Chapter 15: Ambush in the Garage

Chapter 15: Ambush in the Garage

Since Gu Chen had forbidden Shen Xian from following, he must have had his reasons.

Rather than idly waiting here, Shen Xian decided to find something to do and was drawn towards the boisterous group of children.

"Attention, whoever's inside! You're surrounded. Release the hostage and surrender peacefully," shouted a blue-clad child of about seven or eight, cupping his hands together to amplify his voice in the opposite direction.

"Ahahaha! If you think you can save them, think again. Today, we shall all journey together into the realm of the dead!"

"Wishful thinking!" the leader, a blue-clad child, cried out. "Sniper, get ready. The bomb disposal specialist will act once the criminals are neutralized!"

"Received!"

The other two children agreed. The one holding the branch crouched on the garden edge, pressing the stick against the captive playmate and firing imaginary shots with a "rat-a-tat-tat."

"Alright, the kidnapper is dealt with. Hurry and save the hostage."

The child assigned to defuse the bomb sprang up, meticulously searching the bound child for a toy bomb. With scissors in hand, they mimicked the professional process of disarming it.

"Phew..."

Looking at their earnestness, Shen Xian couldn't help but chuckle.

"What are you laughing at?" The blue-clad child, perhaps feeling mocked, glared at Shen Xian with indignation.

Shen Xian shook her head. "No, I wasn't laughing at you."

"Then you were laughing at me!"

The would-be bomb defuser stood up. "I'm trying to defuse this seriously, and you're laughing at me? Do you even know what a bomb disposal expert is? You dare to mock a bomb disposal expert!"

Shen Xian's expression turned serious. She crouched down, picked up the toy bomb from the ground, and said, "Well, technically speaking, this isn't a bomb."

"You're lying! My grandpa told me this is a bomb when he bought it for me!" the child protested.

"Well, actually, this is called a homing missile, and it's much more powerful than an ordinary bomb," Shen Xian explained.

Shen Xian looked at her, holding the model in hand and demonstrating it to him.

Upon hearing that it was even more powerful than a bomb, the child's anger subsided. "Really? More powerful than a bomb?"

"Yes, a real missile can accurately track and attack its target once it's programmed."

Shen Xian explained patiently, and the children gathered around her in a circle, looking up at her with admiration.

"One question, what do real bombs look like?" the child asked.

"With advancements in technology, bombs can come in various shapes and sizes. But in stories like yours, kidnappers would typically use time bombs. That's when bomb disposal experts step in, analyzing the wiring and structure of the bomb to cut the right wires and prevent it from exploding."

"Wow, so cool! I want to be a bomb disposal expert when I grow up!"

"I don't want to. I want to be a scientist who researches missiles."

"Well, then I'll be even better than you because I can defuse them!"

"No, I'm the one who's skilled because I can track them!"

Several children debated eagerly, their faces filled with innocence and longing. As Shen Xian observed them, his expression gradually grew somber.

"You seem to have quite an in-depth understanding of these matters."

Sometime without notice, a tall figure appeared, currently gazing down at Shen Xian, whose expression was veiled with a hint of melancholy.

Upon hearing the voice, Shen Xian sprang up promptly. "President Gu, you... You're so quick."

Upon hearing Shen Xian's words, the corner of Gu Chen's mouth twitched. The word "quick" held a subtle nuance.

"Enjoyed yourself? When you're done playing, let's hit the road." He politely urged Shen Xian to resume her role as his chauffeur.

Shen Xian gritted her teeth. How was she playing around? She had been waiting for him all along!

On the return journey, Gu Chen kept his gaze fixed on Shen Xian in the rearview mirror, making her feel uneasy.

"Mr. Gu, is my driving not smooth enough?"

Unable to bear it any longer, Shen Xian asked Gu Chen, who was watching her from the backseat.

Gu Chen didn't divert his gaze. "No."

"Was I not driving fast enough?"

"No, not that either."

Shen Xian: "..."

"Starting from tomorrow, you'll be in charge of my transportation," Gu Chen suddenly said after a long moment of silence.

"What?"

For a moment, Shen Xian thought she had misheard him.

"Any issues?" Gu Chen asked from the backseat, his tone stern and inquisitive.

"No, no problem at all," Shen Xian replied, her posture of steering the wheel with one hand looking rather cool.

She was finding Gu Chen increasingly enigmatic with each passing day.

The journey continued in silence as the car smoothly drove into the underground parking lot of the Shenfei Group's building. Shen Xian deftly reversed and parked the vehicle.

It was peak work hours, so the garage was deserted except for the vehicles parked closely together.

A row of VIP spots remained unoccupied, reserved exclusively for Gu Chen and key shareholders of the company.

Though not every Shenfei employee was a millionaire, any one of them could be regarded as a prominent figure in society.

Thus, each car in the garage carried a logo that effortlessly conveyed the multitude of zeros appended to its price tag.

After parking the car, the two alighted, with Shen Xian taking the lead to press the elevator button while Gu Chen walked behind, engaged in a serious conversation on his phone.

Suddenly, Shen Xian spun around, pulling Gu Chen behind her, and blocked a descending baseball bat with a swift roundhouse kick.

It turned out that she had just caught a glimpse of someone wielding a stick in the rearview mirror, approaching stealthily. Fortunately, she reacted swiftly, blocking his fierce strike.

The figure was clad in all-black sweats and a cap, with a black mask concealing everything but his eyes, which gleamed with ferocity. His eyes were narrow and slanted slightly upward at the corners, giving him an intimidating demeanor.

He was tall and sturdy, with bulging veins on his arms gripping the baseball bat tightly.

Failing to hit his target, he redirected his gaze from Gu Chen to Shen Xian, bellowing as he charged forward again. Midway through, he switched his focus back to Gu Chen.

Gu Chen had already hung up the call and stood beside Shen Xian. His refined and handsome face carried a hint of solemnity but no sign of panic. As the attacker approached fiercely, Gu Chen deftly tilted his head to dodge the incoming bat, simultaneously kicking the man's knee as he ran, causing him to fall to a half-kneeling position.

Shen Xian, taking advantage of the situation, seized the man's bat-wielding hand and, using the force of her knee, delivered a swift karate chop. The man yelped in pain, releasing his grip on the bat which rolled away with a thud.

Thus, the assailant found himself with his wrist twisted by Shen Xian, kneeling before Gu Chen.

Gu Chen's striking eyes narrowed slightly, his expression cold with a barely perceptible hint of anger.

Leaning forward slightly, he elegantly reached out to remove the mask from the man's face. Before him was an unfamiliar face that didn't ring any bells.

"Who are you? Why are you attacking me?"

Two straightforward questions, Gu Chen's deep voice revealing no emotion.

The man lifted his head. In that instant when his mask was removed, he had the urge to hide or escape, but with his body restrained, there was nowhere to go. He decided to meet Gu Chen's piercing gaze head-on.

At the sound of Gu Chen's inquiry about his identity, he burst into boisterous laughter.

"Hahaha, President Gu must have a busy memory with all your important affairs. It's only been three years, and you've already forgotten me?"

In the echoing emptiness of the underground garage, the man's laughter reverberated, sending chills down one's spine.

Shen Xian lifted her gaze to look at Gu Chen, noticing a hint of confusion in his eyes.

Another reference to three years ago?