Suo Ran's knees buckled beneath him, and for a terrifying moment it looked as though he would collapse onto the blood-stained concrete. Before he could hit the floor, Driver lunged forward and caught him by the arm while keeping his pistol raised in his other hand. "Suo Ran!" he shouted. Blood was already spreading across the front of his shirt, slipping through his fingers no matter how tightly he pressed against the wound. His face had lost nearly all its color, and his breathing came in short, uneven gasps. Qin Yue reached them later, dropping to one knee beside him."Hey... hey, look at me!" she said quickly, grabbing Suo Ran's shoulder before his head could slump forward. "Stay with us. Don't you dare pass out now."
Suo Ran tried to focus on the driver's face, but everything around him seemed to blur together beneath the flashing emergency lights. His ears rang from the gunfire, and every breath sent another pain through his stomach. "...I'm..." he whispered weakly before stopping to catch his breath."trying..." His voice was so faint that it swallowed by the sound of bullets striking the walls around them.
The older man's expression hardened the instant he saw the amount of blood soaking through Suo Ran's clothes. Without wasting another second, he raised his weapon and fired several precise shots down the corridor, forcing the attackers behind cover. "Ready a car! " he ordered firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Now. We leave immediately." "They're closing in!" Qin Yue warned as another burst of gunfire ricocheted off the steel pillars.
She stepped in front of the others, firing two controlled shots that forced one attacker back behind a concrete barrier. Sparks burst from the wall beside her as bullets slammed into the metal supports. "Move!" she shouted over her shoulder. "I'll cover you!"The driver wrapped one of Suo ran's arms around his shoulders and pulled him upright.The sudden movement tore a pained groan from suo ran's throat. His legs trembled beneath him, barely able to support his own weight. "Easy!" the driver muttered, tightening his grip around Suo Ran's waist to keep him standing. "Lean on me.""I... can walk..." Suo ran insisted through clenched teeth."The hell you can!"the driver shot back without slowing down. "Right now you can barely breathe."
Suo ran tried to argue again but he felt pain that he closed his mouth.He stumbled after only a few steps, nearly falling again. The driver caught him before he hit the ground.
"I've got you!" he said quietly. "Just keep moving."Behind them, Qin Yue continued retreating one step at a time, never lowering her weapon.Every movement was calm and controlled despite the chaos around her. She fired another shot, forcing an attacker to duck behind cover before turning and sprinting several meters to catch up. "Left side!" she warned. "Two more coming!"
The older man pivoted instantly, firing toward the approaching figures. One attacker disappeared behind a stack of crates while the other threw himself behind a pillar. "Don't stop!" the older man shouted."Keep moving!" Blood dripped steadily from suo ran's wound, leaving a trail of dark red drops across the concrete floor. Each step became harder than the last. His vision blurred, and the corridor seemed to stretch endlessly ahead of him."I can't..." he murmured.The driver shook him. "No. Don't say that."
Suo ran swallowed and forced another step forward."You hear me?" the driver continued, his voice rising with desperation. "You promised me dinner, remember? You don't get to back out now."Despite the pain twisting through his body, the corner of Suo Ran's mouth lifted ever so slightly.He looked at the driver through half-lidded eyes and breathed out unsteadily, "You're... unbelievable..."Even speaking those few words made his chest tighten.The driver adjusted Suo Ran's arm more securely over his shoulder without slowing down. "I know!" he replied with the same shameless confidence as always, though his voice carried an edge of panic he could no longer hide. "You can complain all you want after you survive this. Until then, save your strength." He glanced sideways at Suo ran's pale face and frowned. "And don't you dare close your eyes."
Qin Yue, moving several steps behind them, fired another controlled burst down the corridor. The sharp cracks of gunfire echoed off the walls as two attackers were forced back behind cover. Without turning around she shouted, "Less talking, more moving! Keep him awake!""I'm doing both!" the driver yelled back while struggling to keep Suo Ran upright. "Believe it or not, I can multitask!"
"You're impossible.""So I've been told." he shot back with a breathless grin before ducking as another bullet screamed over his head. "Can everyone stop trying to kill us for five minutes? I'm carrying injured cargo here!" "Cargo?" Suo Ran managed to mutter weakly.The driver looked down at him. "Sorry. Precious cargo."
Despite everything, Qin Yue rolled her eyes. "If he wasn't bleeding to death, I'd let him punch you for that.""You'd have to get in line."
Another volley of gunfire erupted behind them. Bullets struck the walls, sending fragments of concrete spraying across the floor. The older man turned briefly and fired several accurate shots down the corridor before motioning sharply toward the exit. "Enough! Move!" At last the warehouse exit came into view. The door stood only a few meters ahead."There!" Qin Yue shouted. "We're almost there!"
