Chapter 54 You’re Completely Untrustworthy

Even if Zhao Shengge had truly tied him up, Chen Wan would have found every possible way to break free. Even the demons of Xiaolan Mountain, a place like hell, couldn’t control Chen Wan, let alone a gentleman like Zhao Shengge.

When dealing with a gentleman, it’s always the scoundrel who comes out on top.

Now, it was his turn to tie up Zhao Shengge.

Chen Wan, taking a lesson from Zhao Shengge’s earlier misstep, tied his wrists extremely tightly, with knots so intricate they left Zhao Shengge disoriented.

But Zhao Shengge was tall and robust, his physique far surpassing Chen Wan’s. Against such sheer strength, all techniques were just for show.

Even while bound, Zhao Shengge could raise his hands and directly grip Chen Wan’s neck.

Chen Wan’s neck was slender, and Zhao Shengge’s large hand easily encircled it, his thumb pressing hard against Chen Wan’s throat as he said in a deep voice, “Chen Wan, untie it now.”

Chen Wan’s breathing quickened, his throat bobbing under the menacing pressure. Zhao Shengge must have been truly angry, as he applied force, and Chen Wan felt a slight sense of suffocation. Yet he shook his head, letting Zhao Shengge hold his most vulnerable spot, while his own hands tightened the bindings even more.

Suddenly, the ship jolted, sending both of them tumbling to one side.

Zhao Shengge took advantage of the moment, extending a leg to pin Chen Wan down, his tall frame bearing down like a slab of jade.

Chen Wan, swift and resolute, flipped over and straddled Zhao Shengge’s waist. Seizing the upper hand, he went on the offensive, using all his strength to hold Zhao Shengge down. Their breaths mingled, the tension between them thick.

“Get off!” Zhao Shengge’s expression darkened, his authority radiating even without anger.

Chen Wan ignored him, speaking as if to himself, “Later, no matter what you hear, stay put. I’ll lock the compartment.”

“I’m not their target; they won’t touch me.”

“Once I’m out, I’ll find a spot to lay low.”

“Don’t worry about me.”

Zhao Shengge’s gaze was sharp as a blade, his voice low, “Chen Wan, don’t make me say it again!”

He had a natural air of authority that sent a chill through anyone.

But Chen Wan ignored him, his face shadowed and his gaze fixated, completely different from his usual gentle and obedient demeanor. He was decisive, stubborn, obsessive, and utterly commanding, issuing commands one after another: “When the alarm goes off, detach from the main compartment immediately.”

“I’ll handle the compartment’s detachment from outside.”

“If I find out you haven’t detached, I’ll trigger the emergency brake until it’s done.”

Zhao Shengge’s eyes narrowed, and he went silent, as if a bullet had already struck his heart.

Chen Wan was threatening him, using the safety of the entire ship, including himself, to ensure his successful escape.

The warning lights in the core area lit up… Chen Wan swiftly grabbed a magazine and shoved it into Zhao Shengge’s pocket.

“What are you doing!?” Zhao Shengge roared in anger.

“I’ve got more,” Chen Wan said, having brought extra magazines just in case. “I won’t need that many, you take them, just in case.”

Chen Wan refused to let anything happen to Zhao Shengge. With his marksmanship, what he had on him was enough. If it wasn’t, then it was already beyond what a single gun could handle.

“Chen Wan!”

Zhao Shengge was furious. The dim underwater light made his furious face look even more menacing.

Chen Wan froze for a second; he had never seen Zhao Shengge so furious.

Zhao Shengge had always been as steady as a rock, calm and composed, and Chen Wan could barely look directly into those piercing eyes.

Chen Wan knew very well that doing this might expose the secret he’d kept for years, but he still did not hesitate.

Protecting Zhao Shengge came instinctively. You can’t go against your own nature.

Chen Wan actually smiled and said, "We’re out of time. Let’s meet on land in an hour, okay?"

After saying that, he turned around and set the shutdown code on the cabin door, after which the secret cabin would go into emergency lockdown.

