Chapter 233

Chapter 233 - I will be Responsible for You!

The icy barrel of the gun pressed against Gao Loong's head did nothing to unsettle him. “I am not a traitor.”

“All the brothers who made a break for it are dead, and you're the only survivor,” Captain Liu Zhongjun said, his eyes swirling with a mix of grief and fury. “Yet, you managed to make it back here in less than an hour. How did you pull that off?”

“I ran into reinforcements. Come with me and see for yourself...” Gao Loong understood the suspicion his words aroused, so he left it to the evidence to speak for itself.

“Go out with you and get killed?” The pressure of the gun against his head intensified slightly, betraying Liu Zhongjun's reluctance to aim at him, yet he felt compelled to do so.

“I'll lead the way. If it's a trap, I'll be the first to go down,” Gao Loong stated with composure. “Hiding here will only lead to certain death. Can't you trust me just this once? Who's brave enough to step up? Are you all so scared by this minor setback?”

Liu Zhongjun scrutinized him for a tense few seconds. “I'll go with you. The rest follow behind. At the first sign of trouble, we pull out immediately!”

“I should be the one to go.” The voice belonged to a woman, her camouflage attire lending her an air of striking boldness.

She was unarmed, with a medical kit strapped to her back, clearly the team's medic.

“No, with Dr. Qu here, the men have a greater chance of survival. I should be the one to go. If I can't bring everyone back, then I'm the one who deserves to die,” Liu Zhongjun countered immediately.

“You said it yourself: you brought us here, so you should be the one to lead us back,” Qu Moyao said with a smile. “Besides, I'm more skilled than you are. It doesn't mean I'll definitely die.”

Liu Zhongjun was clearly the team's leader, yet he offered no protest when Qu Moyao claimed superior skills. His agreement was genuine, a heartfelt acknowledgment of her words.

”But...”

“No ‘buts',” Qu Moyao cut him off decisively. “Gao Loong is right. We'll only meet our end if we stay hidden. I refuse to be the last one to die.”

While speaking, she suddenly produced a handgun and pressed it to Gao Loong's head, forcing him forward with each step.

Liu Zhongjun didn't intervene; he grasped her intentions.

She was a striking woman, surpassing any celebrity they had seen on television, but even those stars seemed lackluster compared to Qu Moyao.

Zhang Xiaolong was their lifesaver. It would be a grave injustice to repay his kindness with harm, let alone if they had accidentally killed him.

But Qu Moyao couldn't be blamed. As a martial artist, she was on high alert, her mind racing to make sense of the bizarre situation unfolding before her. When someone suddenly appeared, her instincts kicked in, perceiving a threat and causing her to react with an involuntary attack.

Zhang Xiaolong hadn't anticipated being shot at, especially at such close range. He couldn't completely evade the bullet in time.

Despite the brief delay, his quick reflexes kicked in. He sidestepped, and the bullet merely grazed his arm.

He then swiftly flicked his wrist, sending a stone whizzing through the air to strike Qu Moyao's hand, causing her pistol to clatter to the ground.

“Don't shoot, he's one of us!” Gao Loong rushed forward, relieved to see that Zhang Xiaolong had only suffered a minor scratch. “Dr. Qu, he's on our side. He's the one who dealt with those criminals.”

Liu Zhongjun and the rest were also taken aback. They were trying to grasp what had just occurred when Gao Loong revealed that the man before them was responsible for their victory.

They had thought that without external reinforcements, overcoming their adversaries would be impossible.

Yet, disbelief was no longer an option. The man's ability to dodge bullets and disarm Dr. Qu with a thrown stone was proof enough of his capabilities.

He hadn't expected gunfire from within the group; otherwise, even Qu Moyao's shot likely wouldn't have touched him.

“I'm terribly sorry, Dr. Qu didn't have time to react. Please accept my apologies on her behalf,” Liu Zhongjun hurried over. “I'm Liu Zhongjun, the team captain. Thank you for your timely intervention. May I ask how to address you?”

As he spoke, his gaze shifted to Gao Loong, who scratched his head, suddenly realizing he hadn't even asked for the other person's name.

“My name is Zhang Xiaolong. You're all true heroes. It's simply what I should do,” Zhang Xiaolong said with a serene smile, showing no signs of resentment.

“Dr. Qu...” Liu Zhongjun turned his head with a sense of resignation.

After accidentally injuring someone, the least one could do is offer a word of concern.

It was only then that Qu Moyao snapped out of her shock. She couldn't fathom how difficult it must have been to evade her shot from such a distance. Not only had he managed that, but he also disarmed her by shooting her handgun in a split second.

“I'm sorry... I...” Qu Moyao, looking at the man before her—both strange and familiar—felt a sudden surge of nervousness. “I'm a doctor. I... will take responsibility for you...”