Chapter Sixty-Six: Caught Off Guard (Part Two)

Five minutes later, the sound of wailing sirens announced the arrival of the police.

A police officer in his forties, who exuded a commanding presence, approached Kang Ning to understand the general situation. After briefly surveying the scene and asking a few questions, he assigned one officer to accompany Kang Ning in a Passat to the People's Hospital, while others remained to manage the scene and tend to the wounded.

On the way to the hospital, Kang Ning, having calmed down, remembered that Lu Jing’s brother-in-law, Gao Qinghua, served as the head inspector at the Bureau of Justice. Since Kang Ning had begun living with Lu Jing, Lu Jing’s sister, Lu Lin, and her husband, Gao Qinghua, had joined them for dinner several times. Though Kang Ning and Gao Qinghua had only met a few times, they shared a mutual respect. Given his complicated identity, Kang Ning politely asked the officer in the passenger seat to call Gao Qinghua.

As fate would have it, this deputy chief of the local precinct, a man in his thirties, happened to know Gao Qinghua. He smiled at Kang Ning, dialed Gao Qinghua’s mobile, and after the call, looked at Kang Ning with newfound warmth.

By the time Lu Jing was being admitted for examination, Gao Qinghua had hurried over. Upon seeing Kang Ning, he immediately inquired about the details before engaging in a serious discussion with the accompanying officers.

A little over ten minutes later, the four kidnappers, each with varying degrees of injury, were also brought to the hospital. Two of them, still conscious, refused to speak under questioning, putting on a brazen front that infuriated the hungry officers. If it weren’t for concerns about protocol, tempers might have flared on the spot.

After accompanying Kang Ning in signing the statement, Gao Qinghua exchanged a few pleasantries with the officers before pulling Kang Ning along to visit the now-awakened Lu Jing.

A middle-aged female doctor reported the examination results to them: “The patient is not in any real danger—just some external injuries and general weakness. A night of observation should suffice; she can be discharged once stable.”

“Thank you, Doctor!” Kang Ning expressed his gratitude before sitting at Lu Jing’s bedside. His heart ached at the sight of her swollen, delicate face, marred with purple-red fingerprints. Though the blood at the corner of her mouth had been wiped away, a small scab remained on her lip.

Upon seeing Kang Ning and Gao Qinghua at her bedside, Lu Jing broke down, weeping uncontrollably as she buried herself in Kang Ning’s arms. “I was so scared... I want to go home…”

Kang Ning held the trembling Lu Jing tightly, gently stroking her disheveled hair and soothing her with soft words. Witnessing Lu Jing’s reaction, Gao Qinghua’s goodwill toward Kang Ning deepened, as did his understanding of their relationship. Thanks to Gao Qinghua’s presence, the police did not trouble Kang Ning further, exchanging a few words before leaving.

Kang Ning suggested to the two doctors nearby, “Doctor, I think it might be better to bring Lu Jing home to recover in peace. It could help her heal faster.”

The two doctors exchanged glances and both nodded. The female doctor kindly explained, “Her injuries are minor, so she can go home if she prefers not to stay for observation. The wounds are not the main issue—it’s the psychological trauma. Going home may indeed aid her emotional recovery. We respect your decision.”

Back home, Kang Ning settled Lu Jing in and closed the bedroom door before returning to the living room to discuss the situation in detail with Gao Qinghua. “Brother Gao, today’s events happened so suddenly. It seems someone doesn’t want our workshop to operate smoothly.”

Gao Qinghua, already familiar with some of the workshop’s circumstances, agreed. “You’re right. Judging by what happened, these kidnappers came prepared. Now it depends on what the precinct’s interrogation uncovers. I’ll head over there myself to look into it. The deputy chief’s wife works in my department, so asking him for help shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Thank you so much, Brother Gao!” Kang Ning stood up in gratitude.

At the door, Gao Qinghua turned back with a smile. “I heard from the officers that your driving skills are impressive—you managed to sideswipe the kidnappers’ vehicle at a turn, sending it spinning. The force and angle were spot on. One of the men had his jaw shattered—was that from the crash?”

Kang Ning felt a pang of anxiety. He truly didn’t want to get into trouble for breaking the kidnapper’s jaw, so he quickly pleaded, “Brother Gao, I must trouble you again. In the heat of the moment, I may have been too forceful. I hope the police won’t come after me for it.”

“Haha, don’t worry. My old friend said he could come up with an excuse to cover for you. All right, I’d better go talk to the precinct. No need to see me out—stay here and take care of my sister. She clearly needs you now!” With that, Gao Qinghua strode down the stairs, and soon the sound of his car driving away echoed through the night.

After seeing Gao Qinghua off, Kang Ning called Uncle Wang at the workshop to explain Lu Jing’s situation and assure him that everything was under control. He also warned Uncle Wang to be vigilant and call the police if anything happened, and then phoned Lu Jing’s family to notify them.

Uncle Wang finally relaxed after receiving the call. He finished his dinner hastily, then began patrolling the workshop. At each spot with lights, he turned them all on, thoroughly checked the perimeter walls and main gate, and finally, exhausted, returned to his room, sighing deeply.

Soon, a drizzling winter rain began to fall. An hour later, puddles formed across the several hundred square meters of the workshop’s yard, their surfaces shimmering under the lights.

Uncle Wang left his small room, umbrella in one hand and flashlight in the other, for another round of inspection. Satisfied, he returned to his room, sat on his bed, covered his aching knees with a thick quilt, and placed his radio on his chest, listening to a program as he drifted into a half-sleep.

Uncle Wang knew he needed to nap around eleven or midnight, for after three or four in the morning, he would have to be especially alert. These days, even thieves were educated enough to understand the human body’s circadian rhythms.

Around four in the morning, the rumble of a diesel engine jerked Uncle Wang awake. He listened intently, then hurriedly threw on his coat, slipped into his cotton shoes, and ran to the back of the main gate, peering out through a crack.

No sooner had his eye reached the gap than he saw a massive, sturdy dump truck rapidly reversing toward him. With a thunderous crash, the truck slammed the gate open, flinging Uncle Wang four meters away. He had no time to cry out before he was hurled to the ground, rolling twice. His right arm broke, blood gushing from his head.

The dump truck, undeterred, kept roaring backward another five meters; its huge wheels instantly crushed Uncle Wang’s legs to pulp. He didn’t even have a chance to scream before he was swallowed by the billowing smoke.

Only then did the dump truck shift gears, screeching as it ground metal against metal. Amidst the exhaust’s thick smoke, it rumbled out the gate, once more running over Uncle Wang’s mangled remains, then turned onto the road and sped away.

Hardly had the dump truck left when a license-plate-less white minivan with twelve seats sped into the workshop. With a screech of brakes, seven or eight burly men poured out, brandishing iron rods and smashing the rows of vehicles parked for repair. The sounds of metal colliding and glass shattering rang out in a savage chorus.

After the rampage, the lookout at the gate spotted Uncle Wang, now little more than a half-body clinging to life, and ran into the yard in a panic, shouting, “Damn it, Turtle Er just ran over the old gatekeeper and cut him in half!”

“What? Someone got killed? I wanted to grab someone and beat the hell out of them to vent my anger! Smash! Smash with all your might! When we’re done, let’s go drink! Damn it, a little workshop got four of our guys sent to the hospital!”

When the destruction was over, the leader barked an order, and all the men piled into the van. He himself walked to the entrance, where the van had turned and now idled before the main gate. The leader glanced at Uncle Wang’s broken, blood-soaked body, kicked the old man’s twisted, still-moving arm twice, spat heavily, cursed, and finally got in the van. The van sped out the gate, turned onto the road, and vanished into the distance, trailing a spray of muddy water into the night…