DCFRP Extra 34

TL: Hua

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Qi Xiaoyu’s heart leaped with alarm. He immediately pointed in that direction and said to the driver, “Quick, chase after that car!”

Then, he glanced at the person Xun Qian had sent to protect him. “Wait, stop the car!”

He said rapidly, “You get out and contact Xun Qian immediately. Tell him about this and ask him to come help quickly.”

Without needing to think much, at this time, the people who would kidnap Xue Qingchu were most likely from the Japanese military.

“Understood,” The person responded with a sudden brake, which was quite stable, and then jumped off.

They had originally intended to turn around and chase the other car, and with this brief delay, the other car had already made a turn and entered a side street.

Qi Xiaoyu’s car completed the U-turn and quickly followed.

Fortunately, the car ahead was held up by pedestrian traffic on the street and wasn’t driving too fast after turning.

****

Xue Qingchu was still in their hands.

Qi Xiaoyu didn’t dare to follow too closely.

He could only maintain a distance that wasn’t too far or too near, keeping the other car in sight.

Besides himself, he only had a driver and two bodyguards.

He didn’t know the number of people in the other car, and before Xun Qian’s people arrived, he didn’t dare to act rashly.

The two cars, one in front and one behind, drove north along the Huangpu River.

Unknowingly, they followed all the way to the docks.

This area of the docks was further north and much quieter than the Bund below.

Especially at night, with only a few scattered streetlights, the empty cargo ships drifted on the dark water, creating an eerie atmosphere.

Qi Xiaoyu told the driver to stop far away by the side of the dock. He took the bodyguards and quietly jumped out of the car.

In the distance, although it was far, with the dim light of the docks, he could make out the situation on the pier.

There were about six or seven people, all carrying weapons.

Xue Qingchu was being roughly dragged out of the car and taken towards the edge of the pier.

Qi Xiaoyu watched from afar, his heart filled with anxiety. They had driven too far this way, and he didn’t know if Xun Qian would be able to find them here.

Under the cover of the night, he and the bodyguards moved along a cargo ship docked at the shore.

The cold wind carried the fragmented conversation between Xue Qingchu and the kidnappers.

Judging from the content of their exchange, it seemed that Jiang Sicheng had left a letter for Xue Qingchu before his action, and now they were forcing Xue Qingchu to hand over the letter, threatening to kill her if she didn’t comply.

Then, he didn’t know what the other side said to Xue Qingchu, but he saw Xue Qingchu take another step backward.

Xue Qingchu’s feet were right at the edge of the river as she had been forced to the water’s edge.

Qi Xiaoyu took a large step forward anxiously. Jiang Sicheng was already dead; he couldn’t just watch Xue Qingchu be harmed before his eyes.

“Mr. Qi, wait!” The bodyguard behind him stopped him.

Qi Xiaoyu glanced back at him, barely suppressing the urgency in his heart.

He looked back the way they had come, but it was all dark in the distance. Xun Qian probably won’t be able to find them here for a while.

“No more waiting,” he said, pointing to one of the bodyguards. “You and I will charge straight in.”

Then he pointed to the other one. “You go back to the car and find the right opportunity to rush in and save her.”

The two bodyguards exchanged a look, hesitation on their faces. “It’s too dangerous to go in like this.”

“Our main task is to protect you.”

“Since you’re following me, you must listen to me.”

Qi Xiaoyu’s attitude was firm.

The two bodyguards hesitated for a moment, then had no choice but to agree.

One turned back towards where the car was parked, while the other followed Qi Xiaoyu, handing him a small knife.

But…

Then…

“Why did Mr. Qi come here? Where’s Commander Xun? Why aren’t you together?”

The three of them had just parted ways. Qi Xiaoyu had only taken a few steps forward when a strange, sarcastic male voice suddenly rang out.

The wind on the docks was strong, and the cold wind whistled.

But it wasn’t as chilling as this voice, which sent a shiver down his spine.

“I heard Mr. Qi is someone Commander Xun values very much. To meet you here is truly an honor.”

Legs wearing Japanese military boots appeared in their line of sight.

It was Yamada Ichiro’s people! They had come around the other side of the cargo ship!

****

That night, in the living room of the villa at the Red Moon Troupe, the lights burned for half the night.

Gu Zizhen and Qi Wanrou, one sitting and one standing, were both wide awake, unable to sleep.

Qi Wanrou circled the sofa, muttering for what felt like the hundredth time, “Where did Xiaoyu go? Why hasn’t he come back? It’s already this late.”

Gu Zizhen tried to reassure her, “Don’t worry, let’s wait and see what news Xi Yun brings. Maybe he was invited to perform somewhere.”

“If he was invited, he should have come back by now. At least he would have sent someone to give us a message.”

Gu Zizhen’s face was grave, and he said nothing.

Qi Wanrou sat down for a while, then stood up again. “I keep feeling uneasy. Xi Yun and Dong Sheng are really taking their time. Why haven’t they come back after so long?”

From ten o’clock, it dragged on to twelve o’clock.

The winter night was bottomlessly deep.

The figures of Xi Yun and Dong Sheng finally appeared at the door.

