Chapter 111: Take Her Along

She knew this was a dead end. But only by trading herself as the hostage could she act without any lingering concerns. As they say, one must risk everything to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Otherwise, this stalemate could never be broken.

"Whether it's worth it is not for you to decide."

The voice of the young woman who had fallen into their hands was as cold and clear as striking jade. She was pale, her loose black hair plastered to her body by the rain. Her fair, exquisite face looked somewhat alluring in the darkness, appearing pitifully fragile.

"I really didn't expect the Chief of the First Military District to be such a young girl." The criminal endured the pain in his wrist, his eyes hiding a flash of malice, yet he smiled as he looked at her. "Facing a beauty like you, I actually find it hard to bring myself to do it. But there's no help for it—who told your military side to insist on standing in our way?"

He curled his lips playfully, his warm breath hitting Shen Zhaoxi’s ear as he mocked her. "But now that I have you, I believe you will help us leave Country Y, won't you?"

There was a touch of intrigue in his sinister smile. Perhaps it was because Shen Zhaoxi was so incredibly beautiful, like fragile jade, that one couldn't help but feel a sliver of pity and a reluctance to destroy her. Or perhaps it was because of her status as a military chief that even this criminal looked at her with a hint of interest, treating her with a veneer of courtesy. Yet, beneath that courtesy, Shen Zhaoxi knew she could not move recklessly, or they would kill her all the same.

She was dragged into the abandoned building, while the military personnel opposite them grew so tense they held their breath. They were terrified even to exhale. They had been distressed while watching the hostages being tortured earlier, but now, they were even more anxious.

"How is the progress over there?" Xiao Xiao asked, her expression grave as she looked at the soldiers behind her. She was terrified that they were running out of time.

"Report, Captain! Thirty percent of the task remains; it may take another twenty minutes!"

"Tell them to speed it up."

"Yes!"

In the gloomy curtain of rain, the sky began to turn a murky, deep blue. It seemed as though dawn was approaching. The hostages previously held by the criminals had all been successfully rescued under their intervention. Special forces had come forward to untie them and calm their nerves, quickly moving them into the dark residential buildings where the criminals’ gunfire couldn't reach.

"How are the hostages?" Xiao Xiao asked nervously.

"Report, Captain, all hostages have been rescued."

"That's good."

But the success of the rescue was entirely due to the Chief. Xiao Xiao’s face remained grim; this was the first time she had felt such profound worry while carrying out a mission against criminals. She had no idea what would happen next. Her heart hung in the balance as she stared toward the abandoned building.

"Chief, I have released all the hostages as you requested." The criminal pressed his gun against her head, his tone mocking, yet in his eyes, Shen Zhaoxi saw a churning darkness. "Now, it’s time for you to fulfill your promise, isn't it?"

The young woman’s face was pale, drenched in rain, her clothes soaked through. Amidst the disarray, she maintained an air of resilience. Her eyes, cool and determined, met the criminal’s gaze.

"What is it you want?"

"It’s very simple." The criminal smiled, his eyes hiding a calculating darkness. He toyed with the gun in his hand, tilting his head. Looking at the pale, cold-eyed girl before him, he said, "I have over forty men here. You will prepare tickets for us to go abroad, clear Jingnan Airport of all personnel, and provide us with a safe route. Once we reach a safe place abroad, you can come back."

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhaoxi pressed her lips together, a hint of nervousness showing in her eyes. She looked into the criminal's eyes and asked, "Take me abroad? You want me to go with you?"

"What else?" The criminal chuckled. "Tell me, Chief, you don't actually think that once we get the tickets, we'll just let you go, do you? Who would provide our safety then? What if your military goes back on its word and intercepts us halfway? I fear that before my plane even takes off, it would be grounded by you."

"Or perhaps, even if we successfully board and the plane leaves Jingnan, your military would impose air traffic control and force us to land somewhere. Once you’ve prepared and evacuated the crowds at the landing airport, and we no longer have a hostage in hand, wouldn't we just be lambs for the slaughter?"

So, he had seen through the military's original contingency plan all along. This was why, after the military suppressed them, they had taken hostages, leaving the military powerless. These criminals were far smarter than she had imagined. They knew everything the military could think of, and as he said, once they traded hostages, he could not possibly release her before they had left Country Y. They would take her with them.

From the criminal's perspective, this cut off all her paths, leaving her no chance to renege. And now that she was in their hands, as she had thought from the beginning, her situation was dire and dangerous—there was no turning back.

"But how can you guarantee that once you are safely abroad, you will release me?"

Shen Zhaoxi slowly raised her eyes, staring into the criminal’s pitch-black pupils, which held a playful malice. He only treated her with a semblance of courtesy because she held significant value for negotiation due to her military status. But from her perspective, if they took her with them, once they were beyond the control and encirclement of the military, wouldn't killing her be a simple matter?

"Chief, do you really think you are in any position to negotiate with me now?"

Hearing her words, the criminal raised his eyelids, a mocking smirk curling his lips. He stared at Shen Zhaoxi’s beautiful face, his tone dripping with threats.

Indeed. She had no standing left. With her person already in his hands, what right did she have to speak? Just as he said, they feared the military would go back on their word and impose control or force a landing before they left the territory of Country Y. Thus, they took her to ensure the safety of their escape plan. As for her concerns about whether they would release her once they were safe abroad, it was all an unknown.