Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I chose to stay in the fire and be reborn from the ashes.

I opened my eyes. It was still 10:00 PM, amidst the howling wind and torrential rain.

This time, I went straight for the space under Grandma’s bed and pried it open, stuffing the bag of money she had buried there into my backpack. Grandma was stunned. “How did you know there was money here…”

I pressed down on her shoulders. Her clouded eyes reflected my current face.

Cold and ruthless, without a trace of childishness-I had long since been reshaped by despair.

My expression, completely different from before, left the little old lady dazed and intimidated.

“Listen carefully to what I say next. In two minutes, two thugs will break in. Don’t resist. Just tell them the money is with me, or we’ll both die!”

I tied the corners of the bedsheets together to form a rope and secured it to the balcony. Ignoring Grandma’s screams, I climbed over the railing. The storm instantly blurred my vision. I tensed my body, moving downward by sheer intuition.

Just as my feet touched the third-floor balcony, the thugs burst through the door.

Then came Grandma’s helpless cries and the sound of a struggle.

I gritted my teeth. I couldn’t stop!

They wouldn’t kill her easily without getting the money. Leading them away was our only chance of survival!

Thunder exploded in the sky. Above my line of sight, a tattooed arm holding a knife reached out.

Fat Kun slashed through the bedsheets.

With a loud thud, I fell directly from the second floor to the ground.

I clearly heard a sharp crack from my thigh bone-it was likely broken-but I couldn’t care about that.

I scrambled to my feet. The downhill path leading to the main road was long and narrow. Thunder rumbled incessantly as the rain swallowed everything.

Including my cries for help.

The shops along the street all had their shutters closed; not a single one was open. Enduring the agonizing pain, I ran toward the main road in one breath.

I waved my arms, desperate to flag down a vehicle.

Just then, a pair of blinding headlights hit me from a distance. When I rushed toward it, I realized it was a police car!

Heaven had finally heard my prayers.

My nerves, stretched to their limit, were on the verge of snapping. I roared hysterically, “Officer, help me! Two murderers broke into my house! My grandma is still inside! Please, go save her!”

I had lost my shoes long ago. My feet were bloody and battered; my wretched appearance left no room for doubt.

“Don’t panic. Take it slow. Where is your house? What’s the situation?”

The policeman’s calm, powerful voice brought me a sense of security I had never felt before.

“Is it Unit 503, Building B, Yinghua Residential Area on Xiaoxiang Road?”

Yes. I was about to nod when I suddenly realized something-

I hadn’t said it yet. How did he know my address?

In the next moment, the policeman began cursing at someone behind me. “How the hell are you guys watching her? You couldn’t even keep track of one little girl!”

What? The blood in my veins froze, and my mind went blank.

All hope solidified into a bone-chilling despair.

I turned my head stiffly.

Through the curtain of rain, Fat Kun approached us with a sneer, knife in hand.

Only then did I notice that the radio at the policeman’s waist was turned off. His uniform was buttoned incorrectly, and beneath it, I could faintly see the orange-red of a prison jumpsuit…

As it turned out, the reason Fat Kun and Ma Jiu had stayed in my house for so long was that they were waiting for someone.

There had been three kidnappers all along.