"
Hu Qian said, "Oh, Su wants to learn to sing? That's no problem. I suggest you first study systematically at the Central Conservatory of Music. After you have a foundation, find a well-known musician to give you special guidance and training. Then, spend money to produce a few good songs. With your pure and innocent looks, if you have a decent singing voice, it won't be difficult for you to become famous."
Zhao Qiang slapped his thigh and said, "Okay, we'll do it your way. I'll have to ask you for help with this."
Hu Qian was delighted. "No problem, I'll contact you tonight and try to get you to go to Beijing during the first month of the lunar calendar."
Su Su almost jumped up with joy, "That's wonderful! Sister Qian, you're such a kind person!"
Hu Qian narrowed her eyes, thinking to herself, "I can't wait to send you away right now. It's very dangerous to keep you by Zhao Qiang's side!"
Following the address given by Brother Wang, Zhao Qiang's car was parked in front of an alley. It was too narrow to drive any further in. The three of them got out of the car and walked in. The alley was extremely quiet, and the cold winter air sent a chill down their spines.
Zhao Qiang felt a little uneasy. He said to Su Su, "You and Hu Qian stay in the car. I'll go in and check on things myself."
Hu Qian insisted, "Let's go together. With you protecting us, what will happen to us? Besides, Wang Meng is probably just hired by Wang Xiaoliang. At most, he'll smash the windows to intimidate the Su family. He shouldn't do anything stupid."
Zhao Qiang felt confident that his energy was sufficient to protect the two women, so he agreed. The three of them walked one after the other into the depths of the alley, stopping in front of a dilapidated courtyard according to the house number. Without even asking, one could tell from the state of the place what kind of work this family did: scavenging. The courtyard was littered with mineral water bottles and cardboard boxes. The house was low and old, with some withered grass growing on the roof. If it weren't for the well-trodden path leading into the main house, it would be hard to imagine that anyone lived here.
Zhao Qiang patted the half-open courtyard gate: "Is anyone home?"
No one answered, but the main house seemed unlocked. Zhao Qiang led the way inside, with bits of trash occasionally drifting past his feet in the cold wind. When they reached the main house, Zhao Qiang pushed it open and then raised his voice to shout, "Is anyone home?"
This time there was a response. An old woman's voice asked, "Who is it? Is it Mengzi?" As the voice spoke, an old woman walked out with shaky, pigeon-toed steps—no, not walked out, but felt her way out, because she couldn't see!
Fearing the old lady might fall, Zhao Qiang quickly stepped forward to help her up. "Grandma, I'm here to see Wang Meng. Does he live here?"
The old lady asked, "Are you Mengzi's friend?"
Zhao Qiang casually agreed, "Yes, I need to talk to him about something."
The old lady said, "He went out yesterday and hasn't come back. He said he was helping someone else. I know he wanted to earn some money to buy me medicine, but my eyes can't be cured. No matter how much medicine I take, it won't help."
Zhao Qiang was somewhat disappointed that the old lady wasn't home. He helped her sit on a broken stool by the door, then made a few hand gestures to Hu Qian. Hu Qian finally understood, and she tiptoed into the house. A moment later, she came out with a photo frame and waved it at Zhao Qiang. Zhao Qiang examined it carefully and nodded, confirming that this Wang Meng was the one he had seen before. Although he wasn't entirely sure about the facial features, his build and height should be similar. Zhao Qiang's advanced biochip could make precise comparative analyses of human skeletons.
Hu Qian returned the old photo frame with satisfaction, then quietly stood behind Zhao Qiang again. The old lady, unaware of her presence, was currently talking to Zhao Qiang about something, "Mengzi lost his parents, and life has been hard. I'm just an old woman with no skills; he only studied for a few years before coming down to collect scraps. These past few years, my eyes..."
Hu Qian whispered in Zhao Qiang's ear, "There's nothing in the house except a broken table and a pile of tattered bedding. I looked around and the only food I found was a cold, hard cabbage. There wasn't even any rice or noodles for the next meal, let alone any vegetables."
