Top Soldier Pursued by a Beauty

A jolt went through Zhao Dong's mind.

The old man's words confirmed it: Xu Yafei had been abducted by the Blood Sect.

"Young man, I've told you everything I know. Please, spare my life..." the old man begged in terror.

"I can spare you from death, but you won't escape punishment!"

Zhao Dong struck out with his palm, snapping the old man's arm.

"Go back and tell the Blood Sect that if they dare harm a single hair on that woman's head, I will slaughter every last one of them!"

"Yes... yes..."

Having narrowly escaped with his life, the old man endured the searing pain in his arm and fled in a wretched state with his men.

Su Yurou asked, "Mr. Zhao, is that woman very important to you?"

"Very important! She's my woman!" Zhao Dong replied, his heart ablaze with anxiety as he turned to leave at once.

"Mr. Zhao, where are you going?" Su Yurou hurriedly blocked his path.

"To the Blood Sect to demand her return, of course!"

"You can't!" Su Yurou said anxiously. "The Blood Sect is filled with masters. If you go rushing in, it's almost certain death! I've also heard they capture people to refine into puppets. It's an incredibly sinister practice!"

"What? Refine them into puppets?"

Zhao Dong's expression changed drastically, panic flickering across his face.

"If that's the case, then I have to go save Yafei!"

"No! Absolutely not!" Su Yurou's eyes welled up with tears. "Mr. Zhao, I didn't tell you all this so you would rush off to your doom. Think about it! You're no match for them. If you go and get yourself killed, how can you possibly save her?"

"So what if I'm killed?" Zhao Dong's eyes grew red. "She's my woman. Even if I die, I will never stand by and watch her be turned into a puppet!"

His expression sent a wave of emotion through Su Yurou.

In this cold and faithless world, how many men like Zhao Dong were willing to lay down their lives for the woman they loved? After the initial shock, Su Yurou felt a pang of envy. A thought suddenly bloomed in her mind: how wonderful would it be if I were Zhao Dong's woman, too? She was horrified by the notion and tried to suppress it, but the more she pushed it down, the stronger it grew, until a hint of jealousy surfaced in her heart.

Just then, Zhao Dong pushed her aside, intending to leave again.

Her mind cleared in an instant, and Su Yurou grabbed his arm with all her might.

"No! Mr. Zhao, you absolutely cannot go!"

"Look, my father knows a lot of people. I'll ask him to inquire about the Blood Sect and see if there's another way to rescue Miss Xu, alright? Even if you're desperate to save her, you need to be sure you can actually succeed, right? You may not fear death, but I'm sure Miss Xu wouldn't want you to throw your life away, would she?"

Her voice, almost a sob, finally managed to cool Zhao Dong's head.

After a moment of contemplation, he gave a bitter smile. "Alright, I can wait for your news, but you have to be quick! If I can't save Yafei, I'll be riddled with guilt for the rest of my life!"

"Don't worry, I'll go find my father for help right now. But you have to promise me you won't do anything rash!"

"Don't worry. I gave you my word, so I won't be rash."

"Good!"

Su Yurou nodded urgently, then got in her car and sped away.

「At the entrance of the Exhibition Center.」

Zhao Dong didn't know how much time had passed before he finally staggered into motion.

A suffocating weight settled in his chest. The agonizing feeling of powerlessness threatened to tear him apart.

He hated this helplessness. And yet, faced with it, all he felt was an even deeper powerlessness. I have to get stronger! I have to get STRONGER!!!

Zhao Dong looked at the Dragon Ginseng in his hand and turned back toward the hotel.

「On the way.」

Zhao Dong dialed Wang Jing's number.

After they last parted, he had told her to quit her job. This call was to see if she had, and to ask if her ex-boyfriend was still bothering her.

When the call connected, Zhao Dong exchanged a few pleasantries before getting straight to the point. "By the way, have you sorted out the resignation we talked about?"

"Well..." Wang Jing's voice suddenly became hesitant. "I... I'm discussing it with my boss right now..."

"It's just a resignation. What is there to discuss?" Zhao Dong was puzzled.

"I'm in the boss's office right now, so it's not convenient to talk," Wang Jing said, sounding troubled. "Can I call you back later?"

Before Zhao Dong could reply, she hung up.

Staring at the disconnected call, Zhao Dong's expression turned frigid. An ominous premonition flooded his heart.

「Meanwhile.」

After hanging up, Wang Jing looked pleadingly at the middle-aged man behind the desk.

The man weighed over one hundred kilograms, his corpulent body straining against the chair, making it seem on the verge of collapse. He wore a thick gold chain around his neck, his face was coarse and fleshy, and his small eyes glinted lecherously.

This was Brother Long, the owner of the hotel, a man with underworld connections in the Provincial City.

"Brother Long, please, just let me go. I've worked here for a year. Even if I have no great merits, I've certainly worked hard..."

"Heh, you think you can just leave?" Brother Long sneered. "Back then, you said you wouldn't do any 'meaty' work, and I let you stick to 'vegetarian' tasks without a word, didn't I?"

"Yes... Thank you, Brother Long..." Wang Jing nodded cautiously, her face pale with fear.

"But since you know I won't do the 'meaty' jobs, I don't actually make you that much money. Please, just let me go..."

"You may not do the 'meaty' jobs, but you're pretty!" A lewd glint flashed in Brother Long's eyes. "Do you have any idea how many customers come to stay at this hotel specifically to get a massage from you? As long as you're here, my profits are conservatively several thousand a day. If you leave, who's going to earn that money for me? Besides, you signed a two-year contract. Leaving now would be a breach, wouldn't it?"

Wang Jing hurriedly explained, "But when we signed, you said I could leave whenever I wanted... The two years was just to stop me from going to a competitor. I promise! After I quit, I will never work as a masseuse again. You don't have to worry."

"Bullshit!" Brother Long's expression suddenly darkened. "When did I ever say you could leave whenever you wanted? The contract states clearly in black and white that you cannot resign within two years. If you do, you must pay a penalty of one hundred thousand yuan for breach of contract."

As he spoke, he slapped a copy of the contract onto the desk.

Wang Jing snatched it up. It was exactly as Brother Long had said.

She immediately remembered his smooth talk when she'd signed it. It was why she hadn't read the contract carefully.

"You tricked me!" Wang Jing shrieked, tears streaming down her face.

Brother Long scoffed. "You signed your name yourself. How is this me tricking you? Figure it out. Either you finish your two years here, or you come up with one hundred thousand yuan. Otherwise, I'll see you in court!"

"No... Brother Long, please, I'm begging you, just let me go... I've never done anything to offend you, and I've earned plenty of money for you this past year... But a hundred thousand... I really don't have that kind of money..."