Audacious Courage

Su Ming and his companions were enjoying a meal at the Jiangzhou Grand Hotel, their conversation light and carefree.

Meanwhile, Fan Qianqian had just stepped out of Hongda Real Estate, her face glowing with a radiant smile. She had arrived early that morning for her interview, and everything had gone smoothly. Everyone at Hongda had greeted her warmly, as if she were already part of the team.

What thrilled her most was that she had been hired on the spot. Even though she was still a student, Hongda had agreed to pay her a salary and even promised to skip the internship, making her a full-time employee immediately.

"This has to be Su Ming's doing. I need to call and thank him!"

Fan Qianqian pulled out her phone, but just as she was about to dial Su Ming, Luo Jin's video call request popped up.

She hesitated, not wanting to answer, but with a sigh, she pressed the accept button. What she saw next left her frozen in shock. Her parents were tied back-to-back with a rope, their lips cracked and faces pale as death.

"Ha ha... Fan Qianqian, I thought you wouldn't pick up. Lucky you did, or you might never see your parents again!"

Luo Jin's maniacal laughter echoed through the phone. Tears streamed down Fan Qianqian's face. "Luo Jin, what are you doing? Have you lost your mind?"

"Ha ha ha... Fan Qianqian, this is what happens when you look down on me, ha ha ha..."

Luo Jin's laughter was wild, unhinged.

"Luo Jin, Luo Jin, don't do anything stupid. Calm down! What's wrong with Dad and Mom?" Fan Qianqian fought back her tears, her voice trembling with desperation.

"What's wrong? Can't you see? Ha ha ha... Fan Qianqian, if you want to save your parents, you have half an hour. If you don't show up, then I'm sorry!"

With that, Luo Jin hung up.

"Ahhh!"

Fan Qianqian screamed in agony, frantically redialing, but the call was instantly rejected.

"Dad! Mom!"

She collapsed into sobs.

"Luo Jin, why are you doing this? They treated you like their own son, wu wu..."

Fan Qianqian felt utterly hopeless, sinking to the ground. Suddenly, Su Ming's face flashed in her mind.

"That's right, there's still Su Ming, wu wu... Su Ming, you have to help me, please help me!"

Fan Qianqian fumbled with her phone, dialing Su Ming.

"Su Ming, pick up, pick up!"

The cheerful ringtone now grated on her nerves. Thankfully, Su Ming answered almost immediately.

"Hello! Qianqian, how was the interview?"

Su Ming was mid-bite when he saw Fan Qianqian's call. He assumed she was calling to share the good news of her successful interview. But he was wrong.

"Wu wu... Su Ming!"

Fan Qianqian's sobs came through the phone. Su Ming's brow furrowed, and he shot to his feet. "What's going on?"

Ning Fengqing and the others noticed Su Ming's reaction and frowned.

"Wu wu... Su Ming, Luo Jin, Luo Jin kidnapped my parents, wu wu... He said if I don't show up in thirty minutes, he'll... wu wu wu..."

Fan Qianqian's voice broke, her sobs uncontrollable.

"What? How dare he!"

Su Ming was stunned. Luo Jin was too cruel, especially to the people who had raised him for fifteen years.

*Ding! Choice triggered!*

*Option 1: Go to Xiyuan Village and rescue Fan Qianqian's parents. Reward: Fan Qianqian's affection increases by 30 points. (Friendly reminder: Affection of 100 will be permanently fixed, unbreakable until death!)*

*Option 2: Ignore it and stay safe. Fan Qianqian's affection will drop to zero!*

Without a second thought, Su Ming chose option one. Even without the system's prompt, he would never turn his back on her.

"Qianqian, don't panic. Where are you now? I'll come and get you!"

"I, wu wu... I'm at Hongda..."

"Okay! I'll be right there!"

Su Ming hung up before Fan Qianqian could finish.

"What's going on?" Ning Fengqing asked, her tone urgent.

"Something's happened, a kidnapping! No time to explain. I have to go!"

Su Ming was already heading for the door.

"Wait, where? I'm coming with you!" Ning Fengqing insisted, her brow furrowed.

"Xiyuan Village!"

Su Ming dashed out of the private room.

"Let's go!"

Ning Fengqing gestured to Ning Fengchi and Old Zhang, and the three of them hurried after Su Ming.

In the parking lot, Su Ming jumped into his car and slammed the gas pedal. The car shot forward, executing a sharp drift at the exit before merging onto the main road.

"Holy shit! This guy can drive like that?"

Ning Fengchi, who had just arrived at the parking lot, was wide-eyed.

"Don't get jealous. You couldn't pull that off. Old Zhang, let's move!"

Ning Fengqing urged.

"Tsk! If I didn't train seven or eight hours a day, I could do that too!"

Ning Fengchi grumbled as he climbed into the Mercedes G-Class.

Meanwhile, a few minutes later, Su Ming screeched to a halt at the entrance of Hongda.

*Screech!*

The car stopped right beside Fan Qianqian.

"Get in!"

At Su Ming's shout, Fan Qianqian scrambled to her feet and stumbled into the car.

"Buckle up!"

Su Ming hit the gas, and the car shot forward like an arrow.

Fortunately, Hongda wasn't in a busy area, so they could speed up. A few minutes later, they were out of the city center.

"We have twenty minutes left, Su Ming. Can we go faster? My home is over thirty kilometers away!"

Fan Qianqian kept an eye on the time on her phone, her heart sinking with each passing minute.

"Don't worry! We'll make it! Trust me!"

Su Ming comforted her and continued to accelerate.

Ning Fengqing and the others were already on the road to Xiyuan Village, passing through a sharp turn.

*Vroom!*

Suddenly, the roar of an engine grew louder, and a silver Porsche 911 drifted past their G-Class, disappearing in a flash, leaving only the tail lights visible.

"Holy crap! That's so cool!"

Ning Fengchi was envious, his eyes turning red. If he could learn that move, the future of the Ning family would be secure.

"Enough, not now!"

Ning Fengqing frowned.

Su Ming's driving skills were, of course, from the Soldier King. The system-rewarded skills of the Soldier King were extensive, and this level of driving was merely a basic skill for him.