Chapter Thirteen: Safe Return

Chapter Thirteen: Safe Return

He sprang up suddenly, using both hands and feet. One leg knocked over a burly man, while the rubber baton in his hand landed a heavy blow on the head of another. Instantly, both men were severely injured and collapsed to the ground.

The fight had lasted half an hour. Song Nianqiang and his two companions were utterly exhausted, unable to continue any longer; that last strike had drained every ounce of Song Nianqiang’s strength. Now, they could barely stand, supporting each other as they gasped for breath.

Nearly an hour had passed since the confrontation began. The team of sorcerers had pursued the beggar, but after leaving the scene, they lost all trace of him. Yet the codex was too important for them to abandon; they chased relentlessly until they neared the county town, only then did they halt.

By this time, the beggar had long since arrived in town and was sitting boldly in the colonel’s office. The military camp was no ordinary place, but the beggar seemed to stroll about as if he owned it, settling himself in the colonel’s chair.

The colonel knew at once that this beggar was no ordinary person. There were many mysterious figures in China, living in obscurity, their existence unknown to outsiders.

“May I ask, sir, what brings you here?” The colonel spoke with as much cordiality as he could muster, but the beggar responded brusquely, “Can’t I visit without a reason?” With that, he took up the colonel’s tea and drank a mouthful. What he said next left the colonel deeply agitated.

Song Nianqiang had been missing for several days, throwing the entire county’s police and military into chaos. If Song Nianqiang were to vanish without explanation, his father would surely find out, and then a storm would sweep across China and even the world—a bloodbath with consequences beyond imagining. Do not doubt the reality of this; Song Nianqiang’s father wielded tremendous power.

“I know where your missing child is. He’s in a place called Poplar Forest on the outskirts—you all know it.” The beggar stood up and leapt out the window, even though the colonel’s office was on the fifth floor. Could a man jump from the fifth floor and survive?

The colonel was curious, but when he looked out the window, the beggar was already gone. These extraordinary figures were not people the colonel could detain. He quickly grabbed the phone on his desk, dialed a number, spoke a few urgent words, and hung up. Time was life now; every minute’s delay meant another minute of peril for Song Nianqiang.

Five minutes later, three helicopters had assembled on the parade ground. The colonel boarded one and flew toward Poplar Forest. The location was remote and rarely visited; the poplar trees belonged to the state, with slow returns, so no one bothered to manage them, leaving the area desolate.

The rain still poured, but it did not hinder the military helicopters’ speed. The sorcerer, making his way back, suddenly saw helicopters overhead and knew trouble was coming. He quickly lay down in the muddy water, only daring to rise once the helicopters passed.

The sorcerer, an American, had often heard tales of China’s formidable troops. He dared not risk his life and hurried away, abandoning his codex and hideout. Survival mattered most now; any unit with helicopters would have formidable firepower, and going there meant certain death.

At this point, Song Nianqiang and his companions lay sprawled on the ground, while two adversaries still had some fight left. If nothing unexpected happened, Song Nianqiang and his friends were doomed.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, Song Nianqiang heard the sound of helicopters. In this small county, only the colonel had helicopters, so a victorious smile appeared on Song Nianqiang’s face. He muttered indistinctly, “You can all die now!”

The burly men knew escape was impossible, but before dying they sought to drag others down with them. The two who could still stand began shuffling toward Song Nianqiang and his companions.

Now, Song Nianqiang and his friends could not even move, let alone run. They watched helplessly as the burly men approached. Five meters felt like an insurmountable gulf, but after two meters, the troops burst through the windows, killing the two standing men without hesitation.

Seeing himself finally safe, Song Nianqiang’s taut nerves relaxed; his head lolled and he fainted. The colonel hurried to Song Nianqiang’s side, checked his pulse—weak but still beating—and breathed a sigh of relief. He shouted to the elite troops, “Arrest those bastards! Take them back for intense interrogation!”

With that, he personally carried Song Nianqiang to the helicopter, while soldiers followed, supporting the Fatty and Li Runze. Though Fatty and Li Runze were badly injured and utterly spent, their wounds were less severe than Song Nianqiang’s, so their minds remained clear.

That night, the best doctors in the county were summoned to the hospital. After a night’s hard work, they finally rested. Song Nianqiang was out of danger, though his body was so exhausted he remained in deep sleep. Fatty and Li Runze were unharmed, needing only a night’s rest to recover.

The colonel left guards in place and returned to his duties. This was a major case—provincial authorities were concerned, even central officials had heard of it. The colonel had to write a detailed report overnight. The police were sidelined; throughout the ordeal, the police chief knew nothing, and though he was somewhat disgruntled, he was powerless—after all, the colonel outranked him.

The next day, Song Nianqiang’s mother finally received word and hurried to the hospital. By then, Song Nianqiang had awakened, though some parts of his body were still swollen. The injuries hadn’t touched his bones; a period of rest in the hospital would see him fully recovered.

“Madam!” The soldier standing guard at Song Nianqiang’s ward saluted her smartly as she arrived. Eager to see her son, she acknowledged him and pushed open the door, finding Song Nianqiang munching on a large apple. Her worried heart eased at once.

“Qiangzi, what happened? How did you end up in the hospital before school even started?” Song Min scolded, but Song Nianqiang, unconcerned, offered her his half-eaten apple, “Mom, have some apple!”

“Enough with that. Be more careful in future!” Song Min was amused by his antics. She took the apple and peeled it for him. “I heard many kids in the county were taken. Are they all right now?” Song Min was born with a warm heart, always eager to be involved in everything.

That was why Song Nianqiang’s father had chosen her, though circumstances had led him to leave her when she was six months pregnant, vanishing for seventeen years.

“That’s something the colonel knows, not me!” Song Nianqiang placed the finished apple on the table beside him and settled into a comfortable position. “Fatty and Li Runze, are they okay?” He glanced around the bright, nicely decorated ward but saw no sign of his friends, prompting the question.

“Don’t worry, they’re fine!” Song Min replied, just as the door opened. She turned and smiled at Song Nianqiang, “See? I told you so! Well, you chat, I have things to do at home. Anyway, you’re all right!” With that, she left.

“Hello, Auntie!” “Hello, Auntie!”

As Fatty and Li Runze passed by her, they greeted Song Nianqiang’s mother sweetly. She smiled and replied, “Good! Very good!” and departed.

“Haha, Qiangzi, you’re all right then?” With the parents gone, they dropped the formalities. Fatty grabbed a banana from the fruit basket and ate, while Li Runze pulled a chair to Song Nianqiang’s bedside and sat down.

“What could happen to me? To be honest, that fight was exhilarating!” Song Nianqiang said, a hint of excitement in his voice.

“Exhilarating? We nearly got killed!” Fatty, as usual, took the contrary view.

“Come on, there were eight of them, I took down four myself! And you dare say anything?” Song Nianqiang began boasting of his glorious exploits.