Kill Me In The Last Minute (GL) - Chapter 8

In Huayu City, Qingjiang Ferry Port stands as the sole remaining dock preserving its traditional charm, serving both boat merchants and tourists. Two years ago, a city official proposed designating it as a cultural heritage site, but the plan ultimately fell through. Since then, the Helian Gang has quietly taken over the area, integrating themselves into the cruise business on the Xueyang River and securing a share of the profits.

Joining the Helian Gang has become the ultimate aspiration for those struggling at the bottom of Huayu’s society.

At this moment, Liu Yiqing is briskly walking toward Qingjiang Ferry Port with Zhang Sinan and Cito in tow. However, her beautiful face doesn’t reflect excitement; instead, her furrowed brows suggest she’s in a foul mood.

Just half an hour earlier, Zhang Sinan had woken up to find himself leaning against a roughly cemented wall, the uneven bricks pressing uncomfortably against his tailbone. He was shocked to realize he had fallen asleep in a narrow alley. As he tried to move, he noticed a girl nestled against him, her head resting on his shoulder and arms wrapped around his waist. The doll-like hair color and delicate features left no doubt—it was Liu Yiqing.

A few elderly women passing by for their morning exercise noticed them. Panicking, Zhang Sinan quickly shut his eyes, pretending to sleep. After they passed, he cautiously opened his eyes and listened to their amused chatter about a couple sleeping in an alley. He sighed in relief, careful not to wake the girl beside him. Realizing it was morning, he decided to fetch breakfast. Gently, he moved Liu Yiqing’s arms from around his waist and looked around for something soft to make her more comfortable. Spotting Cito nearby, he finally smiled.

However, upon returning with breakfast for the three of them, Zhang Sinan heard Liu Yiqing scream. Rushing back, he saw her dusting off her hands while Cito and a cyclist lay sprawled on the ground, both looking pained. The old-fashioned bicycle’s front wheel rolled down the sloped alley, passing right by the stunned Zhang Sinan.

He looked at Liu Yiqing, puzzled, holding the breakfast bags. She ignored him, beckoned to the disheveled Cito with a shy gesture, and walked past Zhang Sinan without a word. The cool breeze she stirred up made him frown in confusion as he watched her retreating figure.

“Cito, let’s go!” Liu Yiqing shouted without turning around. Cito hurriedly followed, and Zhang Sinan quickened his pace to catch up.

At Qingjiang Ferry Port, Zhang Sinan trailed behind Liu Yiqing, carrying the now-cold breakfast. Dark circles under his eyes, he occasionally glanced at her back, exchanging looks with Cito, who gestured for him to offer the food.

Summoning his courage, Zhang Sinan sped up to walk beside Liu Yiqing, flashing what he thought was a cool smile. She, however, looked at him with disdain, shook her head, and walked around him toward the main road. His smile froze in the chilly air. Cito approached, patted his shoulder, and whispered, “Honestly, the way she looked at you just now—it was like she saw a preschooler.” With a sigh, he walked away.

Zhang Sinan took a long stride and playfully smacked the back of Cito’s head. “If she’s still giving me the cold shoulder in ten minutes, you and your precious parts are going for a swim with the fish!”

Cito rubbed his sore head, shooting Zhang Sinan a resentful look. “How was I supposed to know she’d end up sleeping next to me? It’s not my fault. Maybe I should’ve just jumped into the river to sober up.”

Watching Zhang Sinan tuck one of the breakfasts into his jacket, Cito’s expression turned mischievous. Hunching over, he squinted up at Zhang Sinan with a sly grin. “Such a thoughtful guy. Mind warming up mine too?”

Zhang Sinan stopped, gave him a sideways glance, and tossed a misshapen, cold breakfast at him before resuming his stoic demeanor and walking toward Liu Yiqing. Cito caught the squashed food, his mouth twitching as he shouted after Zhang Sinan, “You have ten seconds to apologize to my poor bun!”

“You have five seconds to eat it,” Zhang Sinan said with a roguish smile as he buttoned up his shirt. His chestnut hair shone under the sunlight, making him look like a walking magazine cover.

Liu Yiqing turned her head and saw Citou running toward them, a half-bitten steamed bun in his mouth and a scowl on his face. When her eyes caught Zhang Sinan waving at her, she quickly turned away, showing a childish but awkward smile. She noticed that there were unusually few people on the dock avenue. Around them stood several men who looked just like Citou—some squatting by the riverbank smoking, others shirtless with their clothes slung over their shoulders, showing off their strong muscles and dense tattoos. Almost all of them were staring out at the river.

