Xiang Mingzhang was shaken. All he could say was crushed by Shen Ruozhen's few words. Not only that, Shen Ruozhen wiped the scratch on his lip with his fingertips and said, "The kiss is so good that it doesn't bleed anymore."
Xiang Mingzhang called out palely, "Ruozhen."
Shen Ruozhen replied with his original words: "Mr. Xiang, you are not usually so indecisive in making decisions."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "I can't let you take risks with me."
Shen Ruozhen said: "Not everything in the world can be planned. Everyone has miscalculations. Now that you are in danger, are you still afraid to take risks?"
Xiang Mingzhang thinks like a businessman and says, "When the odds of winning are too slim, you should try to minimize the losses."
"This is not business." Shen Ruozhen said, "Even if the chance of winning is less than 10%, there is still a phrase called 'turn defeat into victory'. How did thousands of compatriots win back then? It was nothing more than fighting desperately."
These words were too heavy. Xiang Mingzhang seemed to see Shen Ruozhen's old demeanor, with a strong constitution and a calm demeanor. If he continued to argue, it would seem as if he was a coward who was afraid of death.
The watches were taken off, and they didn’t know the exact time. The party ended in the early morning. Xiang Mingzhang said, “It’s probably almost dawn.”
Shen Ruozhen had not left the room and asked, "How many kidnappers are there?"
Xiang Mingzhang estimated based on the view from the living room: "The length of this yacht should be about 30 meters, which is considered a large commercial boat. Including Alan, I saw a total of six kidnappers."
"And you, me, and Uncle Qi." Shen Ruozhen had asked Qian Hua for relevant information. "There are two people in the control room, the captain and the sailor."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "No more than fifteen people, one is the load limit, and the other is that the fewer people who know about it, the better."
Shen Ruozhen asked: "How many people beat you? How strong were they?"
Xiang Mingzhang recalled: "Although Alan is strong, his reaction is average. His strength is that he knows yachts. The other few people have practiced before, and their attacks are very ruthless, and they know how to avoid fatal vital parts."
As he spoke, Xiang Mingzhang took away Shen Ruozhen's pen. Even though it was ridiculous that he had to use the thing he used to write with every day to defend himself, it did provide some psychological comfort for him to have fallen to this point.
After reviewing the internal situation, Shen Ruozhen speculated on the external situation: "Do you think someone will come to rescue us?"
Xiang Mingzhang recounted the incident: "It was the Xiang family's car, and the driver was a close confidant of the Xiang family. Outsiders thought we had gone home, and they were unable to discover in time that we were missing or kidnapped."
After the incident, they will claim that Xiang Mingzhang and Chu Shichen were going out to sea, and Uncle Qi just obeyed. However, the yacht exploded accidentally, destroying the bodies and all traces, and there is no way to verify anything.
On the surface, Xiang Xingzhao is still a confused old man. Everyone knows that he loves Xiang Mingzhang the most and has no motive to commit a crime.
Shen Ruozhen said, "There is also Xu Liao. He knows about the conflict between you and Xiang Xingzhao. If he can't contact you, he will ask the security director. He will definitely be suspicious when he knows that we lost contact after returning to Jingpu."
Xiang Mingzhang was not optimistic: "It takes more than ten hours to fly to New Zealand, and he won't land until after eight o'clock."
Their cell phones were taken away. Uncle Qi should have seen the message Xu Liao sent to Xiang Mingzhang before boarding the plane. From this, we can infer that they would be eliminated at the latest at dawn.
If he wanted to delay time, he could only turn back to Xiang Long. Fortunately, Xiang Mingzhang had always been cautious, and Xiang Long had a face-to-face meeting with Xu Liao in Yunjiao, so Uncle Qi could not find any information on his phone.
Xiang Mingzhang and Shen Ruozhen fell silent and huddled together.
Soon footsteps approached, the door of the room opened, and several kidnappers rushed in.
Shen Ruozhen's arm was twisted as he stood up. Xiang Mingzhang was sick and slumped, and was violently pulled up from the wall by three kidnappers.
Outside the room was a narrow corridor. Shen Ruozhen quickly looked around and saw a dozen gasoline cans piled up at the end.
Going up the stairs is the second-floor living room, and there is a control room on the top. The entire yacht has three floors in total.
