Ch. 1551..1560
Chapter 1551: 1550 is not quite right
Tall and chubby—if he were to put on a mask, wouldn’t this man be the very manager who the thugs in hand were talking about? Could it be such a coincidence? The hotel owner is the manager?
But Tan Rou gave it some thought and realized there indeed was such a possibility, because the recently fired Abiya was one of the people who had paid membership dues.
Abiya did not put up much of a fight against the boss’s scolding and beating, which certainly fit the profile if he were a timid person.
But the police had also said that Abiya was not an obedient man; he often got into fights and caused trouble around here. How could a troublemaker like him endure without fighting back? The boss had already fired him, so why would he tolerate the boss’s anger any longer?
Tan Rou set this thought aside for the moment, then smiled politely at him; after all, it was important not to lose ground in terms of momentum. Hamillen also waved at them.
Tan Rou entered the room with Zhuang Liu, smiling. As soon as they entered the room, Tan Rou’s smile immediately faded.
“There’s something off about this boss!”
“This boss is a bit strange!”
Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu spoke up at the same time.
“You go first!”
“No, you first!”
They both spoke at the same time again.
Tan Rou said, “You go ahead, I need to think a bit more.”
Zhuang Liu said, “He told us too much, starting with offering to show us around the attractions, then wanting to introduce a nut vendor to us. If I remember correctly, so far, we’ve only met him twice. And during the last meeting, our interaction wasn’t pleasant, as we caused him to fire an employee and lose some accommodation fees.”
Tan Rou chuckled and said, “If I were him, I would definitely keep my distance from people who cause me trouble, not offer to show them around or sell them things at a cheap price. There are only two possibilities for his actions: either he has some other scheme in mind, or he is simply a fool.”
Zhuang Liu was amused by Tan Rou’s words, “Considering that boss has managed to open so many hotels, he’s definitely not a fool. So his actions must certainly be premeditated. But for now, we don’t know what his plan is.”
Tan Rou said, “If he simply wants us to buy things, that won’t have much impact. After all, we do want to go out and have fun, and we do want to buy some nuts to take back. If what he offers is good, we might as well buy from him.”
“Yes,” Zhuang Liu nodded, “If we don’t want to buy his stuff, he can’t exactly put a gun to our heads. But even if he did put a gun to our heads, it wouldn’t matter since I have our weapons.”
“Don’t let them expose themselves. It’s not yet a critical time; it’s better to keep a low profile,” Tan Rou always had a bad premonition, “I feel that the Dawn Society is no simple matter, and in the end, there will certainly be a big battle.”
Zhuang Liu, quite worried, said, “Can we leave early? I don’t want you to get dragged into a war. Even though I know you’re strong, war is no joke. Even the strongest can die in war.”
“I asked you to bring people here not because I want to get involved in a war, but because I want to keep our people safe during it, that includes both you and me,” Tan Rou said, “I don’t wish for any of us to sacrifice, but now that I’m in the game, I doubt they’ll let me leave if I decide to.”
“Who?” Zhuang Liu asked very anxiously, “The princess herself?”
“No,” Tan Rou shook her head, “Samiyi might feel regret at my departure, but she won’t stop me. I can be sure of that. The ones I’m talking about are the people from the Dawn Society; they’re waiting for my response, and I reckon I won’t be able to leave this country without giving one.”
“What kind of response?” Zhuang Liu hadn’t heard about this matter before.
Tan Rou replied, “They want me to help them train soldiers, teach them how to use firearms, and improve their shooting speed and accuracy…”
“This is far too dangerous,” Zhuang Liu disagreed with Tan Rou’s involvement, “Tan Rou, will you promise me? Let’s not go there anymore, let’s leave now!”
Chapter 1552: Analyze the problem at 1551
“I know you’re worried about me, but I really can’t leave right now. I promise you, nothing will go wrong.” Tan Rou grabbed Zhuang Liu’s hand and whispered, “If you want to leave, then go ahead. I absolutely won’t blame you.”
“How could I possibly leave first?” Zhuang Liu said with a sense of helplessness, “Wherever you are, I’ll always be with you. Let’s just put this behind us. If you won’t leave, I won’t press you anymore, but I will stay here with you. If you go, I’ll go; if you don’t, I won’t. If there’s something you need to do, then let me accompany you.”
Tan Rou suddenly felt very sorry for Zhuang Liu. She wanted to stay and do something dangerous, but she had dragged Zhuang Liu into it, which was really selfish. But without Zhuang Liu coming over, she wouldn’t be able to do so much on her own.
“By the way, did you see the look in that boss’s eyes just now?” Zhuang Liu asked again, “When he looked at us, his gaze seemed a bit terrifying. It made me feel very uncomfortable.”
