Kidnapper took another step.The beam was about to reach their hiding place. Then suddenly a burst of static exploded from the radio clipped to his shoulder. Everyone froze. "North entrance!" a voice shouted through the radio. The kidnapper grabbed it. "What?" More static crackled then the voice came again, louder and more urgent. "We found something!" The kidnapper's attention shifted. "What did you find?" "Just get over here!" The leader looked up sharply. "Move!" Instantly the kidnapper turned away from the shelves. The flashlight disappeared. Relief made suo ran collapse.
Around the warehouse, the other men began moving as well. Footsteps thundered across the concrete floor. Radios crackled. Voices shouted back and forth. One by one, the kidnappers rushed toward the north side of the facility. Within seconds, most of the room was empty again. The sound of running footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
Suo Ran slowly removed his hand from the boy's mouth and gently rubbed the back of his head. Neither of them spoke. They were too shaken. Lian Ziho carefully leaned toward the gap between the shelves and looked outside. His eyes scanned every corner of the room. It was empty but his expression didn't relax.Lian Ziho was the first to step out from behind the maintenance shelves. His eyes swept across the room, checking every corner again.
Only after he was certain did Suo Ran guide Jun wei out of the hiding place.Jun wei moved closer to him, his fingers gripping the back of suo ran's shirt tightly. As though letting go would somehow make him disappear again. Suo Ran looked around the warehouse one more time before finally releasing a shaky breath. "They're gone." His voice sounded exhausted. Lian Ziho didn't look away from the entrance. "For now."
Jun Wei looked between them nervously. "They're coming back?" Nobody answered because everyone already knew the answer. Lian Ziho turned toward them. "We need to leave now." Suo Ran nodded."Agreed." His eyes moved around the warehouse desperately. "There had to be another exit. " But everywhere he looked, all he saw were broken machines, rusted storage racks, and endless darkness. "Any ideas?" he asked. Lian Ziho remained silent for a moment. Then suddenly his eyes narrowed. "There."
Suo Ran followed his gaze upward. Several meters above them, near the far wall, sat a broken warehouse window.Suo Ran stared at it then stared at Lian Ziho. "Seriously?" Lian Ziho raised an eyebrow. "Do you see another option?" Suo ran opened his mouth and closed it again. Then sighed heavily. "No." "Then stop complaining." "I wasn't complaining." "You literally said seriously." "Because it's a terrible plan." "It's the only plan." Jun Wei looked between them and whispered quietly, "I missed this." Both men froze. Suo Ran blinked. "Missed what?" Jun Wei lowered his gaze awkwardly. "The arguing." For a moment neither man knew what to say. Then Suo Ran flicked him lightly on the forehead. "Focus."
Jun Wei rubbed his forehead and said, "Ow." "You survived kidnapping." Suo Ran started walking toward the window. "You'll survive that too." Despite everything, a small smile appeared on jun wei's face. The three quickly crossed the warehouse. The window looked worse up close. Rust covered the frame and half the glass was missing. The remaining pieces looked ready to shatter at any moment. Lian Ziho crouched slightly. "I'll give you a boost." Suo ran looked suspicious. "No!" "What?" "I know that look." "What look?" "The look you get before doing something stupid." "I don't have a look." "You absolutely do." Jun Wei immediately pointed. "He does." Lian Ziho stared at both of them. "I hate both of you." "Good." Suo Ran stepped forward before he could continue arguing. Lian Ziho helped boost him upward until he could grab the edge of the window frame.
Suo Ran reached for the frame and shoved but othing happened.The window didn't move. He frowned and pushed harder still nothing. The frame remained completely stuck. Behind him, Lian Ziho crossed his arms. "Well?" Suo Ran glared down at him. "Shut up." He pushed again but nothing.Jun Wei shifted nervously below. "Maybe it's locked?" "It's not locked." Suo Ran gritted his teeth. " We are just unlucky!" Lian ziho looked far too amused.Suo Ran ignored him completely anyrabbing the frame with both hands, he pulled harder. Rust cracked and dust fell from above.His patience snapped. "Open!" He slammed his shoulder against it. But window didn't open.He pushed one more time *CRACK.* The sound echoed through the warehouse.
