Chapter 146

Chapter 146

Jiang Long’s deep voice cut through the still-chaotic carriage like a thunderclap, instantly silencing everyone. His grip was crushing, and the woman immediately started wailing: "Ah ah ah, my hand is breaking, my hand is breaking! Let go, let go! Help! Help! Someone pull him away!"

The train security officer stepped forward, his face serious as he grabbed Jiang Long’s arm and politely advised: "Sir, let’s talk this out, no need for violence. This lady hasn’t done anything yet. Let’s discuss this calmly. Please release her hand first."

Jiang Long was tall, with an imposing and steady presence, carrying the unique iron-blooded aura of someone who had survived battlefields. This intimidated even the security officer, let alone the woman, who trembled like a scared chicken and no longer dared to act shamelessly.

Jiang Long glanced at the security officer before slowly releasing the woman’s arm. It was early spring in March, and the weather was still a bit cold. The woman rolled up her sleeve, revealing her forearm with faint red marks. She sat down on the spot and began crying and wailing: "Help! He’s bullying me! This man is trying to kill me! Help! Help!"

Her voice was extremely loud, and people from several carriages nearby came running to watch the commotion. The exhausted train attendant could only persuade them to go back one by one. From a distance, the passengers’ chatter could be heard discussing the situation. The woman was still crying—crying without a single tear—and even started rolling on the aisle floor.

Jiang Long’s expression was almost indifferent, as if he didn’t even notice the woman. His eyes were completely focused on Feng Xia on the middle berth, not missing the slightest movement around him. Since being assigned by his superior to protect Feng Xia, and having witnessed her create various beneficial national devices and powerful weapons for the battlefield, Jiang Long valued her life more than his own. Countless times on the battlefield, he had voluntarily stayed behind amid the hail of gunfire—it was routine.

Now, even in such a noisy environment, Jiang Long’s thoughts were only of Feng Xia.

If anyone wanted to harm Feng Xia, they would have to step over his corpse.

The woman kept crying and cursing. The security officer tried to persuade her, but it didn’t work, and he even got scratched a few times. He finally lost his temper. Since train security and attendants were now part of the national official system, they wouldn’t tolerate such nonsense. The officer’s expression turned cold, and he said directly: "Ma’am, if you continue to obstruct official duties, we will have to take action. Since you bought a ticket, you should sit in the seat you paid for—that’s the rule."

The woman was the type who bullied the weak and feared the strong. Hearing the officer’s words, she immediately stopped her dry sobbing. Seeing the officer’s very cold expression, she simply patted off her pants and stood up. But looking at the three-tier berth’s height, she couldn’t give up. Clenching her teeth, she said: "This man hit me just now. If you make him switch seats with me, I’ll let it go."

She pointed at Jiang Long, as if she were being magnanimous. Jiang Long didn’t even glance at her, completely ignoring her. The train was about to start again, and the woman was still causing trouble. The train attendant, at a loss, said gently: "Sir, how about switching seats with her? You see, this lady really has difficulty climbing up and down. Could you please do this favor?"

Jiang Long shook his head and refused. The main reason was that from the upper berth, he could hardly take care of Feng Xia on the middle berth. If danger arose, he might not even catch it in time, which completely went against his original intention. How could he agree?

The woman fanned the flames from the side: "Then switch with the one on the middle berth! He’s been protecting the person on the middle berth all along, so they must know each other. Anyway, I’m not sleeping on the upper berth. You deal with it!"

The woman’s stubbornness was annoying. The young man and woman across the top middle berth both frowned in disgust, looking down on her.

Letting Feng Xia switch with her? Jiang Long would never agree. It was the woman who was being unreasonable in the first place. Why should Feng Xia pay the price? He couldn’t take it anymore. He was fumbling in his bag when he suddenly felt movement from the middle berth, followed by a clear, melodious voice like jade and gold: "Where are we now?"

Feng Xia lazily propped herself up halfway, leaning against the railing of the berth. She was still wearing a mask, but her eyes were cold as the spring waves of March, carrying a bone-piercing chill. Her loose black hair was scattered messily over her shoulders and neck, like a dark patch of cloud, making her skin look even more like ice and jade. Even without showing her whole face, one could glimpse her breathtaking beauty.

"We’re at Fengcheng," Jiang Long said in a steady voice. He had found something in his bag. Seeing Feng Xia awake, and noticing that the red spots on her face seemed to have improved a bit, a slight smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, looking a bit gentler.

The security officer was stunned for a moment when he heard Feng Xia’s voice. Then, seeing the slender figure on the middle berth moving lazily, every gesture captivating, he quickly lowered his head, not daring to look anymore. His face flushed slightly. Then he saw Jiang Long hand over an identification document. The officer took it and examined it carefully. His face instantly grew serious, turning slightly pale.

"Sir!" The security officer gave a standard military salute, then explained with slight fluster: "Sir, I deeply apologize for disturbing your journey. We will take this woman away immediately and ensure she doesn’t disturb you further."

What Jiang Long had just handed over was his officer’s ID. He currently held the rank of Major. Feng Xia’s military rank was even higher, a meritorious honor personally awarded by the leadership, widely recognized with no opposition.

Now the woman was truly panicked. Although the economy was booming in 1980, merchants and officials had never been in the same class since ancient times. Her family was only moderately wealthy. She never expected to offend a leader today. Judging by the security officer’s reaction, the rank was probably high. This was really bad luck!

Before the officer could act, the woman immediately put on a fawning smile. She took a handful of candies from her bag and placed them in front of Jiang Long, speaking in a sweet voice: "Oh, so you’re a military officer! I admire you soldiers who protect our country the most! I won’t switch anymore, no switching! I’ll just sleep on the upper berth. Ah, I’ll climb up right away."

With that, she swiftly climbed up, showing no signs of acrophobia, which was laughable. The young people across from her let out a few snickers, making the woman’s face flush red. But she was wary of Jiang Long, so although her lips moved a few times, she said nothing.

Once the woman was on the upper berth, the man who had been pretending to sleep on the lower berth came to life at that moment. He enthusiastically greeted Jiang Long and even took out a can of preserved fruit, offering it to Jiang Long. Jiang Long ignored him completely. Compared to the woman, this man was even more disgusting. He didn’t treat his wife well, snatched the lower berth for himself, and let his wife cause a scene to gain benefits. Jiang Long looked down on him and didn’t even spare him a glance.

Seeing Jiang Long ignore him, the pot-bellied man kept his smile, but a sinister glint flashed in his eyes as he lowered his head, fleeting and barely noticeable. He didn’t realize that the thumb-sized object above Feng Xia’s bed flickered faintly, so quick it seemed like an illusion.

The young man from the opposite upper berth stared at Feng Xia’s exposed dark hair for a long time, his expression dazed, lost in a nostalgic daze. Jiang Long glanced at him blandly, but the young man didn’t notice, lost in a nostalgic trance.

Everyone in the carriage had their own secret thoughts as the train slowly started moving again.

Outside, the sky gradually darkened. The road ahead was long, and the long night loomed ahead, hard to get through.