The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 443 - 445. Death of Qin Yan

Chapter 443: 445. Death of Qin Yan

"Bang," a gunshot rang out, but the spray of blood did not come from Allen’s body, but from Qin Yan’s arm. The gun she had snatched from the housekeeper fell to the ground, and she clutched her right wrist, blood gushing from her arm like a fountain.

The turn of events came so suddenly that no one expected Fu Hengyi to have gotten so close to Qin Yan. The housekeeper looked at her, incredulous, "Madam, are you okay?"

Qin Yan’s eyes were fixed on Allen, ignoring the housekeeper’s words. Had her legs not been crippled, immobilizing her, she would have pounced on Allen and bitten him to death by now.

Peter was already standing in front of Allen, ready to take a bullet for him at any moment. Allen looked at the man in front of him closing his eyes, clearly frightened but not stepping back, and a strange feeling surged in his heart. He shoved Peter aside with disgust and said, "Scared of dying but still dare to stand in front, get out of the way."

Pushed aside by Allen, Peter staggered a few steps and looked at Qin Yan, whose arm was bleeding incessantly, heaving a silent sigh of relief. Patting his chest, his face filled with residual fear, he couldn’t understand why he had rushed forward just now; was he truly not afraid of death? Had Fu Hengyi not acted promptly, would he be dead by now?

At this thought, Peter broke out in a cold sweat, yet seeing the very much alive Allen before him, he smiled. At least Allen was safe, one of the few friends he had in this world. Peter didn’t want anything to happen to Allen, although in Allen’s heart, he probably didn’t even count as a friend.

Qin Yan stared at Allen, her mind replaying his words, slowly stripping away her last shred of reason.

"So, Qin Yan, think about how pathetic you really are. All these years, you didn’t even figure out who your enemy truly is. Oh right, you even saved your enemy. If it wasn’t for you back then, I would have been shark feed by now. Standing here is really all thanks to you." Allen’s lips quirked up in obvious good humor.

"Pff." Qin Yan spat out a mouthful of blood, speckling her chest with bloodstained plum blossoms, causing the housekeeper to turn pale with shock, "Madam."

Qin Yan wiped the blood from her lips and pushed the housekeeper away, "Allen, I want you dead."

Allen was not the least bit afraid.

It happened in the blink of an eye before the housekeeper could react. Qin Yan was pulled up from her wheelchair, a gun pressed to her temple by Fu Hengyi, who had just fired that shot.

"Let them go, or I’ll shoot her in the head," said Fu Hengyi in a cold voice, addressing the housekeeper.

The housekeeper had not expected such negligence to allow Qin Yan to fall into Fu Hengyi’s hands. The situation, which had been under control, reversed in an instant. The housekeeper glanced at Qin Yan and motioned to his men, "Fall back, put the guns away."

"Housekeeper, you dare, none of you move an inch, kill them!" Qin Yan roared with regained composure. She had made up her mind not to let anyone leave here alive today.

Fu Hengyi’s gaze shifted subtly and glanced in Shen Qinglan’s direction. She held Ya Xi tightly in her arms and was also watching Fu Hengyi. Their eyes met for a moment before Shen Qinglan looked away. Jin Enxi had silently approached from behind Qin Yan and her group.

The housekeeper did not follow Qin Yan’s orders but instead said to his men, "Step back, put down your guns, and nobody fire." He could disregard his own life, but he could not ignore Qin Yan’s safety.

"Housekeeper, who told you to make your own decisions?" Qin Yan was livid. If it weren’t for being restrained by Fu Hengyi and her own weakness, she would have already started to resist.

Fu Hengyi tapped her head slightly with the gun and looked at the housekeeper, "Step back and let the people go."

His gun’s muzzle was pressed against Qin Yan’s temple. A light pull of the trigger and her head would burst open. Fu Hengyi, a man who had climbed out of danger, had spent countless years in the military handling dangerous missions; he could certainly hold his ground in this situation. The housekeeper believed that if he did not do as Fu Hengyi said, Qin Yan would indeed die at his hands today.

Qin Yan would not allow her subordinates to retreat, resulting in a standoff with the housekeeper, and during the hesitation of the two, Shen Qinglan and the others had already quickly moved towards Allen’s direction. As soon as they got close, Shen Qinglan handed Ya Xi over to Yan Anbang.

