowei, who couldn't help but say:
"Alright, alright, the boss isn't here, who are you trying to flatter?"
He Changyi's voice came softly from the side.
"Who said I wasn't here? I'm listening right now."
Zheng Xiaowei was startled and quickly tried to salvage the situation, saying, "Boss, you're amazing! You're great yourself, and your friends are amazing too!"
He Changyi said, "I didn't know he was so capable."
Andrei gave some instructions to the local police, and no one questioned them. They took away the bodies and the wounded, and then, just as they had arrived, the three police cars quietly drove away.
This time, there were no sirens.
If it weren't for the broken windows and scorch marks from the flames, it would seem as if nothing had happened.
Andrei returned to He Changyi's side.
"They won't come looking for you again."
His tone was calm and resolute, with a hint of barely perceptible expectation.
He Changyi avoided Andrei's gaze and said casually:
"Thank you for your help. It's getting late, so I'll have to find you a place to rest. If you don't mind, you can rest in my room; there's a clean bed and pillows."
Andrei asked, "And you?"
He Changyi said, "I'll share a room with Yelena. Oh, by the way, Yelena is the person you saw on the stairs earlier. She will also be my employee."
But Andrei said, "No."
He Changyi said half-jokingly, "Andrei, you're not the kind of person who takes advantage of kindness, are you? Do you expect me to sing you lullabies like a maid to lull you to sleep?"
Andrei looked down at her, his eyes filled with a complex mix of suppressed emotions.
But he didn't say anything.
Andrei walked past He Changyi and went straight into the house. He pulled over a chair and placed it directly opposite the door.
He sat down in the chair, with his back to He Changyi.
"I'll take the night watch."
Yes, the windows were smashed, the door was damaged, and not all the thieves were brought to justice, so a night watchman is indeed needed.
It shouldn't be him keeping watch.
He Changyi remained silent and stood beside the chair.
Geng Zhi and Zheng Xiaowei tiptoed past the two and quietly slipped back into their bedroom.
During this time, Geng Zhi wanted to say something, but Zheng Xiaowei pulled him into the room and closed the door.
However, he was careful and didn't lock the door completely, but left it a crack so he could see what was happening outside.
Geng Zhi complained in a low voice:
"Why are you stopping me? Isn't there nowhere to sleep? I'll just make a makeshift bed on the floor and let the boss's friend sleep in our room."
Zheng Xiaowei was peering out from the door frame when he heard this and impatiently shushed him.
Geng Zhi objected, "Why are you shushing me? What's so interesting outside?"
Driven by curiosity, he pushed Zheng Xiaowei aside and squinted to look outside.
Look what he saw!
The boss stood behind the chair, holding the armrests with both hands, leaning down as if giving a hug across the chair.
Zheng Xiaowei forcefully pulled at Geng Zhi: "Get out of the way, get out of the way, what did you see?"
Geng Zhi turned around in shock: "So we really are more than just friends!"
Zheng Xiaowei: ?!
No, what did this single-minded guy see?!
"Let me see! Let me see too!"
In the narrow area in front of the door, Geng Zhi and Zheng Xiaowei got into a fight over the best viewing spot, grabbing each other's hair and groping each other's crotches, using all sorts of dirty tricks.
As a result, they lost their grip and slammed into the door together. With a loud crash, Geng Zhi and Zheng Xiaowei fell outside the door at the same time.
He lay prone on the ground, not even daring to look up!
He heard Zheng Xiaowei's ingratiating voice: "Well, boss, I can explain, it was all because of my straightforwardness that I was pushed..."
Geng Zhi was furious!
"Boss, don't listen to him trying to shirk responsibility. It's obvious that Zheng Xiaowei wants to see what you and your friend are doing outside!"
He Changyi closed his eyes tightly.
She swore she really heard Andrei's barely suppressed laughter.
He Changyi strode over, grabbed Geng Zhi and Zheng Xiaowei by the back of their necks, pulled them outside, and said through gritted teeth with a smile:
"Not sleepy, huh? You two get out here and guard the door!"
She slammed her fist on the battered and broken door.
Geng Zhi and Zheng Xiaowei looked at each other, both wearing only shorts. The early summer evening was a bit chilly, and they huddled together, arms wrapped around their chests, hopping around and complaining to each other.
"It's all your fault! Why did you push me? Now look what's happened, we can't even go back to our room!"
"Blame me? Who told you to push all the blame onto me? I knew it! You're just like that old bastard surnamed Zheng. There's not a single good bastard in your Zheng family!"
The two were arguing in hushed tones when suddenly everything went black as something fell from upstairs and landed on their heads.
When Geng Zhi tore it off and took a look, he immediately burst out laughing.
Hey, it's a blanket!
Zheng Xiaowei looked up and saw Yelena, the cleaning lady on the second floor, throw down another quilt and make a "shh" gesture at the two of them.
Zheng Xiaowei wrapped the blanket around himself and immediately felt warm. He was so grateful he almost cried.
What does it mean to provide timely help? This is what it means to provide timely help!
"Look at them, even Russian women are more sensible than you!"
Geng Zhi also wrapped himself in the blanket; once his body was warm, his tongue became even more agile.
"You don't know anything! This is called a proletarian comrade-in-arms!"
While the verbal sparring raged outside, it was much quieter inside.
He Changyi stood in front of Andrei, trying to pull him up from the chair.
"There are people keeping watch now, so you can rest assured."
Andrei looked at her outstretched hand, and suddenly grabbed He Changyi's hand, forcefully pulling her over and making her fall onto him.
He Changyi tried to stand up, but Andrei had already wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Don't move."
He lowered his head, his forehead resting against her back.
I'm tired.
He Changyi didn't move, but sighed and said, "Andrei..."
She paused, then called his name again.
"Andrei".
Andrei did not respond, but tightened his grip on her arm.
A strand of his once impeccably styled blond hair had fallen across his face, giving him a heavy, weary look, stripping away the cold, bureaucratic mask he wore when facing the city's police.
He Changyi struggled to stand up, but Andrei said in a low voice, "Please..."
He didn't say what he wanted to ask.
He Changyi forcefully pulled his arm away and stood up from his lap.
Having lost his support, Andrei kept his head down and did not stop her, as if he was exhausted and had decided to accept whatever came his way.
He was originally a gentle person.
He Changyi, however, did not leave.
She turned around to face Andrei, stepped forward, and pulled him into her arms.
"I don't know what happened, but it must have been very difficult."
Andrei's body stiffened, as if he hadn't had time to react, or as if it was unexpected.
He Changyi gently rested her chin on the top of his head.
I'm sorry.
Andrei finally closed his eyes. He slowly took off his white gloves, reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist, just like the embrace they had in Mosk a year ago.
But this time he spoke up:
"No need to apologize, it was my own decision."
He was just a little tired.
He Changyi said softly, "Andrei, do you still want that answer?"
However, Andrei said, "No."
“Please keep this answer,” he said, “until the very end.”
He Changyi raised her head and stared at Andrei for a long time.
"good."
She didn't ask when "finally" was, and he didn't explain.
Because of love, fear arises.
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