Chapter 206: Determination (3)

*"Hah-hah-hah…"*

At the crime scene, the big, fierce dog panted heavily, circling around the scattered food boxes on the ground with its bright red tongue hanging out.

Seeing the dumb dog not sniffing the blood trail but rather focusing on the scattered food, Li Xian got angry and gave it a slap on the head.

The dog whined in pain, "Damn it, work properly! Stop thinking about eating; I'll treat you to a full banquet if we find them!"

Seemingly understanding the command, the dog stopped licking the ground and looked at the food with pitiful eyes before heading to the blood-stained lunch box lid.

It sniffed vigorously and then looked up at Xiao Ji, "Woof!"

"Good boy, go!" Xiao Ji commanded, and the dog dashed off with remarkable agility.

Following the direction of the blood trail, the dog stopped at each blood drop, confirmed the direction, and then sped forward again.

Seeing this, Li Xian clapped his hands vigorously and asked Zhou Yong to drive him, Xiao Ji, and two other officers to follow.

To the north of Bangye County, there was a small mountain called Mianwan Mountain.

The mountain was named because its shape resembled an upside-down rice bowl, and two large rivers flowed at its base, resembling spilled noodles.

This mountain was not far from the Chicken Road, serving as a boundary between Bangye and Hailin.

At the mountain's waist, outside a small thatched hut, Zhao Er Xiazi and his two accomplices were munching on dry instant noodles.

"Er Xiazi, did that girl make any noise? Is everything alright?" Xin Lao Wu asked, scratching his head and repeatedly looking towards the hut.

Zhao Er Xiazi shot him a cold glare, "A mute, are you afraid she'll scream and attract attention? Lao Xin, have you forgotten what I told you before?"

Xin Lao Wu turned around awkwardly, "How could I forget? Er Xiazi, do you think Zhu Feng will bring the money?"

Zhao Er Xiazi picked up a bottle of alcohol from the ground, "Wait for him all afternoon. If he doesn't show up by evening, you sneak down the mountain and check the city. If he's obedient, fine; if not, send a piece of meat from his mother to him. I'm not afraid he won't put in the effort. Look, even the liquor bought from a random shop is from their distillery. With him being such a big factory director, how much money does he have? What an ungrateful bastard. Remember how we took care of him in prison? Bah!"

Hearing this, the other two men agreed, expressing their frustrations.

After venting his anger, Zhao Er Xiazi walked towards the hut, opened the door, and saw that the two people inside seemed unchanged, so he secured the door and left—there was only one small window, and as long as they guarded the door, there was no worry about someone escaping.

Inside the hut.

Su Ya's hands and feet were bound tightly with plastic straps.

Yang Shuzhen had been hit by the car and was suffering badly. After being thrown into the hut, she fell into a deep sleep.

Su Ya, scared and worried, cuddled up to Yang Shuzhen like a big worm, nudging her until Yang Shuzhen slowly opened her eyes.

Seeing Su Ya's tearful face, Yang Shuzhen immediately started crying.

"Child, I've brought trouble to you!" Her voice was muffled with a cloth stuffed in her mouth.

Su Ya shook her head to indicate she didn't understand, but with her hands bound, she couldn't express herself either.

After thinking for a while, Su Ya could only nudge Yang Shuzhen to sit up.

Yang Shuzhen was puzzled by this, "Xiao Ya, what do you want to do?"

"Shh." Su Ya made a quiet gesture, then nudged Yang Shuzhen to the back, using the small light coming through the hut's roof to carefully observe the tightly bound plastic straps.

The straps were strange, seemingly tightening the more one struggled. Yang Shuzhen's hands were already turning purple from the tightness.

Su Ya examined the straps for a long time, then bent down and bit the knot with her teeth.

The weather was hot and humid, with a rainstorm approaching. The three men outside were cursing and drinking, seemingly with no intention of entering the hut.

The hut's door wasn't locked. Seeing Su Ya trying to untie the straps, Yang Shuzhen anxiously kept an eye on the outside.

After a while, the noise outside grew quieter, and faint snoring was heard. Yang Shuzhen suddenly felt her wrists loosen!

She immediately freed her hands, removed the cloth from her mouth, and then untied Su Ya's bindings.

In no time, both of them were able to move their hands and feet.

Su Ya, drenched in sweat, pointed outside to signal an escape.

Yang Shuzhen shook her head. After being hit by the car, her leg was swollen and painful, making it impossible for her to move.

Su Ya lifted her trouser leg and saw that her knee was badly swollen—she furrowed her brow.

"Xiao Ya," Yang Shuzhen smiled bitterly, whispering, "Listen to me, it will be dark soon. I'll go out first and lead them away. You're faster and can run. While I distract them, you hurry down the mountain to find help, understand?"

Su Ya bit her lip and nodded.

