Siheyuan: I just came across and wanted to chase me away

Gu Nan's eyes suddenly turned cold, and his aura instantly became sharp as a knife. Before Xiao Bao could react, he suddenly exerted force with his feet, and a clear "crack" was heard. Xiao Bao's lower leg bent at an odd angle, and the sound of bones breaking was particularly jarring in the empty warehouse.

"Ah—!" Xiao Bao let out a heart-wrenching scream of pain. Cold sweat instantly soaked his back, streaming down his face and mixing with the blood at the corner of his mouth, making him look utterly wretched. His body went limp and he tried to kneel down, but Gu Nan grabbed his collar and lifted him up like a chicken, forcing him to look Gu Nan in the eye.

Immediately afterward, a cold dagger was pressed against Xiao Bao's neck, the blade lightly brushing against his skin. The piercing chill seeped into his bones, causing him to shiver involuntarily. Gu Nan's voice was devoid of warmth, as if chilled to the bone: "So, anything else you want to say now?"

Xiao Bao trembled with pain, his teeth clenched so tightly they cracked, his face ashen, and his lips drained of color. But as he looked into Gu Nan's eyes, a fierce, desperate glint remained. He forced out a few defiant words through gritted teeth: "Hmph...kill me if you want, stop wasting your breath! Who am I, Xiao Bao? I would never beg for mercy! I won't say a word, whether it's something I should or shouldn't say!"

Gu Nan was too lazy to waste words with him. This kind of person wouldn't give in unless he was desperate, so there was no need to waste time with him now. He flicked his wrist, and the back of the knife slammed heavily against Xiao Bao's nape. "Ugh!" Xiao Bao groaned, his eyes rolled back, and his body went limp, completely unconscious.

Gu Nan casually tossed him to the ground with a dull thud. He turned to look at Gu Bei standing to the side, his tone as indifferent as if he were talking about something trivial: "You handle this. These people are mercenaries who do things for money, their hands are stained with blood, keeping them around is just asking for trouble, there's no need to be soft on them."

After saying this, he himself was stunned for a moment—when did the death of a few people become so commonplace in his eyes? In the past, even when dealing with enemies, he would always try to leave a way out, and would not use lethal force unless absolutely necessary. But now, looking at the assassins lying haphazardly in the warehouse, he felt no ripples in his heart, as if he were just disposing of a pile of garbage. Perhaps it was because he had seen too much darkness and bloodshed recently, or perhaps it was because Xiao Bao and his group had gone too far, using kidnapping and assassination without restraint, that he had long since become completely cold-hearted.

He knew that Gu Bei was capable of handling such matters, and that he was always decisive and efficient, never dragging things out or having any unnecessary concerns.

Gu Bei nodded, his eyes showing no hesitation, his tone steady: "Don't worry, I know what to do." He glanced down at the unconscious Xiao Bao on the ground, then asked, "What about this person? Keep him alive or...?"

"Keep him alive for now," Gu Nan said in a deep voice, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the hilt of the knife. "He must have someone behind him, otherwise he wouldn't have the guts to cause this trouble. If we keep him alive, we can always get something out of him and completely dig out this trail."

Gu Bei responded with a "Okay," then turned and began cleaning up the scene, his movements methodical and efficient. Gu Nan, on the other hand, walked to a corner of the warehouse, slid down against the cold wall, took out a cigarette case from his pocket, lit one, and the flame of the lighter flashed in his eyes for a moment before quickly going out.

Amidst the swirling smoke, he gazed at the setting sun outside the window, its orange-red afterglow streaming through the broken panes, casting dappled shadows on the floor. A complex mix of emotions welled up within him—this road seemed to stretch ever further, ever darker. He didn't know what he would become if things continued this way, but he knew he had no other choice but to protect those he cared about.

At three in the morning, the streetlights in the alley flickered, casting long and short shadows of Tong Ren and his group on the wall. He gestured, and his team immediately split into two groups. One group crept along the wall to the back door of the clinic, while the other followed him toward the front door. Dim yellow light shone from the clinic's windows, and the intermittent cries of a baby could be faintly heard from inside, like fine needles pricking at one's heart.

"Go!" Tong Ren ordered in a low voice, his voice even quieter than the wind in the alley.

The main entrance had an old-fashioned padlock, which the team members easily opened with a special tool. The soft "click" sound was particularly clear in the quiet night. Tong Ren was the first to push the door open and enter. The beam of his flashlight instantly swept across the front hall—dusty bottles and jars were placed on the medicine cabinet, and several bamboo baskets covered with cloth were piled in the corner. The crying was coming from the baskets.

"Police! Don't move!" The officers' shouts broke the silence.

The door to the inner room creaked open, and Wang Ran, wearing a white coat, emerged carrying an enamel mug. A flicker of panic crossed her sleepy face; her hand trembled, and the mug crashed to the floor, splashing hot water everywhere. "W-what are you doing? This is a legitimate clinic..."

"Would a legitimate clinic lock up so many children in the middle of the night?" Tong Ren stepped forward, his gaze sharp as he swept over the bamboo baskets. He lifted the top cloth, revealing two children, about one or two years old, huddled inside, their faces red from the cold, crying silently with their mouths open, their voices long since hoarse. In another basket was a swaddled infant, probably only a few months old, its tiny hands clenched into fists, shivering from crying.

Wang Ran's face turned deathly pale instantly, his legs went weak and he almost knelt on the ground, but was supported by the team members next to him. "It wasn't me... I was forced to..." he stammered, his eyes glancing at a hidden door in the corner of the inner room.

Tong Ren, with his sharp eyes, immediately signaled to his team members: "Go check over there."

Two team members stepped forward and opened the hidden door, revealing a narrow cellar with a musty smell. Inside, there were three wooden plank beds with four children lying on them, the oldest no more than five years old. Their hands and feet were bound, and their mouths were gagged with strips of cloth. They trembled with fear when they saw someone enter.

"Untie them." Tong Ren's voice was as cold as ice. The team members quickly stepped forward to untie the ropes and tear off the strips of cloth. The children were finally able to cry out loud, their cries filled with fear and grievance, making one's heart ache.

"Wang Ran, where did these children come from? Who is your superior?" Tong Ren stared at him, his tone devoid of any warmth.

Wang Ran collapsed to the ground, his white coat soaked with cold sweat, his lips trembling as he said, "I... I'm just a gofer... Someone brought the children here and asked me to look after them temporarily, and give them some food... They give me fifty yuan for each one I look after..." Wang Ran could only pretend that he knew nothing.