Kill Me In The Last Minute (GL) - Chapter 9

Qingjiang Dock —

A cargo ship docked. The subordinate from earlier, who had been instructed by the man from the northwest, was the first to run off the ship. He nodded at Jiang Dalu, who stood watching on the deck as the man from the northwest prepared to disembark.

Surrounded by his men, Lin Peichuan walked down from the ship.

“Boss Lin,” Jiang Dalu greeted him respectfully, leading a group of local thugs.

Ah Deng, standing next to Lin, said calmly, “The goods are all on the ship.”

Jiang Dalu turned and shouted at the gang, “Start unloading!”

On a small path near the dock, Luo Qiying and Shen Peng stood casually, as if chatting, but they were actually monitoring the entire scene at the dock. The thugs began unloading wooden crates from the ship. On the other side of the dock, three cargo trucks arrived. The men started loading the crates onto the trucks.

“Captain Fu, they’ve started moving the goods. When do we move in?” Luo Qiying asked through her earpiece.

“Wait until everything’s unloaded, then act when the time is right,” Fu Bin replied. He was hidden with over a dozen officers behind a grassy slope near the main road. After speaking, he glanced at another team of officers lying in ambush on the other side of the slope, signaling them with an “OK” hand gesture. He scanned the empty road along the dock and spotted a figure in the backseat of the car Shen Peng had driven.

He pressed the communicator again. Luo Qiying tapped her earpiece, and Fu Bin’s stern voice came through: “What’s going on with the people in the car?”

Luo Qiying scratched her head, realizing Fu Bin had noticed Su Zhaoyin and Mu Bai. She carefully explained, “They’re the owners of the house we borrowed last night… we were going to drop them off at school…”

“Comrade Luo Qiying,” Fu Bin said firmly, “You’re on duty, not running a taxi service. If this operation fails, you’re welcome to apply for a job at a cab company — I won’t stop you. But until then, I expect you to put the mission first.”

“Understood. We’ll complete the task, no question!” Luo Qiying responded confidently.

When Shen Peng asked what Fu Bin said, Luo Qiying told him the truth.

Shen Peng clicked his tongue. “Captain Fu is always strict. He really reminds me of that legendary officer from back in the day.”

“I mentioned that to him yesterday too. It’s a pity that officer died young. If he were still around, these criminals wouldn’t dare be this bold — trafficking goods in broad daylight…” Luo Qiying’s eyes shifted back to the ongoing operation, landing on Lin Peichuan.

On a bench nearby, Zhang Sinan and Liu Yiqing sat so far apart, it felt like the Yellow River ran between them. Citou was fast asleep on the grass.

“Zhang Sinan, we were so close to getting into the Helian Gang. It’s just a massage parlor. I can handle that kind of thing,” Liu Yiqing said.

Zhang Sinan glanced at her. The look on her young, innocent face trying to act tough made the corner of his mouth twitch. “That kind of place — I don’t want you there.”

“What’s the big deal? I used to give my dad shoulder massages all the time. These hands are magic now!” Liu Yiqing said proudly, stretching out her pale, delicate fingers.

“No.” Zhang Sinan crossed one leg over the other and said seriously.

“You don’t believe in me?” she said, clearly annoyed.

“You’d be massaging a bunch of creepy guys…” Zhang Sinan stared firmly at her. “No.”

Liu Yiqing was momentarily stunned, then smiled faintly and looked toward the dock. Jiang Dalu and his men were welcoming the people from the cargo ship, which was now docked.

“That’s a nice-looking ship,” Liu Yiqing said, changing the subject.

Zhang Sinan frowned as he stared at Lin Peichuan, who was wearing a white suit.

Just then, Liu Yiqing’s stomach grumbled. Embarrassed, she clutched her belly and stole a glance at Zhang Sinan, who quickly looked away.

Frustrated with her uncooperative stomach, she looked over at Zhang Sinan’s profile. She had to admit, his side profile was stunning — like a refined male lead in a novel. It made her think of cold winds, black crystals, and especially his ridiculously long lashes, almost brushing against his eyelids — the guy was practically a walking eyelash ad. That’s all Liu Yiqing could think.

“Hungry?” the eyelash prince asked.

The strange tension broke.

