Chapter 119 : Bury If You Can't Save
Li Si was once again bringing dinner to Zhang San in the hospital tonight, just as he always did. He knew exactly what the hospital food was like—it wasn't much better than the fare at the school cafeteria.
The doctor had mentioned that his brother's condition was stable for now, but they still hadn't figured out how to pay for the surgery. So for Li Si, if he couldn't find an honest way to earn the money, he'd have to resort to less savory methods.
"Sigh~"
Li Si sighed heavily, feeling frustrated as he kicked an empty soda can to the side of the road. He decided to take a walk near the shopping district. If it came to it, he'd steal—or even rob—to gather enough for Zhang San's surgery. He was determined not to let his brother die.
Checking the time on his phone, Li Si chose a shortcut.
Just as he was about to step out of an alley, he noticed a van parked nearby. Two people were loading something—or rather, someone—into the vehicle. Squinting, Li Si realized that the person being taken was a young girl. He recognized those clothes—Ling Ning!?
Li Si dashed out, but the van was already driving away.
"Damn it!"
He scanned his surroundings and spotted a bicycle, though it was locked. Without hesitation, he pulled out a thin, wire-like tool from his pocket and inserted it into the lock. Within moments, it clicked open. It might have been the fastest he'd ever picked a lock.
Li Si quickly hopped on the bike and pedaled hard in pursuit of the van. He managed to catch up—not because the bicycle was particularly fast, but because the road ahead was under construction, leaving only one usable lane. Traffic was jammed, and the van had no choice but to slow down.
Taking advantage of the situation, Li Si pulled out his phone and dialed the emergency number, 110.
"Hello, police? I've just witnessed a kidnapping. The location is near the 'Bury If You Can't Save' Hospital by the funeral home, on Xianyu Road. The vehicle is a white van, license plate number..."
Before he could finish, the road ahead cleared, and the van sped away.
Li Si gritted his teeth and kept pedaling. He managed to keep up while they were in the congested city area, but as soon as they exited to a less crowded road, the van disappeared from sight.
"Damn it!"
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Ling Ning was shaken awake by Li Qian. Looking around, she saw that the children lacked their usual vitality, and the young girls appeared listless, their eyes filled with despair as though they had given up all hope.
Suddenly, the iron door creaked open, and two middle-aged women entered. They distributed two steamed buns and a bottle of mineral water to each of the captives.
Ling Ning looked at the steamed bun in her hand. It was cold, hard, and thoroughly unappetizing. She took a tentative bite—it was tough and tasted awful. But she forced herself to eat both buns to maintain her strength. She deeply missed the soft, fluffy buns from the breakfast stall near her school.
Li Qian frowned at the steamed bun in her hand. Though she had already eaten it a few times, she still had no appetite at the sight of it. And it had been two days since she brushed her teeth—her mouth felt like it was decaying.
"You'd better eat. If you don't, you won't have the strength to endure," Ling Ning said gently to Li Qian.
"I know. I've eaten more of these than you have." Li Qian shot her a sideways glance.
After finishing their meal, the two leaned against each other for comfort.
Ling Ning realized that in such an oppressive atmosphere, anyone left alone for too long would eventually lose their sanity. Fortunately, Li Qian was there, and the occasional conversation helped stave off the crushing weight of despair.
Li Qian felt the same way. She had been brought here a day earlier than Ling Ning, and after enduring a whole day alone, she was already on the brink of collapse. As much as she felt guilty for thinking this, she was truly glad that Ling Ning had ended up here with her.
"Hey, Ling Ning. Did you know? I have a little sister too~" Li Qian said softly.
"Oh?"
Ling Ning's voice was filled with curiosity.
"But my sister and I don’t get along. We've never gotten along since we were kids. We loved taking each other's things, and every time we met, we ended up arguing. So now we're in different schools," Li Qian said, her tone indifferent.
"If we ever get out of here, you should introduce me to her. I'd love to ask her for some advice~"
"Don't even think about it." Li Qian rolled her eyes. Did Ling Ning think she wouldn't figure out what she was plotting?
After a brief silence, Li Qian asked, "Do you think we'll get out of here?"
"Of course. I'm still waiting for that free lunch you owe me~"
"If we really do make it out, I'll treat you to free lunches for the rest of your life. How's that?"
"You said it, not me~"
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The police had reviewed various surveillance cameras and cross-referenced the information provided by Li Si, eventually narrowing down the search area. Though the area wasn't large, it had numerous hiding places, making a thorough search time-consuming.
However, the police had already dispatched a large number of officers, setting up checkpoints at every intersection to inspect all passing vehicles, ensuring that the criminals would not leave the city.
After losing track of the van, Li Si did not give up. He continued down the road, searching for any signs. Realistically, the chances of finding anything were slim, but then he spotted a bag at an intersection. Upon closer inspection, he confirmed it was Ling Ning's. Her wallet was still inside, though the cash had been taken—her ID card was still there.
With this clue, Li Si kept moving forward, eventually coming across an abandoned factory.
By the time he found the factory, it was already noon. Two guards stood at the entrance, though neither seemed particularly alert—one was even napping in the corner, while the other had headphones on and was engrossed in his phone.
Li Si was grateful he was riding a bicycle. He quietly laid the bike in the bushes, crouched low, and carefully avoided stepping on any branches as he stealthily approached the guards.
The one playing on his phone was so absorbed in his game that he didn't even notice Li Si's presence until it was too late. Using a practiced technique, Li Si quickly rendered him unconscious. He glanced at the phone screen and couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Addicted to games even now? You're really gonna have a hard time."
The other guard, still asleep with his headphones on, had also heard nothing. Li Si used the same technique to deal with him.
Scanning the surroundings and finding no other guards, Li Si pulled out his phone, only to find there was no signal. Not willing to give up, he checked the phones of the two guards—none of them had any signal either. No wonder one was listening to music while the other was lost in his game.
Circling around the building, Li Si found a back door but couldn't open it. It wasn't locked—it was completely rusted shut.
His only option now was a direct approach.
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Author's Note:
I know some people dislike this kind of storyline, but it can't be helped—I've already written it out a while ago, and it ties into Li Si's arc. Anyway, it will wrap up soon, no more than two or three chapters.
Oh, and yesterday, I received a lot of "eyes," which are now installed on my tentacles. They work quite well, actually~ (Just kidding, of course).