Chapter Five: Eruption

Just then...

A piercing scream erupted from Old Fourth’s mouth, followed by the hulking figure—six-foot-one, powerfully built—of Old Fourth being sent flying from Kang Ning’s body, landing heavily five paces away in a cloud of dust. Upon hitting the ground, Old Fourth clutched his groin, curling in agony, rolling about as if he couldn’t catch his breath.

After launching Old Fourth with a sudden, forceful kick, Kang Ning spun and rolled toward Chen Junhua, half-kneeling before the stunned man, and delivered a swift, explosive punch. With a heavy thud, Chen Junhua was knocked off his feet, sent flying three meters backward.

Without sparing him a glance, Kang Ning sprang up and advanced on Lan Tao, who was hastily retreating while fumbling for his pistol. In an instant, Kang Ning darted in, both hands forming a loop to trap Lan Tao’s gun hand. With a deft twist, he dislocated Lan Tao’s elbow, then drove his right elbow mercilessly into Lan Tao’s jaw. The burly Lan Tao was hurled two meters away, crashing into the trunk of a large banyan tree before coming to a halt.

Kang Ning whirled around, eyes sharp and wary, fixing his gaze on Xiao Liu in the distance. Xiao Liu, clutching a heavy chunk of concrete, stood frozen five meters away, clearly petrified by Kang Ning’s vicious, lightning-fast counterattack—he had never imagined that the seemingly half-dead Kang Ning could rise again and, in less than ten seconds, overpower three grown men without giving them a chance to fight back.

As Kang Ning, his face smeared with blood and grime, approached step by step, Xiao Liu trembled all over. His grip loosened, and the heavy concrete block crashed down on his own left foot. With a howl of pain, Xiao Liu collapsed, clutching his foot and rolling on the ground. Facing Kang Ning, who crouched beside him, he broke down, sobbing and begging, “Please, don’t kill me! It was Lan Tao and our chief who made me do it! Please, don’t kill me... please... waah—”

Kang Ning drew a deep breath and slapped Xiao Liu hard, the sound crisp and clear. “Tell me—did you kill Zhen Qian?” Another sharp slap followed.

“It wasn’t me... please, stop hitting me, please... it was our chief who forced me...” Xiao Liu buried his face in his chest, curling up into a ball, wailing at the top of his lungs.

At last, Kang Ning understood the conspiracy! He spat a mouthful of bloody phlegm in contempt, then stood and walked to the unconscious Old Fourth. He bent to check his pulse, then removed the man’s belt and used it to bind him tightly. After confirming the knots were secure, Kang Ning went to the still-writhing Chen Junhua, crouched down, and similarly tied his hands behind his back with his belt. Noticing the pistol and holster that had fallen beside Chen Junhua, Kang Ning hesitated, then wisely kicked the pistol aside, away from reach. He surmised that Chen Junhua would never be able to pursue women again in this lifetime.

Glancing around, Kang Ning saw Lan Tao still slumped motionless against the banyan tree. Anger surged through him once more. He simply couldn’t fathom what had driven the mayor’s son to seek such ruthless revenge, prompting him to step forward and demand, “Tell me, what have I done to offend you? Why did you want me dead? Speak!”

“If you don’t talk, don’t blame me for what I’ll do next!” Kang Ning clenched his fist as he spoke. Just as he was about to strike, he suddenly noticed something odd in Lan Tao’s eyes. Alarmed, Kang Ning stepped closer. The man’s eyes stared blankly upward, lifeless as a dead fish; his thick lips were grotesquely parted, his purple tongue lolling halfway out of his mouth.

Startled, Kang Ning leapt back, then cautiously approached again, examining the scene in the dawn light. He discovered that Lan Tao’s head was pressed against the tree, and a large iron spike had been driven into the back of his skull.

Kang Ning stood rooted to the spot in confusion, until several early-morning vegetable vendors arrived, snapping him out of his daze. Patting his pockets, he realized his phone was missing, so he quickly unbuckled Lan Tao’s belt and retrieved his mobile. He punched in three digits: 110.

“Is this 110? My name is Kang Ning. I was kidnapped and brought to Qingshan Xinyuan Road... yes, that’s the new residential district under construction... Here’s what happened: I subdued my kidnappers. One of them is Chen Junhua, chief of the Lakeside Police Station, and—”

“Wait, who did you say?” The female dispatcher, previously calm and unhurried, now sounded alarmed.

Kang Ning swallowed his parched throat and answered, “Chen Junhua! The chief of Lakeside Police Station, and another officer surnamed Liu. The other two are Lan Tao, and one I don’t know!”

The dispatcher was clearly stunned, falling silent for a long moment before urgently instructing him, “Stay at the scene and don’t go anywhere. We’ll be there at once.”

Kang Ning sighed lightly as he looked at the disconnected phone. Raising his head, he realized a crowd had already gathered around the tree, every pair of eyes fixed on him with fear and bewilderment. Oblivious to his own battered, bloodstained face and singed eyebrows and hair, Kang Ning looked up and announced loudly, “Everyone, please stay out of the shade of the tree. The police will be here soon.”

The crowd swelled, voices rising in a clamor of exclamations and whispered speculation. An elderly farmer at the front plucked up his courage to ask, “Young man, I heard screams early this morning, knew something was wrong. Are you a policeman? How did you end up like this?”

Kang Ning forced a smile. “Uncle, I’m not a policeman. I’m a doctor at the affiliated hospital of the medical college. My name is Kang Ning. These people kidnapped me and brought me here.”

A wave of astonishment rippled through the crowd, most unable to believe their ears. As they gazed at the three men Kang Ning had trussed up on the ground and the terrifying sight of Lan Tao impaled on the tree, rumors swirled—some said, “That man’s dead, skewered on the nail Old Wang the barber uses for his mirror,” others murmured, “That young man’s badly hurt.” Many pointed at the two pistols on the ground, exchanging questions and doubts, their eyes finally settling in confusion on Kang Ning, who was sitting on the curb.

At that moment, a ragged eight- or nine-year-old beggar pointed at Kang Ning and declared, “He’s telling the truth! I saw everything—I was sleeping behind those chicken cages.”

The crowd followed the boy’s finger to the row of bamboo chicken cages by the wall. Several people pressed him for details.

Impatiently, the little beggar waved them off. “Stop asking! The four men drove up in that car, dragged this man out, kicked and beat him. The one under the tree even burned his face with a lighter and tried to smash his leg with a rock. But this uncle’s amazing—when he woke up, he beat all the bad guys in a flash. I couldn’t even see how he did it... I also heard the short one say the chief made him do it... That’s all I know.”

As the wail of sirens approached, the little beggar slipped away through the crowd and vanished.

Realizing too late that he had lost a vital witness, Kang Ning sprang to his feet and searched desperately for the boy, but it was already over. More than a dozen police cars had surrounded the scene, and four towering officers blocked Kang Ning, grabbed his hands, and led him to a car, shutting the door behind him. After a brief questioning by a middle-aged officer, Kang Ning was handcuffed and ordered sent immediately to the nearest southern precinct for processing.

As the police led him away, Kang Ning called out, “Officer, listen to me—a little beggar saw everything that happened last night. He’s nearby. You must find him!”

The officer turned back, his tone severe. “How old is this beggar? What does he look like?”

“About eight or nine—a little boy. His face was so dirty I couldn’t make out his features... Oh, and he carried an old, worn army satchel.” Kang Ning racked his brain, describing the boy as best he could.

The officer signaled the driver, and the police car switched on its siren, racing toward the city.