Chapter 108 Nikolai (Xiu)
The attack happened too suddenly.
The car in front overturned and slid several meters due to inertia, its body screeching violently against the ground, sparks flying everywhere and making an extremely piercing sound.
The following vehicle narrowly avoided the vehicle in front, coming to a sudden stop just before veering off the road.
Caught off guard, He Changyi slammed into the front seat, nearly flying out of the windshield like a torpedo.
Her forehead throbbed with pain from the impact, and she felt dizzy and lightheaded. But her first instinct was to pull out a handgun from her bag, release the safety by feel, and as she crouched down to hide, roll down the car window and blindly fire the gun outwards!
At the same time, Lermontov in the front seat and another of Zhong Guo's bodyguards, Yang Jianshe, also drew their guns and returned fire, suppressing the enemy's firepower.
Amid the gunfire, He Changyi shouted, "Get out of the car! We need to rejoin the people in the car in front!"
Without turning his head, Lermontov said, "No way! They have more guns than us; we'll be sitting ducks as soon as we get out of the car!"
He paused, then gritted his teeth and said, "Jie, Lev... they're all dead, but you have to live!"
Yang Jianshe didn't speak, but from the side, his cheek bulged out abruptly, clearly showing his intense hatred for the enemy.
He Changyi said, "They may not be dead, but if we stay in the car, we will only be defeated one by one."
She carefully straightened up slightly, quickly glanced outside, and before the bullets from the other side could sweep over her, she immediately ducked back down and ordered, "Drive over!"
Lermontov's tactical skills honed on the battlefield allowed him to immediately understand He Changyi's meaning.
He hesitated for a moment, but in the end, his trust in his boss and his concern for his comrades overcame everything else.
The jeep suddenly started, not to escape, but to reverse rapidly, eventually coming to a stop right next to the front of the car in front, the two vehicles forming a V-shape, creating a temporary street block.
The attackers were taken aback. They had been prepared to chase the car behind them, but to their surprise, the attackers not only did not flee, but instead retreated. Overjoyed, several of them rushed forward with guns in hand.
However, just as they were less than three meters from the two cars, something was suddenly thrown out of the car in the twilight, hitting the crowd precisely and rolling around on the ground a few times.
The next second, an explosion rang out!
The shockwave from the grenade even reached inside the jeep. He Changyi felt a tightness in his chest and coughed with difficulty, praising, "Lermontov, your old-brand domestic products are really good. Sure enough, one grenade can take out three people."
Lermontov's lips twitched, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.
...Where did you find this World War II relic?! And what boss would carry a hand grenade around like that?!
Before the smoke from the explosion had dissipated, Yang Jianshe pulled open the car door and rushed out. He crouched down and ran to the overturned car in front, smashed open the windshield, which was already covered with spiderweb-like cracks, with the butt of his gun, and quickly climbed inside to drag Xie Xuejun out.
Xie Xuejun was still conscious, but he refused Yang Jianshe's offer and instead asked him to rescue the semi-conscious Lev first.
"My leg is broken. I'd be a useless burden if you rescue me. You all run, don't worry about me!"
Yang Jianshe tried to grab his hand, but after being sternly reprimanded by Xie Xuejun, he reluctantly turned to pull Lev instead.
Lermontov stood guard at the junction of the two vehicles, gun at the ready, to prevent the other side from charging at them again.
Even though the grenade had caused effective casualties and there were fewer than five attackers left, one of them kept his gun aimed at them, as if the guys rolling and howling on the ground were not his accomplices, and that this was the one who had posed the greatest threat when he fired the shot.
If the jeep hadn't been so sturdy, someone might have been injured or even killed in the shooting.
A cold and difficult guy.
Lev staggered to his feet, struggled to steady his hands, and tried to aim his gun at the other side, but almost got blown up in the head because he was standing too straight.
Fortunately, He Changyi acted quickly and pulled him to the ground, the bullet narrowly missing his scalp.
