Chapter 127: Assassin vs. Bodyguard

"What? Luo Gao has fallen? This disaster, he couldn't have fallen sooner or later, but he has to fall at a time like this. What a jinx!" Upon hearing that Luo Gao had been swept into the political whirlpool, Cheng Liang was not only shocked but also furious. With Luo Gao gone, all the money he had spent on him had gone down the drain. He would now have to spend more money to grease the palms of the new government officials, and most importantly, the plot of land in Daliushu Village was now likely out of his reach.

It wasn't that he cared so much about the land itself; he simply wanted to teach Yang Tian and Zhang Xiuxiu a lesson, to show them that there was nothing he, Cheng Liang, could not obtain. Now, it seemed he would be the one mocked, and that was the source of his anger and madness.

"Yes, Lang Ping is now both the Municipal Party Secretary and the Mayor. Until a new mayor is appointed, he is the sole authority in Binhai City!" Old Li was equally distressed. Lang Ping had a good relationship with Yang Tian, and they had openly offended Yang Tian before. Now that Lang Ping held absolute power in Binhai City, would they still have a good life?

"Hmph, as the saying goes, money makes the mare go. I don't believe Lang Ping can't be bought!" Cheng Liang gave a confident smile, then gritted his teeth and said viciously, "I will find a way to get that land; no need to rush. That bitch Zhang Xiuxiu and Yang Tian are probably celebrating these past few days, likely bad-mouthing me. Hmph, if Young Master Cheng is having a hard time, they shouldn't expect an easy life either! Old Li, how is the task I gave you coming along?"

"Rest assured, Young Master Cheng, everything is arranged! Tonight, not only will you be able to torment them, but you will also play the hero saving the beauty. It's truly killing two birds with one stone!" Old Li smirked, and after hearing this, Cheng Liang chuckled along with him.

Deep into the night.

On Huangshan Road, the busiest street in Binhai City, the lights were as bright as glowing clouds.

However, the eastern side of Huangshan Road was the old town, where the lights were dim. By late night, there were basically no pedestrians, and it was pitch black and exceptionally cold.

Yet, this was the path Zhang Xiuxiu had to take to get home. She had a habit of going to the largest art school in Binhai City every night to practice dance to maintain her slim figure.

Her personal bodyguard, Xia Dong, was still following closely behind. The difference was that since Xia Dong had confessed his feelings to Zhang Xiuxiu, she had been very angry. Although she valued their history and kept him on because of his diligent service over the years, she had set a rule: he must keep his distance when they were together. So, as they walked, Zhang Xiuxiu would sway ahead, while Xia Dong followed about ten meters behind, constantly scanning left and right to guard against any sudden incidents.

Especially when they reached the eastern side of Huangshan Road, Xia Dong became extra cautious, listening intently to the slightest movement.

"Miss!" As they walked along the cold street, just as they were about to enter an alley, Xia Dong suddenly shouted to stop Zhang Xiuxiu. His professional bodyguard intuition told him something was about to happen.

"What now?" Zhang Xiuxiu retorted sharply. Ever since Xia Dong confessed, she had been very guarded against him.

"There seems to be a problem ahead. Let's take another route!" Xia Dong walked quickly to Zhang Xiuxiu and said urgently. He blamed himself; he had been lazy and didn't drive her car. Driving meant taking the main road and a detour, while cutting through this alley would get them to the Zhang family villa in minutes.

"A problem? What problem? Change routes? Xia Dong, are you trying to play some kind of trick again? I'm tired and want to go home and rest. If you want to change routes, do it yourself!" Zhang Xiuxiu grumbled before striding into the alley.

It wasn't that she was being malicious; it was just that whenever she thought about his feelings for her, she felt inexplicably nervous when they were alone.

Xia Dong didn't complain; he just followed nervously. He truly felt that something was wrong.

Sure enough, before Xia Dong could catch up to Zhang Xiuxiu, four men in black burst out from a Gold Cup van on her left. They were all masked and rushed forward, pinning Zhang Xiuxiu against the wall.

Seeing this, Xia Dong was shocked and rushed over to "protect the sovereign." Since bodyguards in the country were not allowed to carry guns, he quickly pulled a telescopic police baton from his waist—heavy at the front and light at the back, it was powerful in a fight.

*Whack!* Xia Dong was skilled and fast. With one strike, one man in black fell and couldn't get up. The other three were shocked, but they didn't let go of Zhang Xiuxiu because they were prepared; there were others specifically there to deal with Xia Dong.

Five more men emerged from the van. The one in the middle wore his hair long, and although masked, a long, deep scar on his left cheek was partially visible.

Seeing Xia Dong's skill, the scarred man showed a trace of smugness and disdain. After Xia Dong dealt with the four small fry attacking Zhang Xiuxiu, the scarred man made his move.

With a flying side kick, the scarred man sent Xia Dong crashing back toward Zhang Xiuxiu.

