Xu Xuan, in Yi Shi’s arms, was covering her head and letting out a weak cry. Yi Shi tried to comfort her, asking her to take her hand away, and saw that her small hand was covered in blood. The bald man kept shouting about wanting to kill him but delayed shooting, causing Yi Shi to despise him inwardly: another coward.
He couldn’t be bothered with these thugs, so he gently asked Xu Xuan: “Can you still hear me?”
Xu Xuan, looking pitiful, pointed to her left ear: “I can hear from this side, but not clearly from the other.”
It seemed the cochlear implant was damaged. If not addressed quickly, it could lead to a skin infection. Yi Shi picked up a scarf from the pile on the backpack, rolled it up, and used it to apply pressure on Xu Xuan’s head to stop the bleeding: “Don’t be afraid, the bleeding will stop soon.”
They were surrounded by three men. One of them stretched out his foot, lifting the skirt, trying to see the shy expression of the beauty. Unfortunately for them, not only was Yi Shi not a woman, but his state would not be affected by the danger to the children.
“Hey! Enough with the angel act! Get to the back!” The bald man yanked Yi Shi, keeping the gun pressed against the back of his head. Yi Shi wanted to grab it, but it was not the time to act like a hero. With so many children around, he couldn’t guarantee that a fierce fight wouldn’t harm them.
The metal detector’s inspection finally came to an end. Yi Shi sat in the back row, and when he lowered his head, he met Xiao Shitou’s bright eyes. He hugged Gardenia, extended half his body, and took Yi Shi’s hand, writing in his palm: What should we do?
Yi Shi shook his head, placing his finger on his lips.
Xiao Shitou, holding Gardenia, was anxious. The kidnappers’ treatment of the children was worse than that of livestock. He couldn’t place all his hopes on this female teacher. Although she was brave and calm in the face of danger, she couldn’t guarantee their safety 100%.
Inside the bus were precious young masters and misses, families who could pay a huge ransom. As for them? They were just orphans with no value. Once discovered, they would only become victims of the gun.
Xiao Shitou calmed down, thinking it might be better to stick with the original plan, find a school uniform, and let Gardenia blend in with these young masters and misses. His eyes wandered over the group of pampered young masters and misses, and Yi Shi whispered: “I advise you not to do that.”
Xiao Shitou had no ability to foresee the future and didn’t know that this small action would lead to Gardenia being chosen as a donor in the future.
“No, my sister needs the uniform…” Xiao Shitou clenched the sharp glass in his pocket.
“Listen to me, she doesn’t need it.” Yi Shi reminded him again.
Sitting in the front row was Jiang Dongliang, who quietly handed over a bag, his voice like a mosquito’s buzz: “This is my new school uniform. Give it to her.”
Xiao Shitou opened it and saw that the shirt and tie inside were brand new. Jiang Dongliang, with a shy expression, said: “I was going to take it home today; it’s never been worn.”
Xiao Shitou thanked him and put the uniform on Gardenia. He looked at Jiang Dongliang, biting his lip, and almost pleaded with a humble tone: “Please, don’t mention my sister to anyone.”
Jiang Dongliang looked confused, thought for a few seconds, and nodded as if in agreement.
The school bus had long deviated from its previous route. The electronic products confiscated from the children were all destroyed and thrown into trash bags. At this moment, the teacher’s phone rang; it was a call from the kindergarten. The man in the leather jacket handed the phone to the teacher while drawing his gun, pointing his chin at the phone.
The female teacher answered the phone tremblingly. It was the principal asking if they had entered the park. She glanced at the man in the leather jacket and swallowed: “We’ll go in soon, there are a lot of people today, group tickets, group tickets need to wait… The group photo was taken; I’ll send it to you later…”
The principal had no suspicions and called to remind her to take more videos for the public account article. As soon as she hung up, the teacher’s phone was smashed to pieces.
Yi Shi recalled the details of the kidnapping case. The principal would likely notice something wrong around 11 o’clock, then contact the zoo and learn that the bus had already left, and that the teachers’ phones were unreachable and the students were missing. The zoo couldn’t delay further and quickly reported to the police.
