Chapter 41: Failed Mission
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Qiao Yue picked up the call and a familiar female voice came through.
"Boss, we're fine."
Chu jia's voice was weak, but the fact that she was still alive was a great comfort to Qiao Yue.
"Are you badly injured?" Qiao Yue said calmly, through her own pain.
A sudden explosion sounded on the other end of the phone, and Qiao Yue's heart was in her throat.
"Chu Jia!" Qiao Yue's called out in a trembling voice.
After a period of ambient noise, Chu Jia's voice came out of the miniature walkie-talkie, "Boss, those b*stards are closing in on us. Xiaosi and I are about to enter the mountains. See you back at the base."
Their walkie-talkies were modified from military micro walkie-talkies. In addition to being small enough to wear around the neck, they were sturdy and durable. Even if they were hit by ordinary weapons, only their outer shells would be scratched. They would still work.
Chu Jia's situation was critical, but Qiao Que's situation wasn't any better. While she was talking to Chu Jia, their vehicle had been rear-ended a few times despite Sanzi's excellent driving.
Seeing that they were about to reach the west of the city, Trand's men seemed to have been ordered to kill. The car behind them accelerated and rear-ended them again while another car hit them from the side.
"Boss, their car has been behind us on the right. There's a gentle slope at the bend ahead. Jumping off the car there would reduce the impact."
Stone's expression was unusually serious as his face flickered in the light.
Although the simple bandage around Qiao Yue's shoulder wound had slowed the bleeding, the knife was still in her. The prolonged pain had drained Qiao Yue, and her face was as white as a sheet.
"Don't even think about having me jump off the car while you guys go all out with them. Let's not talk about whether you can kill them. Just my situation alone, I'll probably bleed to death."
Qiao Yue's speech was choppy, her breath uneven.
Stone knew that his boss didn't want to run away alone leaving them behind, but her words were really...
"Stone, how much longer before our reinforcements arrive?"
"Less than twenty minutes," replied Stone after checking the time.
Which meant that they would still need to drive a few minutes more after the bend, Qiao Yue calculated silently.
After continuous gunshots from the car behind, a crack appeared on the window next to Stone.
Qiao Yue's eyes darkened as she said, "Throw him out."
"What?" Stone didn't understand for a moment.
Qiao Yue spoke again, "Throw Trand out at the bend."
"Boss, he is the target of our mission, and we're just going to throw him out?" Stone said with a conflicted expression.
Ruthlessness flashed in Qiao Yue's eyes as she said, "We're going to die soon, so why bother with the target? Although being hit by a car is too easy on him, we shouldn't sacrifice our lives for a scum."
"But Godfather..."
As soon as Stone opened his mouth, Qiao Yue's sharp gaze stopped him.
"Godfather has given me full authority to handle matters in Z-Country."
"Yes, boss," answered Stone respectfully.
The two cars behind them followed closely, and everyone, including Qiao Yue, focused their attention on the bend ahead.
After they turned, Stone pushed open the door and threw the immobilized Trand off the car.
Qiao Yue had broken all of Trand's limbs and his body rolled as soon as it touched the ground.
Qiao Yue looked behind through the rearview mirror and saw that as soon as Trand was thrown out of the car, the two cars behind them stopped immediately.
Stone's eyes were also fixed on the rearview mirror, and he couldn't help but suck in a cold breath.
"Boss, did they do this on purposes? Didn't you cripple him? How could it be?"
This was also the question Qiao Yue was thinking about. If they reacted after seeing Trand being thrown out, they wouldn't have stopped so quickly. So, they must have known in advance that Trand would be thrown out. But how did Trand sent the message to the two cars behind them?
"Boss..."
As soon as Sanzi, who was driving, opened his mouth, Qiao Yue stopped him.
"Continue driving, back to the base."
"Yes, boss."
Without the frequent gunshots behind them, Qiao Yue leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. She kept feeling that it was highly unusual for Trand to be able to communicate with the outside world.
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Chapter 42: Pretty Doctor
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
As estimated by Qiao Yue, a few minutes after they exited the bend, they saw their reinforcement team.
12 people in 3 cars came to support them. The car that Sanzi was driving could be scrapped; it was already a miracle that it lasted until now.