Yan Anbang hugged his daughter tightly, his heart aching as he looked at Ya Xi’s pale, paper-like face, even in her unconscious state.

Shen Qinglan took the handgun that Allen handed over, her bullets were almost spent, which meant if Allen and his men hadn’t arrived in time, Shen Qinglan and her group might have had to fight Qin Yan’s people with their bare hands.

Originally, Jin Enxi had planned to take a detour from behind, taking down as many as possible. However, Fu Hengyi went straight for the kingpin, capturing Qin Yan, which naturally caused the housekeeper to hesitate before taking any rash action.

As she watched the two sides meet, Qin Yan trembled with anger, her gaze towards the housekeeper filled with murderous intent. She began to wonder whose side the housekeeper was really on, if he was pulling another act of deception.

The housekeeper noticed Qin Yan’s look and felt a bitter taste in his heart, but his face remained expressionless. He said to Fu Hengyi, "Release the lady."

"Let them go first," Fu Hengyi didn’t budge an inch.

"Housekeeper, kill them for me," Qin Yan ordered.

She absolutely could not allow Shen Qinglan and the others to leave alive. Regardless of whether Carl had died by their hands, they couldn’t disassociate themselves from his death.

"Madam, I must ensure your safety," the housekeeper stated firmly.

"Who asked you to care about me? My life or death is not your concern. Your duty is to obey my commands and kill all these people." Qin Yan was furious because the housekeeper was not following orders. This was the first time since the housekeeper came to her side, all these years, that he had disobeyed her.

Unmoved, the housekeeper simply said, "You guys go ahead."

Fu Hengyi gestured to Allen, whose men surrounded Shen Qinglan and the others, protecting them as they began to move towards the cars.

Yan Anbang followed close beside Shen Qinglan, carrying the unconscious Ya Xi, while Shen Qinglan looked towards Fu Hengyi, who was slowly approaching their direction, holding Qin Yan hostage.

Shen Qinglan kept her gun aimed at the housekeeper, ready for any sudden changes. No matter how much Qin Yan shouted, the housekeeper did not listen to her commands, and she could only watch helplessly as Shen Qinglan and the others got into the cars.

Fu Hengyi was in the last car, pulling Qin Yan onto the vehicle. She was now their safeguard; they could not release her until they were sure of their own safety.

Shen Qinglan was also in this car, with Fu Hengyi and her flanking Qin Yan from both sides.

Fu Hengyi had incapacitated Qin Yan’s only free hand with a gunshot earlier, leaving her now completely defenseless.

The cars started, and the housekeeper led his men, closely following behind. Gunshots exchanged constantly between the two sides, but since the housekeeper’s men had apprehensions about harming their own, the car carrying Qin Yan hung back, effectively serving as a shield for Allen and his group. Unless the housekeeper was willing to let Qin Yan die, they dared not unleash their full firepower.

But on Shen Qinglan’s side, there were no such concerns. Ya Xi had already been rescued, and even Qin Yan herself was in their hands. The housekeeper no longer had any trump card to restrain them. They fought unfettered, and in a brief period, Qin Yan’s people suffered heavy casualties.

Jin Enxi and Andre fought with the most relish. Previously chased around like a stray dog by the housekeeper and his men, they had nearly been wrapped up like dumplings, and the fire in their hearts couldn’t have been more stoked. Now having the opportunity, where was the sense in not seeking revenge? If not for needing to use Qin Yan as a threat against the housekeeper, she might well have been a corpse by now.

On one side was hesitant to make a move lest they harm the prized captive, while the other had no such concerns, clearly showing the advantage. In just a few short minutes, the number of Qin Yan’s side had diminished by a fifth.

However, Shen Qinglan suddenly noticed something strange—Qin Yan was too calm. Since getting in the car, the madness on her face had completely vanished, replaced only by a sinister calm, stirring a deep unease in Shen Qinglan’s heart.

"Qin Yan, what exactly are you playing at?" Shen Qinglan asked coldly.

Her question immediately drew Jin Enxi’s attention over. Andre wasn’t in the same car, but Su Qing was driving their car. Hearing Shen Qinglan’s words, Su Qing quickly glanced at Qin Yan in the rearview mirror, somewhat confused by Shen Qinglan’s question.

