Upon seeing the gun, I almost instinctively threw myself to the ground! Then I rolled away as fast as I could. The driver didn't hesitate and quickly drove off twice!
His gun was fitted with a silencer, and the bullets made a whooshing sound. This sound was not very loud, and even the roadside stall owner did not notice it at first. It was only after I rolled on the ground and the bullet hit the table and shattered a bowl that the roadside stall owner suddenly exclaimed in surprise!
I rolled to the side as fast as I could, and just as I was getting anxious, I suddenly heard a "whoosh" above my head! A stool flew over my head and hit the driver who was not far away!
It was that woman who made the move! She had no weapon with her, so she just grabbed a stool and threw it. While the stool hit the driver, I sprang up from the ground and darted away, crouching low!
There was a big tree nearby, but apart from that, there was no cover to avoid the bullets!
I've clearly seen that the gunman is holding a "Black Star pistol." The bullets from this gun have excellent penetrating power. I dare not hide behind those dilapidated tables at roadside stalls. The bullets from the Black Star pistol could easily pierce through those tables and kill me!
The woman reacted almost as quickly as I did; we both rushed behind the tree at nearly the same time. But then the problem arose… the tree, though thick, certainly couldn't accommodate two people hiding behind it simultaneously. Just as I was getting anxious, the driver who had been knocked down by the bench got up, and the other two men, guns in hand, quickly approached! To my surprise, they didn't immediately open fire; instead, they shouted something as they walked.
I couldn't understand the Vietnamese they were speaking, but I sensed that the woman next to me definitely could! Because her expression changed!
I grabbed her, pinned her behind me, and yelled, "What did they say?"
“Let’s not resist, let’s go with them…” a woman’s urgent voice rang in my ears. I took a deep breath. By then, the other side had stopped shooting. The three men stood in a triangular formation, guns pointed at us. At that moment, the stall owner on the roadside stall next to us was already trembling on the ground in fear.
“Tell them not to shoot, we’ll do as they say.” I took a deep breath, and the woman behind me immediately shouted a few words as I instructed. Her Vietnamese was quite good. I peeked out from behind the tree and observed them. They indeed lowered their guns and slowly retreated a few steps.
All three men were wearing helmets, so their faces couldn't be seen, but they were clearly anxious. They shouted urging each other on a few more times, even though it was the early hours of the morning. However, firing shots like that in the street clearly showed they were worried about things going wrong if it went on too long.
"Do you still have any razor blades on you?" I asked in a low voice, taking a deep breath.
The woman hesitated for a moment, and I felt her place a cold, hard object into my palm.
“I’ll be in front, you’ll be behind me. When I say ‘make a move,’ we’ll strike together. You’ll be on the left, I’ll be on the right.” I said, as I opened my arms and stepped out from behind the tree.
I'm gambling! I'm betting that these guys don't intend to kill us on the spot! Because they have guns and already have the upper hand, if they wanted us dead, there would be no need for them to stop shouting. They could just send two people to flank us from both sides and shoot us dead!
So, I bet they won't fire!
Clearly, my judgment was accurate. I slowly walked out, and as expected, the other side didn't fire; they simply waved their guns to signal us to hurry up.
I walked ahead, and as I had instructed, the woman hid most of her body behind me. She seemed a little nervous; it looked like if anything unexpected happened, she would probably immediately shrink her entire body behind me, using me as a shield...
I spread my arms wide, my right hand with the thumb gripping the blade, back of my hand facing forward and palm facing backward. The posture was a bit strange, but fortunately, the other party didn't notice. I slowly approached them, slowing down my pace as I estimated, and whispered, "I'll go left, you go right, let's attack together. Life and death are in this one move."
"What about the one in the middle?" the woman asked anxiously.
I didn't say anything, but I thought to myself: Well, that depends on their character!
If all goes well, the two of us, with our two blades, can take out the two on the left and right... As for the guy in the middle with his gun... Hmph, he only has one gun, and only one chance to fire. Then the woman and I will dodge to the sides at the same time... It'll all come down to who's luckier!
God knows where that guy in the middle will shoot...
