Crimson Instinct

Chapter 119: Showdown in Tianjin (12)

---A few minutes before---

*Xin Lei*

When that woman escaped, I couldn't chase behind her anymore. I had to find Liao Huifang. I was worried if any enemy caught her.

I walked in the direction where I heard her voice calling me the last time.

It was dark, and I had to use my flashlight to make my way.

After walking and stumbling through the mess, I heard some voices from a distance.

I paused in my steps and narrowed my eyes. It seemed to be an argument.

I made no sound as I walked again. I immediately switched off my flashlight. The voices became more clear, and I hid behind a pole. I craned my neck a bit to peek at the other side.

Liao Huifang!

I saw her. But the most shocking thing was that Duan Deming was holding her on gunpoint.

What!? Why is heWhy is the scene so different? Wasn't it supposed to be Tian Song holding her hostage?

And there was Tian Song, aiming his gun at him.

What the hell is going on?

Then his voice snapped me out of my confusion.

"Yes, I killed Ming." Duan Deming said.

I froze. I widened my eyes and stared at him, speechless.

As I kept on listening to his confessions, it started to make all sense.

Gosh! It never struck me that Duan Deming was behind everything. 

"I helped Chu Jie escape with Sufy."

I blinked my eyes. Suddenly, the image of Chu Jie flashed past my eyes, who was struggling with that woman but also trying to point at something when he saw me. He was desperate, and he seemed... terrified.

He was pointing at Duan Deming. That's why he looked more afraid than before.

When Tian Song said the purpose behind Duan Deming getting shot, I understood it.

He was about to shoot Liao Huifang while I was searching a way to get her out. Then I heard her ask, "Why is Tian Song involved?"

I paused.

That was right. Who was Tian Song?

"He is related to something that Xin Lei's brother does." Duan Deming said.

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I froze.

Did I hear it right?

Bro...big brother Zhen? 

It felt as if I heard his name mentioned after so long. I didn't know where he was, and I desperately wanted to find him, but I never got any clue.

I felt the corner of my eyes turn sore and wet.

I missed him. I missed big brother so much.

But now Tian Song...

How? How is Tian Song related... wait-

My thoughts were interrupted when Duan Deming said,

"Meet Tian Song, an officer, working in the Chinese Intelligence Services."

My jaw dropped wide open. It felt as if a thunderbolt struck on me.

I already suspected that it could be that case but hearing it from his mouth still shook me to the core.

Tian Song was like my brother

Fuck, he was on our side, and we thought of him as our enemy!

I wished to bang my head on the wall. Everything made senseevery single thing.

"...when I slipped the sample in Xin Lei's pocket"

Yes, sure enough, it was you. I remembered how he bumped into me. That was the only chance he could have slipped in, and then I saw it slipping it from his hands. He purposely did that.

But I felt relieved to know that Tian Song had already switched the sample and the real evidence was with him.

It made me feel satisfied when he showed Duan Deming his real position. I loved it when that arrogance was wiped off from his face.

I smirked.

He was not that important in the gang as Rodey. 

But because he was riled up, Duan Deming was now more impatient to kill Liao Huifang.

Damn. I had to do something.

I had my gun with me, but I couldn't get a clear shot because Liao Huifang was partly in view too. Plus, the darkness wasn't helping me.

I was racking my brain to find a solution when I saw Tian Song staring at me.

I blinked my eyes.

Did he really see me, or was that my illusion?

It was just momentary, and then he already withdrew his gaze.

I couldn't understand. Was he signaling me something? I panicked because I didn't have time.

But what could I do? I didn't have a clear shot, and there was a risk of making noise if I moved.

Oh, wait. It could be his trick!

Just as I predicted in the next moment, Duan Deming turned his head towards my direction, and instantly, I heard a shot fired by Tian Song. Duan Deming groaned in pain. The bullet hit his shoulder, and Liao Huifang finally escaped from his clutches. 

He tried to take his gun again, but Tian Song kicked right on his thigh where he had been shot.

Ouch. That must have hurt.

I heard Duan Deming curse. "You bastard...how dare you to trick me"

I smiled.

It was a psychological trick. Whenever any person standing in front of us looked surprised or shocked as if he saw someone behind us, it is a natural reaction for the other person to turn around and check.

And in this situation, it was a fifty-fifty likely possibility that either me or Bai Li could have been here.

I smiled and typed.

"Technically, he didn't."

---Present---

I moved and walked out of my spot. I came forward, and now the view was more visible.

"Xin Lei!"

Liao Huifang cried and jumped on me. She hugged me tightly. I felt her shoulders trembling and heard muffled sobs.

Duan Deming used that harsh language for Liao Chuntao. He made fun of her feelings and how she died. It would have terribly hurt her to listen to all that. She loved and respected Liao Chuntao so much, after all.

At this moment, she seemed like a little child to me, scared and terrified and hurt.

I faintly smiled and softly patted her back.

"This man...h-he is a bastard!" She wailed.

I nodded.

No doubt about that.

I cupped her face and wiped her tears.

I typed. "Everything is fine now. Don't cry, okay?"

She nodded.

My gaze fell at Tian Song, who stared back at me with an impassive expression. He seemed unaffected.

Suddenly, I didn't know how to face him. We treated him as our enemy, but he turned out to be on our side this whole time.

"Hah! Here comes Xin Lei." Duan Deming sneered.

I narrowed my eyes at him. I saw him gritting his teeth as if he was bearing a lot of pain. His forehead was covered in sweat.

"Do you think you won? Hah! In your dreams! The clients would have already escaped by now. The deal is done, and you couldn't stop it."

I glanced at Tian Song, but he said nothing.

I raised my brow and sneered. I typed. "You still have the energy to think about the deal? Worry about yourself first. Bleeding from your shoulder and thigh, and you have nowhere to escape."

That changed his expression for a moment. I felt satisfied.

I typed. "You can only pray for your mysterious boss to save you but will it? After all, you are nobody special."

Now he seemed ugly.

He laughed. "I don't think you want to see that teenage boy and that filthy dog alive."

I smiled. I typed. "We will see them alive. We will find and save them."

Duan Deming chuckled. "How? With the help of your pathetic boyfriend? He cannot deal with his own PTSD. He cannot even save himself from that darkness, and he is out to save other people? What a joke!"

I felt my blood boil in anger. I will never hear anybody insulting Bai Li like that!

I got to his side and dangerously smiled at him.

I typed. "Don't try to cross my limits ever again." And I raised my feet and pressed it hard on the wound on his thigh.

"Ahhhhh.!"

His eyes popped out of his sockets, and he coughed hard.

"Get off!" He screamed.

I pressed it harder and harder until I saw a thick stream of blood trickling from his blood.

He was gasping hard. He tried to shake my foot, but he groaned in pain as he lifted his arm where Tian Song shot the bullet.

I twisted my foot, and he yelped.

I typed. "This is for playing with Liao Chuntao's feelings and mercilessly killing her and Fu Meili."

I twisted my foot anti-clockwise.

I typed. "This is for kidnapping Chu Jie and stabbing Ming to death."

"Aaahhh..."

Once again, I moved my foot, crushing it on his wound.

I typed again. "And this is for insulting Bai Li. Don't ever utter his name from your filthy mouth."

"Fuck!"

I saw his eyes roll backwards and he stopped resisting. He had fainted.

I sneered and pulled my foot back.

Bastard!

"I see you are quite ferocious, just like Zhen." Tian Song said from my side.