139 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

Chen Wan had already rolled up Liu Zong's sleeve, removing the rubber tube from Zhao Jingjing's arm and fastening it to Liu Zong's wrist. He began to tremble all over. "What are you doing? No, please don't..." Chen Wan ignored Liu Zong's protests as the crimson liquid flowed steadily from the needle into his bloodstream. She continued without pause, drawing from the several vials on the table and injecting the contents into Liu Zong's arm one after another. "Please, I beg you, stop. Even one vial is a large dose; if you keep going, it'll kill me." The substance injected into him was already taking effect, leaving Liu Zong in a state of both excitement and pain. But Chen Wan did not stop. Had they not arrived in time, these substances would likely have been used on Zhao Jingjing. It was now clear why Zhao was in her current state. Released from her bonds by Jiang Yanxin and the others, Zhao Jingjing stumbled like a frightened deer into a corner beside the sofa, burying her head in her arms and shaking with cries as if terrified of something. Both Jiang Yanxin and Shen Mingyan hurried over to comfort her, but Zhao Jingjing resisted their attempts to touch her with a desperate push. They felt deep sympathy for Zhao Jingjing's plight. She was still only a teenager facing such dreadful circumstances, which fueled their hatred for Liu Zong, this greasy middle-aged man. With Liu Zong's cries ringing out, Chen Wan continued injecting the exhilarating substance into his veins until she had emptied all ten small vials from the table into his body. She finally stopped. "Don't you like injections? Enjoy them to your heart's content this time." Chen Wan's gaze was icy as she spoke. Liu Zong, caught between laughter and tears, seemed to undergo torture, impaled by a thousand knives yet swept away by waves of extreme euphoria. And soon, he succumbed to his frenzied state. Glancing at Zhao Jingjing, who was cowering in the corner, Chen Wan said, "Zhao Jingjing, your friend Qiao Shiru asked us to find you. Do you remember me? You were sick at the rest stop, and I gave you some cold medicine." "No, no, don't come near, ah..." The girl was deeply trapped in her world, waving her arms madly, ignoring everything Chen Wan and others tried to say to her. Chen Wan swiftly delivered a chop to the girl's shoulder, rendering her unconscious. She gently handed Zhao Jingjing over to Shen Mingyan, who was better suited to carry her due to her strength. Chen Wan caught a glance at Liu Zong and prepared to confront the Ming family brothers. As they stepped out of room 310, the head of the security team and his men rushed over. The group began shooting at Chen Wan and her companions. However, Athena effortlessly blocked all attacks with her shield. In the next moment, her shield's passive ability activated, turning all of the shooting guards into stone statues. While descending the stairs, Chen Wan and her group kicked open each door on the floor and dealt with any armed thugs they encountered. By the time they reached the first floor, the lobby was eerily empty save for a few intact stone figures. There was no time to linger. Over twenty minutes had passed since the time gate opened, and Chen Wan remarked to Jiang Yanxin, "Let's rest for a bit. We'll likely need our mental strength later on." Jiang Yanxin nodded and retracted her mental powers. They returned to the agreed meeting spot with Wei Siyu and the others, where they found Wei Siyu, the class leader, and Li Yue waiting for them. Seeing Chen Wan, Li Yue's emotions surged, and her eyes turned red. Despite the hardships endured, with familiar faces, she couldn't hold back her tears. Even though this was only the second time these kids had met Chen Wan and her group, the relief was palpable. "Sister," Li Yue murmured, her voice catching in her throat. "Don't cry. Now that we're here, nothing will happen to you. We've rescued Zhao Jingjing, but she's mentally unstable. Let her rest first," Chen Wan comforted. Shen Mingyan carefully placed Zhao Jingjing down for Li Yue to tend to. Seeing her friend in such a condition, Li Yue's tears flowed unchecked. "Those beasts aren't human, and Gong Yu and Wang Mingxuan are the ones who caused Wuxian's death and harmed Qiao Shiru and Jingjing." The class leader turned away, his shoulders shaking as he quietly wept, transitioning from silent sobs to loud wailing. The oppressive days they had endured were overwhelming, with their sole focus being to rescue Qiao Shiru and Zhao Jingjing, and then confront the Ming brothers, Gong Yu, and Wang Mingxuan. All those responsible deserved retribution. Chen Wan understood their breakdown but there was no time to process these emotions thoroughly. She turned to Wei Siyu and said, "You and your team need to protect these three children. This area is quite secluded, and there are no cameras around. We still need to find the Ming brothers, and we’ll rendezvous with you later." Chen Wan began leading the way to where the Ming brothers were located but was halted by Wei