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Psst! We're moving!
The sun had set.
The moon rose.
The continuous sand mountains under the moonlight were an unparalleled beautiful sight. The dim natural light cast down, making the dunes and the moving team on them blend into one.
When the northwest wind blew, the sand dunes surged majestically, like rolling waves.
The car window was rolled down. Lu Zhou’s arm rested on the window frame, his gaze fixed intently on the dark environment outside. The altitude here was already high, and a few withered trees clawed at the darkness.
His gaze was like it could pierce through, he was scouting.
“Captain Lu, should we drive further?” Zhao He asked while driving.
Lu Zhou said in a deep voice: “Keep going.”
Xinjiang’s weather was getting colder and colder. The climate further north would be even harsher, and the sand blown by the northwest wind would deter many people.
Furthermore, he remembered what he had heard on Shen Yihuan’s phone that day.
When Gu Minghui called, there was the howling sound of strong wind.
He was still nearby the day before, but the next day he was in an environment with such intense wind, and the weather around here shouldn’t have had such strong winds that day.
The most likely option was to go north.
And if Gu Minghui was indeed involved in the arms smuggling case, heading north for the transaction would indeed be safer and more reliable.
________________________________________
When Shen Yihuan pushed open the door, Qin Zheng was sitting cross-legged on a chair, reviewing the filming content. She raised an eyebrow slightly when she saw Shen Yihuan enter, thinking Shen Yihuan would also sleep in Captain Lu’s dorm today.
Qin Zheng: “Is Captain Lu not here?”
Shen Yihuan nodded: “They went on a night patrol today.”
“That’s tough work.”
“It is,” Shen Yihuan echoed, then took her change of clothes into the bathroom.
When she came out after her shower, the phone she had left on the bed was ringing. It was Qiu Ruru calling.
“Hello, Ruru,” she answered.
Qiu Ruru’s voice on the other end was ecstatic: “Cherry!! Get ready for my arrival the day after tomorrow!”
Shen Yihuan smiled upon hearing this. She sat on the bed, wiping her wet hair with one hand and holding the phone between her shoulder and ear: “Did your work finally finish?”
“Yeah, damn it, you have no idea, my boss almost drove me crazy.” After a string of complaints, Qiu Ruru continued, “I’ll arrive at 5 PM the day after tomorrow. You’ve been there for so long, you can show us around and where to eat.”
“I came straight to the military camp as soon as I arrived in Xinjiang, so how would I know what’s good to eat or what’s fun?”
“True,” Qiu Ruru nodded to herself, “But what’s up with Young Master Gu Minghui? It’s like contacting him after he went to Xinjiang is like trying to reach someone across an ocean. Did he fall for some pretty Xinjiang girl?”
“I also only got a call back from him late at night when I tried to reach him before. He’s probably busy with work, I didn’t realize he was so serious,” Shen Yihuan said. “Oh, right, when Lu Zhou comes back, I’ll ask him if there’s anything good to eat or fun to do. He should know.”
Qiu Ruru lowered her voice, gossiping: “So, you and Lu Zhou really got back together, huh?”
“Yeah,” Shen Yihuan smiled.
“I never thought that after all this, you two would still end up together.”
After chatting for a while, she hung up the phone.
Shen Yihuan blew dry her hair with a hairdryer, applied lotion to her face, and then picked up her phone and walked out into the dorm corridor.
The corridor was dark and very quiet. There was a fence between the male and female dorms. The male dorm was unusually quiet tonight, probably because they were out on a night patrol with the team.
She dialed Lu Zhou’s number. There was no ringback tone. It beeped twice, then was answered.
“Hello,” Lu Zhou’s voice was much softer than usual, “What’s wrong?”
Shen Yihuan rested her hand on the window sill, looking at the bright moon outside: “Nothing much, just calling you. How’s your night patrol going?”
“Still ongoing.”
“I’m not disturbing you, am I?”
