ATD Chapter 7

As night deepened, Zheng Yan exchanged clothes with the doctor doing rounds and slipped out of the hospital. In the parking garage, he changed into a tight black outfit, carefully stashed his clothes in a restroom stall on the first floor, and hung a “Out of Order” sign on the stall door. He tucked his ID into his waistband, checked the tools in his car, and made sure his earpiece was securely in place. After one last glance at the map of the eastern suburbs on his phone, he started the car. Zheng Min had hacked the security system and confirmed Chen Kai was being held in a suburban villa owned by Qin Xuan. The drive there would take about thirty minutes. Before heading out, Zheng Yan called a taxi company, asking for a cab to wait at the entrance to the city road an hour later.

Using binoculars, Zheng Yan observed the villa from a distance, watching the security guards patrolling outside. Checking his watch, he noted that forty minutes had already passed. A minute ago, Zheng Min had successfully infiltrated the security system. All that was left was to create chaos inside the villa.

As the second hand on his watch ticked forward, a piercing alarm suddenly blared through the night.

Zheng Yan didn’t move immediately, continuing to observe for another minute before slipping out of the car and sprinting toward the villa. Several guards were heading outside to investigate, while more were rushing upstairs. He needed to slip inside before the guards returned from the second floor, as they were likely gathering around the room where Chen Kai was being held.

The guards were closing in from all sides—his time was running out.

Suddenly, the lights in the villa went out, leaving only the dim glow of a few emergency lamps. This was Zheng Min assisting him from afar.

Moving with astonishing speed, Zheng Yan darted toward the villa’s wall, not making a sound. No one noticed him. He crouched by the wall, listening for about ten seconds. Inside, the villa was chaotic, with guards scrambling to search for intruders. However, this particular corner was quiet.

He tossed a rope with a hooked end over the wall and, as soon as the hook caught, scaled the wall and jumped over. Unfortunately, he landed right in front of a guard. Reacting instantly, Zheng Yan delivered a swift chop to the guard’s neck, knocking him unconscious before he could react.

Zheng Yan quickly dragged the guard behind a tree and stripped him of his clothes, putting them on over his tight outfit. The skintight gear was barely noticeable underneath the guard’s uniform. He began walking away, glancing at his watch, but the emergency lights were too dim for him to read the time clearly. He didn’t take out his phone, instead quickening his pace toward the second floor.

Despite the large number of guards patrolling back and forth, Zheng Yan blended in seamlessly, not drawing any attention. The dim lighting throughout the villa worked to his advantage; only the stairwell had an emergency light, making it hard for anyone to see his face.

He made it to the second floor without incident.

As soon as he arrived, Zheng Yan noticed a few guards leaving a room. The leader instructed the two left behind, “Stay here. Don’t let anyone in.”

The group then moved toward Zheng Yan. When they saw him, one of them said, “No suspicious activity on the second floor. Go check the first floor.”

Zheng Yan hesitated but followed them downstairs. By now, someone had found a flashlight, and Zheng Yan used the brief flash of light to check his watch. A minute and a half had passed.

Slipping out the front door, Zheng Yan silently returned to the tree where the unconscious guard lay, dragging him further out of sight. Then, keeping close to the villa wall, he approached the front gate and told the guard there that the boss had ordered him to go check on something.

The moment the guard saw the unconscious man, Zheng Yan quickly slipped away, heading back to the second floor. Three seconds later, the guard’s startled shout echoed through the villa: “There’s something wrong here!”

By then, Zheng Yan had reached the stairwell. Another guard rushed past him, giving him a slap on the shoulder. “What are you standing around for? Go check it out!”

Zheng Yan didn’t respond or move, and the guard ran off on his own. Lowering his hand, Zheng Yan ascended the stairs quietly.

He moved swiftly and silently, but as soon as he reached the door, the two guards standing there noticed him. In the split second they froze, Zheng Yan darted forward, delivering an elbow strike that knocked one guard out cold. However, the other guard was already opening his mouth to shout.

Before the guard could cry out, the door was flung open, and Chen Kai appeared from behind, swiftly striking the guard in the neck, knocking him out.

There was no time for words. The two exchanged a quick glance and immediately ran downstairs together. Chen Kai’s hands were still cuffed, so Zheng Yan pulled a thin wire from his pocket, quickly picking the lock. With a light tug, Chen Kai freed himself.

“Zheng Min disabled the security system.” Zheng Yan whispered. Chen Kai chuckled. “Zheng Min is getting better. The moment I heard the alarm, I knew it was you.”

