Chapter 118 Night Raid (Revised)
He Changyi returned very late.
In the stillness of the night, a lamp awaits her.
—That sounds cozy, but if what you're waiting for is two lights, then something's not right.
He Changyi originally planned to return quietly without disturbing anyone, but the sound of the new car engine was enough to wake up everyone on the street.
So when He Changyi pushed open the door and entered, the two people sitting in the living room looked at her at the same time.
He Changyi: "...Why aren't you resting yet? Do you have any plans for nightlife?"
Xie Xun stood up first, a sly smile on his face, and asked earnestly, "Would you like some late-night snack? It's not good for your health to go to bed on an empty stomach. I've prepared some wontons in a soup base of egg shreds and seaweed; a bowl of that will warm your stomach."
Nikolai, who was passing by, agreed: "Yes, that little mouse's skills are indeed quite good."
He licked his lips, still wanting more, and asked expectantly, "Can I have another one?"
Xie Xun: ...
Nikolai suddenly realized and added, "I'm not asking for your opinion, after all, you didn't contribute anything except almost blowing up the kitchen."
He then turned to Zheng Xiaowei, who seemed to want to shrink away, and asked, "My chef friend, what do you think?"
Under Xie Xun's expressionless, piercing gaze, Zheng Xiaowei desperately scurried into a crack in the ground and fled along the base of the wall.
Alexei sat on the sofa, legs crossed like a lord, watching the farce unfold with a half-smile before finally standing up lazily and saying, "Come with me, I have something important to tell you."
After saying that, he didn't wait for He Changyi's reaction and turned to walk towards the room.
Xie Xun tried to stop him: "No matter how big the matter is, we can't let it interfere with eating."
Alexei stopped, glanced at him sideways, and said calmly with a mocking tone, "Do you think food is more important than life?"
Xie Xun retorted, "If it were truly a matter of life and death, would you have waited until now to say it?"
He Changyi: ...
Ugh, my head hurts, it's so painful, like having three thousand ducks crammed into a room at the same time.
The bodyguards huddled together for warmth in the entryway, holding their breath and staring intently at the scene of the heated debate.
"How long do you think they'll keep arguing?"
"Around... tomorrow morning?"
"No, I bet they'll keep arguing until one of them dies."
It was Lermontov who spoke, and after thinking for a moment, the others silently expressed their agreement.
"Hey, I have a different opinion."
Lev's voice trailed off, "It doesn't need to be that cruel, just one more person...you know..."
All the bodyguards stared at Lev with shock and admiration. Sure enough, experience counts.
In the living room, He Changyi propped her head up with her hand. She would rather face a hundred Trotskys than see these two men at the same time again.
"stop!"
He Changyi said to the two men expressionlessly, "I don't need a midnight snack or any news. You can either go back and rest or stay here to keep watch."
She called out again, "Nikolai!"
Nikolai took off his headphones and tilted his head to look at him, puzzled.
He Changyi pointed to the kitchen and said, "You, go and eat everything in the pot now."
Nikolai gave a simple and happy smile, but the smile vanished the next second.
"Then wash all the dishes thoroughly; I don't want to find a single stain on the plates."
He Changyi tossed her handbag to Alexei, threw her coat at Xie Xun, and stormed back to the bedroom, slamming the door shut.
Alexei, Xie Xun: ...
Alexei casually put his bag aside, while Xie Xun carefully hung his coat on the hanger. The two exchanged a glance, their hostility and fighting spirit palpable.
Then, without saying a word, they returned to their respective rooms, which were located at opposite corners of the apartment.
The bodyguards in the entryway exchanged bewildered glances: "So, can we go back and rest now?"
"What an amazing day!"
"Then I'd rather life be simpler..."
It was late at night, and everyone except the bodyguards on night duty was fast asleep.
The quiet night, occasionally broken by the hooting of owls and the struggles of dying rats, was no different from any other day. Even the two bodyguards were drowsy in the warm room and had to drink ice-cold vodka to stay awake.
However, just as they were each chewing the frozen vodka like ice cubes, a heavy object suddenly smashed the windowpane, rolled a few times on the floor, and then exploded with a loud bang!
Almost instantly, thick, acrid smoke engulfed the entire apartment. At the same time, the apartment door was broken down from the outside, and a large number of chaotic footsteps rushed in!
A bodyguard on night duty grabbed his gun and stood up, roaring at the top of his lungs:
"Enemy attack!"
The instant he spoke and revealed his position, several bullets were fired from different directions, instantly knocking him to the ground.
Meanwhile, another bodyguard on night duty immediately dropped to the ground, crawled out with his gun on his back, and, using the corner of the wall as cover, fired repeatedly at the invading enemy!