Qin Yan smiled, "You really are worthy of the name ’Mei’; such a sharp mind. But it’s too late for you to realize it now."

There was indeed a problem. Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi exchanged a glance, considering a possibility. Their expressions shifted as she handed her handgun to Fu Hengyi and began searching Qin Yan frantically.

"Ha ha ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha ha," Qin Yan burst into laughter. "Shen Qinglan, you won’t find it because it’s not on me."

Shen Qinglan’s face turned grim. Qin Yan’s words were tantamount to an indirect admission of her suspicion, "Stop the car, stop the car now," Shen Qinglan yelled towards Peter, who was driving in front.

Peter looked at Shen Qinglan, puzzled, but Allen, sitting in the front passenger seat, upon hearing this, immediately instructed Peter to pull the car over.

Shen Qinglan swiftly got out of the car, with Fu Hengyi immediately covering her to prevent the housekeeper from any rash actions.

Shen Qinglan ran to the front of Allen’s car and opened the back door, where Andre and Yan Anbang, along with Ya Xi, were sitting.

She searched Ya Xi’s body, and just as she lifted her clothing, she discovered a small bomb strapped to her.

Those in the car all saw the bomb on Ya Xi’s body. After Shen Qinglan had rescued her, she had been preoccupied with escaping and had not thoroughly checked Ya Xi, hence she did not know about the bomb placed on her.

Shen Qinglan quickly examined it. The bomb was not big, and precisely because it was small, it hadn’t been easy to detect. If Ya Xi had been conscious, she might have been able to inform Shen Qinglan herself, but right now, Ya Xi was in a daze and could do nothing.

Everyone in the car’s expression changed drastically, and Allen once again felt the urge to throw Ya Xi into the ocean. If not for this woman, Shen Qinglan wouldn’t have had to repeatedly risk danger for her sake. She was Shen Qinglan’s encumbrance.

Yan Anbang was also startled by the bomb on Ya Xi’s body and, sensing the murderous intent in Allen’s eyes, held Ya Xi tighter, slightly turning his body to try to block Allen’s view.

"Can you defuse it?" Yan Anbang asked.

Shen Qinglan’s expression was grave, "Yes, but it will take time." Time was what they were lacking now. Since Qin Yan had gone to such lengths, she certainly wouldn’t give them enough time, not to mention Qin Yan had said they discovered it too late.

Sure enough, the moment Shen Qinglan finished speaking, the bomb on Ya Xi suddenly lit up. A string of numbers began to countdown rapidly, leaving them less than five minutes by the time shown.

The housekeeper led his people to a stop as well, with Fu Hengyi and Allen standing at the forefront, confronting the housekeeper’s men.

Qin Yan was still held hostage in Fu Hengyi’s embrace, and with her in hand, naturally the housekeeper dared not act rashly.

Qin Yan gazed at Allen, who was not far from her, and resentment surged from her heart. She glared at Allen with deadly intent, "Give me my Carl back." Her eyes were fixed on the hand of Allen.

"Hand over the remote control," Allen demanded.

Qin Yan bit her teeth, "There is no remote control." At that moment she had sensed that Shen Qinglan was behind Yan Xi, she had pressed the switch button on the remote control, activated the bomb, and then threw the remote control into the sea. Where could there still be a remote control? Even if there was one, it couldn’t be stopped; unless the bomb was disarmed, it could only be allowed to explode.

"An, we’re in trouble this time. This bomb is connected to Yan Xi’s pulse. If it’s removed, it will explode immediately." But if they didn’t disarm it, in five minutes, all of them would have to accompany Yan Xi in death.

Jin Enxi was breaking out in a cold sweat. Qin Yan really was ruthless, to get her hands on such a thing, and to even use it on Yan Xi. The best solution turned out to be abandoning Yan Xi; they would withdraw from the bomb’s blast range within five minutes. She wanted to force Shen Qinglan to make a choice—either die with Yan Xi or let Yan Xi die alone.

If Shen Qinglan chose the latter, then for the rest of her life, Shen Qinglan would live in guilt over Yan Xi, never finding peace in her heart. If she chose the former, then Jin Enxi’s goal would be achieved.