I didn't say these words, but the woman immediately understood.
I slowly moved forward, one step, two steps...
When I estimated that I was less than ten steps away from my opponent, I suddenly shouted, "Attack!"
As I shouted, I lunged to the left. In mid-air, my entire body stretched out, my right hand swiftly rose, and then the blade between my fingers shot out with all my might...
Whoosh!
Although I knew that such a thin blade couldn't possibly make a cutting sound, for a moment, I seemed to be hallucinating... In that life-or-death moment, I even seemed to see the trajectory of the blade through the air...
A ray of morning sunlight reflected off the blade, giving it a faint, cold gleam...
Bang!
My body slammed heavily onto the ground, the impact sending shivers down my spine. I felt my left elbow rip open from the impact, but the pain only fueled my inner strength. The moment I hit the ground, I tumbled to the side and rolled away at lightning speed…
At that very moment, I heard a muffled groan. The blade I had fired had precisely sliced through the throat of the man on my left, embedding itself deeply below his Adam's apple and above his collarbone... cutting right through his throat!
The man grunted, his hand went limp and the gun fell to the ground. He then seemed to open his arms as if trying to cover his throat before collapsing.
At that very moment, I heard a gunshot...
call out!
To be honest, my heart skipped a beat! My first reaction was to close my eyes... But in an instant, I forced myself to calm down and then confirmed that I hadn't been shot!
As I rolled away on the ground, I saw the guy on my right had also been stabbed at the same time!
However, unlike my attack, the blade the woman shot wasn't aimed at the throat, but rather grazed the wrist of the man on the right who was holding the gun! A flash of cold light followed, followed by a brilliant spray of blood! I was certain it had severed the vein in his wrist! Blood gushed out rapidly, and the man seemed stunned for a moment, only reacting when the gun fell to the ground. He then clutched his wrist, cried out in pain, and knelt down.
But at the same time... I saw the guy in the middle raise a gun, and the bullet hit the woman. When she landed, a spurt of blood shot out from her shoulder!
In times of crisis, people can always unleash some potential! I rolled on the ground and darted away like a raccoon, then grabbed the gun left behind by the guy I killed!
Just as the last guy turned his gun on me, I rolled right in front of him, raised my gun, and pointed it at his crotch...
The position was strange, but I wasn't in the mood for joking at all. I pressed the muzzle of my gun against his crotch and then slowly stood up.
The man was wearing a helmet, so I couldn't see his expression, but I knew he was stunned. He slowly lowered his hand from the gun, and I snatched it from his hand without resistance...
This reaction is actually quite normal: for a man, pointing a gun at his head and pointing a gun at his genitals... have very different effects! Obviously, the latter is more intimidating than the former!
The woman on the ground snorted. She was very tough. Although I had always thought she was a bit timid, she gritted her teeth and held on at this crucial moment.
The guy in the middle was shouting something at me, but I couldn't understand a word of his Vietnamese.
But I couldn't be bothered to argue with him...
I raised my hand and fired two shots, the bullets hitting his legs. The man screamed and immediately collapsed. I stood before him, expressionless, glancing at him. The man next to him was still clutching his wrist, groaning in pain. The woman's knife wound was deep, blood gushing from it. I looked at it coldly, then aimed my gun at his leg and fired…
After the whistling of bullets, the two remaining survivors on the ground were howling in agony. I tucked my gun into my waistband, then turned and pulled the woman aside: "Are you stupid? Let's go!"
I pulled the woman, causing her to stumble slightly. I then practically dragged her to the motorcycles parked on the side of the road.
Luckily, those guys didn't have time to lock the car, so I quickly started the engine and ran back to retrieve the bag I'd dropped. It contained my money and documents. I tossed the bag into the trunk, then got in. The woman hugged me from behind, her body pressed tightly against mine, looking very weak…
With a few roars, I sped away on my motorcycle...
I haven't ridden a motorcycle in a long time. This one feels really old and worn out. The cylinders are making strange noises, and the engine speed is off. In my eyes, this kind of motorcycle is practically garbage. After all, I used to hang out with the street racers in Nanjing for a while when I was younger.