Lev was unaware that he had just narrowly escaped death and was about to get up again.
Without any hesitation, He Changyi grabbed Lev by the collar and slapped him twice across the face.
"Are you awake yet?!"
Her hands were icy cold, and her voice even colder. Lev was instantly jolted out of the shockwave.
He shook his head vigorously, his hand holding the gun became much steadyer, and his movements regained their usual caution as he and Lermontov each guarded different directions from their cover.
He Changyi was relieved and went to look at Yang Jianshe and Xie Xuejun on the other side.
"What's wrong with him? Is he stuck? Why hasn't he pulled it out yet?"
Yang Jianshe complained, "Squad Leader Xie broke his leg, but he wouldn't let me help him!"
Upon seeing He Changyi, Xie Xuejun urgently said, "You all go quickly! Don't worry about me! Leave me a gun, I'll cover your retreat!"
He Changyi retorted, "What kind of time is this to still be clinging to your old ideas! We won't die, we don't need you to risk your life for ours!"
Ignoring the sharp shards of glass, she scrambled into the car, found Xie Xuejun's leg that was stuck, and said, "Hold on!"
Then she exerted sudden force and forcefully pulled the unnaturally bent leg out from under the deformed car seat.
Xie Xuejun swallowed half a scream, his face instantly turning deathly pale. He was sweating profusely from the pain, biting his lip and stubbornly refusing to utter a sound.
He Changyi climbed out of the car, ignoring the glass shards embedded in his palm, and together with Yang Jianshe, pulled Xie Xuejun out of the car from either side.
Yang Jianshe took off his sweater, tore it into strips in a few quick movements, and tied the empty rifle to Xie Xuejun's fractured leg to temporarily immobilize it and prevent further injury.
Just then, gunshots rang out again outside!
Lermontov said impatiently, "Boss, give your clothes to Yang, and we'll attack in opposite directions! You can survive!"
He Changyi said firmly, "Impossible!"
Xie Xuejun panicked and shouted, "Boss, you're going to die! They're after you!"
"I'd rather die than run away!"
He Changyi gritted his teeth and fired back during a lull in the gunfire, saying, "Besides, we don't know who will die today!"
As the two sides drew closer, the gunfire became scattered and eventually disappeared completely.
The reason was simple: in this unexpected and evenly matched battle, both sides had run out of bullets.
He Changyi dropped the empty gun, looked around, and remembered that there might be a knife in the trunk of the jeep.
Just as she was about to open the trunk, Lermontov rushed over, trying to shove her into the car and forcibly take her away.
He Changyi flew into a rage and yelled, "Lermontov Kuznetsov, you idiot! Even if we're going to escape, we should all escape together! Are you worried about being stopped by the traffic police for overloading?!"
The battlefield was eerily quiet without the sound of gunfire, when her voice suddenly burst forth, clearly audible even to those on the other side.
“Lermontov Kuznetsov?” someone murmured, repeating it over and over.
Just as He Changyi was locked in combat with Lermontov, a young man's voice suddenly came from not far away.
"Hey, are you Lermontov? Major Lermontov of the Tank Regiment of the 1st Brigade, 9th Motorized Rifle Division?"
Lermontov paused, caught off guard by a hook punch from He Changyi to the chin, causing him to burst into tears from the pain.
He Changyi withdrew his hand, rotated his wrist, and commanded, "Answer him."
Lermontov could only grit his teeth and shout back, "Sukabrew! And who the hell are you?!"
"I am Nikolai."
Lermontov and Lev exchanged a surprised glance, and clearly, their expressions relaxed at the same time.
"Nikola? The Nikola who assaulted his superior officer?"
The young man agreed, his voice sounding relaxed.
"Lermontov, what are you doing here? Are you working as bodyguards?"
Lermontov shouted, “Not only me, but Lev is here too, and many others. Oh, and Alexei too.”
Nikolai said in a tone devoid of emotion, "Oh, and Alexei too."