“You saw it too?” Tan Rou frowned. “I thought I was the only one. Actually, the name he mentioned was also correct. When we were with the Dawn Society, Samiyi and I both used false names. My name was Zhuang Rou, while Samiyi’s name was Sally.”
Upon hearing Tan Rou’s mention of the name, Zhuang Liu couldn’t help but snicker on the side, “Tan Rou still cares a lot about me.”
Tan Rou snorted unfeelingly, “Don’t flatter yourself. I didn’t intentionally use your last name. I just came up with a new name on the spot because I was in a hurry.”
Zhuang Liu still believed Tan Rou deliberately chose the name. Why didn’t she call herself Zhang Rou or Li Rou, but Zhuang Rou instead? Weren’t those other names more concealing?
“Let’s not dwell on this matter now,” Tan Rou said. “I have a question for you. Did you mention my name in front of that boss?”
“It wasn’t me who said your name,” Zhuang Liu shook his head. “He found it himself when he was going over the records. Then he asked me if you were my girlfriend and why you weren’t living with me. I casually said you went to meet friends. After that, he diverted the topic as if on purpose and didn’t talk about you anymore.”
Tan Rou nodded slightly, “When I appeared again, he called me by my real name the first time but by my alias the second time. There might be a chance he called the wrong name, but I feel he already knew that name.”
“Yeah, he never confused my name with Xiao Mo’s,” Zhuang Liu said. “When Xiao Mo went out, he glanced at him briefly. Xiao Mo even told me the waiters here have a really bad attitude, not responding to anything you ask. Then I came down to check, and surprisingly, he told me everything.”
“If something happens out of the ordinary, there must be a reason,” Tan Rou opined. “This morning when I arrived, I caught a few thugs on the side of the road. After giving them a good beating, I had the police take them away. But those who got beaten told me that there’s a manager of the Dawn Society in this area, tall and a bit chubby, always appearing with a mask on.”
“You encountered some thugs again?” Zhuang Liu was used to it by now, “Well, the thugs are just unlucky when they get to you, so I don’t need to worry about you.”
Tan Rou said with a smile, “Of course, no thug has ever got the better of me.”
Zhuang Liu chuckled, “I know you’re the best!”
“Let’s talk about the serious matters,” Tan Rou continued. “At first, I didn’t connect the boss to the person the thugs talked about; after all, the description—the image of a tall, fat person—is common here, where the locals are all tall because they eat a lot of meat, so many of them are on the heavier side.”
“Tall and chubby…” Zhuang Liu pondered for a moment, “This fat boss does sort of fit their description. If he wore a mask, he’d look even more like it.”
“Exactly,” Tan Rou shared her speculation. “Do you remember the employee named Abiya? Before the boss arrived, he was very aggressive, but even after learning he was fired, he still didn’t dare to strike at the boss. That’s not normal at all.”
Chapter 1553: 1552 bold assumption
“Abiya indeed didn’t return to the hotel afterward,” Zhuang Liu also felt something was amiss, “We were certainly the first to act yesterday, and afterward, I taught Abiya a harsh lesson. In the end, Abiya lost his job and had to compensate the boss for the damages as well as repair the walls and the floor, but he didn’t seem to harbor much resentment. He just kept voicing his grievances.”
Tan Rou said, “Normally, if someone gets beaten up at work, they would definitely seek compensation from their employer. But regarding the compensation, Abiya never suggested he wouldn’t pay.”
“The police said Abiya often caused trouble, and the boss also said he felt pity for Abiya, which is why he kept him employed there. If Abiya were wealthy, he surely wouldn’t care about that small amount of compensation,” Tan Rou added. “But Abiya isn’t wealthy, so why didn’t he put up a fight? It can’t just be because he feels indebted to the boss and didn’t want to let him down.”
Zhuang Liu said with a smile, “If he truly wanted to repay the boss’s kindness, he wouldn’t be spouting nonsense in the hotel. This sort of thing surely isn’t the first time he’s said it. He doesn’t correct his behavior, and the boss doesn’t intervene, which is strange however you look at it.”
“What if they are in it together?” Tan Rou proposed a view, “Suppose the boss is the Dawn Society’s manager in this region, and Abiya is an external member of the Dawn Society. Abiya knows the boss’s secret identity, so he expects him to give him an advantage and direct entry into the Dawn Society. If that’s the case, then we’ve found the reason why Abiya didn’t resist.”
“There is indeed that possibility,” Zhuang Liu said. “However, all this is your speculation; we can’t prove that the boss is the underground manager of this area. And don’t you handle this matter—leave it to the princess.”
Tan Rou said with interest, “Zhuang Liu, don’t you think this is a good opportunity?”
Zhuang Liu didn’t see it as a good opportunity; all he saw were troubles everywhere. After eight in the evening, they were not allowed to go out, and last night he even heard the sounds of the patrol passing by underneath.”