Zhao Qiang nodded, and the old lady suddenly stood up: "Look at my muddled mind, let me bring you a bowl of water. I'm blind and can't start a fire, so I only have boiled water. Don't mind it, it was boiled for me by Mengzi the day before yesterday."
The old lady took a step to feel her way into the house to get water, but Zhao Qiang stopped her. "Grandma, since Mengzi isn't here, we won't bother you. I'll help you inside so you can rest. It's too cold outside."
The old lady was dressed in thin clothes, but Zhao Qiang didn't insist. He nodded and said, "Okay, okay, leave your name and I'll tell Mengzi to come find you." Zhao Qiang said, "No need, I'll come find him another day."
As Su Su stepped out of the dilapidated courtyard, her eyes welled up with tears. She said to Zhao Qiang, "Grandma is so pitiful. There's no heating in her house, and she doesn't even know where she'll get her next meal. That Wang Meng is such an unfilial son."
Hu Qian nodded: "He's probably been too busy hanging out with people like Wang Xiaoliang, which is why he's neglected his grandmother."
Zhao Qiang said, "Judging from what Grandma Wang Meng said, Wang Meng seems to be very filial, not like what you guessed."
Su Su said, "I refuse to believe it. How could someone with two hands live like this?"
Zhao Qiang sighed: "Sometimes life is not as simple as we imagine. Take our country for example. The coastal areas have long passed the poverty line, but in many inland areas, people can't even solve the problem of food and clothing. Can you believe it? People in the inland areas also have hands and feet. They are no lazier than people on the coast."
This issue isn't worth discussing any further. Hu Qian asked, "Where are we going? Home?"
Zhao Qiang said, "No, you drive Su away, I'll stay here. Wang Meng will definitely come back to bring his grandmother food. Besides, his grandmother said that her eyesight is bad and she can't light a fire to boil water. I think Wang Meng must know this. There's only a cold and hard old man at home. Wang Meng has been gone for a day and a night, he should be back by now."
Su Su pulled Zhao Qiang's arm and said, "No, I'll stay in Ping to keep you company."
Zhao Qiang said, "It's too cold outside."
Jing Su said, "If you're not afraid, I'm not afraid either. I'm willing to freeze with you."
Hu Qian smiled and said, "If you can do it, young lady, then I have no reason to give up."
Zhao Qiang looked around at the door. Next to the house was an abandoned house. The frame inside was half collapsed, but a person could still bend over and crawl inside. It was dark inside and suitable for hiding.
Zhao Qiang led the two girls inside, getting covered in dust. But this was nothing compared to catching Wang Meng; they could just go home and take a shower. The two girls, who cared about their appearance, didn't care about that right now; being with Zhao Qiang was the most important thing.
Time ticked by, and as lunchtime passed, Zhao Qiang began to get impatient. In contrast, Su Su and Hu Qian huddled together, half asleep. Skipping a meal was nothing to them; sometimes they would only eat one cucumber all day to lose weight. However, the cold weather made them shiver, and they would be woken up by the cold just as they were about to drift off.
Zhao Qiang couldn't bear to see the two girls suffer, so he secretly separated some of his energy to form a thin protective film around their bodies, leaving only their heads exposed for breathing. This way, their body temperature wouldn't drop too quickly, and the two girls felt much more comfortable. Before long, they even started breathing softly and fell asleep!
Footsteps echoed in the alley. Zhao Qiang peeked out through a gap in his cover and saw a young man. His brain immediately compared the image of the young man with the photograph of Wang Meng—they matched perfectly. Wang Meng had really returned! The young man was around 30 years old, rather thin, with a long, thin face and prominent veins on the back of his hands. This appearance was probably due to malnutrition. He was carrying two plastic bags, one containing medicine and the other containing a few steamed buns. As he walked, his clothes fluttered in the wind. Zhao Qiang could vaguely see a leather slingshot tucked into his waistband, which was probably his tool for shooting marbles.
