Chapter 46: Parents in Danger (Part 1)

Near a lake, an old, battered RV was parked. Inside, a woman in her forties was preparing dinner. Her practiced movements suggested years of experience, and the delicious aroma of the meal filled the air.

A young girl sat slumped in the passenger seat, looking downcast and silent.

"Guo'er, losing a bow tie isn't a big deal. As long as our family of three can get by safely, that's all that matters," her mother said gently while stir-frying some meat.

Her father, exhausted after driving for most of the day, had already gone to bed inside the RV.

"It's not that I don't want you to go find it. I know how much that bow tie means to you. We had plenty of clothes back home, and if we hadn't been swept up in this mess a few days ago without bringing extra, you'd probably be changing outfits every day," her mother continued.

"Mom, I understand. I'm listening to everything you're saying, and there won't be any danger," Tang Guo'er replied, though her mind was still preoccupied with the lost bow tie.

That bow tie was her treasure. She had kept it for so long, and it was more important to her than anything else.

After much deliberation, she made a bold decision—to go find it alone without bothering her parents.

The place where she had opened the blind box was only about two kilometers from where their RV was parked. She must have lost the bow tie while searching for the box, and she was confident she could find it.

At a quick pace, she could walk there and back in about half an hour. If she left while her parents weren't paying attention, she could retrieve it without them even noticing.

With that thought, Tang Guo'er quietly slipped out of the RV, glancing around cautiously as she walked down the road.

"I have to find that bow tie today!"

She was filled with determination.

Meanwhile, inside the RV, her mother had just finished cooking.

"Fragrant stir-fried meat and crisp vegetables, all ready! We haven't had such a hearty meal in a long time," she called out cheerfully.

"Guo'er, time to eat!"

"Guo'er, time to eat!"

She called a few more times, but there was no response. Sensing something was wrong, she immediately realized that Guo'er had likely sneaked off alone to look for the bow tie.

She rushed to wake up her husband, who was still asleep.

"Honey, wake up! Something's wrong…"

"What's with all the fuss? Is dinner ready? I'm starving."

His wife's face was pale with worry. "No, it's Guo'er… I think she sneaked out alone!"

That sentence snapped him wide awake. He bolted upright and shouted, "What?! She ran off?!"

Without hesitation, he threw on his clothes, climbed into the driver's seat, and started the engine—completely forgetting about dinner.

"Let's go! She must have gone to the place where she found the blind box earlier today. If we drive, we should be able to catch up to her."

"She can't run into any trouble!"

Though exhausted from the day, the moment they realized their daughter was missing, every nerve in their bodies went taut.

Stepping on the gas, the RV sped up to 100 km/h.

"Honey, slow down! If something happens on the road, not only will we not find her, but you might get hurt too," his wife warned anxiously.

He kept his eyes fixed on the road. "Don't worry. I've been driving for over ten years—I know what I'm doing."

"I'm only driving this fast because I'm worried about Guo'er's safety. You know how dangerous the creatures here are. And if it's not a monster, what if it's a person?!"

"Our daughter has always been a good girl. All she ever cared about was studying."

"And let's be honest—our Guo'er is a beautiful girl. If she gets tricked by some guy, that would be disastrous."

Normally a quiet man, he had suddenly become quite talkative in this critical moment—his love for his daughter evident in every word.

His wife sighed. "Alright, just… focus on the road."

With the speedometer now hitting 120 km/h, they had been driving for ten minutes when suddenly—

"Beep! Beep! Beep!"

A car horn blared behind them. Checking the rearview mirror, they saw a black van rapidly approaching.

People! But were they allies or enemies?

There was no way to tell. But an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of Guo'er's father's stomach.

His own speed was already 120 km/h—twice the usual driving speed—yet the van behind them was still catching up.

No normal driver would be driving so aggressively unless there was something very wrong.

The way the van was tailing them so persistently… it was obvious it was after them.

"Beep! Beep!"

The van honked repeatedly, seemingly signaling for them to stop.

Were they looking for a free ride? Trying to rob them?

Either way, for two parents desperately searching for their missing daughter, neither option was good news.

Guo'er's father immediately floored the gas pedal, trying to shake them off.

But the van only accelerated further, chasing even harder.

Now he was certain—these people were after them.

"What do we do? That van won't stop following us," his wife asked, growing more panicked. This couldn't be anything good.

"Don't worry. Let me see if I can lose them," he replied, gripping the wheel tightly.

But the van kept gaining on them. The gap between the two vehicles was shrinking.

Up ahead, Guo'er's father spotted the area where she had found the blind box earlier that morning. But with a car chasing them, he couldn't stop.

He could only watch helplessly as they sped past the spot and continued down the road.

"Guo'er isn't on this road… Where did she go?"

His wife's heart sank. Their daughter might already be in danger.

And to make matters worse, the van behind them wasn't giving up.

As it got closer, it almost seemed like they were trying to ram into them.

Guo'er's father realized that if he didn't stop voluntarily, a crash was inevitable.

"Honey… maybe we should just stop. We came here to find Guo'er, but we haven't even seen her yet," his wife said in a defeated tone.

The despair in her voice was palpable. Without seeing her daughter, every last bit of hope she had was slipping away.

Her husband hesitated before finally easing off the gas. A crash would only make things worse.

Bringing the RV to a stop by the side of the road, he stepped out.

The van also pulled over and stopped.

That confirmed it—the people inside were definitely after them.

Before they could react, the van's doors swung open.

And from inside, three men stepped out.

_____

NEW FANFIC IS OUT- DRAGON BALL: MULTIVERSE TRAVEL