Top Soldier Pursued by a Beauty

The car pulled into a dated residential community in the old district, its buildings worn with age. Its arrival naturally attracted countless gazes.

Shen Zhuxin looked completely distracted. Zhao Dong drove quickly and soon reached the community's entrance.

The security guard was nearly stunned when he saw the car. He didn't say a word or even ask any questions, simply saluting and waving them through.

The car drove into the community and stopped in front of the building at the very back. Shen Zhuxin's home was on the first floor, which was enclosed to form a small yard.

Shen Zhuxin jumped out of the car and hurried toward the yard. Zhao Dong followed close behind, and the moment he stepped inside, he heard the sharp, crashing sounds of things being smashed.

Zhao Dong's expression changed slightly. What's going on?

He followed Shen Zhuxin to the front door. With a tense look on her face, she pushed it open.

Inside, three burly men were ransacking the place. Tables, chairs, and kitchen utensils—any furniture that wasn't worth much was being smashed to smithereens. Meanwhile, the more valuable appliances had been dismantled and piled by the doorway: the TV, computer, and air conditioner.

"Stop it!" Shen Zhuxin screamed, on the verge of breaking down. The men paused and turned their gaze toward her, a wicked gleam appearing in their eyes when they saw her.

The leader—a bald man covered in tattoos, with a scar across his face—looked her up and down. He smacked his lips and said, "You must be Shen Weiping's daughter, right? Tsk, tsk... you've grown up quite a bit. What a lovely little thing."

Goosebumps prickled Shen Zhuxin's skin. "Who are you?" she demanded, her voice thick with anger. "Where is my father?"

The burly man chuckled. "Your dad's been taken away. We just stayed behind to... tidy up."

"Taken away?" Tears streamed uncontrollably down Shen Zhuxin's face as she roared in desperate anger, "You lunatics! Where is my father? Where did you take him?!"

The man grinned cruelly. "Aww, don't cry, sweetheart. Your tears break our hearts. But you can't blame us. Your dad owes us for his gambling debts. Since he couldn't pay, we had to come and take his things. So don't cry, really. The more you cry, the more excited I get."

Tears streamed down Shen Zhuxin's face as she stared at the wreckage of her home. "You bastards!" she choked out. "I'm calling the police! I'm calling them right now!"

The man's eyes turned cold. "The police?" he said with a sinister tone. "I'd think carefully about the consequences if I were you. We have friends on the inside. Besides, your dad really does owe us money. It's all there in black and white. You know your dad loves to gamble. No gambler comes to a good end. He got what he deserved. Now, if you listen to us and behave, we can still negotiate. Otherwise... guess what'll happen to dear old dad?"

Shen Zhuxin felt her knees go weak, her delicate face streaked with tears. "Then just tell me where my father is. How much does he owe you?"

The man chuckled. "Shen Weiping owes us 1.7 million. He lost it all himself gambling, so you can't blame us. He's at the casino right now. Want to go see him?"

A sinister glint flickered in his eyes. If I take her to the casino... she'll be mine to do with as I please.

Shen Zhuxin's face grew even paler. She was just a girl; she'd never been to a place like a casino.

"Let my father go first! Let him come back, and then we can discuss the money!"

The bald man shook his head. "That's out of the question. Your other option is to come with us. If you don't... well, your house doesn't have much of value left anyway. Get ready to have it mortgaged and sold. It's your choice. If you come with us, everything will be fine. If you don't... well, your father, this house... Heh heh heh..."

His words were a naked threat.

A chill ran down Shen Zhuxin's spine. She knew something was terribly wrong, especially from the way the bald man was staring at her—like a wolf eyeing a rabbit.

If I really go to the casino, it will be a disaster.

Suddenly, she thought of Zhao Dong and shot him a helpless glance.

Zhao Dong's expression was calm, but a cold glint had appeared in his eyes. He had seen this kind of thing far too many times. If he was right, these men had set up a gambling trap for Shen Zhuxin's father, Shen Weiping, and made him lose everything. Nine times out of ten, this was the fate of a gambler. These thugs were scum, of course, but people who gambled... they usually had their own problems.

But right now, Zhao Dong was on Shen Zhuxin's side. He looked at the bald man and finally spoke, his tone detached. "So if we go with you, we can see her father?"