A chorus of playful shouts and laughter came from the other side, then a slight pause: “No, I’m in the car, it’s fine.”
“Oh,” Shen Yihuan’s fingers tapped on the window sill’s tiles. She heard some teasing remarks coming through the phone—
“Who’s Captain Lu talking to? I’ve never seen Captain Lu like this before.”
He Min: “Who else could it be? Your sister-in-law, of course.”
“Holy shit, we have a sister-in-law?! Who?”
He Min chuckled: “Cherry, of course.”
“...Don’t tell me Photographer Shen is ‘Cherry’??”
“You’re quick on the uptake, kid.”
Mid-sentence, He Min saw Lu Zhou’s gaze directed at him, so he immediately switched to a mock scolding, “I think you’re bored out of your mind, talking nonsense. Go to the bathroom, your brain’s full of crap.”
“...”
Shen Yihuan heard the voices and couldn’t help but smile, her eyes curving: “Was that He Min cursing just now?”
Lu Zhou “mm-hmm”ed.
“You must have used your eyes to make him curse. I thought he was having a good time talking just now.”
Lu Zhou’s gaze was still fixed on the situation outside the car window, but his expression softened: “Go to bed early, it’s late.”
“When are you coming back?”
“Probably tomorrow noon.”
“Oh, right, I have something else to tell you. Ruru is coming to see me the day after tomorrow...”
She suddenly heard the sound of wind and pattering rain from Lu Zhou’s side, mixed with a few gunshots, hitting the car’s metal with a clatter.
“Lu Zhou!”
“Beep, beep, beep...”
The call disconnected.
...
“Bullet direction, southwest thirty degrees!” Lu Zhou’s expression was grim. He immediately rolled up all the car windows around them. “No one hurt, right?”
“No!”
Zhao He quickly turned the car around, flooring the accelerator. Gunshots rattled again, hitting the front of their car.
The car body had special bulletproofing. The bullets hitting the front windshield only created dents that didn’t obstruct vision.
Zhao He: “Captain Lu, they’re also advancing towards us.”
Lu Zhou: “Lure them to the open ground. Drive to the front left.”
He skillfully assembled his gun, inserted the magazine, and it clicked shut. He opened the scope.
The barrel extended from the car window’s gap. Cartridge shells rapidly ejected and fell, gunshots muffled by the suppressor.
Two bullets.
The sound of an emergency brake came from a distant vehicle.
Lu Zhou frowned and said in a deep voice: “Flat tire.”
The wind roared, and the raindrops grew heavier, splashing against the car windows. The entire wilderness was shrouded in darkness, like a black cloud pressing down.
Lu Zhou put on his bulletproof vest, with his assault jacket over it, zipped all the way up.
His brows were tightly furrowed, and raindrops reflected in his pupils.
He jumped out of the car, followed by several gunshots, bullets hitting the car body beside him.
Lu Zhou rolled over in the sand, leaning behind a small dirt mound, his legs spread apart, gun braced, his gaze resolute.
With their car tires broken, after a moment of silence, gunshots suddenly erupted in quick succession. No one spoke from their position, their lips pressed into a straight line, terrified that any slightest sound would reveal their location.
Inside the car, everyone had tacitly dispersed. Silhouettes flickered and vanished in the pitch-black night, making it impossible to ascertain their exact positions.
Lu Zhou picked up the walkie-talkie, lowering his voice: “He Min.”
“Received.”
“Prepare to fire.”
Three, two, one.
He Min pressed the trigger of his automatic rifle. The magazine rapidly leaped out and fell, and the usually cheerful man’s eyes instantly pulled into a fierce glare.
The muzzle flashed sparks in the dark, which landed on the sand and immediately extinguished.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He Min’s gun wasn’t equipped with a suppressor, instantly revealing his position in the silent wilderness.
Immediately, gunshots erupted, all aimed in He Min’s direction. He rolled over once, several bullets narrowly missing him. He dodged behind a patch of grass.
