Chapter 424: Chapter 424

Sang Ning had no idea where the other three had hidden themselves. She crept cautiously through the Banana Forest, circling most of it. She was fortunate enough not to run into the armed thugs, but also didn’t encounter her own people—aside from Lu Yujing, who was relentlessly tailing her like a persistent ghost.

It seemed everyone’s survival instincts were quite strong; at the very least, no one had been caught by the enemy yet.

But this stalemate couldn’t go on forever. The Banana Forest wasn’t that big; a full circuit would take only around fifteen minutes. She might not run into anyone in this fifteen minutes, but the next fifteen? That’d be hard to guarantee.

"Sang Ning, wait for me, wait for me!" Lu Yujing stuck close to Sang Ning’s heels, keeping her voice low as she called out repeatedly, terrified that if she looked away for even a second, Sang Ning might slip away.

Sang Ning couldn’t take it anymore and stopped abruptly, turning around. "Lady, do you think you’re bulletproof or something? Can you keep it down?"

Lu Yujing fell silent but reached out and grabbed the hem of Sang Ning’s clothing, making it impossible for Sang Ning to shake her off.

Sang Ning, who was immensely sensitive about personal boundaries, despised any physical contact from others. She swatted Lu Yujing’s hand away forcefully—only for Lu Yujing to grab her again each time. Swat, grab; swat, grab.

The two continued this increasingly frantic tug-of-war, rustling the surrounding banana leaves noisily. Deciding it wasn’t worth the risk of exposure, Sang Ning gave up the struggle.

Sang Ning marched ahead, clearing the path, while Lu Yujing clung to her hem like a lifeline.

As they pushed forward, sporadic gunfire occasionally rang out in the Banana Forest, abrupt and jarring. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net

Sang Ning flinched in alarm each time the sudden gunshots echoed. These bastards—experts at playing on her nerves.

This cat-and-mouse game had dragged on for what felt like half a century. Sang Ning’s eyelid twitched violently with an ominous premonition.

[If you all don’t hurry up, you might as well come collect my corpse directly!]

Sang Ning messaged Zhou Rui, whose reply arrived instantly: [Almost there, trust me!]

Sang Ning felt she was the one who was "almost there"—almost dead, that is. Too annoyed to keep moving, she decided to sit down, take a breather, and survey the situation.

How pathetic were these thugs to still not have found them after all this time?

Sang Ning was in the middle of mentally complaining, but the irony of life is that the more you think something won’t happen, the more likely it will.

Just as she was about to sit, Lu Yujing let out a piercing scream.

Sang Ning turned slowly and saw a cold gun barrel pressed against Lu Yujing’s temple.

A man wearing a black mask that revealed only his eyes and one nostril pointed the gun at Lu Yujing while making a throat-slitting gesture with his hand. His voice was deliberate and slow: "Game—over—."

Classic villains—they talk too much. Sang Ning silently thanked this guy for taking the time to taunt them.

"B-big... Big Brother, it’s this woman who hurt your brothers! Please, I beg you, deal with her and spare me, alright?" Lu Yujing stammered, trembling so hard her face had drained of all its color.

"Do you think I’m giving you a face to save?" Sang Ning snarled, delivering a powerful slap to Lu Yujing, sending her sprawling to the ground.

The slap came so swiftly that the thug didn’t even see it coming. Instinctively, his head jerked to one side as Sang Ning’s palm sliced through the air.

Taking advantage of his split-second reaction, Sang Ning lunged, seizing his gun.

She didn’t bother fighting him hand-to-hand. She already knew these men were terrifyingly strong. If she could knock him out, great; if not, she’d be the one on the ground instead.

Where Sang Ning excelled was in speed and agility. Gun now in hand, she aimed the barrel at the thug’s abdomen. "Don’t move!"

Bullets were far harder than fists. The tables turned instantly, and the thug, who moments ago had been cocky, was now docile, raising his hands in surrender without a shred of dignity.

The thug stammered nervously, his voice tense as he pleaded. Sang Ning’s lips curled into a mocking smile.

How poetic, she thought—now they’re begging her to calm down.

"Sorry, I can’t calm down." Sang Ning shot him a polite smile, her eyes steady as she pulled the trigger.

The gunshot and a muffled groan occurred almost simultaneously, and the thug collapsed clutching his abdomen, blood spilling between his fingers.

Lu Yujing was dumbstruck, her jaw practically unhinged in shock.

The sheer brutality left her frozen, and for a moment she forgot the slap revenge she’d vowed against Sang Ning. Instead, she cupped her hands over her mouth, horror-stricken. "Y-you... you killed him!"

It wasn’t a question; it was a statement.

Sang Ning nudged the thug with her foot as he writhed weakly on the ground.

Sang Ning nodded in approval: "Still squirming? Looks like you’re pretty lively."

Then she turned to Lu Yujing. "Stop screaming. I didn’t hit anything vital. Patch him up and he’ll survive."

At that moment, Sang Ning actually felt grateful for Qin Jiaxiang’s rigorous training. It had introduced her to guns and taught her how to aim without killing outright.

That shot? It was non-negotiable.

These thugs were vicious, practically terrorists in her eyes. Showing mercy to them was out of the question.

Especially with Lu Yujing dragging her down. If she let the thug live, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t ambush them from behind as soon as they got out.

Sure, Sang Ning could handle herself—she had skills and a gun. But what about Lu Yujing, a delicate rich girl whose best survival skill was probably pirouetting out of harm’s way?

Sang Ning reasoned that if she didn’t shoot now, she’d only end up shooting later when Lu Yujing’s life was on the line. Better to eliminate the risk upfront.

Sang Ning saw no need to explain this to Lu Yujing—that this shot had been for her sake.

As a Chinese, it was ingrained in Sang Ning that no matter how divided they might be amongst themselves, when faced with foreign enemies, every gun should unify in aim. Lu Yujing’s betrayal had left her bitter, but Sang Ning couldn’t bring herself to act against her own principles.

She would save any Chinese person, even an enemy. Worst-case scenario, she’d simply finish them off herself later—but not while they were under her watch. No Chinese would be allowed to suffer at the hands of such terrorists.

The commotion from Sang Ning’s shot was too loud. The remaining thugs, who were still searching for them, immediately pinpointed their location and laid down heavy machine gun fire as they advanced.

Sang Ning had initially planned to leave, but suddenly changed her mind.

She handed a gun to Lu Yujing while dragging the shot thug up from the ground. Ignoring his injuries, she threatened him, promising to "pop another bullet" if he didn’t comply.

Sang Ning forced the thug to endure his pain and act as their human shield, demanding he call out to his comrades and tell them to stop firing.

Still, stray bullets zipped through the banana leaves, narrowly missing them. Sang Ning, unflinching, used the thug as cover each time.

Finally, the thug, pushed to his breaking point, erupted in furious indignation: "You damn Old Liu—retreat! Retreat! Retreat!"