Lermontov was eager to leave the temporary bunker to see his old comrade-in-arms, but He Changyi pulled him back.
"Let him come over, alone, without weapons."
Lermontov was taken aback, but Lev reacted first and shouted, "Hey, Nikolai, come here, I think we can talk."
The man who had been hiding in the back came out, as if he were on a casual outing.
He walked confidently through the varied gazes of the two sides in the conflict, appearing completely unsuspecting, and reached the jeep.
"Lermontov, Lev, good thing you're not dead. Luckily they gave me a broken gun, otherwise you would both be dead today."
He then looked at He Changyi, sized him up, and said calmly, "Good marksmanship."
Then he extended his hand, "My name is Nikolai."
Ignoring the bodyguards' attempts to stop her, He Changyi walked straight forward and grasped the other person's hand, which was covered in gunpowder and calluses.
"I am He Changyi."
She suddenly flashed an incredibly beautiful smile and asked, "Are you interested in changing jobs?"
Nikolai tilted his head, his expression obscured by the darkness.
"You're Lermontov and Lev's boss?"
He Changyi's smile remained unchanged. "Not only that, I'm also Alexei's boss."
Nikolai tilted his head and thought for a moment, then slowly said, "Sounds pretty good."
He Changyi added fuel to the fire.
"A monthly salary of five thousand US dollars, plus bonuses and holiday allowances, meals and accommodation included, and monthly daily necessities provided—yes, I have a store where you can take anything you need."
Nikolai, however, asked, "Alexei too?"
He Changyi said, "No, Alexei doesn't get a salary; he works for free."
Nikolai thought for a while, then finally straightened his head and said in an indifferent tone:
"I agree."
Only then did he release He Changyi's hand and take a gun out of his pocket with his other hand.
The bodyguards were shocked and furious, and tried to rush forward to protect He Changyi, but Nikolai turned around and left his back to them without any defense.
At the same time, he suddenly raised his hand and calmly opened fire on his accomplices who had been there just a minute earlier!
The gunfire was rapid and short, ending as abruptly as it began.
Nikolai lowered his gun, turned around, and saw several people staring at him warily. He then suddenly realized what was happening and threw the gun aside.
"Don't worry, I won't kill you."
His tone even carried a hint of innocence, "Calm down, we agreed it was over."
He Changyi pushed aside Yang Jianshe, who was blocking her way, and walked up to Nikolai.
"Yes, we agreed."
She said, "You've been hired."
The men lifted the overturned jeep, replaced the front tire with the spare, and dumped the body in the roadside forest before leaving. After a night of snow, several small, naturally formed graves would appear the next day.
Nikolai was instructed to sit in the front car while Lev drove, with Yang Jianshe and Xie Xuejun flanking him from the back. Any slight movement would be dealt with on the spot by the two former special forces soldiers.
Lev remained silent, only glancing occasionally at the rearview mirror with a complex look that was a mixture of worry and wariness.
Nikolai remained oblivious, comfortably leaning back in his chair and even trying to strike up a conversation with the two jailers.
"Does the store have Jong-kook cassette tapes? I don't really like Korean rock, but Jong-kook rock is pretty good. I like Cui Jian. Do you know Cui Jian? He looks a bit like a rock singer from our country, and he also has the surname Cui, Victor Cui, hahaha, isn't that a coincidence?"
Xie Xuejun and Yang Jianshe: ...
Could this idiot have been switched with another person?
Lermontov, in the car behind, was also curious.
“Boss, why did you take in Nikolai? Of course, I don’t doubt your decision, nor do I doubt Nikolai. Of course, I understand, he does seem a bit suspicious… well, he really is an idiot…”
He Changyi interrupted him.
“There’s no reason,” she said. “I just want everyone to survive.”
Lermontov hesitated, "I don't think Nikolai would kill us..."
He Changyi said, "No, he just won't kill you and Lev."
She remembered the gun Nikolai had hidden on his person.
In the chaotic battle where life and death hung in the balance, he hid the fully loaded gun until the very end.