Wang Meng was unaware that someone was spying on him. He calmly opened the gate and went into the house. Zhao Qiang came out of the half-collapsed abandoned house, dusted himself off, and followed him in. Inside the house, Wang Meng was saying to his grandmother, "Grandma, you must be starving. I bought some steamed buns. Eat them quickly. There's also medicine. I'll boil some water for you to take your medicine in a bit."
"Mengzi, you've been gone for so long, Grandma was worried about you. A friend just came to see you."
The room was dimly lit. As if sensing something, Wang Meng looked towards the door, where Zhao Qiang stood smiling, blocking the entrance. Wang Meng's expression changed, but he didn't make a sound. He stuffed the steamed bun into his grandmother's hand and said, "Grandma, you should eat quickly. I'm going to the toilet."
Volume 2 [198] I Won't Let You Die
The old lady was indeed hungry, so she didn't ask her grandson any more questions. She took the steamed bun and chewed it with her few teeth. Wang Meng slowly walked out, and Zhao Qiang made way for him at the door and followed closely behind.
In the courtyard, Wang Meng looked somewhat dejected. "You won. I'll let you punish me as you see fit."
Zhao Qiang said, "Is it fun to break someone's window?"
Wang Meng bit his lip and remained silent. Zhao Qiang then asked, "How much money did Wang Xiaoliang pay you to do this?"
When Wang Meng heard Zhao Qiang mention "Wang Xiaoliang," San Zhuo's body went limp, indicating that the matter had been exposed.
Zhao Qiang said, "Don't you think you've set your value too low?"
Wang Meng squatted on the ground like a toad that had lost its tendons. "You've seen my family's situation. We can't survive without money. What can I do? I'm already very happy that someone gave me five hundred yuan! Without money, my eyesight can't be restored, and I won't even have food to eat. We are human beings too; we also want to live a good life."
Zhao Qiang pulled a wad of RMB from his bag and tossed it to Wang Meng. "You work for me, and I'll give you ten thousand a month." This wasn't a sudden idea for Zhao Qiang; he'd had it during the chase of Wang Meng that night. As Zhao Qiang gained more attention, his safety and that of those around him became a concern. Yang Shiqi's protection could only cover the surface; Zhao Qiang still needed to deal with the hidden hostile forces himself. Finding a few capable and reliable helpers became Zhao Qiang's most crucial task. With helpers, he wouldn't have to do everything himself.
Wang Mengteng jumped up from the ground: "What? What did you say? I didn't hear wrong, did I?" The ten thousand yuan in Wang Meng's hand was deformed. He had never touched such a thick wad of money in his life! The feeling of fullness made him excited!
Zhao Qiang pulled out another ten thousand yuan. At this point, he had no other choice but to use money to subdue Wang Meng, since there was no real affection between them. It was purely an employer-employee relationship, maintained by money. "This ten thousand is for your grandmother's medical treatment. If she needs surgery, let me know how much more you need. I, Zhao Qiang, value not only your agility but also your filial piety! Speak up, it's cold outside." Although the old lady was elderly, her warmth towards people was definitely not perfunctory.
Zhao Qiang suddenly shivered, a dangerous aura emanating from him. He immediately turned his eyes around to look around, as if a pair of eyes were watching him from afar, making him feel uncomfortable all over.
A deep, muffled thud. It was a sniper rifle with a silencer. Although Zhao Qiang had never seen a real one, his biochip contained detailed information about it, and he could clearly describe the sound it made. Someone wanted to assassinate him! That was the first thought that flashed through Zhao Qiang's mind. It wasn't arrogance on his part; the technology he now possessed was absolutely enough to make him a target for assassination, which was why his immediate concern was his safety. However, Zhao Qiang quickly realized he was wrong. His upgraded X-ray vision glasses instantly captured the bullet's trajectory, and after rapid calculations, Zhao Qiang deduced that the sniper's target wasn't him, but Wang Meng!
