Chapter 87: Eldest Sister-in-law Ning Jingzhe

Xiao Cheng glanced at his phone, frowning. The battery life of Android phones these days was truly disappointing—barely a few days had passed and it was already dead. Still, it didn’t really matter. What his sister-in-law just said was clear enough: the old man had actually mobilized Scarlet Security to hunt him down, sparing no effort or expense.

Xiao Cheng couldn’t understand why the old man had suddenly gone mad like this. It made no sense. Could it be because the old man found out about the jade aloe he uprooted last night? Xiao Cheng shook his head; he had been meticulous—there was no way the old man could know. Nor could it be because he had badly injured Wang Qiyi; Wang Qiyi would never reveal that to the old man.

Unable to figure it out, Xiao Cheng stopped thinking about it. The truth was simple: the old man was determined to catch him.

He felt a faint sadness, as if the tree wished for peace, but the wind wouldn’t stop. He had always hated trouble. If his sister-in-law really followed the old man’s instructions and mobilized all of Scarlet Security, it wouldn't be easy to evade them.

It seemed he would have to visit her residence and talk things through to resolve this matter.

With this in mind, Xiao Cheng wasted no time at school. He went straight to the faculty office, processed his leave of absence, and hastily ended his university life.

What surprised him most was that his advisor, who had always hoped he would be expelled, now tried desperately to retain him—almost to the point of begging on his knees. Xiao Cheng found it odd; his advisor should have been happy at his departure, not so adamant about keeping him.

When he finally asked why, he learned that the advisor had been threatened by a criminal gang: if he couldn’t keep Xiao Cheng in school, they’d kill his entire family...

Xiao Cheng was stunned, then immediately thought of a familiar person. The only one who would do such a thing for him was Zhuo Qinglian. Xiao Cheng smiled to himself, thinking Qinglian truly was a thoughtful and extraordinary woman. He comforted the advisor and promised to resolve the matter, which finally put the man at ease.

Shu Fu, who often got into trouble, didn’t dare enter the faculty office with Xiao Cheng. When Xiao Cheng came out, Shu Fu learned he was leaving school.

Having grown up misbehaving together, their bond was deep. Upon hearing Xiao Cheng was leaving, Shu Fu cried out in anguish.

He wept so dramatically it might have seemed like a farewell before death, but Xiao Cheng noticed there wasn’t a single tear at the corner of his eyes. Xiao Cheng laughed, kicked Shu Fu, and joked, “Now that I’m gone, all the girls on campus are yours. Why cry? You should be happy!”

Shu Fu wouldn’t let himself be fooled. Just half an hour earlier, Xiao Cheng had toppled Chu Feiyu, the campus queen. If Xiao Cheng left, Chu Feiyu would surely come after him, and it would take more than a few tricks to deal with her.

Xiao Cheng understood Shu Fu’s concerns, but thought them unnecessary. Chu Feiyu was domineering, but wouldn’t vent her anger on others.

He explained his reasoning to Shu Fu, who finally let him go, albeit half convinced.

———

Leaving the university, Xiao Cheng felt a strange emptiness. Saying goodbye to campus life gave him an unexpected sense of loss.

He drove straight to his sister-in-law’s residence.

Ning Jingzhe didn’t live in the city but stayed in an abandoned factory on the outskirts.

Her choice of residence spoke volumes about her character. Unlike Fang Yujia, she was bold and free-spirited, disliking constraint and preferring wide-open spaces. Born into a military family, she had always loved weaponry, which was inconvenient in the city.

Xiao Cheng parked outside the factory and heard sharp gunshots from within.

The place was an empty brick factory, open and exposed except for a low building and a tall wall. There were no other obstacles.

He pushed open the iron gate. The factory, long untended, was overgrown with wild grass and utterly chaotic.

Ning Jingzhe was crouched low, holding a Barrett M99 sniper rifle, performing various tactical maneuvers—sometimes popping up to fire, hitting the vital points of every human-shaped target with uncanny precision.

To wield a one-point-three-meter-long Barrett as if it were a submachine gun—only a weapons expert like Ning Jingzhe could manage that.

She'd been immersed in military life since childhood; her family had never raised her as a delicate girl, and her combat skills were formidable. Otherwise, how could she, a woman, become the head of Scarlet Security and command such unruly mercenaries?

She paid no mind to Xiao Cheng’s arrival, still absorbed in her tactical exercises. He wasn’t disappointed—she had always been like this: obsessed with the military, hard to interrupt once engaged.

About half an hour later, Ning Jingzhe finally stopped and walked over to Xiao Cheng.

She wore a simple outfit: a black, tight-fitting corset on her upper body, leather shorts below, and sturdy combat boots. Her look was wild and untamed.

Her figure was excellent, and the outfit accentuated her curves. The corset, made of soft material, outlined her elegant bust, and a careful glance revealed alluring contours along the sides. For ease of movement, her shorts were extremely short, ending at the tops of her thighs, exposing her long, beautiful legs without inhibition.

Xiao Cheng knew what kind of person she was—her attire always casual and practical, never considering herself a typical woman, so this seemed perfectly normal.

Ning Jingzhe approached, holding the Barrett M99 in her right hand, and smiled at Xiao Cheng. After her exertions, she was breathing heavily, her impressive chest rising and falling with each breath.

———

She wasted no time with pleasantries and immediately mocked him, “What’s this? No more struggling? Planning to turn yourself in?”

Xiao Cheng didn’t respond to that. He wasn’t here to surrender. If caught by the old man, trouble would surely follow.

He asked, “Jingzhe, what’s made the old man so determined to capture me?”

“They say you stole his most precious treasure,” Ning Jingzhe replied, watching Xiao Cheng’s expression closely.

Though Wang Qiyi had told her this, she had her doubts. Xiao Cheng was a troublemaker, but daring to steal from the old man was another matter entirely.

His sister-in-law’s words puzzled Xiao Cheng; he couldn’t understand how the old man knew the jade aloe was taken by him.

“Is there really no room for negotiation?” Xiao Cheng pressed, ignoring her question and continuing. He wasn’t afraid of being hunted, but didn’t want this to ruin his relationship with her.

Ning Jingzhe had expected him to react at least somewhat to her accusation, but Xiao Cheng remained calm, leaving her uncertain—had he stolen it or not?

“Negotiation? The old man has issued a death order. Even as head, I have no choice but to follow his instructions.”

———

[At the start of the month, rolling on the floor and begging for votes!]