hooklinebooks Chapter 30 The Chase
Chapter 30 The Chase
Compared to rehabilitation centers,
The building materials market in Hanjiang District is like another world.
The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the stall owners were busy unloading goods. The rustling sound of plastic sheets being lifted, the creaking sound of carts rolling across the cement ground, and the shouts mixed with local dialects blended into a murky background noise.
Standing at the market entrance, Shiracha Chika's gaze swept over the crowded stalls, her eyes filled with a complex emotion, as if she were reminiscing or missing someone.
Seeing that the other person's expression was a little strange, Bai Yuzhe thought that the other person was not used to it, and comforted him:
"All building materials markets in the morning are like this, but things are much cheaper than in the Maple Leaf area. The ribbons and balloons are in the West Zone, follow me."
Bai Yuze walked in front.
He used his shoulder to block the porters who were pushing their carts recklessly. Shiracha Chika followed half a step behind him, her clear eyes curiously surveying the surroundings.
quickly,
Her gaze settled on a shop where several pretty ribbons were displayed on a shelf.
"Boss, how much are these resilient ribbons?" Shiracha Chika asked politely, picking up a sample roll.
The stall owner was a middle-aged man with a cigarette dangling from his lips.
He glanced at her clothes, then at her innocent, college-student-like demeanor, and quoted a price:
"1.5 Federal Dollars per meter".
Bai Yuze, who was checking the color of another roll of ribbon nearby, looked up when he heard this:
"Uncle, don't try to fool me. I bought it for only eight yuan last week."
The stall owner was taken aback, then said somewhat angrily, "Don't talk nonsense. This has always been my price. If you don't want to buy, then leave."
"Last Monday, around 4 p.m.
Bai Yuze put down the ribbon, walked to Bai Chaqianxia's side, and said with some amusement:
"I bought ten meters of straps for lab equipment, and you even asked the students why they were buying them, remember?"
The stall owner stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly slapped his thigh:
"Oh! It's you, kid!"
The atmosphere instantly relaxed.
The middle-aged male stall owner scratched his head and chuckled, "Since you're a regular customer... I'll give you a 50% discount, 7.5 Federal Dollars per meter. How many do you want?"
Bai Cha Qianxia glanced sideways at Bai Yuze.
The expression that radiated from his eyes,
Bai Yuze felt a little embarrassed. After checking the quality and width of the ribbons and confirming that there were no problems, he said, "Twenty meters, five meters of each of the four colors."
At this time,
Bai Cha Qianxia arrived at a balloon stall and whispered, "Sister, give me fifty more balloons, make sure they're thick and don't pop easily when you blow them up."
The proprietress said without looking up, "The thick ones are one yuan each, the thin ones are fifty cents each."
Bai Yuzhe was about to say something,
But then she saw Bai Cha Qianxia pick up a thick one and squeeze it: "Sister, this thickness costs 25 cents each wholesale. Just give us 50 cents each, and we'll take fifty of them."
The proprietress finally looked up and sized her up:
"I didn't expect you to be so knowledgeable, young lady!"
Shiracha Chika said with a serious expression:
"This material won't break when inflated to a diameter of 30 centimeters, but there's a risk if it exceeds 35 centimeters. We'll be using helium for our school anniversary celebration, so keeping the diameter around 28 centimeters is just right."
"Honey, I can tell now. This young couple looks like they grew up in the building materials market; they know everything about it."
The shop owner, while preparing the ribbons, chuckled, "Great! I'll give you two more, that'll make it 520."
this time,
Bai Cha Qianxia's face turned red instantly.
Compared to the girl beside him,
The most shocked person was Bai Yuze. Could it be that his previous guess was wrong, and Bai Cha Qianxia was not a rich young lady?
At this time,
Bai Cha Qianxia turned to look at Bai Yuze and asked softly, "Does Bai-kun come here often?"
"Occasionally."
Bai Yuze didn't say much, explaining that some of the packaging materials for smuggled goods needed to be purchased piecemeal from here.
Just as he was about to ask the other party why they knew these things, the shop owner had already prepared the items, and Shiracha Chika handed over the counted change.
Bai Yuzhe naturally didn't ask any more questions.
After buying the lightweight items,
Next, I'll buy the bulkier items.
For example, background cloth,
One roll weighs over ten kilograms.
Bai Yuzhe bought three volumes, holding two in his arms, and then pointed to the third volume with his chin:
"Squad leader, help me lift it and put it on my shoulder."
"Um."
"Bai, you... are quite strong."
Bai Yuze adjusted his focus: "I'm used to it. I do some part-time jobs here to earn some tuition fees when I have nothing to do."
Bai Cha Qianxia paused for a moment.
He then said softly,
"I remember Holly University has interest-free student loan slots available for application, right?"
"As the saying goes, 'For every policy, there's a countermeasure.' How could interest-free loans possibly fall into the hands of students like us from the Parrot District..."
Bai Yuze paused subconsciously at this point, then continued:
"It's alright. The Dongying Autonomous Region is about to change its Special Administrative Region Administrator. I heard that this Administrator is supported by the Xia Federation, so the situation should be much better then."
