Chapter 124: The Shield Bureau

Ye Xiaonuo was completely terrified.

This was her first time being kidnapped, and the vicious, degrading words spoken by her captors left a delicate young girl with nothing but absolute dread. She could only imagine the horrific fate awaiting her—especially for a pretty girl like her, death was often not the most terrifying outcome! The real nightmare was wondering, God knew how these evil men would torment and abuse her.

Locked inside the small back room by the kidnappers, Ye Xiaonuo had almost fainted several times, yet her mind could not stop worrying about Chen Chen... Would he be alright? This time, she had dragged him down into danger!

However, looking at Chen Chen’s calm demeanor and the way he had comforted her on the way here, could it be that he had some sort of plan?

A young girl’s innocent heart briefly harbored a sliver of hope, but her reason forced her to remind herself: Chen Chen was just a teenager. Facing a group of ferocious, wolf-like thugs, what could he possibly do?

He... he would probably not even be able to save his own life...

Rough hemp ropes cut deeply into the tender skin of Ye Xiaonuo’s arms, turning them red. She leaned crookedly against the wall in the small room. The kidnappers had been extremely careful, binding her securely to a metal pipe. No matter how hard she struggled, she could not even stand up, let alone run away.

Furthermore, a black cloth had been tied tightly over her face...

Just as Ye Xiaonuo’s heart surged with panic, terror, and worry, a sudden commotion of shouts, battle cries, and curses erupted from outside!

Hearing those sounds instantly made Ye Xiaonuo’s heart leap right into her throat!!

What was happening outside...?

Could it be Chen Chen?

Ah! Were they beating Chen Chen?

Or... were they going to kill him?

Ah! There were screams too! Would they hurt Chen Chen badly...?

The relentless clatter of a violent struggle echoed from outside, but gradually, Ye Xiaonuo began to notice something unusual.

The screams rose and fell, sounding as though they were coming from more than one person. Besides... they had been yelling for quite a while now. If Chen Chen had been the one under attack, a lone teenager would have been beaten to the ground ages ago, wouldn't he?

Could something unexpected have happened out there?

However, the black cloth blinding her eyes also muffled her hearing, and her intense anxiety made her strain to listen closely. Yet, the harder she tried to listen, the less she could make out. Struggling back and forth, the hemp rope around her wrists nearly chafed through her skin.

Suddenly, all the noise outside ceased completely. Ye Xiaonuo strained her ears, but not a single sound remained!

Could it be... that they had killed Chen Chen?!

Had Chen Chen been murdered by them?

At this thought, an overwhelming wave of sorrow washed over Ye Xiaonuo, and tears instantly streamed down her face.

As her heart ached with grief, she heard the door being pushed twice, the wooden panels rattling.

Every hair on Ye Xiaonuo’s body stood on end! They were coming! Ah!! They were coming to torture me now!!

She remembered every single one of the obscenely vicious words the leader of the kidnappers had said earlier!

They were going to violate her! What should she do? And there were so many of them! She would rather die than face that!

Thinking of death, Ye Xiaonuo suddenly grew calm.

Death...

Yet at this moment, even death seemed beyond her reach.

The kidnappers were extremely cunning. They had stuffed two fabric balls into her mouth and sealed her lips with transparent tape, making it impossible for her to even bite her tongue.

As for other methods... slamming into a wall? She was tied securely to a metal pipe, utterly immobilized. How could she possibly manage that?

Bang!

The door was kicked open with brutal force!

Ye Xiaonuo’s vision darkened, and she nearly fainted from sheer terror. Footsteps approached her directly. She struggled desperately, screaming wildly in her mind, but with her mouth blocked, she could only emit muffled, whimpering sounds.

Feeling a hand brush against her shoulder, Ye Xiaonuo felt as though she had been bitten by a poisonous snake. Her eyelids fluttered, and she lost consciousness.

When Ye Xiaonuo finally woke up, God knows how much time had passed. The very first thing she did upon opening her eyes was to check herself.