“What opportunity?” But seeing Tan Rou’s expression, Zhuang Liu knew she was thinking of doing something daring again. “Let me make it clear, wherever you’re planning to go, I’m coming with you.”
“This time I will definitely take you with me,” Tan Rou said. “Those ruffians mentioned that the manager would show up at night and then talk to them wearing a mask. If we also go out at night, might we encounter this manager?”
Zhuang Liu felt this method wasn’t very reliable, “You can’t be sure where the manager might appear. What if he stays at home the whole time?”
“He might stay at home, but those who give him money certainly won’t stay at home; they have to go somewhere,” Tan Rou said. “Normal people wouldn’t go out at night because there are armed patrols outside. So the only ones going out will be those with important things to do.”
“Oh, you mean to look for those who pay the money?” Zhuang Liu also understood Tan Rou’s intent then, “The manager might stay home all the time, but other people definitely won’t. If we find someone who goes out at night and seems suspicious, we can follow them and then find out where the manager is.”
“Indeed,” Tan Rou praised, “Zhuang Liu is quite clever.”
Zhuang Liu said, “I’m a gifted graduate from a prestigious school, after all. How could I fail to understand even this simple reasoning?”
But this method might be a bit of a waste of time; perhaps they wouldn’t find anyone paying money all night, or maybe they would be discovered by the patrol. However, precisely because of this, the endeavor seemed fun.
“The day after tomorrow is the Dawn Society’s meeting time. Presumably, each regional manager will report the latest developments to the president. So, in these two days, the managers will certainly be urging those who want to join to pay the membership fee,” Tan Rou said. “Tonight and tomorrow night are both good opportunities to look for people.”
Zhuang Liu checked the time; it was already past one in the afternoon. “Then let’s go have lunch first. We can rest well in the afternoon and then go out to find people tonight.”
Tan Rou replied, “Hmm, I’ll let Samiyi know, so I won’t go back to the palace tonight.”
Chapter 1554: 1553 arresting people
Around six o’clock, Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu left the hotel with a suitcase in hand. It was not until nightfall that they changed their clothes, this time wearing black masks that covered most of their faces.
Tan Rou looked at Zhuang Liu’s attire and laughed, saying, “You look like some kind of superhero.”
Zhuang Liu replied, “We’re not superheroes, but male and female thieves, just like the ones in martial arts novels.”
Tan Rou laughed heartily, “Let’s go then, let’s do what the male and female thieves in martial arts novels would do.”
It wasn’t yet the curfew hour, so there were still quite a few people on the streets, but everyone was moving very quickly, as if racing against the Grim Reaper for time.
Actually, they were indeed racing against the Grim Reaper. If they returned home late, they might encounter patrolling soldiers armed with guns. Getting caught by them meant either getting shot or spending time in prison—neither of which was pleasant.
Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu grabbed a quick bite, then sat quietly waiting for the final moment to arrive.
Just after eight o’clock, there were virtually no people left on the streets, and the patrol soldiers came by in a large truck, also waiting for the time to arrive.
When the time came, squads of patrol soldiers immediately appeared on the streets, their numbers only increased, not fewer than before.
“Let’s wait around here for a while to see if anyone comes by.” After the patrol soldiers had left, Tan Rou whispered to Zhuang Liu, “If no one is around, we’ll take a turn in those alleys. If they don’t want to be spotted by the patrol soldiers, they’ll definitely walk through the alleys.”
“Alright, I’ll follow your plan,” Zhuang Liu said with a smile. “I’m not familiar with this place, so you’ll have to ensure my safety.”
Tan Rou responded assertively, “President Zhuang, don’t worry, I’ll make sure to bring you back home safely.”
The frail President Zhuang replied, “Okay, warrior Tan Rou!”
After chatting, Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu continued to wait in the dark. However, this place didn’t seem to be one of their bases, so after more than an hour, still no one had come by.
Tan Rou rolled up her sleeves and then checked the time under the dim street light, “It’s almost 10 o’clock. Let’s wait somewhere else for them; I guess they won’t come here.”
Zhuang Liu complied with Tan Rou’s arrangement, “Okay, then you pick the next spot.”
Tan Rou put her sleeves back down, “Follow me.”
But they hadn’t gone far when they heard a disturbance.
“Stop!”
“Don’t let that woman get away!”
“Damn, why is it always women causing trouble outside these days?”
“Damn it, this woman runs too fast!”
That was the voice of the patrol soldiers. Upon hearing the shouts of the patrol soldiers, Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu quickly hid, but the sound of footsteps was getting closer to them.
Tan Rou wrote in Zhuang Liu’s palm, “Don’t make a sound.”
Zhuang Liu wrote back, “Don’t meddle.”
