219: Chapter 220 Harem Alliance Cooperates in Prison

The abandoned warehouse was filled with the smell of rust and dust, and the pale light from the old bulb overhead cast long shadows of Zhou Yurou, Qin Xue, Song Zhiwei, and Lin Wanyi.

The four of them were tied to iron chairs against the wall, their wrists and ankles bound with thick hemp ropes, yet there was no trace of cowardice in their eyes; instead, they exuded a calm composure in the face of danger.

"Don't panic, Zhang Fan is definitely looking for us." Zhou Yurou was the first to break the silence.

Her gaze quickly swept across the warehouse—the walls were mottled, discarded mechanical parts were piled in the corner, and the ventilation duct overhead was large enough for a person to pass through, though blocked by a wire mesh; two guards stood at the door with their backs to them, their rifles pointed downward; they appeared vigilant, but in reality, they were whispering to each other in impatient tones.

Qin Xue moved her wrists slightly; the kidnappers had tied them in a rush, so the knots were somewhat loose.

While pretending to adjust her posture, she used her fingernails to probe the gaps in the knots. "I'll try to untie the ropes. You find a way to distract the guards, and don't let them notice."

Song Zhiwei understood immediately. She cleared her throat and shouted at the guards at the door, "Hey! What exactly do you want? If Zhang Fan refuses to hand over the technology, do you really dare to kill us?"

Her voice carried a deliberate panic, attracting the guards' attention just right.

"Cut the crap!" The guard on the left turned back and glared at her. "Our boss said, if Zhang Fan doesn't behave, none of you will survive!"

"Not survive?" Song Zhiwei sneered, intentionally provoking them. "You are just running dogs for the Tianming Group. Do you really think you can get away if you kill us? Zhang Fan's influence spans the globe; even if you flee to the ends of the earth, he will be able to drag you out!"

The guard on the right had a shorter temper; he suddenly turned around, raised his rifle, and aimed it at Song Zhiwei. "If you dare to talk nonsense again, I'll blow you away right now!"

"Don't be impulsive!" Zhou Yurou spoke up immediately, her tone calm but authoritative. "If you kill us, you'll completely lose your bargaining chip. Zhang Fan wants our safety, and you want the technology. A desperate struggle now benefits no one."

Her words hit the guards' weak point. The two exchanged glances and lowered their guns. The guard on the left snorted, "Just stay put and don't try anything funny! When the ten minutes are up, if Zhang Fan hasn't responded, you'll see what happens!"

Taking advantage of the moment the guards' attention was diverted, Qin Xue's fingers had already undone the knots on her wrists. She moved her wrists discreetly and then quietly used her fingers to pick at the knots on her ankles, her movements so light they were almost silent.

Lin Wanyi had remained silent, her gaze fixed on the movements of the two guards—the one on the left frequently checked his watch and touched the phone in his pocket from time to time, as if waiting for some news; the one on the right paced back and forth, his eyes flickering as if he were anxious.

She lowered her voice to a volume only the four of them could hear. "Something is wrong between them; it seems they are arguing about splitting the loot. Just now, I heard them say 'The Bishop only gave half the deposit' and 'We need a bigger share after getting the technology'."

"This is an opportunity," Zhou Yurou said immediately. "We can sow discord between them, make them fight amongst themselves, and buy more time."

Qin Xue had untied her ankle knots. She quietly moved her body, getting closer to Song Zhiwei, and used her fingers to help her undo her knots.

Song Zhiwei understood and continued shouting at the guards, "I advise you to surrender early! The Tianming Group has already collapsed. Following them will only lead to a dead end. Zhang Fan said that as long as you let us go, not only will he not hold you accountable, but he can also give you enough money to retire on!"

"Bullshit!" the guard on the right roared. "Our boss said that once we get the core technology, we can sell it for a good price and live a life of luxury!"

"Live a life of luxury?" Song Zhiwei scoffed. "You are too naive! What kind of person is the 'Bishop' of the Tianming Group? He's famous for discarding people once they've served their purpose! Once you get the technology, you'll be the first ones he kills. Do you really think he'll share the money with you?"

The guard on the left's expression changed slightly; he was clearly swayed. He tugged on the arm of the guard on the right and whispered, "What she said seems to make some sense... The Bishop has stiffed other mercenaries before. Could we be getting scammed by him too?"

"What are you thinking!" The guard on the right glared at him. "It's useless to talk about this now. Let's talk after we get the technology!"

Their argument grew more intense, and their voices raised involuntarily. Qin Xue seized the chance to untie Song Zhiwei's knots and then went to help Lin Wanyi.

Lin Wanyi's movements were more agile. After being freed, she quietly picked up a sharp piece of metal from the ground, held it in her hand, and kept her eyes fixed on the guards' backs.