All three froze for a second they thought the glass had shattered.Then the frame suddenly shifted.The window jerked open several inches.All three simply stared at it for a moment nobody spoke.Jun eei was the first to break the silence. "That's outside..." Suo ran looked down at him."Excellent observation." Jun Wei ignored the sarcasm completely. His eyes remained fixed on the opening.Hope slowly appeared in their faces. Beside him, Lian ziho released a slow breath. Suo ran looked through the broken window toward the darkness beyond.
Lian Ziho looked around last time and said,"Move." He paused then continued, "Before they come back." That snapped everyone back to reality. Suo Ran nodded. "Right." He turned toward jun wei he was already staring at the window nervously. Suo Ran stepped closer and crouched slightly. "Come here." Jun wei obeyed.Suo ran placed both hands on his shoulders. "You're going first." Jun Wei's eyes widened instantly. "What?" "Go." "No." The answer came so fast that both Suo Ran and Lian Ziho blinked. Jun Wei shook his head immediately. "No." "Jun Wei." "No." "Jun Wei." "I'm not leaving without you."
Suo Ran gently rubbed the back of his head. "You aren't leaving without me." Jun Wei didn't look convinced. "You promise?" "I promise." "You promised before." "I know." "And then you disappeared." Suo Ran's chest tightened as he steadied Jun Wei in front of the broken window, his hands still resting firmly on the boy's shoulders.For a brief moment he couldn't speak,Then he softened, reaching up and gently pinching Jun Wei's cheek like he used to when things were calmer, forcing a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Listen to me!" he said quietly, making Jun Wei look up at him.
Jun Wei's eyes were wide, full of fear he was trying hard to hide, and Suo Ran's voice softened further. "You'll see me in ten seconds." Jun Wei didn't respond, just stared as if trying to believe him. Suo Ran exhaled and continued, trying to lighten the moment even though his heart was racing. "Five seconds if Lian Ziho stops staring and actually helps." Lian Ziho, who had been silently watching the window like it might explode, immediately turned with an offended look. "I'm helping!" he said flatly.
Suo Ran didn't even look at him fully. "Then help." Lian Ziho scoffed. "I'm literally standing here helping." Suo Ran raised a brow. "You're standing." "That's part of helping." "No, it's not." Even Jun Wei blinked at them, his fear briefly replaced by confusion at their argument. Lian Ziho let out a long sigh and crouched properly beneath the window. "Jun Wei!" he said more seriously now, turning jun wei attention toward him. Jun Wei looked at him hesitantly. Lian Ziho's expression softened slightly. "We're both right behind you." That seemed to calm him just a little. Jun Wei hesitated, glancing back and forth between them as if still unsure whether to trust the moment, then gave a small, reluctant nod. "Okay!" he whispered. Suo ran smiled, he felt relieved. "Good."
Without wasting another second, Lian Ziho gestured toward the window. "Come on." Together, they lifted Jun Wei upward carefully, guiding him toward the broken frame. Jun wei climbed awkwardly, his small hands gripping the rusted metal as his shoes scraped against the edge. For a moment he nearly slipped, his breath catching sharply in panic. "Careful!" Suo Ran said instantly, tightening his grip around Jun Wei's ankle to steady him.Both them looked toward window.Then voice came,"I'm okay!" "Good!" he whispered under his breath, almost shaking. "Good… stay outside, Wei Wei." For a second, he let himself believe it just a second longer that they might actually get out of this. Jun Wei was safe, at least outside the warehouse, at least away from this trap. But that thought shattered instantly when a new voice echoed from the entrance. "Need some help?"
Suo Ran froze mid-motion, fingers still gripping the window frame as his entire body stiffened. Lian Ziho, who had been ready to climb next, stopped completely, his hand hovering in the air.Slowly, both of them turned. The entrance stood wide open now, and in the doorway were several men seven, maybe eight spreading into the warehouse like they already owned it. Weapons glinted under the weak light, flashlights cutting sharp beams through the dust. And every single one of them was smiling. The leader stepped forward casually, almost lazily, as if he had just arrived for a meeting instead of cornering fugitives. His eyes landed on them with quiet amusement. "You really thought it would be that easy?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.