Siyu. "Wait, I heard that Ming Feng and Ming Jue have several supernaturally gifted followers. I'll go with you. Stone and Jincan can stay to protect them," Wei Siyu offered. Chen Wan nodded, feeling assured with the presence of the book's original female protagonists. "Alright, let's go together." The six of them quickly headed towards the building where the Ming brothers resided. Meanwhile, Ming Feng and Ming Jue had just finished their discussion with Dr. Wen, who left their office for the eighth-floor laboratory. Cao Gang, the large man from earlier, knocked respectfully, entering only after receiving a response. "Master, the security chief wanted to report something about a murder outside, but with Dr. Wen here earlier, I kept him outside." "Hmm, go tell him to report to me," Ming Feng replied nonchalantly, lounging with a glass of red wine in hand. "So, where's the latest body?" "Yes, sir." Cao Gang left, repeatedly trying to contact the downstairs security head but receiving no response. Sensing that something was off, Cao Gang and Liu Jie, another ability wielder, checked the base's surveillance. They discovered the nightclub was in chaos, with the guards missing and a small group of unfamiliar individuals making their way toward the building. Cao Gang quickly reported the situation to the Ming brothers, while Liu Jie instructed all building guards to heighten their alert, shooting any suspicious individuals on sight. "Master, the nightclub was hit, it's a mess in there. The security chief and over a dozen guards are missing, and an unfamiliar group is heading this way," Cao Gang urgently informed the Ming brothers. "Who has the gall to trespass on my territory? Notify all building stations to ensure those intruders don’t leave alive," Ming Feng said dismissively. He was unconcerned. To him, whether or not they had abilities, they stood no chance past the building's first line of defense. The building had sniper positions on the fifth, eleventh floors, and rooftop. He believed any provocateurs would be riddled with bullets, making personal action unnecessary. "Understood." Cao Gang hurriedly left to fortify defenses. Simultaneously, Ming Jue turned on the office monitor, accessing the building's front view surveillance. He saw six diverse-looking women approaching. "Brother, these women are really beautiful. It'd be a shame to shoot them," Ming Jue commented to Ming Feng with a sly grin. "There’s no shortage of Omegas. Ever since this place was established, when have you lacked for Omegas? Don't act rashly," Ming Feng advised. "True, I don't need more Omegas," Ming Jue agreed, his eyes still fixed on the approaching figures on the screen. Jiang Yanxin had already summoned Athena once more. Undeterred by the ominous gun barrels extending from windows, they made their way into the building. As Chen Wan's group neared the building, an unending stream of gunfire erupted from within. Chen Wan quickly assessed that there were over fifty sniper positions—exceedingly well-defended. However, in the next moment, Athena's shield blocked all attacks, its passive ability triggering, turning all those who had fired upon them into stone statues. Among them was Wang Mingxuan, a traitor who had sold out his friends. Unlike the more persuasive Gong Yu, after betraying Zhao Jingjing and Qiao Shiru, he had managed only to secure the position of a building sniper. Nonetheless, it elevated him above the average base resident, ensuring him ample food every day, free of hunger worries. Thanks to his shameless flattery, Gong Yu quickly became a favored lackey to the Ming family brothers. He was instrumental in rounding up attractive Omegas within the base—a prime example of the worst kind of behavior. However, in the end, neither he nor his allies met a good fate. With no further obstacles in their path, Chen Wan and her group smoothly entered the building. Watching the surveillance footage, Ming Jue was astounded. “Bro, these women must be ability users too. That foreign woman with the shield is especially strange. As soon as she used the shield, all gunfire in the building stopped.” Ming Feng also noticed this and downed his glass of red wine in one gulp. Then, adjusting his clothes, he frowned and said, “Let’s go. These people are definitely ability users—we should meet them.” “Fine, I refuse to believe anyone’s abilities could surpass ours,” Ming Jue replied through clenched teeth. In moments, Chen Wan was pulling a guard from beneath a side cabinet in the lobby. “Which floor are those Ming bastards on?” “The seventh floor, they’re on the seventh floor. I don’t know anything else, please don’t kill me, please…” the guard pleaded, but reached into his side pocket for a gun. Chen Wan deftly grabbed his wrist, disarming him and disabling his hand in one swift motion before using the gun to end the guard's life herself. With the exact location in mind and Athena providing protection all the way, Chen Wan and her group fought their way up to the seventh floor, pausing at the entrance only when they encountered the Ming brothers, Ming Feng and Ming Jue.