Zhang Sinan undid two buttons, pulled out a breakfast from inside his shirt, and handed it to her. That’s when Liu Yiqing noticed: his red-and-black checkered shirt was buttoned up to the neck, fully tucked into his pants, with a worn black leather belt peeking out. She was slightly surprised.

He handed her the breakfast without looking at her, staring at the ground instead. “Bought it this morning. It’s a bit cold now.”

Liu Yiqing looked at the steamed buns and soy milk in his hand. A few of the buns were squished, with soup leaking out.

He must’ve gotten hit a few times during the fight earlier… She thought back to what happened and was amazed he’d managed to keep the food intact. She slowly took the breakfast — it was still warm from his body heat — and felt her heart soften.

“Hey,” Liu Yiqing called out to him.

Zhang Sinan looked over. “If you don’t like how it looks, you can toss it.”

“Wasting food is shameful!” Liu Yiqing snapped, quickly opening the bag and popping a bun into her mouth with her slender fingers.

Zhang Sinan couldn’t help but smile as he watched her.

Meanwhile, Lin Peichuan noticed Liu Yiqing and Zhang Sinan near the dock. He turned to Jiang Dalu and asked, “Who are they?”

“They…” Jiang Dalu spotted Liu Yiqing and quickly said, “That girl said she wants to join the Helian Gang. I stopped her.”

Lin Peichuan’s gaze followed Jiang Dalu’s and met Liu Yiqing’s eyes. As Jiang Dalu continued, “If Old Liu finds out I let some high school kids into the gang, I’m done for.”

Lin Peichuan studied Liu Yiqing’s face closely, as if comparing it to some photo he’d seen before. Narrowing his eyes, he said, “Bring them over.”

Jiang Dalu looked confused but didn’t argue. He waved at Liu Yiqing and Zhang Sinan. “You two, come here!”

They didn’t move.

Getting ignored, Jiang Dalu’s voice turned impatient. “Hey, I said come here!”

Liu Yiqing scoffed, “Ordering people around like that — Jiang Dalu really thinks he’s something.”

Seeing they weren’t responding, Lin Peichuan handed a model flintlock pistol to Ah Deng and said casually to Jiang Dalu, “Then go get them.”

“Me?” Jiang Dalu pointed at himself, looking awkward. “Well… I guess, since Boss Lin said so…”

Grumbling under his breath, he walked over, clearly reluctant, and gave a half-hearted invitation for Zhang Sinan and Liu Yiqing to follow him.

The two men exchanged a glance, then followed Jiang Dalu toward the dock. On the way, Zhang Sinan gave the dazed punk a nudge with his foot. The punk suddenly snapped to attention and, confused, trailed after his boss.

Luo Qiying saw what was happening and looked in the same direction as Liu Yiqing and the others. She pressed her earpiece and said, “Captain Fu, someone’s heading over.”

“Don’t act yet,” Fu Bin’s voice came through the earpiece.

“Copy that,” Luo Qiying replied, glancing at the Citroën nearby, worried that innocent people might end up as hostages.

Liu Yiqing and the other two stopped in front of Jiang Dalu. She glanced at Lin Peichuan—his stern expression made even Zhang Sinan frown slightly.

Zhang Sinan stared at Lin Peichuan. He felt like he had seen him somewhere before.

“Boss Lin, this is the guy who messed with us and injured our boss! Today, we’ll take care of him right in front of you!” one of the thugs pointed at Zhang Sinan and started complaining to Lin Peichuan.

“Stop twisting the facts! Your guys were the ones who mouthed off first!” the punk snapped angrily. Just as things were getting heated—

Lin Peichuan calmly said, “Everyone, cool it.”

Zhang Sinan noticed the “MAXL” logo on the ship’s bow. A flash of surprise passed through his eyes, but he quickly masked it with a cold expression.

“It’s only because Boss Lin spoke up that you’re walking out of Qingjiang Dock in one piece today,” Jiang Dalu sneered, adjusting the bandana on his head.

“Anyone can talk tough,” the punk shot back. “One of these days, you Helian Gang punks will be begging me, Master Punk, to join you—and I still wouldn’t bother!”

“You…” Jiang Dalu’s face turned purple with rage. Just as he was about to explode, a burly man from the northwest who’d been on the cargo ship earlier walked over.

