Chapter 33 - Mysterious Jade

Lin Yi made sure Xiaobo was out of sight before making his way to where the car was. Li Fu had waited for him, as expected.

The car only started moving after Lin Yi got on. Yushu and Mengyao at the back were quieter than usual, and Lin Yi wasn't sure if it was the washroom or rooftop scene that caused it. Mengyao wasn't complaining about Lin Yi, as well, much to his surprise.

"Uncle Fu, stop at that bank over there, Shu and I need to get ourselves a bank card." Mengyao ordered.

Mengyao's words reminded Lin Yi that he was supposed to get a bank card as well; all students were, as requested by the school, explaining it as a necessity for them to extract the miscellaneous school fees from.

Li Fu only nodded in response, not asking any questions at all. The car parked near the bank Mengyao mentioned, not going too close since traffic was bad at this hour, especially around twenty-four hour banks like this one.

Lin Yi got off the car with the two girls as well. His actions prompted a frown from Mengyao. "Why are you getting off too?"

"I'm a your cla.s.smate now, remember?" Lin Yi smiled.

Mengyao blinked, recalling the fact that Lin Yi was a member of the school now- he needed a bank card as well. With that, she pulled Yushu into the bank, not saying anything else.

The jade Lin Yi wore around his neck suddenly reacted as Lin Yi stepped inside, and Lin Yi froze. The jade was from the box he found back in the cave, and Lin Yi had never managed to figure out what it was supposed to be.

Yet the jade always offered a slight reaction whenever something big was about to happen, as if sending Lin Yi himself a warning. He never understood what the jade was trying to convey to him, but it was for certain that things happened whenever the jade reacted.

Like that one time, back in North Africa- he was in charge of protecting someone, and the both of them were heavily surrounded by enemies. The jade's warnings, however, allowed Lin Yi to avoid every attack the enemy used against them, resulting in their escape.

The jade signalled for good things, as well, like when it reacted as he bought a lottery ticket for the old man. It was a winning ticket, and he received twenty kuai for the prize.

As a result, Lin Yi went on full alert whenever the jade reacted.

Mengyao and Yushu took their numbers before sitting down to wait, and Lin Yi did the same.

He decided to sit beside Yushu, recognizing the hostility that Mengyao still seemed to have towards him. He didn't want to give the Miss a reason to yell at him, after all.

Yushu, on the other hand, glanced at Lin Yi as he sat down beside her, the edge of her lips raising into a subtle smile.

Lin Yi was on complete alert, looking around as he waited for his number- the jade had yet to let him down, and he was certain that something would happen this time around as well.

His gaze then dropped on a black SUV parked outside the bank…

"We need to go!" Lin Yi stood up with a jerk, exclaiming abruptly at the two girls as he grabbed Yushu's hand.

"W-what are you doing..!" Yushu stared at Lin Yi, stunned and blus.h.i.+ng. She'd never held hands with a boy her whole life, except for her brother's!! She could only stand there blankly as Lin Yi held on to her hand, unsure of the appropriate reaction she should take.

"We need to leave, now! No time to explain!" Lin Yi started to panic, and was about to pull Yushu up when a smack interrupted him.

Mengyao's hand had slapped itself on Lin Yi's, smacking it away. Though, it was Lin Yi who let go of Yushu himself, in actuality. There was no way Mengyao could just smack Lin Yi's hand away like that.

"Lin Yi, what do you think you're doing? Trying to have your way with Shu??" Mengyao said as she glared at Lin Yi, her eyes burning with anger.

"I..!" Lin Yi sighed as he took another look outside the window. "We don't have time! You guys need to get out of here with me, now!"

Have my way with her? Have my way with her my a.s.s!

"Hmph! Why should we?? Are you crazy, who do you think you are? Just go yourself if you're in such a hurry- us two actually have business here!!"

Yushu was perplexed by Lin Yi's sudden change of behaviour, as well- the guy was so calm earlier.

"We'll talk about this after we get out!" Lin Yi didn't bother explaining anymore. With that, he grabbed both Mengyao and Yushu's arm.

"Let go of me!" Mengyao was losing her mind as she squirmed around with all her might. The guy wasn't satisfied even after molesting Yushu- he had to lay his demon hands on her, as well!!!

"Yao Yao, we'll find out what's going on after we follow him out!" Yushu was a little more understanding than Mengyao, having recovered from the shock earlier. Lin Yi had an expression of genuine panic on his face, not a lecherous one.

Yushu knew Lin Yi a little better than Mengyao did, and she understood that it simply didn't make sense for him to just rough it out with them so abruptly, and in a public bank, no less! There was an entire night of just the three of them alone under a roof- there was a luxury of time for him to have his way with them, should he actually wish to!

Mengyao wasn't expecting the words from Yushu. She stared at her dumbfounded, not understanding why she was on Lin Yi's side all of a sudden.

Lin Yi sighed. There was no time! A couple of guys in black jackets were already pus.h.i.+ng open the doors to the bank!

A gunshot sounded, and the orderly scene of the bank went into chaos. People were screaming, kids were crying, and the alarm was ringing.

"Freeze! I'll kill anyone who moves!" A bald man with a black mask barked, seemingly the leader of the group.

Lin Yi exhaled slowly- he had wasted too much time with Yushu and Mengyao, and the window for escape had disappeared. They wouldn't be able to get away anymore.