The two teams switched places. Two cars drove to the previous location to check things out while the other two took Qiao Yue and the rest back to the base.
Inside the modified Regius Ace, a bespectacled and gentle-looking female doctor treated Qiao Yue's wound.
The knife in Qiao Yue's shoulder was plunged deep, and she would need stitches when they arrived at the base.
"Gasp!" Qiao Yue sucked cold air through her teeth at the female doctor's not-so-gentle technique.
"Yun, are you trying to kill me?" Qiao Yue's beautiful eyebrows furrowed. She felt that Yun didn't want to save her but wanted to kill her.
The female doctor called Yun sneered. "You're always skating on thin ice. You'll die sooner or later. Instead of letting you die in the hands of others, why not let me kill you."
Although she said that, her hands were a little gentler.
Qiao Yue lay on a stretcher in the modified van as she smiled weakly at Yun. "You have a sharp tongue but a soft heart."
"Ow!" As soon as Qiao Yue finished speaking, another monosyllable came out of her mouth.
Cold sweat trickled down her forehead. This time, Qiao Yue really didn't have the mood to speak anymore.
The interaction between Qiao Yue and Yun made the others in the van laugh.
Stone was the first to speak. "Boss, you always tease Doctor Zhou. You always make her angry, and then you suffer."
"Yup! Boss, you look like a young man trying to get his goddess' attention. Don't tell me you like Doctor Zhou!" Sanzi said.
Qiao Yue and Zhou Yun's lips twitched when they heard Sanzi's words.
The others might not know, but as Qiao Yue's personal doctor, Zhou Yun knew Qiao Yue's gender. She wasn't bold enough to start an unusual relationship.
Seeing that Stone and Sanzi were still making sarcastic remarks, Qiao Yue cast them a faint glance and said, "Are you two very free? When you two feel better, go and catch Trand again."
The two's laughter stopped instantly. Stone turned to Qiao Yue in a daze. "Boss, me and Sanzi go and catch Trand?"
"Yes." Qiao Yue replied monosyllabically without even opening her eyes.
Sanzi gulped. "Boss, are you joking?"
Sanzi didn't get a reply from Qiao Yue. Instead, he got a burst of laughter from the people around him.
"Hahaha! You two deserve it for teasing the boss."
The person who ridiculed him the most was Zhou Yun's assistant, who was treating Stone's wound.
Under the relaxed atmosphere, Qiao Yue fell asleep on the stretcher. It's probably not appropriate to describe her as asleep but unconscious.
...
When Qiao Yue opened her eyes again, she was lying on a large bed and Zhou Yun was reading a book beside her bed.
"You're awake?" Zhou Yun asked in a calm tone.
Qiao Yue took a moment to come to and then looked around. She was in her room at the base.
"I..."
As soon as she opened her mouth, Qiao Yue heard her extremely hoarse voice.
Zhou Yun got up and went to the table to pour a glass of water for Qiao Yue.
"You've been sleeping the whole day. It's three in the afternoon now."
Even without Qiao Yue saying anything, Zhou Yun knew what she wanted to say and told her everything she wanted to know.
"Where's Chu Jia? Is she back?"
Qiao Yue had always trusted Chu Jia. When Chu Jia said she would meet her back at the base, she would never go back on her word.
"She was shot once in the leg and once in the arm. The bullets have been removed and she's fine now. The person with Chu Jia, his life is not in any danger, but he has some serious abrasions and will need a long time to recuperate."
Qiao Yue's tense nerves finally relaxed when she heard that everyone was fine.
"You have time to care about others, what about yourself?" Zhou Yun sat by Qiao Yue's bed and asked.
Qiao Yue frowned in confusion. What happened to her?
"I heard from Stone yesterday that Trand stabbed you because of his carelessness." Zhou Yun raised her eyebrows slightly and scrutinized Qiao Yue with her eyes.
Qiao Yue's scalp tightened under her gaze. Stone was such a big mouth. If he wanted to say anything, he could have said that Trand was too capable. Why did he say that he was careless?
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Chapter 43: Conjecture
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Qiao Yue sighed. "I underestimated him. I thought Trand had lost his will to fight and let my guard down."
