"What's going on?"
Teacher Li followed Xiao Jie's gaze to the back, seeing the group of fierce men in black. She sternly asked, "Where did you people come from? Get out of here immediately, or I'll call the police!"
She spread her arms to shield the children behind her.
The men in black strode forward expressionlessly. Before Teacher Li could react, one of them struck her on the back of the neck with a fist.
The three little ones watched their teacher collapse in front of them. "Teacher Li!"
With no time to worry about Teacher Li, Xiao Qian quickly pulled his two younger brothers inside.
Xiao Yu and Xiao Jie ran with all their might, pushing away obstacles behind them as they fled.
"These brats!" The faces of the men in black turned grim.
Feng Xiao, the leader, calmly bypassed them.
With their hair violently whipped by the wind, Xiao Qian's fingers flew across the screen: Mommy, we met bad people at the training class, please immediately…
Just as he was about to hit the send button, Xiao Qian cried out in surprise, lifted entirely by a man in black.
The next moment, he completely lost consciousness.
The men in black looked at the three boys lying on the ground and then at their leader.
"Cover their mouths, tie up their hands and feet, and take them back."
The sun was about to set, its rays intermingling at the horizon, making even this desolate area seem noble.
Shi Xinxin and Sheng Chenjin walked side by side, with Yan Hao, who was familiar with the area, leading the way. They were all heading towards a distant building.
Shi Xinxin hadn't intended to let Yan Hao lead, but he insisted on going ahead. Although this desolate area didn't look large, the terrain was complex, surrounded by mountains, making it easy to get lost.
Shi Xinxin grudgingly allowed Yan Hao to take the lead. Indeed, none of them were familiar with the terrain, and if they caused trouble and missed this sole opportunity, they would regret it. He scanned their surroundings from time to time.
As the dilapidated building drew closer, a gust of wind swept by, raising goosebumps on their skin.
Sheng Chenjin subtly shifted his position, standing in a spot that could shield Shi Xinxin.
Yan Hao showed no surprise at the sight of the location; it was as if he were accustomed to it. He turned and said, "It's here. However, I'm not sure if he's inside. But there should be an ambush inside, so we need to be careful."
Shi Xinxin nodded in understanding and reached out to hold Sheng Chenjin's hand, her fingertips squeezing his palm.
Sheng Chenjin looked at her with slight surprise, a glimmer of joy in his eyes that seemed to have been rekindled.
"Don't overthink it," Shi Xinxin murmured. "I just genuinely fear you'll get lost later, doing you a favor."
She had never actively held his hand before, and her heart fluttered a little now, her palm growing warmer.
Sheng Chenjin remained silent, but the joy in his eyes was undeniable, betraying his emotions.
Their group stopped in front of a derelict pharmacy. Shi Xinxin scanned the exterior carefully. The facade had a conventional design, and the promotional posters were detailed, showing nothing out of the ordinary.
But the oddity was the pharmacy being located in such a desolate place.
Shi Xinxin looked up at the pharmacy's sign; it was completely blank, with nothing on it.
Yan Hao stepped forward and saw an iron lock on the pharmacy door.
He looked troubled. "I should have remembered. Such a cautious person wouldn't just let us in."
Shi Xinxin pursed her lips. Bai Feng was guarding the car on the other side and watching the surroundings, so she couldn't ask him to come over.
She casually took a hairpin from her hair and gestured to Yan Hao, "I studied some mechanics before. I should understand how these locks work."
Yan Hao moved aside, and Shi Xinxin inserted the hairpin into the lock's bolt, twisting it. However, after trying for a long time, she couldn't find a way in. She felt like it was stuck at some curved point, holding firm.
Sheng Chenjin glanced at it. "Your method is wrong. The hairpin isn't fully inserted."
He took the hairpin from Shi Xinxin and, with skillful movements, inserted it into the keyhole. After a few twists, the iron lock clicked open with a crisp sound.
"You knew how to do this all along and didn't say anything, making me waste so much time," Shi Xinxin watched him effortlessly open the lock and then nonchalantly pull away the padlock and chain.
Sheng Chenjin smiled at her. "After all, someone just said they wanted to protect me. How could I possibly take risks easily?"
As he said this, he deliberately cast a glance at Yan Hao.
Yan Hao raised an eyebrow, silently shifted his gaze, and looked at the somewhat loose iron door. He pushed it inward with force, and a harsh creaking sound followed. The iron door swung open, and a cloud of dust billowed out.
Shi Xinxin, even standing at a distance, could feel it. She coughed a few times, pulling Sheng Chenjin back while not forgetting to remind Yan Hao to stand further away.
After all, Feng Lao was a cunning person, and it was possible he had booby-trapped the pharmacy. The dust might even contain harmful medicinal powders.
Following the events of the morning banquet, Shi Xinxin's caution had doubled.
Yan Hao waved his hand in front of him to clear the dust and scanned his surroundings, confirming there was no immediate danger. He nodded to Shi Xinxin and Sheng Chenjin, lowering his voice, "No one's here."
Although the pharmacy's exterior appeared empty, they couldn't be sure if anyone was hiding underground. Yan Hao moved forward slowly, making no sound, and entered the pharmacy.
Shi Xinxin silently followed Yan Hao's steps. She couldn't help but observe the interior's state; it was a mess, as if it hadn't been cleaned in ages.
Cobwebs filled the corners, and the dilapidated walls were mottled with stains. Everything exposed was covered in a thick layer of dust, which explained the sudden cloud of dust when the door opened.
While Shi Xinxin searched for any useful clues, Sheng Chenjin remained in a position to protect her.
As sunset approached, the deeper parts of the pharmacy grew darker. Yan Hao fumbled his way to a wall.
Even with limited visibility, he nodded to those behind him. Shi Xinxin nodded back.
Yan Hao pointed to a raised section on the wall, and Shi Xinxin understood; it was the switch to activate something.
Without hesitation, thinking that Feng Lao might be planning to flee at any moment, Shi Xinxin immediately nodded to Yan Hao.
Yan Hao then slowly pressed the raised button on the wall.
To their side, a section of the wall suddenly moved. With a significant tremor, the wall slowly slid open to the side, shaking loose more dust onto the floor.
"This is it."