Chapter 47 Sniper

Surrounded by a phalanx of bodyguards, An Xueyao strode out of the towering Sky Dome Building with a grand and imposing air, looking very much like a princess escorted by her royal guard.

Lin Chen followed closely behind them. Compared to the grim-faced and serious bodyguards flanking An Xueyao, he appeared rather lazy and casual.

It had to be said that An Xueyao was truly breathtaking.

Her eyebrows were as delicate as if drawn by a fine brush, and her limpid eyes, in particular, shimmered with rippling depths of clear light, radiating an indescribably captivating and moving charm.

Dressed in a minimalist long dress, she appeared ethereal and refined, reminiscent of a solitary orchid growing in a secluded valley.

The most alluring aspect about her, however, was her innate aura of aristocratic elegance. To any man, this aura possessed a fatal attraction, evoking the same fierce yearning that the majestic Himalayan range stirs within intrepid climbers, driving them to conquer its peaks.

Even though this place was home to a renowned entertainment empire teeming with countless stars, An Xueyao remained the most dazzling sight of all.

Blessed with peerless beauty and staggering wealth, such a woman was a rare sight indeed in this mortal world.

To take her as a wife would mean capturing both worldly domains and supreme beauty in a single stroke, bringing an instantly perfect and triumphant conclusion to one's life.

"You smelly pervert, hurry up! Why are you walking so slowly, as if you are just taking a stroll?" An Xueyao turned around, glaring with playful dissatisfaction at Lin Chen trailing behind her.

Lin Chen was momentarily speechless. How on earth had he suddenly become a "smelly pervert"? That nickname was hardly pleasant to the ear.

At the entrance of the Sky Dome Building, eight specially modified Audi sedans stood parked, their bodies fitted entirely with bulletproof glass.

An Xueyao stopped beside the car in the middle of the convoy, where a bodyguard had already opened the rear door for her.

"Lin Chen, you're riding in the back seat with me," An Xueyao commanded.

Hearing this, the surrounding group cast envious glances at Lin Chen.

An Xueyao had always detested having anyone share her vehicle, yet here she was, expressly inviting Lin Chen to sit beside her.

While seething with jealousy, the bodyguards also began to look at Lin Chen with a newfound sense of awe.

To be a bodyguard and carry oneself with such immense swagger—he was nothing short of an idol.

Without giving it too much thought, Lin Chen nodded and walked over toward An Xueyao.

Just as he reached the car, a sudden, piercing alarm went off deep within Lin Chen’s chest. A suffocating sense of crisis gripped his heart, escalating to a fever pitch in the blink of an eye. For a split second, he felt as though his heartbeat had completely stopped.

Having undergone extraordinary trials, he possessed an exceptionally acute perception of danger.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he lunged forward like a streak of lightning, wrapped his arms tightly around An Xueyao, and threw them both to the ground, rolling smoothly to take cover behind the Audi.

Lin Chen’s sudden and violent movement startled An Xueyao out of her wits.

She let out a panicked, indignant gasp, "Ah! Lin Chen, what are you doing—"

"Bang!"

Before she could finish her sentence, a muffled gunshot rang out. A hole roughly the thickness of a thumb appeared suddenly on the body of the Audi, the sheer kinetic force of the impact causing the entire vehicle to shudder.

The scene seemed to freeze for a fraction of a second before chaos erupted among the crowd.

"Dammit! There's a sniper!"

"Quick! Protect the eldest miss! Nothing must happen to the eldest miss! How could a sniper possibly appear in broad daylight within the city center!"

"Eldest miss, are you alright? Are you injured?"

"The sniper must still be on one of the nearby buildings! Everyone, stay alert and watch your sectors!"

...

Shouts echoed wildly among the bodyguards, a mix of sheer shock and lingering terror. If Lin Chen hadn't thrown An Xueyao to the ground just then, their employer would already be dead!

Frightened out of her wits by the sudden turn of events, An Xueyao let out a shrill scream, burying herself desperately in Lin Chen’s arms while trembling from head to toe.

Despite being a superstar diva and the future heir to Sky Dome Entertainment, she was, at her core, simply an ordinary woman. Facing such a terrifying brush with death, she had panicked completely, visibly shaken to the core.

Noticing the absolute lack of color in her face, Lin Chen gently patted her back and soothed her in a tender voice, "It's alright, it's over now."

The bullet had been fired from their rear left. Now that they were taking cover behind the heavy Audi, the sniper had no angle to hit them again.

Lin Chen glanced briefly toward a window on the seventh floor of the building behind them to the left. If he wasn't mistaken, the shot had originated from there.

"Alright, it really is safe now. Go with Sister Hong, I'm going to track down that sniper."

Lin Chen intended to pursue the shooter, but An Xueyao clung to him for dear life.

"No. Lin Chen, please, don't leave me, I'm scared. Take me home, I want to go home."

Seeing that Lin Chen was about to leave, An Xueyao burst into tears, her hands gripping his clothes with a death grip, refusing to let go no matter what.

The recent string of attacks had left her as jittery as a startled bird at the mere twang of a bowstring. The appearance of a sniper had finally pushed her terror past the breaking point.

Lin Chen glanced back at the sniper's vantage point once more, calculating that by the time he managed to break away, the shooter would have long since fled.

He relented with a sigh, saying, "Alright, alright, I won't go. Try not to be afraid, the danger has passed. I'll take you home right now."

With that, he scooped An Xueyao up in his arms, helped her into the rear of another Audi, and instructed the tense-looking Xu Gang, "The sniper missed the first shot and likely won't try again; they must have run off by now. Let's send Ms. An home first."

He gestured toward the building to their rear right and added, "Send a few men to check the second room from the left on the seventh floor of that building. See if you can find any clues."

"Understood, Mr. Lin. I'll take a team to investigate right away."

Xu Gang hastily acknowledged the order and immediately reassigned several bodyguards to escort An Xueyao home.

Sitting in the front passenger seat, Zhao Hong turned around with a worried expression, asking, "Xueyao, are you alright? Did you get hurt?"

Having calmed down slightly by this point, An Xueyao replied to the deeply concerned manager, "I'm fine."

Sister Hong let out a long breath of relief, her face instantly darkening with fury. "These criminals are growing utterly lawless! Daring to open fire in broad daylight—they deserve to die! Starting tomorrow, I will speak directly with the chairman to triple the security around the company. This kind of thing must never happen again."

Clearly still haunted by the close call, An Xueyao nodded silently in agreement.

Dropping his previously lighthearted demeanor, Lin Chen turned serious and said, "Now that even a sniper has been brought into play, it's obvious someone is determined to have you killed. Do you have any idea who might be behind this?"