The older man reached the door first.Planting one shoulder against the rusted steel, he shoved with all his strength.The hinges groaned loudly before the door open. Outside their car waited exactly where they had left it, its engine still running."Hurry!" the older man called urgently.The driver tightened his grip around suo ran's waist and practically dragged him the remaining distance.
Suo ran tried to move his own feet, but every step sent another wave of pain through his stomach. His legs felt heavier with each passing second. Blood continued dripping steadily from between his fingers, leaving a dark trail across the concrete behind them.
"We're... almost..."Suo ran whispered,though he wasn't sure whether he was reassuring himself or everyone else. "We are!" the driver answered. "Just a few more steps. Stay with me."Suo Ran stumbled badly and driver caught him before he could hit the ground.
"I've got you!" he said firmly. "You're not falling today."
Qin Yue stayed behind them, refusing to turn her back on the attackers. She moved backward with practiced precision, firing controlled shots whenever another masked figure appeared at the far end of the corridor. Each gunshot echoed violently through the warehouse, forcing the intruders to dive behind machinery and broken pillars. "Keep moving!" she shouted without taking her eyes off the corridor. "I'll hold them back!"
The driver didn't argue this time. He simply nodded and continued dragging Suo Ran toward the open doorway. "You hear her?" he said, breathing harder now. "She's risking her life for us, so don't make her effort worthless."
Suo Ran managed the faintest nod, though even that simple movement made him wince. His breathing had become shallow, and he could feel his strength slipping away little by little.Behind them, another burst of gunfire erupted.Bullets slammed into the walls around Qin Yue, sending bright sparks spraying through the dim corridor. She ducked behind a support pillar, reloaded with astonishing speed, then leaned out again and fired several more precise shots. One attacker cried out before disappearing behind cover. "Still think your aim is terrible?" the driver called over his shoulder with a strained grin.Qin Yue didn't even look at him. "Save the jokes until we're alive." "I am saving them." he answered. "These are the cheap ones." "Shut up and run." "Yes, ma'am." Together they crossed the doorway.
The older man hurried over and grabbed suo ran's other side, helping support him.While Qin yue remained at the entrance. She pulled the magazine from her belt, slammed it into her pistol, and fired several rapid shots down the corridor. The attackers scattered behind cover."That's enough!" the older man shouted. "Qin Yue!" Without hesitation, she turned and sprinted toward them.Qin Yue frowned as she looked back at the sealed entrance. "They're not following us."The driver glanced over his shoulder as he helped lower Suo Ran carefully into the back seat. "You're right."The older man's expression darkened. He stared at the closed warehouse door for several long seconds before quietly saying, "They could have chased us."Qin Yue slowly nodded. "But they didn't."
The driver looked from the warehouse to the unconscious Suo Ran lying across the back seat. His smile had completely disappeared.
"They weren't trying to kill him."The older man opened the passenger door and got inside without another word.Qin Yue climbed into the driver's seat, started the engine, and gripped the steering wheel tightly.
Meanwhile at zheng rui apartment Lian Ziho shifted on the couch, one arm over his face before slowly sitting up, his hair slightly disheveled, eyes tired as he took in the room. Zheng rui was already awake, sitting at the table with his sleeves rolled up,glasses slightly lowered on his nose as he typed quickly, a half-finished coffee beside him gone cold. Lian Ziho rubbed his neck and looked over, voice still rough from sleep, "Did you sleep?" Zheng Rui didn't look up, fingers still moving across the keyboard, "No." Lian Ziho sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, "You should." Zheng Rui finally paused for a second, glancing at the screen before replying flatly, "You too."
Lian Ziho walked and stood near the table now, watching zheng rui scroll through new data instead of old files, his jaw still tight from lack of sleep, "You're still digging into the same case?" he asked,Zheng rui didn't look up immediately, only adjusted the angle of his laptop, "Not the same angle."Lian Ziho frowned slightly, stepping closer, "What does that mean?" Zheng rui turned the screen toward him, this time showing location logs and movement timestamps instead of archives, "I pulled recent access points tied to those files." Lian ziho's expression shifted, "So someone's still actively using them?" Zheng rui nodded once, "Or watching them."
Lian ziho looked at bracelet,more focused now, "And Jun Wei?" Zheng rui's fingers paused briefly over the keyboard, then resumed, "No new contact." Lian ziho exhaled, frustration creeping back in, "Still nothing…" Zheng rui leaned back slightly, rubbing the corner of his eye, "Not nothing. Just nothing from him." That distinction made Lian ziho go quiet for a second. He pulled out a chair and sat again, dragging a hand through his hair, "So what are you actually looking at then?"
Zheng Rui tilted the screen back, pointing at a single red-marked entry, "This login happened last night."Lian ziho leaned in, "Where?" Zheng rui answered simply, "Near the old transport corridor." Lian ziho's brows tightened,"That's outside city access zones." Zheng rui nodded, already closing the laptop halfway, "Exactly why it matters." Lian Ziho stood again, tension returning but sharper now, "You think someone moved information physically?"
