Chapter 125: Falling into the Trap

Gu Xiangnan’s eyes darkened. "Student Huang, what has happened?"

"Professor... Professor Gu, loan sharks are going to harvest my kidneys to pay off my debts! Please, save me!"

Huang Ying’s voice sounded panicked and hysterical. Beside her, a man’s voice chimed in:

"Hey, you’d better bring the money to ransom her, or else... our brothers here will have their way with her until she's broken. Then, we’ll sell off every part of her that has any value. You’ve got one hour to bring the cash. If you don’t have it, don’t blame us for being ruthless."

Gu Xiangnan said indifferently, "What the hell does that have to do with me? Go find her parents or friends; I’m just her teacher."

He was about to hang up when Huang Ying let out a piercing, gut-wrenching wail:

"Professor Gu, save me! I don’t have any parents left. No one but you can save me. Zi, Xiaoyin—please, save me!"

The sound was so wretched it tugged at the heartstrings. Recently, Huang Ying had often visited the hospital to keep Zhang Hongmei company. Zi Xiaoyin, who had originally wanted to avoid owing anyone favors, now felt a surge of pity, sensing a shared sorrow upon hearing that Huang Ying was also orphaned.

"Brother, it’s too dangerous, don’t go! But can’t you at least call the police to help her?" Zi Xiaoyin held his hand, stopping him from hanging up, and whispered in his ear.

Zhang Hongmei also couldn't bear it, adding, "Huang Ying is a good girl. Oh, the poor thing!"

She didn't say it outright, but she knew that if he went to save her, Gu Xiangnan would inevitably face danger. Yet, seeing Huang Ying kidnapped, she felt they could not just stand by.

Watching the conflicted expressions of the two women, Gu Xiangnan sighed. *Fine, I’ll help.* After all, who else but his sister and godmother could be so kind-hearted?

Gu Xiangnan’s expression hardened, and he began to negotiate with the kidnappers in a cold tone:

"How much money do you want?"

"Five million!"

"Fine, I agree. It just so happens I have that much on hand. I can bring it to you right now."

"Heh, heh... kid, don’t try any tricks."

"Do you want the money or not? If not, I’m not coming."

The man on the other end immediately agreed: "Fine. I’ll send you the location in a moment. Mind you, don’t play games! Remember, we need to see the money within an hour."

A minute later, the location arrived. It was on a desolate hill not far from the University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Gu Xiangnan went there empty-handed.

Inside an abandoned shack on the hill, there were five men. The chubby leader asked, "Will Gu Xiangnan actually come?"

"Hmph, he’ll definitely come!" replied Huang Ying, who sat on the shack’s only small wooden stool.

It was a trap. Huang Ying was working with these five so-called kidnappers. Her handlers had been pressuring her, demanding she find a way to kill Gu Xiangnan. As a woman, she couldn't do it alone—Gu Xiangnan was simply too powerful—so she had to lure him into a trap to kill him. The men here were hired guns. They weren't trained assassins; they were petty thugs who did anything for money. To make a big score, they had purchased weapons from abroad and officially started taking on contract killings.

"Miss Huang, someone’s coming. Take a look and see if it’s that Gu fellow," a thin man reported.

Huang Ying walked over to the monitor. It was indeed Gu Xiangnan, but he was coming alone and empty-handed. She had installed the surveillance cameras herself, lying to her classmates that she was hiking in the hills for exercise after school, when in reality, she was installing equipment to help the Fuso nation steal secrets from China.

Huang Ying frowned. He wasn't carrying anything; it seemed he didn't fully believe she had been kidnapped. *He must be incredibly confident to face this alone.* If the men she hired couldn't defeat him, wouldn't she be exposed?

Huang Ying’s eyes darted around. "Boys, tie me up and hang me from the rafters."

The men were taken aback. The leader asked, "Miss Huang, I don’t think that’s necessary! Once he gets here, he’ll be taken out by the sniper rifle. Why go through all that trouble?"

"Don't worry about it. Just do as I say!"

The men were just there for the money. They followed her instructions and bound her tightly. Huang Ying even insisted they tie her tighter.

Gu Xiangnan strolled up the hill, whistling a tune. The sniper poked his rifle barrel out the window, aiming outward. Since he wasn't at a high vantage point, he couldn't perform a long-range shot; he had to wait patiently for Gu Xiangnan to walk into his range.

Finally, at a distance of less than 200 meters, Gu Xiangnan appeared in the sniper’s scope. He sought Huang Ying’s opinion: "Miss Huang, can I take the shot now?"

"Yes, shoot!"

The sniper kept his eye on the scope. Gu Xiangnan was getting closer; just a few more steps and he would be in range. The sniper held his breath, his finger resting on the trigger.

Suddenly, Gu Xiangnan stopped. He stretched contentedly, then looked down and spotted a small purple wildflower at his feet. He bent down, plucked the flower, and sniffed it.

Inside the shack, everyone tensed. The sniper didn't even dare to blink. It was so close—just two more steps. *Just two more steps!*

As they hoped, Gu Xiangnan took a few more steps forward. The sniper prepared to squeeze the trigger.

Suddenly, Gu Xiangnan’s head was blocked by a large cluster of leaves. He had walked under a low-hanging tree. Perhaps wanting to enjoy the shade, he stood still.

The sniper was sweating profusely. *If he would just move a little to the side...* Sniping was all about the perfect shot. One would rather wait for the right moment than act when conditions were unfavorable, or all the previous work would be in vain.

The sniper kept his finger on the trigger, ready to act the moment Gu Xiangnan moved away from the obstruction. Gu Xiangnan shifted his body slightly. His head was fully exposed again.

The sniper was overjoyed, held his breath, aimed carefully, and prepared to strike. Then, in the scope, he saw Gu Xiangnan’s finger flick slightly.

The next second, his world went black.

*Thwack!*

A crisp sound.

"Ah!"

A miserable scream followed. The sniper clutched his eye and collapsed. The others were shocked and rushed over, only to see a large, bloody hole where the man's eye had been. He was already dead. On the floor lay a small, blood-stained pebble.

He had been killed by a mere pebble through the skull!

What was going on? Everyone was in chaos. No one suspected Gu Xiangnan was the cause. Only Huang Ying felt a chill in her heart. *It had to be him!* She had seen him stop a car with his bare hands before, but she never imagined he was this strong!

She made a split-second decision and shouted for help. "Help! Someone help me!"

The four men in the room froze. Why was Miss Huang screaming like that?

*BOOM!*

With a thunderous crash, the door was blown off its hinges.