Chapter 171: Grassland and Camel
Chapter 171: Grassland and Camel
The phone rang for more than thirty seconds before it was answered.
Liu Jun’s voice came through the mobile phone: “Yawn… You’re such a night owl, calling me so late. What’s up?”
“Professor Kang and Kang Xin were kidnapped,” Li Zian said.
“What?” Liu Jun seemed to have shot up from his bed. “When did that happen?”
Li Zian glanced at Kang Haichuan, covered the phone’s microphone, and asked: “Professor Kang, when were you and Kang Xin kidnapped?”
Kang Haichuan said: “This morning, around six something. There were very few people on the street at that time. Kang Xin and I were on our way to school when a car stopped by the roadside. Two people got out, grabbed us, and shoved us into the car.”
“Hey?” Liu Jun’s voice sounded very anxious. “Why did you stop talking again?”
Li Zian removed his hand from the microphone and spoke into the mobile phone: “It happened around six this morning.”
“Something that happened at six this morning, and you’re only telling me now? What were you thinking? Those are two lives!” Liu Jun still had his fiery temper, like a firecracker that ignited at the slightest touch.
However, being in the criminal police line, nerves were often on edge, and they frequently worked overtime and stayed up late, so it was hard to maintain a good temper.
“Um…” Li Zian hesitated.
The situation was too complicated and involved several lives. He didn’t know how to explain it properly, and if he wasn’t careful, he could get into trouble.
“Just say it! Do you want to drive me crazy?” Liu Jun was frantic on the other end.
Li Zian said: “The person who kidnapped Professor Kang and Kang Xin was Huang Bo. Huang Bo threatened me, saying that if I called the police, he would kill Professor Kang and Kang Xin. So I didn’t dare to call the police. You know, that Huang Bo is very powerful, and even you couldn’t handle him.”
“He told you not to call, so you didn’t call? Then why are you calling me now?” Liu Jun was very angry. “Do you know that because of your hesitation and cowardice, we’ve already missed the best time to rescue the hostages! You have to take responsibility for Professor Kang and—”
Li Zian interrupted him: “I already rescued Professor Kang and Kang Xin.”
“What?” Liu Jun exclaimed in surprise.
One could imagine the surprised and awkward expression on Square-Faced’s face right now.
He had just been saying that Li Zian was cowardly and didn’t dare to call the police, but the handsome guy had already rescued the hostages.
“How… how did you do it?”
Li Zian continued: “I used a little bit of knockout smoke to make them pass out, and then I brought Professor Kang and Kang Xin out.”
“I knew you must have used some underhanded methods. Otherwise, how could you have rescued them?”
“Right,” Li Zian admitted outright.
“Where are you now? I’ll bring people over immediately,” Liu Jun’s voice said.
“We’re in a forest area now, preparing to head to the road. I’ll send you a location in a moment.” After a pause, Li Zian added: “Remember to bring the Special Police. That Huang Bo has many helpers, several Westerners. They all have guns, and they’re assault rifles.”
“What Westerners are you talking about?” Liu Jun was shocked again.
This was Huaguo, the place with the strictest gun control in the world. Not to mention assault rifles, even having a gunpowder weapon would break the law. But Li Zian was telling him about assault rifles, and Westerners at that. This was a big deal!
“Let’s talk when we meet. We’re heading to the road first. I’ll send you a location. Come from the south. There’s a village road by the seaside. Drive near the location I send you, and you’ll see a villa. I don’t know if those people are still inside, so be careful,” Li Zian said.
“I got it. I’m coming right away… Wait!” Liu Jun added: “Are Professor Kang and Kang Xin with you?”
“Yes,” Li Zian said.
“Let them say something,” Liu Jun said.
Li Zian looked at Kang Haichuan and Kang Xin and handed the mobile phone to Kang Xin: “Officer Liu wants to hear you speak. Say something to him.”
