Shanyue
Inside the living room, Sang Qi and Lu Min remained silent, the room completely still.
Just then, Lu Min's phone rang again.
The call came from the same number as before, which was Qian Ganpeng.
Sang Qi glanced at Lu Min, who steadied himself, answered the phone, and put it on speakerphone.
"I'm only giving you three days. You'd better show up within three days, or you'll face the consequences."
Qian Ganpeng didn't waste any time on the phone that day; he got straight to the point.
"Where is the location?" Lu Min asked.
"Dongshan Miao Village in Guizhou".
"good."
"I'll be waiting for you two there!" With that, the phone was disconnected.
Sang Qi pondered for a moment and said, "He's in Guizhou right now, shall we buy tickets and go there now?"
Lu Min thought for a moment and then suddenly said, "I still think I should go back to Yunnan first."
"Yunnan?"
"Yes, I need to take care of something."
“Okay, I’ll go with you,” Sang Qi said firmly.
After agreeing on the terms, Sang Qi and Lu Min boarded the high-speed train to Yunnan that very evening.
Neither Sang Qi nor Lu Min slept that night on the high-speed train.
Late at night, most of the people in the carriage were drowsy.
Sang Qi was staring blankly out the car window when she came to her senses and realized that Lu Min was not in his seat.
She looked around and found him standing in the open space in the bathroom corridor.
Sang Qi got up and went over.
"What are you doing here?" Sang Qi patted his shoulder.
Lu Min turned around and saw that it was Sang Qi. He forced a smile and said, "It's nothing. I was just thinking about some random things."
Sang Qi squeezed Lu Min's hand: "Don't think too much. Everything will be alright. I think we'll resolve everything on this trip, and then we can rest easy."
"I hope so."
Late at night, high-speed trains shuttle through the darkness, speeding along the tracks.
Arrived in Kunming the following day.
Lu Min and Sang Qi arrived in Kunming and spent a day there.
Upon arriving in Kunming, Sang Qi went to the inn she had booked, while Lu Min had just gone out on business.
Just as it was getting dark, Lu Min called, telling Sang Qi to eat first and not to wait for him.
Sang Qi had no choice but to go downstairs to eat alone.
As soon as she stepped out of the inn, she saw a furtive figure dart into a nearby alley, moving swiftly.
Sang Qi immediately had a bad feeling.
She returned to the inn, went up to her room, carefully opened the window, and observed the pedestrians on the street.
About an hour later, there was a knock on the door.
Sang Qi tiptoed to the peephole to look.
It's Lu Min.
She opened the door with peace of mind.
“You’re finally back. I just discovered some suspicious people who seem to be following and monitoring us,” Sang Qi said.
Lu Min smiled and said, "I found out when I came back."
“Ah,” Sang Qi was taken aback, “Then our entire itinerary has been exposed?”
Lu Min, however, didn't care and said calmly, "Don't be afraid. Qian Ganpeng doesn't know about our actions. At most, he knows that we came to Kunming."
"Why?" Sang Qi asked, puzzled.
"Because I shook off the people who were following me."
Sang Qi nodded, then asked, "In that case, what do we do now?"
Lu Min breathed a sigh of relief: "Now, take a shower and go to sleep. We're going to Guizhou tomorrow."
"..."
"Oh, right." Lu Min suddenly remembered something and took out a delicate little hair clip from his pocket.
Sang Qi was surprised.
"Here, this is for you."
"..."
"I'll put it on you." Lu Min clipped the clip onto Sang Qi's hair, looked her over, and smiled, "It looks good."
Sang Qi said with a hint of disdain, "What? Why are you giving me a hair clip for no reason?"
“This is a gift from me. I saw it on my way back and thought it would suit you perfectly.”
“…” Sang Qi rolled her eyes. “Your straight-male aesthetic is deadly.”
"I don't care, you have to wear it. I like seeing you wear it."
Sang Qi sighed helplessly, "Fine, fine, whatever you say."
"So obedient!"
"..."
Nothing happened that night. The next morning, Lu Min and Sang Qi checked out of their hotel and boarded the high-speed train from Kunming to Guizhou.
Upon arriving in southeastern Guizhou, Qian Ganpeng called and sent a car to pick up Lu Min and Sang Qi.