Meanwhile, Lu Zhou led the way, seizing the opportunity to advance through the darkness, taking a detour to approach the enemy.
Rain slanted down, drenching his entire assault jacket. His military boots moved over the back of the sand dune, leaving a dent with each step, muddied with rainwater, soaking his shoes and pants.
His dark eyelashes were wet with rain, a misty layer. He frowned tightly, carrying his gun, with a weapon bag at his waist, followed closely by a team, their steps quick and synchronized.
In the darkness, another burst of rapid gunfire came from where He Min was hidden. He launched his second attack!
Several cries of pain from being shot came from the enemy.
Lu Zhou seized the time. The later he reached the enemy’s rear, the greater He Min’s danger would be.
The enemy’s weapons were clearly abundant. He Min was hidden behind a mound of earth. Bullets could only hit the dirt slope in front, sending sand flying, dirtying He Min’s face and clothes. His hiding place was becoming shallower and shallower.
Finally, they reached the rear of the enemy camp.
He Min on the opposite side had also reached his limit.
Lu Zhou dared not delay. He pulled out a grenade. His hands were red from the cold, his knuckles stark white. He grimaced, biting open the pin with his teeth.
At the same time, he removed the suppressor from his gun, held it with one hand, aimed precisely and coldly at a figure, and fired.
A loud bang.
From the rear.
The enemies instantly fell into disarray. Knowing that victory was irreversible, they scrambled into the car, but unfortunately, the tires had already been punctured, leaving them at their mercy.
Lu Zhou squinted, his eyes radiating a cold aura.
He raised his hand and threw it forcefully into the car window that was just being pulled up.
A massive explosion.
The SUV was directly flipped over. Flames erupted, illuminating the dark night, and an explosion roared.
After the tremendous sound, the night returned to silence.
Only the wind remained in the wilderness, howling past like a ghost town, as if a gale swallowed a gale, consuming all other surrounding sounds.
Lu Zhou waited for a while to confirm that everyone had been rounded up, then hooked his gun behind his back, pulled down his assault jacket, and ran towards the SUV.
There were a total of eight of them. Seven were squeezed into one SUV and were already dead. The other managed to push open the car door at the last moment and was propelled ten meters away into a dirt mound by the explosion’s impact. He was still alive.
Lu Zhou scanned the area.
He commanded: “You, search inside the car. The trunk has been specially treated; there should be weapons inside.”
After speaking, he picked up his pistol and walked towards the sole survivor.
Lu Zhou squatted down in front of the man, his elbow resting on his knee, his foot on the man’s elbow to prevent him from resisting.
“Who sent you?” he asked, his voice cold and restrained, his expression grim.
The man grimaced in pain, gritting his teeth: “You’re Lu Zhou?”
Lu Zhou, as the captain of the border defense team, was a name known by all criminals here, either feared or hated to the point of murderous intent.
He nodded, very calmly: “Yes.”
“We’re here to take your dog’s life!”
Lu Zhou raised an eyebrow slightly: “And now?”
The man struggled to reach behind his waist. Due to the impact of the explosion, his movements were very slow. Lu Zhou watched him pull out a pistol.
Lu Zhou stood up, looking down at him.
The man gave him a subtle smile, then suddenly sped up his hand movements. The pistol spun in his palm, and the barrel pointed at himself.
He wanted to commit suicide!
Lu Zhou’s pupils constricted. He immediately kicked, and the pistol was knocked off target, missing the man.
Lu Zhou narrowed his eyes, saying word by word.
“To take my life, what are you?”
He grabbed the man, twisted his wrist outwards, and the man cried out, letting go. The next second, cold handcuffs clicked onto him.
Finally, they found many weapons and bullets in the car’s back seat, all of which were taken back to their own car.
The only survivor was also handcuffed and thrown into the car.
Lu Zhou turned his head and asked Zhao He: “Any findings?”
Zhao He: “The confined space here prevents confirmation, but they probably didn’t leave fingerprints on the weapons.”