Kang Xin said: “Officer Liu, I’m Kang Xin. I’m safe now.”
Li Zian then handed the mobile phone to Kang Haichuan.
Kang Haichuan said: “Hello, Officer Liu.”
Li Zian took the mobile phone back: “Did you hear that?”
Beep, beep, beep…
Li Zian put down the mobile phone helplessly, then shared a location with “Square-Faced” on WeChat.
Square-Faced was the WeChat name he had given Liu Jun.
Kang Haichuan looked at Li Zian, seeming a bit nervous: “Xiao Li, there are dead people in that villa. When the police arrive later, will you…”
There were three corpses in the villa, plus a seriously injured white assassin. All of these were done by Li Zian. He was worried that Li Zian would get into trouble, but he put it subtly.
Li Zian knew what he meant. After a brief silence, he said: “Those people aren’t dead. I used knockout smoke. When the police get there, they might even catch them.”
“Not dead?” Kang Haichuan’s mind immediately recalled the white assassin in the diving suit. That white assassin’s head had hit the glass window, the glass cut his neck, and the blood spurted over a meter high.
With blood spurting like that, could the person still be alive?
Kang Xin rolled her eyes at Kang Haichuan: “Dad, did you check on those unconscious people?”
Kang Haichuan shook his head.
Kang Xin continued: “Exactly. You didn’t check, so how do you know those people died? Whether they’re dead or not is up to the doctor to decide. I saw Uncle check Huang Bo. His medical skills are excellent. If he says they’re not dead, then they’re definitely not dead.”
She actually remembered that in the villa, when she asked Li Zian if Huang Bo was dead, Li Zian had nodded. However, she was far more “sensible” than Kang Haichuan.
Whatever the reason, killing someone was always troublesome. If they told the police here, the police might lock Li Zian up until the investigation was clear before releasing him. Li Zian came to rescue her and her father; how could she let him get into such trouble?
Kang Haichuan also understood: “Right, right. Xiao Li only used knockout smoke to make those people pass out. No one died at all.”
A smile appeared on Li Zian’s face. This counted as getting their stories straight.
Based on what he had learned in his Incense Burning State, he estimated that those assassins had already disposed of all the corpses and wouldn’t leave any traces for the police to investigate. Especially that white assassin, who was likely a well-trained professional soldier. If his identity were discovered, it could lead to an international dispute.
Since there were no corpses, if he said no one died, the police would have nothing to investigate.
Besides, even if the truth came out later, he was rescuing people and acting in self-defense, so he wouldn’t get into big trouble.
Handling it this way now was to avoid unnecessary complications.
“Kang Xin, let me treat the wound on your knee,” Li Zian said.
“Okay,” Kang Xin responded, immediately straightening her pencil-like legs, waiting for Li Zian to treat her wound.
Li Zian opened the alloy toolbox, took out gauze, hydrogen peroxide for disinfection, and a piece of Golden Wound Ointment, then began treating the wound on Kang Xin’s knee.
Kang Haichuan looked away, seeming preoccupied with thoughts. After a moment, he turned his gaze back to Li Zian’s face: “Xiao Li, I saw that large incense you brought out earlier. I know it was fake incense you made, but there really is something called Celestial Incense in this world, right?”
Li Zian nodded: “Yes, those people thought I had the Celestial Incense, so they kidnapped you and Kang Xin to force me to make a trade.”
“Xiao Li, be honest with me. Do you have the real Celestial Incense?” Kang Haichuan stared directly at Li Zian, as if trying to find the answer in his eyes.
Li Zian looked straight into Kang Haichuan’s eyes: “Professor Kang, if I really had the Celestial Incense, I would have used the real one to rescue you tonight, not brought a fake one. I wouldn’t gamble with your and Kang Xin’s lives.”
Kang Haichuan continued: “Xiao Li, don’t misunderstand. I’m not doubting you or anything. I just want to see what the Celestial Incense looks like. Is it like the fake one you brought?”
