Chapter 121 : ORA ORA ORA~
"What's going on? There seems to be some noise outside."
Ling Ning, who had been feeling drowsy, suddenly perked up at the sounds coming from outside.
Li Qian, who was about to fall asleep, squinted her eyes and listened closely when she heard Ling Ning's words. After a while, she nodded. "It really sounds like something's happening—like two people fighting."
"Could it be the traffickers fighting amongst themselves?" Ling Ning got up, her curiosity piqued. She walked over to the door and pressed her ear against it, listening intently.
"Too young... not... a match..."
Ling Ning frowned. It didn't quite sound like an internal fight. Typically, there would be talking, maybe the sound of gambling, but right now, everything seemed strangely quiet except for what seemed like a struggle.
"Could it be the police?" Ling Ning thought aloud, but then shook her head. If it were the police, she would have heard sirens by now.
"Is anyone out there?" Ling Ning called out loudly.
Outside, Li Si was engaged in an intense battle with Cao Jun. When he heard Ling Ning's voice, his concentration slipped. Cao Jun wasn't about to miss such an opening. Seizing the opportunity, he drove his fist into Li Si's stomach.
"You're fighting your master, and you still have the nerve to be distracted? Not bad, Xiao Si~"
Seeing Li Si clutching his stomach and falling to the ground, Cao Jun didn't move in for the finishing blow. Instead, he stood to the side, gazing down at his former disciple. Every move Li Si made was something Cao Jun had taught him; with each motion, Cao Jun knew exactly what Li Si was aiming for and how he intended to execute it.
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Li Si forced himself up. Ignoring Cao Jun completely, he sprinted towards the room where Ling Ning was held. He reached the door and tossed a set of keys through the crack beneath it.
"Ling Ning, grab the keys and get out of here! I can't hold on much longer," Li Si shouted, pressing his hand to his abdomen. On top of his recent beating, it happened to be that time of the month, and the combined pain made him feel as if a meat grinder was twisting his insides.
Seeing the keys, Cao Jun instinctively checked his pockets, realizing they were empty where the keys used to be.
"Very good!"
"Even though I taught you how to fight, don’t forget what I'm best at~"
Pushing through the pain, Li Si reengaged Cao Jun, determined to keep him occupied.
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Ling Ning stared at the keys on the ground, momentarily stunned. That voice just now—it sounded like Li Si's. She quickly picked up the keys.
Holding the large set of keys, Ling Ning felt overwhelmed. Why were there so many, and why did they all look the same? How long would it take to find the right one?
Inside the room, everyone heard Li Si's voice. Hope flickered back to life in the once-lifeless eyes of the captives. They all turned towards Ling Ning, their gazes fervently focused on the keys in her hands.
"Not this one. This one’s wrong too. And this one... nope, not right either..."
Outside the iron door.
Li Si barely dodged a direct punch from Cao Jun. His stomach felt as if it were being ripped apart, the pain almost numbing his senses.
"What's the matter? Running out of steam already, my dear disciple?"
Cao Jun blocked Li Si's attack effortlessly. He had long noticed that his student was running on fumes. Just as he was about to deal the final blow, the door to the room behind them suddenly swung open, and a group of people burst out.
Somehow, Ling Ning's luck had her finding the correct key last. Finally, the door swung open.
Seeing his carefully captured "goods" escaping, Cao Jun's eyes went red with rage. He lunged forward to stop them.
But Li Si wasn't about to let him go. With sheer determination, he threw himself at Cao Jun, forcing him back into a fight.
"ORA ORA ORA ORA..."
"MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA..."
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"Ling Ning, hurry up!" Li Qian urged as she watched Ling Ning pause at the door.
"You go find help and call the police. Li Si is still inside—I need to see if I can help him." Ling Ning's voice was steady, but her heart pounded in her chest.
"But..."
"No buts, just go!" Ling Ning snapped before turning back towards the factory. She felt like she was one of those sidekick characters in an anime or movie, running straight into danger. But she couldn't just leave the person who saved her behind.
Li Qian watched Ling Ning's retreating figure, biting her lip. She turned and ran towards the exit. On her way out, she grabbed a phone off the ground from the pile of "bodies," planning to call the police. But as expected, there was still no signal.
Frustrated, she ran further away, hoping to get a connection.
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Ling Ning had stayed behind, but she knew she was nothing more than a weak, untrained girl. Charging in blindly would only get her killed. She hid behind a pile of boxes, cautiously watching the fight from the shadows. From Li Si's movements, it was clear he wouldn't last much longer, while the bald, scarred man seemed perfectly at ease. The situation looked grim.
Scanning her surroundings, Ling Ning noticed there wasn't much she could use as a weapon—just bricks and metal pipes.
"Wait, what's this?"
Ling Ning's eyes landed on a kettle of boiling water next to a bucket of instant noodles. It seemed someone had been planning to make a snack. An idea formed in her mind; perhaps this could help Li Si.
At that moment, Cao Jun's attacks were growing more fierce. All he wanted now was to finish off the student who had ruined his plans. Every time he thought of the captives escaping, a pang of regret pierced through him.
Just then, Cao Jun noticed Li Si retreating unexpectedly. Realizing something was amiss, he turned—only to be met with scalding hot water splashed across his face, the unmistakable scent of beef instant noodles filling the air.
"Aaaahhh!!!"
After dumping the boiling water, Ling Ning turned and ran.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Li Si grabbed a brick from the ground and smashed it against Cao Jun's bald head.
Watching Cao Jun slowly crumple to the ground, Li Si finally breathed a sigh of relief and sank down himself, feeling like he was on the verge of passing out.
Seeing the immediate threat gone, Ling Ning rushed over to help Li Si to her feet. As she did, she suddenly realized—why was Li Si's chest so big? Bigger than her own, in fact. This wasn’t the kind of chest a guy should have!
Li Si also noticed the awkwardness. Instinctively, he covered his chest. He only then realized that the bandages he usually used to bind his chest had come loose at some point. No wonder his breathing had suddenly felt so much easier—he had thought it was adrenaline or something.
"You... you're a girl!?" Ling Ning stared, bewildered, at Li Si's chest.
"...Yes."
Li Si lowered her head, mumbling. Her identity had been exposed—and in front of the girl she liked, no less. She wished she could disappear. Even the pain in her stomach seemed to fade in comparison to the embarrassment.
Just then, the sound of police sirens echoed from outside.
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Author's Note:
I know the risks of chest binding, but for the sake of the plot, I'm going with it. Just think of it like Zhao Yingkong—you probably know who I'm talking about, right?