Zhou Yun stared at Qiao Yue in silence. The two of them were speechless for a moment.
In the end, it was Qiao Yue who couldn't stand the awkward silence and said, "Stone found out that Trand was trafficking people from Z-Country and also human organs, so I..."
After hearing Qiao Yue's words, Zhou Yun lowered her eyes and her entire being seemed to be shrouded in a shadow.
Qiao Yue patted her head and said, "I already said that I was careless and let my guard down. I wouldn't have been injured otherwise."
"I'm sorry. I know that you did it because of me," said Zhou Yun in a low voice.
Zhou Yun was a child who had been trafficked overseas. She was just lucky to have met Qiao Yue.
When she was first saved, Zhou Yun would wake up from nightmares every night and needed Qiao Yue's company before she could fall asleep again. The trauma of being trafficked was like a nightmare that had followed her for five or six years. Qiao Yue hated human traffickers even more after she saw Zhou Yun's pain.
"It's all in the past. What Trand did was unforgivable. He engaged in drug trafficking and human trafficking. If I killed him, I would have done a good deed. It's just a pity."
When Qiao Yue said this, she couldn't help but think about how Trand was rescued.
Based on the angle at which they threw Trand out of the vehicle and the speed at which they were travelling, Trand would have been dragged under the wheels and killed. But from what they saw, the convoy chasing them had obviously slowed down and that was how they were able to stop as soon as they saw Trand being thrown out.
Zhou Yun looked up and saw Qiao Yue in deep thought again. She took a deep breath and adjusted her expression.
After all, it was all in the past. If she continued to fixate on it, Qiao Yue would worry about her.
Zhou Yun's phone buzzed. She picked it up and saw that it was a message from her assistant, telling her that Chu Jia was awake and asking her to go over to examine Chu Jia.
Zhou Yun told Qiao Yue about the message, and Qiao Yue indicated that she would go with her.
Chu Jia started wailing the moment she saw Qiao Yue. "Boss, they were such bullies. So many of them were chasing us to kill us! They chased us for half a mountain, we're so tired."
Chu Jia's rapid-fire complaint had completely shattered Qiao Yue's impression of her being a vulnerable beauty.
Qiao Yue's lips twitched, regretting how worried she was about Chu Jia. She did not expect Chu Jia to be so lively.
As Qiao Yue sat by her bed, Chu Jia started to recount their nerve-wracking journey.
That was until Chu Jia said something that caught Qiao Yue's attention.
"You said that there were a few times they almost caught up to you?" Qiao Yue asked.
"Yup! We were both hiding in the water, and they used flashlights to find us. Some of them even went into the water to look for us. Later, when we were running, we misstepped, fell into a ravine and escaped." Chu Jia replied, her heart still filled with fear.
Qiao Yue frowned deeply. After connecting the dots, a conjecture formed in her mind.
Seeing that Qiao Yue did not speak, Chu Jia also fell silent. In fact, when she first woke up, she was filled with lingering fear. This was because Qiao Yue had often asked her to manage the clean businesses and work behind the scenes. She had always followed behind Qiao Yue in everything she did. This was the first time that she had to face a life-and-death situation.
She anxiously asked Qiao Yue about her teammates' situation. She was relieved to know that everyone was fine.
When she recalled how Qiao Yue, with her knife wound, had asked her about her condition yesterday, she knew how worried Qiao Yue was about her. The reason she was so lively was to alleviate Qiao Yue's worry.
Seeing that Chu Jia was full of energy, Qiao Yue went to visit the others. Fortunately, everyone's injuries would not leave any after-effects. It was just a matter of how long it would take for everyone to recuperate.
After everything was settled, Qiao Yue finally remembered the person she had left behind at the club. She rubbed her temples. She didn't know what people would think of her when they learned that she left him there the whole night.
"Get the car ready, I'm going back to the Qiao residence," said Qiao Yue to the person beside her.
The man was about to get the car when Zhou Yun stopped him.
"You haven't recovered from your injuries yet. You're going back so soon?" Zhou Yun looked at Qiao Yue disapprovingly.
"After all, I'm staying at the Qiao residence now. It's not right for me to disappear for too long."
Qiao Yue's words displeased Zhou Yun even more. "We'll talk about it after you recover. The Qiao family can't wait for you to never return."