The old lady stumbled. Being old, her legs were not nimble, and coupled with her poor eyesight, how could she walk steadily? Concerned for her safety, Wang Meng dropped the money in his hand and rushed over, shouting, "Grandma, be careful!"
Wang Meng's lunge saved his life; judging from his trajectory, the bullets definitely wouldn't hit him. However, the position he moved to face the old woman was directly in front of him. This was certainly not the assassin's intention, but bullets have no eyes, and spilled water cannot be controlled; the bullets continued to fire forward without pause!
Zhao Qiang had no time to hesitate and lunged at the old lady, yelling, "Lie down!"
Before Wang Meng could react, Zhao Qiang had already shielded the old lady in his arms. Thud! The bullet struck his back. Zhao Qiang winced in pain, but thankfully his protective shirt had been reinforced a few days prior, and the bullet was stopped.
The assassin did not stop after his first attack failed. Instead, he also listed Zhao Qiang as a dangerous person. After all, someone who could block a bullet before it arrived was a formidable opponent. He fired at Wang Meng and Zhao Qiang one after another, determined to kill them both.
Zhao Qiang's safety is naturally not a problem, but no matter how good Wang Meng's parkour skills are, he is no match for bullets. It's not that he's not agile enough, but that his brain's calculation is severely inadequate. Even if his eyes can see the trajectory of the bullet, and even if his slingshot can hit the bullet, it's simply impossible to calculate the bullet's trajectory and make his hands and feet react accordingly in a very short time! The human brain still has its limitations.
While continuing to shield the old woman, Zhao Qiang kicked Wang Meng, who fell towards the nearby garbage heap. Being clever and quick-witted, Wang Meng dove into the garbage heap, raising a jumble of trash to confuse the attacker. As a result, the sniper had no choice but to focus on Zhao Qiang, since he realized that it would be difficult to deal with Wang Meng without taking out Zhao Qiang first.
Zhao Qiang picked up the old lady and ran into the house. He turned his back to the sniper to continue firing. Of course, with his head lowered, he was afraid the sniper would think his back wasn't the best place to attack and instead shoot him in the head, in which case Zhao Qiang would be powerless to stop it.
Bang! The dull sniper rifle shot stopped, replaced by a crisp gunshot. Perhaps the sniper had run out of ammunition and had to switch to a regular pistol.
"No!" Suddenly, Su Su screamed from behind, then grabbed Zhao Qiang from behind. "Bang!" Another sharp sound rang out, Su Su's body jolted, and Zhao Qiang was stunned. Su Su had been awakened at some point. She hadn't heard the sound of the sniper rifle before, but of course she could hear the piercing sound of the pistol. Seeing Zhao Qiang in danger, she immediately rushed forward to shield him from the bullet! This silly girl, does she even have the ability?! She's courting death.
Whoosh, whoosh! After successfully escaping, Wang Meng launched a counterattack. Of course, it took him some time to locate the sniper's hiding place. Then, he fired marbles one after another. Compared to bullets, the power was far less, but they were still quite painful to be hit. The sniper's mission was a complete failure, and he had no choice but to abandon his attack and flee in panic.
Zhao Qiang released the terrified old woman, turned around and hugged Su Su tightly. Her back was covered in blood, and her face was pale as she slumped against Zhao Qiang's back. As he lifted her, Zhao Qiang cursed, "What's wrong with you?" Su Su, her internal organs injured, weakly said, "I...I won't let you die."
Su Su used to say that she would still love Zhao Qiang even if he became penniless, and that she would be willing to give her life for him. At that time, Zhao Qiang didn't really believe her, but now he does. Su Su has indeed fallen in love with him, and it's a very deep love. Otherwise, who would be willing to sacrifice themselves for someone else? Zhao Qiang dared to save Wang Meng's grandmother because he knew he would be fine, which is completely different from sacrificing himself to save someone else.
