Chapter 23 Part 3

Shen Bei looked at the bloodstains all over the room and said, “Being a war correspondent is no job for a human. It's too dangerous. On my very first day, I almost got blown up. Luckily Ah Zan was there just now to protect me.”

As if she hadn't heard, Song Ran bent down, stuffed her equipment into her bag, and walked out without a word.

Lined up neatly by the road was a pile of children. Under the white cloths, the outlines of their small bodies were visible. A young Government Army soldier sat by the roadside, covering his eyes, his shoulders shaking as he cried.

Shen Bei immediately went over to photograph the scene.

Song Ran had no reaction. She stood by the road with a vacant expression, staring at the bloody street, not knowing where to go or what to do.

A group of soldiers was clearing the bodies, rescuing the injured, and evacuating the survivors.

Just then, a cry came from one of the houses. A group of Government Army soldiers quickly backed away. A few seconds later, a woman with tears streaming down her face slowly walked out.

The soldiers raised their guns and shouted at her, “Get back!”

The woman held up her hands, crying out, “Save me!”

Her body was strapped with bombs.

Although she was a civilian, the soldiers remained vigilant, aiming their guns at her from ten meters away, yelling, “Get back! Back away first!”

The woman cried, “Save me! Save me!”

She stopped by the road, trembling all over, her face a picture of misery. Only then did everyone see clearly—she was a pregnant woman!

Monsters! A few soldiers started cursing, cursing that son-of-a-bitch Extremist Organization.

A squad leader from the Government Army came over to consult with the peacekeeping team. After discussing it, Benjamin, Li Zan, and the others decided to go over and take a look.

Li Zan put on his helmet, donned a thick protective suit, and walked towards the woman carrying a toolbox.

Song Ran sniffled, wiped her eyes with her sleeve, and forced herself to adjust her camera.

Just as Li Zan reached her, the poor woman, overcome with terror, felt her legs go limp, and she knelt down with a “thud.”

Li Zan squatted down and asked, “Can you speak English?”

“A little.” The pregnant woman was already losing her strength.

“Cooperate with me,” Li Zan said. “Raise your arms.”

The woman tremblingly raised her hands.

Li Zan performed a preliminary check. Her body was strapped with rows of detonator bombs, and the detonator showed ten minutes remaining.

“Who strapped this to you?”

“The group of terrorists who just rushed into my house strapped it on me. They also killed my husband and children.”

Li Zan was untangling a wire on her shoulder. He paused for a second upon hearing this and slowly raised his eyes to look at her. The woman had a typical Dongguo face: brown skin, coarse black hair, a high brow bone, and deep-set eyes.

Li Zan watched quietly.

The midday sun caused beads of sweat to form on one's brow.

The woman's expression stiffened slightly. “What's wrong?” she asked.

Li Zan smiled. “Nothing.”

He lowered his gaze, his eyes shifting slightly to glance at the woman's right hand. He saw a thin callus on her palm near her thumb—caused by using a gun.

In the small space between them, it was deathly quiet.

The soldiers around them were still clearing the scene, shouting various things. They weren't paying attention to the situation here.

Li Zan looked down, continuing to dismantle the wires on her chest, his peripheral vision glancing at the button on the detonator.

And she was observing him as well.

Suddenly, the woman's hand dropped, reaching for the detonator. In that same instant, Li Zan pulled a pistol from his trouser leg, aimed at her head, and fired with a “Bang!”

The woman's eyes widened in astonishment, her head bursting with blood. Her finger, which had landed on the detonator, ultimately didn't press down.

Her eyes remained wide open in death as she slowly fell backward.

“What happened?” The surrounding soldiers all ran over.

Li Zan holstered his gun and stood up, only to see that the moment the woman hit the ground, the detonator was triggered. The countdown changed to 5 seconds.

He immediately turned and roared, “Go!”

The well-trained soldiers instantly ran back.

Song Ran, who had followed the soldiers forward, saw this scene and froze on the spot, unable to react. All she saw was everyone scattering and fleeing like fireworks. And Li Zan was charging towards her.

Behind her, Shen Bei shouted, “Ah Zan!”

Song Ran understood the bomb was about to go off. A chill ran through her. She wanted to run but couldn't move her feet, as if her thoughts had become tangled in that moment.

And Li Zan brushed past her, diving towards what was behind her.

That second seemed to stretch on for an eternity. She could even feel the gust of wind he created as he rushed past her, a wind that left her heart both sad and cold.

And yet that second was so short, leaving no time for any action. In an instant, the human bomb exploded.

A powerful shockwave hit Song Ran head-on like an invisible wall, carrying sharp bomb fragments that pierced into her.

She felt as if all her internal organs had been shattered. Her eyes hurt as if a sharp object had entered them, making her want to scream, but she didn't. She fell straight back, the back of her head hitting the ground, and instantly lost consciousness.

Author's Note: The candy incident in this chapter is adapted from a real-world event.

The lure was potato chips.

68.