Yet Lin Yi knew better than to blame the girls. After all, there was no way they'd sense the danger beforehand the way he did- their reactions to his behavior were nothing less of normal...

Chapter 34 - Bank Robbery

Lin Yi was not a hero.

He preferred to lay low, and he understood with a clear mind the things he should, and should not, do. It was the same in North Africa, as well- he always remembered the duty a.s.signed to him: He was tasked with guarding the interview team, not charge around in heroic glory.

Lin Yi's current mindset, as a result, placed the safety of Chu Mengyao and Chen Yushu at the utmost priority. The task of apprehending the bank robbers, on the other hand, was not something he'd planned to get involved with.

It was also evident that the girls had no experience whatsoever with situations like this- they simply stood there paralyzed, not knowing what to do.

"Everyone listen up! Hold your heads and crouch on the floor, and I guarantee that no one will get hurt. You move, you die!!!" Baldy fired another shot at the ceiling, and the bank went from chaos back into order once more.

The children forgot to cry, and the adults forgot to scream. Everyone crouched on their own accord, quietly and steadily; it was their only means of surviving in face of armed criminals.

Yet it was not to say that these succ.u.mbing people had no sense of justice… Anyone who stepped forward would pay the price of life- that's all there is to it.

Baldy's group was already charging at the counter when he fired his second shot. They broke the gla.s.s with hammers and started pointing their guns at the staff. They were then ordered to fill up the sacks with money.

"Hurry the f.u.c.k up!" One of the robbers barked, impatient. "I'll blow your head open if you waste any more time!"

"Y-yes…" The man's hands trembled, not taking well to the robber's threat. The cash he was holding, as a result, slipped out of his hands and fell onto the floor.

"Motherf.u.c.ker!!! You trying to stall for time?!" The robber yelled with a glare, firing a bullet at the man's arm. The cas.h.i.+er screamed in agony as he squeezed at his wound.

The two gunshots earlier were aimed at the ceiling, and had served to put the crowd down in fear. This new shot, however, was aimed at a person! It led to both staff and customer covered their mouths as the fear for the robbers grew- none of them dared to move at all.

Baldy, on the other hand, swept his gaze across the cowering victims, pleased with his lackey's move.

"Yao Yao… I'm scared…" Yushu paled as she gripped onto Mengyao's arm tightly, her loud and playful personality suppressed by the tension.

"It's okay, it's okay…... I'll protect you Shu." Mengyao was terrified herself, but Yushu was a whole year younger than her- she had to be the one to comfort her!

"Stop comforting each other. I'll protect you both" Lin Yi said dully.

Lin Yi wasn't sure if he could capture the robbers alive, but guarding the two girls from harm was well within his capabilities.

Mengyao was about to fire some insults at Lin Yi on reflex, but she managed to stop herself upon seeing Lin Yi's determined eyes.

The group of robbers were just about to leave the bank with their sacks of cash when police sirens started wailing outside.

The customers in the bank frowned upon hearing the sirens- it was oftentimes a plus for the police to show up, but the robbers had nowhere to run now- it was only natural for them to do something to the victims, in order to guarantee their own safety!

No one wanted to be taken hostage. Most people were selfish- it didn't concern them how much money the bank lost- what mattered was the safety of their own selves.

"You have been surrounded! Put down your weapons immediately! Surrendering is your only option!" A megaphone sounded from outside the building.

The baldy snorted upon hearing the megaphone. He turned to one of his followers. "Go tell them not to do anything stupid, else I'll start butchering these pigs!"

The lackey nodded, running to the doors before yelling at the police outside. "Shut up! Keep barking and our boss will start killing!"

The police went silent immediately- they wanted to recover the bank's losses if possible, but there were the victims inside the bank to consider as well.

Song Lingshan, the vice captain of the criminal police team, had taken charge under orders of the police department's director. Yang Huaijun, the absent captain, was attending a meeting outland, forcing the director to contact Lingshan directly, implying to her that Chu Pengzhan's daughter was in the bank along with Elder Chen's daughter as well. The task stressed her heavily- failure was not an option!

Even the officialdoms overseeing the director would be in trouble should something happen to Chen Yushu- the entirety of the organization would shake!

As a result, Song Lingshan ordered the officer handling the megaphone to stand down upon hearing the robber's threat- she couldn't afford to enrage them.

Badly was very much pleased at the cooperation and silence. He then walked about the room, gun in hand, and many of the customers understood- one of them was about to become a hostage.

Many of the victims then lowered their head a little further, dreading what was about to come- the last thing they wanted was to get picked by criminals as ruthless as these. There was no telling what would happen to them once chosen as a hostage.

Baldy took his time as he eyed everyone with a smile. His gaze then landed on Mengyao, who was crouching right beside Lin Yi.

"You! Stand up!" Baldy was already in front of Mengyao, his gun pointed at her head.

Mengyao's heart stopped, and it was her turn to grip tightly on Yushu's hand. She raised her head at the baldy slowly.

"Hoooh? A pretty one, aren't 'cha!!" Baldy grinned l.u.s.tfully as he pointed his gun at Mengyao again. "Well? Get up!"

"I…….." Mengyao was nowhere near prepared to deal with a situation like this, and her heart was thumping as hard as it possibly could. She didn't know how she should go about this, but she forced herself to stay strong regardless. I can't cry! I can't cry!!!

Mengyao clenched her jaw, and slowly started getting up.

Yet a sudden pair of hands pushed her back down.