Fortunately, her clothes were intact. A wave of immense relief washed over her, but immediately afterward, she realized something was wrong! The ropes on her hands had already been untied?

And furthermore...

A face was right in front of her, looking at her with a concerned smile. Someone was squatting right before her, a gentle hand softly patting her cheek?

Why was this guy smiling so nicely...

Wait? Chen Chen?!

Ye Xiaonuo rubbed her eyes hard, looking over and over again as if she couldn't believe it, then rubbed her eyes furiously once more.

"Alright, if you keep rubbing like that, you're going to hurt your eyes."

Yes, absolutely! It was Chen Chen! And his voice was still just as gentle!!

A surge of joy overwhelmed Ye Xiaonuo. All her grievances and terror instantly melted into tears. With a loud cry, she sprang up and threw herself straight into Chen Chen’s arms.

The girl in his arms trembled incessantly. Knowing she had been genuinely traumatized, Chen Chen gently stroked Ye Xiaonuo’s hair, letting her bury her face in his chest as he murmured soft words of comfort.

After a long while, when Ye Xiaonuo’s tears had soaked through the front of Chen Chen’s shirt, she finally stopped crying. She lifted her head, her eyes red, and asked, "How... how did you save me? And those... those evil men?"

Chen Chen gave a dry laugh. "They... are all lying on the ground in the courtyard."

"You... how did you..." Ye Xiaonuo started to ask more, but Chen Chen interrupted her. "Let's talk about this later when we have time. I've already called your father. Figuring the time, he should be arriving soon."

"Have you called the police?" Ye Xiaonuo asked.

About that...

It wasn't really calling the police, strictly speaking. Chen Chen smiled bitterly to himself. After all, going bare-handed to take down a dozen heavily armed thugs single-handedly was not the kind of story that needed public exposure. Therefore, instead of dialing the emergency hotline, he had contacted Officer Xu directly to inform him of the situation.

Presumably, with Officer Xu's worldly experience, he would know how to handle it.

Just as they were speaking, the sound of an engine echoed from outside.

An off-road vehicle roared through the outer courtyard gates, smashing the wooden doors to pieces. It charged straight in and came to a screeching halt.

Before the vehicle had even come to a complete stop, the doors flew open with two loud bangs. Officer Xu was the first to leap out of the SUV.

This man clearly wasn't far from terrified himself. Even though Chen Chen had assured him over the phone that the situation was under control—after all, the person in danger was his daughter! Panic makes fools of us all. When a child is kidnapped, a parent cannot find a moment of peace until they lay eyes on their flesh and blood.

Officer Xu wore an expression of murderous intent, holding a gun in his hand as he charged forward with a dark expression.

To Chen Chen’s surprise, Officer Xu was not alone!

From the other side of the off-road vehicle, another figure leaped down. This person was tall and slender, dressed in a peculiar black high-collared Zhongshan suit—it seemed very rare for anyone to wear high collars these days. Dressed entirely in black, the person did not rush after getting out. Instead, with both hands shoved casually into his trouser pockets, he strolled leisurely behind Officer Xu all the way in.

Yet the moment Chen Chen’s gaze fell upon this person, he found he couldn't look away!

Because this person appeared to be walking in a leisurely stroll, his pace was not a fraction slower than the anxious, rushing Officer Xu!

While Officer Xu was practically jogging, this man was merely taking a stroll, yet he consistently remained just half a step behind Officer Xu!

More importantly, despite the bright daylight and blazing sun, his movement felt like a wisp of light smoke! He followed Officer Xu unhurriedly like a phantom!

Indeed! Just like a shadow!!

Officer Xu rushed into the workshop and instantly saw Ye Xiaonuo resting safely and soundly in Chen Chen’s arms. A boulder instantly dropped from his chest.

Taking long strides forward, he first verified that his daughter was completely unharmed before letting out a long sigh of relief. "Thank goodness! As long as you're both safe! Xiaonuo! I was scared to death!"

