Su Xiaong gently patted Shuangshuang’s back, telling her a story in a voice that only the mother and daughter could hear.
It was the story of Alibaba and the Forty Thieves.
Shuangshuang listened intently, occasionally whispering admiringly about Alibaba’s bravery and cleverness.
Prince Huang leaned against Shan Mingxu, having already fallen asleep from exhaustion.
The little guy’s face was dusty, and when he closed his eyes, his long eyelashes rested against his skin.
Shan Mingxu looked at Huang Huang in his arms, then at Shuangshuang in his little aunt’s arms. Though siblings, they looked exactly alike.
Charming and beautiful.
Their brows and eyes bore their uncle’s handsoness and their little aunt’s spirit.
In the blink of an eye, these siblings were nearly three years old...
And what about him?
It’s been three years since he enlisted.
Why did he join the army? Why did he stay in the military?
Shan Mingxu had asked himself this question more than once.
Initially, it was to prove himself, to get the captain to stop calling him "softie."
Afterwards, it was still about proving himself—proving that he could beco very strong, stronger, the strongest.
Now, after having completed several life-threatening missions, seeing his teammates fall one by one, vanish one by one...
He cherished life more and matured more.
Though he understood the great duty of defending the country, it wasn’t to the extent that he’d risk his life for it.
But... when it ca to the people right in front of him, seeing those who pinned their last hope for survival on him...
He couldn’t escape.
He couldn’t escape the mission and constraint that this military uniform imposed on him!
He wasn’t originally like this, responsibility? Contributing to others? That was all nonsense.
He, Young Master Shan, lived for one word—enjoynt!
With als served and clothes handed to him, Young Master Shan had lived such a life since birth.
His grandfather was a commander-in-chief! A founding hero of the nation!
Based on this alone, Young Master Shan had always been a bully!
He had never seen soone carrying heavy bundles of firewood from the mountains through the icy snow, just for a spark that barely provided any warmth.
He had never seen a child under ten sold by his parents, controlled by others, smoking opium and marijuana, with a frail body used as a weapon for suicide, a human bomb...
Never seen those deeply poisoned by criminals, suffering humiliation and torture, eyes full of fear and despair...
Before joining the military, for him, these scenarios existed in another world, completely unrelated to him.
Save them?
Why? Were they family?
Protect them?
Why again? Could they repay in the future?
He was originally a playboy, and he enjoyed being one...
But a playboy couldn’t save the brother sleeping in his arms peacefully right now.
A playboy couldn’t save the kind and adorable little aunt he used to bully...
The greater cause, he didn’t understand, but these living, suffering people before his eyes, he couldn’t ignore.
When his closest family was threatened, he couldn’t avoid it!
In tis like these, Shan Mingxu always felt a sense of luck that he initially decided to stay in the military to prove himself.
Luck that he had also beco soone slightly stronger now.
Nobody noticed that right now, Shan Mingxu was holding Prince Huang with his right hand, while lightly tapping his right arm with his left hand, index finger.
His expression was similar to everyone else’s, full of fear, but his heart was steadier than anyone else’s.
The rhythmic tapping was very secretive; embedded in his right arm was an electronic communication device for tracking, investigating, and sending ssages.
Morse code was a commonly used ssaging thod in the special forces.
Shan Mingxu wasn’t the only one on the mission, but unfortunately, he was the only one taken hostage.
But why did his little aunt and siblings join for the British Royal Family wedding excitent?
What Shan Mingxu felt grateful for was that his teammates didn’t abandon the event’s complicated and difficult nature, leaving their captain in the pile of hostages in a foreign land.
With the electronic communication device in his arm and the invisible receiver hidden in his ear, Shan Mingxu managed to maintain contact with his team.
Six hours passed.
The bandits didn’t care about the hostages’ safety. If anyone tried to escape or made too much noise, shooting was unquestionable.
What Shan Mingxu didn’t expect was that a forr adversary on the battlefield beca his teammate, providing cover now.
Han Tan wasn’t ugly; on the contrary, he was handso among n.
But his perpetually cold face and overly sharp features radiated a terrifying aura.
This man was a rcenary; what did a rcenary an to Shan Mingxu?
Simply put, it’s the "ghost" that money can drive!
While it’s said they care more about money than life, but they still value life, otherwise why earn money?
But if they truly valued life highly, why take on a dangerous, unsecured profession?
In the end, Shan Mingxu couldn’t understand the likes of rcenaries.
With Han Tan’s cover, Su Xiaong and her siblings, and at least within the 48-hour deadline given by the bandits, their lives were secure.
After that, it was uncertain.
After all, why Han Tan was protecting Su Xiaong and her kids was sothing Shan Mingxu couldn’t ignore.
Inside the church where the hostages were guarded, there were seven people. They rotated with those outside approximately every two hours.
But the Chinese leader of the bandits never rotated out for guard duty.
Each bandit carried a submachine gun in hand, a pistol in their waistband, and possibly grenades in the rough cloth bag tied to their legs.
These weren’t the threats Shan Mingxu feared the most; it was the two boxes behind the bandits that concerned him most.
Considering the bandits’ careful attitude, Shan Mingxu guessed that they were likely explosives.
Forty-eight hours...
Still forty-two hours remaining, but the bandits weren’t likely to kindly provide food or water.
Adults might manage, but what about Shuangshuang and Huang Huang?
At this thought, Shan Mingxu began to feel anxious.
————
On the sa day, at half-past eleven at night, a eting room was brightly lit!
Yin Shaohui and Bai Fengmao arrived almost simultaneously.
The appearance of these two old gentlen truly surprised the staff who had worked here for many years.
Moreover, these two gentlen even requested to et him by na.
The deanor of these two gentlen at that mont indeed frightened the staff.
To those unaware, it seed as though sothing earth-shattering had happened!
In fact, to Elder Bai and Mr. Yin, this matter was indeed of imnse importance!
The atmosphere in the eting room was very serious.
This seriousness wasn’t caused by him, but by Elder Yin and Elder Bai.
"Just say if there’s a way to help, skip the nonsense!"
These days, few dare speak to him in such a tone, even internationally, not more than five fingers could count.
"Commander, please sit down, have a cup of tea. Even if it’s urgent, let think about it carefully."
"I can’t drink! That is my daughter-in-law! My legitimate grandson and granddaughter!"
His lips pressed together, and he furrowed his brow, clearly not expecting that Mr. Yin’s family would be involved in the London terrorist attack.
Bai Fengmao silently sat to the side, leaning on his cane, yet to make a sound.
He glanced at Mr. Bai and couldn’t help but say,
"Mr. Yin, it’s one thing for you to co, but why bring Mr. Bai too..."
Bai Fengmao raised his eyes and looked at him, saying steadily, word by word,
"Su Xiaong is my legitimate granddaughter. That piano-playing three-year-old is my legitimate great-grandson."
"..."
He was stunned for quite a while, looking at Mr. Yin, then at Mr. Bai... Both old gentlen had serious expressions, just staring at him.
This... If considered a national matter, it indeed happened abroad, but if not, having these two elders standing here certainly added weight!
After a long silence, he looked at the secretary and said,
"Can you connect us with the British Pri Minister’s Office?"
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