LRAB Page 26
Page 26
"Hey, what are you thinking about? You seem so engrossed."
Su Xiaoqiang noticed that Gu Ran looked preoccupied and didn't seem to be in much interest of the trip.
"No, I was just thinking about how far the place we're going to is," Gu Ran replied dismissively.
Su Xiaoqiang said, "It's not far, it's near the hotel, and it's not sunny."
Soon, the two arrived at a stream, about a hundred meters away from the hotel entrance.
Beside the stream was a shady lawn, with many waiters coming and going.
They had already set up tables and chairs on the lawn, and the tables were full of ingredients, all raw materials.
These raw materials were all cleaned and pre-cut by the hotel kitchen staff, and seasoning packets were also provided.
Near the lawn, there are many stoves that have already been set up and are even lit. Guests can simply add charcoal to use them, or ask a waiter if they don't know how.
"Come on, everyone, eat and drink as you please, let's have a great time today!"
Su Xiaoqiang gave a shout, and the students cheered. Then the barbecue party began.
Seven people were sitting on the stove in front of Gu Ran.
The charcoal fire in the stove was burning brightly.
Xu Miaomiao and Xu Yanyan were already hungry.
The two of them were chubby, and they sat together like bowling pins, not minding the crowd, and eagerly spread the ingredients on the barbecue grill.
Chen Wenwen and Zhao Menghua sat together. Chen Wenwen wanted to eat eggplant, so Zhao Menghua cut the eggplant open and grilled it for her.
Liu Miaomiao sat alone. After looking around for a while, she lost her appetite, so she asked the waiter to bring her a vegetable salad and a dessert, which she ate quietly.
The wealthy Su Xiaoqiang sat with Gu Ran and asked, "What do you want to eat? I'll grill it!"
"I can do it myself," Gu Ran said softly.
He skewered two chicken wings, held the skewers about ten centimeters above the grill, and then looked around absentmindedly.
The people around were all students from Shilan Middle School, as well as waiters.
If the assassin wanted to blend into the crowd, he would most likely be among the waiters.
The students were in high spirits, and everyone at each table was discussing excitedly.
Only Gu Ran's table remained unusually silent.
The main thing is that Gu Ran's mind wasn't on the barbecue; he was on guard.
He sees everyone as an assassin now.
His analysis was the same as Raymond's; both believed that the killer wouldn't act in public.
At least we'll wait until after dark.
I figured Raymond would arrive in about an hour.
Gu Ran felt somewhat relieved.
Just then, his phone rang again.
"Hey."
Gu Ran answered the phone and casually placed the skewer of chicken wings in her hand on the grill.
Su Xiaoqiang immediately took over and continued grilling for Gu Ran.
Liu Miaomiao glanced at her, then suddenly took out her phone and sent a text message.
Chapter 27 Things Related to Love
Su Xiaoqiang's phone rang with a text message. She didn't want to look at it, but she noticed that Liu Miaomiao was staring at her.
She then frowned, took out her phone, and glanced at it.
The two women started texting and chatting.
……
"Bad news, we're stuck on the highway."
Raymond's voice came through the phone.
In the background, there were also car horns blaring incessantly.
"So? How far are you from here?"
Gu Ran didn't stray too far from the crowd; he frowned and asked.
His intuition told him that this traffic jam was not simple.
It's not a holiday, so why is there a traffic jam for no reason?
Raymond replied, “We’ve only been on the highway for 20 kilometers when we heard about a traffic accident ahead. We’re stuck in traffic now, unable to go forward or backward. Norma suggested that we abandon the car and get off the highway, walk 5 kilometers to a nearby town, and then hire a car to take the national highway to Tianding Mountain. If we’re lucky… Norma estimates that we can arrive before 6 p.m..”
"What about the helicopter?"
Gu Ran thought of the plane that had picked up Lu Mingfei before.
"Taking off is restricted... Oh, damn it, shit!"
Raymond suddenly cursed.
He said to Gu Ran, "Norma said that someone has requisitioned all the vehicles in the nearby market. We have no means of transportation. It seems that this series of actions is aimed at you."
"The good news is that the more the other party makes a move, the easier it is for Norma to find clues about their activities."
"The bad news is...we might not be able to meet you until very late..."
Raymond recounted the entire situation to Gu Ran over the phone:
"The other side has mobilized so many people, so there might be more than one assassin on your side. You must be careful."
Gu Ran said, "I understand. Now I can only rely on myself, right?"
"Yes."
Raymond apologized, "The 3G licenses in China were only issued this year. There is no 3G in your area. The network speed of the base station is still at the 2G level. The hotel's surveillance system is not connected to the network, so Norma cannot take care of you."
"Very good, thank you for letting me know my situation."
Gu Ran didn't complain, which actually helped him abandon his fantasies.
"You're welcome. Take good care of yourself." Raymond wasn't one to be sentimental. "If you die, I'll avenge you."
"Thank you, but I won't die."
Gu Ran hung up the phone.
Isolated.
Instead of showing any pessimism, he smiled and returned to the grill, looking like he was about to enjoy the barbecue party.
One must remain calm and composed to accomplish great things.
The killer may be observing from nearby.
You can't let the assassin see you in a panicked state.
Su Xiaoqiang then gave him the grilled chicken wings, looking at him expectantly.
Gu Ran nodded: "Mmm, it's delicious."
The chef marinates these chicken wings in advance, so as long as they are cooked through, they will taste great.
Su Xiaoqiang looked satisfied.
We've almost finished the barbecue.
The happiest thing for everyone by the stream is playing in the water.
The stream was shallow, and many people started to go into the water to play. Even Su Xiaoqiang and her best friends joined in the fun.
Gu Ran sat on the shore, looking around warily yet pretending to be relaxed.
He analyzed the current situation for both sides.
He was in the open, while the enemy was in the shadows.
The number of enemies is unknown.
He has a trump card: as long as the other party doesn't attempt a close-range attack but only wants to kidnap him, he is confident he can escape.
However, if they enter combat and engage in close combat, and the other side is truly determined to kill him, he might suffer a loss.
Although he knows ninjutsu, he lacks practical combat experience.
Most of the time it's just bullying noobs.
In real combat, the key is to kill with one blow; fancy moves are useless.
After all, stabbing someone only requires one cut, and if it hits a vital spot, death is inevitable.
Therefore, it is very important to understand the other party's purpose.
Liu Miaomiao then sat down.
Gu Ran glanced at her.
After sitting quietly for a while, Liu Miaomiao spoke:
"This is the first time Su Xiaoqiang has taken the initiative like this. She feels that she wasn't proactive enough before, which allowed Chen Wenwen to take advantage of her. However, she doesn't like Zhao Menghua anymore, and even regrets that she could have liked that kind of person in the first place."
She sat obediently on the shore, her legs neatly together, and her voice was soft and gentle.
Gu Ran didn't understand why Liu Miaomiao had suddenly sat down next to him and said these things.
"I'm fairly familiar with Su Xiaoqiang, so I asked her for her." She blinked and asked Gu Ran, "Do you like her?"
Not far away, Su Xiaoqiang laughed boisterously, occasionally glancing over. When she saw Gu Ran looking at her, she immediately turned her head away shyly, pretending not to see him.
Water droplets clung to her long eyelashes, glistening and translucent.
Gu Ran said, "I have no interest in dating."
Now, with assassins eyeing him, he certainly has no interest in dating.