The two had reached the front door, but just as they were about to exit, a car pulled up not far from the gate. In a few seconds, its headlights would sweep over them.

“Catch that guy before Young Master Qin arrives. Understood?” a guard instructed a few others. One pointed at the approaching car. “Isn’t that Young Master Qin’s car?”

Zheng Yan’s face paled. Chen Kai grabbed him, pulling him back as they ducked just out of the headlights’ reach. They narrowly avoided being seen as a chorus of voices greeted Qin Xuan’s arrival.

It had been about five minutes since the alarm went off.

As soon as Chen Kai climbed over the wall, hurried footsteps approached—guards were closing in. Among the chaos, Zheng Yan’s sharp hearing picked up the steady, deliberate sound of someone else’s footsteps. He faltered for a second—just one second too long.

At that moment, as Zheng Yan was halfway up the wall, the guards arrived.

“Don’t move.” came Qin Xuan’s voice, followed by the distinct click of a gun being cocked. His tone was calm and cold, each step bringing him closer. A guard shone a flashlight on Zheng Yan’s back.

Zheng Yan ignored him, moving even faster.

Qin Xuan reacted just as quickly. As soon as Zheng Yan didn’t stop, he pulled the trigger. The bullet grazed Zheng Yan’s left arm. Fortunately, the weak beam of the flashlight meant Qin Xuan couldn’t clearly see his exact position.

A searing pain shot through Zheng Yan’s arm, causing his descent to falter slightly. Chen Kai quickly helped him up and reeled in the rope.

“I’m fine. Just a scratch.” Zheng Yan muttered. “Let’s go. I’ve got a car parked over there.”

With the guards and Qin Xuan closing in fast, Chen Kai didn’t have time to check Zheng Yan’s injury. They ran in the direction Zheng Yan had indicated. Chen Kai soon noticed that Zheng Yan was keeping pace without slowing down, confirming the wound was minor, and he relaxed a little.

They were three meters from the car when the guards spotted them. Strangely, no one fired; instead, they simply gave chase, flashlights illuminating the path ahead. Chen Kai jumped into the driver’s seat, starting the engine as Zheng Yan climbed into the back. Taking advantage of the moment, Zheng Yan used binoculars to check on the guards, noticing none of them were carrying guns.

With the guards quickly closing in, Chen Kai floored the gas pedal, and the car shot forward.

“Stop the bleeding on your arm first.” Chen Kai called back, glancing at Zheng Yan and seeing the bloodstain on his sleeve. “Hang on tight. I’m about to speed up.”

“Take the next left—there’s an abandoned warehouse. Drop me off there and go on your own.” Zheng Yan instructed as he hastily wrapped a bandage around his arm. Grabbing an AK-47 from under the seat, he aimed at the two cars chasing them and fired three shots. The second shot grazed one car, while the other two burst the tires of both vehicles.

“Take care of yourself.” Chen Kai made a sharp turn. He knew Zheng Yan had a plan, so there was no need to ask too many questions now.

“Mm.” Zheng Yan tossed the AK-47 onto the passenger seat. “Keep it. I’ll just take a handgun with me.” After a sharp brake, Chen Kai turned around and fist-bumped Zheng Yan before he jumped out of the car, leaving with a quick warning, “Be careful. The back window shattered—they might recognize the car.”

“Got it. I’m out of here.” Chen Kai sped off into the night.

Crouching low, Zheng Yan slipped into the warehouse. After about five minutes, he saw a black sedan speeding past. It had to be Qin Xuan’s car. The guards’ vehicles were out of commission for now, giving him some breathing room.

One last glance at the dust kicked up by the car, and Zheng Yan dashed toward the northeast corner of the warehouse, heading for the road where he’d arranged to meet the taxi. It was about a ten-minute walk.

When he finally reached the rendezvous point, he was a minute and a half late, but the taxi arrived a little after him, about three minutes late. He recalled Zheng Min’s reminder: “Qin Xuan made a call just before getting in the car at the villa. Hurry back.” Qin Xuan might have glimpsed his silhouette when the flashlight had briefly caught him. Zheng Yan touched the gun in his jacket, feeling the pressure mounting.

The driver was a slow talker, grumbling about late-night fares. Zheng Yan impatiently flashed his ID under the man’s nose. “Police. Official business.”

The driver froze, then immediately slammed on the gas pedal. “Yes, sir! Should I run the red lights too, Officer?”

“No need. Just drive as fast as you can.” Zheng Yan replied. After a moment, he added, “The faster, the better.”

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