Chen Chen pulled Ye Xiaonuo up and proactively placed her hand into Officer Xu’s grasp. With a warm smile, he said, "Old Xu, I told you on the phone. I’ve already controlled the situation; there was no need to worry. With me here, your daughter wouldn't lose a single hair."

Officer Xu’s face flushed slightly as he smiled bitterly. "I couldn't help it. Such is the heart of a parent. Sigh..."

Suddenly, however, Officer Xu caught a peculiar expression on his daughter's face. When Chen Chen pulled Ye Xiaonuo away from his embrace and guided her toward Officer Xu, a natural look of lingering reluctance instantly surfaced on the young girl's face.

Noticing this, Officer Xu thought to himself that this was bad news!

It wasn't that he had any objections to Chen Chen; rather, he knew more about Chen Chen than Ye Xiaonuo did. Although this teenager was a fine young man and, under normal circumstances, it would be a fine match for his daughter,

Officer Xu was well aware that Chen Chen was surrounded by a bevy of young women! To name just one, he had personally visited Chen Chen’s home and knew he was already living with that breathtaking little beauty named Yaya!

Therefore, no matter how much he appreciated Chen Chen, as a father, there was simply no way he could allow his daughter to fall for such a boy under these circumstances!

"Chen Chen... thank you so much this time!" Officer Xu said solemnly. "Though Yezi isn't my biological daughter, I treat her as my own! If anything had happened to her, I'm afraid I..."

Chen Chen smiled warmly. "There's no need for thanks, Uncle Xu. Come to think of it, you've helped me quite a few times yourself. Besides, this was just a matter of lifting a finger for me."

At that moment, the peculiar man in the black high-collared suit standing beside Officer Xu smiled faintly and spoke up softly. "Old Xu, why don't you introduce me to your young friend?"

The man’s voice was very gentle, but... perhaps a bit too delicate and soft. Clearly a man, he seemed to lack a certain masculine vigor.

"Ah! I almost forgot!" Officer Xu hurriedly chuckled. "This is Chen Chen, a close friend of mine despite our age gap. Haha, quite an extraordinary young man!"

Then, glancing at Chen Chen, Officer Xu pointed to his companion, his tone growing somewhat more formal. "This is... a colleague of mine newly transferred to K City from my former unit, the Special Operations Group, to handle some new cases. He happened to arrive today, and when you called me, he was right by my side. Hearing what you said on the phone, he came along with me to see if he could lend a hand."

Hearing this, Chen Chen felt a stir in his heart!

The Special Operations Group?

"Haha, Chen Chen, I've heard a lot about you. The Miracle Boy!" The man in black smiled faintly and proactively extended his hand. "My name is Luo Qi, affiliated with the Special Operations Bureau's Seventh Category Special Operations Division—haha, it's a newly established department with a rather long name, but our organization has a new codename: the Shield Division."

As Chen Chen turned these thoughts over in his mind, he casually reached out to shake the man's hand. But the moment their palms made contact, Chen Chen’s expression shifted instantly, and he couldn't help letting out a soft "Huh?"

This man's hand was freezing cold!!!

Clearly, it was the height of summer with scorching temperatures, and this man was even wearing a black long-sleeved high-collared coat!

What was even more bizarre was that in such oppressive heat, his hand was as cold as a block of ice!!

"Apologies." A smile still lingered in the man's eyes. His features were delicate, though his skin was overly pale. He smiled without any apparent malice, carrying only a hint of self-deprecating amusement. "Many people are startled the first time they shake hands with me. My apologies."

"N... nothing at all," Chen Chen replied instinctively.

"I am quite interested in you, actually. If you don't mind, could we have a private talk?"

The fellow named Luo Qi smiled placidly, but... underneath his polite tone lay an undeniable sense of refusal being out of the question!

Chen Chen frowned. "I... have always disliked dealing too much with official personnel... Let's skip the private talk, shall we? Can I decline?"

"My apologies, you cannot." Luo Qi maintained his polite demeanor, smiling faintly. "You surely know in your heart that what I say does not merely represent myself! Therefore, I'm afraid some invitations are rather difficult to turn down."