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Chapter 44: Please Don't Say It
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Qiao Yue knew that Zhou Yun was saying that for her own good, but she was going back to fulfill her mother's wish of being filial to the old master. She must stay there until she fulfilled that wish.
However, Qiao Yue had yet to meet the old master.
Qiao Yue rarely saw Zhou Yun angry. Zhou Yun was usually cold and indifferent, very much like a medical researcher. She couldn't help but tease, "You know very well!"
Watching Qiao Yue act roguish again, Zhou Yun rolled her eyes and said unhappily, "I can't help it either. Your eldest brother Qiao Xuan is an influential figure at the research institute. It's impossible for me not to pay attention to him."
Qiao Yue raised her eyebrows. "Really? Qiao Xuan? The eldest brother that I've never met? He would mention the Qiao family at the research institute?"
"He didn't bring it up. It's through the grapevine. Almost everything about Qiao Xuan had been dug out."
Qiao Yue chuckled. "I didn't expect people at the research institute to be so gossipy. I thought they were all nerds."
As soon as Qiao Yue finished, she saw Zhou Yun shooting a death stare at her. She quickly corrected, "Except for our Yun."
Zhou Yun ignored Qiao Yue and continued to insist, "You'll only go back after your injuries heal."
Although Qiao Yue wavered for a moment at Zhou Yun's insistence, when she thought about Qiao Jing's stoic face being left behind at the club for a day and a night, she felt that she needed to explain herself.
"It's a minor injury. I'm okay. I still have things to deal with. I'll come and find you when I'm done."
After Qiao Yue finished, she contemplated and decided not to ask anyone to send her home. Instead, she hailed a taxi.
Although she felt that Qiao Jing had left the club long ago, she still went there to try her luck. Perhaps Qiao Jing was still waiting for her?
The truth was that Qiao Jing had indeed left. As Chu Jia would be recuperating at the base for a while, Qiao Yue handed over running of the club to Chu Jia's confidant at Yayi. That person was capable and honest.
When Qiao Yue was leaving the club, she bumped into the waitress she saved the other day.
At first, Qiao Yue didn't notice, but the girl kept following her in the hallways, her intense gaze almost burning a hole in Qiao Yue's back.
"Is there something?" Qiao Yue turned around and shouted at the girl.
The girl was standing behind a door at that moment. When she heard Qiao Yue's question, she looked around and saw that she was the only one there, so she was sure that Qiao Yue was talking to her. She dawdled for a long time before coming out from behind the door.
"Mr., Mr. Qiao. Hello, I'm Wei Xiao."
"Hi." Qiao Yue nodded lightly.
It wasn't that Qiao Yue was deliberately acting cold. It was just that this girl's cheeks were red, and she looked shy when she looked at her. Qiao Yue could only think of one possibility – this girl had taken a fancy to her. It wasn't a good sign, so she had to quickly stop this person's thoughts.
"Mr. Qiao, I, I'm here to thank you for your help."
Imagine a handsome boy saving you from a wretched old man in front of everyone, and then making this old man apologize to you in public. How many girls wouldn't be tempted? Especially since this guy had good family background and was capable. He was any girl's first choice for a boyfriend!
It was a pity that Qiao Yue was born in the wrong gender.
"You're welcome, " Qiao Yue said in a calm voice. "It's nothing. I just wanted to help Boss Chu regain face. It's not because of you."
The girl's face turned pale because of Qiao Yue's emotionless words. She was very beautiful and had never been rejected so ruthlessly by a boy. Her eyes quickly welled up with tears that were about to fall.
Qiao Yue was most afraid of girls crying and she had to coax them. She quickly said, "I still have things to do. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
After saying that, Qiao Yue turned to leave, without giving the girl a chance to speak. But he heard the girl shouting behind him, "Mr. Qiao, I'm really grateful for what you have done. Even if you didn't do it for me, you still saved me. I want to express my gratitude to you."
Qiao Yue's heart was like a herd of alpacas galloping. There was only one thought in her mind, "Please don't say it."
Just as the girl was about to speak and Qiao Yue ready with an outright rejection, a heavenly voice rang in Qiao Yue's ears.
