Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 265, 48 Hours Continued

[57 hours after receiving the extortion call, at 9:12 PM]

He Yuzhu took out a pistol fitted with a silencer, gently rested the muzzle on the edge of the iron railing of the ventilation duct, and steadily aimed the sight at the forehead of the drowsy black sentry leaning against the broken window in the southeast corner in the dim light.

With a muffled "thud," the black sentry leaning against the broken window, half-asleep, on the high southeast corner, suddenly jerked his head back, his skull exploding into a cloud of blood and bone fragments. His body collapsed to the ground with a thud, lifeless.

The gunshots went unnoticed by the enemy, but the black man was so large that the commotion when he fell was considerable.

"Enemy attack!" The white guard closest to the black man was the first to react and shouted.

"Pfft! Pfft!" He Yuzhu heard the shouts and slid down from the ventilation duct. Before his feet even touched the ground, his Browning HP pistol, fitted with a silencer, was already firing in bursts.

The muzzle flash disappeared in the dim light, and blood gushed from the foreheads of the shouting white guard and his companion who had just turned around almost simultaneously, causing them to fall backward.

The men inside the warehouse were all elites. After losing several men, they did not panic but instead sought cover and began to fight back.

"Da da da," "Da da da," the gun muzzle spat out tongues of fire, and the bullets "crackled and clattered" as they hit the spot where He Yuzhu fired the second shot. The wooden crate was smashed into pieces, and the abandoned machine spewed out blinding sparks.

He Yuzhu had already switched to a rifle and rolled on the spot. "Da da da... da da da..." A short and precise three-round burst of fire. One kidnapper screamed and clutched his wounded arm, shrinking back into cover. Another was shot through the neck and fell to the ground with a groan.

The gunfire inside the warehouse was like a signal!

"Bang!" On the eastern high ground, He Yuyao's M40A1 made a dull sound.

A kidnapper who was leaning out of the warehouse door to shoot inside had a horrific bloody hole blown open in his chest. He collapsed to the ground without uttering a sound.

"Sniper! There's a sniper outside!" someone shouted from inside the warehouse.

"FK! The enemy is no ordinary person, take the hostages and break through!" the scarred man shouted.

With a series of "hissing" sounds, He Yuzhu threw out several smoke grenades, and several areas in the warehouse were quickly enveloped in smoke. Under the cover of the smoke, He Yuzhu quickly approached his two younger sisters.

Those people probably thought the two hostages were too expensive and were reluctant to kill them, so no bullets were fired in that direction, while the place where He Yuzhu had been was the target of concentrated fire.

When He Yuzhu approached He Yushui, He Yushui heard the noise and made "mmm" sounds.

"Don't make a sound, it's me."

He Yushui nodded fiercely, tears streaming down her face.

He Yuzhu drew his tactical knife and with two quick cuts, severed the ropes binding the two men.

"Brother...please save Siyu!" He Yushui finally couldn't hold back her tears.

"Don't be afraid, I'll take you home."

He Yuzhu took out a syringe and injected it into Wang Siyu's thigh.

"Big brother, watch out behind you." As Wang Siyu regained a little consciousness, she saw a blurry figure emerging from the smoke behind He Yuzhu.

"Pfft pfft pfft!" He Yuzhu turned around and fired several shots. "Da da da!" The gun in the man's hand continued to fire even after he fell to the ground. He Yuzhu immediately tackled his two younger sisters and rolled on the ground a few times.

Wang Siyu winced in pain, while He Yushui clung to her brother, as if she had returned to her childhood.

"You two hide here. Can Siyu still shoot?" After leading the two women to a corner between two old machines, He Yuzhu felt it was safe enough and released them, asking the question.

"Yes, brother."

"Here, take this." He Yuzhu took out a fully loaded Browning 1911 and handed it to Wang Siyu. After thinking for a moment, he took out another one and gave it to He Yushui.

"Brother, be careful," He Yushui said.

"Big brother, kill them all. The people protecting us are all dead."

"I know. We can talk about it when we get back. Don't fire and reveal your position unless it's an emergency."

"Understood," the two women said in unison.