The man scowled at Zhao Dong. "And who are you?"

"I'm her friend," Zhao Dong said. "Will we be able to see her father if we go? Also, call him now. We need to know he's safe."

The bald man shot Zhao Dong a vicious look, hesitated for a moment, then barked at his subordinate, "Call Shen Weiping!"

The thug immediately pulled out his phone and dialed. The bald leader took the phone and chuckled sinisterly into it. "Shen Weiping. How are you enjoying your stay? Comfortable?"

Shen Weiping's weak voice came through the phone. "You... please, let me go. I'll... I'll pay you back. I swear I will. Please, just let me go."

The bald man sneered. "Let you go? We'll talk about that after we get the money. And like I said, if you really can't come up with it... hehehe..."

His gaze shifted to Shen Zhuxin with a wicked glint. An icy chill washed over her, and her face turned deathly pale.

She finally lost control and screamed into the phone through her tears, "Dad! Why are you still gambling? How many times have I told you? Why don't you ever learn? You drove Mom away, and now you've gambled our home into this state! When will you ever stop? Did you ever think about me? About this family?"

On the other end, Shen Weiping sounded full of guilt. "Zhuxin, I... I couldn't control myself... ah!"

"Then go to hell!" Shen Zhuxin screamed, tears streaming down her face. "I don't care if you live or die! Don't expect any help from me!"

The bald man ended the call. He sneered, "Now, little girl, that's no way to talk. He's your father, after all. You can't just stand by while he's in trouble, can you? Come on. Let's go see him together."

Shen Zhuxin wiped away her tears, her fragile figure looking even more heart-wrenching.

Standing to the side, Zhao Dong narrowed his eyes. He could see that Shen Zhuxin's family wasn't well-off. The decor and furnishings all spoke of a humble, almost impoverished life. And on top of that, she had a gambling addict for a father...

Zhao Dong sighed internally. I didn't realize her situation was so pitiable.

He gently patted Shen Zhuxin's shoulder. "Let's go. I'll go with you. Don't worry, I can get your father out."

Shen Zhuxin looked at Zhao Dong. She had been struggling all on her own, feeling utterly hopeless and desperate. His simple words of comfort were enough to shatter her defenses.

She could no longer hold it in. She threw herself into Zhao Dong's arms and began to sob bitterly. It was all too much for her to bear alone. As a woman in her early twenties, she had never experienced anything so terrifying.

Her tears soaked the front of his shirt. He took out a tissue and gently wiped them away.

He then turned to the bald men. "Lead the way. We'll follow you."

The leader gave Zhao Dong a sinister look and snorted. "Playing the hero, are we? You better hope you have what it takes."

"Exactly," another thug sneered. "Don't go acting tough if you can't back it up. You really think you're so great?"

Zhao Dong's voice was cold. "Enough trash talk. Are we going or not?"

The thugs glared at Zhao Dong, then let out a cold laugh. "You— Fine. You want to act tough? We'll show you what happens to people who act tough. You won't be getting away either!"

With that, they left the room, growling at Zhao Dong, "Follow us!"

Zhao Dong patted Shen Zhuxin's back gently. "Let's go. I'm with you."

With tears still welling in her eyes, she said, "Brother Zhao Dong, I'm so sorry to trouble you with this... but I didn't know who else to turn to. Because of his gambling, my dad has almost no friends left, and I..."

Zhao Dong sighed. "I understand. It's alright. Let's go."

He led her out of the house and to his car. The bald men were shocked when they saw what he was driving.

One of them muttered to his companion, "Damn, this kid is driving a Bentley! He might be more than we bargained for!"

His companion frowned but then scoffed. "So what if he's not ordinary? You think he's tougher than the boss?"

"True. Let's just do what we came here to do."

The men didn't give it another thought. They got in their car and drove off, with Zhao Dong and Shen Zhuxin following close behind.

Half an hour later, a massive, luxurious casino came into view.

Zhao Dong followed their black car into the parking lot, then he and Shen Zhuxin got out.

"This way," the bald man said coldly.

Zhao Dong narrowed his eyes, scanned his surroundings, and then led Shen Zhuxin toward the casino entrance.