Both of them tacitly remained silent. Since they didn’t have any weapons on them, it was best not to confront these patrol soldiers directly!
“Fuck! Fire the gun; don’t let that woman get away!” The patrol soldiers, angered by the fleeing person, decided to use bullets to subdue them.
The fleeing person was clearly scared, desperately zigzagging to escape, never running in a straight line.
The woman moved quickly, which meant the patrol soldiers’ poor aim couldn’t keep up with her speed, their bullets hitting the ground and ricocheting in all directions.
After several days of confrontations between patrol soldiers and citizens, the locals had grown disinterested in watching anymore, aware these soldiers hardly ever hit their targets.
But this time was different. Previously, there were always two people, and one of them was very strong while the other wasn’t weak either. However, this woman seemed much weaker than the previous two; her first instinct upon seeing the patrol soldiers was to run away, showing no intention to resist.
The woman was heading towards Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu. They planned to exit from the back, only to find that the alley they had hidden in was a dead end. To escape, they would have to climb a ten-meter-high wall.
Chapter 1555: 1554 rescue people
“Let’s break out!” Zhuang Liu made an immediate decision, “Hide behind me, I’ll cover you as we go out. Once we’re out, you go left, I go right, and we’ll regroup at the hotel later.”
Tan Rou said, “That won’t work, there are too many surveillance cameras at the hotel. If we go back now, we’ll definitely be captured on the hotel’s surveillance. We can escape separately, but we shouldn’t meet up before dawn. Firstly, we’ll use the locator to determine each other’s position. As long as the red dot is still on, that means we’re safe.”
For fear of more trouble, Tan Rou had swapped her luxury watch for an upgraded version with a locator installed. This watch was a bit more advanced because it was a couple’s watch she had modified for her and Zhuang Liu’s exclusive use. They could determine if the other was safe through the watch.
“Okay, be careful!” Zhuang Liu reaffirmed, “You go left, I go right. I’ll draw their attention while you get away quickly. I’ll count to three, and we’ll run out together.”
Zhuang Liu didn’t give Tan Rou time to think; he started counting right after speaking, “One, two…” He didn’t finish counting and was ready to run outside.
But before they could escape, the captured woman led the patrol soldiers right to them, and now they had no chance to run.
“Stop shooting, that woman is injured!” the Patrol Captain shouted, “Put away your guns, we need to capture that woman alive.”
Tan Rou grabbed Zhuang Liu, who was about to dash out, “I knew you would do this. Let’s not rush; we’ll wait and see.”
Outside the alley, the injured woman was dragging her lame leg, moving step by step into the alley and muttering, “I will never let you catch me!”
The patrol soldiers’ marksmanship was indeed not very accurate, but they had the advantage of numbers and plenty of bullets. Bullets hitting the walls or the ground would ricochet, and the woman was hit by a bullet that bounced back.
The patrol soldiers seemed to enjoy watching her attempt to escape, laughing and saying, “Look at her limping! It’s hilarious!”
“Did you get a clear look at her face? Is she pretty?”
“In such darkness, who can see her face? Let’s capture her alive and see what she looks like. If she’s pretty, we’ll keep her to have some fun with us instead of sending her to prison!”
The woman was enraged by their words, “Bastards, if you dare to harm me, my father will never let you go!”
The patrol soldiers were not intimidated at all, “Hahaha, let’s see if your father is more formidable or the bullets in our guns!”
Initially, the woman’s voice was so soft that Tan Rou couldn’t hear anything, but when the woman shouted loudly at the patrol soldiers, Tan Rou felt the voice was a bit familiar, as if she’d heard it somewhere before.
“I think this voice sounds familiar,” Tan Rou whispered into Zhuang Liu’s ear. “Let’s watch a bit longer, I’ll try to remember where I’ve heard this voice, and find out if she’s a friend or foe.”
Zhuang Liu nodded gently, without speaking.
“I will definitely have my father teach you a lesson!” the woman shouted while retreating, “Don’t come any closer to me!”
Upon hearing one of the woman’s sentences, Tan Rou finally remembered who those people were, and then she said to Zhuang Liu, “Zhuang Liu, we need to save this person.”
This time Zhuang Liu had no objections. Since Tan Rou said they should save her, there must be a reason to do so, “Okay, I’ll draw them off. You take the chance to get that woman out of here.”
“Be careful,” Tan Rou advised, “Let’s stick to the plan we discussed to meet up.”
“Sure.” Zhuang Liu adjusted the mask on his face and tightened his clothes, “You be careful too.”
“Mhm.” Tan Rou nodded.
After Zhuang Liu was ready, he quickly bolted to the right, purposely making a lot of noise as he ran to attract the patrol soldiers away.
“There’s an accomplice!” the Patrol Captain suddenly shouted, “Capture that accomplice!”
