After chatting with Lu Sen and the others and having a meal together, I returned to the apartment.
As I approached the building, I noticed an unusual commotion outside the compound walls. Frowning, I activated my Mysterious Escape Art and leaped onto the wall to observe.
The spot where the assassin had exploded was now cordoned off by the police, who were setting up a perimeter. Fortunately, the explosion had completely obliterated the assassin, leaving no traces behind.
Just as I was about to leave, I suddenly spotted the sniper rifle on the ground!
No one seemed to have noticed it yet—I had to grab it quickly!
With that thought, I jumped down from the wall, crouched, and swiftly stored the sniper rifle in my Storage Ring.
Once done, I let out a sigh of relief. Good…
Worried that there might still be clues left behind, I turned invisible again and entered the restricted area.
The ground inside the perimeter was scorched black by the grenade, with nothing else remaining. However, I suddenly remembered something—the assassin had been holding a combat knife, which had been blown in half. I had no idea where the other half had landed!
I immediately activated my spiritual sense to search and quickly located the broken blade.
But as I approached, I saw a police officer crouching right beside it.
He suddenly stood up and shouted to the others, “Captain! Come quick! There’s something strange here!”
Hearing this, the other officers rushed over.
Seeing the situation, I didn’t hesitate—I snatched the broken blade into my Storage Ring and leaped back onto the wall.
“What did you find?” the captain asked the officer who had made the discovery.
The officer pointed at the spot where the blade had been. “There was a—” He paused, stunned. “Huh? It was right here a second ago!”
“Tch! Always making a fuss. If it weren’t for your uncle’s request, I wouldn’t even keep you on the team!” The middle-aged captain snorted coldly at the young officer.
The young officer looked aggrieved. “But Captain, I really saw—”
Before he could finish, the captain cut him off. “This case isn’t simple—it might be related to terr0rists. But higher-ups just want us to go through the motions, so don’t take it too seriously. Let’s go!” With that, he sighed and walked back toward the cordoned area.
The young officer scratched his head, glanced one last time at the empty spot, and left, still confused.
I let out a relieved breath, jumped down from the wall, and returned to the apartment.
The apartment had been restored to normal, meaning someone must have come by. Strangely, though, the living room was completely empty.
Just then, my phone rang. Pulling it out of my pocket, I saw that the caller was Qin Shousheng.
I quickly went to my bedroom to answer. “Uncle Qin, what’s up?”
“Xia Tian, was that explosion near your apartment related to you?” Qin Shousheng got straight to the point—he was clearly worried about Qin Mengdie’s safety.
I sighed. “Someone tried to assassinate Qin Mengdie again today. The explosion happened during the fight.”
“Is Xiaodie alright?!” His voice was laced with anxiety.
I chuckled. “With me around, she’s perfectly safe.”
“That’s a relief…” Qin Shousheng exhaled, then asked, “What about you? Are you okay?”
D*mn! Only now does he remember me? How cheap is my life to him?!
“I’m fine!” I replied irritably.
Now fully at ease, Qin Shousheng laughed. “Good, good!”
“By the way, Uncle Qin, you know about the trip to Beidaihe with Qin Mengdie and the others, right?” I suddenly recalled the assassination attempt on the helicopter and felt I should inform him.
Qin Shousheng chuckled. “Yes, I know. Did you all have fun?”
Fun your ass! I almost died!
“Did Qin Mengdie not tell you? On the way to Beidaihe, she was targeted by assassins again!” What was going on? Had he really not heard about it?
Qin Shousheng’s calm shattered. “What?! Explain everything!”
Sighing, I recounted the entire incident in detail.
“Those b*stards are getting bolder!” Qin Shousheng growled, clearly furious.
Confused, I asked, “Uncle Qin, if it’s so dangerous outside, why not just keep Qin Mengdie at home?”
“Home… is even more dangerous than outside…” He sighed deeply, then added, “I’m sorry, Xia Tian, for dragging you into this mess…”
“Uncle Qin, given how dangerous this is, don’t you think a million is a bit too low? I’m literally risking my life here!” I joked half-heartedly.
Truthfully, I didn’t care much about the money—I just felt uneasy. Even now, I had no idea who was behind the assassination attempts.
Qin Shousheng had only told me to protect her, revealing nothing else. At first, I didn’t even know who I was protecting.
After a moment of silence, Qin Shousheng spoke again. “While she’s at school, focus on keeping her safe. You’re right—the pay is too low. I’m raising it to ten million a year!”
“Tch! Ten million? You think—” I scoffed, then froze. Wait—ten million?! That’s ten times the original amount!
I might not be obsessed with money, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like it!
I immediately changed my tone. “Deal!”
Qin Shousheng laughed helplessly. “I’ve already taken care of the explosion incident, so don’t worry about it. Just focus on protecting Xiaodie. But remember—she must never find out you’re deliberately protecting her!”
“Why not?” If it were just to keep the assassins from knowing I was a bodyguard, I’d understand. But why hide it from Qin Mengdie herself?
“Just remember what I said. Some things aren’t for you to ask. That’s all—I have other matters to attend to.” With that, he hung up.
I sighed in frustration. Though his last words were harsh, he wasn’t wrong—I was just a small-time bodyguard. I didn’t need to know everything.
But just because he wouldn’t tell me didn’t mean I couldn’t investigate on my own.
I took out the bent sniper rifle and the broken combat knife from my Storage Ring, checking for any clues.
I wasn’t very knowledgeable about firearms, so after a brief inspection, I set the rifle aside.
Focusing on the broken blade, I soon found a lead.
Near the hilt of the combat knife, two engraved letters matched those on the sniper rifle.
“SR?!”
A thought suddenly struck me…