Chapter 46: Enemies Crossing Paths

Someone was actually inside the car? This vastly exceeded Cheng Xiangru's expectations.

Not knowing whether the person inside was friend or foe, he dared not approach rashly. Instead, he hid within the grove, using the thick nocturnal shadows as cover, and quietly observed the vehicle.

Billowing white smoke spewed from the dual exhaust pipes at the rear of the car, and the body trembled slightly. After a few minutes, the vehicle actually began to move slowly, driving away in one direction.

Filled with burning anxiety, Cheng Xiangru wanted to give chase but lacked the courage, leaving him with no choice but to stare helplessly.

He found it hard to understand. Weren't all four tires of that car completely flat? Exactly who had reinflated them, and when? More than anything, he wanted to know who was inside the car.

After a little while longer, Cheng Xiangru spotted a dark figure appearing. Judging from the person's staggering gait, he could roughly guess that it must be Chen Shangke.

Chen Shangke must have also seen the car driving away and was clearly somewhat panicked. He stayed where he was, looking around in all directions as if searching for something.

Reconfirming that his attire had been completely changed to a fresh set, Cheng Xiangru stepped out from the darkness and slowly approached the figure.

Seeing someone approaching and unable to clearly identify who it was in the pitch-black night, Chen Shangke turned and fled.

Anxiously giving chase, Cheng Xiangru called out as he ran, "Brother Chen!"

Hearing a familiar voice, Chen Shangke finally stopped. It was as if his physical strength had been drained from him in an instant; he collapsed heavily onto the ground, lying flat on his back in the accumulated snow.

Reaching Chen Shangke's side, Cheng Xiangru feigned panic and distress, asking, "Brother Chen, what happened to you? Where is Uncle Zhou and the others?"

Having lost several teeth, Chen Shangke spoke with a lisp as air escaped the gaps. His chest heaved violently, and he muttered incomprehensibly, sounding very much like he was groaning.

Leaning in closer to listen, Cheng Xiangru finally made out what Chen Shangke was saying: "Gao Zhuang is a traitor. Boss Zhou and the others are trapped underground. I... I..."

Before he could finish, he failed to catch his breath, his eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness once more.

Appalled, Cheng Xiangru shoved Chen Shangke hard and called out his name several times, but received no response whatsoever. Panic instantly overwhelmed him, leaving him completely at a loss for what to do.

Chen Shangke's breathing was already extremely faint. If he were to be left freezing in this desolate wilderness for another night, he would surely die!

Yet the life or death of Boss Zhou and the others remained unknown; perhaps they, too, were waiting for someone to rescue them.

Cheng Xiangru clutched his head with both hands and slowly squatted down, hating himself only for being so weak and helpless.

Suddenly, a buzzing sound came from afar, drawing closer. Turning his head, Cheng Xiangru saw two sweeping beams of dazzling headlights driving toward them, which startled his mind completely blank.

From what Chen Shangke had just said, Boss Zhou and the others were still trapped. Therefore, the ones who had driven the car away earlier were most likely the desperate gang led by Gao Zhuang.

If they had returned, Cheng Xiangru knew his chances of survival were grim, yet he simply could not bring himself to leave Chen Shangke abandoned here alone.

As he hesitated, the vehicle drew closer and closer. Aside from the roaring hum of the engine and the clatter of snow chains, he could also hear the rattling din of the car body.

Lifting a hand to shield his eyes and looking closely, Cheng Xiangru instantly recognized the approaching vehicle as Leng Ying's battered minivan.

When the car arrived nearby, the door opened, and Leng Ying, now also changed into a fresh set of clothes, jumped out and cried out in astonishment, "What on earth happened to you guys?"

Knowing that Leng Ying was deliberately pretending not to recognize him, Cheng Xiangru played along. "My brother and I were robbed, and my brother is severely injured. Can you please help us?"

Leng Ying walked over, blinked at Cheng Xiangru, looked down at Chen Shangke, and asked probing, "What's wrong with your brother?"