“I’m not an accomplice, I’m just a tourist passing by!” Zhuang Liu shouted back, “Don’t catch me!”
The Patrol Captain didn’t believe his excuses, and he chose over half of the patrol soldiers ordered, “Catch up with him, we want him alive!”
Chapter 1556: 1555 is indeed you
Zhuang Liu hadn’t run too far when he suddenly stopped after a few steps and started fighting with the patrol soldiers. The abilities of these patrol soldiers were simply inadequate; they couldn’t hit anyone when shooting from afar, and they couldn’t win in close combat either. They couldn’t get anywhere near Zhuang Liu.
Seeing this, the Patrol Captain then split the remaining men into two groups. One half stayed to capture the injured woman, while he led the other half to pursue the more formidable-looking man.
With only a small group of people left, Tan Rou found it much easier. All she had to do was take down those few patrol soldiers to rescue the captive.
“Miss, could you please squat down!” Tan Rou yelled.
The woman was very nervous. She subconsciously did as Tan Rou asked and suddenly squatted on the ground. Due to her leg injury, she ended up sitting on the ground.
Tan Rou threw a lot of unwanted metal scraps from the alley. They hadn’t noticed these items while searching for a route earlier, but when Tan Rou approached, she saw a mess of dismantled metal pipes stacked in the corner.
She picked some short and light metal pipes and carried them all to the mouth of the alley, then threw them with precision using the aid of the light.
“Help, something hit me!” a patrol soldier shouted.
“Ah, my face is bleeding!” another cried out.
“Not good, my partner was knocked out!” another shouted.
Tan Rou threw all the remaining metal pipes, and while they were dodging them, she quickly rushed out, pulled up the seated woman, lifted her onto her back, and ran to the left.
By the time the group of patrol soldiers realized what had happened, they had already run quite a distance. The patrol soldiers wanted to chase them, but they forgot about all those metal pipes lying on the ground next to them.
Stepping on a metal pipe, they fell to the ground again. One falling caused several others to fall, and thus all the remaining patrol soldiers were put down by the metal pipes used by Tan Rou.
Tan Rou carried the injured woman to a safe place. The woman was very tough; even having been shot in the leg, she didn’t cry out in pain.
“Thank you!” the injured woman gasped, then said, “I will repay you.”
Tan Rou squatted down and used the mini-spotlight from her watch to look at the woman. Her face was painted over, but her features were still recognizable.
“I thought your voice sounded familiar, and it really is you, Miss Mia,” Tan Rou said with a smile.
Mia was startled, then cautiously asked, “Miss Tan Rou, is that you?”
Tan Rou nodded, “Yes, it’s me. And I suppose no one else would be so kind-hearted to rescue you, right?”
Mia said with evident embarrassment, “I’m sorry, for bothering you again.”
“It’s okay,” Tan Rou said, “I was just out to see the moon anyway…” She looked up; there was no moon that night, only stars, “to see the stars.”
Mia didn’t mind Tan Rou’s excuse; she knew Tan Rou must have had some important matter to attend to, to risk venturing out at night.
“How did you happen to be here?” Tan Rou asked curiously, “You, the young lady from Duke Delder’s house, should be resting now, right?”
Mia admitted, “Yes, I should be asleep now, but I’m not. I came out to handle a very important matter.”
“What matter?” Tan Rou asked with a slightly mocking tone, “Coming out to catch some bullets?”
Mia instinctively touched her injured calf, “No, I’m not looking for patrol soldiers. I’m here to find some people.”
“Who?” Tan Rou asked, then felt she was asking too many questions, “Never mind, it’s your own business. I don’t need to know, unless you think you need to tell me.”
“Miss Tan Rou, it’s not that I don’t want to tell you, but you shouldn’t get involved in dangerous affairs,” Mia said seriously, “This matter concerns the future of our nation. It’s not that I don’t want to reveal it; I just don’t know how to say it. But what I can tell you is that my country is facing a very serious crisis.”
“Oh.” Tan Rou said nonchalantly, “Your country has been in crisis before, and only now you realize this?”
Chapter 1557: Ina’s help in 1556
“What do you mean by that, Miss Tan Rou?” Mia couldn’t quite grasp what Tan Rou was saying, “You mentioned that our country has been facing a crisis for some time; when was this discovered? And what exactly is the problem?”
Tan Rou did not appreciate the tone of her inquiry, so she said, “Is that the way you talk to the person who saved your life?”
Mia was taken aback, then apologized, “I’m sorry, I got a bit emotional. The matter I just mentioned concerns the future of our country, so I must take it seriously. If you have any intelligence, you can tell me; I’m willing to pay for your information.”
“Before you buy any information from me, you should first be concerned about your leg injury,” Tan Rou suggested as she knelt to examine her wound. The light from the watch was limited, and it could only illuminate an area about the size of half a palm, so Tan Rou could only feel for Mia’s wound by touch, “Is there a bullet lodged inside?”