"An, I want to kill Qin Yan," Jin Enxi ground out through clenched teeth.

Yan Anbang had also become aware of the severity of the situation and looked at Yan Xi pityingly, then he raised his head to look at Shen Qinglan with a resolute tone, "Qinglan, you better hurry and leave, the farther away from here the better."

Shen Qinglan ignored Yan Anbang’s words. The design of this bomb was very ingenious, and such bombs had a big limitation; they must be tied to a living body, using the living thing’s pulse to function. Otherwise, it was useless. If Qin Yan hadn’t activated it, they could use any pair of scissors to disarm the bomb. But now the bomb was activated, and if they removed it, the bomb would immediately explode when it couldn’t sense the pulse, and everyone here, including the housekeeper’s men, would meet a gruesome end without a grave.

Time ticked by second by second, and Shen Qinglan and her group were still working out how to disarm the bomb. As time slipped away, Yan Anbang became frantic, "Qinglan, forget about Yan Xi, you need to leave now."

He didn’t want Yan Xi to die, but even less did he want so many people to die with her. He hadn’t forgotten that Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi had just become parents; there was a baby not yet one year old at home.

He had seen the bond Shen Qinglan had with Yan Xi, and it was Yan Xi’s good fortune to have such a friend.

"Qinglan, hurry up and leave. I’m very grateful for everything you’ve done for Yan Xi, but think of your son back home. He’s not even one year old yet. Do you want him to become an orphan? I haven’t fulfilled my responsibilities as a father in this life. At the end of my journey, I will accompany Yan Xi, and not let him walk alone," Yan Anbang urged earnestly.

"Don’t speak," Shen Qinglan said sharply, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Her eyes were tightly fixed on the colorful wires on the bomb, which were tied over Yan Xi’s chest, pulsing up and down with the rhythm of her breathing.

Su Qing, hearing Yan Anbang’s words, bowed her head, pondering something. After a moment, she suddenly said, "I have a way."

At these words, everyone’s gaze immediately turned towards her. Su Qing squatted down and spoke softly, "Transfer the bomb to me."

Shen Qinglan’s expression changed, she blurted out, "No." This kind of bomb had two ways to explode, one was if Yan Xi died, when her heart stopped beating, and the other was when time ran out, it would detonate automatically.

Actually, the first scenario could be exploited; the method was to transfer the bomb to another living person and use that person’s heartbeat to delay the explosion. The transfer process needed to be fast and not all the wires could be transferred at once—if they were transferred together, it would detonate immediately.

Yan Anbang also understood this method and immediately said, "I’ll do it, strap the bomb to me." The sea was right beside them, and as long as he jumped into the water, even if the bomb exploded, Shen Qinglan and the others would be safe.

"No," Shen Qinglan objected.

"There’s no time, Qinglan, let me do it. I’m her father, and it’s my duty to protect her. For the past twenty years, I haven’t been a good father, and because of my blindness, I’ve caused her so much suffering. This can be the last thing I do for her. I only ask that you take care of her for me in the future." Yan Anbang said gently, looking down at Ya Xi in his arms with a tender and loving gaze.

In fact, he very much adored this daughter, who he had doted on and treasured since she was a child. He couldn’t help but recall the young Ya Xi, who would cling to him, calling him Daddy.

He also remembered his estrangement and indifference from Ya Xi after his divorce from Zhao Jiaqing, and the deep-seated hatred Zhao Jiaqing had for him when she died. He had indeed let down his daughter, and as for the other daughter, that was a wound in his life that he could never erase.

Telling Shen Qinglan and the others to leave had been an act of desperation, but now that he knew of a way to save Ya Xi, he was willing to sacrifice his own life without hesitation.

"If Ya Xi wakes up, she’ll hate me to death," Shen Qinglan said indifferently.

"Let me do it. I’m all alone anyway, it doesn’t matter whether I live or die," Su Qing said carelessly.

"Hey, stop arguing, just let Qin Yan do it," Jin Enxi suddenly said.

Her words were like an awakening from a dream, and Shen Qinglan’s eyes lit up. In her urgency, she had completely forgotten about Qin Yan. Su Qing quickly stood up, ran to Fu Hengyi’s side, and dragged Qin Yan over, tossing her into the car like a dead dog.