Lu Zhou pressed his tongue against the side of his cheek, licking his back molars.
He knew well that arms traffickers like these wouldn’t easily leave behind evidence that exposed their identities.
Lu Zhou: “Anyone injured?”
Everyone responded “No,” except for He Min’s direction, which remained silent.
Lu Zhou looked at him and saw him pressing tightly on his upper arm. A vivid color flowed from between his fingers, and there were a few dark circular spots on the sand beside his feet.
Zhao He also noticed: “Deputy Captain He!”
He Min waved his hand, his expression calm: “Not going to die.”
Lu Zhou’s throat tightened, and he said in a deep voice: “Everyone, get in the car!”
The whole team got in the car. Zhao He was still driving. Lu Zhou sat beside He Min, holding a small knife. He cut off the blood-stained cloth. The blood was thick, and some of it was stuck to the wounded flesh. When it was torn off, He Min groaned.
Lu Zhou kept his gaze down, not looking at him: “Bear with it.”
“Go ahead and do it. At least it’s just my arm.”
They were now in the desert, far from human habitation. It would take several hours to return to the military camp, and they didn’t know if the opponent’s bullets had been laced with anything toxic or lethal. They had no choice but to extract it immediately.
Lu Zhou pulled out alcohol from a box, flicked open the bottle cap with his thumb, and threw it on the ground. He Min had already consciously turned his face away.
Lu Zhou’s hands didn’t stop. He lifted He Min’s arm and poured the alcohol directly onto it.
He Min cursed “damn it,” his forehead instantly breaking out in a sweat.
Lu Zhou stopped, preparing the dagger, dressing kit, and anti-inflammatory medicine he would need.
He Min had recovered a bit, his voice still trembling from the pain: “Captain Lu, those guys just now weren’t right.”
“Mm,” Lu Zhou said in a deep voice.
“Why would they actively shoot at us? Isn’t that just walking into their own death?”
Lu Zhou lit his lighter, heating the tip of the dagger until it was scalding hot: “Because we have a target here that they must kill.”
Everyone was stunned. He Min frowned: “Who?”
Lu Zhou threw a piece of cloth into He Min’s lap.
He Min: “...”
He stuffed the cloth into his mouth.
Lu Zhou was always merciless when it came to extracting bullets, doing it swiftly and neatly, more professionally than a doctor in a hospital.
The tip of the dagger pierced He Min’s skin. More fresh blood instantly gushed out, staining the blade and Lu Zhou’s hand. He Min’s entire body pressed against the car seat, his chin lifted high, his cloth-stuffed mouth only able to emit hoarse sounds.
A “thud.”
The pointed bullet fell to the ground, rolled a circle, drawing a blood-colored circle.
Even the piece of flesh that touched the bullet was gone.
Afraid the opponent’s bullets were poisoned, he had no choice but to painfully cut away the flesh as well.
He Min removed the cloth from his mouth, throwing it on the ground, his chest heaving violently as he gasped for breath.
Lu Zhou picked up the packet of pain relief and anti-inflammatory medicine and applied it to He Min’s arm.
Only then did he say calmly: “The one we caught from the back just now told me that they came this time to take my life.”
Everyone was surprised: “What?!”
He Min was in too much pain to speak, only able to widen his eyes to express his shock.
To these desperate outlaws, Lu Zhou’s life was what everyone wanted, but Lu Zhou was also a presence that made them tremble with fear, so no one dared to provoke him proactively.
And these people today were clearly acting on orders. So, who would be the person behind this?
“Two possibilities: I directly affected their interests, or a more decisive leader has arrived here.”
Regardless of which it was, it posed a significant threat to Lu Zhou.
________________________________________
They reached the military camp at dawn.
Although some were injured, thankfully this night patrol wasn’t entirely fruitless.
The man brought back from the enemy camp was sent for treatment, and then interrogation began.