I felt the woman behind me holding me less tightly; her body slumped slightly, clearly because she couldn't use one arm after being shot in the shoulder.
Helpless, I reached behind her to straighten her up, only to feel the blood from her shoulder trickling down my sleeve. It quickly soaked through my clothes, leaving them sticky…
I frowned slightly, keeping an eye on the road on both sides while driving. Suddenly, I heard the roar of a car behind me. I glanced at the rearview mirror and saw a Toyota Corolla rushing up behind me. I vaguely saw a window open on one side and someone sticking half their head out to look at me. Then I saw a dark, gaping object sticking out of the window!
It's a gun!
I cursed under my breath, and just then I saw a right turn ahead. I immediately sped towards it, slightly tilting my body to the side, slamming on the brakes, and shifting gears to turn. It had been a long time since I'd done something like that. The car was in terrible condition, and with a limp, injured woman behind me, the car swayed violently as I turned, almost flipping over. Luckily, I managed to grab the front of the car, and then I accelerated sharply…
The Toyota Corolla was following closely behind, and then I heard two loud bangs, sparks flying—the other car had fired! However, the bullets missed me, hitting the ground to my side instead. There was another shot; the bullet shattered my left side mirror.
Damn it!
I cursed, and suddenly I saw a narrow alley ahead, and my eyes lit up immediately!
I knew I couldn't outrun that Toyota Corolla behind me on the main road. My motorcycle was terrible, and I wasn't wearing a helmet… Not having a helmet was a minor issue, but not having goggles was a much bigger problem! When I picked up speed, the strong wind would make it hard for me to open my eyes, obstructing my vision and preventing me from reaching top speed.
The Toyota Corolla behind me was getting closer. At the same time, the other vehicle fired two more shots. I tried to dodge, and the motorcycle swayed left and right twice under my control. Finally, I reached the alleyway entrance. I slowed down and slammed on the brakes. The sudden stop caused the motorcycle to lurch sideways, and the immense centrifugal force almost sent it flying. Luckily, I managed to grab the front of the motorcycle in time, and my kickstand was firmly planted on the ground…
A Toyota Corolla sped past me without stopping, and I, without even adjusting my position, immediately drove into the alley.
The alley was narrow, filled with trash cans and piles of garbage dumped by who-knows-who. I tried my best to avoid it, but still maintained a high speed. At least I could be sure that the alley was narrow, only about two meters wide, and that Toyota Corolla couldn't possibly drive in there.
I felt my legs hit the trash can twice, a sharp pain shooting through me. Just as I was gritting my teeth, the terrain suddenly changed dramatically! A series of steps, about a dozen stories high, appeared before me… I steeled myself, slammed on the brakes, and slowed down. Then I ducked and plunged down…
The wheels bounced on the steps, and I felt like I was on a roller coaster. Judging by the jolts, I was certain the tires were about to fail! Sure enough, on the final landing, the woman behind me nearly flew out. I had to stop the car briefly, then quickly took off my shirt and used it to wrap around her back, using the shirt as a rope to secure her. The woman was deathly pale with pain, and blood was still flowing.
I glanced at her, said nothing, and continued to accelerate.
I had no idea where I was, wandering through the streets and alleys, nor did I know which way was ahead. I dared not walk on the main roads, and instead ventured into any alleyway I came across. The road was full of ups and downs, and I had no idea where I was.
I drove aimlessly for a full half hour before finally stopping in a quiet alley.
There seemed to be no activity around here. Next to it was a somewhat dilapidated house, and I could tell from the dust on the ground in front of the door that it seemed like very few people came here.
On both sides were narrow, typical Vietnamese houses. There was a small open space in the alley, littered with trash—empty bottles, plastic bags, and the like. Based on my intuition, I guessed this was probably a slum or something similar.
I parked the motorcycle, propped it up in a shaded spot, and helped the woman off. I stood at the doorway for a while, listening to make sure no one was inside. Then I noticed what appeared to be a small staircase and helped the woman slowly up it. We quickly reached the rooftop. There was an iron door with a rusty padlock. Although I suspected no one was home and wanted to go inside for some shelter, I picked up a wire from the ground and tried to pry the padlock open, but it wouldn't budge.