Because of this call, the kidnappers gained over an hour to escape, enough to enter the mountains and even find a place to hide.
Beside him lay the child with the broken ribs, without a proper fracture bandage, only a wool scarf to temporarily stabilize the rib area. Yi Shi was not an experienced doctor; he could only roughly judge the severity of the condition based on the child’s eyes, breathing, and consciousness. At present, it seemed not to be life-threatening. The child’s entire chest structure appeared normal, consciousness clear, and breathing steady, though the pale face looked frightening.
The child really took Yi Shi as a teacher and held his hand: “Teacher, when can we go back?”
Yi Shi patted his head. This child was on the list of those to be rescued first. Theoretically, he was not in immediate danger. All Yi Shi could do was patiently wait and hope to endure until then.
Ahead was the rolling mountain range. The entire Cheng’an Mountain spanned two cities and bordered two provinces, stretching for hundreds of miles, looking like a giant dragon lying across the land from afar. Due to its vast area and being a national 5A-level scenic spot, along with indigenous people living off the mountains, there were numerous villages at the foot of the southern Cheng’an Mountain. Among them, Linjia Village was the most developed.
In other villages, young people had gone out to work, leaving only the elderly and children behind, making the whole village look lifeless. Linjia Village, in contrast, had settled and prospered over generations. Most young laborers worked in the village’s factories, and the entire village worked together to build “Cheng’an’s No. 1 Village.”
Through the gap in the curtain, the sign for Linjia Village flashed by. He remembered the last time he went to the ancestral hall on the mountain. The old patriarch had mentioned that the prosperity of Linjia Village was closely tied to the ancestral hall. Originally located in the deep mountains, the village developed slowly. Later, when they chose such a feng shui treasure site, Linjia Village gradually flourished, with descendants enjoying continued blessings and growing prosperity.
“Hey, the second brother is waiting up ahead?” The man in the leather jacket pushed the bald man, who moved aside: “Yes, he said to drive the car into the forest and wait there.”
“Laogui head trusts him this much now? He’s given him this job?”
“He lives in Linjia Village! He’s been running in the mountains since he was young, he knows every nook and cranny in these mountains.”
Lin Erde.
Yi Shi’s lips curled into a cold smile. This guy was so bold now; if he knew his end was near, he probably wouldn’t dare to take on this job.
Gardenia changed into the school uniform, crawled from under the seat to the front row, and sat next to Jiang Dongliang. Xiao Shitou was still hiding under the seat and told Gardenia: “When we get out, try to blend in and stay quiet.”
Gardenia blinked her dark eyes: “What about you, big brother?”
“Don’t worry, I’m here.” Yi Shi said lightly.
Perhaps because this teacher was both beautiful and brave, Gardenia felt inexplicably reassured and quietly held her hand: “Thank you, teacher. I’m leaving my brother to you.”
The school bus circled around the outskirts of Linjia Village, driving along a bumpy path into the woods. The kidnapped female teacher sat in the front row, occasionally looking back at her students with a worried expression. One of the female teachers looked at Yi Shi, confused about why she was involved and why she was on the bus. However, seeing her willingness to step up, it at least reassured the two frightened teachers a little.
The bus stopped on a small dirt slope. Lin Erde was leaning against a Volkswagen car, throwing away his cigarette as he stood up. The bald man and the man in the leather jacket took out the prepared ropes and began to tie people up. Teachers and children had their hands bound behind their backs, mouths taped, leaving only their legs free for climbing and walking. To prevent them from running away, their ankles were also tied with ropes, making them look like prisoners exiled in ancient times.
Before they searched the back row, Yi Shi pulled Xiao Shitou out, discarded his dirty jacket, and wiped the dirt off his face, revealing his delicate and handsome features.
This child’s appearance…
Yi Shi frowned. Before he could think further, Xiao Shitou’s collar was grabbed and he was lifted into the air. The bald man angrily asked: “Where did this kid come from?!”