The apartment was in complete chaos.
The bodyguards, wearing only underwear and vests, sprang up from their beds and rushed out in unison, trying to avoid being trapped and surrounded by the enemy.
However, in order to avoid accidental discharges indoors, all firearms and ammunition are stored in a small armory in the apartment. Only the bodyguards on duty have fully loaded guns, while the other bodyguards are unarmed and have to make do with what is available.
Several of Zhong Guo's bodyguards formed small, three-man squads according to wartime practices. They were flexible and mobile, like a sharp dagger, precisely stabbing into the enemy's weakest point.
Meanwhile, the bodyguards from Emei, following their usual combat tactics, formed small teams and charged at the invaders like reckless tanks, risking mutual destruction.
Smoke was everywhere, and you couldn't see anything.
The same applies to bodyguards and intruders.
The bodyguards on both sides almost mistook their own men for enemies. Fortunately, they recognized each other before any casualties occurred. Xie Xuejun and Lev met and discussed the matter, and decided to split into two groups: one group would go to the armory to retrieve weapons, while the other group would go to protect He Changyi.
However, the corridor leading to He Changyi's room was teeming with enemies, one after another, until a stalemate was reached with the bodyguards, forcing another team to return to provide support.
"Damn it, how can there be so many people! Is there a bank vault sign hanging outside Miss He's room?!"
Lev cursed and swore, blood streaming from the wound on his forehead. A bullet had just grazed his scalp, nearly blowing his skull off.
Xie Xuejun calmly analyzed, "They came specifically for Miss He."
If the intention was to kill and silence witnesses, the other party could have gone much further. A single poison gas bomb or a shoulder-fired rocket launcher would have been enough to wipe out everyone, instead of using smoke bombs to clear a path and then sending people to raid the house.
They are not afraid of killing or being exposed; they are only worried about killing people they shouldn't have.
What they want is a living He Changyi, someone who can still breathe.
Give me your knife.
Suddenly, a voice sounded beside him. Lermontov instinctively reached back and stabbed at the person with his knife, but then stopped abruptly after realizing that the speaker was one of his own.
Just before Lermontov actually stopped, another person moved with lightning speed, twisting his wrist joint, causing the dagger to fall from his loose hand, only to be caught by another person before it hit the ground.
Nikolai remained calm as if nothing had happened, his eyes seemingly glowing in the darkness.
"Too slow. I'll go."
Nikolai stared at the shadowy figures in the smoke opposite, like immortal ghosts, firmly separating the bodyguards from the people they were protecting.
He muttered, "I'd love to know, do they bleed?"
Xie Xuejun stepped forward: "I'll go with you."
Nikolai asked curiously, "Do you have a knife too?"
Xie Xuejun stared at the person opposite him, casually twisted his wrist, and his knuckles cracked.
"I have these two hands."
Lev barked, "Prepare for cover!"
As Xie Xuejun and Nikolai silently approached the enemy from the shadows, the remaining bodyguards launched an attack on the other side!
The suite at this time.
The instant the explosion rang out, He Changyi rolled out of bed, pulled out a pistol from under his pillow, grabbed a spare magazine from the bedside table, and fired a shot at the dark figure that suddenly appeared in the doorway without even aiming!
The dark figure nimbly dodged the shot and shouted at her, "It's me!"
He Changyi barely released her finger from the trigger, but before she could communicate with Alexei about the sudden attack, another figure appeared behind him.
Alexei's reaction was obviously much faster, delivering a back elbow strike that caused his opponent to let out a painful groan.
Just as he turned to deliver the fatal blow, He Changyi recognized the person by the reflection of the snow outside the window and shouted urgently, "Stop!"
Alexei paused before stopping, and said coldly, "You shouldn't be behind me."
Xie Xun clutched his ribs, catching his breath before angrily saying, "You did this on purpose! You clearly saw me just now!"
Alexei said coldly, "I thought it was a black-haired Tatar."
Suddenly, his expression hardened, and he shoved Xie Xun into the room, slammed the door shut, and quickly stuffed a sheet into the cracks to block out most of the acrid smoke.
Where's your gun?
Without asking any further questions, He Changyi tossed the spare gun from the desk to Alexei, then used the curtains as cover to look out the window.
Several unfamiliar cars were parked downstairs, and a few armed men stood guard beside them.
A few brief gunshots rang out from outside, then stopped, leaving only the sounds of footsteps, voices, and sudden screams.
“They’re after me.” He Changyi said with a grim face. “It seems they’ve come up with another ‘good way’ to make me compromise.”
Alexei tried to drag the heavy solid wood desk to the door, but when he saw Xie Xun standing there helplessly, he scolded him impatiently: "Why don't you go and help the people outside!"
