Crimson Instinct

Time: 7:02 AM. Seventeen hours and twenty-eight minutes left.

*Xin Lei*

Zhang Ning's complexion suddenly seemed much better now.  

"Oh, thank you so much!"

I had already told Bai Li that Zhang Ning liked him, so he must have figured out her intention, but he still agreed to stay.

Maybe he wanted to investigate more so…

I sighed.

On my side, Liao Huifang was still looking at Zhang Ning as if she was seriously concentrating on something.

Zhang Chao asked, "I know it's early for breakfast, but will you join us?"

We shrugged.

At the breakfast table, I helped put the food on Bai Li's plate and guided his hands towards the chopsticks.

Zhang asked, "You all seem tired."

I typed. "We couldn't get any sleep last night."

"Why not?"

Bai Li said, "Too many things happened. Zhang Chao. You must have heard about General Song's death, right?"

A look of concern and stress immediately formed on his face. He put his chopsticks down.

"Yes. I just got a call an hour back, informing me of his death. It is regrettable. His death has shocked me. He was an exemplary soldier. I had taken his help on so many occasions for protection and security, and he always had splendidly did his job. I cannot believe somebody can shoot him dead. I heard he sacrificed his life to save another soldier."

I raised my brow at his hypocrisy and inwardly snorted.

As if he cared about him.

"But, you know…" Bai Li slowly leaned in his direction, "I am not sure. These are just rumors. But I heard that he had some secrets. One of which was that he might have been using his influence to do illegal dealings with other countries. You know, he was the General and all stuff, so he had more access to the confidential data of the other countries."

Zhang Chao frowned. "Really?"

"Yes. I mean, they are just hearsay, but it is said that General Song was involved in what happened in Tianjin, too, in the background…"

"Is that so?"

"Where your daughter was there too."

"What!?"

Zhang Chao and Zhang Ning seemed startled, and they exchanged shocked glances.

"What do you mean? Of course, Zhang Ning was there! She was kidnapped by that bastard Yi Xing!" Zhang Chao seemed furious and fuming in anger.

"Dad, stop!" Zhang Ning shook her head.

I typed. "Ugh. Are you forgetting Zhang Xiulan? She was the masked woman in black?"

Then they blinked their eyes rapidly. "Oh...Xiulan…"

Bai Li asked, "Why do you sound so startled? Have you forgotten that you have two daughters?"

Zhang Chao awkwardly smiled. He shifted a little uncomfortably on his seat. "It's just that...after what happened years back and how Xiulan left abroad, it was only Ning with me all this time. I know I shouldn't, but...I feel a little distant from her. So, when you said my daughter, I naturally assumed it to be Ning…"

I raised my brow and quietly sipped my tea.

Zhang Chao said, "But wait. You say General Song was involved in what happened in Tianjin. So does that mean…" he gasped, "are you implying that General Song worked for her?"

"I am not implying anything. As I said, they are just rumors."

"Dad, do you think that it could be true? After all, if she could hide from us all this time, then…"

Zhang Chao nodded. "I didn't even know when she gathered so many influential connections by herself. Especially if anybody knew her condition…It was a nightmare after Qiuyue's death."

Bai Li spoke, "That reminds me. We checked her room."

"Ah, yes, the guard told me. I don't know why you felt the need to go there. Apart from some toys, that room has nothing."

"No reason. A room says a lot about one's personality. So, I just wanted to check it out. Is Zhang Xiulan a lefty?"

They nodded. "Yeah." Zhang Ning said, "Mom was a lefty too."

"And you?"

"I am a righty."

"I see."

"Why do you ask?"

He shrugged. "Just curious. It's intriguing to know how lefty people think. So, I am always interested to know about them if I come across anybody who is a lefty. Their ways of thinking and problem solving is quite fascinating."

"Well, yes. Xiulan is very smart. Even in kindergarten and school, she used to learn stuff faster than the others. I mean before Dad decided to home school her after she killed Mom…"

I typed. "She is quite an artist too."

