The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 727 Rescue of Bale!!!

Zhang Jincheng pondered for a moment, then said to the group, "I think this matter can't be delayed any longer; Bale's life is in danger at any moment."

We started our operation at 3 a.m., and now everyone should go back to their rooms and get some rest.

After saying that, Zhang Jin told the team members to go back to their rooms and rest up for the night's operation.

At two o'clock in the morning, the moonlight was obscured by thick clouds, and the entire hotel was shrouded in silent darkness.

Zhang Jincheng gently pushed open the door, and the damp night wind, carrying the scent of earth, rushed in.

He tightened his tactical vest, glanced at his watch to confirm the time was correct, and then whispered into the communicator, "Everyone, assemble in five minutes. Remain silent."

The team members quickly and silently emerged from their respective rooms, each with a solemn expression on their face.

Ah Gui examined the equipment in his hands and muttered to himself, "Hopefully Bale can hold on."

During this time of day, the small border town loses its daytime hustle and bustle, and the neon lights on both sides of the street are turned off.

Everything was submerged in the endless night, and people slept soundly in the tranquility. Only the insects in the roadside weeds chirped loudly, needing to use their chirping to cheer for their mates.

On one side of the road, several agile figures flashed past in the shadows of the corner. They were as light as cats, and apart from the breeze from their clothes, no other sound could be heard.

Several figures stopped about ten meters from the gate of Boss Lang's lair, like cheetahs lurking there, ready to strike at any moment.

Zhang Jin made a hand gesture, and the team members immediately dispersed and took up advantageous positions.

Under the cover of darkness, he carefully observed the building in front of him.

A faint light shone from the window of the guard post at the entrance, which seemed particularly glaring in the dark night.

Zhang Jin leaned against the wall, watching the situation in front of the gate. The light bulb above the gate emitted a dim glow, and the surroundings seemed deathly still. The guard booths on both sides were also deathly silent. He didn't know if the guards were dozing off or staying awake.

After waiting for two or three minutes without any movement, Zhang Jin pointed two fingers behind him.

Zhuang Yan and Wang Tao, each holding a multi-purpose military knife, quickly rushed over and arrived at the guard post in the blink of an eye.

Zhuang Yan first approached the guard post on the left, where he saw the guard inside, holding a gun in his arms, curled up in a corner of the post and fast asleep.

He crept in quietly, grabbed the guard's mouth, tilted his head to his right shoulder, and then swiftly sliced ​​across his exposed neck with a sharp blade. Blood gushed out immediately, and the guard fell into a deep sleep before he even woke up.

Zhuang Yan leaned out of the guard post and waved to his teammates who were hiding in the corner. Zhang Jincheng, A Gui, Yan Kan, and Ye Peng quickly ran over.

At the same time, in the guard post on the other side, Wang Tao also slit the throat of another guard without making a sound.

Agui and Yankan carried the M16 into the guard posts on either side. Their task was to take over the guard posts from the original guards.

At this moment, Zhang Jincheng had already climbed over the gatepost on one side into the courtyard, and gently opened the large iron gate from the inside. The gate was opened a crack, allowing Zhuang Yan, Wang Tao, and Ye Peng to walk in.

Having figured out the situation inside, the four men went about their respective tasks after entering the prison.

Wang Tao and Ye Peng, armed with Colt assault rifles, stealthily made their way towards the back wall of the headquarters.

Behind the command post, there is a ten-meter-high guard tower with guards who can observe the situation in both the front and back yards.

Wang Tao and his companion were hiding in the corner of a building, and through their scopes, they could clearly see the situation inside the guard tower.

Inside the guard tower, a guard with a gun on his back was swaying back and forth. Wang Tao aimed at his chest, and the muzzle made a soft "thud" sound. Looking back, the guard on the tower had already fallen.

After taking down the guards, Wang Tao and Ye Peng went to the house where the guards lived. They hid in the shadows and monitored what was happening inside.

Meanwhile, Zhang Jin and Zhuang Yan had already reached the entrance to the dungeon.

This prison rarely holds prisoners because there are no laws in the area. If someone commits a crime, the person in charge can simply order them to be executed, have their hands or feet cut off, or be beaten and forced into hard labor.