He heard Zhao Shengge's voice, now composed, coming from behind: "Chen Wan, if you dare to take one step outside, we’re done."

Chen Wan hesitated for a split second.

"You have no credibility whatsoever."

"Breaking promises, disobeying orders, not listening to commands—Minglong can’t deal with someone like you."

Zhao Shengge was raised in the world of negotiations, always able to quickly spot and analyze his subtle advantages and bargaining chips in hopeless situations.

In such a critical moment, Zhao Shengge suddenly realized something he’d never noticed—Chen Wan cared about him way more than he thought.

Chen Wan cared about him, that was certain.

But he didn’t know that this care was spilling over.

Before, Chen Wan had hidden it well. Zhao Shengge had to guess whether it was due to good manners, his natural kindness, the street smarts he’d picked up over the years, or fear of his status.

Now he knew.

None of those.

It was Chen Wan's heart.

Chen Wan's partiality.

As long as Chen Wan cared about Zhao Shengge, Zhao Shengge would always have the upper hand.

Sure enough, Chen Wan's fingertip slowed down slightly as he pressed the door key.

"You know, I mean what I say," Zhao Shengge began to regain his cool, sure of his win, "always."

Chen Wan said, "Okay."

Chen Wan methodically finished setting the password, turned around, and he was calm, almost cold: "I can choose not to contact you, but I must ensure your safety."

Zhao Shengge's safety was his priority, his first order of business, not to be risked, not to be violated.

This was a principle, and no one could break it, not even Zhao Shengge himself.

Zhao Shengge's pupils trembled, he took a deep breath, and patiently tried to persuade: "Chen Wan, think carefully."

His tone was calm yet cruel: "Since when do you get to decide my affairs?"

"On what grounds? What status do you have?"

"Perhaps you overestimate yourself."

Chen Wan stayed indifferent, still focused on setting the password, head down.

"Chen Wan," Zhao Shengge’s words were blunt, almost cutting, "don’t make things harder for others."

"I won’t thank you for this. I’ll just see you as getting in my way."

"Don’t make me resent you."

Chen Wan listened quietly, without defending himself, still cool and collected, unfazed.

But he might not have realized that a flicker of confusion and loss betrayed his eyes, which made Zhao Shengge uneasy and pained. However, Zhao Shengge didn’t soften, continuing, "There’s no need for it to come to this, right?"

Another round of gunfire echoed, and Chen Wan no longer paid attention to what Zhao Shengge was saying. He spoke only for himself, "The password was a random input. Don’t bother trying to crack it after I’m gone; even I don’t know what it is."

"It’ll unlock automatically once we’re safe."

"I can track its status from outside. If you keep trying to crack it, I’ll follow through."

Zhao Shengge, who’d never faced such a lawless opponent in negotiations, lost some of his composure, "Chen Wan, are you even listening to me?"

Chen Wan didn’t listen to him at all, cutting him off coldly, "Goodbye, Zhao Shengge."

"Chen Wan!!"

Chen Wan didn’t even turn his head, nor did he look at Zhao Shengge again, without a hint of hesitation, firmly sealing the cabin.

Zhao Shengge watched his back disappear neatly behind the slowly closing door, and the entire cabin fell completely silent.

The door cut off Zhao Shengge’s view. Chen Wan had no time to deal with the dull pain in his heart. He shut down all the circuits around the door to avoid the killers discovering the cabin’s location. Once he was sure everything was safe, he crouched and moved toward the ship’s edge.

The ship’s lowest level housed the massive machinery that kept it running. It wouldn’t be easy for them to find Chen Wan.

The ship was moving along an uncertain route, with several rapid "bang" sounds, gunfire coming from an unknown level.

Urgent, chaotic, continuous.

Lin Lian was above, preventing more people from infiltrating the core area. Li Shenghui’s rescue aircraft was expected to arrive in at least forty minutes, and it was unclear how long their people could hold out.

Chen Wan crouched between a set of planks, almost blending into the machinery. The gears turned with a loud roar, tormenting his eardrums, but this just masked his breathing and the unavoidable sounds he made.