Supporting herself against the damp earthen wall, Yang Shuzhen stood up. Although it was still daylight, the outside sky was overcast. The mountain was high and shrouded in mist, making it seem almost dark.

Carefully peeking through the door gap, she saw Zhao Er Xiazi and his men were drunk and leaning against the door, chatting intermittently, with one already lying on the ground asleep.

The hut might have been used as a resting place for patrolling officers, as there were some firewood inside.

Yang Shuzhen groped around, found a sturdy piece of wood, and held it tightly.

She made a gesture to Su Ya, and after Su Ya pretended the ropes were still on and sat on the ground, Yang Shuzhen gave a loud smack against the earthen wall.

"Damn it, what's going on in there?"

On the ground, Zhao Er Xiazi, who had been sleeping, shouted towards Yan Liu by the door, "Liu Zi, go in and check to quiet them down."

"Yeah." Yan Liu rubbed his eyes, stood up, and opened the door. Before he could adjust to the light inside, he heard a "Whoosh!" sound.

Bang!

A loud thud as a piece of firewood, as thick as a small calf, struck Yan Liu's head.

Yan Liu didn't even have time to groan before collapsing to the ground, stiff and unmoving. The scene resembled a rural dog slaughter.

Ignoring her fear, Yang Shuzhen immediately opened the door and limped outside.

Zhao Er Xiazi and Xin Lao Wu, stunned to see Yang Shuzhen running out of the door, froze for two to three seconds before simultaneously getting up to chase her.

"Damn it! Go check that!" Zhao Er Xiazi shouted, noticing Yang Shuzhen struggling down the mountain with difficulty. He followed down the slope, and seeing Xin Lao Wu coming as well, he yelled and ordered.

Xin Lao Wu turned back to the hut, saw Su Ya lying obediently on the ground, and felt relieved. He then joined Zhao Er Xiazi in pursuit.

Su Ya's heart raced with anxiety.

According to Yang Shuzhen's plan, she should run immediately, but thinking about the blood she lost on the way here, she doubted she could escape with two big men chasing her—she took a gamble.

When the two men's footsteps grew faint, Su Ya quickly got up, stepped over the unconscious person on the ground, and, seeing a clear path outside, sprinted towards the rear of the mountain!

Yang Shuzhen's poor legs couldn't run far before Zhao Er Xiazi tackled her to the ground. However, taking advantage of the dense vegetation in the forest, she managed to roll and crawl a few hundred meters away.

After being captured, she fought back fiercely, making Zhao Er Xiazi and Xin Lao Wu look disheveled.

When they managed to bring Yang Shuzhen back to the hut, they were stunned.

Inside, there was only Yan Liu, who had been knocked out and was barely breathing, but the mute girl was nowhere to be seen!

"Damn it! Xin Lao Wu, didn't I tell you to keep an eye?" Seeing this, Zhao Er Xiazi was furious and hit Xin Lao Wu with a stick.

Knocked to the ground, Xin Lao Wu was also filled with disbelief, "But I saw… I saw… that girl was still there! Her hands and feet were bound tight!"

"Damn you!" Zhao Er Xiazi shouted, "You've fallen for that girl's trap!"

Saying this, he glanced around the ground, following the trail of small footprints in front of the hut, and looked south.

At a glance, he saw Su Ya, already halfway down the mountain.

"There! Go after her! Don't let her escape!"

Following Zhao Er Xiazi's指挥, Xin Lao Wu quickly grabbed a piece of firewood from the hut and chased down the mountain without hesitation.

Meanwhile.

On the other side of the mountain, the big dog had lost the trail—Mianwan Mountain's high terrain and the recent rain had dissipated the scent of the blood.

Li Xian had not eaten or drunk anything all day. The vehicle could not climb the mountain and was parked outside. Exhausted from the strenuous hike, he panted heavily, his lips cracked from dehydration.

Licking his sore lips, Li Xian set up a makeshift shelter with his hand and looked around.

"Li, we should be close. Even though we haven't found their vehicle, this area is adjacent to the highway. The high terrain provides a good vantage point, making it a prime location to hide. If nothing unexpected happens, they should be somewhere on the mountain."

Xiao Ji was in better shape than Li Xian but was also struggling to catch his breath. Wiping sweat from his brow and observing the dog panting heavily with its tongue out, he added.

Li Xian nodded and waved to the two officers behind him, "Brothers, let's push on. We need to search further up the mountain."

Just then, one of the officers pointed and shouted, "Captain Xiao, Li Xian, look over there! There's someone running up the mountain!"

Li Xian's eyes widened in surprise. He immediately stood next to the officer and looked in the direction indicated, his fist clenching tightly.

Although he could only see a white dot jumping down the mountain through the trees, he was absolutely certain that it was Su Ya!

That mute girl, I'm coming!

He quickly lifted his muddy shoes and, together with Xiao Ji, ran toward the edge of the mountain.