The two were forcibly pushed into the car, and their cell phones and all electronic devices were confiscated. They were then covered with black cloth bags to obscure their vision.
The car stopped after about an hour of driving.
After the cloth bag was removed, Lu Min and Sang Qi were pushed off the car again.
It was nearly dusk, and twilight enveloped the village nestled among mountains and rivers.
As soon as Sang Qi landed, he looked around. All he could see was lush and verdant vegetation, a sea of deep green.
Drum towers, covered bridges, and wooden houses are ubiquitous in Miao villages. As the sun sets, wisps of smoke rise from chimneys both inside and outside the village, filling the air with a rich, tranquil atmosphere.
"Brother Peng is waiting for you two." The subordinate gestured for them to enter.
Then a man dressed in Miao clothing walked ahead to lead the way.
Lu Min, holding Sang Qi's hand, followed the Miao man, walking straight along the narrow path through the grass.
Walking deeper and deeper into the forest at the foot of the village, the branches and leaves of the trees on the side are covered with various unknown vines, which block out the light of dusk, as if they are natural grids growing in this dense green forest.
As we approached a wooden building, it was already completely dark, and the moon was rising in the east, shining brightly.
The silvery moonlight poured down on the depths of the mountain forest, making everything around it appear exceptionally bright.
Upon arriving at the courtyard, the Miao guide stood to one side, and several figures could be seen reflected in the house, which was lit by an orange-yellow lamp.
Lu Min focused his gaze and saw Qian Ganjiao being escorted out by a group of thugs.
He smiled and looked at Lu Min and Sang Qi, opened his folding fan and fanned himself elegantly a few times, saying, "Not bad, you're both alive and well, not bad."
Lu Min looked at him with disgust and said coldly, "I didn't come to see you to catch up."
"Alright!" Qian Ganpeng closed his folding fan, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Then hand over the item."
Lu Min sneered: "Then where are the people I asked for?"
Qian Ganpeng's gaze darkened, filled with ruthlessness in the night.
Lu Min met his gaze without flinching or fear, displaying remarkable composure.
"No problem." Qian Ganpeng smiled and clapped his hands. Hearing the sound, the people below immediately went into the house and brought the person out.
Those brought out of the house were all bound hand and foot. Yang Hao was covered in injuries and was on the verge of death. Lin Na and Zaxi were alright, with only minor facial injuries.
Seeing Yang Hao like this, Lu Min was so angry that his teeth itched, and his fists clenched involuntarily.
Qian Ganpeng walked up to Yang Hao, kicked him to the ground, stepped on his cheek with the sole of his shoe, and pressed down hard.
"Stop!" Lu Min panicked and instinctively rushed forward. The thugs immediately swarmed forward, surrounding the man.
Lu Min stopped in his tracks, staring at Qian Ganpeng with hatred in his eyes, and said through gritted teeth, "Release him, and I'll give you the stuff!"
"The stuff is with me."
At this moment, Sang Qi spoke up and walked forward: "Release the people now and let Lu Min take them away. I will only give you the things after I see that they are safe."
Qian Ganpeng chuckled twice and said, "You little girl, you've got guts to talk to me like that."
Sang Qi shrugged: "So, are you going to do as I say or not?"
What if I don't?
Sang Qi sneered and spread his hands, saying, "The worst that can happen is death. Anyway, if we die, you won't get what you want."
"Are you threatening me?"
"I wouldn't dare. I'm just telling you the worst-case scenario. Brother Peng, you should know how to keep your word. Since you agreed to make an exchange with us, you shouldn't go back on your word, right?"
"Quick-witted and eloquent, no wonder she's Liu Yaohua's daughter."
"How is it?" Sang Qi asked, raising his head.
"Okay, I won't go back on my word." With that, Qian Ganpeng waved his hand, signaling to release the person.
His men untied Yang Hao, Zaxi Linna, and the other two, and Lu Min quickly helped them into the car that had been arranged in advance.
Qian Ganpeng said calmly, "I've released the person and arranged the car for you. Now you can hand over the goods."
Sang Qi chuckled: "Brother Peng has released everyone, so everything is negotiable."
As he spoke, Sang Qi took out the chain around his neck, took it off, and weighed it in his palm: "Here, this is what you wanted."
