Chapter 127: Chapter 125: I Trust Lu Xiao

Lu Xiao suddenly smiled, but his gaze was ice-cold as he looked at the man blocking his way.

“Zhang, you’re laying it on a bit thick. The Supply Department’s ledgers were half-burned. Did you really think you could push a temp out front to clear your name?”

“Or did you think blocking me would buy Liu Er some time?”

The forced smile on Zhang’s face stiffened. He slammed the end of his wooden club into the ground.

“Deputy Commander Lu, you’d better have evidence to back that up. I’m on official business.”

“The road was blocked. I was just kind enough to bring some men over to clear it for you.”

“And ’official business’ involves bringing men to block the road?”

Lu Xiao pushed open the car door and walked slowly toward Zhang.

Everyone knew the new Deputy Commander Lu was a battle-hardened veteran.

As a result, his presence was incredibly intimidating.

Zhang was visibly intimidated and took two steps back.

“If you want to end up in there too, feel free to keep helping him, hmm?”

This was directed at the two men behind Zhang. Hearing this, they both hurriedly shrank back.

Panic flashed in Zhang’s eyes, but he craned his neck and yelled, “Nonsense!”

Chang Jia took out a flare gun inside the car. The moment he flicked off the safety, the color drained from Zhang’s face.

Chang Jia leaned out of the car window, his chin held high. “Get out of the way, or I’m treating this as an emergency.”

The wind in the forest suddenly grew fierce, whipping the corners of Zhang’s jacket.

He glanced at his watch, then gritted his teeth and waved a hand backward. “Fine. Deputy Commander Lu is on official business. Who are we to stop him?”

The men sluggishly moved the logs aside, their movements heavy with reluctance.

Lu Xiao didn’t get back in the car right away. Instead, he walked up to Zhang, his voice lowered to a bare whisper.

“You were the one who leaked the news that Liu Er was caught in the neighboring county, weren’t you? To deliberately lead us down this road.”

Zhang feigned composure. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You know.”

Lu Xiao’s gaze was glacial, radiating an oppressive aura. “They told you to hold me up for half an hour so their people could make a move. A pity. Ever heard the phrase ’evil can’t triumph over good’? You underestimated Director Feng’s efficiency.”

On the way home from the barracks, Lu Xiao knew someone was watching him.

So he deliberately acted flustered to make them believe he was completely unprepared.

And Chang Jia’s sudden arrival brought the situation to a head.

Lu Xiao’s words shattered Zhang’s composure.

He snapped his head up, his eyes filled with terror.

Lu Xiao had already turned and gotten into the car. The engine roared as it tore down the road, kicking up a cloud of dust.

In the rearview mirror, the sight of Zhang collapsed on the ground grew smaller and smaller.

Chang Jia let out a sigh of relief, wiping sweat from his forehead. “That old fox. He almost had us fooled.”

“He’s just a small fry.”

Lu Xiao stared straight ahead, his eyes fixed on the road. “The people who really want to silence him are waiting for Liu Er at the bus station.”

Just as the car rounded a bend, Lu Xiao suddenly told the driver to stop. He grabbed a backup weapon from the back seat. “You guys stick to the original plan and go to the neighboring county. I’ll take a shortcut to the bus station.”

“But you…”

“Don’t worry. When have I ever held you back?”

Lu Xiao clapped Chang Jia on the shoulder. “Remember, as soon as you see Liu Er, transfer him to the Joint Defense Team headquarters immediately. Don’t trust anyone.”

With that, Lu Xiao left.

He had to get there before them, or the consequences would be unthinkable.

…

But Lu Xiao didn’t come right back as he had promised. A whole night passed, and he still hadn’t returned.

Although Su Tang was very worried, there was nothing she could do.

She had to hold it together and comfort the elders at home.

When Su Tang went to work the next morning, Lu Xiao still hadn’t come back.

For some reason, she was overcome with a bad feeling.

After arriving at the hospital, Su Tang was in a bit of a daze.

“Doctor Su, Doctor Su?”

The young nurse had to call her name several times before she snapped out of it.

“What is it?”

“There’s someone outside named Su Xinyao. She says she’s looking for you.”

The young nurse said softly. Hearing this, Su Tang frowned slightly.

’Su Xinyao?’

After their last argument at the hospital, Su Xinyao had seemingly vanished and hadn’t been seen since.

’How strange for her to show up now.’

Still, Su Tang got up and walked to the hospital entrance.

Su Xinyao was standing by a tree, her expression placid.

Seeing Su Tang come out, she took a few steps forward, her pace hurried, as if she had something urgent to say.

“Su Tang, I need to talk to you.”

“About what?”

Su Tang put some distance between them, her gaze somber.

Their last encounter had been unpleasant, and Su Tang doubted Su Xinyao had anything nice to say.

“Lu Xiao is in danger. Did you know?”

Hearing this, Su Tang raised an eyebrow slightly.

“How do you know Lu Xiao is in danger?”

Su Xinyao spoke with an unnerving certainty, as if from personal experience.

The word “rebirth” surfaced in her mind again. ’My guess must be right,’ Su Tang thought.

“I know because I know. If you want Lu Xiao to live, you’ll come with me.”

Su Tang’s heart skipped a beat, and her hand clenched tightly.

She stared into Su Xinyao’s eyes and asked, “To the bus station?”

“How are you so sure he’s there?”

“Stop asking questions!”

Su Xinyao suddenly grabbed her wrist. “Any later and it’ll be too late! They’ve set a trap in the warehouse at the west end of the waiting hall. They’re using a fake supply manifest to lure Lu Xiao over.”

The level of detail was so specific that it only deepened Su Tang’s suspicions.

She jerked her hand away and took a step back, putting distance between them. “Who are you, really? How do you know all this in such detail?”

“The warehouse door is a custom-made iron gate. They’ve hidden three armed desperados inside.”

“Lu Xiao will definitely go in alone to check the ledgers. By the time he realizes something is wrong…”

“That’s enough.”

Su Tang cut her off. “Even if that’s true, I’m not the one who should be going to save him.”

’First, I don’t know any self-defense. Second, I don’t have a weapon. I’d only be a burden to Lu Xiao if I went. Besides, when Lu Xiao left, he told me not to trust anyone, that he had already arranged everything. And this Su Xinyao in front of me…’

“You’re luring me over there to get me killed, aren’t you?”

Su Tang’s hand, inside her pocket, tightened around a pencil.

She slowly backed away, widening the distance between herself and Su Xinyao.

“Su Xinyao, you’ve been reborn, haven’t you?”

It was a statement, not a question. The anxious look on Su Xinyao’s face crumbled away. She narrowed her eyes.

“You’re very clever.”

“It’s not that I’m clever. I just trust that Lu Xiao doesn’t need my help. When it comes to fighting and catching people, he’s much better at it than I am.”

Su Tang trusted Lu Xiao, which is why she wouldn’t rush over rashly.

If her worry had clouded her judgment and she had followed Su Xinyao, she would have walked right into a death trap.

“Su Tang, you aren’t the real Su Tang either, are you? Who are you, really?”

Su Xinyao took a step closer, and Su Tang retreated again.

“Stay back. A knife doesn’t have eyes.”

Su Tang raised her hand, pretending to hold a knife. To her surprise, it actually scared Su Xinyao.

“You!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep