Chapter 102

### Chapter 102: Where Are You Taking Me? (Third Update) Inside the police station, Officer Xiao Wang was anxiously taking Su Qi's emergency call. From the voice on the other end, it was clear she was a young girl who had barely seen the world. Her voice trembled with panic. Xiao Wang couldn't fathom what kind of psychological trauma such a girl would face if she fell into the wrong hands. However, Xiao Wang started to recall the scene she described. "A very, very large tree?" Even in his urgency, Xiao Wang realized this clue wasn't much help. Instead of being an actual lead, it felt more like solving a riddle. Where exactly was this place she described? "Please don't panic. Look around and see if you can spot any distinctive buildings or street signs. Store names would work too," Xiao Wang calmly advised Su Qi. Upon hearing the officer's words, Su Qi instinctively raised her head to look around. But as soon as she looked up, she saw Lin Hao leaning over her. With the light behind him, Su Qi couldn't make out his expression. At this moment, still seated on the ground, Lin Hao's figure appeared even more imposing and menacing from her vantage point. Terrified, Su Qi’s delicate hand lost its grip on her phone, which then fell to the ground. Hearing this sound, Xiao Wang sensed trouble. He signaled the tech team to trace Su Qi’s phone to pinpoint her location. Speaking aloud now might agitate the perpetrator, prompting him to harm the caller. Thus, Xiao Wang stayed silent. With a 'thud,' the phone hit the ground, causing a crack to form in the already fractured screen. Nevertheless, the Huawei phone was durable enough not to shut off, and the call continued uninterrupted. Xiao Wang on the other end waited silently until a voice came through, "Don't come any closer!" Lin Hao had leaned down, intending to apprehend Su Qi directly. Yet, seeing her dust-covered, fair hands guarding her hood and her small legs inching back, he hesitated. Her motion had soiled her green sweatpants with dust and dirt. In a sharp, non-disguised voice, she repeated, "Don't come any closer!" Seeing that neither of her hands held a weapon, Lin Hao relaxed, opting not to use any forceful tactics. Just then, a voice came through from the phone on the ground. "We have located your position. Do not harm the hostage. Do not harm the hostage." Lin Hao was momentarily stunned. Wasn’t that Officer Xiao Wang from the police station? As a police officer himself, Lin Hao often coordinated with Xiao Wang for emergencies, resulting in a familiar rapport between them over time. Picking up the phone, Lin Hao said, "Everything's fine now. It's me, Lin Hao." Recognizing the voice, Xiao Wang felt a wave of relief. "Good thing you arrived in time. Is the young girl okay?" Xiao Wang asked, still marveling at Lin Hao’s dedication, attending to this matter even on his day off. Looking at the frightened Su Qi, who was at a safe distance, Lin Hao responded, "She's fine!" After a few more precautions and reassurances, Xiao Wang ended the call. Seeing Lin Hao chatting harmlessly with the police on her phone, Su Qi felt utterly terrified. Scenes from movies about crackdowns on crime flashed through her mind. Shadowy, omnipotent figures controlling both the underworld and the authorities. In Su Qi's mind, the bear-like figure before her was such a figure, and she was the innocent victim. Watching Lin Hao approach, regret filled Su Qi. She had planned to enjoy a day out with her friends An Ning and Wang Zi Jing. Why did she now face being captured by such a powerful underworld force? If only she hadn't gazed around curiously, she wouldn't have drawn the attention of this second-generation criminal elite. As his large hand extended towards her, panicked, Su Qi blurted out a line from a TV drama: "The darkness will pass, and light will come. Evil never prevails over good. You will face retribution for this!" No sooner had she spoken than regret surged within her. This was clearly a line spoken by background characters who never survived long in dramas! Would the anniversary of today mark her untimely death at the hands of a ruthless and cruel villain? Sometimes, it is not the enemy that is strong but our own overactive imagination that deifies the enemy. Su Qi was a prime example of this. Moreover, she didn't realize that had it been a true criminal encountering such a vulnerable beauty, they wouldn't let her die so easily. Increasingly despondent, her wide eyes filled with misty tears, though she barely managed to hold them back with the last remnants of her pride. Hearing Su Qi's dramatized declaration, Lin Hao stopped his hand midair. He thought the person in front of him was being overly dramatic. If he truly were a bad guy, he'd have already silenced her with a couple of punches. Reality is far different from TV dramas. Her voice suggested a young girl, and Lin Hao imagined her as rather cute. Such a girl, struck even once, would probably cry for ages. Meanwhile, Lin Hao's girlfriend, Guo Huangting, had discerned from the rise and fall of Su Qi's chest when she collapsed that this was indeed a young girl. Blame it all on her too-suspicious hoodie and hood. It was more suspicious not to be paranoid about her. Unexpectedly, the young girl was indeed so easily frightened. Guo Huangting moved Lin Hao aside with a smile, noticing Su Qi trembling slightly. Seeing a girl approach, Su Qi's escape plan darkened further. She couldn't handle even one of them, let alone two. The system within Su Qi remained speechless. It had no idea where to begin its critique. Why did merely glancing around the streets spark such a chain of events, even involving the police? Could Su Qi have a crisis-attracting constitution? Yet, perceiving no hostile intent from the two individuals in front of her, the system refrained from alerting her. Slowly, Guo Huangting flipped Su Qi’s green hood back behind her. Both she and Lin Hao were momentarily stunned. Before them, Su Qi appeared deeply wronged, her teary eyes wide and darting, rimmed red with anxiety. Her thick brows furrowed in fear as she bit her lip, her small chin trembling, close enough for Guo Huangting to see. She resembled a small, pitiful creature, tugging at Guo Huangting’s heartstrings. Tenderly, Guo Huangting rubbed Su Qi’s back. Each touch increased Su Qi's panic, bringing more crime-drama scenes to mind. With despair, she asked, "Where are you going to sell me?" Guo Huangting: .... Lin Hao: .... The two of them stared at the girl huddled on the ground, holding her knees in a weak, pitiful, and helpless expression. Could this be a side effect of watching too many TV dramas? (Dear readers, the official release is imminent. I hope you'll lend your ample support. Today features three updates.)