Xie Xun stepped forward silently and used all his strength to drag the desk to the door, then the wardrobe, until the door became a temporary cover.
"We can't stay here any longer; if we stay any longer, we'll be trapped like turtles in a jar."
The noise outside the door grew increasingly chaotic. Xie Xun urgently said to He Changyi, "You run! I'll cover your retreat!"
Before He Changyi could speak, Alexei sneered, "I really appreciate your greatness, but how long can you hold them off? A minute or thirty seconds? Don't tell me it's only five seconds."
Xie Xun retorted sarcastically, "Then what good ideas do you have? Hide in your shell like a turtle, wait for them to rush in, and then use this little pistol to take them all down with you? I'd rather she live!"
He took a breath and said, "As long as she lives, I don't care if I die!"
Alexei smirked and said sarcastically, "Do you think your life is valuable? No, when you're about to die you'll find that life is like dog shit, nobody cares."
He looked at He Changyi and said calmly, "Give me your gun, I'll break through for you, and then, survive."
He Changyi closed his eyes tightly.
"What are you all trying to do? Satisfy your individualistic hero complex?! You've come to the wrong place; there's no need for heroes to save damsels in distress here!"
A crashing sound came from outside the door. The desk and wardrobe were teetering on the verge of collapse. A hole had been shot through the original lock, and someone was peering in through it.
The group quickly retreated into the bedroom. Before closing the bedroom door, He Changyi, with lightning speed, raised his hand and fired a shot, accurately hitting the hole. A scream came from outside, and blood splattered on the door.
Alexei and Xie Xun fell silent at the same time, in a strange manner.
He Changyi looked out the window again and said, "We can't stay here. We have to find a way to get out and meet up with them."
Alexei seemed to sense something and also looked out the window.
"This doesn't look safe at all."
He nodded again and said, "However, it is indeed a good idea."
Xie Xun was puzzled and tried to look out the window like the two of them, but he couldn't see anything.
What are you talking about?
Alexei glanced at him and suddenly laughed.
"You can hide under the bed and hold on, we'll come to rescue you."
Xie Xun was confused, but instinctively realized that this guy had ill intentions, so he immediately retorted, "Then how about we switch? You stay under the bed, and I'll come and rescue you."
Alexei stopped looking at him and said loudly to He Changyi, "I don't recommend bringing him along."
He Changyi was taking off her white silk nightgown and quickly changing into black pants and a black sweater, then raising her hand to tie her half-long hair up.
Alexei politely turned his head to the side, while pressing Xie Xun's head down with one hand, forcing him to turn his gaze away as well.
"Then you can stay under the bed with him."
He Changyi changed her clothes and gave the two men a fake smile.
"I will come to save you both, Your Highnesses."
Alexei, Xie Xun: ...
He Changyi opened the window, and the biting cold wind of minus thirty degrees Celsius rushed into the room, making people shiver.
She stretched her body and was about to step out first when Alexei stepped forward, stood by the window, and leaned out to look downstairs.
Then, seemingly unaffected by the cold, he nimbly and silently climbed over the window. On the windowsill, which was three stories high and only wide enough for half a foot, he walked several meters without making a sound. Then, using some unknown method, he opened another window from the outside and climbed inside.
At his feet were several unfamiliar cars. The people around the cars were so focused on the fierce battle inside the house that they didn't notice the dramatic scene unfolding above them.
Alexei leaned out and gestured to He Changyi, who was not far away.
He Changyi nodded in response, then turned to Xie Xun and said, "You go first?"
Xie Xun's fox-like face turned deathly pale as he looked out the window, which was high enough to break a neck with a fall. The cold wind made his face stiff.
Meanwhile, the sounds outside grew increasingly chaotic, including the sound of a wardrobe being overturned, suggesting that the attackers had figured out a way to break into the suite.
At this moment, time is life; leaving a second earlier means being safer a second earlier.
Xie Xun gritted his teeth and said to He Changyi, "You go first, I'll go last."
He Changyi didn't hesitate. He grabbed Xie Xun, held a gun to his head, and forced him to climb out the window.
Xie Xun gripped the windowsill tightly with both hands, not daring to move!
His eyes seemed frozen, and he could only stare intently at He Changyi, expressing his thoughts through his eyes.
—That must be swear words.
He Changyi said considerately, "Be careful, don't slip, or you'll fall and die."
Xie Xun squeezed out a single word through gritted teeth: "You..."
He Changyi glanced back at the door and said quickly and quietly, "You are now my biggest creditor. When a person dies, the debt is settled. You don't want to die so easily, do you? Then I will be very happy that I don't have to pay back the debt."
She shoved Xie Xun hard and hissed, "Aren't you leaving?!"