Qi Wanrou caught a glimpse of them and immediately grabbed Xi Yun, asking, “Where’s Xiaoyu? Do you have any news about him?”

Xi Yun shook his head.

Dong Sheng’s expression wasn’t good either.

Gu Zizhen came over and asked the two of them.

Xi Yun replied in a muffled voice, “We asked at the restaurant. They said Xiaoyu left after eating.”

Qi Wanrou’s face was clouded with worry, and she asked hopefully, “Could he have gone to the commander’s residence? Maybe he’s there…”

Dong Sheng cut in, “We also asked at the commander’s residence. They haven’t seen Xiaoyu. Commander Xun isn’t there either. We heard they seem to be looking for Xiaoyu too.”

Qi Wanrou was stunned, on the verge of tears. “They… they’re also looking for Xiaoyu? Then Xiaoyu…”

Xi Yun wiped his face, looking tired and worried. “What do we do? Could something really have happened to Xiaoyu…”

Gu Zizhen’s face was stern, the calmest among them. “There’s no use in us panicking. Even the commander’s residence has sent people out to look… Wanrou, you stay home and keep Master company. The rest of us will go out and look for Xiaoyu.”

“Alright.” Qi Wanrou, Xi Yun, and Dong Sheng agreed in unison, immediately calling out to the others upstairs.

Everyone from the Red Moon Troupe gathered in the living room.

Gu Zizhen used the Dachong Restaurant as the center, dividing the area into several different sections, with three people in each group to search.

Soon, the apprentices of the opera troupe each took their assigned tasks and went out.

****

The wind blew from the river, chilling people to the bone.

Qi Xiaoyu stood by the riverbank and glanced down at the water.

The surface was dark, calm, and without a ripple.

After being surrounded by Yamada Ichiro’s men, he had only made one request: to confirm Xue Qingchu’s safety.

Now, he and Xue Qingchu stood together by the river, his bodyguard on one side, his handgun thrown on the ground, and a row of Yamada Ichiro’s men facing them.

Yamada Ichiro’s side was using him to threaten Xun Qian, and the purpose was obvious.

The leader was a lieutenant under Yamada Ichiro, whom he had met once before.

The lieutenant wore a fake smile. “Mr. Qi, please come with Miss Xue. Our general enjoys listening to Mr. Qi’s opera and will definitely not make things difficult for you.”

Qi Xiaoyu glanced at him and also put on a smile. “Then I must thank General Yamada.”

Supporting Xue Qingchu, he took a few steps forward and said, “Miss Xue seems to have injured her foot. Could you have the car driven over here?”

The lieutenant’s gaze swept over Qi Xiaoyu and Xue Qingchu.

Xue Qingchu’s mental state was already extremely poor, filled with worry and fear. Coupled with the threats and intimidation she had just experienced, her face was pale. As Qi Xiaoyu spoke, she also deliberately limped.

The lieutenant looked at the two of them, snorted, and without suspicion, turned back and told someone to bring the car over.

Just as he turned back, Qi Xiaoyu pulled out the small knife and stabbed him.

Qi Xiaoyu was very close to the lieutenant.

Moreover, Qi Xiaoyu had some amounts of

martial arts skills for opera performance. A single stab was enough to disrupt the other side’s formation.

Immediately afterward, the bodyguard beside Qi Xiaoyu quickly picked up the handgun from the ground to help.

At the same time, before the other side could react, the commander’s residence’s car accelerated and charged towards them.

The car’s tires braked sharply right at the edge of the pier.

Qi Xiaoyu immediately helped Xue Qingchu into the car first.

On the other side, Yamada Ichiro’s men wailed as they scrambled up from the ground, all surrounding the car.

Amidst the chaos, Qi Xiaoyu was violently bumped into by someone.

The bodyguard reached out to pull him, but a bullet flew towards them.

Qi Xiaoyu dodged sideways, his body shifted, and he fell into the river water.

****

Qi Wanrou propped her forehead up, leaning against the sofa, her eyes closing and opening intermittently.

It was already one o’clock in the morning, and there was still no news.

She picked up the phone on the coffee table, hesitated for a moment, and dialed the commander’s residence, receiving the same disappointing news.

After hanging up, she stared blankly at the receiver for a while.

The uneasy premonition grew stronger and stronger.

Suddenly a “bang” startled her awake.

The sound came from Qi Fengjian’s bedroom.

Qi Wanrou quickly put down the phone and ran in.

The light was on in the room. Qi Fengjian had knocked over a teacup.

Qi Wanrou rushed over and grabbed Qi Fengjian’s hand. “Dad, what do you need? Are you thirsty?”

Qi Fengjian murmured two words. Qi Wanrou leaned closer to hear him calling, “Xiaoyu.”

Qi Wanrou’s heart skipped a beat. She didn’t know whether to be happy or sad. Qi Fengjian hadn’t recognized anyone for a long time, yet at this moment, he called out Xiaoyu’s name.

****

On the same night, gunshots rang out from Yamada Ichiro’s residence.

Continuous, rapid gunshots startled people awake from their winter slumber.