The gunfire was getting closer.

Chen Wan calmly discerned the direction of the approaching enemy from the loud noise, his fingers tightening on the gun.

The opponent was quickly searching inch by inch for the secret cabin and their hiding place.

Chen Wan could only press himself infinitely close to the operating machinery, but he couldn’t get any closer. The high-speed machinery generated a suction force that could pull him in entirely.

"Mr. Chen, we see you. Come out."

Chen Wan’s heart skipped a beat, but he quickly calmed down. The opponent was probably bluffing.

The speaker wasn’t an ordinary killer; it was likely Hu Ming, a trusted subordinate of Li Jiaming.

Chen Wan had thoroughly investigated these people. Hu Ming had once served Li Shenghui before switching to Li Jiaming’s side.

"You know, the person we’re looking for isn’t you. If you cooperate, our Mr. Li will surely treat you with courtesy."

Chen Wan coldly curled his lips. In this world, there was actually someone trying to persuade him to betray Zhao Shengge. Once Li Shenghui’s people arrived, he would be the first to shoot this person.

The machinery was so loud that it was impossible to pinpoint Chen Wan's location, so Hu Ming yanked the circuit breaker.

The lower deck fell into immediate silence.

Chen Wan's first thought was relief that the secret cabin's circuit was independent and sealed, so it wouldn’t affect Zhao Shengge.

But without the noise to mask his presence, discovery was inevitable. There likely weren’t many intruders, given the tight security, but those who made it in were undoubtedly skilled.

Hu Ming started a thorough, methodical search. Suddenly, a bullet narrowly missed Chen Wan, striking the steel plate mere inches away, the smell of gunpowder stinging his nose.

Chen Wan stayed motionless, gambling that the shot was a ploy to draw him out.

Against his hopes, the footsteps drew nearer. Just as the intruder was about to discover him, Chen Wan squeezed the trigger of his Beretta with precision.

"Over there!"

Chen Wan vaulted over the engine and slipped into the escape ladder, leading them away from the core area.

"Chase!" The escape ladder sealed shut, and the killers bolted up the stairs. When they reached the upper deck, they found that there was no one in the elevator.

Like a golden cicada shedding its shell, the crafty Chen Wan had vanished, descending to an unknown level.

The deputy tightened his grip on his pistol and let out a string of curses. The distant thrum of helicopter blades echoed from the deck; Li Shenghui's people arrived faster than they had imagined.

Hu Ming snarled through clenched teeth, "Search every floor—we can't let him escape!"

While Zhao Shengge was Li Jiaming's primary target, they knew capturing him would be no easy feat.

They shifted their focus to Fang Jian, but after days of surveillance, they realized Chen Wan might be the more valuable prize.

This time, Hu Ming abandoned the search and emptied his remaining bullets into every corner, forcing Chen Wan to come out.

Chen Wan weaved through the chaos, picking off the deputy's henchmen with precise long-range shots. The last one was the sharpshooter, armed with a high-caliber sniper rifle. In terms of firepower, Chen Wan had almost no chance of winning and could only maneuver.

The deafening roar of a helicopter filled the air as Li Shenghui's reinforcements descended.

A barrage of gunfire rained down on Li Jiaming's men, who were making their final stand while closing in on Chen Wan. Chen Wan fought to stay on his feet, his strength nearly spent. Several consecutive shots rang out beside his ears, just a few centimeters away from grazing his cheek.

His chest heaving, Chen Wan gasped for breath as he fled towards the water pressure window.

The killers pursued relentlessly, getting closer and closer. Chen Wan fired back while using a life hammer to smash the window, diving into the water might still offer a slim chance of survival.

The shooter's aim was deadly accurate, and his reflexes were lightning-fast. Just as the bullet was about to hit Chen Wan's vital point, suddenly, a tremendous force yanked Chen Wan away.

Author's note:

Zhao Shengge: Blah blah blah...

Chen Wan expressionless: Can't hear.

The main point is, you say yours, I do mine.