97: Chapter 97 Welcome Home, Miss Jiang, Please Hand Over Everything You Have

"Home." The two words slammed into Jiang Xiaowan's ears.

Her nose stung, and she almost burst into tears.

She finally wouldn't have to do laundry anymore. She wouldn't have to read Su Xiaonuan's expressions anymore. She wouldn't have to wear that humiliating maid outfit anymore. And she wouldn't have to guess every day when Lin Yuan would throw her out.

Yet, that sense of security from being controlled by Lin Yuan last night was like a thorn pricking at her heart. She didn't dare admit that, for a split second, she didn't want to leave.

The next second, the main screen on the first floor lit up with a red warning: [Abnormal communication record.]

Liu Qing held her computer, the straw in her mouth dropping onto the table. "Boss Lin." She looked up, her gaze behind her lenses somewhat stiff.

The tablet in Su Xiaonuan's hand stilled. Wang Ya's movement of serving the soup slowed by a beat. Qin Yumo looked up, glancing toward the stairs.

Tang Qiqi bit into a chicken leg and whispered, "Long-legs... is she planning to delete her account?"

Su Xiaonuan stood up. "Boss Lin, I'll go bring her down." "No rush." Lin Yuan picked up a piece of caramel pudding. "Finish eating first."

Su Xiaonuan's fingertips pressed against the edge of the tablet. She didn't sit down. Lin Yuan looked at her. "Let her hit this wall."

Su Xiaonuan lowered her head and sat back down, but she didn't touch her chopsticks. "Yes." Her voice was very soft. But Tang Qiqi could tell that this was far scarier than when she usually lost her temper.

An hour later, the walkie-talkie crackled to life. Lu Yan's voice was very low. "Boss. Three armed helicopters have appeared outside the mountain gate. They have rocket pods slung under their bellies. A platoon of special forces has fast-roped down and already occupied the mountain road entrance."

The main screen switched. Outside the gate of the Cloud Top Palace, three helicopters hovered at low altitude. Their propellers kicked up mist and dust. After the soldiers in black tactical gear landed, they quickly deployed into formation. Light machine guns were mounted on roadblocks. Individual rocket launchers were aimed at the mountain gate.

The survivors in the shantytown were stunned at first, then erupted. "The authorities are here!" "Help! We're here!" "We are legal citizens! Save us first!" Some people rushed out of their tents, running forward while waving tattered bedsheets.

A man's voice came from the loudspeaker. "Armed personnel inside the Cloud Top Palace, listen up. Hand over Ms. Jiang Xiaowan immediately. Otherwise, we will consider your side to be committing illegal detention. Ten minutes from now, we will execute a forceful clearance. Your private militia has no right to negotiate in the face of the regular army."

Fat Dragon's voice came from the outer perimeter. "Boss, these bastards are acting quite arrogant."

Lu Yan cut in. "The drone swarm has locked onto the tail rotors of the three helicopters. The RPG team is in firing position. If you nod, we can shoot them all down within ten seconds."

Qin Yumo put on her tactical gloves. The water in the cup beside Wang Ya rose, forming thin blades. Liu Qing tapped rapidly on her keyboard. "I can jam their short-wave communications." Then, she projected the tactical interface. The fuel tanks, tail rotors, and cockpits of the three helicopters were locked on one by one with red boxes. A line of text popped up in the bottom right corner of the screen: [Estimated total annihilation time: 9.7 seconds.]

Tang Qiqi swallowed hard. Lin Yuan put down his chopsticks. "Lower all muzzles." The walkie-talkie went silent immediately.

Fat Dragon gave a dry laugh. "Understood, Boss. Let's watch the monkeys in a civilized manner."

Su Xiaonuan looked at Lin Yuan. Lin Yuan stood up. "They are here to pick up Jiang Xiaowan, not to storm the fortress."

Footsteps came from the stairs. Jiang Xiaowan came down. She was wearing a loose dress. She walked slowly. Around her neck and collarbone, marks from last night that couldn't be covered were still visible.

Tang Qiqi glanced at her, then quickly looked down. This time, she didn't make any snarky comments. It wasn't that she didn't dare; it was that she didn't want to, and furthermore, she felt disdain.

Su Xiaonuan looked at Jiang Xiaowan. Her gaze was like a ruler, measuring from her face down to her feet.

Jiang Xiaowan stood at the entrance of the dining room. She saw the helicopters on the main screen and also saw everyone's gazes. She opened her mouth. "I just..."

Lin Yuan interrupted her. "Choose for yourself." Jiang Xiaowan looked at him. Lin Yuan's voice was calm. "Stay or leave, I won't stop you."

