The young woman jumped out of the minibus, shouting frantically for help, but the local populace in Guangming City was clearly different from that across the border in Dayu.
Not only did no one offer a helping hand, but bystanders actively steered clear of her.
An open restaurant by the roadside slammed its doors shut the instant she ran past, clearly signaling that the owner wanted no trouble.
At the same time, two burly men over one meter ninety tall dashed out of the minibus, giving swift chase.
A girl of seventeen or eighteen...
Under what dire peril had she risked her life jumping from a moving vehicle, only to find herself pursued by two bruisers in an utterly unfamiliar environment and foreign country?
Broad daylight, yet every soul along the way treated her like a plague.
A wave of unprecedented despair engulfed her heart.
***
Yu Xiaoying.
Yaoguang remembered her name.
That fashionable woman who boarded the car earlier had boasted to her the entire ride.
Now it seemed the money she spoke of was not so easily earned.
She was, after all, a citizen of Dayu.
Though Yaoguang had never adapted to the local ways of this world, the education he received back in Daxia prevented him from simply turning a blind eye to such a scene.
"Honk the horn. Pick her up," Yaoguang said.
Zhang Qing hesitated for a fraction of a second.
He recognized that minibus.
It was an employee shuttle from Qingyu Industrial Park.
Qingyu Industrial Park...
Forget Guangming City; it held considerable clout even across all of Feiyu.
Yet that hesitation vanished in an instant.
Feiyu was merely an impoverished, backward little country with an annual GDP under three hundred billion.
The entire nation combined fell short of a single Tiannan Province.
Never mind holding influence in Feiyu—even the top powers in the country could not hold a candle to the Su family.
Besides, this was a golden opportunity to get closer to Young Master Su.
"Hold on, Young Master Su," Zhang Qing warned, then stomped the accelerator.
The car surged forward, blaring its horn.
Hearing the horn, the despair in Yu Xiaoying's eyes gave way to a desperate, unprecedented will to live, and she sprinted toward the car at full speed.
The moment they converged, Yaoguang pushed the door open.
"Get in."
Yu Xiaoying threw herself inside.
Before the door even closed, Zhang Qing whipped the steering wheel around, banked into a turn, and sped straight toward the border checkpoint.
Fast as the two burly men were, how could two legs outrun four wheels?
They were quickly left in the dust.
Even after the two men were long out of sight, Yu Xiaoying was still gasping violently, terror lingering in her chest.
After a long while...
She seemed to notice something.
In her rush to board, she had collapsed entirely over Yaoguang.
A blush swiftly stained Yu Xiaoying's healthy, wheat-colored cheeks.
"S-sorry..."
She scrambled to sit upright.
Then she seemed to recognize Yaoguang. "Ah? It's you?"
Yaoguang nodded slightly and said, "We're crossing the border back into Dayu. Do you want to be dropped off ahead, or come back to Dayu with us..."
"Home... I want to go home," Yu Xiaoying blurted out.
Realizing she was rambling in panic, she corrected herself, "I... I'll go back to Dayu with you."
Even now, her right hand gripped tightly to the hem of Yaoguang's clothes—the only familiar face around—a testament to the sheer panic and fear in her heart.
Yaoguang said nothing, merely giving a slight nod.
Hearing their exchange from the driver's seat, Zhang Qing realized the two knew each other.
He glanced back at the girl...
Though somewhat thin, her youthful, pure features revealed great natural beauty. With proper care, she would blossom from a young girl into a stunning beauty in less than a year or so.
No wonder Young Master Su had played the hero rescuing the damsel.
The car drove through Guangming City and arrived at the border checkpoint. Only then did Yu Xiaoying finally regain her composure.
Though lingering dread still remained in her eyes, she could now speak and reason normally.
"Thank you both."
She offered her heartfelt gratitude.
"You should thank Young Master Su. He was the one who told me to pick you up. No need to thank me," Zhang Qing said, making their hierarchy clear.
Yu Xiaoying promptly thanked Yaoguang once more.
"It's fine. Be more careful in the future, and don't be so quick to trust strangers," Yaoguang said.
He did not ask what had happened, so as not to stir up painful memories.
Zhang Qing, driving up front, was burning with curiosity about what had happened to her, but in Yaoguang's presence, he naturally did not dare speak out of turn.
The car passed smoothly through the checkpoint and returned to Shanlong City.
Once inside Shanlong City, the knot in Yu Xiaoying's chest visibly loosened.
"I'll take you to the bus station," Yaoguang said.
"Thank you."