They are all handled in one go; no prisoners are ever detained.

Boss Lang didn't get what he wanted from Bale, so he imprisoned him here, which is also why the guards weren't vigilant enough.

There were usually no prisoners, so the guards were used to being lax.

Zhang Jin said that he was near the prison cells, most of which were buried underground, and he could smell a strong smell of alcohol as soon as he arrived at the prison gate.

He ducked to the side and peered inside. In the dim light, there were two people inside, one slumped over the table and the other sleeping against the wall.

The table was a mess, with plates, bowls, chopsticks, and bottles scattered all over the place.

Zhang Jin thought to himself that these two guys really knew how to enjoy themselves.

So he opened the door and went in without any hesitation, with Zhuang Yan following closely behind.

The two men walked to the table, each taking on one of the guards, and struck them hard on the neck.

The guard let out a groan and then fainted.

The two men gently moved the guards to the corner of the wall, took the keys hanging on them, and then turned to rescue Bale.

Zhang Jin turned on the tactical flashlight on his assault rifle and searched through the iron bars of each cell. When he found the sixth cell, he saw a person huddled in the corner.

He hurriedly unlocked the door with his key and went inside.

The person lying inside had tattered clothes, was covered in wounds, and had blood on his face, but Zhang Jin still recognized him at a glance as Bale.

Hearing the noise, Bale struggled to lift his head, a glimmer of light flashing in his cloudy eyes.

His chapped lips trembled, as if he wanted to say something, but only a faint whisper escaped his lips.

Zhang Jin squatted down and quickly examined his injuries, discovering a deep, bone-exposed wound on his left leg that had become infected and blackened.

"Hang in there, Brother Bale, we're here to save you," Zhang Jincheng said in a low voice, taking out a first-aid kit from his tactical vest.

Zhuang Yan stood guard at the door, his gun always pointed towards the corridor.

"Thank you! Thank you..." Bale's eyes lit up, and tears welled up in his eyes as he said weakly.

Balai originally thought he was completely finished and that no one would come to save him unless Buddha appeared.

Zhang Jin knelt down and helped Bale up, asking softly, "How are you? Can Brother Bale still walk?"

Bale shook his head and cried out, "You've ruined me so much..."

Zhang Jin hurriedly pushed him and said in a low voice, "Don't cry. It's not safe yet. We're here to rescue you. Get up and come with us."

Upon hearing that they were still in danger, Bale hurriedly struggled to get up. Zhang Jin helped him up, saying, "Thank you, thank you so much. I never expected you to come and save me."

"Don't make a sound yet, we'll talk after we get out." Zhang Jin helped Bale up, while Zhuang Yan stood guard ahead, and the three of them quickly walked out of the cell.

As Zhang Jin walked, he called out, "Ye Peng, Lu Da, go and bring the car over here."

"Understood!" came the reply from the two people's earpieces. A moment later, they drove the car to a few hundred meters outside the prison to wait for the pickup.

Zhang Jincheng helped Bale through the dark backyard, where moonlight dappled the ground through the broken roof.

Bale's breathing was heavy and rapid, and every step he took seemed to be an act of great pain.

Zhuang Yan walked ahead, his finger always on the trigger, his sharp eyes scanning the shadows around him.

As they rounded the last corner, they suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps ahead. Zhuang Yan immediately raised his fist to signal them to stop, and the three of them quickly moved to hide against the wall.

Two patrolling guards strolled over, cigarettes dangling from their lips, one of them humming a drunken tune.

Zhang Jin held his breath and gave Zhuang Yan a wink.

Zhuang Yan understood, silently circled behind the guards, and delivered a chop to the back of one of their necks. The man groaned and collapsed to the ground.

Before the other person could react, Zhang Jincheng strode forward, covered his mouth, and knocked him unconscious with an elbow strike.

"Hurry up!" Zhang Jincheng whispered. At this moment, Wang Tao, who was monitoring the barracks ahead, also rushed back. The four of them quickened their pace and finally arrived at the courtyard wall.

The deep roar of an engine came from outside the wall; Ye Peng and Lu Da had already parked the car at the agreed location.