"Why are you standing here? And not going home?"
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Chapter 45: A Dog's Nose
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Second brother!" Qiao Yue shouted in surprise.
Qiao Jing raised his eyebrows at Qiao Yue's delight to see him.
"Where did you go last night?" Qiao Jing asked.
Qiao Yue glanced at the beautiful girl who was on the verge of tears and quickly pulled Qiao Jing along.
"Why are you walking so fast?" Qiao Jing's gaze fell on Qiao Yue's hand that was holding his arm.
"If we don't hurry up and let her catch up, I'll get a love confession." Qiao Yue muttered under her breath.
But she couldn't tell Qiao Jing that, so she changed the subject.
"Second brother, I thought you have left. Why are you here? Not going to work?"
Qiao Yue let go of Qiao Jing's arm and walked out of the club with him.
"It's after hours," said Qiao Jing.
Only then did Qiao Yue realized that it was already past six o 'clock. She scratched her head in embarrassment and smiled as she said, "It's already so late. Let's hurry home for dinner."
It was not until they got into the car when Qiao Jing finally asked the question that had bothering him since he woke up. "Where did you go last night?"
Qiao Yue paused in the middle of fastening her seat belt, thinking about how she should answer Qiao Jing's question.
In her mind, she wasn't that close with Qiao Jing; she thought that perhaps he wouldn't ask her why she'd disappeared. But things were obviously different from what she expected.
But what answer did Qiao Jing want from her? It seemed like she didn't need to say much.
"Nowhere in particular. I just went out with my friend." Qiao Yue answered with fake indifference.
Qiao Jing blinked while his assistant peeked at the two of them through the rearview mirror.
This morning when Master Jing noticed that Master Yue was missing, he thought that he had gone to school and called his phone, but all he got was a cold female voice.
"The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable..."
He then called home but there was no news of Master Yue returning home either.
Master Jing was a very responsible man. He was the one who brought Master Yue home, so when Master Yue went missing, he had to find him. But he saw no sign of Master Yue after checking the places he frequented. Then, there was an emergency at the office and Master Jing had no choice but to go back to the office. And he, Master Jing's assistant, was tasked with finding Master Yue.
He thought that it would be an easy task. After all, the less information there was about someone, the easier it was to find them. However, after looking through Master Yue's file, he found that something was wrong. His inter-personal relationships were uncomplicated, and he had a small social circle. After searching through the places that Master Yue frequented, he still hadn't found him.
He was clueless even after Master Jing finished work. He only came back to Yayi Club on Master Jing's suggestion. He didn't expect that they would run into Master Yue here.
"Which friend?" Qiao Jing asked.
Qiao Yue didn't expect Qiao Jing to ask such a detailed question and was stunned for a moment. She hesitated for a moment before saying, "Just an ordinary friend. You wouldn't know him even if I told you."
"How would I know if you don't tell me?"
Qiao Jing's words confused Qiao Yue.
Did Qiao Jing take the wrong medication today? Why did he ask in such detail? It's not like he was conducting a background check.
Qiao Yue tried to gloss it over. "Second brother, I'm already so old. You can't always control me. I have the right to keep my own secrets, right?"
Seeing Qiao Yue's clear refusal, Qiao Jing didn't push further. He just looked deeply at Qiao Yue.
Feeling awkward from being stared at, Qiao Yue opened her mouth and said, "Second brother, why are you staring at me like that? I just went out with my friend. You don't have to be angry!"
Qiao Jing didn't answer Qiao Yue's question. Instead, he said, "You smell like blood."
In an instant, everything was silent.
Qiao Yue's forehead twitched. She was right before. Her second brother had a dog's nose!
The wound on her shoulder had been treated very carefully by Zhou Yun. She had made sure that it was dressed flawlessly before letting her go home. She did not expect that such a great disguise would be defeated by a dog's nose.
The assistant who in the driver's seat perked up his ears. What did he hear? The smell of blood? Had Master Yue sneaked out last night to fight? And he was injured, so there was the smell of blood?
The assistant twitched his nose as he thought about it. Why couldn't he smell any blood? Sniff again?
The assistant was so focused on sniffing that he didn't notice that he made a sound, which attracted the attention of the two people in the back seat.
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