After He Yuzhu turned and left, He Yushui hugged the weak Wang Siyu tightly. The two of them held the pistol left by He Yuzhu tightly, their hearts pounding wildly in their chests.

The gunfire in the warehouse subsided, replaced by the sounds of hurried footsteps, shouts, and hushed conversations.

"FK, where are the hostages?"

"The boss must have been rescued."

"There's only one person there, where did such a powerful person come from?"

"Boss, I just remembered someone, the 'ghost' on the monkey battlefield."

"Shut up, how could the people from the Northern Monkeys possibly come here?"

"what should we do?"

"Retreat first."

Where are the hostages?

"If you're so desperate, go ahead and rob it."

How could He Yuzhu let them leave? He threw two grenades at the sound.

Then came a terrified scream from the other end: "Grenade!"

"Boom, boom"

"Kenny, Robert, Brian"

"Boss, my leg is injured."

"Where are Robert and Brian?"

"died."

"FK!" "Da da da! Da da da!" The scarred man fired in a fit of rage in the direction the grenade had been fired.

"Boss, if we don't retreat now, we won't be able to leave."

"Elliott, cover me, then retreat to the rear and take the boat."

"Ta-ta-ta, ta-ta-ta."

"He's over there!"

"Suppress him!"

Several kidnappers attempted to concentrate their firepower to block He Yuzhu's movement route.

"Bang!" The head of a kidnapper who was firing a submachine gun suddenly exploded, and his body fell from a height at an angle, hitting a pile of scrap metal with a dull thud.

"Bang!" Another kidnapper who tried to flank He Yuzhu had only poked half his body out when a cloud of blood burst from his chest.

He Yuzhu had already switched guns; the previous one had emptied its magazine, so he took out a Browning 1911 directly from his spatial storage.

"Fuck! Is he a monster?" The tattooed man watched as his two companions were taken down by He Yuzhu's precise shot, and fear appeared in his eyes for the first time.

It's important to understand that this wasn't a sneak attack; it was a counterattack while being attacked from both sides.

He roared and unleashed a furious barrage of fire from his M16 at the area where He Yuzhu had last disappeared. The bullets sent splinters flying, leaving only hollow echoes.

The scarred man's face turned ashen. He was filled with regret. He had originally planned to lead his men to pull off a big heist so that everyone could live the life they wanted. But now they had messed with someone they shouldn't have.

At this moment, besides He Yuzhu and his two siblings, there were only three kidnappers left in the warehouse.

They were pinned down behind several isolated bunkers by He Yuzhu's precise firepower, like trapped beasts.

"Elliott, I'll cover you and get Kenny! Hurry!" the scarred, tattooed man shouted.

"Boss, I can't get through." The tattooed man became timid.

"FK, Kenny, can you move yourself?"

"Okay." The will to live overcame the pain, and Kenny, whose leg was injured, struggled to his feet, dragging his bloodied and mangled leg, and tried to move toward the small door at the back of the warehouse that led to the small dock.

"boom!"

A crisp gunshot rang out from deep within the warehouse. Kenny's body stiffened abruptly, and he looked down in disbelief at the newly emerged bloody hole in his chest. He turned back with difficulty, only to see He Yuzhu's icy, knife-like gaze flash by, with wisps of smoke still drifting from the muzzle of the Browning gun in his hand.

The light in Kenny's eyes quickly dimmed, his body went limp, and he fell silent.

“Kenny!” Scarface shouted.

"Boss, if it doesn't work out, let's surrender."

“No, there were no Marines who surrendered,” Scarface insisted.

Unexpectedly, the tattooed man, Elliott, shouted at He Yuzhu, "Cease fire! I surrender! I surrender! Don't kill me!"

The "rat-a-tat-tat" was met with a single shot from Scarface.

"FK, Eric, if you want to die, don't drag me down with you."

"Fool, do you think he'll let you go? Fight alongside me and maybe you can survive."

“Tell me what FK GHOST 7/N means? Maybe it can save your life,” He Yuzhu’s voice came.

Why are you asking me this?

"Because this is the clue we found."

"FK." Two curses came at the same time.

