378 Kidnapped

July 17, 20X2 (Friday)

Zhao Manor

It was at midnight that Zhao Manor had movements that it shouldn't have. Because everyone was busy with the news of the baby, the security in the manor was not as strong as it previously was. Added to the fact that Zhao Yang had mobilized most of the guards expecting the terrorist to focus on the hospital where Mei Lin was, Zhao Manor was very lacking with security. Mei Lin's personal bodyguards and some of the strongest of the guards were present, and they were the ones that were tightly guarding the doors of the children.

Mei Lin's personal and closest bodyguard that was affectionately dubbed as La was on standby at the doors outside of Ling Ling's room. La has been managing the rest of the guards left in the manor for the day, and he had not lowered his guard a little bit because of the terrorist, and he had been right.

On the back of manor was a small forest connected to the mountains. The Fool and his subordinates including Chen Zhong was stationed, ready to ambush Zhao Manor. The most surprising about the ambush was that The Fool did not tell them about this plan. He had only commanded them to gather. Chen Zhong had thought that it would be just another meeting, but he had not expected that The Fool would drag them for a reconnaissance mission.

"Let's go!" The Fool hissed to them, trying to remain as silent as possible in the stillness of the night.

Chen Zhong was praying that his father had gone to the hospital to help with Mei Lin or something. Once the terrorist entered the gates after killing four guards, Chen Zhong knew the person that was always monitoring the Manor already knew about it.

The Fool, with his keen hearing, had noticed how the cameras had focused on his so he shot every security cameras that he could find. Working faster, The Fool and his men went inside the manor.

Unfortunately for Chen Zhong, it was his father that greeting them upon their entrance.

"Traitor!" Fool hissed with annoyance ready to kill Father Chen. Seeing the look of surrender in Father Chen's eyes, The Fool retracted his gun and clicked his tongue. What good is killing a man who wanted to be killed? There's no fun in that!

Looking at the pale Chen Zhong, The Fool grinned and commanded, "Kill your father."

"Wa-What?" Chen Zhong's saliva splattered as he turned aghast.

"He had gone against our belief! Our group! He needs to be dealt with!" The Fool's face was mad and crazy.

Everyone from their group turned to Chen Zhong and gave him pitiful looks. A bad or a good father is still a father. Not even they could kill their fathers on a simple command.

Father Chen was horrified at the command. He could see the conflict that marred his son's face. Not wanting to have his son make a choice, Father Chen walked towards Chen Zhong and guided his gun to his right chest. The son was too shocked to do anything as he watched his father pulling the trigger on the gun without hesitation.

Hao Chen, in shock, jumped to take the hand that was holding the gun away. Desperate to save the only family member he has left, Hao Chen tried his best to make the gunfire downside to the left, hoping the bullet only grazed his father's side.

Hearing the loud gunshot, every guard in the manor awoke and went to where the shot came. Zhao Qinyang and Zhao Yu Rong immediately stood up from their beds, and without any words run towards the children's room. Aunt Qinyang and Zhao Yu Rong reached their destination in just a few minutes. They each went on different places, Aunt Qinyang took Ling Ling out while Zhao Yu Rong carried Chang out. The kids awoke as they were carried roughly while their grandaunt and granduncle tried to take them to the panic room.

Unfortunately, terrorists were already at random places in the manor. Qinyang, as a member of the Xue family, was already trained to defend herself, so guns were fired in succession, taking the terrorists' lives as quickly as breathing. Zhao Yu Rong had followed under her father's footsteps and was a captain of the special forces that specialize in infiltration, so he was just as proficient if not better than Aunt Qinyang.

But two people, no matter how trained they were, when surrounded by enemies and have two important children to protect is no match. Zhao Yu Rong and Zhao Qinyang had tried to gain for time. It took only thirty minutes from the city to the Manor, thirty minutes was all they needed.

Unfortunately for them, The Fool has already taken this into consideration. It only took a second for The Fool to kill one of them.

"Qinyang, watch out!" Zhao Yu Rong used his body to cover his wife from the bullet that was coming straight to her head. Having nothing else to use for cover, Zhao Yu Rong had no choice but to sacrifice himself. Before he fell, Zhao Yu Rong turned to the terrorist and fired all his bullets to kill as many as he could.

"No!" Aunt Qinyang's shout was louder than any banshee.

"No!" The two children hurried to the back of their aunt, taking cover as their aunt went wild with shouting every person she could find. The children had tears in their eyes as they watch the red liquid pooled around their granduncle's body.

"NOOOO!" Aunt Qinyang fired her gun as fast as she could.

"Take the kids to safety..." Zhao Yu Rong muttered to his wife with his last breath.

"I can't leave you here!" Aunt Qinyang shouted, her hands firing bullets and loading them like a machine while her eyes blurred by the tears.

Suddenly, the kids' eyes grew fearful as their grandaunt Qinyang was shot right at her heart, causing their precious grandaunt to fall forward and into their granduncle's cold arms. On the other side, Chen Zhong prayed to all Gods he knew that his shoot missed Zhao Qinyang's heart. Chen Zhong knew there was still a chance for them to be saved, as long as Zhao Yang and his friends responded fast.

Without any protectors left, Chang and Ling Ling were kidnapped easily. Amid all the chaos, Ling Ling clutched the teddy bear that her parents gave her. She was thankful that Aunt Qinyang had taken her without thinking of the bear as an obstruction because it was where Ling Ling hid all the devices that she received from Uncle Chang Min. It was the only hope she and her older brother had.