Zheng rui stood too, grabbing his jacket from the chair, "Or someone is using the system from somewhere it shouldn't exist." Lian ziho stared at him for a moment, then exhaled slowly, "So we're going there?" Zheng rui clipped his laptop shut and picked up his keys, "We don't sit on it."Lian ,ziho grabbed his coat from the couch, voice lower, "And if it's a trap?" Zheng Rui finally looked at him, expression steady but tired, "Then we confirm it's a trap." Lian Ziho nodded once, no argument this time, and followed him toward the door.
Meanwhile car Speed up in street night.Tires screeched every time the driver took a sharp turn,His hands were locked tightly on the steering wheel,eyes fixed ahead but unfocused with panic. "Move… move…" he muttered. In the back seat, Qin Yue was fully focused on suo ran, both hands pressing hard against the wound as fresh blood kept seeping through the bandages no matter how tightly she wrapped them.
The older man sat on the other side, one hand checking Suo Ran's pulse repeatedly while the other hovered near his shoulder.His expression was unusually tense,eyes fixed on suo ran with something far deeper than simple concern.Suo ran's blood was everywhere now, soaking into cloth, staining gloves, and pooling slightly on the seat beneath him despite Qin yue's efforts."Don't close your eyes." the driver suddenly said from the front, voice rough and strained as he glanced at the rearview mirror. His grip tightened even more on the wheel when he saw suo ran's eyelids flutter weakly.
Suo ran exhaled slowly,his lips barely moving "I'm just tired…" he whispered.The driver shook his head. "No. Not now. You don't get to be tired yet."Qin Yue didn't even look up as she adjusted the pressure on the wound. Her voice was sharp but controlled. "If he loses consciousness now it'll be bad. Blood pressure is already dropping."The older man leaned closer, his fingers still checking suo ran's pulse with increasing urgency. "Suo ran!" he said quietly.Suo Ran's lashes fluttered again, slowly forcing his eyes open. His breathing was uneven, each inhale shallow and strained. "Mm…" he responded weakly, barely aware of who was speaking. The older man leaned in slightly,"Look at me."
It took a moment, but suo ran's eyes shifted toward him, unfocused and heavy. He tried to concentrate, but everything blurred at the edges. "Stay awake!" the older man said firmly now.Suo Ran let out a shaky breath. His fingers twitched weakly against the seat. "I… can't…" he murmured. His voice was fading in and out. "I can't die yet…" Qin Yue's hands paused for second before pressing harder on the wound. "Don't talk!" she ordered.
Suo Ran shook his head faintly. "I have… to find Jun Wei…" His voice broke slightly on the name. His throat tightened. "I can't… die… before I find him…"The driver glanced back again, his eyes widening at how weak suo ran sounded. "You're not dying!" he said quickly, almost angrily. "You hear me? You're not allowed."Suo Ran gave a faint, broken breath that sounded like a laugh. "You… always talk too much…" he whispered."Yeah? Well, you're always too quiet about dying, so I have to compensate."Qin Yue looked up, her expression tense. " Stop talking both of you! He's slipping again."
The older man's hand tightened slightly around suo ran's wrist.His eyes narrowed, but there was something trembling underneath his control now. "Suo Ran!" he said again, firmer this time. "Stay with us."
Suo ran's eyelids fluttered again, struggling. "I… don't want to sleep…" he murmured faintly."Good!" the driver said, swerving around another car aggressively. "Then don't. Keep your eyes open." Suo ran swallowed hard, pain flashing across his face. "Jun Wei…" he whispered again, weaker this time. "He… was scared…"Qin Yue pressed harder. "We'll find him!" she said quickly. "But you need to stay alive first."
The driver's grip on the wheel tightened again as the hospital lights appeared in the distance. "We're here!" he said quickly. "Hold on. Just a little longer." Suo ran's eyes flickered faintly toward the light. His breathing was shallow, uneven, but still there. The older man didn't look away from him even for a second, his hand still firmly on suo ran's wrist.
The moment a car stop outside the emergency entrance, everything turned into chaos. The driver barely had time to pull the handbrake before Qin Yue and the older man were already moving. Hospital doors burst open as a team of doctors and nurses rushed out with a stretcher, their footsteps echoing sharply against the tiled ground. "Emergency incoming!" one nurse shouted, already pulling gloves on as she ran. Another pushed the stretcher forward at full speed while scanning suo ran's condition with trained urgency.