Lermontov said emotionally, "I won't let him kill you! If Nikolai wants to kill you, let his bullet hit my heart first!"
He Changyi suddenly brought up another topic.
"Let's talk about Nikolai."
She said in a lighthearted, gossipy tone, "Talk about him and Alexei. Nikolai seems to have a crush on Alexei."
Lermontov slapped the steering wheel, his attention happily diverted.
"I must say, you've come to the right person! I dare say no one in the world knows them better than I do!"
Nikolai was a veteran who served alongside Alexei, Lermontov, Lev, and others.
On the battlefield, he was a complete killing machine; but off the battlefield—
Lermontov exclaimed excitedly, "He's a complete musical idiot!"
The car in front.
Nikolai suddenly reached out and started groping himself. Xie Xuejun and Yang Jianshe, who were standing next to him, were so nervous that they almost jumped out of their chairs. One held a knife to his neck, and the other grabbed his hand, shouting, "Behave yourself! Don't move!"
Nikolai raised his hands innocently and said, "I just wanted to take out my Walkman."
He then called out again, "Lev! Lev!"
Lev, in the driver's seat, reluctantly replied, "What?"
Ignoring the knife at his neck, Nikola said enthusiastically, "I see the car radio. Turn it on, tune to channel three, and let's listen to some music!"
Lev didn't speak. After a long while, he sighed heavily and reached out to turn on the radio.
The car behind.
He Changyi asked Lermontov, "So, Alexei threw away Nikolai's album? What was it called, Trilobites?"
Lermontov gesticulated wildly, saying, "Nick was furious! He almost killed Alyosha, or maybe Alyosha killed him. Anyway, we're all happy that someone finally got rid of that damn album."
He Changyi: "I never expected that Alexei could be so lively and adorable."
Lermontov nearly drove the car off the road.
"Lively and adorable?! You mean Alyosha?!"
He shook his head: "If Alyosha heard this, he would crawl out of hell."
"Then I hope he can climb out as soon as possible."
He Changyi pursed her lips and said, "Alright, let's continue talking about Nikolai."
Like Lermontov and Lev, Nikolai quickly fell into dire straits after his discharge from the army, becoming impoverished and forced to take odd jobs to make ends meet in order to fill his stomach.
However, he soon found a more lucrative job—murder.
Moreover, he has more experience in this area.
The convoy of jeeps sped along, entering the city of Vladimir late at night. Upon seeing the familiar streets, everyone in the vehicles relaxed, their nerves having been on edge the entire way.
Nikolai looked out the window with curiosity. His eyes were reflected in the car window, pure and innocent, which was very strange.
The car arrived at the apartment, and the group got out and went inside.
He Changyi deliberately stopped and waited for Nikolai, who was walking behind him.
Under the bright lights, she finally saw what this young killing machine looked like.
He was wearing an old cotton-padded coat and a drab turtleneck sweater. His broad shoulders and back were forced to hunch over in the ill-fitting clothes, making him look even hunched over.
Nikolai walked over slowly, his face turning from side to side as he curiously looked around at everything in the room.
His eyes widened when he saw the flat-screen color TV; his eyes widened even more when he saw the latest model of VCR.
Upon seeing the imported tape recorder with two huge speakers, he excitedly rushed over and was almost pinned to the ground by the nervous Yang Jianshe.
Can I use this to listen to music?
Nikolai squatted on the ground, looking up expectantly at He Changyi.
He has the body of an adult man, but unexpectedly has the face of a boy who still looks very young, with even some rounded features.
He Changyi looked down at him, suddenly smiled, and nodded.
"Of course, you can use everything in the room; it's an employee benefit."
Nikolai smiled happily, revealing two small tiger teeth.
"marvelous!"
He declared, "I will work here until I retire!"
Then, Nikolai asked He Changyi expectantly:
"So, who do you want me to kill?"
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Author's note: I received so many birthday wishes from everyone! I'm so touched, thank you all so much~
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