Zhou Yurou's knots were also undone by Qin Xue. She stood up, walked to the corner of the warehouse, and pretended to stretch her limbs, while actually observing the wire mesh of the ventilation duct.

The wire mesh was already rusted; with some force, it should be breakable. She gave the other three a look, signaling them to prepare for action—once the guards' infighting escalated, they would seize the chance to rush out or escape through the ventilation duct.

Just then, rapid footsteps suddenly came from the warehouse entrance. A mercenary in a black combat uniform ran in and shouted to the two guards at the door, "It's bad! Zhang Fan's people have been spotted outside; they've already surrounded the factory!"

"What?" The two guards' expressions changed drastically, and they instantly panicked. The guard on the left said immediately, "Quick! Call the Bishop and ask what to do!"

The guard on the right took out his phone and dialed frantically, only to find there was no signal.

"No signal!" the guard on the right roared. "It must be Zhang Fan's doing! What do we do now?"

"What else can we do? Fight them!" The guard on the left raised his rifle with a fierce look in his eyes. "If worse comes to worst, we'll kill these women and take Zhang Fan down with us!"

"No!" the guard on the right immediately objected. "If we kill them, we really won't have a way out! It's better to surrender; maybe we can still survive!"

The two exploded into a fierce argument and even began shoving each other. Lin Wanyi seized the opportunity, lunged forward, and slashed at the back of the left guard's neck with the metal shard in her hand. The guard cried out in pain, and the rifle in his hand dropped to the ground.

Song Zhiwei immediately picked up the rifle from the ground. Although she didn't know how to use it, she held it up, aimed it at the right guard, and shouted, "Don't move! If you move again, I'll shoot!"

The guard on the right was startled and subconsciously raised his hands. Zhou Yurou and Qin Xue seized the chance to rush over, pinned the two guards to the ground, and tied them up with the hemp ropes from earlier.

"Done!" Qin Xue panted and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "What now? The outside is surrounded; should we escape through the ventilation duct?"

Zhou Yurou shook her head. "The ventilation duct is too small, and we don't know how many more mercenaries are outside. Zhang Fan is already here, so we'll wait for rescue here while keeping these two captives; we might be able to get information about other Tianming Group strongholds out of them."

Just then, the warehouse door was kicked open, and Zhang Fan rushed in with the special forces. Seeing that the four were safe and sound, Zhang Fan's heart finally settled. He walked up quickly, pulled Zhou Yurou into his arms, and said with lingering fear in his voice, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"We're fine, just a bit shaken." Zhou Yurou leaned into his embrace, feeling his familiar body heat, and her tense nerves finally relaxed.

Qin Xue, Song Zhiwei, and Lin Wanyi watched this scene with complex expressions on their faces. They all knew each other's place in Zhang Fan's heart, and there had been inevitable friction and testing before, but after this shared crisis, they suddenly realized that they were all indispensable parts of Zhang Fan's life, and also the people who could best understand each other.

The special forces quickly secured the warehouse and took the tied-up guards away for interrogation. Zhang Fan hugged Qin Xue, Song Zhiwei, and Lin Wanyi one by one, his eyes full of guilt and gratitude. "I'm sorry, it's my fault for not protecting you well. Thank you for being so brave and saving yourselves."

"We didn't do much, it was mainly thanks to everyone working together." Song Zhiwei smiled and looked at the other three. "This time, we owe it to Yurou's calm analysis, Qin Xue untying the ropes, and Wanyi taking action to subdue the enemy; otherwise, we wouldn't have held out until rescue arrived."

Lin Wanyi also nodded. "Actually, we had some little frictions before, but facing danger together this time, I realized that our coordination was quite good."

Zhang Fan looked at the subtle atmosphere among the four and knew clearly that it was time to face their feelings for each other. He took a deep breath and said, "After we go back, let's have a meeting and have a good talk. I know it's hard for you to accept each other, but I don't want to let any of you down."

The four exchanged glances without speaking, but their eyes carried a hint of tacit approval. Having gone through a life-and-death test, those past little frictions and barriers seemed to have become less important. They all cared about Zhang Fan and understood his difficulties; perhaps there really was a way for them to coexist peacefully.

Outside the warehouse, the night was deep, but the rescue team's lights illuminated the entire factory. Zhang Fan held the hands of the four heroines, walked out of the abandoned factory, and got into an armored vehicle. The atmosphere inside the car was subtle, but no longer awkward; instead, it exuded a kind of tacit understanding that comes after experiencing a storm.

Zhang Fan knew that although this kidnapping crisis was over, the emotional entanglement between him and the four heroines had just entered a new stage. And the remaining forces of the Tianming Group had not yet been completely eradicated; a 'family meeting' about feelings and responsibilities was about to be held in Jiangcheng.