“What?! Everyone Except Me Is a Villain (GL) - Chapter 16

“Someone’s chasing us?”

Zhen Wangzi whipped his head around and saw three black cars tailing them closely. They weren’t luxury vehicles but cheap, unmarked sedans perfect for blending into the night. Their headlights were off, making them even harder to spot as they moved swiftly in the dark.

Having never experienced a kidnapping before, Zhen Wangzi’s face went pale. Panic clawed at him as he turned to Jin Buning, his voice trembling. “what do we do now?”

Jin Buning didn’t answer. With a sharp, elegant drift, she slipped their red sports car into the main traffic. The black cars followed relentlessly. From the way they kept up, it was obvious their engines had been modified.

Ahead were three routes one leading to the highway, another to an overpass, and the last to the city center. None looked good. The first two were too open; one mistake could send them crashing to their deaths. The main roads were worse too many cars, too much risk. If the attackers decided to ram them, they’d both be finished.

Jin Buning quickly ran through all possibilities in her mind, weighing each risk, before mapping out the most dangerous yet viable escape route.

“Call your father,” she ordered.

“Are you insane? If that old man finds out I went to see Xier, he’ll kill me himself!” Zhen Wangzi shouted, his voice breaking between fear and outrage.

“Then call someone else. Anyone who can fight off trained soldiers.”

“Trained soldiers?!” he almost laughed, hysterical. “They’re just kidnappers!”

“Think about it,” Jin Buning snapped. “Who is Zhen Batian?”

“The richest man in Paradise City.”

“And what do you gain from kidnapping his children?”

“Everything… Wait, hold on how would they even know I was coming here? I only decided at the last minute! Was it you? Did you piss someone off on your first day back at school?” Zhen Wangzi turned on her, furious and frightened. He clearly thought she was overreacting.

Jin Buning didn’t respond. A shrill alert from her system rang in her mind incoming attack. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a black car speeding straight toward them, headlights still off. It wasn’t trying to block them it was trying to ram them head-on.

Jin Buning spun the wheel, narrowly dodging it. The car behind them smashed through the guardrail and slammed into a wall.

Screams echoed from nearby pedestrians, and a smear of bl00d glistened against the car’s hood before it sped away as if nothing had happened. Even after hitting a wall, its body remained perfectly intact.

Zhen Wangzi’s face drained of color. This wasn’t a kidnapping it was an execution. All those years the Zhen family had shielded him from real danger, and now that it was here, he was utterly helpless.

“What are you waiting for? Call the police!” Jin Buning barked.

“If we do that, the old man will.”

“You’d rather be beaten than dead?”

Her voice cut like a blade. Zhen Wangzi froze, then reluctantly pulled out his phone.

“Liu-jie,” he said into the receiver, his tone instantly soft, almost ingratiating. “It’s me… I’m in trouble. Could you come and get me?”

At the sound of that name, Jin Buning’s grip on the steering wheel tightened.

Liu-jie—Madam Pei Fuliu, the Zhen family’s stepmother. The true queen of the Zhen household.

Every man in the family Zhen Wangzi included, was infatuated with her, bewitched by her beauty and dominance. She ruled the Zhen family like a spider at the center of its web, a woman whose power ran deeper than anyone dared admit.

“See? We’ll be fine now,” Zhen Wangzi said, visibly calmer. “Liu-jie will handle it.”

He had no idea how deep Pei Fuliu’s manipulations went. She would never appear right away she always waited until her pawns were on the brink of ruin before stepping in like a savior.

Jin Buning’s jaw clenched. She wouldn’t give that woman the satisfaction.

“Where are you going? I told you Liu-jie’s coming!” Zhen Wangzi protested as the car made another sharp turn.

“There are too many cars here. She won’t reach us in time,” Jin Buning said evenly.

“Then what are you planning?” His voice was rising again, panic overtaking him.

“Heading toward the Zhen estate. We’ll meet her halfway.”

Zhen Wangzi hesitated, then nodded. It sounded logical enough.

But as they veered onto a side road, the black cars suddenly split off, blocking the bridge ahead. The trap was perfectly laid.

“Why’d you drive us into this damn alley?!”

Jin Buning ignored him. She slammed the car into reverse and darted down a narrow lane, engines howling. Somewhere nearby, radios crackled as more pursuers received new orders. Within moments, the hum of motorcycle engines filled the air.

“We lost them?” Zhen Wangzi asked hopefully.

Jin Buning opened her mouth to answer but her system shrieked another warning. She stomped the brakes just in time as a motorcycle shattered the glass behind them. The rider raised a baton-like weapon that crackled with electricity, aiming for the windshield.

The shatter of glass rang in Jin Buning’s ears. Bl00d trickled down her cheek, her health points dropping fast. She yanked the car into reverse again, slamming into the attacker’s bike and sending him flying.

“Nice one!” Zhen Wangzi cheered too soon.

The low rumble of engines grew louder. A dozen motorcycles surrounded them, their riders dressed entirely in black. Each carried an electric weapon that sparked in the dark.

The Crow Syndicate. Killers known for their all-black attire and suicidal devotion. Once they accepted a job, they didn’t stop until their targets were dead.

“What do we do now?” Zhen Wangzi’s voice cracked.

Jin Buning’s eyes flicked toward him. For a fleeting second, she considered it—throwing him out as bait to buy time.

“You’re not… planning to use me as a shield, are you?” he stammered, realizing the thought.

“Take a guess.”

Before he could reply, the killers moved in, smashing the car with their charged batons. Sparks flew, metal groaned. The sleek red sports car was caving in.

Glass shattered around them. Every avenue of escape was closing off.

Just when it seemed over, a deep rumble filled the air helicopters.

“Do you hear that? We’re saved!” Zhen Wangzi cried out.

Jin Buning looked up and froze. The helicopters weren’t police they were military. Their green hulls bore the insignia of Paradise Nation.

The side doors slid open, and heavily armed soldiers fast-roped down, engaging the assassins. Gunfire and shouting filled the air. Within minutes, the Crow Syndicate was neutralized those captured bit down on suicide pills, dying instantly.

Ten minutes later, Jin Buning and Zhen Wangzi were lifted into one of the helicopters.

The squad’s leader a woman in full combat gear and a gas mask walked over. Her sharp gaze landed on Jin Buning, studying her for a beat before pulling out her phone.

“Yes, Madam Pei,” she said respectfully. “The young lady is safe.”

Jin Buning exhaled slowly, her body finally relaxing, though her heart was in turmoil.

This was the first time she’d truly seen Pei Fuliu’s influence in action, and it was terrifying. The woman hadn’t even appeared, yet her presence dominated everything.

Jin Buning felt a shiver of awe beneath the fear. For a fleeting moment, she almost understood why everyone in the Zhen family was drawn to her.

Beside her, Zhen Wangzi sat trembling, still pale but with a dazed, reverent look in his eyes. His fear had already given way to blind admiration.