Chapter 96: Unexpected Joy

Chapter 96: An Unexpected Joy

"I heard what Ren Tian said. He told me that last night you died at Huaxia Vocational High School, and seeing that Song Nianqiang was perfectly fine, Jiang Ningzhi's suppressed mood was swept away like a cloud, and a faint flush of color bloomed across her face.

"Ren Tian!?" Song Nianqiang repeated Jiang Ningzhi's words. This Ren Tian lingered vividly in his memory; he had harbored a quiet affection for Jiang Ningzhi as well. Yet now her thoughts were wholly occupied by him, leaving no room to spare for anyone else. Perhaps this was why he had declared his own death—to test whether she would truly mourn him.

"I am standing right here, perfectly well!! Fine, I am not the sort of person who dies so easily." Song Nianqiang smiled and reached out to pat Jiang Ningzhi's delicate little head. She swatted his hand away with pretended fury, tilting her chin to the side. "Who told you to pat my head? If you knock me stupid, who will you raise?!"

"Haha, you can still hold your own for now, but I was ready to pummel you until you truly were a fool, then raise you myself!" Song Nianqiang fired back with equal wit, his verbal prowess matching the graceful girl's own. "Humph!! Who said anything about raising you? It would be far better if I raised you!"

"Very well, then raise me!! Come, Nai Nai!!" Song Nianqiang's rogue nature made him a formidable opponent, and Jiang Ningzhi soon found herself tumbled into his arms, eliciting a startled shriek from her. "Ah!!" she cried, then louder still, "You scoundrel!!"

Such a bold outburst failed to rouse the big man from his deep slumber. His sleep must have been the envy of half the world. "Have you eaten yet?" After their playful scuffle, Song Nianqiang turned to Jiang Ningzhi and asked, "How could we? The moment I learned the news last night, I stayed awake until dawn. The instant the dormitory door opened this morning, I hurried straight to you.

Hearing his words, a warmth bloomed in Jiang Ningzhi's chest. "Come, I will treat you to dinner." He draped his long sleeve over her shoulders, for she had arrived in such haste wearing only a thin half-sleeve. Smiling softly, she slipped the sleeve on without a second thought. The pair strolled along the street like any young couple in love, exchanging light laughter and gentle conversation. Soon they reached a pleasant dining spot in the small county town—Yonghe Soy Milk.

Yonghe Soy Milk never closes, so a wave of warm air greeted them the moment they stepped inside. The air conditioning was a blessing. Song Nianqiang ordered several dishes for Jiang Ningzhi, while for himself he ate sparingly, having already supped earlier.

At that moment his phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, he saw it was the police bureau chief. Hesitating only briefly, he answered. "Song Nianqiang? There has been a serious incident at Huaxia Vocational High School. I cannot explain over the phone—come at once!! I am already at the school!!" The chief's voice crackled with unmistakable urgency. Whatever had occurred, it demanded swift action.

Jiang Ningzhi had just finished her meal, patting her small belly with satisfaction. "Full!" She offered him a sweet smile, but her sharp eyes caught the tension in his expression and guessed his haste. "You needn't see me home. The school is not far, and I can reach it in a moment."

Grateful, Song Nianqiang told her, "When you arrive back at school, send me a message. Remember to take care." With that he slipped away. Watching his swift departure, Jiang Ningzhi felt a fresh wave of curiosity rise within her.

Outside, she flagged a taxi. As it sped toward Huaxia Vocational High School, a text arrived from her— reassuring him that she had returned safely and urging him to remain vigilant. Smiling, Song Nianqiang replied with a single word, then leaned back and closed his eyes until the taxi pulled up at the school gates.

After paying the driver, he stepped out to find the campus suddenly overrun with police officers. The bureau chief spotted him and rushed over, demanding, "When you and the big guy caught the ghosts last night, did you notice anyone else nearby?!"

Song Nianqiang's mind raced. Could those two have died here after all? Yet he refused to conceal the truth. He recounted every detail to the chief. The man listened, then shook his head. "Not those two. Five professional assassins—some of them already on the international bounty list!!"

"What?!" Song Nianqiang feared his ears had deceived him. World-class killers? Why would they appear here? Then inspiration struck. Remembering what Jiang Ningzhi had told him that morning, his blood ran cold. "Ren Tian… damn it!!"

He had no need to ponder further. Those killers had surely been hired by Ren Tian to eliminate him, yet they had met a far worse fate. Trapped in a ghost's frenzied rampage, they were slain instantly.

The tale returns to the previous night. Ren Tian's father, determined to remove every obstacle, had spent ten million dollars to hire an international mercenary team from overseas. These men were no strangers to murder and plunder; the world already kept them under open surveillance.

Last night Ren Tian had learned—though he never learned the precise reason—that Song Nianqiang and the big guy would spend the night alone at Huaxia Vocational High School. That single fact had sufficed.

Slaughtering two ordinary youths required no great expense, so the team accepted the contract without hesitation. When the order came, they gathered their forces and raced toward the school. Yet they were strangers to the area, and they took the wrong route. Huaxia Vocational High School lay south of the county town; they arrived at its northern gate instead.

Thankfully they possessed satellite navigation. After an hour of fruitless searching, the captain grew furious and ordered them to rely on the coordinates. When they finally recognized their mistake, they seethed with rage and pressed on, speeding toward the school.

So preoccupied with their anger that they never suspected the truth, they scaled the wall and tumbled straight into the densest gathering of little ghosts. These were seasoned international killers, their bodies heavy with resentment, yet they remained human—vulnerable to yang energy, the most fundamental force in the world.

Under those circumstances yang energy was priceless to the ghosts. Absorbing even a trace would allow them to remain within the formation. The moment the mercenaries' feet touched ground, invisible cold seized them. Their vision blackened, and they knew nothing more.

These poor souls died without ever understanding how. Song Nianqiang studied their ashen faces and felt certain. "They were drained of yang energy by the ghosts. To the outside world, however, the bureau chief's promotion is all but certain. Congratulations!!"

He did not want this glory. For himself it was a burning ember best passed to another. By handing the credit to the chief, he gained nothing but advantage: he could now claim the bureau's protection and, in doing so, warn his hidden enemies that the bureau was far more formidable than it appeared. They had slain ruthless international killers without firing a shot—how terrifying was that?

Moreover, he could keep his dangerous reputation. The role suited him perfectly and would serve as a lethal weapon when the time came.

"Very well, I accept with pleasure," the chief laughed. "You have done me a great service, my friend. My promotion is within reach. At worst, the higher-ups will grant me a hero's medal, and my retirement pension will be several times greater."

"Haha, quietly remove these men and their bodies. Do not let a soul discover them," the chief ordered. He acted to quell public panic, yet to the vigilant eye the move carried unmistakable meaning. A man of such importance vanished without a trace, and the bureau's power was suddenly revealed in all its terrifying majesty. The friendly smile the chief bestowed upon Song Nianqiang made the implication clear: to win the chief's favor, one must first win Song Nianqiang's.