Lian Ziho's face hardened instantly, his grip tightening around the metal pipe he still held. "You used the radio!" Lian Ziho said sharply, his voice low but controlled. The leader actually smiled at that."Very good," he said lightly. "You're smarter than most people we deal with." Suo Ran's hands curled into fists as anger pushed through his fear. "You let us go!" he said, The leader tilted his head as if the question itself was amusing. "Of course!" he replied calmly. "Otherwise how would we know where you'd run?"Suo Ran's expression darkened, realization made him as he glanced briefly toward the open window toward Jun Wei,he was still outside, unaware of how close they were to being caught again. The leader followed his gaze and chuckled softly. "Ah!" he said, "So that's the one you're protecting." That single line made Suo Ran step slightly forward without thinking, instinctively blocking the direction of the window.
Lian Ziho noticed,shifting closer as well, his voice dropping. "Don't talk!" he muttered under his breath. But the leader wasn't done. He took another slow step forward, boots echoing across the warehouse floor, while the men behind him spread wider, tightening the circle. "It's interesting!" the leader continued, eyes fixed on suo ran. "Every time the situation changes, you always move first to protect him." Suo Ran frowned sharply. "What are you talking about?" The leader didn't answer directly. Instead, he smiled faintly, "You don't even notice it anymore!" he said softly. "It's automatic."
Lian Ziho shifted his stance, glancing between the exits and the men closing in. "We're done listening to you!" he said coldly. The leader's smile deepened. "No!" he replied simply. "You're just starting to understand."The leader slowly turned his head toward the open window, his gaze drifting beyond it to where Jun Wei now stood outside, and a faint smile formed as if he had already predicted everything that was about to happen. "Although I admit…" he said calmly, his voice carrying an almost casual amusement, "I didn't expect you to get that far."
Suo ran shifted sideways, instinctively placing himself between the kidnappers and the window without even thinking, every muscle in his body moving on pure reflex protect, block, shield Jun Wei no matter the cost. The leader noticed it at once, of course he did, and his expression shifted into something quieter, more observant, almost curious. "There it is!" he murmured. "What?" Suo Ran snapped.The man's eyes stayed fixed on him. "The reason!" he said simply, tilting his head slightly. "Every single time, you always stand in front of him." The leader took a slow step forward, unhurried and confident, like someone approaching something already trapped. "You don't even realize you're doing it!" he continued softly. "Stop talking!" Suo Ran's voice came sharper than intended, but the leader ignored him completely, studying him with quiet fascination. "Interesting!" he repeated to himself. "Very interesting."
Behind them, Jun wei suddenly reappeared at the window again and shouted, "Gege!" Suo Ran's heart Stoped "No!" he shouted, but it was already too late several kidnappers turned toward the window, weapons lifting, flashlights snapping in Jun Wei's direction. The leader exhaled as if mildly disappointed. "Children never listen!" he said flatly. Jun Wei froze instantly and fear flashing across his small face, and Suo ran moved without hesitation, his entire body lunging forward as he shouted, "Run!" his voice breaking through the chaos like a desperate command, "RUN!"
Jun Wei stumbled backward outside the broken window, his small figure was shaking in fear.The entire space exploded into violence. Lian ziho grabbed a rusted metal pipe from the ground and met the first attacker head-on. "Get back!" he shouted, voice sharp as the pipe swung down with brutal force. *CRACK* the impact landed on the man's shoulder, sending him crashing into stacked crates with a pained yell.Another man lunged immediately, faster this time, forcing Lian Ziho to twist sideways and swing again, narrowly missing as the attacker ducked. "Damn it!" Lian Ziho muttered under his breath, shifting his stance as pain flared through his ribs, but he refused to slow down.