“Alright, brothers, get your spirits up!” A tall, skinny man wearing a white square scarf shouted like a bell from atop a raised stone block. He looked a bit like a boatman who had just finished fishing.

As Zhang Sinan and Citou reached Liu Yiqing’s side, the tall man got serious. “The people are right ahead. When I go talk to them, you two step back a bit—don’t want anyone looking unfriendly and making trouble.”

“I’ve seen enough over the years, and I don’t think Miss Liu finds you annoying,” Zhang Sinan said, raising his eyebrows and pressing his thin lips together.

Liu Yiqing glanced back at him, her eyes suddenly widening with a mix of embarrassment and anger. “That’s because I’m tolerant. And I put up with you only because you’re my attendant,” she said, then stepped forward toward the dock.

Citou munched on his bun, mumbling, “No wonder she’s the boss. I believe she’s got top-notch negotiation skills…” He nudged the silent Zhang Sinan and continued, “Xiao Si, if I were to join the Helian Gang, what’s the first thing I’d want to do?”

Zhang Sinan glanced at him coldly, hands in pockets. “You really think you can get into those gangs just by talking?”

Before Citou could figure out what he meant, the serious-faced man was already following Liu Yiqing.

“Didn’t the boss tell us to wait here for her?” Citou asked, confused.

Zhang Sinan rolled his eyes. “Finish your bun.” Then he quickly caught up to Liu Yiqing.

By the river, a group of men were chatting and laughing. When a young girl walked down the avenue, all eyes turned to her. Huayu City had no shortage of beauties, but this girl, about seventeen or eighteen years old, stood out with a special charm.

The tall, skinny man with the scarf got down from the stone block, narrowing his small eyes to slits as he saw Liu Yiqing approaching.

When she reached the group, the skinny man sneered like he was shooing her away, “Little girl, go play somewhere else. This isn’t your place.”

“Who’s in charge here at the dock?” Liu Yiqing asked calmly, standing firm.

The men glanced at each other and snickered. The skinny man sized her up with interest, arms crossed, head down. “You talk like a little official. There’s no one in charge here. Better get back to school and write your essays—don’t waste our time.”

“Someone told me yesterday to come here and find the person in charge—Jiang Dalu,” Liu Yiqing said calmly.

The skinny man’s expression changed. “Who told you to come?”

“He’s also named Jiang, but I think it’s Jiang Xiaobei…” Liu Yiqing touched her chin, pretending to think. “Sounds like ‘Xiaobei’ and ‘Dalu’—are they brothers?”

The skinny man smiled knowingly. “Then you came to the right person. I’m Jiang Dalu.”

At that moment, Zhang Sinan and Citou walked up. Seeing the three in front of him, Jiang Dalu smiled. “Xiaobei told me yesterday you three would come asking to join the Helian Gang.”

Hearing this, the three seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

“That’s great!” Citou wiped the grease from his mouth, smearing it on his pants, then stepped forward and shook Jiang Dalu’s hand gratefully. “We promise to be loyal and work wholeheartedly for the gang if we join.”

“Citou,” Liu Yiqing called to calm him down.

Zhang Sinan just looked coldly at Jiang Dalu.

“Sounds nice…” Jiang Dalu pulled his hand back and wiped it on his clothes, then said, “But I’m not planning to let you join.”

“Huh?” Citou’s hands froze mid-air. “What?”

Liu Yiqing fought to control her anger. “What do you mean?”

“Jiang Xiaobei agreed to let you join, but I never said yes. Besides, he’s already quit the Helian Gang. How can you trust what he says?” Jiang Dalu said with a teasing smile.

“You…” Liu Yiqing was at a loss for words.

“Let’s go.” Zhang Sinan grabbed her sleeve, ready to leave.

“Let go of me!” Liu Yiqing broke free and shouted at Jiang Dalu, “I want justice today!”

Jiang Dalu took a cigarette from someone nearby, lit it, and said, “Alright, since you’re so eager to join the Helian Gang, I’ll give you a chance.”

“What chance?” Liu Yiqing asked.

Jiang Dalu exhaled a puff of blue smoke and pointed toward the city. “See over there?”

Liu Yiqing and Citou followed the direction he was pointing, and saw a landmark entertainment building in District 2 — the Curved Wheel Skyscraper built by the Chen Corporation on Xinjie Street, in honor of their introduction of new technology.

