Chapter 120: Raging Sea of Fire
Two more days passed in the blink of an eye.
The Ma Family's affair caused quite a stir in South City.
Surprisingly, Patriarch Ma had some decency after all. He took full responsibility for all the evil deeds the Ma Family had committed.
This allowed the rest of the Ma Family to be spared by a stroke of luck.
「On the new plot of land.」
Lin Chuyue looked at the company building undergoing renovation, extremely satisfied.
She supervised the work until evening. After all the workers had left, she went inside for another walkthrough and was very pleased.
The branch office could open in less than ten days or half a month. Then she would just need to hire a team, and they could start operations immediately.
Just as Lin Chuyue was about to leave, she suddenly smelled a pungent odor.
She was about to search for the source of the smell when her head grew heavy, her feet light, and the scene before her began to swim.
Her vision went black, and she collapsed heavily onto the ground.
THUD!
Two masked men emerged.
"Damn it! We can't touch that bastard, but you think we can't touch his woman?"
"Let's get started. Don't waste any time!"
The two men took out the gasoline they had prepared and poured it in a circle around the outside of the old building.
After making sure they hadn't missed a spot, one of them took out a lighter. "Damn it! You dare go against our Ma Family? I'll make you pay for everything!"
"That traitor Ma Xinyue actually gave the land to our Ma Family's enemy!"
"We'll burn this place down today! If the Ma Family can't have it, then it will be destroyed!"
The lighter fell to the ground, and flames instantly shot up.
In almost an instant, it became a raging inferno.
The two men quickly left, found a safe spot, and watched the all-consuming flames, their faces breaking into satisfied smiles.
The person secretly watching Lin Chuyue saw this and hastily dialed Chu Yan's number. "Something's happened!"
"The building on that plot of land suddenly caught fire! Lin Chuyue went in earlier and hasn't come out. She might still be inside!"
"What!"
Chu Yan, who was in a meeting, shot to her feet. Ignoring everyone in the conference room, she turned and walked out.
'Although she wished something would happen to Lin Chuyue, if she didn't tell Xiao Ye now and Lin Chuyue died because of it, the Chu Family would surely be in trouble too!'
'Xiao Ye's feelings for Lin Chuyue haven't been affected yet. He definitely wouldn't want to see her perish in the flames!'
After weighing the pros and cons, Chu Yan immediately dialed Xiao Ye's number and explained the situation.
"Miss Lin is in trouble. She's likely trapped in the fire."
"I've already contacted the fire department, and my people will go help immediately. I'm sure she'll be fine!"
Xiao Ye didn't answer, simply hanging up the phone.
He bolted out of his hotel room and rushed to the area as fast as he could.
Before he even got close, he could see thick, rolling smoke.
Xiao Ye's heart sank. He cast aside all pretense of hiding, and with a few leaps, he arrived in front of the building.
The fire was raging, burning relentlessly upward.
Just a single glance was enough to feel the scorching heat wash over him.
And because the fire had started on the first floor, the lower level was now almost completely burnt out and on the verge of collapse.
If he didn't go in to save her now, the entire building could collapse!
Without a second thought, Xiao Ye charged inside.
"Oh my god, a young man just went in!"
"Isn't he just asking for trouble? This place could collapse at any moment!"
"Could there still be someone inside? Quick, let's all help."
A kind-hearted person wanted to step forward and help but was pulled back by their companion. "Are you tired of living? That building could collapse any second. If you go in, you'll die!"
"Yeah, don't go. Let's just wait for the fire department."
Even the fastest fire department would need at least ten minutes to arrive.
By now, Xiao Ye had already rushed into the inferno. Thick smoke billowed, and waves of heat assaulted him.
Xiao Ye's fingers moved rapidly in a divination gesture, searching for the path to life.
He continuously followed the results of his calculations and finally saw Lin Chuyue lying on the floor.
Xiao Ye's heart eased, and he quickly scooped her into his arms.
CRASH!
A loud crash echoed.
A heavy concrete pillar had crumbled, collapsing right in front of them.
Xiao Ye glanced at the blocked path ahead and turned around to exit from the back.
Amidst the monstrous sea of flames, Xiao Ye sprinted, finally managing to carry Lin Chuyue out of the inferno, escaping precariously through the building's back door.
By now, parts of his Daoist Robe had been burned away, and he looked rather disheveled.
Just as Xiao Ye was about to put her down, he heard Lin Chuyue murmur, "The files..."
'The files?'
'Right, Lin Chuyue came here to supervise the work, so she must have had some important documents with her.'
He laid her down gently, making sure she was physically unharmed and wouldn't be affected by the fire, before turning around and re-entering the building.
In the blink of an eye, he vanished into the rolling smoke.
Not long after Xiao Ye left, a man walked over.
He took off his mask, revealing himself to be from the Ma Family.
"Third Brother, the woman actually got out. That bastard really does have some skills."
"How about we just throw her back in? Maybe we can still..."
"No."
Ma the Third cut him off with a cold laugh. "I've suddenly thought of a better way."
"That bastard is skilled. He could even rescue someone from a fire this big. Our Ma Family is in deep trouble right now, and we can't find anyone to help us."
"As for our backer... who knows how many days until they arrive. Why don't we 'rescue' this woman first? That bastard risked his own life to save her."
"Perhaps we can use this woman to give our Ma Family some breathing room!"
With that said, he immediately shouldered Lin Chuyue and vanished in the blink of an eye.
When Xiao Ye came back out with the files, there was no trace of Lin Chuyue.
His heart sank. He immediately dialed Chu Yan's number. "Lin Chuyue is missing. Find her now!"
"Yes!"
「Meanwhile.」
In a quiet park.
On a bench, Lin Chuyue slowly opened her eyes.
Her vision filled with lush greenery. Although there was no one in sight, the air was fresh.
'I remember passing out... it was so hot. How did I get here?'
Lin Chuyue tried to sit up but found her entire body was sore and weak.
"You're awake."
A man's voice called out.
Lin Chuyue jumped, thinking she was in danger.
She tensed up, but was surprised to see that the person who appeared in her line of sight was a young man who looked to be in his early twenties.
Right now, his face was full of concern, showing no ill intent.
Moreover, his clothes were dusty and gray, with clear traces of having been burned.
"It's good that you're awake. You're quite lucky. I just happened to be passing by and rescued you from that building."
"Otherwise, you would have burned to death!"
Lin Chuyue was shocked. 'So the heatwave wasn't an illusion—there really was a fire!'
She immediately looked in the direction of the building and, sure enough, could still see the lingering thick smoke.
The fire department had already arrived, but it would take a considerable amount of time to extinguish such a massive blaze.
Lin Chuyue hurriedly thanked him, "Thank you so much."
"Don't mention it. It was nothing. Since you're okay, I'll be going now." The man turned to leave.
Lin Chuyue forced herself to sit up and called out to him, "Wait! You saved my life, but I don't even know your name. I must pay a formal visit to thank you in the future."