<Qiao Ying> told them the exact locations of these bases and asked them to go over directly with their people and lie in ambush there.
<Cheng Jinyan> and <Nigeria> had sent people with weapons there a while ago, lying in wait for <Qiao Ying> to recover before letting them take action, blowing up as many <Dark Shadow> bases as possible to severely weaken <Dark Shadow>'s power and leave the <Dark Shadow> leader with nowhere to hide when the time came.
Although they were passive now, these preparations had not been in vain.
The exact location of the "Gate of Death" had also been found out.
There were several other bases they had their eyes on. Whether or not the people could be rescued in the end, whether she could make it out alive or not, <Qiao Ying> didn't want to let <Dark Shadow> off easily - every base destroyed would be one less burden on their backs.
<Qiao Ying> said to <Cheng Jinyan>, "New Delhi is in your hands."
<Qiao Ying>: "<Ye Si>, go to <Nigeria>."
Then she turned to the <Xu> brothers: "Please go to <Canberra>, there will be people there to meet you."
"Qin Hanyue, Poland," she said finally, looking at <Qin Hanyue>.
No matter what <Qiao Ying> said, <Ye Si> simply didn't want to go rescue those unrelated people.
But <Qiao Ying> had made it very clear that this wasn't just about rescuing people, <Dark Shadow> had to be destroyed too.
<Qiao Ying> marked all the big and small <Dark Shadow> bases she and <Moon Shadow> knew of on the map, detailing their exact locations and informing them about the situation in each base.
<Qiao Ying>: "Regardless of whether the people can be rescued or not, whether I live or die in the end, please help me blow up as many bases as you can five days from now."
They probably wouldn't be able to destroy all of <Dark Shadow>'s bases, which was a great pity, but if she could kill JOKER, everything would fall apart.
Unless absolutely necessary, <Dark Shadow> wouldn't make a move on <Ye Si>, <Cheng Jinyan> and <Qin Hanyue>. <Dark Shadow> only wanted them out of the way, which put <Qiao Ying> a little more at ease about their safety.
<Qiao Ying> made all the arrangements that night.
Early next morning, the <Xu> brothers set off first.
<Cheng Jinyan> was also getting ready to leave.
He held <Qiao Ying> in his arms. "Me and <Ye Si> have lost you once already. Don't let there be a second time."
"<Qin Hanyue> said he'd treat me to drinks at his wedding, I didn't really want to go at first, but now I do."
<Qiao Ying>: "He sure talks big. Didn't you hit him for it?"
<Cheng Jinyan> laughed. "I was going to make a move but he said something even more outrageous. I was afraid <Ye Si> would hear us and shoot him dead."
<Qiao Ying>: "Even more outrageous? What did he say?"
<Cheng Jinyan>: "I'll tell you after we've dealt with <Dark Shadow>."
<Qiao Ying>: "Be careful."
<Cheng Jinyan>: "I've already talked it over with <Ye Si>. If you put in a few good words for me, he'll listen."
He patted her gently on the back. "Take care."
<Qiao Ying> didn't go looking for <Ye Si>. She stayed in her room until late at night when there were less than four days left before the deadline set by the <Dark Shadow> leader. <Ye Si>, who seemed to be silently protesting by not leaving his room, took the initiative to come looking for her.
<Qin Hanyue> happened to come upstairs at that moment and ran right into <Ye Si> on his way to see <Qiao Ying>.
The two men's gazes clashed silently in the corridor.
<Ye Si> went into <Qiao Ying>'s room.
<Qin Hanyue> headed back downstairs to wait in the living room.
<Ye Si> was the hardest one to persuade. He wouldn't bend no matter how hard or soft the approach, and usually listened to everything <Qiao Ying> said. But this time, it clearly wouldn't be so easy to talk him round.
No one knew what <Qiao Ying> said to him, but she somehow managed to get him to agree in the end.
Not long after <Ye Si> left, <Qiao Ying> received a video call from <Huo Chengdong>.
<Huo Chengdong> had just been moved from the ICU to a regular ward after regaining consciousness less than 10 hours ago.
In the video, <Huo Chengdong> was lying in a luxurious hospital room with injuries on his face, his surgically treated head wrapped in gauze, one leg in a plaster cast while the other leg, swathed in bandages, was held up high. Both his hands were also injured. <Huo Jingyue> was holding up the phone for him.
As soon as <Huo Chengdong> saw <Qiao Ying>, he started wailing in a hoarse voice, "Sis Qiao...my car..."
<Huo Chengdong> was trying his best to keep a straight face so as not to hurt himself by making any big expressions and exacerbate his injuries.
<Qiao Ying>: "I'll get you a new one."
<Huo Chengdong>: "I don't want any other car, I want the Koenigsegg."