“There’s a massage parlor over there on Xinjie. Some of our guys are working there to bring in business. If you go and ‘serve’ the customers well, the gates of the Helian Gang will be wide open for you…” Jiang Dalu said with a smile, a cigarette hanging from his mouth.

“If this girl works at that massage parlor, we’d be there every day to support the business!” A few thugs by the riverbank burst into loud, crude laughter.

Liu Yiqing was just about to ask where the massage parlor was when a sudden gust of wind stirred beside her. Without warning, Jiang Dalu was struck hard on the right side of his head. With a loud thud, he hit the ground, crying out in pain. His cigarette fell and was stomped out harshly by Zhang Sinan. Zhang rubbed his knuckles, eyes cold and full of fury as he stared down at Jiang Dalu. The rest of the gang quickly moved in.

Liu Yiqing looked at Zhang Sinan. The expression on his face, like he wouldn’t stop until bl00d was spilled, made her uneasy for a moment. “Zhang Sinan!” she called out.

Before Jiang Dalu could get back up, Zhang Sinan kicked him onto his back, then stepped hard on his chest. The man started crying out in panic. Zhang’s face stayed emotionless as he bent down, placing his elbow on his knee to add more pressure. He spoke coldly, “Looks like that punch earlier wasn’t enough to ‘serve’ you properly.”

With that, he pressed down harder. The words were calm, almost casual — like asking “Hey, have you eaten?” — but the effect was chilling. The other gang members looked at each other nervously.

“Xiao Si, don’t be reckless!” Citou rushed over to pull him back, apologizing quickly to the others. “Sorry, brothers, he’s my guy, just a kid — please don’t take it to heart!”

He tried to lift Zhang Sinan’s leg, but it was like it had turned to lead — it didn’t budge. Jiang Dalu kept begging for mercy, but Zhang Sinan didn’t let go.

“Zhang Sinan! Stop!” Only when Liu Yiqing shouted did Zhang Sinan finally lift his foot.

“We’re leaving,” he said firmly, grabbing Liu Yiqing’s hand and heading for the main road.

“What are you waiting for? Get them!” someone in the gang yelled, and the thugs began to surround the three.

Zhang Sinan instinctively moved to shield Liu Yiqing behind him.

Liu Yiqing shouted at the crowd, “I already spoke with your leader yesterday about joining the Helian Gang! If you want to fight, you better make sure he’s okay with it first!”

“A little girl, a dark-faced freak, and some nobody — you hurt our guy and still think you can join the gang? What a joke!” A shirtless thug at the back threw off his shirt and pointed at them, yelling, “Beat them up! Show them what happens when you mess with us!”

“You sure it’s us getting taught a lesson?” Citou fired back, just as aggressive. Then he turned to Zhang Sinan, “Xiao Si, go get ’em!”

Zhang Sinan raised an eyebrow. As the thugs shouted and charged, he left just one sentence: “Protect the boss.” Then he dived into the crowd, fists flying.

“Who needs protecting?!” Liu Yiqing shouted, anger rising. She was about to join the fight, but Citou grabbed her around the waist.

“Boss, you’re awesome, sure, but leave these lowlifes to Xiao Si!” he said, trying to calm her down.

Liu Yiqing saw Zhang Sinan surrounded, struggling to hold his ground, and fought to break free from Citou’s grip.

Suddenly, from the west, a new group of people with axes and clubs charged toward them. The leader of the group threw an axe directly at Liu Yiqing. Zhang Sinan saw it coming and quickly knocked two thugs’ heads together, rolled out of the crowd, and sprinted toward her.

Liu Yiqing saw him coming and smiled, then followed his gaze — the axe was flying straight at her.

Zhang Sinan reached out to grab it — but missed. Citou was too slow to react. Liu Yiqing froze, unable to move.

Zhang Sinan watched in horror as the axe hurtled toward her. His heart nearly stopped.

At that exact moment, a sharp clang rang out. The axe was suddenly deflected and dropped to the ground. Liu Yiqing’s legs gave out, and she collapsed, mouth open in shock. Zhang Sinan caught her just in time.

“You’re okay now,” he said, holding her tightly, making sure she felt safe.

He noticed something on the ground — a beer bottle cap. Remembering the sound from earlier, he picked it up, puzzled. When he looked up, he saw a gray Citroën parked nearby. Two people had just stepped out of it.

