Chapter 329 — How Is Wei Zhao Supposed to Feel?

Why would a man who was plainly one of their own brothers suddenly turn on them and put a bullet through their boss's skull? Could anyone tell them what on earth was going on?

So it was that while they stood frozen, too stunned to grasp how the disaster had come about, Wei Zhao tucked the cool chick under one arm, hauled Xie Jinbiao up with the other, and vanished like a puff of smoke.

By the time they came to their senses and realized something was wrong, Wei Zhao had long since fled the repair shop. He reached the mouth of the alley where he had parked, opened the door, dumped the cool chick onto the back seat, and told Xie Jinbiao to get into the passenger seat himself...

Xie Jinbiao was so frightened his legs had turned to jelly. He knew, of course, that murder and robbery had long ago become everyday affairs in this blue town — but that was all hearsay, and it had never happened to him. Tonight, though, the gunfight had been real, and it had happened right beside him; and if not for Wei Zhao's quick reflexes, Xie Jinbiao reckoned he would be a dead man by now...

"Get in the car. What are you dawdling for? If you don't get in, I'm leaving!" Seeing Xie Jinbiao standing by the door without getting in, Wei Zhao's patience ran out at once.

"B-big brother, my legs have gone weak. Could you give me a hand...?" Xie Jinbiao said cautiously, his face a mask of misery. He no longer dared provoke Wei Zhao. This man was truly ruthless — not only had he killed a Water Blue Gang boss with a single shot, but amid all that chaos he had still managed to get himself, a wounded girl, and Xie Jinbiao out of there. Could any ordinary man have done that?

Wei Zhao strode over, swung his leg, and kicked Xie Jinbiao into the car. Then he shut the door, got back behind the wheel, started the engine, and sped away from the place...

Not long after Wei Zhao left, the Water Blue Gang's motorcade rolled out in force... By then, Wei Zhao had already parked the car in the lot behind the hotel where he was staying.

Yang Qiqi had come around by now. After the bullet struck her shoulder, she had bled without pause, yet she had gritted her teeth against the pain and kept running for the door... Then, to make matters worse, a second bullet tore into her leg. The instant it hit, she collapsed to the ground; and with all the blood she had already lost, the fall knocked her straight into unconsciousness...

And yet Yang Qiqi's willpower was indeed far beyond the ordinary. Even after losing that much blood, she had not blacked out completely, and she could still wake... In fact, she had already been half conscious when Wei Zhao hoisted her up; it was only her feelings that were tangled.

He had saved her a second time. This was a debt of gratitude too great to bear. Could she still go through with killing him? So although Yang Qiqi was awake, she could only pretend that she was not.

"Take my room card and go up. Don't let anyone notice anything." Wei Zhao handed the card to Xie Jinbiao and said, "If someone does see through you, don't blame me when you die."

"Ah... all right..." Xie Jinbiao did not want to go up alone, but he knew there was no use in dragging his feet; Wei Zhao would not indulge him. And there was still a woman killer behind them whose connection to Wei Zhao he could not guess. Since Wei Zhao said nothing, Xie Jinbiao did not dare ask. He took the card and, trembling all over, made to head for the hotel.

"Wait — take off the cap!" Wei Zhao pointed at the blue baseball cap on Xie Jinbiao's head.

If he went up wearing that cap, it would be hard not to catch the waiter's eye. And if the Water Blue Gang really did come here to search, and the waiter happened to let something slip, that would be trouble.

"Y-yes!" Xie Jinbiao hurriedly pulled the cap off — clearly he had thought of it too. A belated chill ran through him. It seemed he was still nowhere near as careful and cautious as Wei Zhao.

"Go up by yourself. Use the back door, and try not to let anyone see you," Wei Zhao said flatly.

The Water Blue Gang certainly would not have realized yet that Xie Jinbiao had been rescued; all their attention was fixed on hunting down the woman killer and Wei Zhao, the "traitor" to their gang. Still, caution cost nothing.

"I understand. I'll be careful!" Feeling had returned to Xie Jinbiao's legs somewhat. They were still a little weak, but he did not dare not walk. He was afraid that if he disobeyed, Wei Zhao really would wash his hands of him and leave him here to die.

Only after watching Xie Jinbiao enter the hotel did Wei Zhao turn his head. "Not dead yet? If you're not dead, tell me where you're staying."

"Kenhe Hotel..." On Yang Qiqi's pale little face, a cool flicker of gratitude was squeezed out. "Thank you..."

"No need for thanks. Just don't try to kill me next time." Wei Zhao was utterly unmoved by the cool chick's gratitude.

"Could you turn on the reading light in the car? I want to get the bullets out first..." Yang Qiqi knew that if she returned to Kenhe Hotel like this, she would draw attention. So she wanted to dig the bullets out first and stop the bleeding, then pull something on over these night clothes to cover them.

"Turn it on and won't that draw attention?" Wei Zhao felt like cursing. "Who was your master? You call yourself a killer, and nobody has killed you yet?"

"I..." Yang Qiqi's face flushed red. Her cool little face glared at Wei Zhao in fury. "Don't you dare talk about my master! This... this is only my second mission. Mom says people grow slowly, through failure..."

"Second time?" Wei Zhao was speechless. "So that business in Songshan City was the first?"

"Mm..." Yang Qiqi gave a hum barely audible, and nodded.

"You... how am I supposed to feel about this!" Wei Zhao was about to go mad. "Now I finally understand why you're still alive — because both times you ran into me. Otherwise you would have died long ago..."

Two missions in all, two wounds. Was there any killer in this world that dim? Was there? Was there?

Wei Zhao was running out of words. This cool chick was formidable enough — all that cool posing on the outside, and underneath she was a weakling.

"I'm not that pathetic... just a little unlucky..." Yang Qiqi lowered her head, a touch embarrassed.

"I'd say I'm unluckier than you!" Wei Zhao smiled bitterly. "I honestly don't know who let you out on a mission. Your social experience is basically zero..."

"I... everyone is young once. Without being put through the mill, how does anyone ever get strong?" Yang Qiqi shot back coolly.

"Fine. Call it my bad luck. Where did the bullets hit you? I'll take them out for you!" Wei Zhao did not dare switch on the reading light; it would only draw curious onlookers.

"In my right shoulder and my left calf..." Yang Qiqi said quietly.

"Give me your dagger. It's clean, isn't it?" Wei Zhao took the dagger she handed over, glanced at it, and asked.