Crimson Instinct

Chapter 115: Showdown in Tianjin (8)

*Bai Li*

I was pretty much sure that Yi Xing must be aiming his gun at me. After all, I have crushed his ego too many times to count.

"Please don't-ouch!"

I heard Zhang Ning stammer.

"Zhang Ning. Stay where you are," I said. I turned my head towards his direction.

"Shoot me if you want."

"What?" Zhang Ning exclaimed fro her side, "Bai Li, don't be crazy!"

I heard Yi Xing say, "What happened, Bai Li? Given up so soon? Got scared by realizing that I have a gun?"

I shrugged.

"Cowards like you can only point their guns when they are thoroughly lost. You also know that I have won, but your ego is too big to admit it."

"Whatever you say, Bai Li, but you cannot fight a bullet," he sneered.

I raised my brow. "I think you don't understand your position. You are already knew-deep in trouble with all the allegations against you, and on top of that, you kidnapped Zhang Ning here. You made a deal exchange with those clients, and unless you can really prove that Zhang Chao is a part of this, you cannot escape the accusation of being involved in illegal dealings. Zhang Ning, herself, will be the witness. Now, you are giving a death threat to me. You are just tightening the case for you."

Silence. He said nothing.

"So, yes. If you want to shoot me, go ahead. After how I beat you up yesterday outside your office, it would be just obvious that you killed me for revenge, plus once again, Zhang Ning is a witness. So shoot."

If you can't take them down physically, then do it mentally. That saves the trouble of wasting energy in a pointless fight.

Yi Xing said, "Never Bai Li. Never. You are uttering gibberish. So what if I am accused? My father is Yi Xiaosi, who is on par with Zhang Chao. Even if I go to jail, do you think that I would be rotting in there forever? Do you think that I would spend the rest of my life in jail? How many politicians have you seen serving in jail?"

He laughed.

"Even if I am in trouble now, I can just disappear for a few months before this whole matter gets cooled down. Who will remember everything once I return? Oh, the media? Pushing some bills under the table and they would never bring my past ever again in front of the public."

"Yi Xing, you can be this rotten, I had no idea." Zhang Ning furiously said. "I will testify against you! I will not let you walk around free!"

"It won't work, darling. I didn't send that man to take your life during the rally, yet Zhang Chao is accusing that the Yi party behind it. So if you put the blame on me of me kidnapping you, then you would be seen as the opposition taking revenge from us. Perhaps, your testimony will just be a waste."

I laughed. "Sure, you will disappear into hiding to cool the news down. But are you sure you will get your position back on your 'glorious return'?"

"What do you mean?"

"You have a brother, right?" I asked.

He said nothing.

"You know where I am going with this, right?"

No answer.

"Do you think your brother will let this chance go to grab your place and take the lead? Once you are out of the picture, it is a road filled with roses for your younger brother. Yi Xiaosi will have to depend on him because his elder son would be busy hiding his dirty sheets from the public. Even if you return, by then, everything would be handled by your brother. He would be in charge, and you, the elder brother, would have to work 'under' your younger brother's orders. Do you think your big ego would be able to take it?"

Silence.

"And for your kind information, Yi Xiaosi doesn't look like the person who would wait for your return or who thinks that everything should be inherited by the eldest one only. If he sees the capability in his other son, then where does that leave you? Why would he give his power, position, and money to someone like you who had to hide like a coward?"

"Bai. Li!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

I successfully touched his sore spot. Inheritance was a sensitive subject, after all, for power-hungry people like him.

"I will kill you! You are dead!"

Zhang Ning screamed. "No! Stop Yi Xing!"

I mentally mapped my fight.

I didn't mind because I was ready to dodge the bullet. Based on my understanding, Yi Xing must be roughly standing around fifty-five degrees to my left. I just had to concentrate on the sound of the slide lock, one second, after which I will simply dodge to my side.

He would fire again after missing the shot, but before that happens, I will quickly pick a rock out of the debris and throw it in his direction. I know the distance so I can calculate my aim and speed. It would definitely hit him somewhere, better if it pushes the gun away from him, but even if it didn't, before his third shot, I would already jump in front of him and knock him down.

That wouldn't take much time based on my previous experience.

I was ready. I concentrated my senses to hear the slide lock, but something unexpected happened.

"Ah!"

I heard Zhang Ning scream in pain.

Wait what?

"Zhang Ning? What happened?" I asked as I was making my way towards her by stretching my arms.

"Ning!"

Yi Xing suddenly yelled out of the blue. I heard a crash sound. It must be Yi Xing's gun that fell. He let it go. But why?

Wasn't he aiming at me? Then how did Zhang Ning

"Ning! Ning! Oh no, you are bleeding!"

What?

Yi Xing didn't fire that shot. But then who?

I tried to sense any movements, but I didn't.

Who was here?

That person used a silencer on its gun, so there was no gunshot sound. So I was unable to gauge the direction.

"Ah"

Zhang Ning yelped in pain. "Ning, I am here!"

Yi Xing yelled. "Who is the one who shot my Ning! Come out, you bastard! I will shred you into pieces once I get my hands on you! How dare you shoot my Ning!"

I shifted in place to hear any sound. From twenty-degree to my right, I heard a faint rustle. But the distance was still far, and I didn't have my gun with me. I didn't know where Yi Xing might have dropped his. I didn't have the time to find it, or it could shoot me.

"Ah!"

Suddenly Yi Xing shouted in pain too.

"Yi Xing?" I called out. "What's wrong?"

"B-Bai Li" Zhang Ning was whispering. Her voice was too low to hear.

I walked towards her. I stumbled on my way, but I had to be with her this time.

I bent down and felt her hands. "Zhang Ning. What happened? Where are you hurt?"

"Bai Li... S-somebody shot me...I-I am getting dizzyYi Xing is shot too. He has f-fainted"

"No. Please try to stay conscious. Please keep your eyes open as long as you can."

I felt her weakly nod in my arms. "I-I will try...who shot me?"

I was also looking for that answer. Who else was here?

The clients? The minions? Zhao Wenyan?

But why would they shoot Zhang Ning or Yi Xing?

Zhao Wenyan wouldn't shoot Yi Xing. He worked for their party. But he could attack Zhang Ning if he had gotten orders from Yi Xiaosi.

But this didn't make sense. Why would he try to kill both his enemy and his boss?

The clients were here for the deal. They wouldn't benefit from killing them either.

Then who was left.

Suddenly, I heard someone shifting and jump in front of me but at a distance.

"Who are you?" I asked.

I knew somebody was standing there, but it wasn't answering.

"I asked, who are you? Why did you shoot them?"

Silence.

"Huh" Zhang Ning was mumbling something. I sensed her shift in place. "W-who"

"Do you see that person, Zhang Ning?"

"A little... wearing full black clothescannot see the face"

He or she came here with full preparation.

Wait a minute. Something struck me that I found weird since the beginning. There was one thing that didn't add.

I said, "You are the one who tampered with the gantry cranes, right?"

No answer. Complete silence.

But I was sure that this new person who now suddenly hopped into the scene was behind the collapse of the gantry cranes.

I was sure it couldn't be Yi Xing. For him, the reason didn't make any sense.

I said nothing for a beat.

I didn't know if I was right or maybe I was thinking too far; nevertheless, I asked.

"Are you the boss?"

No answer.

I had one more question.

"Duan Deming works for you, right?"