In the dining room, only the sound of the propellers from the main screen remained. Jiang Xiaowan gripped the hem of her dress. She glanced at Su Xiaonuan, then looked back at Lin Yuan. "I..." Her voice stuck in her throat.

Outside, the loudspeaker sounded again. "Ms. Jiang, if you can hear this, please leave the danger zone immediately. The Jiang Family will not abandon any of its blood relatives."

Blood relatives. Jiang Xiaowan's eyes grew hot. "I want to leave."

She told herself she wasn't betraying Lin Yuan. She was just going back to the Jiang Family first. Once the Jiang Family stabilized, she could negotiate terms with Lin Yuan again. By then, she wouldn't have to kneel; she would be able to stand by his side.

Su Xiaonuan let out a laugh. No one had ever seen her laugh like this. She held her tablet and took two steps forward. "Who was it that begged me to help you yesterday?"

Jiang Xiaowan lowered her head. Su Xiaonuan continued to ask, "Who was it that said they wanted to live a little better? Who was it that said they wanted to become useful? I spoke up for you to Boss Lin. And you turned around and sold out Tiangong No. 1 to outsiders."

Jiang Xiaowan's lips moved. "I didn't want to harm you all. I just wanted to go home."

Su Xiaonuan looked at her. "Boss Lin gave you a chance once. I gave you one too. You didn't waste an opportunity. You wasted Boss Lin's heart."

Jiang Xiaowan's face turned pale. Su Xiaonuan's voice was even softer. "Jiang Xiaowan. Even if you come crawling back on your knees in the future, don't expect me to pity you again."

These words were heavier than any insult. Jiang Xiaowan took half a step back. Wang Ya lowered her head and didn't speak. Qin Yumo looked at Lin Yuan. With just one word from Lin Yuan, she would drag Jiang Xiaowan back, break her legs, and throw her into the B3 Sealed Chamber.

However, Lin Yuan picked up a jacket and tossed it to Jiang Xiaowan. "Put it on." Jiang Xiaowan caught it. Lin Yuan smiled slightly. "Isn't the Jiang Family here to take you home?" Jiang Xiaowan couldn't speak.

Lin Yuan picked up the walkie-talkie. "Let Jiang Xiaowan out." The simple outer gate of the Cloud Top Palace slowly opened. Jiang Xiaowan, draped in Lin Yuan's jacket, walked out slowly from inside. And Lin Yuan just stood on the roof of Tiangong No. 1, watching quietly.

The survivors in the shantytown became even more agitated. Several men draped in plastic sheeting rushed toward the special forces. "Officer! Save us! I have money! I have property! They have food inside! Lin Yuan has stockpiled a lot of supplies!"

Bang. A gunshot rang out. The first man fell before the cordon line. The second woman was just about to scream when another shot rang out. Her body slumped into the muddy water. All sound in the shantytown cut off. A cold voice came from the loudspeaker. "Anyone who approaches without authorization will be shot."

Captain Han Xue stood at the entrance of the medical station on the outer perimeter. She looked at the two corpses, her hand pressed against her old police badge. She didn't move.

Jiang Xiaowan walked outward step by step. Her stomach gave a violent spasm, and the taste of the milk she had drunk in the morning seemed to rise up her throat. Su Xiaonuan turned around and returned to Lin Yuan's side. She no longer looked at Jiang Xiaowan.

Jiang Xiaowan walked up to the special forces formation. An officer stepped forward and saluted her. "Ms. Jiang, you've been frightened." Jiang Xiaowan looked at the corpses before the cordon line. "They just wanted to ask for help."

The officer was expressionless. "The infection risk is uncontrollable. Please board the aircraft."

Jiang Xiaowan looked back. The gate of the Cloud Top Palace was closing. Through the gap in the gate, Lin Yuan stood under the lights. He didn't say goodbye. Nor did he look at her.

Jiang Xiaowan suddenly felt that she wasn't leaving a cage. Instead, she had been dragged by a hand out of a safe cage and shoved into another box that she couldn't see clearly.

She clutched the jacket Lin Yuan had thrown to her tightly. It still held a hint of the scent of Tiangong No. 1's laundry detergent. She wanted to call out to Lin Yuan. But the wind pressure from the propellers drowned out her voice.

The three helicopters took off. They didn't turn toward the South Suburb Military District. Instead, they flew directly toward the southeast. Liu Qing stared at the radar track. She tapped the keyboard a few times. The flight path appeared on the screen. "Boss Lin. They aren't going to the South Suburbs. They are flying directly toward Zhe City."

[Countdown to the next player's arrival: 03:11:05]