Gu Zheng?!
Only then did Song Ning realize that the sound of running water from the inner room had stopped.
The person who had been bathing inside…
Was actually Gu Zheng.
Song Ning let out a sigh of relief, only to see Gu Zheng hurriedly retreat back into the room.
Thinking of how he had rushed out moments ago with nothing but a towel around his waist, she figured he must have acted out of sheer urgency.
She stepped forward and pulled the cap off the man lying on the floor.
The bald head and hooked nose instantly came into view.
There was no doubt about it.
This was “Brother Da,” the trafficker leader who had escaped from the mountains.
Only then did the tension in her chest finally ease.
Checking his breathing, she found that Brother Da had already fallen unconscious.
Gu Zheng’s strike earlier had been swift, precise, and decisive.
A moment later, he emerged from the room fully dressed.
However, his expression didn’t look very good.
And his gaze…
Was a little too sharp.
Grinning, Song Ning gave him a thumbs-up.
“Commander Gu! Amazing! One move and you took him down!”
Gu Zheng didn’t seem particularly appreciative of the praise.
“Comrade Song Ning, you really do keep giving me ‘surprises’ again and again.”
Unsure of what he meant, Song Ning laughed awkwardly.
“Not that much…”
But Gu Zheng’s face remained stern. Pointing at Brother Da on the floor, he emphasized each word.
“In a situation like that, why didn’t you call for help? Why didn’t you seek assistance? Were you planning to deal with him by yourself?”
Although Brother Da wasn’t as infamous as Pan the Hunchback, he was still notorious for his ruthlessness.
Having survived in the underworld for so many years, his fighting skills were far beyond those of ordinary people.
If Gu Zheng hadn’t happened to be inside just now—
If there had been no one inside at all—
Or if it had been someone else—
The consequences would have been unimaginable.
Song Ning immediately felt guilty.
Unfortunately, Gu Zheng kept staring at her with a serious expression, clearly waiting for an answer.
She had no choice but to explain.
“I… I was worried that if I shouted, I’d scare him away! If he escaped, catching him again would—”
“So you really intended to capture him yourself?!”
Gu Zheng’s voice rose several degrees.
“You’ve already suffered at the hands of these traffickers once! How many lives do you think you have, taking him on alone?”
“No, no! I wasn’t planning to capture him by myself! Didn’t I immediately run toward where people were? And besides, we caught him, didn’t we?” Song Ning argued.
Although the situation had been urgent, she had thought it through.
Calling for help would certainly have attracted many people.
But Brother Da was a seasoned criminal leader.
Whether the ordinary guests staying at the guesthouse could actually subdue him was one thing.
The chances of them getting injured by him were even greater.
If another hostage situation occurred, things would become even more troublesome.
And if he managed to escape, who knew when they would get another chance to catch him?
Now that she’d run into him, she didn’t want to let him go.
He was her sworn enemy.
Part of her goal had been to find help as quickly as possible.
The other part had been to buy time while figuring out a strategy.
Even if she hadn’t found any help…
She felt she probably could have handled someone like him herself.
Probably.
But there was no chance to test that now.
Gu Zheng said firmly,
“If something like this happens again, your first priority is protecting yourself. Then report it to the authorities. Since he showed up here, we’d eventually catch him anyway. It’s only a matter of time.”
Song Ning immediately straightened her back and raised her hand in a crisp salute.
“Understood, Commander Gu!”
Gu Zheng looked steadily at the young woman before him.
Her half-dried hair hung loosely over her shoulders.
Her face was no larger than a palm.
Her eyes were clever and lively, carrying a hint of ingratiating charm.
She looked like a delicate young girl.
Yet she had been prepared to face the leader of a trafficking ring alone.
He truly couldn’t understand where she found such courage.
She was a victim.
She shouldn’t have been the one taking on that kind of danger.
And yet…
She had clearly had a plan.
When he intervened, she hadn’t been at a disadvantage.
She wasn’t acting out of blind bravery.
She was brave because she had confidence and strategy.
After calming himself, he finally spoke.
“Fine. I understand what you were thinking. You didn’t want to create more trouble, and you didn’t want to let him escape. While I don’t approve of such risky behavior…”
He paused before continuing.
“I still have to commend you. You’re very brave. And you’ve indeed made a significant contribution.”
Song Ning responded with the same bright smile.
“I gladly accept your praise.”
Hearing the familiar reply, Gu Zheng shook his head and laughed.
At last, the atmosphere eased.
Song Ning secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Only then did Gu Zheng ask,
“Now tell me. How did you end up here?”
Smiling, Song Ning replied,
“I was about to ask you the same thing, Commander Gu! You’ve been gone from Anping for several days. How did I end up running into you here?”
Gu Zheng answered,
“Continuous heavy rain caused a landslide that blocked the mountain road ahead. We got stranded here as well. For the past few days, we’ve been assisting with local disaster relief efforts…”
As he spoke, a voice suddenly echoed from the far end of the hallway.
“Comrade Song Ning! Comrade Song Ning!”
Song Ning quickly stepped into the corridor and called back,
“Comrade Xiao Zhang! I’m over here! Something happened just now…”
Xiao Zhang looked surprised to find her at this end of the hallway.
After Song Ning introduced Gu Zheng to him and pointed to Brother Da on the floor while explaining what had happened…
Xiao Zhang was so startled that he wiped sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.
“My goodness! So much happened in such a short time! Thank heavens there were military comrades here! A close call, but no disaster! Comrade Song Ning, you really need to be careful. Until we’ve safely delivered you to Yu City, we’re responsible for your safety!”
After thanking Gu Zheng repeatedly, Xiao Zhang urged Song Ning to come downstairs.
Director Fang was looking for her.
Pointing at the unconscious Brother Da, Song Ning said,
“Commander Gu! I’ll leave this man to you! I came here with Director Fang and Comrade Xiao Zhang from the Anping County Government. Let’s talk again when we have the chance!”
Gu Zheng smiled and nodded.
Following Xiao Zhang, Song Ning arrived at a row of buildings behind the guesthouse.
Director Fang was sitting in an office with another man, deep in conversation.
The moment he saw Song Ning enter, Director Fang spoke with a troubled expression.
“Comrade Song Ning… we’ve got a serious problem.”