"Can you really let me live?" the tattooed man, Elliott, asked loudly.

"Don't believe him, he's lying to you. You even killed his men that night." Eric clearly didn't want the tattooed man to surrender and betray him.

"FK, Elliott, I'm going to kill you." The tattooed man, Elliott, knew there was no way to surrender now.

"Ta-ta-ta, ta-ta-ta."

He Yuzhu was also a little confused; why were these two fighting amongst themselves?

However, he didn't have time to chat with them, because Wang Siyu's condition was not good.

"Bang, bang!" "Bang, bang!" He Yuzhu fired his gun while moving, and both of the men were hit in the arms.

But his mouth wasn't idle yet: "FK, Eric, are you satisfied now?"

"FK, you're the one who killed your squad."

"FK, I'm going to kill you."

"Old Wolf, Old Wolf, there are two wounded men left. Bring men in and clear the area. Keep them alive."

"Got it, boss."

The warehouse door was suddenly kicked open, and Old Wolf led several Wolf Fang members in like cheetahs, rushing in with guns firmly locked onto the target area.

"Grab them!" Old Wolf growled, and the team members pounced on them like wolves and tigers, mercilessly smashing the two men with their rifle butts.

Then they roughly tied their hands behind their backs and bound them tightly, then tore off their clothes and stuffed them into their mouths to prevent them from biting their tongues or shouting.

"Clean it up! Hurry up, don't leave any loose ends for the cops!" He Yuzhu said, not even glancing at the prisoners, and ran towards his two sisters.

When they arrived at their destination, Wang Siyu was already in a daze again, and He Yushui was trying her best to keep her from falling asleep while she was crying.

He Yuzhu disregarded everything else, picked up Wang Siyu and shouted, "Yushui, stay close to me!" Then he ran outside, and He Yushui didn't forget to take Wang Siyu's gun with her, staggering behind him.

The three of them came out, and He Yuzhu shouted, "Old Wolf, have someone carry us through the rain, I need to get to the hospital as soon as possible."

"Yes, boss."

With a wave of his hand, Lao Lang immediately sent two 'Wolf Fang' security guards over to grab He Yushui on either side and run out with He Yuzhu.

He Yuyao had already withdrawn from the sniping position and was heading towards the warehouse. When he saw his eldest brother carrying his third sister and his second sister being supported, he immediately handed the sniper rifle to the spotter and came to meet him.

Then he took over from the two 'Wolf Fangs' and carried He Yushui, running after He Yuzhu.

Once in the car, He Yuzhu told He Yuyao to change his clothes, and he started changing as well. After they were all changed, He Yuzhu started the car and sped away.

"Leopard Head, lead the way to the designated hospital, and also notify the lawyer to be present!" He Yuzhu called out over the radio, his voice filled with anxiety.

"Yes, boss!"

He Yuzhu's car hadn't gone far when another car appeared waiting in front of him, and that car led the way at top speed.

The roar of the engines tore through the deathly silence of the abandoned dock, speeding toward Manhattan.

Inside the car, He Yushui held the dazed Wang Siyu tightly, tears streaming silently down her face, repeatedly murmuring, "Siyu, hang in there...we're almost at the hospital..."

He Yuyao, sitting in the passenger seat, was very pale, but he didn't dare urge his older brother to go any faster, because He Yuzhu was practically driving like a rocket.

Fifteen minutes later, the car screeched to a halt in front of an inconspicuous door at Weill Cornell Medical Center that was marked "VIP/Emergency Entrance".

There were no strangers near the entrance, only two sharp-eyed, well-trained officers in plainclothes, wearing hospital security badges, vigilantly scanning the surroundings.

As soon as He Yuzhu jumped out of the car, the electric gate of the special entrance slid open silently.

A medical team led by the hospital's chief trauma surgeon and composed of several specialists and senior nurses was waiting inside the door, pushing a top-of-the-line transport bed covered with sterile sheets (equipped with vital signs monitors and infusion pumps).

Also present were Edmund Wilson, dressed in a suit and with a serious expression, and his assistant lawyer.

