"I was being courteous not asking you guys for compensation for the car." Lin Chuan, cigarette in his mouth, stared coldly at the other party and said, "Wanna fight? I'll accompany you all the way."

"Damn it, this is bullying. Let's take him down." The man with purple hair roared angrily.

At this moment, a black Passat parked fifteen meters away from Tang Yumeng's Audi, and a man dressed in Nike casual wear got out of the car. With a face full of Yin Energy and a very sharp gaze, he scanned his surroundings after getting out. Then, he slipped his hand into the inner pocket of his chest and leisurely walked towards Tang Yumeng's Audi.

Lin Chuan was still tangled up with those guys, and the people around him had narrowed his vigilance range to the point that he was completely unaware of the danger approaching Tang Yumeng. It wasn't until Lin Chuan realized what was happening that the other person was already less than ten meters away from Tang Yumeng.

Ten meters is a very short distance.

Lin Chuan inadvertently caught sight of the other person. Their gazes met for a moment, and Lin Chuan immediately realized it was over. The man gave Lin Chuan a provocative look and slowly took something out of the inner pocket of his chest. When Lin Chuan saw a shadow flicker across the chest, he immediately judged that the man had hidden a weapon inside his clothing.

Hisss...

Lin Chuan suddenly panicked.

The Nike-clad man didn't seem to be in a hurry. While drawing his gun, he continued walking towards the Audi.

Lin Chuan was also about ten meters away from the Audi, but the other man had a gun, and it was clearly too late for him. Gritting his teeth, Lin Chuan started to run back. Seeing Lin Chuan's action, the Nike-clad man also accelerated, and he simply pulled the handgun out of his clothes.

The black pistol, under the light, gleamed with blinding flashes.

"Damn it, it really is a gun," Lin Chuan exclaimed in shock.

At this moment, Lin Chuan no longer cared about appearing extraordinarily fast. He seemed to transform into an agile leopard, with his shoes scraping unbelievable marks on the ground. In this world, other than cars, what else could leave friction marks while accelerating? Lin Chuan managed to do it.

Ten meters... eight meters... five meters...

Time was slipping away, and danger was drawing closer. Large beads of sweat broke out all over Lin Chuan, drenching his entire body.

The Nike-clad man clearly realized Lin Chuan's speed was fast. He quickly drew his gun and fired two shots towards the Audi where Tang Yumeng was sitting.

As the man pulled the trigger, Tang Yumeng was so scared that she was paralyzed, thinking she was about to enter the gates of hell. Unexpectedly, a dark shadow suddenly leaped onto the car window at this moment.

Thump...

Then, a splash of fresh blood stained the window.

"Lin Chuan!" Tang Yumeng was first startled and then let out a heart-wrenching scream, "No, Lin Chuan!!"

"Ah!" Xiao Xue was frightened and scrambled under the seat.

The Nike-clad man, seeing his shot missed, sprinted towards the Passat. Barely into the car, the black Passat sped away instantly; there was clearly another driver in the car. After Lin Chuan was shot, he slowly fell to the ground, a burning pain spreading from his back.

Tang Yumeng hurriedly pushed open the car door.

"Don't get out." Lin Chuan pushed her back in and closed the car door. Leaning against the car door, he coolly took out his phone.

Lin Chuan immediately called Luo Guoqing and explained what happened, urging him to bring Zhang Wenhui and Song Xiaojia over immediately.

From the man's escape speed and shooting skills, it was clear he wasn't aiming for Tang Yumeng's life. If he really wanted Tang Yumeng dead, those two shots wouldn't have hit Lin Chuan but Tang Yumeng instead.

Lin Chuan could clearly see this point. Even if he hadn't taken the bullet, the man would not have wanted Tang Yumeng's life; the goal was probably just to scare Tang Yumeng.

The reason he didn't let Tang Yumeng get out of the car was purely for her safety—to be on the safe side.

The villagers around, seeing what had happened, scattered quickly in fright. None of them dared to pursue the matter of Lin Chuan hitting the dog anymore. Among these villagers, three men quietly left Dong Village. These three were not locals of Dong Village but were associated with the Assassin.

Tang Yumeng sat in the car, her hands against the windowpane, witnessing the gunshot wound on Lin Chuan's back from which blood was gushing out. The scene was terrifying. Tang Yumeng felt as if she was dreaming; everything seemed so unreal.

It wasn't until Luo Guoqing and Zhang Wenhui arrived that Lin Chuan dared to relax his vigilance. He slumped onto the ground, all his strength drained; everything that had just happened was beyond his imagination. His hands clenched two sharp daggers, ready to attack any enemies that might appear, and all his energy had been channeled into staying alert, to the point of nearly passing out.

Anxiously, Tang Yumeng jumped out of the car. She covered her mouth with both hands and collapsed to the ground in front of Lin Chu: "Lin Chuan... you... what happened to you? Why are you so foolish?"