There were five people standing in the living room, including Uncle Qi, plus the six people who controlled Xiang Mingzhang and Shen Ruozhen, making it two against eleven.
Xiang Mingzhang bent his back weakly, the blood stains on his face had solidified, covering up some of the grayness of his skin.
Uncle Qi stood in the middle of the living room and said, "Mingzhang, you have a bright future ahead of you. How many people envy you for your life? Why do you have to be like this?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Then let me go, and when I kill Xiang Xingzhao, I will also give you a bright future."
"You don't have to be so stubborn." Uncle Qi sneered, "Even if it's not for yourself, think about your beloved baby. Don't you feel bad that Master Chu has to suffer with you?"
Shen Ruozhen looked at Xiang Mingzhang worriedly, as if begging: "Mingzhang, I don't want to die."
Xiang Mingzhang said hoarsely: "Let him go, and we can negotiate any terms."
The will was torn up, and Uncle Qi said, "If you won't sign it, what terms are you talking about?"
"Don't go too far." Xiang Mingzhang said, "Xiang Xingzhao wants me to die, and I have made a will for him. I will not do such a loss-making business."
Uncle Qi snorted, "As expected of Mr. Xiang, you still have the energy to calculate the gains and losses when disaster strikes. It seems that you have thought of a countermeasure?"
Xiang Mingzhang panted tiredly: "I will tell you where Xiang Long is, and you let Chu Shichen go."
Uncle Qi confirmed: "You don't want to save yourself, but you want to save him?"
Xiang Mingzhang said clearly: "I know I can't survive. I have waited until now just for the news of Xiang Long. I will satisfy you. Besides, it is worth it for you to exchange Xiang Xingzhao's biological son for Chu Shichen, an outsider."
Uncle Qi asked, "Where is Xiang Long?"
Xiang Mingzhang reported an address, which was a state in the United States, and then he specified the city, block, and even the exact number.
Uncle Qi didn't believe Xiang Mingzhang would be so straightforward, so he immediately reported the address to Xiang Xingzhao for verification. Five minutes later, he received a reply, and Uncle Qi's face darkened: "The address you gave is a cemetery."
Xiang Mingzhang was out of breath and said slowly: "I know where Xiang Long is, but I don't know whether he is dead or alive, a person or a grave."
Uncle Qi said angrily: "Xiang Mingzhang, stop playing tricks!"
One of the kidnappers rushed forward and punched Xiang Mingzhang on his eyebrow bone, turning his eye socket black and blue. Xiang Mingzhang staggered and fell, groaning in pain.
He squinted his eyes, as if he would faint at any moment, and said, "Tell Xiang Xingzhao that his youngest son, whom he had missed and felt guilty about for many years, had already died in a foreign country."
Uncle Qi didn't believe it at all: "Xiang Mingzhang, don't eat the bitter fruit of your own actions."
"I'm curious about Xiang Xingzhao's reaction. Will he have another stroke?" Xiang Mingzhang said like a madman. "If he can't be saved, that's great. We will have three generations living together underground."
Uncle Qi was furious. He took a step forward, pulled out a gun from his waist, and pressed it hard against Xiang Mingzhang's forehead.
Shen Ruozhen was frightened and shouted: "No!"
The muzzle of the gun made Xiang Mingzhang lean back, and Uncle Qi looked down at him: "You'd better cooperate. If you continue to be stubborn, Mr. Chu will have to suffer for you."
Alan punched Shen Ruozhen in the abdomen. Shen Ruozhen bent over and tried hard to hold back a cry of pain.
Xiang Mingzhang was a little flustered, panting: "If you have the guts... shoot me!"
At this time, the mobile phone screen was flashing. Xiang Long's life and death remained a mystery. Xiang Xingzhao must have been so anxious that he couldn't help asking. Uncle Qi didn't dare to ignore it and raised his hand to slide the answer button.
Xiang Mingzhang's eyes were hooked, like a wolf staring at meat. At the moment when Uncle Qi's gaze turned to the phone, he suddenly turned his head to avoid the muzzle of the gun, and his injured body instantly tensed up all the muscles.
The kidnappers on both sides felt that the flesh under their hands was too hard to hold. Xiang Mingzhang broke free and jumped up, grabbed Uncle Qi's wrist and broke it, and the pistol fell to the ground. He jumped up and grabbed Uncle Qi's shoulders and locked him in front of him. With his other hand, he held a pen and stabbed Uncle Qi's neck.