“Mr. Chen (new passport)!” Wilson nodded quickly, then turned to the medical team, “Dr. Smith, the injured person is in critical condition, please take care of everything!”

"Leave it to us! Quickly!" Dr. Smith didn't waste any words, directing the team to quickly and professionally transfer Wang Siyu to the transport bed. The vital signs monitor was instantly connected, displaying alarming data. Without the slightest delay, the team pushed the bed along the dedicated corridor and quickly disappeared into the VIP elevator leading to the top-floor operating room.

The entire process is efficient, quiet, and private, without the noise and crowds of a typical emergency room.

He Yushui was gently but firmly supported by a capable female nurse and a female security guard (arranged by Wilson): "Miss, please come with me. You also need to undergo examination and treatment immediately. We will ensure your safety." She was led to the VIP examination room on the same floor.

Accompanied by Wilson, He Yuzhu and He Yuyao took a private elevator directly to the VIP family waiting area, which was on the same floor as the operating room and completely isolated from it.

The environment here is private and luxurious, with excellent soundproofing, dedicated service staff, and exclusive security guards at the entrances and exits.

In the waiting area, the hospital's chief security officer and Wilson gave He Yuzhu a brief briefing:
“Mr. Chen, according to the VIP Agreement Alpha and the specific medical privacy exemption clauses of this state, the hospital will not proactively report this gunshot wound case to the NYPD unless there is a court-ordered compliance. Our internal security report will be handled as top secret.”

"The hospital's senior management is aware of the situation and is fully cooperating. All medical staff who have come into contact with the injured have signed strict non-disclosure agreements (NDAs)."

"Security around the hospital and in the VIP area has been fully upgraded. We and Taishan Security are jointly responsible to ensure that no unauthorized personnel will approach or disturb the area."

Wilson added, “Mr. Chen, unless the kidnapper’s body is found in a public area and exposed by the media, or there is extremely strong intelligence pointing directly to the hospital, it will be difficult for the NYPD to know the specific situation of the injured here in a short period of time, let alone have a legal reason to directly break into the hospital for questioning. Even if there is an investigation in the future, we have a complete legal plan to deal with it. The current priority is to ensure the safety and treatment of the two ladies.”

"No problem, then I'll leave it to Attorney Wilson!"

"It's what I should do. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now. Mr. Chen, you can call me anytime if you encounter any problems."

"Okay, I won't see you off. I need to wait for the surgery results."

"That's only right, farewell."

"Goodbye."

After shaking hands, Wilson and the hospital security officer left.

Top floor of Weill Cornell Medical Center, outside the VIP operating room.

He Yuzhu sat on the large but cold leather sofa, his body ramrod straight, like a silent stone statue.

The glaring red "Operating in Progress" light on the operating room door burned into his heart like a red-hot iron.

He Yuyao sat beside her, her face pale, her hands unconsciously twisting together, her eyes fixed on the door.

Leopard Head, accompanied by several skilled security guards, stood guard at both ends of the corridor and the elevator entrance as if facing a formidable enemy. Their sharp eyes scanned every corner to ensure that not even a fly could get close to the area.

Time passed second by second, each second feeling like an eternity.

Finally, after a suffocatingly long wait, the operating room door opened.

Dr. Smith, dressed in sterile surgical scrubs and covered in sweat, emerged. He looked exhausted, but there was a hint of relief in his eyes.

He Yuzhu and He Yuyao immediately stood up and rushed forward. He Yuyao's voice trembled: "Doctor, my third sister..."

Dr. Smith removed his mask and let out a long sigh of relief: "The surgery was a success. The bullet was removed smoothly without damaging any major blood vessels or nerves. The most troublesome part was the comminuted fracture of the left clavicle, which we reduced and internally fixed. There was a lot of blood loss, but the transfusion was timely, and the vital signs have stabilized."

Seeing He Yuzhu's furrowed brows, he added, "Mr. Chen, your sister is in very good physical condition and has a very strong will to live, which is fortunate amidst misfortune. However, her injuries are severe, especially the shoulder trauma and fracture, which require a long period of rehabilitation training, and..."