"He passed out." As he spoke, Cheng Xiangru pinched Chen Shangke's arm hard, but received no reaction at all. "He really passed out."

Leng Ying raised an eyebrow. "As long as he's not dead, hurry up and carry him into the car."

Together, the two of them lifted the heavy Chen Shangke and dumped him into the foul-smelling interior of the vehicle. After shutting the door, seeing that Cheng Xiangru had no intention of getting in, Leng Ying stepped forward vigilantly and grabbed Cheng Xiangru's arm. "What are you trying to do?"

Anxiously, Cheng Xiangru said, "Before Brother Chen passed out, he told me that Uncle Zhou and the others are trapped deep underground. I have to find a way to save them!"

"Calm down! Look at your current state, and you don't even know where they are. Where are you going to save them, and with what?"

"I..."

Cheng Xiangru was left speechless, but remaining unwilling, he stood in place without moving.

Leng Ying advised, "Let's take this weird, giggling pervert back to the town first to save his life. I'm sure he'll wake up in no more than a night. Once you figure out the situation, at worst I can accompany you back here. That's surely better than you running around blindly on your own like a headless fly, right?"

Thinking it over carefully, Cheng Xiangru realized this made complete sense. He nodded reluctantly and let out a long sigh. "All right then."

Returning to the car, the stench inside no longer affected Cheng Xiangru, who had already brushed past the gates of the netherworld. Instead, the gradual warmth rising inside the cabin made him feel much more comfortable and relaxed. His eyelids fought an uncontrollable battle, and before he knew it, he fell fast asleep.

After an unknown length of time, Cheng Xiangru slowly woke up. Turning his head, he saw Leng Ying's eyes staring blankly as her head bobbed up and down repeatedly, yet the car was still moving. The sight shocked him fully awake.

"Hey! Hey!" Cheng Xiangru reached out to shake Leng Ying.

With a start, Leng Ying slammed hard on the brakes, nearly sending Cheng Xiangru flying forward and causing Chen Shangke in the back to roll over and slam into the seatback, raising a shiny, hemispherical bump on his forehead.

"Let me drive." Pulling up the handbrake, Cheng Xiangru urged Leng Ying to give up her seat.

Leng Ying was indeed exhausted and did not refuse. She opened the door, got out, and moved to sit in the front passenger seat.

Cheng Xiangru's driving skills were quite clumsy, and it was only under Leng Ying's patient guidance that he finally managed to restart the car.

After watching the road ahead for a little while and confirming that Cheng Xiangru had no major issues driving, Leng Ying finally set her mind at ease. Turning her head toward the back to look at Chen Shangke, whose face was pressed against the seatback in a half-kneeling posture, she frowned, turned around, straightened Chen Shangke's body, and clicked her tongue in wonder. "This guy has really had it rough."

Where was there any trace of the human shape left in the well-dressed, eloquence-conscious Feng Shui master from Lingnan? Truly, his appearance was enough to move the unfeeling to emotion and bring tears to the eyes of onlookers; even the most hard-hearted person would fall silent upon seeing him.

"Never mind him, get some sleep for a while, and you can take over later." Focusing intently on the road, Cheng Xiangru still remembered to care for Leng Ying.

Leng Ying nodded, crossed her arms, leaned sideways against the car window, and before her eyes had even been closed for long, she fell into a deep sleep.

Taking turns driving and alternating sleep and rest, the two of them drove all the way into the deep of the night before finally returning to the county town.

At this hour, apart from the streetlights, the entire county town was pitch black. Every household had their doors and windows tightly shut, and not a single inn remained open for business.

After discussing the matter, the two decided to take Chen Shangke to the county hospital first to see if they could manage to secure a hospital bed. While this was far from an ideal choice, it was still better than sleeping out on the streets.

However, as they arrived at the parking lot of the county hospital, they were abruptly greeted by the sight of Boss Zhou's black SUV parked quietly there, with someone standing guard at the front of the vehicle smoking a cigarette.

What a small world!

They had actually run into them again right here!