Qian Ganpeng snatched the chain and said in a deep voice, "This is the storage device?"
"Um!"
"You fucking mess with me!" Qian Ganpeng stared at the chain, furious, and pulled out his gun, firing a shot into the air.
The shot startled the birds in the forest.
Sang Qi turned pale with fright.
Lu Min rushed forward and shielded Sang Qi behind him: "What are you doing? Isn't this the storage device you wanted?" As he spoke, Lu Min revealed the secrets inside.
Upon seeing the small card, Qian Ganpeng couldn't help but smile, his earlier anger vanishing.
"Now can we go?" Sang Qi said irritably.
"Wait, I need to check if it's real or fake." Qian Ganpeng examined the card and called over the professionals below to check its contents.
"Sorry, you can only leave after the results are out," Qian Ganpeng said with a smile.
Sang Qi rolled her eyes helplessly.
About ten minutes later, the person conducting the test came over and whispered in Qian Ganpeng's ear.
After he finished speaking, Qian Ganpeng burst into laughter.
"Well, can we go now?" Lu Min asked.
Qian Ganpeng's eyes turned sinister, and he said sternly, "Capture them, and don't let any of them go."
At his command, all the thugs present surrounded them in layers, each holding a weapon.
Sang Qi's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in shock, "Are you crazy? You're kicking me after I've served my purpose?"
"Hmph, what you gave me is fake. You dare to lie to me, you all have to die!" Qian Ganpeng said fiercely. "Kill them all, leave no survivors."
Sang Qi knew that this was just an excuse.
The storage device she gave them was real. If it were fake, Qian Ganpeng wouldn't have killed them; instead, he would have captured them and forced them to reveal the truth. But he ordered their execution, clearly intending to silence them.
Lu Min is right. Once he gets the item, Qian Ganpeng will definitely kill him without hesitation.
At that moment, the thugs swarmed forward, and Lu Min immediately pulled Sang Qi behind him. Lin Na and Zaxi, who were not seriously injured, got out of the car to help when they saw the situation and fought their way out for Lu Min.
Qian Ganpeng watched the chaotic fighting scene with a nonchalant expression.
He had already made arrangements for his men, so even if they escaped, they wouldn't be able to leave these mountains.
At that moment, waves of thugs in black surged forward like a tide. Taking advantage of the chaos, Lu Min threw Sang Qi into the dense bushes, telling her to hide and not make a sound.
Knowing he couldn't join the fight, Sang Qi could only stay hidden and avoid causing trouble.
Hidden in the bushes, Sang Qi watched the battle through the small gaps in the grass roots. He saw that some of the thugs were carrying knives, some were wielding iron bars, and some were carrying guns, while Zaxi, Linna, and Lu Min were fighting them hand-to-hand with their bare hands, and they seemed to be at a disadvantage.
Just as Sang Qi was extremely anxious, Lu Min threw one of the thugs over his shoulder in front of him. The thug hit his back and screamed in pain.
The man, though wounded, was still unwilling to give up. He pulled a gun from his back and pulled the trigger, intending to fire a hidden shot. Sang Qi's gaze darkened as she caught this movement, and her small hand quickly reached into the grass and found a stone.
As the man raised his gun to fire, Sang Qi did not hesitate to smash the stone in his hand into the man's head.
With a loud thud, the man fell to the ground, his head bleeding profusely. Upon seeing this, Sang Qi immediately picked up his gun.
With the gun in hand, Sang Qi smiled slyly.
Shooting from the shadows is the most unexpected and dangerous tactic; as the saying goes, to catch a thief, first catch the king.
Sang Qi gripped the pistol and pointed the muzzle at Qian Ganpeng, who remained calm and composed not far away.
However, just a second before she was about to fire, a large group of fully armed police rushed up and surrounded the area.
Sang Qi was astonished to find that there were police officers present. It seemed that Qian Ganpeng was doomed this time.
Sang Qi smiled with joy. Just as the police were about to bring the situation under control, she peeked her head out of the bushes. Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind her and tightly covered Sang Qi's mouth and nose.
Sang Qi's pupils contracted, and he struggled and thrashed about with his hands and feet.
The person who covered Sangqi was incredibly strong and dragged her away from the bushes with minimal effort.
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