Chapter 56: A Single Gunshot

Zhang Jun's heart leaped into his throat in an instant.

He didn't dare look toward the position of the third sniper, fearing he would alert Jin Dalong.

Lu Honglin wore a stern expression, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the doorway outside.

The rain grew heavier, weaving a curtain of water and wind, carrying the chill of autumn.

Zhang Jun couldn't help but worry. As dusk fell and the streetlights cast a dim, yellowish glow, would this sheet-like downpour affect the sniper's precision?

Lu Honglin shouted loudly, "Jin Dalong, the car is right in front of you. Please release the hostage!"

Jin Dalong laughed grimly. "Do you take me for a fool? If I release her now, you'll arrest me immediately! I want her to escort me out!"

Zhang Jun thought bitterly: What a faithless scoundrel!

If Jin Dalong wanted to drive, he had to move around to the driver's side.

Pushing Shen Xue, he moved toward the driver's side, pulled open the rear door, shoved Shen Xue inside, and slammed the door shut with lightning speed.

Just as he attempted to slide into the driver's seat, a sharp gunshot rang out.

"Bang!"

A bullet pierced through the rain and the darkness, striking Jin Dalong's right shoulder.

Jin Dalong staggered, still trying to duck into the vehicle.

Several SWAT officers lunged forward, pinning him to the ground.

With his right shoulder injured and his right arm limp, the knife dropped from his grasp.

A SWAT officer pressed a knee into the back of Jin Dalong's neck, twisted his hands behind his back, and snapped on the handcuffs.

Blood mixed with rainwater, flowing in rivulets and staining the ground in front of the West Warm Pavilion Restaurant.

Time seemed to freeze at that exact moment!

Everyone's movements slowed down before Zhang Jun's eyes, like a slow-motion film.

He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Shen Xue!"

Then he sprinted toward her.

Shen Xue sat rigidly in the back seat of the car, clutching her neck, paralyzed with fear.

Zhang Jun pulled open the car door, cupped Shen Xue's face in his hands, and cried, "Shen Xue! Are you alright? Say something!"

With a sob, Shen Xue burst into tears. She flung open her arms and buried herself in Zhang Jun's embrace.

Everyone was busy with their own duties, and no one paid attention to the two of them.

Zhang Jun gently stroked Shen Xue's back.

Shen Xue shivered from extreme terror.

"Brother Zhang, I thought I was going to die and would never see you again!" Shen Xue finally spoke.

Seeing that she was unhurt, Zhang Jun felt a wave of relief wash over him and said in a low voice, "Don't move for a moment. I'll be right back."

He turned and ran to Ma Hong旗's car to report to his superior.

Ma Hongqi probably already knew what had happened. He nodded and said, "Little Zhang, I'm heading back first. You stay here and keep an eye on the situation."

Zhang Jun replied that he would.

Ma Hongqi waved his hand, and Driver Wu drove off.

Zhao Youjun's car followed closely behind and departed as well.

Zhang Jun returned to the scene.

Jin Dalong had already been loaded into a police vehicle.

The public security SWAT officers were cleaning up the aftermath and preparing to withdraw.

Waiters from the West Warm Pavilion ran out to wash the ground.

Zhang Jun took Shen Xue by the hand, led her out of the car, and said, "I'll take you to the hospital for a check-up."

"I haven't eaten yet," Shen Xue said with a pitiful expression.

"We won't eat now, we'll eat another day," Zhang Jun said. "Your neck cannot afford to have any issues."

"Brother Zhang, I'm fine," Shen Xue said, clutching his arm tightly with a slight quiver in her voice. "I was just scared out of my wits earlier."

"Does your neck hurt?"

"No, it doesn't. Let's go eat! I'm starving."

Zhang Jun agreed.

The interior of the West Warm Pavilion was in utter chaos, and they certainly had no time to host guests anytime soon.

Zhang Jun hailed a taxi and took Shen Xue to another restaurant for dinner.

He booked a private room and ordered four dishes and a soup.

Having been famished for a while, the two of them buried their heads and finished their meal.

In the new environment, Shen Xue finally calmed down and said,
"I waited for you for the longest time, but you never showed up. I texted you, but you didn't reply. When I called, your phone was turned off."

Zhang Jun pulled out his phone and explained, "Right before leaving work, this whole mess happened. I was with the boss the entire time, so my phone was off. Look."

Gazing at him with tender, affectionate eyes, Shen Xue said softly, "I was so terrified! What I feared wasn't death itself, but the thought that once I died, I would never see you again."

Her bright, expressive eyes flickered with an unusual desire.

Zhang Jun understood her heart, and a flutter of anxiety stirred within him.

At that inopportune moment, his phone rang.

Seeing that it was his wife calling, Zhang Jun answered.

"Hello, Zhang Jun, are—are you alright?" Liu Yujie's voice was trembling. "I just heard the news about the provincial crackdown on organized crime and the arrest of Jin Dalong's criminal syndicate. I heard it was presided over by Governor Ma? I tried calling you, but your phone wouldn't go through. I was worried sick! Say something! Did you go to the scene? Are you hurt?"

Zhang Jun could tell that his wife had been genuinely frantic with worry!

Regardless of the reasons behind it, Liu Yujie's concern for Zhang Jun was real.

"I'm fine," Zhang Jun said calmly. "I was at the scene the whole time and witnessed the entire arrest. I'll tell you all the details when I get back. I'm still busy right now."

"Okay, okay, as long as you're okay!" The sound of Liu Yujie patting her chest came through the phone. "I'll wait for you to come home. Please be very careful; I'm afraid they might still have remnants out there."

"I know. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Just as Zhang Jun hung up, his phone rang again.

Officials who had caught wind of the incident didn't dare approach Ma Hongqi for details, so they called Zhang Jun to probe for information.

Though deeply annoyed, he could not simply ignore the calls.

After answering, he would hastily offer a couple of lines: "The matter is true, but I'm busy right now. Talk later."

Such a response gave an impression of inscrutable mystery while implying that he was right by the leadership's side and inconveniently positioned to speak at length.

Finally, peace returned.

The romantic atmosphere the two had just managed to cultivate had long since vanished into thin air.

Zhang Jun glanced at his watch and said, "It's getting late. Shall I send you back to the station? Do you still have to work tonight?"

"Did you forget? I've been transferred to the 8 PM news broadcast slot. I'm off today," Shen Xue said, her voice as sweet and soft as cotton candy.

Zhang Jun nodded. "Then I'll take you home."

The two walked out of the restaurant.

Zhang Jun hailed a taxi at the entrance and escorted Shen Xue back.

This was his first time visiting Shen Xue's residence.

She lived in the residential buildings near the Broadcasting and Television Center.

Upon arrival at the gate, Shen Xue spoke briefly to the security guard, and the taxi glided silently inside, stopping right beneath her dormitory building.

Only then did the driver realize: "I knew you looked familiar! You're that news anchor, aren't you? You're so pretty—even more gorgeous than on television."

Shen Xue thanked him and whispered to Zhang Jun, "Accompany me upstairs."

Zhang Jun paid the taxi fare and accompanied her up to the dormitory building.

She used to live in a double room, but following her promotion, she had been allocated a 45-square-meter one-bedroom apartment complete with a kitchen, bathroom, and balcony.

The rooms were decorated warmly and romantically, kept impeccably clean. Just like Shen Xue herself, the space evoked an irresistible urge to draw closer.

Closing the front door behind them, Shen Xue said, "Have a seat for a moment while I take a shower. I can still smell the alcohol from that bad guy on me, and it feels awful."

A sudden wave of dry heat washed over Zhang Jun.

What on earth was she planning to do?