He paused, his tone tinged with regret, "There may be some degree of functional impairment left, such as limited range of motion or weakened strength in the arm. Subsequent rehabilitation treatment is crucial."

"It's good that you're alive! We'll do our best to help you recover your functions." He Yuzhu's voice was low. "Thank you, Dr. Smith."

“That’s understandable.” Dr. Smith nodded. “The anesthesia hasn’t completely worn off yet. The patient needs to be transferred to the ICU for 24 hours of observation before being moved to the VIP ward. You can’t visit him yet.”

"Understood." He Yuzhu nodded and turned to He Yuyao: "Yuyao, you stay here and watch over your second and third sisters. If anything happens, notify me immediately. Leopard Head will arrange the perimeter security."

"Brother!" He Yuyao said urgently, "I'll go with you to interrogate those bastards!"

“We need more people here!” He Yuzhu interrupted him. “There are professional nurses and psychological counselors over in Yushui, and Wilson’s lawyers are there too. What you need to do is keep an eye on Siyu and make sure she is absolutely safe. That’s an order!”

He Yuyao looked at her elder brother's unwavering gaze, then glanced at the closed operating room door, and finally nodded forcefully, clenching her teeth: "Yes! Brother, don't worry! Unless I die, no one will be able to touch a hair on Third Sister's head!"

He Yuzhu patted his younger brother on the shoulder.

Then he turned to Leopard Head: "This is yours. Highest alert level. Don't let a single mosquito in, except for the doctor and our designated personnel. Contact Old Wolf and have him deliver the 'goods' to a safe place to wait for me."

"Yes, boss!" Leopard Head solemnly replied.

He Yuzhu took one last deep look at the operating room door, then turned and strode toward the elevator.

The elevator doors opened and closed silently.

He Yuyao looked in the direction where her older brother had disappeared, took a deep breath, walked to the ICU observation window, and through the glass, her gaze was fixed on the slender figure on the hospital bed surrounded by various instruments, her fists clenched tightly.

[61 hours after receiving the extortion call, at 1:07 AM]

A hidden safe house converted from an abandoned factory in the outskirts of New York.

Far from the hustle and bustle of the city, only the sound of the wind howling through the broken windows could be heard.

The basement has been specially reinforced and has excellent sound insulation.

Old Wolf had been waiting for a long time. Kneeling at his feet were two people bound like dumplings, their mouths stuffed with rags, and covered in blood—the scarred man Eric and the tattooed man Elliott, who were the last to be captured alive in the warehouse.

Their wounds were simply stopped from bleeding, just as they had treated Wang Siyu roughly.

When He Yuzhu walked in, they seemed to know that the final moment had arrived, and they began to struggle and twist violently, making "uh uh uh" sounds.

He Yuzhu walked expressionlessly to a simple iron table, pulled over a chair, and sat down.

He didn't look at the prisoners on the ground, but nodded to the old wolf.

The old wolf understood, stepped forward, and roughly ripped the rags out of their mouths.

"FK YOU! Kill me if you dare!" Scarface Eric roared, trying to mask his fear with ferocity, but his trembling voice betrayed him.

"Don't kill me! Please! I'll tell you everything! It was Eric! He orchestrated it all! He killed your men!" The tattooed man, Elliot, broke down in tears, desperately trying to shift the blame onto his companion.

He Yuzhu's gaze, like a cold searchlight, slowly swept over the two of them.

He didn't speak, but picked up a well-maintained, gleaming tiger-tooth fighting dagger from the table and slowly and meticulously wiped it with a white cloth in the dim light.

The cold gleam of metal reflected on his expressionless face, and the subtle scraping sound was particularly jarring in the deathly silent basement, like a countdown to death.

This silent pressure is more devastating than any roar or torture.

“FK GHOST 7/N.” He Yuzhu finally spoke, his voice not loud, but chilling to the bone, “Tell me, what does it mean? Who sent you here? Why did you harm my sister? If you don’t tell me a single lie, I guarantee you’ll regret being born.”

His gaze first fell on the tattoo on Elliott's neck, and that look made Elliott feel like his skin was about to be gouged out.

