alked forward with her backpack, she hurriedly followed behind.He rode the bike, and she sat on the back seat just like last time, her arms tightly wrapped around his waist.This time he didn't refuse,...Beside her, the child's mother was kneeling on the ground, pleading desperately. She was beaten and bruised, blood streaming from her head. Chen Ning's heart contracted violently, her fists clenched tightly, her fingernails digging deep into her palms. In that instant, she almost wanted to rush out and make them stop this inhumane act.

Teacher Liang grabbed her shoulders with a force that surprised Chen Ling. He was usually so gentle, but his grip was surprisingly strong. Chen Ling felt an overwhelming sense of anger and helplessness. She couldn't do anything, not even dare to look back at what had become of the child. Only the child's agonized screams echoed in her ears.

Everywhere was the devastation of war. A few scattered local residents stood by the roadside, their eyes vacant and lost as they stared at their car. Many of them were emaciated children who seemed starved, chasing after their vehicle begging for food.

Chen Ning didn't dare to look out again, she could only keep her eyes fixed on the windshield in front of her, trying to make her tight heart feel a little less painful.

The brutality of war lies in the fact that it is always the innocent civilians who suffer.

Their destination was Biluo Street, the southernmost part of town. According to reliable sources, a group of compatriots had been staying there for five days, afraid to leave their homes or go outside. They had to get there as soon as possible and find them.

After about another half an hour, there was a row of low houses made entirely of stone ahead. Teacher Liang said, "This is it."

Chen Ling looked back at the rows of low stone buildings inside. There wasn't even a sound. She asked, "Is it too abnormally quiet"

Mr. Liang also noticed something was wrong and suddenly shouted to them in the car, "Get down!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the windshield was struck by a bullet, leaving a mark on the bulletproof glass.

Mr. Liang cursed, and when the gunfire subsided, he slowly raised his head to look around.

Chen Ning was no longer afraid at this point. In dangerous moments, fear was the most useless emotion, so she focused all her attention on observing her surroundings and staying alert; survival was the top priority.

These anti-government forces are likely holding the civilians on Bila Street hostage, waiting for them to surrender themselves. Before these thugs, international agreements are like scraps of paper and their passports are useless.

Teacher Liang gripped the steering wheel, gritting her teeth: "Make sure you're all seated."

He slammed on the reverse gear and stomped on the accelerator, trying to back out of there. The car spun as bullets flew, sending a cloud of dust into the air.

However, troops came marching against them from the rear as well.

If they dared to drive through now, the people in the car would probably be in danger. Just then, Chen Ling saw a face of a Chinese person appear in an alley next to them. He was waving a small red flag toward their car.

Mr. Liang also saw it and acted decisively: "Get out of the car immediately and run into the alley! I'll drive to distract these rebels, and after you go in, find somewhere to hide."

These rows of low and flat stone houses were complex in their layout, making it difficult for enemy forces to find them if they entered. This actually made it easier for them to survive.

"What about you, Teacher Liang"

"They want live people, they won't kill me." These anti-government forces just want to hold them hostage in order to pressure the government into providing them with weapons support, so they won't easily kill him.

Teacher Liang slowed the car slightly, unlocked the door, and shouted loudly, "Hurry up!"

Chen Ning rolled out of the car, not daring to linger for a moment. She ran wildly into the alley, her only thought being to protect herself and not become a hostage they could use to pressure the country.

The other three colleagues also got out of the car one after another, none of them daring to gather together, and they scattered away. Because the anti-army concentrated their firepower on chasing Teacher Liang's car, and the four of them were escaping separately, there were very few people chasing them in the complicated alleyway.

Chen Ning, thanks to her years of running training, ran very fast. Four people were chasing after her, apparently men who boisterously shouted and laughed nastily as they pushed her deeper into the alleyway, their figures flickering in and out of sight.

Chen Ning returned, just like lambs awaiting slaughter, no matter how they ran, it seemed they couldn't escape their grasp.

Chen Ning realized, she and Teacher Liang had both made a mistake. This alley, if used well, could offer shelter; but if used poorly, it would become her grave.

She ran desperately forward, and scenes of her running wildly in the mountains flashed through her mind. The stone houses on either side and the trees of the mountain were dark and dense, just like a mass of ink.

She could only break through the layers of black clouds and run forward with all her might, with no way to retreat.

She felt like her lungs were about to burst, and just then, around the corner, a hand suddenly dragged her into a house. She wanted to scream, but the other person seemed to have anticipated this, covering her mouth with their hand.

That familiar, rough fingertip grazed her skin at the corner of her lips, and she trembled all over, thinking it must be a hallucination brought on by running.

Until her eyes met his hawk-like gaze, she was almost brought to tears. How could he be here When did he arrive

He held her tightly, taking his hand away from the corner of her lips and making a shushing gesture. He didn't say a word to her, then turned her behind him, his eyes fixed intently on the outside, his gaze filled with murderous intent.

Four men, who had been shouting as they approached from the alleyway outside, stopped in their tracks when they realized they'd lost sight of their target.

After that, the four of them looked at each other with a sinister glint in their eyes and kicked their way into different houses on the corner.

Chen Ning's whole heart leaped into her throat, especially when she saw a tall man wielding a gun barge through the door towards her.

As soon as the man entered, Song Jingye, who was in front of Chen Ning, moved like a cheetah. In a flash, he grabbed the man's throat with one hand, his rough hands squeezing tightly. Chen Ning didn't see the movement clearly, but she saw the man fall to the ground. The whole process was swift, accurate, and ruthless. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed how skilled he was.

After them, two more men burst in, also striking before their target could react. It wasn't until the last man entered that things changed. He was wary, gun in hand, taking careful steps as he approached.

When he saw Song Jingye, the gun was pointed straight at him. Seeing the three men on the ground, his face was full of anger, and he kept cursing out loud.

Song Jingye raised one hand in a mock surrender gesture, the other hand signaling Chen Ning to squat down.

Chen Ning responded, the moment she squatted down, Song Jingye launched a forward spinning kick, sending the man crashing to the ground. It was extremely quick, happening in just 0.1 seconds. He fired a shot at the man's leg with a silenced gun. There was no sound except for the man's pained scream.

Song Jingye made no attempt to engage in battle. He snatched Chen Ning, who was squatting beside him, and ran towards another stone house.ll send you some money in a bit, you can give it back to him.""No need, accept his kindness. It's impolite to talk about paying it back.""Then it's a welcome gift from his parents, a red envelope for...