Chapter 79 – Rescuing Kin: Part 1/2

Chapter 79 - Rescuing Kin: Part 1/2

Gao Mingyi's sharp, pale face was entirely shrouded in shadows, leaving only a pair of bloodshot eyes and a row of gleaming white teeth visible. He exerted all his strength, kneeling on Min Kai's arm to pin him down.

With both hands gripping the knife handle, Gao Mingyi applied force, producing a series of cracking sounds as he tried to pry it loose.

Startled by the scene, Tang Fei reached out frantically, her hands grasping at thin air. A warm, large hand found its way into hers just in time.

She clung tightly, digging her fingers in, causing the hand to tremble slightly before offering her a steady support.

The somewhat rusted kitchen knife was stuck in Min Kai's bone. Despite Gao Mingyi's veins bulging from the effort, he couldn't remove it. The intense pain roused Min Kai, who rolled over, sending Gao Mingyi tumbling off.

Half of Min Kai's palm had been detached and hung limply to the side. As he rolled, the knife became dislodged, and blood spurted out like a small spring, flowing even more profusely.

In no time, Min Kai lost his strength. The pain and cold stole his breath, with the strong winds on the rooftop rapidly sapping away his body heat.

Thrown to the ground by Min Kai, Gao Mingyi struggled to his feet and staggered forward, not casting a single glance back at Min Kai.

Suddenly, he began to cry. His narrow face twisted in a grotesque mix of tears and laughter, revealing a tinge of regret amidst his sorrow. "I'm useless, truly useless. I can't even pull out a knife. I'm a good-for-nothing. Even Min Kai pitied me, even he pitied me! How pitiful must I be? Why did I gamble? It should have been my hand cut off, eight million... Eight million, ha ha."

Ten gamblers lose nine, he knew that well, but once he stepped into the casino and took his seat, he was no longer himself; he became just another mindless gambler.

Being alone with no attachments, it would be easy for him to end it all.

Gao Mingyi leaned against the railing, spitting out a bitter bile mixed with alcohol. He clumsily straddled the railing and, with deliberation, he flipped over it. His voice carried away by the wind: "I'm leaving."

The sound of something heavy hitting the ground echoed, followed by a blackout.

The Glimpse Card's time was brief, lasting only about three minutes. Tang Fei watched the entire sequence with a pale face. As she stood up from the sofa, she realized she had been gripping Zhou Weichuan's hand tightly, leaving marks on his palm.

She didn't have time to apologize or explain to the astonished Shu Xiaoan. Instead, she frantically searched for a phone number, locating Min Kai in her contacts, and dialed.

Doot... Doot...

Tang Fei watched the phone screen anxiously.

You must survive, Min Kai.

The capital city was freezing at night, with temperatures dropping well below zero. On a rooftop where the wind howled relentlessly, massive blood loss and the inability to maintain body heat could be life-threatening, even for a minor injury like a palm wound.

She had only casually asked him to take some photos; she never imagined that Min Kai would consider it a favor and quietly help her without her knowledge, not even uttering a word after the incident was over.

Before the system informed her, Min Kai was not a name on her list of acquaintances or relatives.

Beep-beep-

Her phone continued to ring, and all of Tang Fei's hope rested on this call.

Beep...

Time ticked by, second by second, with no indication that the call was being answered. Tang Fei's heart sank. If she couldn't get through, she would have no choice but to risk revealing parts of her secrets to save him.

Beep...

Click...

"Hello..."

A faint voice echoed, and upon hearing it, Tang Fei finally confirmed Min Kai's fate. She closed her eyes to compose herself before firing off questions one after another. "Min Kai, this is Tang Fei. Where are you? Are you in trouble? I need to talk to you. Where are you?"

"Ta...ng... I'm at Xintian... If I... my son, please... help him..."

The fragmented words were cut short by the howling wind, leaving no further sounds. The phone was filled with nothing but the roaring winds for what seemed like an eternity.

