Chapter Seventy-Four: The Bandit Woman

On his solitary bike ride home, Zhang Wenhao’s mind was still turning over the conversation he’d just had with Song Yanni during dinner. He had always assumed that Song Yanni cared so much about Class 21 and about him because she was looking to further her career at First High School in the future. He hadn’t expected to learn that Song Yanni was only interning in River City for half a year, and would be leaving after the college entrance exams. After hearing her story, Zhang Wenhao found himself even more eager for his own future in Yanjing. He had once thought he would be a stranger in a strange land, but now he could be sure that both Su Ruoran and Song Yanni would be there by the time he arrived. If his cousin Zhang Ranran did well on her exams, she too would almost certainly end up in Yanjing.

It was already past ten at night. As Zhang Wenhao pedaled past a street-facing apartment building, a woman clad in tight black clothing suddenly burst from the exit of the underground garage. She ran swiftly, heading straight for the road—toward Zhang Wenhao. As she ran, she deftly pulled a red trench coat from a plastic bag and slipped it on without missing a step. The movements were fluid and unbroken, and with her striking figure, sleek black hair, and fitted attire, the woman’s graceful urgency was enough to catch the eye of any passerby.

Zhang Wenhao didn’t get a clear look at her face, as he was riding fast and quickly passed her by. He hadn’t even had time to feel regret when suddenly, someone leapt onto the back seat of his bike, making it much harder to pedal.

He glanced back and, catching a flash of red in his peripheral vision, said in surprise, “Ma’am, this isn’t a taxi.”

“Shut up,” the woman barked in a low voice. Zhang Wenhao immediately felt a hard, cylindrical object press against his waist. The woman’s tone turned threatening: “Just keep riding. Don’t look back. Faster!”

In that instant, Zhang Wenhao realized the object pressing into his waist was a handgun. His heart raced in shock, but recalling how the woman had just sprinted out of the underground garage and changed her attire in a heartbeat, he couldn’t help but speculate about her identity. A young woman, armed, seemingly in trouble and using him as a means of escape—was she a cop, a criminal, or perhaps an assassin?

Just then, four or five men in black suits burst out of the garage and ran to the roadside, momentarily losing sight of their target. One shouted, “Split up and find her! Don’t let her get away!”

Instinctively, they were searching for a woman in black on the street, so even though they caught a glimpse of Zhang Wenhao’s passenger, now dressed in red, they paid her little mind.

Another man retrieved a black plastic bag from the ground, pulled out a red belt that belonged to the trench coat, and handed it to the leader. “Boss, look at this.”

“Damn it!” The boss looked in the direction of the flash of red they’d just seen, but by now, Zhang Wenhao had already ridden more than a hundred meters away. The man whipped out a silenced pistol and fired three shots at Zhang Wenhao, but, seeing that he’d missed, turned and yelled at his companions, “Get the car!”

Zhang Wenhao only vaguely caught what was happening behind him. With the woman’s gun pressed into his back, he had no choice but to pedal for his life. Hero or not, there was nothing to be done when someone had a gun to your back. Still, he sensed that the woman bore him no real malice—if he helped her get out of this mess, she likely wouldn’t make things difficult for him.

He hadn’t heard the shots, but suddenly a trash can by the roadside was struck, the impact of a bullet leaving a dent the size of a fist and a hole as thick as a finger.

A cold sweat broke out on Zhang Wenhao’s back, but he muttered under his breath, “What lousy aim.”

“Are you familiar with this city?” the woman suddenly asked from behind him.

“Yes,” Zhang Wenhao replied, nodding. River City was his hometown; he’d grown up here, and could make his way around blindfolded.

“Head for Jiangquan Road. Don’t take the main streets—use alleys too narrow for cars. And hurry, because if those men catch up, we’re both as good as dead!”

Zhang Wenhao felt a wave of frustration. “Look, ma’am, I’m just a high school student. Why don’t I give you my bike and let you go on your way? I still have homework to do when I get home.”

“Cut the crap!” the woman snarled. “Go any slower and I’ll shoot you and go by myself!”

Damn, this woman was vicious—she was like a female bandit! Zhang Wenhao fumed inwardly. What had he done to deserve this? He’d only gone out for dinner with his homeroom teacher, and before he could even make it home, he was being held at gunpoint by some woman. What kind of luck was this?

Still, with his life on the line, Zhang Wenhao dared not slack off. If those men caught them, he’d be doomed as well.

He knew the area intimately. As soon as the woman finished speaking, he suddenly turned into a residential compound. She immediately questioned him: “Where are you going now?”

He replied, “If we cut through this complex, there’s an alley on the other side that leads to Jianshe Road. Cross Jianshe and a few more alleys, and we’ll reach Jiangquan Road. There are concrete barriers at the alley entrance on Jianshe—barely a meter wide, no way a car can get through.”

“Then you’d better hurry!” she urged. “If they catch up before we reach the alley, we’re both dead!”

“Come on!” Zhang Wenhao retorted, “They’re so far behind, there’s no way they’ll know we came into this complex!”

“No more talking—just go faster!”

Zhang Wenhao was stifled but had no choice. He put everything into pedaling as fast as he could. After training in body-strengthening techniques, his power and stamina were greatly improved, and even after a long sprint, his legs weren’t the least bit tired. Motivated by fear for his life, he never slowed for a moment.

As he was about to cross Jianshe Road, a Mercedes SUV suddenly charged out of an alley behind them. The woman urged, “Hurry—they’re catching up!”

“How’s that possible!” Zhang Wenhao exclaimed, incredulous that the pursuers, so far behind, had somehow seen them enter the complex. Without caring about the traffic, he zipped across the six-lane Jianshe Road and dove into a narrow alley.

Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, the woman’s hand suddenly reached around and groped his crotch. The shock nearly made Zhang Wenhao lose control. “What are you doing?” he cried.

Being held at gunpoint was bad enough, but now the woman was grabbing his crotch—he was mortified. She noticed the bike wobble and jabbed him hard with the gun. “Don’t move!”

Zhang Wenhao was at a loss, unable to do anything as she searched him again. This time, she went further, reaching for his belt and trying to undo it. He didn’t dare resist, and could only let her pull his belt free. Just as he was worrying that she might do something worse, she withdrew her hand, taking the belt with her.

He felt the back seat shifting, not knowing what she was up to, but he dared not look back and focused on weaving through the dark alley. After some rustling, the woman warned him again, “You’d better go even faster—if they get around and block the exit, we’re finished.”

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