Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 936: Fortune and Misfortune (3)

The assassin disguised as a waiter emptied the clip of his gun in a single burst, but to no avail—the bullets failed to hit their target.

The moment the gunshot rang out, Song Da roared. With incredible speed, he rushed forward, grabbed the assassin's wrist, and aimed it upward, causing the bullets to hit the ceiling instead. In one swift move, Song Da applied such force to the assassin’s wrist that he crushed the bones, causing the man to scream in agony.

With a quick kick, Song Da sent the assassin flying against the wall. As the man looked on in desperation, Song Da bent the gun in his hands and tossed it aside.

The assassin, now drenched in sweat from the pain, looked at Song Da as if facing a demon. He spat out curses in an unknown language, which didn’t sound friendly.

“It’s alright now,” Song Haoran said, releasing Song Ying. He had shielded her the moment the assassin drew his gun, tackling her to the ground with his back turned to the attacker.

When Song Da subdued the assassin, Song Haoran helped Song Ying to her feet. Her lips were slightly dry, but she remained calm—after all, she’d faced assassination attempts several times before.

Song Da stepped forward, dislocating the assassin’s shoulder, then grabbed his collar and lifted him. “Who sent you?” he demanded.

The assassin, glaring in pain, remained silent.

Song Ying frowned, recalling Song Haoran’s earlier words when the assassin had drawn a knife. “Uncle, did you come here deliberately to lure him out?”

“Of course! You didn’t really think I came to a place like this for entertainment, did you?” Song Haoran flicked her forehead. “And with Luo Qiu around? Seriously, what kind of people do you take us for?”Song Ying was speechless and glanced at Luo Qiu, who simply shook his head with a helpless smile.

She lowered her head, admitting defeat. “I’m sorry…”

Song Haoran sighed. “You really thought I was the type to chase after women here? Or that Luo Qiu is that kind of guy? If he were, Gan Hong would’ve been won over long ago.”

Song Ying couldn’t lift her head in response.

Her uncle continued, “Let’s be honest, even if I was that kind of guy, why wouldn’t I just find someone in my own town? Anyway, every woman here is a cheap imitation compared to what we can get back home!”

Song Ying’s face brightened as she seized a chance to retort, stomping on her uncle’s foot. “Enough, Uncle Jerk Haoran!”

Ignoring the pain, Song Haoran chuckled, then glanced at Luo Qiu, who reminded him, “Shouldn’t we deal with the assassin first?”

Song Da, unbothered, tossed the assassin to the ground. “Young Master, I don’t understand a word this guy is saying.”

Serious now, Song Haoran crouched down, grabbed the assassin by the collar, and spoke in a different language. The assassin, silent, glared at him defiantly.

“Let’s bring him back,” Song Haoran said. “I’ll get some answers from him later.”

“Understood.” Song Da nodded, knocking the assassin unconscious before slinging him over his shoulder.

“Who is this guy, and why did he come after you?” Song Ying asked. “Does he have anything to do with the people who sabotaged my car before? Are they targeting our family’s heirs?”

Song Haoran was about to answer when he suddenly sensed a threat and turned around. There was nothing unusual at the door, but a cold laugh suddenly echoed.

Bai Shuitang appeared in the doorway, terrified and with his hands raised. Standing behind him was Basil, pressing a gun to his back.

“Song Haoran,” Basil said darkly, “you’d better not make any sudden moves, or your friend here will go down with me.”

“Don’t worry about me!” Bai Shuitang yelled. “Kill him! This is the man responsible for your parents’ deaths, an enemy out for revenge!”

Song Ying bit her lip anxiously. Song Haoran, however, merely smirked. “Do you really think Bai Shuitang will make me surrender?”

Basil sneered. “You’re known for being honorable. Let’s see if you can really turn your back on him.”

Ignoring Song Ying’s protests, Song Haoran stepped closer to Bai Shuitang. “Brother Bai, don’t worry—I’ll avenge you.”

Bai Shuitang’s eyes widened, shocked by Song Haoran’s readiness to abandon him. “Young Master…”

Basil, seeing Song Haoran’s disregard, pressed the gun harder against Bai’s back. “Are you really so indifferent?”

Song Haoran finally sighed, raising his hands in surrender. “Fine, Basil. You win. What do you want?”

Basil smirked. “I want Song Tianyou here personally, and for this giant of yours to step back—he’s far too dangerous.”

Glancing at Song Da, who was seething with fury, Song Haoran nodded. “Song Da, do as he says.”

“But, Young Master…”

“Someone needs to inform Father of what’s happening.”

“Understood…” Song Da reluctantly agreed.

…

Two men shoved Luo Qiu and Song Ying into a walk-in freezer, likely a cold-storage unit for a meat business.

Forced at gunpoint, Song Ying glared furiously but complied. “Let go of me! I can walk on my own!”

She was still pushed to the ground and then shoved directly into the cold storage room—Luo Qiu seemed to have been given a slight push as well, but he didn’t fall. Instead, it was as if he’d been propelled forward, taking two steps straight into the storage room.

The man who nudged Luo Qiu seemed a bit surprised but didn’t think much of it. He promptly instructed his companion to shut the cold room’s door.