On the rooftop of the Xintian Building in the outskirts of the capital, a trail of bloodstains marked Min Kai's struggling crawl across the icy surface. With his lips turning blue, he managed to utter a few words before expending all his strength. His eyes remained open, but he was powerless to do anything else.

As he listened to the anxious inquiries on the other end of the line, his eyes gradually closed.

At least his son was taken care of. Unfortunately, his wife's whereabouts remained unknown when he left.

Zhou Weichuan observed the purple bruises on his palm from gripping Tang Fei's arm too tightly. He found it odd as he listened to Tang Fei's conversation on the phone. She kept dialing persistently, but no one answered.

Zhou Weichuan held onto Tang Fei's arm that was holding the phone. "Tang Fei, what happened? Are you alright?"

Seeing Zhou Weichuan amidst her anxiety was like encountering a lighthouse in the midst of a dark voyage. A sense of reliability emerged from somewhere within her.

Her abilities were limited; she couldn't save Min Kai from afar, but Zhou Weichuan could. He definitely could.

Tang Fei said, "Boss, you did say that I'm the top dog in the company and can act as I please, right?"

"Yes, you can," Zhou Weichuan affirmed confidently.

"I can ask for your help, can't I? There's someone in need of rescue at the New Field Building in the outskirts of Beijing – it's the makeup artist Min Kai, whom I knew before. Something must've happened to him." Anxiety etched Tang Fei's face, beads of sweat trickling down her brow.

A hint of sourness tugged at the corners of Zhou Weichuan's mouth. Someone had made Tang Fei so flustered.

But he nodded, soothing her gently. "Tang Fei, don't panic. Your request is no big deal."

His voice seemed to possess a magical quality, and Tang Fei gradually calmed down. She was a 20-year-old college student who had transmigrated into a body two years older than hers. Despite appearing more mature than the original owner in many aspects, she was still just a student.

In a life-or-death situation involving Min Kai, she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed.

Regaining her composure, Tang Fei's mind started racing. She promptly dialed the emergency hotline, relaying the conversation she had with Min Kai.

Zhou Weichuan, on the other hand, mobilized his employees. He instructed them to call for an ambulance and bring warmth supplies. He also asked those living nearby to rush over immediately and contact the local police station in the western district of suburban Beijing once they found Min Kai.

Shu Xiaoan fetched some milk from the fridge, warmed it up, and handed it to her. "Sis Feifei, drink this first. Everything will be alright."

Tang Fei shook her head, covering her face with both hands. She had no appetite at all.

Having stumbled into this world in a daze, her journey so far had actually been rather smooth. Min Kai's incident had introduced a new layer of complexity to her innocent experiences.

From now on, she needed to be more cautious and wary of others. She couldn't accept solitary invitations in remote places.

Looking at Shu Xiaoan now, her appetite vanished even more. Min Kai had encountered trouble so swiftly, one that jeopardized his life, all under the system's notification.

What about Shu Xiaoan? What would happen to her, and how could Tang Fei assist?

At this moment, the task progress from 0/2 had changed to 1/2.

Min Kai had been rescued and saved from death.

Feeling Tang Fei's gaze, Shu Xiaoan felt uneasy. "Sis Fei?"

"Tang Fei asked, "Xiaoan, how is your family situation?"

"I..."

"Don't lie to me, Little An. We're friends, and we met when both of us were struggling. Now that I'm in a better position, I can help you." Tang Fei said. Seeing Shu Xiaoan's hesitation, she thought about the consequences for Min Kai and decided that they couldn't delay any longer.

"Little An, honesty is what defines true friendship. I'll never hide my troubles from you in the future. If you don't tell me now, I still have your aunt's phone number in your employee file. I'll just call her directly," Tang Fei threatened, pretending to scroll through her phone.

Shu Xiaoan clutched her milk cup so tightly that her lips disappeared into the corner of her mouth. "Sis Fei, I've been having terrible fights with my mom these past few days. I actually ran out after another argument today. You don't need to call her."