<Qiao Ying>: "I'll find one just like it."
<Huo Chengdong>: "Okay then."
<Huo Chengdong>: "Sis Qiao, where are you now? Your cheap mom and sister got kidnapped. You're not gonna go rescue them, are you?"
"Don't go. Just report it to the police. If that doesn't work, get <Qin Hanyue> to go look for them." If it wasn't <Joe Yi>'s birth mom and sister, <Huo Chengdong> wouldn't even suggest sending <Qin Hanyue>.
"It'd be so not worth it if something happened to you because of those two. You can make it up to little brother in the future."
<Huo Chengdong> babbled on at the screen, suddenly scrutinizing his own image. "How did I get so ugly?"
<Huo Chengdong>'s expression was pained.
He looked ready to cry at how ugly he found himself.
"All my hair is gone, shaved clean off. How am I supposed to show my face looking like this? I have wounds on my face too. I'm not going to be disfigured, am I?"
"Sis Qiao, tell me who those people are. I'll send my men to capture them alive and cripple them! How dare they crash into me and leave me like this!"
His sister <Huo Jingyue> was uncharacteristically gentle. "Your hair will grow back and if you're disfigured we can fix it. I'll find the best doctors for you."
But her comfort didn't comfort him one bit.
<Qiao Ying>: "You look fine."
<Huo Jingyue> turned the phone around and asked, "<Joe>, Grandpa asked me to ask if you know who those people were."
As the sole heir to the <Huo> family, <Huo Chengdong> was doted on by Grandpa <Huo> despite the occasional scoldings and beatings. With his precious grandson injured like this, Grandpa <Huo> had no intention of letting the perpetrators off even if they hadn't been targeting <Huo Chengdong>.
<Qiao Ying>: "I'll avenge <Huo Chengdong> myself so he didn't get hurt for nothing. Please don't trouble the <Huo> family to take action."
Finally, <Qiao Ying> said to <Huo Chengdong>, "Little Master <Huo>, thank you for helping my brother."
<Huo Chengdong>: "Don't be so formal with me, Sis Qiao... I'm suffering enough as it is..."
<Qiao Ying> smiled.
After 9pm, <Qin Hanyue> walked in, followed by a robot.
As <Qiao Ying> turned around, <Qin Hanyue> pulled her into his arms.
<Qiao Ying>: "Leaving now?"
<Qin Hanyue>: "Yes."
<Qiao Ying>: "Any last words?"
<Qin Hanyue>: "Lots. I'll tell you when you get back."
<Qiao Ying>: "Suit yourself."
<Qin Hanyue>: "Will you reassure me with a few words?"
<Qiao Ying>, being uncharacteristically obliging, said, "Since you want to hear it so much, I'll say something."
<Qin Hanyue>: "I'm listening."
Words of comfort flowed readily from <Qiao Ying>'s lips. "I promise I'll come back alive for you to see me in person, and not as a corpse."
<Qin Hanyue> smiled, somewhat disdainfully. "That didn't sound sincere at all." But he was still somewhat reassured. "But it did make me feel more at ease."
He continued, "Are you going to keep your hands in your pockets and not hug me back?"
<Qiao Ying>: "So troublesome."
But her hands did come out to hug him back, and they held each other for a long time, reluctant to let go of this final intimacy.
<Qin Hanyue> nestled his face into the crook of her neck and whispered in her ear, "Do you still remember what I said about my mother asking someone to read my fortune?"
<Qiao Ying> teased him, "Is Mr. <Qin> going to ask someone to interpret my horoscope?"
<Qin Hanyue>: "My mother firmly believes in these things, especially after meeting you." <Miss Joe> had better not disappoint the old lady." You still owe my parents a meal. You promised."
<Qiao Ying> smiled slightly. Her agreement came readily.
Having obtained her promise, <Qin Hanyue> reluctantly let her go.
<Qiao Ying> patted the robot's head and said to <Qin Hanyue>, "I'll wait for you to come find me."
<Qin Hanyue>'s gaze was resolute. "I definitely will find you."
<Qiao Ying> also told the robot, "Keep an eye on him for me and don't let him run around recklessly."
Robot: "Understood, wifey."
<Qin Hanyue>: "I'm leaving first then. Let me know when you set off."
<Qiao Ying>: "Okay."
<Qin Hanyue> took one last lingering look at her, then left with the robot. He took two steps backwards, his eyes full of reluctance and worry.
She stood there watching him.
He bowed his head slightly, turned around, and walked out.
Suddenly <Qiao Ying> called out, "<Qin Hanyue>!"
<Qin Hanyue> turned back to find her already in his arms.
He immediately wrapped his arms tightly around her and lowered his head to respond to her kiss.