"Male patient, gunshot wound near the stomach!" Qin Yue called quickly, her hands still stained with blood as she stepped aside but didn't fully let go until the doctors took over. "Lost a lot of blood on route!" "Vitals?" a doctor said as they reached suo ran.Qin Yue glanced at him. "BP was dropping rapidly. He was conscious in the car, but fading." The doctor leaned over suo ran as they lifted him onto the stretcher,his eyes instantly narrowing at the wound area near the stomach.The beeping monitor attached within seconds, but the tone that followed made everyone tense."BP is dropping!" one of the nurses announced loudly, eyes fixed on the screen."Heart rate unstable!" another added while adjusting the oxygen mask over suo ran's face."Prepare emergency surgery immediately!" the lead doctor ordered without hesitation. "We're going straight to Operation theatre!"
The stretcher wheels screeched as they started moving at speed toward the operating room corridor. Suo Ran's vision was blurred completely now. Lights above him streaked into long white lines as the ceiling moved rapidly past. He couldn't feel his body properly anymore only fragments of pain, pressure, and cold.Somewhere far away, voices kept calling him."Suo Ran!""Stay with us!""Open your eyes!"The driver suddenly rushed forward, grabbing the edge of the stretcher as it moved. "Hey! Wait!" he shouted, breathing hard. "You need to save him! Do everything you can!"A nurse immediately stepped in front of him. "Family must stay back!""I said save him! No matter what!" the driver snapped instantly, voice cracking slightly. "Just...just save him first!"
The older man appeared beside him a second later, but unlike the driver, he didn't shout. His expression was tight, controlled, but his eyes were fixed on suo ran being taken away.Qin Yue stood slightly behind them, watching the stretcher disappear down the hallway. Her jaw was clenched, but her hands were trembling slightly as she slowly lowered them."Prepare O.T 3!" a doctor ordered as they reached the doors. "We need blood transfusion ready, crossmatch immediately!" "Internal bleeding suspected!" another doctor added while quickly reading scans that had just been taken. "We might be dealing with arterial damage.""How long until OR setup is complete?" the lead surgeon asked sharply."Already prepped!" a nurse answered. "But he's unstable! we need to move now!" "Then move!"
The stretcher didn't slow for even a second as they reached the operating room entrance. The double doors swung open and machines, lights, and sharp metallic sounds filled the space inside.Suo ran's eyelids fluttered weakly as the bright surgical lights hit him. His lips parted slightly, but no sound came out. Everything felt distant now, like he was sinking further away from the world with each passing second.But still someone was calling him."Suo Ran…" He didn't know who or maybe he did."Ready for intubation!" a doctor called out."Blood pressure 70 over 40!" "Prep suction!" "Scalpel ready!"
The older man took one step forward, then stopped as a nurse gently but firmly placed a hand on his arm. "You cannot go in."He didn't resist, but his eyes stayed locked on the doors.The driver stood beside him, breathing heavily, hands clenched into fists so tight his nails dug into his palms. "He's going to be fine!" he said suddenly, as if forcing the words into reality. "He has to be fine."Qin Yue didn't answer her gaze was still fixed on the closed doors.
Then a nurse stepped out of the operating room, moving quickly as she adjusted her gloves, clearly in a hurry to return. The driver immediately rushed toward her. "Nurse..how is he?" His voice cracked slightly despite how hard he tried to control it.The nurse didn't slow down fully, but she answered briefly, "He's unstable. The bleeding is severe, we're controlling it as much as possible."The driver grabbed the edge of the wall beside her. "Is he going to make it?" he asked immediately, eyes wide with urgency.
The nurse hesitated for half a second, then shook her head slightly. "The doctor will update you properly. Right now he's still in surgery." And with that, she rushed back inside.A moment later, one of the doctors stepped out instead, mask still on, gloves stained. His eyes were serious, tired from nonstop work. "We're still operating!" he said quickly. "He lost a significant amount of blood. We're doing transfusions and repairing internal damage, but it's delicate."
The driver stepped forward instantly. "Tell me straight," he said, voice sharp now. "Is he stable or not?"The doctor looked at him for a second, then spoke carefully. "We are keeping him alive. That's all I can say right now." "That's not an answer!" the driver snapped. "It's the only one I have!" the doctor replied firmly. "We don't stop because it's uncertain. We keep going because he's still here." Then he turned back toward the doors. "Excuse me." And he went inside again.
He turned abruptly and punched the wall beside him, the impact echoing through the corridor. He felt Pain in his hand immediately, but he didn't even react properly, just stayed there breathing hard. Qin yue looked up. "You'll break your hand." she said quietly, her tone calm but firm. "I don't care!" the driver answered instantly, not even turning around.
Qin Yue watched him for a moment, then lowered her gaze again. "That won't help him." "I don't care about helping my hand!" he said through clenched teeth. "I care about him staying alive." The older man spoke then, his voice low, "He was always stubborn."
The driver turned slightly toward him, still breathing heavily. The older man didn't look away from the O.T doors. "Even as a child!" he continued softly.