Everything happened too fast. Xiang Mingzhang's pretended weakness faded away, leaving only the ferocity of a desperate counterattack.
The kidnappers all looked shocked. Seeing this, Alan pulled out his pistol and pointed it at Shen Ruozhen. The other kidnappers also pulled out their guns, and the muzzles of their guns were all pointed at Xiang Mingzhang.
Outnumbered, they had to capture the leader first. Xiang Mingzhang held Uncle Qi hostage and said, "He didn't get the information he wanted, so he didn't dare to kill me. Who of you dares to take action without authorization?"
Alan grabbed Shen Ruozhen and put the gun to Shen Ruozhen's temple: "Don't forget your lover."
Shen Ruozhen no longer looked panicked, and said calmly, "Then let's give it a try."
With veins bulging in his arms, Xiang Mingzhang strangled Uncle Qi and walked out, forcing the kidnappers to retreat. When they reached the deck, dawn was approaching, the sea and the sky were as black as ink, and the light suddenly became dim.
Xiang Mingzhang suddenly grasped the pen and moved it, the tip of the pen cut Uncle Qi's flesh and blood gushed out.
Uncle Qi was more afraid of Xiang Mingzhang's madness than the pain, and said, "Mingzhang, this will not do you any good."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "I have no way to survive anyway, so taking someone with me to be buried with me is the biggest benefit."
Uncle Qi remained calm and said, "If you kill me, neither you nor Chu Shichen can escape. If we die together, then I have completed my mission."
"You are really loyal. Should I respect your wishes?" The tip of the pen was wedged in the wound, and Xiang Mingzhang continued to stab deeper, as if he really wanted to kill someone.
Uncle Qi moaned, his neck getting wetter and wetter. Xiang Mingzhang shouted at the kidnappers, "You just heard it. He wants to die with me! But now that the employer is dead, who are you going to ask for your reward?!"
Shen Ruozhen's temple was throbbing against the muzzle of the gun. He took the opportunity to ask, "Alan, was it me you killed on the yacht last year?"
Alan frowned his thick black eyebrows. He was sure that Chu Shichen was dead at that time, and it was unbelievable to track him down and see him in Guangzhou.
Until this moment, "Chu Shichen" was right in front of him. He looked the same, but his temperament and courage were very different from that cowardly rich second generation.
Shen Ruozhen asked again: "After completing this mission, how long do you plan to hide in Thailand?"
Alan's expression changed: "Shut up!"
Shen Ruozhen looked up at the glass of the control room: "Was it Zhang Kai who was driving the boat? You guys worked together to make the yacht explode, and then hid in Krabi Island. Aren't you coming together this time?"
Alan didn't expect that their background and whereabouts had been exposed, so he pressed the safety latch with a "click".
"You want to silence me?" Shen Ruozhen asked, "Do you think you can come and go without a trace in Thailand? We know exactly the house you've lived in, the dock you've been to, and how many people are in your family in the countryside!"
Several kidnappers looked at each other. Shen Ruozhen raised his voice for everyone to hear: "If we leave alive, your crime will be less severe. If we die, someone will track us down!"
Alan's face was full of anger. He kicked Shen Ruozhen hard in the calf, forcing Shen Ruozhen to kneel on the ground, as if the gesture of surrender meant surrender.
Xiang Mingzhang yelled, "Let him go!"
Alan said, "Let go of Mr. Qi first."
Xiang Mingzhang slowly loosened his grip. Alan was afraid that he might play some tricks, so he stared at him closely and said, "Let go of Mr. Qi, or I'll shoot!"
The blood-red pen tip slowly left Uncle Qi's throat. Just when everyone thought Xiang Mingzhang was going to let go, he gripped the pen, raised it into the air, and suddenly stabbed it into Uncle Qi's shoulder!
The shrill screams echoed on the deck, attracting everyone. At the moment Xiang Mingzhang took action, Shen Ruozhen pushed Alan's wrist away almost at the same time.
"Bang!" A gun went off accidentally and hit the railing.
When the gunshot was heard, the kidnappers were startled and a flock of seagulls circled around. In the chaos, Shen Ruozhen rolled on the floor.