"Xia Dong, are you okay?" Zhang Xiuxiu asked nervously. Although she was wary of him, this was her fault. If she hadn't been so willful, they wouldn't have taken this path.

"Miss, I'll charge in to block them, you start running toward Huangshan Road. And call the police!" Xia Dong knew the scarred man was no ordinary opponent. If he wasn't mistaken, the man was a mercenary who had fought in the Vietnam War, so he urged Zhang Xiuxiu.

"You be careful too!" Zhang Xiuxiu said as she started running toward Huangshan Road, reaching for her phone to call the police.

"That bitch is trying to call the police, stop her!" A sinister voice came from the van, and three men in black immediately lunged at Zhang Xiuxiu, preventing her from dialing 110.

Xia Dong was tied up by the scarred man and couldn't break away. Fortunately, Zhang Xiuxiu wasn't slow-witted. At the moment the men snatched her phone, she pressed a speed-dial key—the one for Yang Tian.

In the ensuing chaos, the phone dropped to the ground, but it was sturdy and didn't break, and the call went through.

"What's up, Miss Zhang? What can I do for you so late?" On the other end, Yang Tian, who was sitting in front of his computer reading, picked up his phone lazily.

But to his surprise, after the call connected, there was no sound. It was definitely Zhang Xiuxiu's number, so why wasn't she speaking?

"Zhang Xiuxiu, say something! If you don't speak, I'm hanging up!" Yang Tian shouted impatiently. A moment later, he faintly heard the sounds of fighting. As a martial artist, he was sensitive to such noises, and he could conclude that there was a violent struggle on the other end.

Something had happened to Zhang Xiuxiu!

Yang Tian reacted quickly, shut down his computer, put on his shoes, and prepared to go out.

"Where are you going so late, Xiaotian?" Huang Juan, who had been whispering with Yang Xueling, asked anxiously.

"Oh, something came up at the internet cafe. I might not be back tonight. You two get some sleep!" Yang Tian said with a calm smile. He didn't want these two innocent girls to worry. He had intended to call Kong Lei immediately, but he wasn't sure if Zhang Xiuxiu was actually in trouble. If not, waking Kong Lei up in the middle of the night would make for an awkward conversation later.

"Something up so late? Make sure you find time to rest, or you'll be exhausted in class tomorrow!" Huang Juan said with concern.

"Yeah, don't worry, I'll rest. You two sleep early!" After giving a few instructions, Yang Tian hurried out.

Yang Tian knew about Zhang Xiuxiu's dance habit because she had been constantly pestering him to go watch her dance every night. He hadn't agreed, but she had used many tricks to lure him to the art school to see her.

Yang Tian checked his watch; this was the time she usually finished and headed home, so if something happened, it would be on her way back.

After a quick calculation, Yang Tian rode his bike and dashed toward Huangshan Road.

On Zhang Xiuxiu's side, the battle had escalated. Xia Dong's clothes were torn to shreds, and he was fighting shirtless against the scarred man.

The other thugs had surrounded Zhang Xiuxiu, preventing her from escaping.

In truth, this was Cheng Liang's plot. He had orchestrated this scene to dispose of Xia Dong first, then come in to ravage Zhang Xiuxiu.

Afterward, he would appear in his true form, playing the hero to save the beauty in a perfect finale. Seeing Xia Dong covered in blood and barely holding on, Cheng Liang, who was hiding in a nearby dark alley, couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Although he frequented brothels and had seen many high-class beauties, a woman as hot and stylish as Zhang Xiuxiu still made his heart race and his base desires surge.

*Whack!*

Although Xia Dong was gasping for air, he was a tough man. After the prolonged duel, he finally found an opening in the scarred man's defense and punched him hard in the left ribs, knocking him to the ground.

Seeing this, Zhang Xiuxiu's face lit up, but Cheng Liang and the men in black nearby were shocked, cursing the scarred man's incompetence.

The scarred man was furious. He stood up and pulled a black-red military dagger about a foot long from behind his back; the tip seemed to still have traces of old blood.

*Slash!*

The scarred man was skilled with the dagger. He quickly knocked the small police baton out of Xia Dong's hand and slashed, the tip plunging deep into Xia Dong's left arm.

Xia Dong didn't groan; he gritted his teeth and slammed his right fist into the scarred man's face, though it didn't cause much damage.

Zhang Xiuxiu was already crying out, while Cheng Liang and his men were smirking. This scarred man was a killer they had paid ten thousand yuan to hire from the Vietnam border. He had been a veteran of the Vietnam War who later became a fugitive after killing someone, turning into a hitman who would do anything for money.

*Vroom! Vroom!*

Just as the scarred man was about to plunge the dagger into Xia Dong's heart, the sound of a motorcycle approached from Huangshan Road, getting louder and louder. Soon, the high-beam light of the motorcycle shone onto the scene, blinding everyone.