Bai Li nodded. "We got her picture book in her room. From what Xin Lei and Liao Huifang said about her drawings, I think she would have turned into a fine artist in the future if she wanted."

Liao Huifang said, "Yes. Her drawings are simple but quite realistic. I am studying arts, and I can definitely say that."

I typed. "What will you do about Zhang Xiulan?"

Zhang Chao said, "Naturally, I have sent my guards to investigate…"

"But no lead until now," Bai Li finished his sentence.

His jaw seemed to tighten. "Just once I know who  that man is supporting her, then I can catch them in no time."

We finished our breakfast.

Zhang Ning said, "I will go for a shower. We have extra guestrooms. If you want, then you three can freshen up."

"No, thanks," Bai Li smiled.

I typed. "Make sure you don't get your head wet. Be gentle while washing your face."

She nodded.

We sat around for a while and decided that we would tell Zhang Ning that we were leaving after her bath got done.

We had to work on finding the base, and time was slipping like sand from our hands.

Twenty minutes later, we were in front of her room. Liao Huifang knocked.

"It's us."

"Coming."

The door opened a minute later, and Zhang Ning stepped out, wearing a new dress.

"Do you need anything?"

Bai Li said, "We have to leave. As you wished, we spent some time with you, but we really need to leave now."

Zhang Ning's expression turned a little dim. "Is that so… Sure. Thank you for accommodating my request."

"No problem."

My phone buzzed. It was bro's message. He was asking when we would be back.

I typed my message, but I couldn't send it. I checked and found that there was no signal bar.

I typed. "Is there no signal here?"

"Oh, yes. The network in this part is a little weak. We have called the carpenters to work on the walls to solve that problem. The walls have gotten old now. You can go outside to get your network back."

I typed. "Bai Li. It's bro's message. I will be back in a minute."

He nodded.

I walked down the stairs and a bit farther in the hall, but there was still no signal. I sighed and went all the way outside and finally sent my reply.

I just stepped back in the house at the entrance, and my glance casually fell on them above, standing in the corridor and talking.

Then I stopped.

Wait. Something didn't feel right.

I blinked my eyes. I took a step back and raised my head to look up at the corridor again.

I felt as if I noticed something that I had seen somewhere before.

What was it?

I saw them again. Bai Li, Liao Huifang, and Zhang Ning standing a floor above me.

There was an image forming in my mind, but it was hazy and blurred. I couldn't figure it out. Something was on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't make it out what it was.

I kept staring at them over and over again until I finally found what was wrong.

Until I finally realized what I noticed.

And until I finally knew who was CrimsonInstinct - the boss.

Instinctively, I opened my mouth to call Bai Li. I didn't even remember that I couldn't talk.

But then, I felt a hand over my mouth, covering it.

I froze.

The grip tightened on my mouth, and I then I was sure that I was right.

I raised my foot to jab on his, but as if already seeing through it, he took his foot back. I struggled and tried to remove his hold over mine.

Suddenly, the man covered my nose with a cloth.

A faint smell invaded my nostrils. 

Fuck! Chloroform!

I did my best to hold my breath. Panicked, I looked up at Bai Li. I knew I had to make a sound, any sound to bring his attention here, but he had so tightly held my wrists and waist that I couldn't move at all.

The distance between the first-floor corridor and the entrance was quite wide, so even Liao Huifang's attention didn't divert here where a man was trying to kidnap me.

And someone didn't let it divert either.

My jaw tightened, and I was close to feeling suffocated. Holding breath was getting difficult.

The man pressed the cloth more, and I finally couldn't hold my breath any longer.

Everything was starting to spin in front of me. Bai Li's figure was getting more and more distant and blurry.

Bai Li…

Bai Li…

I tried to fight that dizziness with all my strength, but I felt getting more and more sucked into it.

For a moment, I felt as if I saw that Bai Li turned in my direction. But that man moved. He dragged me away, and then it was all black.