Several gunshots rang out in succession, and the deadly bullets chased Shen Ruozhen.
Xiang Mingzhang grabbed Uncle Qi to resist, and Shen Ruozhen rushed into the cabin living room. He picked up the pistol that Uncle Qi dropped, released the safety and shot at the chandelier.
The crystal exploded, and everything became pitch black in an instant.
Xiang Mingzhang dragged Uncle Qi in, holding his breath and sticking to the wall. The kidnappers outside the cabin surrounded and approached, but he did not dare to shoot rashly for fear of accidental injury.
The sky in the distance began to turn white. Shen Ruozhen hid in the darkness, distinguishing the outlines of people under the dark gray sky.
The revolver was small, and one hand was enough. He held his right wrist with his left hand and pulled the trigger as if he was talking to himself: "This hand has hit him before."
"Bang!"
Screams filled the air as a bullet hit someone in the arm.
Shen Ruozhen added: "This leg kicked him."
The second shot hit one man in the thigh.
The rising and falling screams made the kidnappers panic. No one cared about anything else. If they continued to be restrained, the hostages would turn around and ask for their lives!
The kidnappers began to fight back. With a "crash", the glass of the cabin was shattered. Shen Ruozhen shot another person and shouted, "Mingzhang, let's go up!"
Xiang Mingzhang jumped out of the side window and ran backwards, followed closely by Shen Ruozhen. The two climbed up the stairs at the stern and rushed into the control room of the yacht.
The person driving the boat was indeed "Zhang Kai", with a panicked-looking assistant.
Zhang Kai had a fierce look on his face and called on his deputies to pounce on Xiang Mingzhang together.
Xiang Mingzhang punched hard, using all his strength, and injured one of them. He clasped Zhang Kai's shoulders with both hands and pressed them down, then raised his knee and hit the opponent's chest.
Uncle Qi was able to pass on the message, which meant there was a signal in this sea area. Shen Ruozhen grabbed the deputy and pointed a gun at him: "Send a distress signal!"
The deputy covered his bleeding nose and said, "I can't send it anymore..."
When the first gunshot was heard, Zhang Kai changed his route and accelerated. Now the VHF equipment was no longer usable and there was no distress flare on the yacht.
Suddenly, a bullet hit the door frame and burned a hole.
Shen Ruozhen looked back in shock. The kidnappers had caught up with him. He ran to the door with a gun in hand, half turned sideways to aim, and fired a shot downward with lightning speed.
One person fell down the gangway, and the others swarmed up, leaving the control room a dead end with no escape.
Xiang Mingzhang fought hand-to-hand with the kidnapper, and someone else rushed up and pulled the trigger at Shen Ruozhen. At the critical moment, Xiang Mingzhang raised his leg and kicked the other person's arm and broke it.
Amid the howling, the bullet deflected and shot through the windshield. Xiang Mingzhang said, "Ruozhen, get out of here!"
Shen Ruozhen climbed up to the control console. A hot bullet hole was left in the center of the windshield, with radiating cracks extending around it. He raised his elbow and struck with all his strength.
The glass shattered and Shen Ruozhen jumped out of the window.
The morning light was visible through the sea fog. Shen Ruozhen fell on the deck and rolled twice. He got up and felt a strong tinnitus after the violent shock.
The remaining firepower was concentrated in the control room, and Xiang Mingzhang was fighting alone.
According to the kidnappers' original plan, after they were dealt with, someone would come to pick them up by boat.
How to release the signal now
Shen Ruozhen suddenly remembered something. He walked with the gun in his hand while counting the number of people, the gunshots, how many people had been killed, and how many bullets were left. Then he realized that one person was missing.
Going down to the bottom floor of the cabin, Shen Ruozhen stood in the narrow corridor. The door of a guest room was open and light was shining through.
Shen Ruozhen raised his gun and called out, "Alan."
Alan secretly packed his things, holding the bag in one hand and the gun in the other. As he stepped out of the room and turned around, a bullet flew past his temple.
With a loud bang, the gasoline barrel at the end of the corridor caught fire. Alan fell to his knees, covering his injured face.
Shen Ruozhen turned and left. Whether Alan lived or died depended on his own luck. This was his explanation to "Chu Shichen".
Returning to the deck, the sky was glowing orange as the sun rose, and everything around us was finally quiet.
