Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 449: A Difficult Choice

Chapter 449: Chapter 449: A Difficult Choice

Seizing this opportunity, the four men pounced at once, two restraining Ning Qi’s arms and two holding onto her legs. They used their strength and body weight to pin her down, rendering her unable to stand.

"Damn it, get off me!" Ning Qi was powerful, but she couldn’t throw off the four men. All she could do was struggle fiercely.

Gu Fan held on tightly, feeling Ning Qi’s immense strength writhing beneath him. He knew their current strategy was a merely temporary constraint, rather than a final solution.

"Xiaoling, it’s all on you now." Everyone’s hopes were pinned on Gu Ling. Ning Qi, too, knew she couldn’t let Gu Ling find her true form, so she struggled even more fiercely, threatening to throw off Xu Haowen.

"Everyone hold on, just hold on for a while longer." Gu Fan yelled, putting all he had into restraining Ning Qi.

Ning Qi, controlled by Qian Ying, never tired or fainted, and her fighting power was inexhaustible. This was just how fearsome Qian Ying could be -- though her weakness was all too apparent: Qian Ying had little ability to protect herself.

Time, they just needed to hold on a little longer to win. Gu Fan gritted his teeth and persevered, but Xu Haowen was quickly losing control. Thrown off by a strong push of Ning Qi’s foot, he was soon flung away entirely.

"Finally managed to get rid of one." Ning Qi sneered, delivering a swift kick towards Gu Fan.

Knowing he couldn’t get hit, Gu Fan released his hold and quickly rolled to the side. He was successful in his evasion, but not without breaking into a cold sweat.

"Both of you are next!" Ning Qi glared at Lu Yi, who flinched under her fierce gaze, immediately releasing his hold as if a mouse scurrying away from a cat.

AJie, the only one left holding Ning Qi, was quick to follow suit. Ning Qi, regaining her freedom, rose to her feet. A cold glance swept the room, setting off tremors in the four men.

"Everyone, stay calm, we still hold the advantage." Gu Fan began to rally, "Gu Ling and Qin Jia have gone to find Qian Ying’s body. They should be able to find it soon, which means we’ve won."

Upon hearing these words, everyone felt a surge of hope. Ning Qi had been delayed for so long that even if she wanted to catch up, she wouldn’t be able to.

However, Ning Qi wasn’t convinced: "Is that so? This place is so big, there’s so much junk, do you even know where I’m hiding my true form?"

"Don’t worry about that. We have our methods." Gu Fan confidently responded, not in the least bluffing. Ning Qi felt a chill at heart. Remembering how Gu Ling had foiled her plans twice in the past, she wondered if there was something special about Gu Ling.

"No matter, I will take you all down." Ning Qi knew that she couldn’t leave unless she defeated Gu Fan and the others. Thus, she charged at Gu Fan.

There was no way Gu Fan could meet her head-on. He adopted a strategy of evasion over confrontation, causing many of Ning Qi’s attacks to miss. However, defense could only go so far, and eventually, Gu Fan was struck by Ning Qi’s punch, sending a searing pain through his chest.

Lu Yi, Jie, and Xu Haowen attacked together. The three men pounced simultaneously, only to be flung off in one sweep.

"Can’t believe it, she’s too powerful. Her strength is almost on par with the big boss." All four of them felt as if their bones were broken, the pain rendering them unable to rise.

Just as Ning Qi prepared to deliver a fatal blow, she suddenly froze. When she regained her senses, she looked around, seeming to have no recollection of what had just happened.

Gu Fan’s brow furrowed, then relaxed into a smile, as Ning Qi’s confusion suggested that Gu Ling and Qin Jia had successfully found Qian Ying’s true form.

Indeed, at this very moment, Gu Ling and Qin Jia were punishing Qian Ying ruthlessly. To prevent her from regaining control, Qin Jia sprayed wolf-repelling pepper into Qian Ying’s eyes, causing her intense pain, before subduing her finally.

"You’re too much, I was just getting my freedom back." Qian Ying gritted her teeth with resentment. She couldn’t fathom how she was discovered so quickly.

Having dealt with Qian Ying, their attention now turned to helping Su Hui and Lin Xi. But Gu Fan was torn between the two women. Both Su Hui and Lin Xi were likely in trouble; who should he help?

Theoretically, since Lin Xi was Gu Fan’s girlfriend, he should help her. However, Gu Fan made a choice. He asked Lu Yi, Jie, and Xu Haowen to help Lin Xi and Du Jun.

Gu Fan decided to find Su Hui. It wasn’t because Su Hui was more important than Lin Xi, but because all their comrades came to help Lin Xi. Now that they were in danger, he had to ensure their safety. Gu Fan believed Lin Xi would want him to help Su Hui too.

"Alright, let’s split up. Let’s move quickly." Gu Fan didn’t know where Su Hui had gone, but he could only trust to luck.

As Gu Fan raced through the dilapidated factory, his heart was filled with anxiety. He didn’t know how Su Hui was doing or if she had run into trouble, considering how formidable their opponent was.

Suddenly, a shout echoed through the air. It seemed to come from Su Hui and sounded urgent. Gu Fan hurried in that direction and immediately saw Su Hui immobilized, unable to move at the spot.

Qian Xue was relentlessly assaulting Su Hui with punches and kicks. Her force wasn’t particularly strong, but she delivered repeated attacks to the same spot on Su Hui’s body. After more than a dozen blows, Su Hui was feeling the pain.

However much Gu Fan wanted to intervene, he had to hold back. He had experienced Qian Xue’s prowess before. If both he and Su Hui were immobilized, there would be no chance for backup.

So, Gu Fan carefully circled to a blind spot out of Qian Xue’s sight, all the while signaling Su Hui with his eyes to hold on.

Reading his signals correctly, Su Hui began to divert Qian Xue’s attention, taunting her: "Your martial arts skills are terrible. You’ve thrown how many punches and you’re already coated in sweat. If you didn’t know a bit of magic, I’d have already knocked you down."

"I don’t care what you say, to the victor go the spoils." Disdain filled Qian Xue’s voice as she hit Su Hui again. Su Hui’s face twisted with pain, but she was helpless to retaliate.

But after a while, Qian Xue too seemed to be tiring, her head starting to ache. She gave her arm a shake. "You’re tougher than I thought. Looks like I’ll have to use some tools." She picked up a rock that lay nearby, a cold smile playing on her lips.

"Hey, let’s talk things through, there’s no need for this." Su Hui put on a placating face, offering a few appeasing laughs.

Seeing Su Hui pleading, Qian Xue swelled with triumph. "Weren’t you so cocky just a while ago? Why are you scared now?"

To which, Su Hui immediately retorted, "The rock in your hand looks pretty hard. How can it not scare me?"

"Too late to be scared now." Qian Xue lifted the rock high, preparing to strike Su Hui. "Remember not to mess with us in the future. You can’t afford it."