“Stop right there!” Luo Qiying shouted to the gang members still moving toward the trio. Her voice was sharp and commanding.

“Who the hell are you?!” one of the thugs snapped at Luo Qiying and Shen Peng.

Inside the Citroën, the rear window slowly rolled up. Once it was shut, Mu Bai quickly hid her slingshot and tugged on Su Zhaoyin’s sleeve, shrinking back a little. “Sis, they’re so mean. Can the police uncles really handle them?”

“Don’t worry, Mu Bai. They’re police officers,” Su Zhaoyin reassured her, watching the situation unfold outside. It was clear now — there was no getting out of this peacefully. She decided to wait in the car with Mu Bai until Luo Qiying and the others finished dealing with the troublemakers.

“But there are only two of them. That’s not enough against all those people,” Mu Bai counted anxiously.

“Not necessarily,” Su Zhaoyin replied, her eyes calm as she looked through the tinted window. In those deep, soul-catching eyes, a distant memory stirred.

“So what if we’re outnumbered?” A voice from her memory echoed — a blurry figure, back turned to her, standing strong, the sound coming from what felt like a tunnel. “Hey, did you forget? We’re all elites…”

“It’s just a numbers disadvantage,” Su Zhaoyin said with a faint smile.

Mu Bai stared at her, then quickly looked back outside.

“Hey, fatso, we’re talking to you! What gang are you from? Who do you think you are?”

Faced with the rude thugs, Shen Peng scoffed, “So rude.”

Neither of them forgot the real reason they were here — to investigate. So they weren’t in a hurry to flash their police badges and scare the gang into running.

“Causing trouble at the dock with this much arrogance — you clearly don’t know your place,” said Luo Qiying. Though she was petite, her naturally commanding voice gave her an aura of authority far beyond her size.

“Thank you both for saving me!” The punk quickly thanked Luo Qiying and Shen Peng.

“No need to thank us,” Shen Peng replied.

“You with the Helian Gang?” Luo Qiying asked the thug in front of her.

“Oh? The little lady knows about the Helian Gang? If you do, then go back home and play house. What are you doing here?” The thug tried to chase Luo Qiying away.

At that moment, Zhang Sinan helped Liu Yiqing to her feet.

Luo Qiying glanced at them, then stepped forward and whispered seriously, “Get out of here—quick.”

Zhang Sinan gave her a slight nod and helped Liu Yiqing toward a bench by the main road. Luo Qiying motioned to Shen Peng to follow her and make sure the civilians were safe.

“Ugh, what bad luck,” Jiang Dalu spat on the ground, licking the loose tooth in his mouth. He glared at Zhang Sinan with hatred. “If I weren’t ordered to wait here for the boss, I’d have twisted their heads off by now!”

The thugs over by the dock treated what had just happened like a joke. They went back to waiting. Just then, someone came walking down the main road toward the dock. The gang members spotted him and immediately called out, “Boss!”

Liu Yiqing started to move away, but Zhang Sinan grabbed her arm. “Wait a second. Let’s see what happens.”

At that moment, the sound of a ship’s engine echoed across the river. Everyone looked toward the sparkling waters of the Xueyang River. A massive cargo ship was slowly sailing in from upstream, like a general entering the battlefield. Its presence was powerful, making hearts race with adrenaline.

Liu Yiqing and Zhang Sinan stared at the sleek, modern-looking ship, almost like they were admiring a piece of art. Luo Qiying pressed on her earpiece. “This is Luo Qiying. The cargo ship is arriving.” She looked toward the deck. There seemed to be people standing on it, but she couldn’t see clearly.

“Copy that,” Fu Bin replied, shutting the back door of the car. He led a team of undercover officers through a side path. “I notified the police and the Xueyang River security team two minutes ago. They’ve sealed off the dock and put the ship under surveillance. All we need to do is take them down in one sweep.”

“Understood,” Luo Qiying responded, squinting to get a better look at the people on the deck.

Lin Peichuan stood on the deck, facing the wind, gazing at the Qingjiang Dock. A smirk formed on his lips as he pointed a model flintlock pistol toward the people on shore. It was like he was talking to himself—or to someone else. “These insects still think they’re in control. Little do they know, the hawk has already seen everything.”

Inside the car, Su Zhaoyin looked at the cargo ship and let out a whistle. “Now that’s a ship.”

Mu Bai stared at the ship, the bright number on the bow reflecting in her eyes. Her expression slowly grew more serious.