Yu Xiaoying thanked him again, then looked embarrassed as something occurred to her. "I... my money and ID were all confiscated. Could you... could you please buy a ticket for me..."
She rushed to add, "Young Master Su, I'll pay you back."
"No need."
Yaoguang took out a hundred-yuan bill and said, "Also, just call me Yaoguang. Don't worry about repaying me. Everyone runs into trouble when they're away from home. I only helped because I could."
"It was just a casual gesture to you, but to me, you saved my life... That place wasn't a legitimate factory at all. It was..."
Yu Xiaoying's slender frame trembled slightly, terror filling her eyes. After quite some time, she managed to master her emotions, looking at Yaoguang with deep earnestness. "Young Master Su... Brother Yaoguang, could you give me your address? I swear I'll repay you."
Yaoguang had not saved her expecting any reward.
Judging by her stubborn expression, however, she would likely keep insisting if he did not give her one.
He gave a perfunctory reply: "Yunmeng High School."
Yu Xiaoying etched the name firmly into her memory.
Seeing that Yaoguang truly intended to send her right back, Zhang Qing could not help asking, "Young Master Su, we've spent quite a bit of time on the road, and it's already afternoon. Would you like to find a place to eat first? Or perhaps find somewhere to rest?"
Yaoguang glanced at him and said, "No need."
Zhang Qing did not dare say another word, quickly dropping Yu Xiaoying off at the bus station.
"Brother Yaoguang, I'll return the money to you!"
Stepping out of the car, Yu Xiaoying's youthful face was full of determination.
Yaoguang waved a hand and rolled up the window.
Zhang Qing soon drove off.
"Young Master Su, where to next..."
"Yulong International," Yaoguang said.
Lei Ao was dead, but he had sensed two other red dots inside Yulong International.
Those could not be wasted.
"Understood."
Zhang Qing perked up.
The car soon arrived outside Shanlong City's premier pleasure house.
Before Zhang Qing could steer into the parking lot, Yaoguang suddenly spoke: "Wait. Pull over."
Though mystified, Zhang Qing pulled the car to the curb.
Less than ten seconds later, an upscale sedan flanked by two off-road vehicles drove out from Yulong International.
"Follow them," Yaoguang said.
Zhang Qing hastily stepped on the gas.
Yaoguang kept his eyes on that sedan.
Just moments ago, he had used his Sensory secret art and acutely detected a red dot heading out of Yulong International.
Its position corresponded precisely with that luxury sedan.
The small convoy of three vehicles headed straight for the border.
Before long...
Having just cleared customs, Yaoguang was exiting the border once again.
Zhang Qing was somewhat baffled, but he did not show the slightest hint of dissatisfaction, executing every order with meticulous care.
The car trailed behind them.
Near the checkpoint, heavy traffic had provided decent cover, but once past the crossing, vehicles grew scarce. Tailing them so persistently was bound to look suspicious.
At this rate, being noticed was only a matter of time.
Yaoguang observed for a moment.
"Where does this road lead?"
"This road..."
Zhang Qing studied the route, and his heart gave a lurch. "It leads to Qingyu Industrial Park."
The road naturally led to more than one place, but the only destination worthy of three high-end vehicles was that compound.
"How far?"
"Twelve kilometers."
"Twelve kilometers?"
Not close.
More importantly...
There were no shared bikes here.
Never mind.
"Find a place to pull over," Yaoguang said.
Zhang Qing glanced around and stopped in front of a roadside convenience store.
"What's your phone number?" Yaoguang asked.
Zhang Qing quickly recited his number.
Yaoguang dialed it, and the call went through.
"If anything happens, you can call this number," he said, then added, "For now, head back on your own."
Staring at the number displayed on his phone, Zhang Qing's eyes shone with wild delight.
He had gotten Young Master Su's number!
This was nothing short of an enormous windfall!
He knew very well that the trivial favors he had done over the past couple of days would never convince Young Master Su to settle any major crisis for him, but...
To the Zhang family living in a modest place like Shanlong City, Young Master Su's phone number was like a nuclear deterrent.
This number alone was likely enough to elevate the Zhang family's standing in Shanlong City.
"Thank you, Young Master Su!" Zhang Qing said in excitement.
Then something crossed his mind, and after a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Should I come along with you?"
"No need."
Yaoguang waved a hand and walked away.
Zhang Qing called out in a hurry, "Then I'll leave the car for you!"
Yaoguang did not look back.
Seeing this, Zhang Qing had no choice but to drive away obediently.
Yet he did not go home.
Instead, he waited near the border checkpoint.
After all, the channel the two of them had used to cross the border was not entirely legitimate.
Chapter 12