Song Ying got up from the ground, took a deep breath, feeling as if the cold was seeping into her very core. She shivered as the chill rushed through her body.

Without a word, Song Ying went to the cold room’s door, tried the handle with some force, and found it wouldn’t budge. Then she began feeling around the room’s walls.

“What are you looking for?” Luo Qiu asked curiously.

“Of course, I’m looking for a way out! Are you an idiot?” Song Ying snapped back, annoyed. “Do you even understand how dangerous this is? In a place like this, it won’t take long before we freeze to death!”

It was freezing. Song Ying had to exhale onto her hands for warmth, but her breath immediately turned to mist.

After one try, she gave up warming herself this way, frowned, and looked at Luo Qiu. “Aren’t you cold?”

“For now, I’m alright.” Luo Qiu mimicked her, tapping on the walls, but he could feel her gaze lingering on him. “Is there something on your mind?”

“I mean…” Song Ying looked at him, at a loss for words, then suddenly blurted, “Shouldn’t you be taking off your jacket and giving it to me right now?”

“If I take it off, I’d be shirtless, which isn’t ideal.” Luo Qiu shook his head. “And it wouldn’t help much anyway.”

He glanced at his own thin long-sleeve shirt.

“Do you really have a girlfriend?” Song Ying wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. To generate more body heat, she kept bouncing slightly.

“Yes, and I’ve even met her family,” Luo Qiu replied.

“God must be blind…” Song Ying muttered, squatting down to retain as much warmth as possible. “Right now, we can only hope my uncle and grandpa come for us… Song Haoran is such an idiot, always stirring up trouble!”

Song Ying and Luo Qiu were locked in the cold storage, while Song Haoran was dragged away by Basil, who had said he’d be “dealing with him properly.”

“He’ll be fine,” Luo Qiu said softly.

“How can you be so sure? That guy doesn’t look like a decent person at all.” By now, even Song Ying’s lips had begun to tremble.

Luo Qiu didn’t respond but suddenly began rummaging through items on the shelves. Soon, he took out a small cardboard box and brought it to Song Ying.

He opened it to reveal solidified, yellowish-white lumps.

“What’s this?”

“Butter,” Luo Qiu replied casually, scooping some out. “Eat some. It’ll give you a bit of energy. You’ll still feel cold, but at least you won’t pass out for a while.”

“Seriously…will this even work?” Song Ying hesitated.

“To be honest, I’m not sure. I read about it in a book. I’ve never actually tried it myself… It’s better than doing nothing. Even if someone’s coming to rescue you, you need to hold on until they arrive, right?”

“Fine…but you eat some first so I can see.”

“Alright, let’s give it a shot.” Luo Qiu took a small piece and put it in his mouth. Because it was so hard, he had to chew it.

“Does it work?” Song Ying asked curiously.

“If it does, I don’t feel it yet,” Luo Qiu shook his head. “It’s just the body generating and absorbing heat. Also, it doesn’t taste very good.”

Song Ying gritted her teeth and swallowed a small piece herself. Perhaps it was just psychological, but she did feel a slight improvement.

She blinked, noticing her eyelashes had frost forming on them.

Luo Qiu then sat beside her, leaving a small gap between them. Song Ying noticed that his body was also shivering slightly, and eventually, he wrapped his arms around himself.

They lost track of time, and it was unclear if the butter had any effect. Song Ying only knew her eyelids were getting heavy, and she felt as though she could fall asleep.

“Quick…ask me something…or I’ll fall asleep.”

“Ask what?”

“Anything…interests, hobbies, favorite foods…three sizes even…just ask!”

“If we make it out of here, what do you want to do first?” Luo Qiu thought for a moment.

“Sounds like pie in the sky… but okay,” she sighed. “I want a cup of hot water.”

“That’s all?”

“Isn’t water the source of life? What’s wrong with wanting a cup of hot water? I don’t lack for anything else.”

“True.” Luo Qiu nodded. She certainly seemed like someone who didn’t lack much.

“Alright, now I’ll ask you…” Song Ying swallowed another piece of butter. “If we really don’t make it out of here, who’s the one person you’d miss the most?”

Luo Qiu closed his eyes.

A powerful and mysterious force constantly protected him—a passive power, like a permanent shield granted by the club.

But since his first bite of butter, he’d intentionally turned off that shield. The cold of the storage room hit his nerves immediately.

Despite his mind being able to withstand the cold, his body still reacted faithfully.

In this desperate situation, who would you miss the most if you closed your eyes?

— "If you don’t want this child, I’ll take her! I’ll sell my car, my house, beg if I have to. I can raise her on my own without a penny from you, and I don’t care about my husband’s inheritance!"

It was still her.

That woman who, like a loser, often wouldn’t even bother bathing, secretly smoked, and lived each day haphazardly.

…

Suddenly, Luo Qiu felt something soft envelop him. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Song Ying had wrapped her arms around him.

Seeing him awake, she quickly said, “You scared me! I thought you fell asleep for good…feeling better now?”

Luo Qiu murmured softly, “Thank you.”