Lu Zhou went straight to the Commander’s office to report as soon as he got out of the car.
He Min, on the other hand, was sent to the military medical office for a more thorough re-examination.
Lu Zhou came out of the Commander’s office, took out his cigarette pack, shielded the wind with one hand, lit it with the other, took a deep drag, and inhaled directly.
Under the swirling bluish-white smoke, his footsteps paused slightly. He saw the young girl squatting by the wall, propping her chin on her hand, dozing, with faint dark circles under her eyes.
Lu Zhou walked up and squatted in front of her.
The sunlight that had been falling on Shen Yihuan was completely blocked by his broad back.
Shen Yihuan woke up instantly, feeling a bit dazed by the man she had worried about all night appearing right in front of her as soon as she opened her eyes.
She opened her mouth: “You...”
Lu Zhou asked: “Why are you dozing here?”
Shen Yihuan saw the blood on him and immediately sobered up. She tightly clutched his sleeve, her knuckles white: “You’re hurt?”
“No, it’s He Min’s blood. I’m fine.” Lu Zhou pulled her up, seeing her eyes red from lack of sleep, his heart skipped a beat. “Did you sleep here last night?”
Shen Yihuan remembered.
Yesterday, Lu Zhou’s phone call suddenly disconnected after a gunshot.
She didn’t dare to call back, unsure of Lu Zhou’s situation, and also afraid that her phone ringing would put him in danger. Later, Lu Zhou didn’t call back either, so she didn’t dare to call him, fearing bad news.
So, in the latter half of the night, she left her dorm, thinking Lu Zhou would come to find the commander as soon as he returned, and waited there.
She lost her temper, slapping Lu Zhou’s arm with a “smack.”
Lu Zhou grabbed her wrist: “Blood, dirty.”
Shen Yihuan glared at him, accusing: “Didn’t you even call me back to say you were safe?! Do you know how worried I was?!”
Lu Zhou looked down at her.
Shen Yihuan’s eyes slowly turned red.
Lu Zhou took off his soiled assault jacket and hugged the angry young girl close. His palm pressed on the back of her head, stroking her hair.
“I thought you were sleeping, so I didn’t call,” Lu Zhou said softly.
Shen Yihuan struggled unhappily in his arms, only to be held even tighter around the waist. So she simply gave up and buried her face in his embrace.
Her voice was muffled, still cursing: “Asshole, who the hell could sleep?”
Lu Zhou indeed hadn’t expected Shen Yihuan to be so worried.
When he was in military school, he also had dangerous field drills, and after coming to the military camp, it was all real guns and live ammunition.
But no one had ever worried about him.
Every time a mission ended, everyone called their parents and wives to report their safety. Lu Zhou never had that step.
So he naturally assumed Shen Yihuan was sleeping and didn’t want to wake her.
Shen Yihuan felt her face wet, unsure if it was tears or snot, and wiped it all over Lu Zhou.
She raised her hand, made a fist, and without lifting her head, punched him on the shoulder, indignantly: “Apologize!”
Lu Zhou said: “I’m sorry.”
His apology was too blunt. Shen Yihuan felt too awkward to continue being upset, saying, “From now on, you have to call me immediately after you finish, I’m the first one!”
Lu Zhou said: “Okay.”
Shen Yihuan wrapped her arms around his waist, tilted her head, and breathed facing outward: “I don’t think you’re very good to me either.”
Lu Zhou said nothing.
Shen Yihuan punched him again.
Lu Zhou spoke: “Why?”
“You never told me your work was so dangerous. Shouldn’t you, because it’s too dangerous, have painfully given up on me to protect me, and not be with me?”
Lu Zhou’s face rarely showed a momentary blankness.
Then his expression darkened.
He frowned: “Don’t even think about it.”
In his world, if he could abandon all worldly morals and legal principles.
If he had to die, he would want to drag Shen Yihuan down to hell with him.
His love was selfish and dark; how could he leave Shen Yihuan in a world without him?
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