The whole place was in a mess, and there was no sign of anyone in the broken control room window. Shen Ruozhen didn't know where to look, and called out helplessly, "Xiang Mingzhang..."
Heavy footsteps were heard from one side of the cabin. Xiang Mingzhang was covered in blood, looking like a demon. His suit was open, revealing his scarred chest.
He walked closer, holding Shen Ruozhen in his arms with one hand, with a strong and sweet taste in his throat: "Are you hurt?"
Shen Ruozhen was afraid of hurting him, so he didn't dare to raise his hand and said, "I'm fine."
"Yeah." Xiang Mingzhang said in a deep voice, "It's okay."
Thick black smoke rose from the stern of the ship, which was the distress signal they sent out. Xiang Mingzhang and Shen Ruozhen stood on the deck, watching the sun rise from the horizon.
There was a white dot floating on the distant sea. Shen Ruozhen took a step forward, wanting to see it more clearly. He raised his hand and pointed: "Do you see it?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "It looks like a speedboat."
Shen Ruozhen turned around happily and was stunned. At the cabin door behind Xiang Mingzhang, Uncle Qi was standing there with half of his body covered in blood, holding a gun.
In the end, it turns out it’s not over yet.
Shen Ruozhen was so shocked that he couldn't utter a word. He moved as if by instinct and pounced on the moment Uncle Qi pulled the trigger, trying his best to push Xiang Mingzhang away.
"Bang!"
Two overlapping gunshots.
Uncle Qi was shot in the abdomen and fell down with his eyes wide open.
Another bullet hit Shen Ruozhen's chest. He maintained the shooting posture with his right arm suspended in mid-air. Suddenly, the pistol slipped and his thin body trembled in the morning breeze.
Xiang Mingzhang turned around in shock, as if he had fallen into an icy cave.
Shen Ruozhen staggered and fell backwards, falling into Xiang Mingzhang's arms. His white shirt turned red. His chest hurt so much, as if it was being stabbed by needles and knives, or burned by fire.
Xiang Mingzhang's eyes were about to burst: "Ruo Zhen..."
Shen Ruozhen lay in his arms, his face becoming increasingly pale, and asked, "Will I die?"
"No." Xiang Mingzhang was helpless. The overwhelming fear swallowed him up before the fire and the deep sea. "You will be fine. You will be fine."
Shen Ruozhen said: "But it hurts so much."
Xiang Mingzhang hugged Shen Ruozhen tightly, his clothes soaked with warm blood. He looked at the sea with dilated pupils. The white spot grew bigger and closer, and there seemed to be a helicopter flying in the distant sky.
"Ruozhen, someone is coming." Xiang Mingzhang lowered his head, "Someone is coming to save us."
Shen Ruozhen's breath was weak, and only blood was flowing out of his heart. He felt like there was a hole in him that was slowly disappearing.
"Xiang Mingzhang..."
"I am here."
Shen Ruozhen was afraid that it would be too late, so he said, "I think I'm going to break my promise."
Xiang Mingzhang's eyes were red: "No, you said that we should live together. You are a gentleman and you must keep your word."
Blood oozed from Shen Ruozhen's teeth, staining his thin lips red: "This is also the happiest year of my life."
"Hold on a little longer," Xiang Mingzhang begged him, "Don't leave me, Ruzhen, don't leave me."
Shen Ruozhen felt very cold, even colder than when he fell into the deep sea in early spring of that year. Xiang Mingzhang hugged him, his cheek against his, and shivered with him.
The flames at the stern crackled and exploded, a helicopter hovered over the yacht, its rotors rumbling, waves, seagulls, and howling winds.
Shen Ruozhen was grateful that he was buried in Xiang Mingzhang's arms. He spoke in a faint voice, using up his last bit of strength to ask, "For me... can you believe in the afterlife once?"
Xiang Mingzhang's eyebrows suddenly twitched and a line of hot tears fell.
He wanted to pray "Amitabha", but unfortunately the sea was too wide and the sky was too high to reach Guanyin.
At this time, the ladder was lowered and the rescuers landed. The fire that spread to the deck lit up half the sky red.
Shen Ruozhen was about to close his eyes.
"I believe in the next life." Xiang Mingzhang choked up and cried, "In this life, I also want to be with you forever."
(End of this chapter)