Hu Qian staggered into the yard. She couldn't believe her eyes. Su Su had woken up before her and came running after hearing the gunshot. In her haste, she didn't realize that Zhao Qiang had been hit by multiple bullets in the back but was unharmed. When she heard the gunshot, she only had one thought in her mind: Zhao Qiang couldn't be hurt, otherwise she wouldn't be able to live either. So Su Su threw herself on Zhao Qiang and used her body to shield him from a bullet.
Zhao Qiang didn't say anything, picked up Su Su and rushed out of the yard. Wang Meng had already scared the assassin away temporarily with marbles. The man fired several shots without any result, so he naturally didn't dare to stay in the same place. After all, this is a society governed by law. Openly firing guns would attract the police, and it would be dangerous to stay for too long.
Hu Qian reacted quickly, running ahead of Zhao Qiang and unlocking the Chery Tiggo's door lock from a distance. Ignoring the heaving of her breasts, she ran to the car even faster, opened the door, got into the driver's seat, and sped off. Zhao Qiang carried Su Su into the trunk, and the car raced towards the hospital.
"Cough," Su Su coughed and a mouthful of blood gushed from her mouth. Zhao Qiang gently wiped it away for her.
"Are you stupid?" Zhao Qiang yelled at Su Su. "I'm not afraid of bullets, why did you do this?"
Su Su said with difficulty, "You...you didn't tell me sooner. Now that I'm dying, you have to tell me you love me."
Zhao Jian hugged Su Su, tears streaming down his face: "I love you."
Su Su was so happy she almost fainted, but of course, it was also because she was injured that she fainted. "You have to swear that your love for me is not because I resemble my sister."
Zhao Qiang cried and said, "You don't understand at all. I've never loved Su Su. At most, it was just a naive and ignorant thought of a young boy. It can't compare to you at all."
Su Su opened her mouth weakly a few times before finally managing to utter, "Then my death was worthwhile."
Zhao Qiang shook Su Su's body. He felt her life slipping away; the bullet must have been lodged in a vital spot. Zhao Qiang was heartbroken, wishing he could catch the assassin and slash him all over! But this wasn't the time to think about revenge; Zhao Qiang had to ensure Su Su could get to the hospital for treatment.
The X-ray glasses can see through metal, but the bullet has already entered Su Su's body. The X-ray glasses must first see through Su Su's body to locate the bullet, and then Zhao Qiang can find a way to remove it.
Upgrade! The X-ray glasses must be upgraded immediately! Zhao Qiang took out the "material" from his laptop bag. He always carried it with him in case of any mishap. Although it was quite heavy, Zhao Qiang's physique had been greatly enhanced under the control of the super biochip, so he didn't feel any problem.
While driving, Hu Qian kept an eye on Su Su's condition through the rearview mirror. Her mind was a mess. Hearing Zhao Qiang tell Su Su that he loved her made her uncomfortable. However, Hu Qian was not a competitive person, especially in this critical moment, so she couldn't do anything unusual. Instead, she silently wished Su Su would pull through.
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Volume 2 [199] A Close Call
Hu Qian glanced at the rearview mirror again, and what she saw startled her. A cloud of white mist had appeared in front of Zhao Qiang, and Zhao Qiang's glasses seemed to be suspended in the mist. Then the glasses started spinning rapidly. Hu Qian thought she was seeing things, so she rubbed her eyes to make sure it was real. She didn't dare to ask Zhao Qiang what was going on and could only continue driving while observing.
The energy separated by Zhao Qiang was plentiful, and the super biochip had already calculated every step of the upgrade. It was programmed and run to control the energy and make detailed modifications to the glasses. The upgrade process only took a few minutes. Just as the energy was about to disappear and the glasses were about to fall off, Zhao Qiang grabbed them and put them on the bridge of his nose, and then immediately activated them.