Li Zian smiled: “I don’t know what the real Celestial Incense looks like either. To rescue you, I had my prop maker make that fake Celestial Incense for me.”
Kang Haichuan said in surprise: “So, those people haven’t seen the real Celestial Incense either?”
“I think so, but Huang Bo must have known something, otherwise he wouldn’t have seen through it so quickly,” Li Zian said.
It was a pity Huang Bo was already dead.
Kang Haichuan said: “Xiao Li, I’ve already applied to go to the Loulan Ruins again. I want to visit that place once more. Maybe the Celestial Incense you mentioned is there. When it gets approved, come with me.”
Kang Xin added: “I want to go too.”
Li Zian thought for a moment: “Okay, when the time comes, just call me, and I’ll go with you.”
Before tonight, if Kang Haichuan had asked him this, he would have refused without thinking. But after learning about the existence of the Celestial Incense, he wanted to go see.
If he was lucky enough and actually found the Celestial Incense, he might be able to unravel the secret of the Great Sluggish Cauldron.
Celestial Incense paired with the Great Sluggish Cauldron—he might gain even more amazing abilities!
“Ah!” Kang Haichuan sighed. “The higher-ups are holding it up now because of funding issues…”
“I’ll sponsor it. Just tell the higher-ups that you’ve secured sponsorship. All expenses for this trip to the Loulan Ruins will be on me,” Li Zian said.
“Great! In that case, the higher-ups will definitely approve it,” Kang Haichuan was very happy.
Kang Xin said with a smile: “It’s so good to have a rich friend like Uncle. I definitely want to deepen our friendship.”
Li Zian smiled.
He didn’t know about deepening friendships, but one thing was certain: after tonight’s events, the relationship between him and this father-daughter pair would definitely be special from now on.
While chatting, Li Zian had finished treating Kang Xin’s left leg. He moved in front of her to treat the wound on her right knee.
Kang Haichuan suddenly got up from the grass and walked down the slope.
Li Zian asked: “Professor Kang, where are you going?”
Kang Haichuan said: “When you get old, prostate issues pop up. When I’m happy, I need to pee. I’m going to relieve myself.”
Li Zian regretted asking.
“Dad! You’re a professor. Can’t you be more civilized?” Kang Xin said discontentedly.
But Kang Haichuan ignored Kang Xin.
Li Zian poured some hydrogen peroxide on her wound.
“Ouch!” Kang Xin gasped sharply, her right leg instinctively bending to avoid Li Zian’s hand.
But with that bend, her school uniform skirt slid up from her thigh.
White.
Pikachu cartoon pattern.
Camel’s Foot Arch was thick, giving a feeling like stepping on a pile of grass.
Perhaps because the weather was stuffy, Camel’s Foot Arch was sweating, feeling a bit moist.
Li Zian quickly looked down at the hydrogen peroxide bottle in his hand, feeling very awkward.
Kang Xin didn’t notice. After catching her breath, she stretched her right leg out again for Li Zian to treat.
It returned, but the position wasn’t right.
That Camel’s Foot Arch was still faintly visible, as if stepping on this dewy green grassland.
Li Zian braced himself and treated the wound, finally finishing with the injury on her right leg.
Just then, Kang Haichuan came back: “Are you two done?”
As he packed his things, Li Zian said: “Yes, we can go down now.”
At that moment, a loud roaring sound suddenly came from the direction of Shanghai city.
The three people on the grassland looked up. A helicopter was flying toward them, its bright searchlight beam shining from far away.
Li Zian couldn’t see who was in the helicopter, but he had a feeling that his plastic friend Square-Faced was most likely on it, pointing at him with his finger.
“There they are! Fly over quickly!” Liu Jun shouted loudly in the helicopter, spittle flying.
It was just right for the police to arrive now.
That’s how it always happened in movies too—never stealing the show.