Chapter 112: That Would Hurt So Much

Perhaps they would let her go if they were in a good mood.
Perhaps they would simply kill her abroad if they were in a bad mood.
All of this was entirely possible.
And how could she possibly talk about conscience with a group of criminals?

After hearing the criminal’s words, Shen Zhaoxi remained silent, her brow furrowed. Her expression was inscrutable. She stared at him for a long time.

"What, is the Commander afraid?"

The criminal’s eyes shone with a brilliant, predatory light. Seeing her look of panic and fear, he laughed with great satisfaction, a flicker of ambiguous meaning lurking at the corners of his mouth.

"Look at you, you’re so beautiful—it’s a pity to be serving in the military district."

Reflected in his eyes were her cold, clear pupils. He looked at Shen Zhaoxi’s fair, exquisite face, his tone carrying a sense of playful, arrogant entitlement.

"How about you come with us? We’re heading abroad. I’ll make sure you live in luxury, eating the best food and drinking the finest wine. How does that sound?"

Shen Zhaoxi’s brows remained knitted, her eyes filled with a hint of worry and tension. The criminal proudly gripped his gun, pressing the muzzle against her face and sliding it slowly downward.

"Doesn't that sound better than throwing your life away for the military?"
"You have such a beautiful life, why waste it?"

He spoke with persuasive logic, and it sounded quite enticing. Going abroad with him to live in comfort, the days would be quite leisurely.

*Heh, trying to play mind games with me.*

Shen Zhaoxi narrowed her eyes, a glimmer of interest hidden deep within, though she remained perfectly composed.

"Alright."

She murmured, her pale, stunning face appearing frail in the gloomy, rainy night. She raised her eyes, gazing deep into the criminal’s dark, malevolent pupils.

"Since you want me to go with you, you have to show some sincerity, don't you?"
"Tying me up like this, my hands hurt."

"Your hands hurt?"

Hearing this, the criminal called her name, raising a hand to lightly stroke her pale temple, his eyes filled with a playful, mocking amusement as his fingers brushed against her skin.

"Do you want me to untie you?"

He wore a sarcastic smile, his expression turning cold and detached. "But, Commander, it’s not that we don't want to untie you. You have to realize you’re military personnel—how could we possibly dare to let you go?"

"If you were to suddenly pull some trick on us from behind, tell me, wouldn't I just be shooting myself in the foot?"

As expected, the criminal was clever. Yet, inside, Shen Zhaoxi felt a shiver of repulsion; the moment his hand touched her face, she felt an intense wave of nausea.

But the next moment, his half-lidded eyes snapped open, a flash of gloomy, threatening light crossing them.

"Commander, I advise you not to think about resisting or playing any games behind our backs. Otherwise, watch your life!"

He had been toying with her all along. He knew her identity perfectly well. How could he ever really intend to make her one of his own? He wasn't stupid enough to invite trouble for himself.

*Heh,* Shen Zhaoxi chuckled inwardly.

Games? Who doesn't know how to play those? As long as she could argue with him and stall for time, even if his filthy hands touched her, it was worth it.

She endured it.

"Do you really think, in my current situation, I could play any tricks on you?"

Shen Zhaoxi looked up, meeting the criminal’s malevolent gaze. Her voice was calm, yet it carried an invisible sense of helplessness, as if she were a lamb ready for the slaughter.

"That's true." The criminal laughed. He pressed the gun in his hand against her throat, then teased her by moving it downward.

Shen Zhaoxi frowned.

"You had better stay put and don't try anything clever. Wait until your military people have completely evacuated the airport so we can leave Jingnan safely. Otherwise, I will put a bullet right through here."

He pressed the gun against her chest, his gaze deep, seemingly filled with a mocking smile as it rested on her. Shen Zhaoxi frowned, meeting his eyes, and heard him laugh as he leaned in deliberately, his voice dropping to a low whisper.

"That would hurt quite a lot."

Shen Zhaoxi said nothing, her eyes icy as she watched him. Undoubtedly, this criminal was somewhat deranged, and his way of speaking was nauseating.

"How is the progress?"

With that, the criminal looked toward the military personnel in the opposite residential building. He spoke with a threatening tone: "You’d better hurry up. If it turns to dawn and I lose my patience, watch out for your Commander's life!"

Shen Zhaoxi’s gaze dimmed.

***

Meanwhile, near Tongshan Town, in several severely affected disaster zones, floods had submerged the villages. As dawn approached, Lu Yunzhou and his team encountered a group of villagers from Tongshan Town—residents who had been evacuated by the military.

Because the specific situation in Tongshan Town was unknown at the time, the military had evacuated them to ensure the safety of the populace. Now, Tongshan Town was surrounded by the military.

Trapped inside were terrorists holding a large number of hostages. Everyone, old and young, who could run had dragged their families toward the neighboring villages. The heavy rain continued, and they had come to the area where the military was transporting supplies, seeking a shelter.

Lu Shiwu was wearing a raincoat, but he was still soaked through. He watched the people walking in the opposite direction along the muddy road—adults and children alike, looking as if they were fleeing. Realizing something was wrong, he stepped forward to stop an old man and asked through the downpour: "Sir, what is happening up ahead?"

"You aren't short on supplies, are you? We brought them for you. Why is everyone running in the opposite direction?"

The old man, drenched in the rain, was wearing a raincoat. Although their escape had been hurried, they had managed to grab rain gear from their homes when the military ordered the evacuation.

"Oh, young man, you don't know. A group of unidentified terrorists came to our Tongshan Town today. They were killing everyone they saw; many people have died. The military sent troops to suppress them, but they got angry and desperate, grabbing all the villagers in Tongshan Town as hostages."

"They say special forces have arrived from above and surrounded the terrorists' stronghold to capture them and rescue the hostages. The military has set up a perimeter and won't let us pass, saying it's too dangerous. I advise you not to go, either."

When they were fleeing, the terrorists hadn't yet hidden in that abandoned residential building. They had been grabbing and killing people throughout the town, and it was only after they were cornered by the military that they were forced to abandon the town and hide in the building.

At the same time, because that building was in an open area and easy to defend, the military dared not launch a reckless assault, especially with so many hostages in their hands.

Now, the entire town of Tongshan Town was cordoned off. The military had established a defensive line on the outskirts, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving.

But the situation inside was truly perilous!

The military was right to keep the civilians out. Based on the current situation, that group of criminals in the abandoned building—who knew what kind of conflict would break out between them and the military? If a real fight started, these civilians would surely lose their lives, which was why they had fled.

This was also why Tongshan Town was so silent, as if it were devoid of life, shrouded in the scent of death.