“What’s with all the yelling?” the man’s voice was gruff. As soon as Jiang Dalu and the other thugs saw him, they stood up straighter and lowered their heads.

“Boss Jun,” Jiang Dalu said respectfully.

This man was Sun Jun, a high-ranking member of the Helian Gang.

Unlike Jiang Dalu, Sun Jun was more reserved when he approached Liu Yiqing and the others. “Gang business. Anyone not involved should leave.”

“Boss Jun, you’re finally here! Look at this—three kids want to join the Helian Gang. Ridiculous, right?” Jiang Dalu said.

Sun Jun stepped in front of the three and gave them a once-over. “Who told you to come?”

“Jiang Xiaobei,” Zhang Sinan answered.

“He’s not with the Helian Gang anymore. His words mean nothing. But if you’re serious about serving the gang, I might give you a shot. Capable people always find work. Though from what I see, at best, you’re fit to scrub our brothers’ feet or serve them tea. How about it?”

“I don’t think much of it,” Zhang Sinan said bluntly.

Lin Peichuan looked at Liu Yiqing and slowly asked, “What’s your name?”

She looked back at him and replied clearly, “Liu Yiqing.”

“Liu Yiqing…” Lin Peichuan repeated, then calmly asked, “Come with me?”

“Boss Lin!” Sun Jun was visibly shocked.

Zhang Sinan eyed this well-dressed, sharp-looking man with increasing suspicion.

Liu Yiqing wasn’t sure what Lin Peichuan was getting at. She gave him a polite smile and said, “You seem like a gentleman.” Then her face turned cold. “But I’m not interested.” With that, she turned to Zhang Sinan and the punk.

“Let’s go.”

Before leaving, Zhang Sinan shot Lin Peichuan a sharp look. That flash of hostility made Lin Peichuan smile.

“This girl clearly doesn’t know what’s good for her. Don’t bother with her, Boss Lin,” Jiang Dalu tried to smooth things over, worried Lin Peichuan might lose his temper at the dock.

But Lin Peichuan just smiled faintly as he watched Liu Yiqing walk away and said softly, “The surname Liu—once a royal family name in ancient times.”

“How fitting. That old Liu guy even had a dragon carved on his cane,” Sun Jun tried to follow his line of thought.

“The surname Helian actually came from Liu—it was used by the Xiongnu. Old Liu probably knew this little bit of history when he named the Helian Gang. But Xiongnu will always be Xiongnu—never true royalty.” Lin Peichuan glanced at the sweaty thugs hauling cargo and let out a cold, mocking laugh.

Sun Jun forced a smile. “Everyone knows you’re a scholar, Boss Lin. I dropped out of middle school—how would I know all that?”

As Lin Peichuan watched Liu Yiqing walk farther away, he said, “Just know this—Liu Yiqing is from Nanling.”

“Nanling?” Sun Jun was even more confused. The name rattled around in his mind before it finally clicked. He stammered, “Nan… Nanling? The Liu family from Nanling? That girl’s from the Liu clan?”

“She might even know Old Liu…” Jiang Dalu gasped.

Looking at Lin Peichuan’s calm face, Jiang Dalu wasn’t sure if his guess was right. So he laughed nervously and said, “Ah, my memory’s awful. Ever since that explosion, the Liu family was wiped out. Old Liu cut all ties with them long ago. Even if that girl’s from the Liu clan, she has nothing to do with Old Liu anymore.”

Still, when he looked at Liu Yiqing again, there was now a mix of respect and pity in his eyes.

The three walked along the dock road. As they passed the gray Citroën, someone inside was watching—Mu Bai. Zhang Sinan noticed the shadow in the car window but couldn’t see the person clearly.

“They’ve left,” Luo Qiying reported in real-time to Fu Bin.

“Move in!” Fu Bin ordered. Police cars surged in from another exit, sirens blaring. The noise startled the gang members who were moving cargo.

“Crap!” Jiang Dalu panicked and tried to bolt. “Boss Lin, run! The cops are here!”

“No need,” Lin Peichuan said calmly, so calm that Jiang Dalu wondered if he was afraid of anything.

“Boss Lin, even if they’re not SWAT, they’re still cops! If they dig anything up, we’re screwed!” Jiang Dalu lowered his voice in warning.