Mia shook her head, “I don’t know. It’s too dark outside for me to determine whether the bullet hit me or if it just grazed past my skin.”
Tan Rou found the location of the wound, and with a bit of force, she tore the pants open. The wound was bleeding profusely, and judging by the shape and position of the injury, it looked like the bullet was lodged inside.
“You must get surgery quickly to remove the bullet,” Tan Rou said, “I need to call for emergency medical help. Do you have a mobile phone on you?”
They hadn’t brought mobile phones when they left. Phones hinder mobility, and besides, they could track each other’s location and vital signs with their locators, making phones almost unnecessary for them.
“I didn’t bring a cell phone.” Mia had only two small pockets on her, which she used for carrying self-defense items, but those were all used up in the fight they just had.
“Then do you know where the nearest hospital is?” Tan Rou asked again.
Mia still didn’t know, “I’m not very familiar with this area. I came here tonight on a whim, so I don’t know where the hospital is.”
“Your wound needs immediate surgery. If we don’t remove the bullet soon, the injury will quickly worsen,” Tan Rou’s expression became very serious, “If you don’t know where the hospital is, then I’ll take the risk of taking you home. You should at least remember where you live, right?”
Mia did know where her home was, but she couldn’t possibly go there now. She had sneaked out, and if her father learned she was injured, he would definitely be angry with her.
“No, I can’t go back right now,” Mia stated resolutely, “Miss Tan Rou, you must have something important to do this late at night. Go ahead with your business. I won’t wander off; I’ll go to the hospital first thing in the morning to get treated.”
As a doctor, Tan Rou was well aware of the severity of Mia’s wound. Without treatment tonight, Mia might never be able to walk normally again.
“I indeed have other matters to attend to,” Tan Rou asked again, “Are you sure you don’t need me to take you back for treatment? I must remind you, if you don’t get treated within three hours, you’ll end up crippled.”
Mia was torn but steadfastly said, “Go on, leave me alone!”
Tan Rou was about to say “Then I’m leaving” when suddenly a small figure burst onto the scene.
“Oh my, it looks like someone’s hurt here!” Ina had appeared from nowhere, carrying a cute penguin backpack, and even walked with a waddle like a penguin.
“Ina?” Tan Rou was very surprised. How could Ina be here? And had she heard what she had just said to Mia?
Ina said with a smile, “Big sister, it’s been so long since we’ve seen each other. Hey, did you change partners again today?”
Tan Rou gestured to Mia to keep quiet, and Mia remained silent at her side.
“Yes, Sister Sally was busy today, so I came out with this sister instead,” Tan Rou said with a smile.
Looking behind her, Ina asked, “Is this sister injured? Does she need Ina’s help? I just love helping people. Let me help you!”
Chapter 1558: 1557 new place
Mia didn’t recognize the girl who seemed to be only in her early teens, but from the way she spoke with Tan Rou, they appeared to know each other.
Tan Rou said to Ina, “Ina, this sister indeed is injured, and right now she desperately needs someone’s help. But she is quite stubborn and refuses to leave no matter how much I try to convince her. So can you give me five more minutes? I would like to have a good talk with her.”
Ina didn’t object, “Sister, I’m going to step aside for a while. If you manage to persuade her, just call for me, okay? I’ve already checked the area, the patrol has left, and they won’t be coming back.”
“Alright, thank you, Ina.” Tan Rou’s focus was on Mia, hardly noticing what Ina had said.
Saying she would talk to Mia, Tan Rou didn’t give Mia a chance to speak. She carried Mia on her back and caught up with the departing Ina.
Ina moved quickly, thinking the two following her could keep up, so she constantly wove through the darkness.
After they had put some distance between themselves and the rest, Tan Rou whispered to Mia, “This girl should take us to a safe place, but no matter where she leads us, do not show any surprise on your face. And there’s another thing, in their presence, never call me ‘Tan Rou,’ I go by the name ‘Zhuang Rou’ here, and you must not get it wrong.”
Mia already knew they were acquainted, and although she didn’t know why Tan Rou needed to use another name, the astute girl chose not to ask questions at that moment, “I understand, Miss Tan Rou.”
Contrary to Tan Rou’s expectations, the place Ina took them was not the Dawn Society’s headquarters, but a very ordinary-looking courtyard.
“What is this place?” Tan Rou couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t we going to that villa?”
Ina replied, “This sister is injured; she must be treated. Uncle said if anyone is injured, we should bring them here, we can’t take her back to our home.”
Tan Rou understood what Ina meant. It seemed they had more than one base of operations. If they encountered someone who could become a member, they would take them back. Otherwise, based on the situation, they would send people to the appropriate place.