Xiao Shitou flailed his hands and feet anxiously. Yi Shi stood up again: “Can’t you see? He’s mine.”
“Yours? Your son?” The bald man pinched Xiao Shitou’s chin, observed him, then looked at Yi Shi. After a few rounds, he finally let go: “He does look a bit like you. Why didn’t you let this kid come out earlier?”
Yi Shi remained calm and threw the question back: “If it were you, would you let your own son come out in this situation?”
“…” The bald man had no sympathy, only wanted to tear Yi Shi’s mouth apart. The man in the leather jacket rubbed his chin, smacking his lips, eager to taste the young woman’s flavor. He was about to reach under the beautiful teacher’s skirt when Yi Shi raised his arm to block him, his eyes cold and indifferent.
The bald man slapped him: “Get to work! All you think about is women. You’re just waiting to die in a woman’s bed!”
Xiao Shitou’s hands were quickly bound, his mouth taped. The bald man put a gun to his head and sneered at Yi Shi: “Beauty, I know you’re wild. If you don’t cooperate, your son’s head will get blown off.”
Yi Shi stared at him for a few seconds and then extended his hands voluntarily.
At this point, there was no rush for him. Everything that had happened was a given fact. As an accidental “bystander,” he could only temporarily cooperate with the act.
—
Seventeen children were marched up the mountain, following Lin Erde through the forest. He walked ahead, lifting a thick clump of dead grass to reveal a dark cave entrance.
“Is it safe here?” The man in the leather jacket looked back. “We can still see the chimneys of your Linjia Village!”
“You’ll find out once you’re inside! This is a shortcut to avoid leaving footprints outside.”
Their counter-surveillance awareness was quite strong, Yi Shi thought. In the era of technological advancement, the deep mountains were no longer an “uncharted paradise” for fugitives. With drone thermal imaging and police dog tracking, hiding in the mountains was difficult. Moving through a tunnel-like cave was a good idea, as it not only avoided leaving traces outside but also couldn’t be detected by thermal imaging devices and was less favorable for police dogs due to the complex surrounding odors.
The cave was naturally formed, with varying diameters and heights. Sometimes they had to crouch to move, and sometimes it was wide open. Pushing aside the vines at the cave entrance, the opposite side revealed layered mountain peaks. They were in a flat area now. Yi Shi looked back, and Linjia Village was no longer visible. To his surprise, they had crossed to the other side of the mountain in a short time.
He looked around at the completely unfamiliar environment, noting the terrain he had never encountered before, trying to remember the characteristics of the mountain forest for future reference.
Suddenly, Yi Shi’s eyes fixed on a vague figure on a low hill in the distance.
After some identification, it turned out to be a boy, lying on the slope and sunbathing. There was a height difference between him and them; with just a glance down, he would see these unexpected “intruders.”
Would he notice? Was it one of the reenactment scenarios or an unexpected choice that could change the established facts?
His back was pushed, and the bald man glared at him: “What are you staring at?! Move!”
Yi Shi staggered, playing along with the plan. He forcefully kicked a stone in front of him. The stone accurately struck a rock exposed on the ground, making a crisp “clang” sound.
The people walking in front turned back. Yi Shi crouched down, pretending to be a weak woman with a sprained ankle. He silently prayed for him to hear it, to notice it—just one glance down.
“I need to rest,” Yi Shi said coldly, “My ankle hurts.”
“Damn it, women are really troublesome. Are we moving or not?!” The bald man shouted angrily.
“Okay, roar a bit louder, better if you can surpass the roar of a tiger in the mountains.”
Yi Shi continued to play the weak young girl, while the bald man grew increasingly irate, shouting louder and louder. However, these noises were muffled by the dense vegetation. The boy sat up, took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, and left without a trace of hesitation.
Until that figure disappeared over the hilltop, Yi Shi sighed: Did he really not hear or was he not allowed to hear?
A missed opportunity, no matter how hard he tried, he could only watch it slip away.