After all, I'm not a professional thief, and the lock was rusty. If it were just a wooden door, I probably would have kicked it open long ago, but I was helpless against the thick iron bars.
I can't just walk through walls, can I?
I helped the woman lean against the wall; her lips were already pale. I knew she had lost a lot of blood. I carefully unwrapped the shirt I had wrapped around her, and found that half of it was stained red with blood. The woman was trembling slightly from the pain, but her eyes were still relatively clear.
Without saying a word to her, I ripped open the fabric from her shoulder and saw a bullet hole, blood gushing out. I checked and confirmed that the bullet had pierced her shoulder; there were two symmetrical bullet holes, one in the front and one in the back.
She was lucky the bullet didn't get lodged in her body.
I tore my own shirt and used it to wrap her shoulders tightly. There was no other way; I could only apply pressure to stop the bleeding. But it didn't seem to be working very well.
The woman leaned against the wall, panting heavily, her breath coming in gasps of pain. I glanced at the sky, thought for a moment, then bent down and said to her, "Your injury needs to be treated, but I have nothing on me right now. This place is relatively safe, so you can lie here for a while. I don't think anyone will find this place. I'll go out and find something, then come back to you."
The woman looked up at me, forcing a bitter smile: "It's okay... You don't have to come back... After all, we're not related, you don't need to risk your life for me."
I was only wearing a vest now, and it was stained with blood. I simply took it off and stood in front of her, saying slowly, "You don't need to play mind games with me, and you don't need to test me with these kinds of words. I'm not trying to save you out of pity. It's just that we went through what happened together, and I'm only responsible for treating your wounds. After that, we'll go our separate ways."
Then I stood up, slowly walked down the stairs, glanced at the motorcycle parked in the corner, went over and took out my bag.
The car can still run, but it's probably out of gas. I need to figure out where to find some. I thought to myself.
It was already broad daylight.
I carefully walked out of the alley, turned two corners, and finally arrived at the main road. The alley was very long, no wonder there were hardly any people inside.
The time was right at the city's morning rush hour; the streets were packed with pedestrians and congested with vehicles, though motorcycles made up the majority. Vietnam doesn't have its own domestic car industry; all cars are imported, but motorcycles are plentiful.
I was shirtless. Although it's not unusual to be shirtless this time of year, walking around shirtless on the street so early in the morning was still a bit conspicuous.
I quickly found a 24-hour convenience store, bought a short-sleeved travel T-shirt, put it on, and breathed a sigh of relief before starting my search on the street.
My goal was clear: to find a pharmacy. But after walking down the street, I still couldn't find one, and I was starting to get impatient. At the same time, I felt tense and wary. After all, I had just been through a life-or-death situation, and I was still a little shaken. I felt that everyone around me on the street was looking at me with ill intent.
I bought a bottle of mineral water, drank more than half of it in one gulp, put the rest in my bag, and continued walking. Along the way, I tried to avoid any patrol officers I saw in the distance. But I walked for a long time and still couldn't find a pharmacy…
Moreover, at such a young age, only seven o'clock, which pharmacy opens for business so early?
I went back to the convenience store, found a bottle of strong liquor, bought two bottles of mineral water and some food, and then turned around and went back.
On the way, I saw a motorcycle shop and thought about going in to see if I could get some gasoline, but then I saw a police car parked not far from the entrance, so I decided not to go in.
I ran quickly back to the alley and the dilapidated, uninhabited building. Going up the stairs, I saw the woman had slipped and fallen to the ground. I helped her up, feeling her body was a little sore. I shook her, and she opened her eyes. When she saw me, a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.
"I really can't find any medicine, so I'll have to make do." I unwrapped the bandage from her wound, washed it with clean water, and opened the bottle of strong liquor—the strongest liquor I could find in the store. I poured some onto the bandage and then gently cleaned her wound with the liquor.
The woman's body was convulsing in pain, and I could tell she was trying her best to endure it.
I thought for a moment, then brought the bottle to her lips: "Take a couple of sips, it might ease the pain a little."