Zhuang Yan was the first to climb over the wall and pulled Bale up with him. Bale gritted his teeth, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, but he didn't utter a single groan.

Zhang Jin was the last to climb over the wall. As he landed, he casually threw two smoke grenades into the yard, and thick smoke instantly filled the air, obscuring their tracks.

The car door slammed shut, and Lu Da slammed on the gas pedal, sending the SUV shooting off like an arrow.

Inside the car, Zhang Jin quickly treated Bale's wounds.

Bale leaned weakly against his seat, but his eyes gleamed with the joy of surviving a close call. "I thought... this was really the end..." he said haltingly.

Zhang Jin patted him on the shoulder and gave him a firm smile: "Brother Balai, we never abandon our own people."

While the people in the city were still fast asleep, the SUV quietly drove out of the old city.

In the darkness, the off-road vehicle sped along the rugged mountain road and gradually disappeared into the vast darkness.

Zhang Jincheng said to Balai, "You can't stay in the old city any longer. Why don't you consider going to our place for temporary refuge?" Because it was not far from the border crossing, Zhang Jincheng wanted to send Balai to be settled in China, where only China was safe at this time.

"Oh dear, this won't do. My wife and kids are still in the old town. If I run away, Boss Lang will definitely not let them go," Balai said anxiously, thinking of his wife.

"Stop the car!" Zhang Jin ordered Ye Peng, who was driving, then turned to Bale and asked, "Where do you live?"

“My home is in the north of the old town, not far from here.”

"Alright, lead the way, we'll take them all with us."

"Thank you, thank you so much..." Bale was so excited that he didn't know what to say. He never dreamed that Zhang Jincheng would not only save him, but also save his family.

Guided by Bale, the off-road vehicle turned onto a narrow dirt road, the dust kicked up by its wheels resembling silver smoke in the moonlight.

Zhang Jin observed his surroundings through night vision goggles and found that the North District was more dilapidated than he had imagined, with low-lying mud houses huddled in the shadows like wounded wild animals.

“Turn right at the third intersection ahead,” Bale’s voice trembled with pain, “That’s the house with the tin roof.” He suddenly grabbed Zhang Jincheng’s arm, “Wait! There’s someone at the door!”

Zhuang Yan immediately turned off the car lights, and everyone held their breath.

Two burly men with guns were seen pacing in front of Bale's house, occasionally banging on the iron gate with the butts of their guns.

The faint sounds of a woman sobbing and a child crying could be heard from inside the house.

"Looks like they were sent by Boss Lang to guard this place." Zhang Jincheng sneered and quickly assigned tasks: "Wang Tao, Lu Da, go around and take care of the one on the right. Leave the left one to me and Zhuang Yan."

The group moved with lightning speed.

Under the cover of darkness, Zhang Jin sneaked up behind the guard and overheard the other person on the phone: "How long are we going to keep an eye on this wretched woman day after day?" Before the words were finished, Zhuang Yan's silenced pistol fired two soft shots.

Almost simultaneously, a dull thud came from the backyard as something heavy fell to the ground.

The moment they burst through the door, they found Bale's wife, her face streaked with tears, huddled in a corner with her child in her arms.

"Is that Balai?" When she recognized the person, the little boy in her arms suddenly broke free and rushed towards Balai, who was covered in blood, crying, "Daddy! You're finally back... Waaah...!"

"Hurry up!" Zhang Jincheng picked up the child, while Zhuang Yan helped Bale's wife.

Just as everyone rushed out of the house, a piercing alarm suddenly sounded in the distance.

Ye Peng jerked the steering wheel, and the SUV swerved in a beautiful arc through the narrow alley.

"Hold on tight!" Lu Da slammed on the gas, and the vehicle shot off like an arrow into the dense forest on the outskirts of the city.

Zhang Jin said that while fastening the child's seatbelt, he used a satellite phone to contact the border to meet him.

Moonlight filtered through the shadows of the trees, casting dappled patterns of light inside the car. Zhang Jincheng gripped his cloth bag tightly and gazed at the gradually brightening sky.

Behind them, amidst the clamor of the old city awakening, faint sounds of furious roars and intermittent gunfire could be heard.