Upon hearing this, Shiratsumi Chika's expression stiffened subconsciously for a moment, but she quickly returned to normal.
"I hope so."
By the time all the items were purchased, it was almost noon.
The market is getting more and more crowded.
The air was filled with the smells of sweat, plastic, and cooking fumes from breakfast stalls.
Just as Bai Yuzhe was leading Bai Chaqianxia out of the market, a porter pushing a cart full of PVC pipes rushed towards them.
Bai Yuze reacted extremely quickly.
She turned to protect Shiracha Chika, but the cart still brushed against the roll of cloth on his shoulder.
"Sizzle—"
A cut several centimeters long was made along the edge of the rolled cloth.
wow-
The PVC pipes on the cart also came loose and fell down.
Upon seeing this, the short, middle-aged man who was carrying the goods stopped the car and immediately began to accuse the man, asking him:
"You damn fools! Can't you watch where you're going?!"
And this sentence,
It's like turning on a switch.
Three nearby teenagers with buzz cuts and wearing casual jackets tossed away their cigarettes.
They joined in.
"Uncle Wang, what happened? Who bullied you?"
The short, middle-aged male porter pointed and said, "These two are the ones who run amok in the street, like they don't have eyes."
The young man in the lead glanced at Bai Yuze.
She glanced at Bai Cha Qianxia behind her, her eyes lighting up immediately: "Don't worry, Uncle Wang, we'll make sure he pays a price. Don't you know how to respect your elders?"
Seeing these four menacing individuals,
Bai Cha Qianxia's fingers tightened slightly, and she looked at Bai Yuze with some nervousness.
"us……"
He hadn't finished speaking.
In a side alley not far away,
Five or six other figures were walking briskly in this direction. They were carrying stick-like objects in their hands, their steps hurried, and their eyes revealed the ruthlessness of desperate criminals.
The leader was a bald, burly man with a hideous scar across his face, carrying a half-meter-long solid iron rod.
His gaze was fixed on Bai Yuze, without even glancing at Bai Chaqianxia.
"Pretty boy, that's you, isn't it?"
The bald man grinned, revealing teeth stained yellow from smoking. "Someone paid us to cripple your limbs."
"Brother, are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else...?"
Before Bai Yuze could even finish speaking, the bald man swung his stick at him without hesitation!
Whoosh!
The blow was aimed straight at Bai Yuze's knee.
The force was so strong,
Enough to shatter arm bones!
Lying trough,
Bai Yuzhe no longer cared about his belongings; he threw them all away and instinctively pushed Bai Chaqianxia backward.
Dodge to the side.
boom!
The iron rod grazed his trouser leg and hit the ground, sending up a spray of gravel.
"Run!"
He shouted,
She pushed the white tea, Chitsu, to the other side of the alley.
On the other side,
The group of young men with buzz cuts next to the porter looked at Bai Yuze, who was being chased by the bald man, and then glanced at Bai Cha Qianxia, who was in a daze.
For a while,
Everything stopped.
however,
The bald man and his gang saw these people standing next to Bai Cha Qianxia and assumed they were also Bai Yuze's accomplices, so they started fighting without saying a word.
The crew-cut youth and his gang were no pushovers either, and they immediately charged forward. However, since they had no weapons, they soon found themselves begging and pleading for mercy on their knees.
"Brother, you were wrong, you were wrong... Stop smoking, we're just strangers!"
"We're not with them!"
"I despise people like you who betray their brothers the most, and I'm going to beat you up!"
"what!"
......
Thus,
The scene was completely chaotic.
"Bai-kun~!"
Bai Cha Qianxia looked at Bai Yuze being chased and beaten, her eyes filled with worry. She seemed to want to help, but didn't know what to do.
Bai Yuze did not turn around.
He picked up a stone from the ground and hurled it at the thug in front of him. As the thug dodged, he grabbed Shiracha Chika's wrist and sprinted to the other side of the alley.
"Squad leader, stay close to me!"
Bai Yuzhe didn't know who these people were, but if Xiao Haozi hadn't given false information, they should be from the Ash Gang.
He originally thought that the other party would only need to call over a group of people, and that would be about it.
Looking at it now,
This feud is now truly settled.
After running for about several tens of meters
As you enter the alleyway fork, there is a half-person-high abandoned cement pipe.
He pushed her behind the pipe and then turned around to block the pipe opening.
The bald man caught up.
The iron rod swung down with a whooshing sound.
Bai Yuze dodged to the side and punched the other man's wrist hard.
The bald man winced in pain, but he didn't let go of the iron rod in his hand; he gripped it tightly, clearly indicating that the man was tough.
Another thug pounced from the side, holding a switchblade, and stabbed straight at Bai Yuzhe's ribs!
"Lower your head!"
Hakucha Chika complied almost subconsciously.
The blade grazed the tip of her hair.
Bai Yuze kicked the knife-wielding thug in the stomach with such force that he slammed the man against the wall, the knife clattering to the ground.
He pulled Bai Cha Qianxia up and they continued running.