“Oh, I see.” Tan Rou didn’t say much, “Thank you for your help, Ina.”
“There’s no need for thanks.” Ina knocked on the door a few times, as if giving a secret signal.
Soon, a very youthful voice came from inside, “Who is looking for my daddy?” The voice sounded like that of a small child speaking.
Ina replied, “I’m not looking for your daddy; I need to speak with your mommy.”
A woman promptly said, “Mommy isn’t home, only daddy is.”
Ina insisted, “I have come to see mommy.”
There was silence inside, followed by the opening of a smaller door within the main door. A young woman spoke in a cold tone, “Come in quickly.”
Just like with the Dawn Society’s villa, there was a stark contrast between the inside and the outside. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary little house, but inside, the décor was lavish. There were precious plants native to the country, as well as large foreign ornaments all arranged in the courtyard, seemingly unaffected by the sunlight.
“This is Lady Hai Wei,” Ina introduced, “She’s an excellent doctor and will surely be able to heal this sister’s wounds.”
“Oh, alright,” Tan Rou nodded.
Lady Hai Wei was not enthusiastic about their arrival and still asked indifferently, “Where is the patient? How did she get injured?”
Tan Rou hurriedly set Mia down, but the paint on Mia’s face drew Lady Hai Wei’s disdain. As soon as she saw the paint, she started to shout, “Oh, heavens, how can someone get their face so dirty? Goodness, don’t let me see such an ugly face!”
Her reaction bewildered both Tan Rou and Mia, who quickly glanced at Ina playing off to the side. Hearing Lady Hai Wei’s outburst, Ina also looked over.
“You need to clean your faces!” Ina reminded, “Lady Hai Wei cherishes a clean face; she dislikes seeing unattractive ones.”
Chapter 1559: Madam Hai Wei 1558
Hearing Ina say this, Tan Rou immediately took off the mask over her eyes and said, “I apologize, Mrs. Hai Wei. We were unaware of this rule, so we didn’t clean our faces before coming. Could you please provide us with a basin of water? We will wash up right away.”
To her surprise, Mrs. Hai Wei burst into a delighted smile upon seeing Tan Rou. “Wow, what a beautiful face! I’ve never seen such a gorgeous face before. If only I could have such a young and beautiful face…” she said, reaching out to touch Tan Rou’s face.
But Tan Rou wouldn’t let her touch her face, leaning back to avoid Mrs. Hai Wei’s hand.
Undisappointed, Mrs. Hai Wei became even more excited. “What an interesting girl you are. I do love pretty and amusing girls like you the most.”
Tan Rou looked at Mrs. Hai Wei’s face, young and beautiful, and found her words strange. If it were a matter of comparing who looked younger, Tan Rou felt that Mrs. Hai Wei was much younger than her.
“Because I’ve seen a beautiful face today, I won’t mind the offense you’ve given,” said Mrs. Hai Wei with a smile as she walked away. “Ina, go prepare a basin of water for that woman. Have her wash her face clean and make herself pretty before she comes to see me again.”
Tan Rou said, “Madam, my friend is seriously injured. Could you see to her wounds first? She has a bullet lodged in her calf, and if it’s not removed promptly, she’ll be left with a disability.”
“What’s that got to do with me?” asked Mrs. Hai Wei with a slight smile. “I didn’t put the bullet in her leg. Whoever shot her should be the one to treat her injuries. I save people based on my mood, and I only heal others when I feel like it.”
Mia started to worry then and said, “Mrs. Hai Wei, please, treat my leg. I will pay you a lot of money.”
With a chuckle, Mrs. Hai Wei covered her mouth and laughed. “My dear girl, do I look to you like someone in need of money?”
Mia hadn’t taken notice of the decorations in the place until Mrs. Hai Wei mentioned it, and she immediately began looking at the items in the living room.
“This is…” Mia was suddenly speechless. “These are ancient paintings from all around the world, oil paintings over five hundred years old such as ‘The Young Girl’s Picnic’, and ‘The Girl and the Nightingale’ painted by a famous master more than a hundred years ago, and that painting… They are all rare treasures of the world!”
Mia was also an aristocratic young lady and, having received a good education from a young age, could instantly discern the quality of things, so she felt she had entered a remarkable place when she saw so many precious paintings hanging on the walls.
Mrs. Hai Wei said with a light smile, “You have an eye for art. It appears your family background is also not ordinary.”
Tan Rou quickly explained, “My friend has been working as a nanny in someone else’s home.”
As soon as she spoke, Mrs. Hai Wei’s attention returned to Tan Rou. “You’re not from our country, yet you speak the language so fluently.”
Tan Rou’s cover had already fallen apart, so she saw no need to pretend any longer. “Yes, I’ve studied your country’s language specifically.”