"I'm fine." Lin Chuan's face was pale as he managed a smile and said, "How bad could such a trivial matter be?"

"Why... why were you so foolish?" Tang Yumeng's tears flowed like a broken dam.

"I told you, as long as I'm here, there's no need to be afraid. I will protect you." Lin Chuan reached out to wipe away Tang Yumeng's tears, but unexpectedly smeared her face with his own blood. As he spoke, Lin Chuan collapsed.

Tang Yumeng was stunned, her voice frantic as she called out, "Lin Chuan, no, no... Lin Chuan!"

"Why isn't the ambulance here yet?" Song Xiaojia was getting anxious.

Zhang Wenhui and Luo Guoqing supported Lin Chuan and pressed down on his wound to stop the bleeding as much as possible. Fortunately, the ambulance quickly arrived at the scene; the doctor hastily performed a hemostatic surgery on Lin Chuan and hurried him to the hospital.

Luo Guoqing drove Tang Yumeng and Xiao Xue back to Jiangbei City; today's inspection mission was deemed over.

Jiangbei City Center Hospital.

The red light was on in the operating room; the stark words warning everyone of the hair-raising surgery underway inside. Overwhelmed with worry, Tang Yumeng fainted several times. Despite everyone urging her to rest, she insisted on staying at the scene. Xiao Xue stayed beside Tang Yumeng, while Zhang Wenhui and Luo Guoqing anxiously waited outside the door, lighting cigarettes only to quickly snuff them out again.

The surgery lasted for over an hour. When the light in the operating room finally went out, Tang Yumeng sprang up reflexively and rushed toward the door.

At that moment, the doctor came out.

"Doctor Chen, how is Lin Chuan?" Tears still hung from Tang Yumeng's eyes, the moisture on her eyelashes tugging at the heartstrings.

"He's alright," smiled Doctor Chen. "The patient is stable. The bullet narrowly missed piercing the chest cavity; fortunately, it didn't penetrate the alveoli, it grazed by the space between the heart and lungs. If it had been slightly off, it could have been fatal."

"That's great..." Upon hearing this, Tang Yumeng's vision suddenly blackened.

Before she passed out, Tang Yumeng heard Xiao Xue's frantic voice and Doctor Chen's exclamation; after that, she could hear nothing.

Soon enough, nurses hurried to the scene, and after some commotion, Tang Yumeng was taken to a ward. She regained consciousness shortly and went to see Lin Chuan, her thoughts wholly fixated on him.

Lin Chuan was lucky; the bullet had not struck any vital organs. Entering the ward, Lin Chuan was lying quietly in bed. Although there were no vital organs hit, the memory of what had happened was intensely horrifying and frightening.

"Secretary Tang, how... how are you awake already?" Xiao Xue exclaimed in surprise at Tang Yumeng.

"I'm fine," Tang Yumeng shook her head and said, "Xiao Xue, there's no need for you to stay and take care of me. You can go back first."

"Are you really okay?" asked Xiao Xue.

"I'm fine," Tang Yumeng replied with a smile, then added, "This is a hospital; there's nothing to fear."

"Hmm," Xiao Xue pondered and felt there was some logic to it, so she nodded.

After Xiao Xue left, only Tang Yumeng and Lin Chuan remained in the room. Some color returned to Lin Chuan's face. Tang Yumeng sat down beside him, gripping his hand tightly, as if terrified of losing him.

In that split-second, Tang Yumeng felt it wasn't Lin Chuan she saw, but Tang Hao; as if the scene from years ago was replaying before her eyes. And the moment Lin Chuan was shot, Tang Yumeng's heart shattered. Not for any other reason than Lin Chuan had selflessly taken that lethal bullet for her. A resolute belief and determined thought kindled within Tang Yumeng. Lin Chuan was her brother.

Tang Yumeng had never thought, nor could she have imagined, that she would once again pour all her emotions so utterly and unreservedly into a man. Though this feeling was indescribable and unlike anything she had felt before, from the moment Tang Yumeng witnessed that bullet pierce Lin Chuan's body, her emotions erupted.

If her feelings for Lin Chuan were once a vague superior-subordinate relationship, the connection between them had now grown much closer, far surpassing that with Tang Hao. Perhaps, from this moment on, Tang Yumeng's life, her emotions, her everything... would be lived for Lin Chuan.

"Lin Chuan, you're too foolish..." Tang Yumeng's eyes were moist as she held her face with Lin Chuan's hand, tearfully saying, "I'm not worth you doing this; no one is worth you risking your life to protect. You're too foolish."

Every time Tang Yumeng remembers the gunman aiming at her, she feels terrified; and every time she recalls Lin Chuan standing in front of her, the sensation is equally chilling.

She feared losing Lin Chuan because she had already lost a Tang Hao.

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