Just then, Fu Bin led his team down from the slope. Liu Yiqing and the others turned in surprise as Fu Bin drew his gun and charged forward. A group of undercover officers stormed the dock. Several thugs ran toward Luo Qiying’s position—she and Shen Peng caught them and pinned them to the ground.

“Trying to run?” Luo Qiying grabbed one thug by the ear with a smug grin, scolding him like a teacher. Then she wiped her fingers on his shirt in disgust.

“Don’t move!” Fu Bin shouted, aiming his gun at Lin Peichuan and Jiang Dalu. “Tell them to drop the cargo!” Officers jumped out of their vehicles and quickly surrounded the dock.

The shout caught Su Zhaoyin’s attention. She instinctively cracked open the car door and peeked through the gap. From there, she could see what was happening—and she spotted Fu Bin.

“Sis?” Mu Bai saw Su Zhaoyin frozen and gently called out to her.

“Mu Bai, do you remember that man?” Su Zhaoyin slowly raised her hand and pointed at Fu Bin, who was holding a gun.

Mu Bai looked at Fu Bin for a long time before smiling. “Who’s that?”

“He’s someone your big sister knows. Be good and stay here, don’t move. I’ll be back soon.” Su Zhaoyin gave the tall, golden-retriever-like Mu Bai a few gentle instructions, then reached for the car door. But just as she was about to open it, someone grabbed her wrist. She turned to look.

Mu Bai was holding her wrist, a worried look flashing across his youthful face. “Sis, maybe you shouldn’t go over there.”

“I just want to say hi to an old friend. I’ll be back soon.” Su Zhaoyin gently pulled her hand away and got out of the car.

The closing door sent a gust of wind across Mu Bai’s face. She slid into Su Zhaoyin’s seat and looked out the window. Then she reached down and pulled a slingshot out of the pocket behind the front passenger seat. Her eyes moved to the beer caps on the floor.

She picked one up and placed it in the slingshot, watching the scene ahead carefully. There was nothing silly or absent-minded in her gaze now—it was sharp and focused.

Nearby, Liu Yiqing and Zhang Sinan decided to stay and watch. They headed behind the slope where Fu Bin and his team had been hiding and began observing from there.

The gang members placed their cargo on the ground and squatted with their hands behind their heads. Fu Bin gave an order to his team: “Go check it out.” A plainclothes officer walked toward the goods.

“Officer, I thought docking a cargo ship wasn’t illegal,” said Lin Peichuan, raising his hands. Nearby, Jiang Dalu and Sun Jun squatted nervously. From what they knew, you either ran from the police or did what you were told—nobody dared talk back like Lin Peichuan.

“Only if it’s a legal cargo ship,” Fu Bin replied coldly.

Lin Peichuan smiled. “I’m a legitimate businessman.”

“That’s not for you to decide,” Fu Bin said, his tone firm.

Just then, Luo Qiying and Shen Peng dragged over two gang members who had tried to run. “Squat down with your hands behind your heads,” they ordered.

“We’re going to do a routine search now. Please cooperate,” Fu Bin told Lin Peichuan.

Lin Peichuan smiled, stepped aside, and made way.

Fu Bin gave a nod to his team.

As the officers opened the boxes, Lin Peichuan watched them calmly, his gaze eventually returning to Fu Bin. He smiled slightly and said, “There aren’t many female officers in theHuayu Special Forces, are there?”

Fu Bin’s eyes, sharp like an eagle’s, locked onto his.

Still keeping a gentlemanly smile, Lin Peichuan added, “Am I right, officer?”

Fu Bin said slowly, “I’m with the Patrol Division, not the Special Forces.”

“That’s a shame,” Lin Peichuan said meaningfully.

At that moment, the officers opened box after box. They were filled with small tech components. After scanning them, they found no trace of drugs.

One of the officers reported back to Fu Bin. “No drugs found.”

“How can that be?” Fu Bin frowned, watching as the boxes revealed only tech parts.

“Could the intel have been wrong?” Luo Qiying whispered.

Fu Bin’s face was tense. Lin Peichuan, still relaxed, said, “I told you—I’m a legitimate businessman.”

“Captain Fu, nothing on the truck either,” another officer reported after checking the vehicle.

Meanwhile, inside a hidden area of the ship, a sniper was aiming outward.