Xie Xun gave her a deep look, then without further hesitation, stiffly moved his legs and forced himself to another window. Alexei angrily grabbed him by the collar and dragged him inside, throwing him heavily to the ground.
Ignoring the pain in his body, Xie Xun was in a terrible state, struggling to get up, unsure whether he felt more love or hate.
But whether it's love or hate, she can't die.
The window was wide open, and the night wind lashed down, seemingly invisible yet striking one's very bones.
Just a wall away, there was chaos of smashing, looting, and shouting. Inside the houses on both sides of the street, where the lights were off, pairs of eyes peered out through the gaps in the curtains, while the street was eerily quiet, without the much-needed sirens.
The suite door was finally broken open. The bedroom door was easily breached, and armed enemies rushed in. The windows were wide open, and the curtains were fluttering wildly in the wind.
Time seemed to stand still.
Roars, gunshots, the sound of shattering glass, screams—
In Xie Xun's view, a figure suddenly burst into the frame through the empty window filled with the night!
Her hair was blown by the wind, her face was snow-white, and her eyes shone like the only star in the night sky, exuding a strong sense of calm and confidence.
At this moment, the gods descended.
Time has returned to normal.
He Changyi braced herself against the windowsill and nimbly climbed over the window, walking forward without looking back.
"Quick! We have to do something before they catch up!"
So Xie Xun got up and staggered after his only faith.
"Oh no! The suite has been breached!"
Lermontov, with his sharp eyes, saw the enemy swarming into the suite through the dissipating smoke. He jumped up in alarm, nearly getting shot.
Yang Jianshe gritted his teeth as he wrapped a strip of cloth around his arm, from which a bloody hole was gushing blood.
"Let's not wait any longer, let's all go together! We can't just stand by and watch Miss He get kidnapped, what's the point of having bodyguards then?!"
Lev gritted his teeth and said, "No! Wait a little longer!"
In his line of sight, two figures were moving like ghosts among the enemies, causing several effective casualties in just a few minutes.
A knife-wielding figure silently approached the enemy from behind, stabbing the blade into the enemy's left side. A large amount of air rushed into the enemy's lungs, and the enemy opened his mouth but could not make a sound. He was gently and silently placed on the ground, twitched a few times, and then fell completely silent.
The other one carried nothing, his hands like iron clamps, gripping the enemy's neck. With a gentle twist, the fragile spine deformed and broke. In the end, the enemy could only move his eyes, watching in terror as this buzz-cut demon searched for his next victim.
In just a short while, the enemy, who had initially held a numerical advantage, suffered heavy losses. With each step Xie Xuejun and Nikolai took forward, one or more enemies fell in the darkness.
The enemy, in their impotent rage, poured bullets into the darkness, only to be met with deathly silence and the prospect of another death.
Lev gripped the kitchen knife he'd taken earlier and said in a low voice, "When they lead the boss out of the corridor, you lead a group to intercept them; you lead a group to cover their retreat. Be careful not to give them a chance to fire, to avoid accidentally injuring the boss!"
The bodyguards nodded solemnly, while gripping the various weapons in their hands.
From brooms and mop handles to vases and frying pans, everything in the house that could cause harm was swept away.
Lev stared intently into the corridor, seemingly oblivious to the redness and tears welling in his eyes from the lingering smoke.
However, the enemy did not leave the suite for a long time; they seemed to be held back by something.
Lermontov murmured, "...Alexei?"
Yang Jianshe shook his head and whispered, "It must be the boss! She survived being robbed three times on the train, it must be her!"
Are you looking for me?
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out behind them, and Lermontov almost jumped up on the spot!
When they saw who it was, all the bodyguards almost jumped up!
That was the boss they were racking their brains to rescue from the enemy!
He Changyi, carrying several rifles on her back and with a bullet belt wrapped around her waist several times, stood in front of everyone like a majestic Valkyrie, radiating brilliance.
She raised her eyebrows and said with a half-smile, "It seems you forgot to take something."
All the bodyguards were stunned. For a moment, they could only see He Changyi. It was only after a while that they noticed Alexei and Xie Xun, who were also covered in weapons, behind her.
He Changyi raised his hand and threw all the guns over. Lermontov caught them instinctively, and as soon as he touched the guns, he exclaimed with delight, "My beloved Kalashnikov!"
Lev let out a heavy sigh.
The wound on his head was still bleeding, and the dried blood clung to his eyelids, yet he still managed a genuine smile.
"Let's lead us back! To avenge our fallen comrades!"
He Changyi nodded and said solemnly, "Of course."
She turned her head, her gaze fixed on the enemy not far away, looking stern and cold.
"Leave no one alive."
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