Mrs. Hai Wei didn’t ask why. “Oh, then I like you even more.”
Tan Rou felt a chill down her spine. Mrs. Hai Wei seemed to be a member of the Dawn Society as well, but why did all the members of the Dawn Society speak so eerily? This “like” Mrs. Hai Wei mentioned was certainly not the affection Tan Rou imagined, but the kind that wanted to dissect Tan Rou for research.
“Thank you for the compliment,” Tan Rou said with a smile.
Unexpectedly, Mrs. Hai Wei became excited. “Don’t move, just keep that smile. I want to take your picture.”
Tan Rou promptly restrained her smile. “I’m sorry, but I don’t like having my photograph taken.”
Regretfully, Mrs. Hai Wei could only respond, “Alright, then I’ll have to secretly photograph you.”
Tan Rou became alert. She reminded herself to never let out any smile; she didn’t want her picture to become her “smile before death.”
“Enough joking with you now,” Mrs. Hai Wei said. “It’s time to sleep; I should be off to bed.”
Chapter 1560: 1559 aren’t you scared?
“But…” Mia’s leg throbbed painfully, “Honorable Mrs. Hai Wei, if you go to sleep, what about my leg?”
“I don’t treat ugly people.” Mrs. Hai Wei slightly opened her mouth and yawned, “You can stay here until dawn, and after sunrise, you can go find someone else to treat you.”
“Didn’t you just agree to treat her?” Tan Rou suddenly said, “How can you go back on a promise?”
Mrs. Hai Wei glanced at her and then asked, “When did I promise to treat her?”
Tan Rou said, “You just said that you would let her wash the paint off her face and then let her come to see you, have you forgotten?”
“Hehe.” Mrs. Hai Wei covered her mouth and chuckled, “I only said to let her come see me, I didn’t say I would treat her. This is my territory; do I need you to make decisions for me?”
Tan Rou wanted to say something more but Mia stopped her, Mia said, “Thank you Mrs. Hai Wei, I’m grateful that you are willing to offer us a place to rest. Since it’s your rest time, we don’t want to disturb you, so we won’t trouble you further.”
After hearing this, Mrs. Hai Wei went upstairs to sleep without looking back.
“You let her go to sleep, what about your wound?” Tan Rou asked, “Do you really plan to wait until tomorrow morning to deal with it?”
“No,” Mia said, “Time is almost running out, I feel like the blood in my body is about to run out. If the lady cannot perform surgery on me, then I will do it myself.”
Her face was painted, so Tan Rou couldn’t make out her complexion, but judging by her exhausted expression, she probably wouldn’t last much longer.
Tan Rou helped her down to the floor and then said, “I’ve learned a bit of medicine; I can help you extract this bullet. But I’m not sure if there’s any anesthesia here, so you’ll need to endure it, okay?”
Mia did not doubt Tan Rou. Having someone else operate was better than doing it herself, as she really didn’t have the strength to dig the bullet out, “I’m troubling you once again.”
Tan Rou nonchalantly said, “It’s fine, I’m used to being bothered by people.”
Although she spoke about directly removing the bullet from Mia’s calf, Tan Rou still asked Ina to look for Mrs. Hai Wei’s medical kit. Ina found not only the medical kit but also a surgical table and a sickbed.
With this equipment, it became easier for Tan Rou to handle the wound. Back when she was in the lab, she had learned how to treat gunshot wounds because they needed to handle guns. Having guns meant possible injuries, so they had to learn to treat gunshot wounds; otherwise, they could die from an infection.
Mia lay on the operation table, her leg had gone numb, not from the gunshot but because of the anesthesia.
After disinfecting, Tan Rou was ready to extract the bullet from Mia, but there was another person watching, fixated on the scalpel, seemingly eager to give it a try.
Tan Rou said, “Ina, we are about to start the surgery. Can you go outside and play for a while?”
Ina refused the arrangement, saying, “Pretty big sister, may I stay here?”
Tan Rou asked, “Ina, the scene that follows will be very bloody, are you not scared?”
Ina blinked her bright big eyes and smilingly said to Tan Rou, “Ina isn’t scared, Ina loves scenes like this the most.”
Ina’s words made Mia’s hair stand on end, and she couldn’t help but ask, “Why is this little girl so strange? Is she really not scared at all?”
Mia had never met Ina; she didn’t know about the eerie aspects of Ina, but Tan Rou had seen Ina, and she had guessed that Ina was not a normal person, so she was much calmer.
“Don’t worry, I won’t let her operate,” Tan Rou said while holding the scalpel and hemostat, “I don’t know whether she is scared or not, but I think you will be, so please close your eyes. I don’t want to hear you cry out.”
Mia defiantly said, “I, I won’t cry out!”
Tan Rou glanced at her and then waved the scalpel in front of her eyes.