Inside the car, Zhang Jin said to Balai, "We will make arrangements for you in China. Please believe that it won't be long before your family can return and live a normal life."

"Thank you, thank you for saving me and my family... I don't understand how you knew I was arrested by Boss Lang?" Balai asked, puzzled.

"We just happened to hear about it. We originally came to the old city to arrest Boss Lang's strategist, Li Wencai, but we didn't expect to hear about your affairs..."

"Oh, you're here to arrest Li Wencai?"

“That’s right, we will gradually get rid of Boss Lang’s lackeys,” Zhang Jin said with a smile.

"Li Wencai hasn't been at the department recently; he's been staying home recuperating."

"Oh, what disease does this guy have?" Zhang Jin asked hurriedly upon hearing this.

"Actually, Li Wencai isn't sick at all. Some time ago, Boss Lang ordered him to rob a priceless gem in the Jiaomo River Valley, but he got nothing. In addition, he was seriously injured and almost lost his life."

Kang the Elder berated him, and Li Wencai, in a fit of anger, stayed home to recuperate from his injuries. In reality, his injuries were almost healed; he was just faking illness.

Hearing this, Zhuang Yan couldn't help but exclaim to Zhang Jin, "Captain, so that bastard ambushed us back then!"

No wonder he's quite strong. How did he know we were there?

Bale thought for a moment and said, "This matter might be related to Michael's concubine."

"You mean Michael's concubine, Li Yuan?" Zhang Jin asked again.

"Yes, we all know that Lang San is having an affair with Michael's mistress."

"I understand," Zhang Jin said softly, finally resolving many of his doubts.

No wonder so many things went wrong when I first arrived; it turns out this slut was behind it all.

The SUV sped along the bumpy mountain road. Zhang Jincheng tapped his fingers lightly on his knees, his eyes gradually sharpening. "Li Yuan," he murmured, repeating the name, the image of the woman who always wore a brightly colored cheongsam and smiled charmingly beside Michael flashing through his mind.

"Captain, should we deal with this menace first?" Zhuang Yan asked, wiping the barrel of his gun, a cold glint in his eyes.

Upon hearing this, Bale's wife in the back seat instinctively hugged the child even tighter.

Zhang Jin shook his head: "No rush. The most important thing now is to get you out of the country safely." He turned to look at the brightening sky outside the window. "But now that we know this route, we need to rethink our plan of action."

Then he asked Balai, "Where does Li Wencai live?"

"It's easy to find. It's a newly built house in the Dongcheng Development Zone. There's a small building with white tiles in the yard. Just ask around when you get there."

As they were talking, they arrived at the border crossing. Zhang Jin got out of the car and went to the checkpoint to greet the person in charge.

The checkpoint here had already received orders from its superiors, and there were personnel waiting to escort the Bale family safely to a secure location for protection.

Everyone in the car had gotten out. Zhang Jin said to Balai, "Once you're in China, our people will be responsible for your safety. Come back after Boss Lang is finished. I believe that day won't be long."

Bale said excitedly, his voice choked with emotion, "Thank you, thank you..." Then, holding his child's hand, he led his wife toward the security checkpoint.

After taking a few steps, he turned back and said apologetically, "You saved my whole family, and I still don't know your benefactor's name?"

Zhang Jincheng patted Bale on the shoulder with a smile and said, "You'll know when you come back. Goodbye, friend."

After saying this, Zhang Jincheng turned and got into the car. Under Bale's watchful gaze, the two "Warrior" off-road vehicles sped away.

Two SUVs kicked up clouds of dust in the morning light. Zhang Jin watched the Balai family's figures gradually shrink in the rearview mirror until they disappeared into the crowd at the checkpoint.

Fortunately, the rescue operation ended without serious incident. Not only were the Bale family successfully rescued, but two crucial pieces of intelligence were also obtained.

This also made Zhang Jincheng understand why the accidents had happened one after another before; it turned out that it was all the work of a woman he had ignored.

Even more surprisingly, the information obtained from Bale regarding Li Wencai's whereabouts laid a solid foundation for the subsequent capture of this key figure.

"Captain, what do we do?" Zhuang Yan asked.

"Back to the old town!"

(End of this chapter)