Chapter 9: The Vampire

After Qin Ling gave her home address to Li Ping and hung up the phone, she sighed and turned toward the window. The wind had grown wild without her realizing it.

Half an hour later, the doorbell rang. Qin Ling leaned on the sofa, watching television to ease the fear gnawing at her heart. The sudden sound startled her. She couldn't shake the feeling that something nearby was watching her. Afraid that the people she’d encountered at the hotel might come after her again, she had asked Li Ping to help.

Opening the door, she saw several people outside. At the front stood Li Ping and his sister, but when she glanced at the last two, confusion flickered across her face.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Qin Ling was displeased at the sight of Du Bin but tried to act natural.

Li Ping quickly explained, "Miss Qin, since you've both met the girl, I brought him along to help us gather more information."

Qin Ling had no reason to refuse and let the four inside. Li Ping took something from his backpack, which he said was an electromagnetic wave detector. At that moment, Hu Guozheng started bragging again as Li Ping switched on the device, the screen emitting a steady beeping.

"Miss Qin, do you sense anything?" Li Ping asked, hearing the detector suddenly speed up.

"Calling me Miss Qin feels too formal. You can just call me Lingling. Honestly, lately I've felt like those people are always watching me—maybe it's just as that girl said." Qin Ling shivered, fear still lingering in her body.

Li Ping listened silently. Hu Guozheng, ever the jester, piped up, "Who cares what it is? With the police here, you're safe. I might be a big guy, but I've got plenty of strength."

While Hu Guozheng played the clown to lighten the mood, Du Bin felt the atmosphere wasn't quite right. He stepped out to the back garden, lit a cigarette, and as he smoked, a chilling female voice suddenly sounded behind him: "Pervert, what are you doing?"

Startled, Du Bin nearly dropped his cigarette. Turning, he saw it was Li Ning and grumbled, "So it's you, girl. Why scare people like that?"

"I just can't stand perverts, so I scare you," she retorted.

"My name's Du Bin, not Pervert. Stop calling me that, little sister," Du Bin said irritably, knowing Li Ning’s temper was volatile and willful. He spoke cautiously, wary of provoking her further.

Remembering how Du Bin had taken liberties when he rescued her, Li Ning snorted, "You are a pervert."

"Can we have a pleasant conversation?" Du Bin sighed, then deliberately changed the subject. "By the way, I don’t know who you’re dealing with, but could you tell me what sort of people they are?"

"No comment," Li Ning scoffed, sitting on the grass. She didn’t want to say, but since he had been involved and given her brother’s connection, she answered honestly, "According to research reports, they're people who've been modified."

"Modified?" Du Bin was astonished.

"Yes, though they seem no different from ordinary people, their physical abilities are ten times greater. Facing such dangerous individuals, you'd best leave. Knowing too much does you no good."

Du Bin showed surprise outwardly, but a sense of danger had begun to creep into his heart. Was that mysterious girl one of them? Her speed was extraordinary. Questions stirred, urging him to dig deeper.

Suddenly, a loud crash erupted from inside the villa, followed by a hail of gunfire. Fortunately, this was a suburban villa—otherwise, such commotion would have alerted many.

"What’s happening?"

Without answering, Li Ning rushed toward the villa entrance, Du Bin following curiously. Inside, chaos reigned. Li Ping was firing his gun at several intruders who had appeared suddenly, while Hu Guozheng was leading Qin Ling upstairs.

"How did they get in?" Li Ning, wielding dual pistols, fired continuously. No matter how many bullets struck vital points, none of the attackers fell—instead, they grew more savage, advancing toward the upper floor.

"Idiot, behind you!" She saw a shadow appear behind Du Bin, who stood by the door, and shouted a warning.

Du Bin reacted instantly, darting inside. Overwhelmed by enemies, the two were forced back into the kitchen. "Bullets can't kill them—no matter how much we shoot, it's useless."

"Is that so? Watch closely," Li Ning swapped out her empty magazine for a new one, her lips curling in a mysterious smile.

Reloaded, Li Ning fired again. This time, blue flames shot from the muzzle. Du Bin watched in amazement as several intruders who charged in collapsed, but what stunned him most was that each fallen body began to swell, finally bursting into mangled, bloody remains.

"What’s happening?"

"This is just how it is," Li Ning replied, stepping out of the kitchen, efficiently dispatching the remaining enemies on the first floor.

Upstairs, Li Ping eliminated several attackers and then regrouped. Qin Ling looked at the devastated villa, mourning the heavy losses, but was comforted that life mattered more than anything.

Before they could catch their breath, a voice echoed from outside: "Ha ha ha, I never expected the ones I was waiting for wouldn't come, but a bunch of clowns would show up instead. And someone actually managed to defeat my modified men. How interesting."

No sooner had he finished than a small, skinny figure entered through the front door, dressed in eccentric fashion and exuding a sleazy air.

"It's him," Du Bin remembered—the man who had hunted him at the Binxing Hotel. His name was Xiang.

He stepped forward, his sharp gaze sweeping over everyone before finally locking onto Qin Ling. "You’d better come with me quietly, or your friends may lose their lives."

"Who are you people? Why are you after me? Who did I offend?" Qin Ling shrank behind the others, terrified under his gaze.

"You haven't offended anyone. I just want to use your name to lure someone out."

"Who are you trying to lure out?" Qin Ling was on the verge of tears.

"Enough talk—grab something and attack!" Unable to contain himself, Hu Guozheng picked up a chair and hurled it at Xiang.

Xiang dismissed it with a flick of his hand. The chair shattered with a loud crack, stunning everyone.

"Du Bin, take Qin Ling and escape through the back door. We'll cover you," Li Ping said, raising his gun to fire.

"What about you?"

"We've got our own escape plan. Go!"

Du Bin and Hu Guozheng led Qin Ling out, while Xiang shook his head, sighing, "I was going to let you go, but alas..."

With a wave of Xiang's hand, more modified men appeared behind him, increasing the pressure on Li Ping and his sister as they covered the escape. Xiang ignored them, turning to pursue Du Bin.

The three raced out to Qin Ling's car and piled in without hesitation, Hu Guozheng taking the wheel.

"Think you can leave so easily?" Xiang moved unhurriedly, but his aura was terrifying. When they caught sight of his teeth—two sharp fangs barely visible—the three were stunned.

Du Bin snapped out of it. "Quick, start the car!"