The space in the car was already limited, and with Qin Yan’s entry, it became even more cramped. Seeing the situation, Yan Anbang immediately backed out, giving the space to Shen Qinglan.

"Su Qing, Enxi, hold Qin Yan down for me," Shen Qinglan commanded coldly. A single mistake in the process could mean death for all of them.

Jin Enxi and Su Qing secured Qin Yan from both sides. Initially, Qin Yan didn’t know what Shen Qinglan was planning to do, but when she saw her movements, she understood immediately and tried to struggle.

But her arms and legs were already disabled, and now her body was firmly held by Jin Enxi and Su Qing, rendering her completely immobile.

"Shen Qinglan, let me go. If you touch the bomb, we’re all going to die," Qin Yan didn’t want Shen Qinglan to proceed with transferring the bomb. If it didn’t work, everyone would die together, which was fine by her since she no longer wished to live. But if it was successful, her plan would be ruined.

Shen Qinglan acted as though she hadn’t heard Qin Yan’s protests, her hands continuously working. She quickly cut open the clothes on Qin Yan’s chest, revealing her torso, then carefully took one of the wires from Ya Xi’s body and swiftly attached it to Qin Yan.

Shen Qinglan paused for two seconds, holding her breath and staring intently at the bomb. If it exploded then, they would all have to accept their fate. After two seconds without incident, she let out a slight sigh of relief, meaning the method was entirely feasible.

"Su Qing, you’re helping them too? Don’t forget, it was I who saved your life," unable to target Shen Qinglan, Qin Yan turned her attention to Su Qing.

The car was filled with a thick, nauseating stench of blood, emanating from Qin Yan’s injured arm. The arm Fu Hengyi had shot was bleeding profusely again due to Su Qing’s rough handling.

Hearing this, Su Qing’s eyes flickered, and her expression became detached, "After all I’ve done for you, I’ve more than repaid any debt to you."

"No, there’s still one last thing you haven’t done. I don’t need you to kidnap Chu Yun Rong anymore, I want you to kill Shen Qinglan right now. As long as you complete that, you’re free."

Su Qing’s lips curled slightly, "I’m just as free if you’re dead. Rather than going through the trouble to kill Shen Qinglan, I’d much rather watch you die."

And as she spoke, the second wire had already been transferred to Qin Yan’s body.

Upon seeing this, Qin Yan became even more panicked, raising her voice intending to signal for the housekeeper to shoot, but before her voice could carry out, a piece of cloth was stuffed into her mouth. Where Su Qing got the dirty cloth, now unidentifiable in its original color and emanating a strange odor, was anyone’s guess.

Jin Enxi wrinkled her nose, looking disdainfully at the cloth in Qin Yan’s mouth. Su Qing shrugged her shoulders, an innocent expression on her face, "I got it from the car."

Shen Qinglan paid no attention to the commotion around her, concentrating solely on the bomb’s wires. There were in total six wires on the bomb; two had now been transferred, leaving four remaining.

Elsewhere, the housekeeper watched in horror as Qin Yan was dragged away by Su Qing like a dead dog, and immediately became frantic, "Let go of Madam."

Su Qing didn’t care. She just dragged Qin Yan to the car, and when the housekeeper tried to rush forward, he was stopped in place by the guns pointed at him by Allen and Fu Hengyi.

Fu Hengyi and Allen, too, did not know what Shen Qinglan intended by taking Qin Yan away, but they guessed it certainly had something to do with the bomb strapped to Ya Xi.

"I’ll give you the bomb’s remote so you can leave, just release Madam," the housekeeper compromised, his heart unease growing as he watched Qin Yan being taken away.

Fu Hengyi’s expression remained unchanged, and he coldly watched the housekeeper, "Retreat sixty meters." A distance of sixty meters was just beyond the effective range of a handgun, which could buy them some time for their later withdrawal, "and then throw your guns to the ground."

The housekeeper scowled, "That’s impossible. How do I know that once I withdraw, you won’t do something to Madam?" He didn’t believe for a second that Shen Qinglan and the others would let Qin Yan go. This opportunity was crucial for both parties, a chance each had to eliminate the other.

