Chapter 673

Chapter 673

The Chase and the Manhunt

Just then, Lu Hang arrived, followed by several others, including Ah Si and Qian Jun.

"What’s going on?" Lu Hang, who hadn’t returned home, had no clue what was going on. He only knew something was wrong at home and hurried over.

Seeing Lu Hang, Lin Nannan’s eyes turned red. She rarely showed such emotion, which immediately made Lu Hang feel that something serious was about to happen...

"Du Du has been taken by Zhang Yao!" She clenched her fists tightly, fighting to keep herself from breaking down.

She knew she had to stay strong at this moment; otherwise, things would only become more chaotic.

"What?" Everyone, including the military wives, was stunned. No one had expected such a thing to happen.

"How could this be?" Lu Hang couldn’t believe it.

Lin Nannan gritted her teeth and summed up what happened in a few words. Then she said to Lu Hang, "Liu Amei has already taken people chasing him to the train station. She saw Zhang Yao leaving our house with a large suitcase. Du Du must have been crammed inside and taken away."

"Du Du is so clever—why wouldn’t she cry or put up a fight? Could she be hiding somewhere we haven’t checked?" someone asked.

"He must’ve used something. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have left so decisively!" Lin Nannan said firmly.

Lu Hang thought the same. If Zhang Yao hadn’t succeeded, he wouldn’t have left their home so directly and decisively.

"Ah Si, go report this incident and ask anyone without assignments to help find Zhang Yao. We’re heading to the train station now!" Lu Hang said urgently.

"Commander Lu, this is no longer just your matter. What Zhang Yao did has seriously endangered the safety of the military," Ah Si responded promptly.

Even if Lu Hang hadn’t said anything, they would have helped anyway.

Everyone was really fond of Du Du, especially since the incident happened within the military base.

Lu Hang didn’t say much more but nodded at them before leaving with Lin Nannan for the train station...

Those without assignments also joined in the search, though they headed to the bus station instead, so they wouldn’t miss their chance in case they were mistaken.

Ah Si turned back to report the incident. When Political Commissar Chen and others learned what Zhang Yao had done, they were furious.

"Bang!" Political Commissar Chen slammed his fist on the table and snapped, "Find them! We must find them and arrest Zhang Yao. We can’t let him get away under any circumstances!"

As Ah Si had said, this was no small matter. Soon, squad after squad was sent out from the base...

As soon as Lu Hang and Lin Nannan left the base, they could tell something was off. Exchanging a glance, they realized they were being followed.

There were female soldiers and military wives in the base, so the fact that someone could target them so precisely made Lin Nannan increasingly convinced that Du Du’s abduction was part of a well-planned conspiracy aimed at her.

"Yu Ying!" Lu Hang suddenly uttered darkly.

Lin Nannan looked at him in surprise but quickly understood. She realized that Zhang Yao couldn’t have taken Du Du alone, especially since he didn’t know the first thing about drugs and couldn’t have subdued a conscious child.

Yu Ying, who worked in the pharmaceutical factory and understood pharmacology, was the most likely person to have mixed up a sedative. It wouldn’t take much to knock out a child, something Yu Ying could easily manage.

"She can’t be allowed to escape!" Lin Nannan was furious with Yu Ying now and wished she could go back and capture her immediately.

"She won’t escape. Yu Yao is being investigated and hasn’t been released yet. Yu Ying isn’t allowed off the base; she has to stay inside. Our top priority now is to find Zhang Yao and ensure Du Du’s safety."

Lin Nannan also knew that Du Du’s safety was the most urgent matter. Heeding Lu Hang’s words, she didn’t insist but gritted her teeth and said with intense hatred, "Anyone who harms a child—whether it’s Zhang Yao or Yu Ying—won’t get away with this!"

If they had schemed against her, even if she had fallen into their trap, she wouldn't have been this furious.

But they targeted a young child—absolutely vile.

A fierce glint flashed in Lu Hang's eyes, sharing Lin Nannan's sentiment: targeting, taking the child, and kidnapping was utterly unforgivable and could not be tolerated.

Both thought of finding Zhang Yao first, but he gave them no opportunity.

Once they confirmed it was Lin Nannan, a meticulous hunt and pursuit began.

They aimed to capture Lin Nannan and kill Lu Hang.

To them, Lu Hang's existence was a huge problem—eliminating him would be ideal.

Lin Nannan and Lu Hang sensed this, recognizing it as both a crisis and an opportunity. At the very least, it meant their pursuers wouldn’t go all out, always having to consider Lin Nannan’s safety.

Without concern for whether Lu Hang might suspect her, Lin Nannan directly pulled out two handguns—small, elegant, and more suited for a woman. But in that moment, having a weapon was what mattered; nobody was complaining.

They didn’t bother with notions of playing fair; a single strike aimed to kill, leaving no room for regret.

Unrestrained, they suppressed their attackers. Perhaps caught off guard, the opposition wasn’t fully prepared, and their numbers seemed insufficient, allowing Lin Nannan and Lu Hang to make a temporary escape.

These people had come specifically for Lin Nannan. Seeing her leave the military base was a rare opportunity they couldn’t afford to miss. More would come later, but for now, Lin Nannan and Lu Hang managed to escape and head for the train station...

...

Zhang Yao knew from the moment he left the military base that his taking of Lu Dudu would eventually be exposed. He had made arrangements in advance: a car was waiting for him right outside the base gates. As soon as he stepped out, he got in and drove off. By the time Lin Nannan and the others realized what had happened, he would already be far away.

Moreover, both the car outside the base and the train ticket were deliberately timed. By the time he arrived at the station, the train would be nearly ready to depart. By the time Lin Nannan and the others showed up, they’d be too late.

At the next stop, he planned to dump Lu Dudu, still unconscious, in some random place. They would never find her in their lifetime.

Smug, he eagerly looked forward to reaching the train station sooner. The thought of Lu Hang’s despair and Lin Nannan’s regret only made him even happier.

Little did he know, Lu Dudu inside the suitcase was already beginning to regain consciousness—likely due to her constitution. She rarely fell ill and was healthier than most children, so the dosage of the drug didn’t last as long as Zhang Yao and the others had hoped...

When they arrived at the train station, Zhang Yao, who had scammed a sum of money from Yu Ying, hurried to enter the station after getting out of the car. Unfortunately, Lu Dudu, now awake, was struggling hard inside the suitcase. Zhang Yao, still injured and not fully recovered, couldn’t lift it. Afraid of drawing attention, he had no choice but to take Lu Dudu out, planning to warn her against causing trouble.

But once out of the suitcase, Lu Dudu didn't follow Zhang Yao’s plan at all. She immediately burst into loud cries, shouting for help, leaving Zhang Yao stunned.