Back in the car, Mu Bai picked up the slingshot again, loaded a beer cap, opened the window, and aimed at the ship.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Liu Yiqing had appeared at the window, eyeing the slingshot in Mu Bai’s hand.

Seeing Zhang Sinan walking over, Mu Bai quickly put the slingshot away and, with a pouty expression, said to Liu Yiqing, “Miss, I saw a bunch of mosquitoes fly into the ship. I wanted to scare them out.”

“Miss? I’m probably younger than you!” Liu Yiqing said, annoyed. She bent over, hands on her hips.

Mu Bai slowly pulled her neck back, stuck out her tongue, and said playfully, “Auntie! Bye-bye.” Then she rolled up the window.

As Zhang Sinan arrived, Liu Yiqing grumbled nonstop about how a girl who looked older than her had just called her “auntie.” Zhang Sinan couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

But when he glanced at the Citroën, he thought he saw someone watching from inside. His smile faded.

“What’s wrong?” Liu Yiqing asked, noticing his change in expression.

“Nothing. Let’s just head back,” Zhang Sinan replied, though as they left, he couldn’t resist taking a few more glances at the car. Unbeknownst to him, someone inside was also watching him leave.

Liu Yiqing called out to the spiky-haired guy playing on his phone, and they all headed toward the road.

Back at the dock, since no drugs were found, Fu Bin had no choice but to let the cargo through.

“Well then, officers, I’ll be on my way,” Lin Peichuan said politely with a smile, getting into his black Porsche.

Fu Bin waved him off, helpless.

“What just happened?” Luo Qiying asked as she watched the car drive away, realizing they had come up empty.

Fu Bin patted her on the head. “We’ll figure it out later.”

“Excuse me,” came a sweet voice from behind, the kind that could make most guys feel a little flutter. “I hope I’m not interrupting…”

“Oh, it’s you. Captain Fu, this is the owner of the house from last night,” Luo Qiying explained.

Fu Bin turned and saw a beautiful young woman. Her bare face had a fresh, natural smile, like a piece of candy—pretty and calming. The seriousness and frustration in Fu Bin’s expression vanished, replaced by a bright smile of surprise. “Zhaoyin? Long time no see.”

Su Zhaoyin nodded and showed her pearly white teeth. “Fu Bin, it’s really been a while. I was just wondering who that pretty officer was—and it turned out to be you.”

“Since when did you start buttering me up?” Fu Bin laughed.

“So you two know each other?” Luo Qiying asked excitedly.

“Of course. We grew up together,” Su Zhaoyin said cheerfully. “But she’s always so busy. I guess she’s forgotten all about her old friend.”

Inside the car, when Mu Bai saw Fu Bin turn around, her eyes widened slightly before going calm again. She thought for a moment, looked at Zhang Sinan and Liu Yiqing walking away, then quietly slipped out the other door. She made her way to the grassy area behind the crowd, unnoticed.

On the roadside, as Zhang Sinan waited for a taxi, he spotted a flash of golden hair moving through the grass. He lowered his eyes, then turned to Liu Yiqing. “You and the others go ahead—I think I left my keys back there. I’ll catch up.” Without waiting for a reply, he quickly walked off, then turned into a small path through the grass.

Following Mu Bai along the hidden trail, Zhang Sinan came to a place under a large banyan tree known as the Wishing Tree. Its many branches twisted together like old roots, creating such a thick canopy that no sunlight could pass through. The tree was covered in nameplates and red ribbons.

Mu Bai stood before it, bowed like a believer, and softly said, “Please protect my sister. Keep her safe.”

The tone was so naive and sweet that Zhang Sinan couldn’t help but rub his forehead. “I’m definitely overthinking it,” he muttered as he turned to leave.

“Since you’re here, why not make a wish too?” came a deep, magnetic voice from behind. It was steady and commanding, echoing in Zhang Sinan’s mind.

He turned slowly, barely daring to breathe. The speaker had already turned around, revealing their face.

Mu Bai’s eyes were no longer blank or vacant—they were sharp and thoughtful. Her golden hair fell over her shoulder as she looked at Zhang Sinan and spoke again:

“I heard it really works. Want to give it a try?”

Zhang Sinan stared at her, stunned. Then, word by word, he spoke a name he hadn’t said in a long time:

“Meng Baisheng.”