"You’ll just have to trust us," Fu Hengyi stated. Currently, the housekeeper held no leverage against them to issue threats.

"I’ll count to three. If you don’t retreat, then we’ll have no choice but to fight to the end," Fu Hengyi’s voice grew icier, "Three, two—"

"Wait," the housekeeper interjected, "We’ll retreat." He waved his hand, signaling his men to move back.

"No more than twenty meters," the housekeeper said as he retreated.

Fu Hengyi just wanted to buy time for Shen Qinglan, so naturally, he didn’t mind how far the housekeeper actually retreated.

The housekeeper stopped just past twenty meters, standing off at a distance against Fu Hengyi and his team, the guns in their hands nowhere near being lowered.

Allen looked at Peter, "Go check out what’s happening over there." Peter walked towards the car behind them and saw Shen Qinglan transferring the fourth wire. Realizing what they were doing shocked Peter deeply. It was an act of madness; did they not realize that one false move could send them all to meet God?

True to Allen’s training, his men were just as crazy. Peter glanced over, didn’t interfere, and quietly reported back to Allen. Fu Hengyi overheard as well, his gaze flickering slightly, yet he didn’t say a word. Whatever Shen Qinglan was doing, as long as he was by her side, he would support her.

However, just as Shen Qinglan successfully transferred the fourth wire to Qin Yan, the numbers on the bomb began to fluctuate rapidly, and the original three and a half minutes immediately dropped to just three minutes.

Watching the numbers closely, Jin Enxi’s face instantly changed, "What’s happening?"

"Their heart rates are not consistent, time is speeding up, Miss Shen, hurry, time is running out," urged Su Qing.

Although the bomb displayed three minutes of time, in reality, they did not have three minutes at all, let alone even one minute.

Shen Qinglan’s face remained calm, she was the type of person who grew calmer the more dangerous and urgent the situation, quickly transferring the last two wires to Qin Yan, then placing the bomb onto her own body, and yelled to Su Qing, "Quick, throw it into the sea."

Qin Yan’s face paled, trying to struggle, but was picked up by Jin Enxi and Su Qing by her arms and legs, and carried out of the car.

This road was originally a mountain road, with mountains on one side and the sea on the other, so some cars that crashed here would go straight into the sea with no chance of survival.

Jin Enxi and Su Qing swiftly threw Qin Yan out with force, and her body arced beautifully through the air like a parabola, but before the arc could land, a loud explosion suddenly sounded in the sky.

"Get down!" Shen Qinglan yelled, and everyone, on instinct, dropped to the ground and covered their heads.

The housekeeper watched in disbelief as they carried Qin Yan out of the car, and before he could react, she was thrown into the sea, then with a bang, turned into a huge flame in front of him.

The explosion shook the earth and skies, the seawater blasted high, drenching them, yet before the chaos subsided, Shen Qinglan was quickly up from the ground, "Let’s go, fast!"

Everyone else reacted quickly too, making it back to the car, and the vehicle sped away immediately. By the time the housekeeper came to terms with Qin Yan’s death, Fu Hengyi and the others had already driven far away.

The housekeeper’s eyes were bloodshot with madness, "Chase them, spare no one," he hissed through clenched teeth.

A chase commenced on the winding mountain road, as Shen Qinglan and her fellows fled while firing shots behind them, bullets hitting the car body and falling on the road, creating utter mayhem.

Suddenly, the vehicle Shen Qinglan and the others were in had its tires shot out by the housekeeper’s men, and even the fuel tank was damaged, "An, we have to abandon the car," Jin Enxi said.

Shen Qinglan nodded, then shouted to Fu Hengyi in the car beside them, "Fu Hengyi, cover us."

Fu Hengyi and Allen grew serious, moved closer to Shen Qinglan, Fu Hengyi opened the door, leaning out, fired several shots behind, and Allen on the other side of another car door, under their covering fire, Allen’s three cars eventually pulled up next to Shen Qinglan’s vehicle. Jin Enxi took the chance and jumped across, followed by Su Qing.