The wound on Su Xiaosu's body was immediately seen through downwards, and the bullet head was immediately revealed along the trajectory. Su Xiaosu's breathing became weaker and weaker. Zhao Qiang dared not delay any longer. He took off the abnormal screwdriver, heated and sterilized it with a lighter, and then used the super biochip to precisely control the movement of his hand. The abnormal screwdriver carefully went into Su Xiaosu's chest cavity along the wound on her back.
When the screwdriver encountered any bones obstructing its path, it would bend and go around them. Under Zhao Qiang's mental control, the screwdriver changed shape after reaching the bullet, like a small pair of pliers tightly clamping the bullet. Zhao Qiang pulled it out, and the bullet was successfully removed! Clang! Zhao Qiang threw it out the window.
Hu Qian, who was driving, was so shocked she almost veered off the road! She had clearly seen it was just a small screwdriver, but when it pulled out the bullet, the shape of the tip changed. The screwdriver became thin, long, and crooked, and then Hu Qian watched as it returned to its original shape and was hung back on Zhao Qiang's waist. What... what was going on? A screwdriver that could transform at will? If this technology were applied to cutting-edge fields, what a shock it would cause to China's science and technology! At that moment, Hu Qian truly wished she could trade her life for Zhao Qiang's technology.
The car screeched to a halt in front of the emergency room. Zhao Qiang rushed in, carrying Su Xiaosu, shouting, "Doctor! Doctor! Help!"
After a brief period of panic, Su Xiaosu was taken into the operating room. Outside the operating room, Hu Qian sat silently beside Zhao Qiang. Zhao Qiang was trembling with nervousness. The red light in the operating room was constantly on. He dared not speak or think too much. He was so dazed that he didn't even realize that Hu Qian was touching his back.
Hu Qian counted the bullet holes one by one, then gently lifted Zhao Qiang's winter coat and sweater. The bullet holes disappeared in front of the white shirt. Actually, Hu Qian had been wondering these past few days that Zhao Qiang always wore a pair of sneakers and a white shirt, practically never changing them. Was Zhao Qiang a sloppy man? But he clearly didn't seem like it. Now, Hu Qian seemed to be deep in thought. She pinched the fabric of the shirt; it was very thin. But why were the front layers riddled with bullet holes, while this layer remained unscathed? If it was a bulletproof vest, that would be too amazing!
Hu Qian secretly touched the mysterious screwdriver on Zhao Qiang's waist. From the outside, it looked normal, small and delicate, like a keychain pendant. But Hu Qian had seen Zhao Qiang use it to remove the bullet from Su Xiaosu's body, and there was also the pair of glasses flying in the air. It must have another special function! Could it be similar to the shadowless lamp in an operating room? It can't be that simple, can it?
Hu Qian's mind raced with countless thoughts: the transforming screwdriver, the bulletproof shirt, the spinning glasses, and the sneakers Zhao Qiang had been wearing for so long—if these were all high-tech products, and if the Hu family had mastered them and applied them to the military, Yang Shiqi's achievements would be nothing, and the Hu family's desire to regain its former glory would be a piece of cake.
But how could she get Zhao Qiang to agree to share these technologies? Without his support, Hu Qian wasn't sure she could replicate the finished product. Yang Shiqi's inability to refine 'G' substance herself was the best proof of that. Zhao Qiang was too clever; he left the most crucial step as his own safeguard. Trying to break away from him and go it alone was out of the question.
Hu Qian was lost in thought, while Zhao Qiang was reminiscing about every little thing since he met Su Xiaosu. The naive Su Xiaosu dared to let Zhao Qiang into her room in the middle of the night, which, besides showing her lack of understanding of the wickedness of people in society, also demonstrated her kindness and purity. She made instant noodles for Zhao Qiang, let him warm himself on her bed, chatted with him, and held him while he slept, making him incredibly happy in every way. It would be an injustice not to cherish such a girl. If she could escape this ordeal, Zhao Qiang thought he would definitely protect her as if she were his own life.