Thunder exploded like a nuclear strike. It cracked the night sky in two, carrying with lightning that brought back a brief day-like exposure.
The two guards, dressed in smart suits and wearing shades, stood by the hospital entrance, their hands crossed in front of them.
"Listen to , please—just this once," Darian said, trying to force his way through the blocked path.
Jade turned and threw an emotionless glance at Darian. The heel of his right leg hovered while only the tip of his boot touched the ground.
"Do justice to that rat," Jade uttered, then continued toward the Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail.
Darian bowed repeatedly, then rushed to the vehicle after raising his head and seeing the guards.
As he walked out of Bastion Hospital, Leon was also descending the stairs to the ground floor. He slowed his steps and watched Darian drive off with the Baek mbers.
"I never knew he could be this ruthless," Leon said to himself, then turned toward the waiting room.
Mr. Lee and Feng sat on the couch. Lily stood by the window, gazing outside.
"Is her condition still as critical?" Mr. Lee asked, standing.
"She’s stable now," Leon replied, his voice dull.
Feng stood, placed a heavy hand on Leon’s shoulder, and said, "It’s better you don’t interfere with Baek’s business again."
Mr. Lee looked confused at Feng, then frowned.
"It’s better you don’t ss with people like them. The Jade you knew from Alchemania is different from the Jade you know today," Feng added, then gave Leon two taps on his shoulder.
"Be careful. That’s all I can say." He walked past Leon and Mr. Lee, then exited the hospital.
Outside, he breathed in the chilled night air, closed his eyes, and gripped his waist with both hands.
"Little Athena," Leon called the na out loud.
Lily turned from the window, then ran forward. She wrapped her arms around Leon’s waist. Their eyes locked.
"Is Aunty Zoe dead?"
Leon’s eyes widened at the question. "Nah. Don’t think that," he said, masking his shock as the breeze betrayed him.
Just as they exited the hospital and drove away, two nurses, a man and a woman, erged, each holding a smartphone.
The man glanced at the woman, returned inside, and spoke into his phone. "They just left."
The woman, on the other hand, walked toward the parking lot. And within seconds, she drove off in a black SUV.
On the highway to Storm Mansion, more vehicles passed the BMW carrying Mr. Lee and Feng.
Rays from a white BMW reflected in the side-view mirror and caught Feng’s attention.
Mr. Lee shifted, his grip tightening on the wheel. "You’re far too alert."
A faint smile flickered on Feng’s lips as he glanced at Mr. Lee.
In the backseat, Lily lay on Leon’s lap, murmuring softly in her sleep.
Leon closed his eyes but listened sharply to passing vehicles and the conversation between Mr. Lee and Feng.
In the side-view mirror, Feng noticed the white BMW following their every movent.
"Take the left." He slowly tilted his gaze from the mirror and stared at Mr. Lee for a second.
When their vehicle turned, the white vehicle also did the sa.
"This is getting interesting," Feng whispered, laughing softly.
He turned his full attention to Mr. Lee, then maintained a composed expression. "Uncle, I want you to do sothing for ."
Mr. Lee eased off the accelerator, giving Feng a sidelong glance. "What do you plan to do?"
At Feng’s direction, Lee checked the side mirror and saw the white vehicle shift behind the others.
"That vehicle—" Mr. Lee tried to speak, but paused. He blinked, then turned and looked through the back glass.
"Let’s stop. If they’re not following, they’ll pass. This isn’t normal." He started to stop the engine, but saw Feng shake his head.
"I know who that is. Let’s keep driving the wrong way." Feng relaxed, rolled down the window, and tapped his left fingers on his thigh.
After twenty minutes of driving through wretched areas of Bastion City, Feng noticed no sign of the white BMW.
But the mont they joined back onto the road leading toward the Storm Mansion, the vehicle rolled to a stop in front of them, blocking them.
The sudden brake woke Lily up. She gasped heavily, gripping onto Leon’s shirt.
Mr. Lee and Feng exchanged glances as four other SUVs circled the single black BMW.
n holding guns jumped down from the vehicles and closed in on them, their fingers hovering over the triggers.
Feng shook his head, pushed open his door, and stepped out. He nodded at each face he saw while scanning the group, then pressed his lips together.
Two of the ard n fired a warning shot, then pointed the gun at the man, screaming in a language only they could understand.
In the backseat, Lily trembled, pressing herself into Leon’s lap, as if seeking shelter within him.
Mr. Lee turned and placed a calm hand on Lily’s back. "Don’t worry, nothing bad will happen to us."
Just as his voice ended, another warning shot rang out.
Despite the chaos, Feng stood motionless, hands in pockets, grinning.
Feng looked at the ard man with the scar beneath his eyelid, then asked, "Do you love your life?"
The ard man instantly stumbled back a step. He gritted his teeth and increased his grip on the gun, then pointed it toward the unshaken man.
As soon as his finger touched the trigger, ready to fire, a loud voice echoed from the white BMW.
"We need them alive."
More of the ard n turned, confused, toward the white BMW, then back to the man.
"Well." Feng’s shoulders raised as he spoke. He turned and winked at Mr. Lee, then back at the ard n. "You’ll have to go through before you get to them."
The scarred gunman advanced, a low growl rumbling from his throat.
Feng kept his hands in his pockets. Yet he caused the man to fall face-first and then stamped on his head. "Oh, how I wish I were the old ."
Two more n rushed at Feng but imdiately collapsed, though Feng’s shoulders did not rise.
After five minutes, all forty-five ard n who had placed their guns on the ground lay on the ground like stones on the seashore.
An eerie laugh escaped from Feng when he saw another set of n stepping down from the SUVs, holding machetes.
"I can do this all day," he spoke, slowly removing his hands from the pockets of his trousers.
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