Shen Qinglan was driving the car, and seeing that Jin Enxi and Su Qing had already transferred, everyone looked at Shen Qinglan with confusion—how was she going to make it? Just before Shen Qinglan had the two cars maintain a parallel speed, allowing Jin Enxi and Su Qing to move successfully to the other cars, now it was her turn—what to do?

"Qinglan, give me your hand," Fu Hengyi said.

Allen immediately understood Fu Hengyi’s intention, instructing Peter to match the speed of the car driven by Shen Qinglan, while Andre’s upper body was already hanging out of the car, wildly firing at the housekeeper and his men.

The housekeeper watched, wide-eyed, as Qin Yan was blown to pieces right before his eyes, having already gone mad. He bit down hard, unwilling to let Shen Qinglan and her party go, focusing almost all the firepower on Shen Qinglan’s car. At this point, jumping out of the car was very dangerous for Shen Qinglan, but if she didn’t jump, the car explosion would put her in an even greater danger. Weighing the pros and cons, she had no choice but to decide to jump.

Fu Hengyi threw his gun aside, his hand tightly clutching the car door, the other reaching out to Shen Qinglan, completely disregarding the stray bullets around him. If it weren’t for the cover fire provided by Allen and Andre and others, Fu Hengyi would likely have been injured already.

Shen Qinglan opened the car door, placed her hand in Fu Hengyi’s, and stepped onto Allen’s car. With Fu Hengyi’s pull, she was pulled into his embrace.

Fu Hengyi shielded Shen Qinglan as they dove into the car. Shen Qinglan turned back to look at him, having heard his muffled groan just a moment ago; she was almost certain he had been hurt.

Fu Hengyi shook his head, signaling it was not serious. In the last moment, a stray bullet had hit his arm. Wearing black clothes made it hard to see the blood, but the instant darkening of the fabric and the smell of blood reminded Shen Qinglan that he was injured.

Shen Qinglan pulled Fu Hengyi’s arm, ready to check on his injury, but Fu Hengyi pulled his hand away, "Let’s talk about it when we’re safe." He handed a gun to Shen Qinglan.

Shen Qinglan pursed her lips, taking a deep look at Fu Hengyi before refocusing on the situation behind them.

"Allen, we’ve got a problem. The road ahead collapsed from last night’s torrential rain; it’s blocked by a huge boulder. We can’t get through," Peter suddenly said, his face changing color as he relayed the report he heard through his headset.

Upon hearing this, everyone’s faces turned pale as if the situation could not get any worse.

Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi quickly surveyed the surrounding terrain. "Quick, let’s go up the mountain."

With the highway bordered by the mountain on one side and the sea on the other, they definitely couldn’t all jump into the sea, nor would they choose to confront the housekeeper at this time. Qin Yan was dead; they no longer had the leverage to restrain the housekeeper, and now the housekeeper was a madman, only thinking of killing them all to accompany Qin Yan in death, completely disregarding his own life. Such a reckless approach to combat meant that they could only temporarily retreat.

It was the best plan for the moment. With Jin Enxi and Andre providing cover fire, the rest quickly disembarked and started to climb up the mountain via a small path on the side. Seeing this, the housekeeper’s men immediately focused their gunfire on them, but were blocked by Jin Enxi and others.

The group fought as they retreated.

"I’ve already contacted a helicopter; we need to run to the mountaintop. There’s a flat area on the summit where the helicopter will rendezvous; it will arrive in ten minutes," Allen said.

They had quite a few people, and the helicopters could carry only a limited number. The maximum Allen could contact at the moment were three, which meant that after this, most of his men would be sacrificed. But Allen could not worry about these at the moment. No matter what, he had to ensure Shen Qinglan was safely evacuated.

Fu Hengyi’s left arm was already injured, and blood kept flowing down. Shen Qinglan was anxious inside but could not stop right now to bandage his wound, as the housekeeper’s men were still hot on their trail.

People fell continuously by their side. Shen Qinglan did not look back as the group retreated toward the mountaintop.

The housekeeper’s force was now down to one-third. But their arsenal was well-stocked, and for the time being, Shen Qinglan and her companions were helplessly outgunned.

More than half of Allen’s men had been lost, and even Jin Enxi had been shot. Su Qing supported her while firing a few shots behind them, and with great difficulty, they finally made it to the mountain.

By this time, the housekeeper’s men had also caught up.