Elliott's mental defenses completely crumbled: "I'll talk! I'll talk! FK GHOST is a tattoo I got to avenge my teammates. My Delta Force squad, which I served in when I was in Vietnam, was wiped out by a guy called 'Ghost.' The 7 represents my seven dead teammates, and N (North Vietnam)!"

"That's it?" He Yuzhu was astonished.
"I'm not lying to you, really, I'm not lying to you."

The old wolf beside them was also stunned. They thought this represented something extraordinary, but it turned out to be about revenge.

What Old Wolf didn't know was that this kid's target for revenge was his own boss; he really had walked right into a trap.

"Kidnapping? Who ordered you to do this?" He Yuzhu's voice remained completely calm as the tip of his dagger lightly grazed the iron tabletop, making a grating sound.

"I don't know! I really don't know!" Elliot cried out in terror. "It was Eric! Eric took the job! He contacted the supplier! We were just responsible for carrying out the operation! He said it was the sister of a very wealthy man, and we could get a huge sum of money by kidnapping her! Fifty million US dollars! We could each get several million!"

"FK, Elliott! You coward! Traitor! I'll bite you to death!" Eric's eyes were bloodshot as he moved to bite the tattooed man.

"Shut up!" Old Wolf stepped forward and kicked Eric hard in the thigh. Eric groaned and knelt back down.

Then he glared at the tattooed man, thinking that the guy was a born traitor. Otherwise, how could he have survived when the whole team was dead? He shouldn't have asked him in the first place. His tattoo gave away clues, and his team was wiped out. Now the guy was framing him. He wanted to bite the guy to death.

He Yuzhu turned his gaze to Eric, his expression icy and chilling: "And you? Do you have anything to say?"

Eric turned his head away, and the old wolf kicked him in the arm.

Eric was in excruciating pain, his body convulsing and covered in cold sweat. He looked into He Yuzhu's unfathomable eyes, which held no threat or anger, only indifference, as if he were looking at a dead object.

This absolute indifference instilled in him a fear that ran deeper into his bones than any form of torture.

“I’ll tell you!” Eric’s voice was hoarse and dry, trembling with despair. “Someone sold me information! My men haven’t been doing so well since they retired, so they wanted to find a good job to make some money! Then I went to the underground bar in Brooklyn’s ‘Red Brick Alley,’ where they introduce business people. I explained our capabilities, and the owner introduced us to ‘Mole.’ He’s a middleman, and he told me that our target—your sister—is ‘very valuable.’ She has a strong security detail, but if we can successfully kidnap her, we can get at least five million dollars in ransom!”

He gasped for breath, enduring the excruciating pain as he continued, “We…we observed them for a few days and found that the people you sent to protect them were extremely professional, much more difficult to deal with than we expected! So I recruited some more people. On the night of the operation, because we weren’t sure we could catch them just by injuring people, we went all out and killed six bodyguards. If the police investigate six deaths, we’ll all have to run…the cost is too high! So…so on a whim, we raised the ransom to fifty million! We thought…we thought that after this heist, it would be enough for everyone to live a carefree life for the rest of their lives! We never expected…we never expected to offend you…” His eyes were filled with remorse.

“Yes, yes, yes! It’s ‘The Mole’! I could tell at a glance that the old guy didn’t look like a good person.” Elliott was eager to take credit.

"Didn't you say you didn't know?" Old Wolf kicked him.

“All I knew was that Eric made the calls to ‘Mole’ and ‘Red Brick Lane.’ All I knew was that I could get a lot of money.”

“‘Red Brick Alley,’ ‘Mole,’” He Yuzhu repeated, looking at Old Wolf with a command in his eyes that needed no words.

Old Wolf immediately straightened up. "Boss, I'll personally lead the men! I guarantee I'll bring him back!"

"To live."

“You won’t find it. You’re Asian, and it’s all white people there. Black people can’t get in.”

Upon hearing this, Old Wolf looked at He Yuzhu, awaiting his command.

"Keep an eye on them, I'm going to make a phone call."

"Yes, boss."

　Thank you to readers Sangeng and Shu10096 for the generous donations! Thank you for your support!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)