The alley twists and turns, and Bai Yuze seems to be very familiar with the layout of the place. He deliberately chooses narrow paths that can only allow one person to pass at a time, with many obstacles on the way to delay the thugs behind him.
While running,
Shiracha Chika's canvas shoes stepped into a puddle, and the murky mud instantly soaked her skirt.
Losing balance
Hakucha Chika staggered slightly.
Without turning his head, Bai Yuzhe wrapped his arm around her and picked her up in his arms.
Hold me tight.
He only said two words before continuing to rush forward.
"..."
Chika Shiracha wrapped her arms around his neck.
She smelled a faint scent of sweat, the plastic smell of ribbons, and a very faint, indescribable strange odor on him. It didn't smell good, but after smelling it for a while, she felt her heart beating faster.
She didn't have time to think about it.
The footsteps chasing behind grew closer, along with the harsh scraping sound of an iron rod dragging on the ground.
have to say,
These Ash Gang thugs have amazing stamina.
Bai Yuze tried to shake off his opponent by going around in circles, but to no avail. Finally, they were forced into a dead end, at the end of which was a nearly two-meter-high brick wall, its surface mottled and impossible to climb.
Bai Yuzhe glanced at it only once, speaking rapidly:
"Squad leader, I'll put you down in a bit. You step on my shoulders and flip over."
"and you--"
Is there anything else Bai Cha Qianxia wants to say?
Bai Yuzhe had already put her down and was squatting down next to the wall: "Squad leader, quick!"
Bai Cha Qianxia bit her lower lip, no longer hesitating, stepped onto his sturdy shoulder, and stood on it, making sure he was standing properly.
Bai Yuzhe took a deep breath, used his waist and legs to stand up steadily, and lifted her up.
White tea vines climb along the wall.
He used all his strength to flip over.
Seeing that the other person had passed by, Bai Yuzhe took two steps back, took a light running start, braced his hands on the top of the wall, and swiftly flipped over like a cheetah, landing steadily beside her.
His movements were as light and graceful as those of an action movie protagonist (Jackie Chan).
Just a dozen seconds later,
The footsteps of the pursuers stopped outside the wall, followed by cursing and swearing.
"Damn it, he got away!"
"Boss, should we go over there and chase after them?"
"What the hell are you chasing? The Hanjiang District Special Operations Division of the State Security Bureau is behind that wall. What are we planning to do if we climb over there? Are we looking to die?"
"Boss, what do we do?"
"Go home. Those bastards from the Secret Service are no pushovers. We might break their limbs, but those bastards are deadly. They brought it on themselves!"
The sound faded away.
Bai Yuzhe leaned against the wall and slowly slid down to the ground. Only then did he feel a sharp pain in his left arm. When he helped Bai Chaqianxia block that blow, although he avoided the direct impact of the iron rod, his sleeve was torn by the broken bricks on the wall, leaving a wound more than ten centimeters long on his arm, which was oozing blood.
You are injured.
Shiracha Chika squatted down, her voice trembling slightly.
"Minor injury."
Bai Yuze tugged at his sleeve to cover it, but found that the fabric was already stuck with blood.
After a few seconds of silence, Shirocha Chika took out a small cylindrical metal can from her bag. The can was cool to the touch and even emitted wisps of white steam, like a miniature refrigerator.
She opened the cap, revealing several thin syringes of different colors neatly inserted inside.
At first glance,
It's like a jar of exquisite colored paintbrushes.
"Reach out your hand."
Bai Yuzhe paused for a moment, then stretched out his arm.
Without the slightest hesitation, Shiracha Chika took out a deep red syringe, removed the protective cap, and precisely pierced the intact skin of his arm.
There was almost no pain.
It felt like being lightly bitten by a mosquito.
But the next second...
A strange tingling sensation came from the wound, as if countless tiny lives were wriggling under the skin.
Bai Yuzhe watched the rapidly emptying syringe. Having frequented Professor Mu's lab for years, he wasn't some country bumpkin, but precisely because of this, a genuine look of pain crossed his face.
"Squad leader, isn't it too extravagant to use this 2 yuan high-end healing needle on such a minor injury?"
Bai Cha Qianxia remained silent.
Instead, she took out a bottle of water from her canvas bag and began to clean Bai Yuze's wounds.
After a long while, Shiracha Chika finally spoke:
"Do you know those people?"
"I don't know him."
Bai Yuze answered quickly, "They might have mistaken me for someone else."
He wasn't telling the truth.
Shiracha Chika clearly understood, but she didn't point it out. She changed the subject:
"Why didn't you just run away by yourself? You had to drag me along, which undoubtedly slowed you down."
Bai Yuze smiled wryly:
"Squad leader, put aside the fact that I've eaten so many breakfasts from you and I still owe you a huge debt of gratitude. Besides, these people aren't good people. If I leave you here and then run away, and they do something to you, I'll be damned if I'm struck by lightning!"
"Besides, I'm the one who dragged you into this just now..."
Before the words were finished,
A cold, clearly displeased snort came from the shadows of the nearby green belt:
"Hey, I don't know how you two got in here, but to be so open about your love in Secret Service headquarters, do you really not respect us at all?"