Across the warehouse, Suo Ran was already moving toward the window, not to escape, but to reach Jun Wei. "Move!" he snapped, shoving one kidnapper hard enough to make him stagger backward, but another grabbed his arm.Suo Ran's eyes flashed with anger. "Let go!" he growled, twisting violently and breaking free. "Get off me!" Meanwhile, Lian Ziho was now fighting two men at once, the metal pipe clashing repeatedly as he blocked, struck, and pushed back.For a brief second, it almost felt like they might hold them off almost. Then a sharp metallic click echoed through the warehouse. Everything froze.That sound was of gun being cocked. One of the kidnappers stood near the side, arm steady, weapon raised directly toward the broken window where jun wei was.
Outside, the boy froze completely, his face draining of color as he realized what was aimed at him. "Gege…" he whispered, voice barely audible. The leader's calm voice cut through the silence like ice. "There we go.""NO!" Suo ran shouted.Lian Ziho stood between him and the kidnappers, his body angled protectively, pipe still in hand, every muscle coiled like he was ready to strike again. And Suo Ran slowly stepped forward, eyes locked not on the men first, but on Jun wei.
The leader watched him with that same lazy, unsettling smile,"You've been causing us a lot of trouble!" he said casually,Suo Ran didn't respond. His gaze flicked quickly jun wei outside, the weapons inside, the men spreading across the warehouse. His throat tightened because suddenly it was clear. This was never about escape. Not for all of them. Jun Wei's voice trembled from outside the window. "Gege…"
"Wei Wei!" sui ran whispered.Jun Wei's eyes were already red, tears were felling down. "Gege… come with me!" he pleaded, shaking his head as if refusing to accept anything else. Suo Ran's heart twisted but he forced himself to keep his expression steady. "Didn't I tell you?" he said gently."I'm here." Jun Wei shook harder, panic rising. "No… no…" he whispered.Lian Ziho noticed the shift in Suo Ran's posture. "Suo Ran!" he warned him and stepping half a pace closer, voice low and tense. "Don't." But Suo Ran didn't look at him.His eyes were fixed on the guns, the men, the leader. The leader tilted his head slightly, amused. "Touching!" he said slowly, raising his weapon a little higher, not even fully aiming yet just reminding them who controlled the situation. "Unfortunately, we're done playing family reunion."
Jun Wei flinched hard at the movement, letting out a small, broken sound. Suo ran stepped forward again. "Leave him out of this!" he said firmly, voice sharper now, protective instinct fully awake. The leader raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" Suo Ran's hands clenched at his sides. "He's just a child!" he continued, trying to keep his voice steady. "He has nothing to do with this."
Suo Ran swallowed hard, then took a breath that shook slightly before he spoke again. "Whatever you want…" His voice lowered, controlled but strained. "Take me." Lian Ziho snapped his head toward him."What are you doing?" he demanded, disbelief and anger flashing across his face. "Suo Ran, stop!" But Suo Ran didn't even acknowledge him. His entire focus remained on the men in front of him. "Take me!" he repeated, firmer this time.
The leader studied him now, the amusement fading just slightly as curiosity replaced it. "And why would I do that?" Suo Ran didn't hesitate. "Because I'm the one you want." The leader didn't smile this time.Jun Wei's shaking intensified outside. "No…" he whispered desperately. "No, gege…" Suo Ran looked at him again, and for a second, the mask almost broke. His eyes softened completely. "Wei Wei!" he said gently.Jun Wei cried harder. "Don't… don't go…" Suo Ran forced a small, painful smile. "Be good!" he said softly, like comforting a child after a nightmare. Jun Wei shook his head. "No… no…"
Lian Ziho's expression had turned darker, sharper, more dangerous. "Suo Ran!" he said again, voice low and controlled, but full of warning. "Don't do this." Suo Ran glanced at him but only briefly. "If someone has to stay," he said quietly, voice steady in a way that didn't match the emotion in his eyes, "then let it be me." Jun Wei broke completely. "NO!" he screamed from outside the window. The leader sighed like this was becoming tedious, rolling his shoulders slightly. "This is getting emotional!"
One of the kidnappers let out a short, mocking laugh, and another shifted his weapon slightly, the metal catching the light in a way that made Suo Ran's instincts flare instantly. Without thinking, he stepped sideways, placing himself directly between the line of fire and Jun Wei outside the window.Outside, Jun Wei's hands tightened desperately around the window frame. "Gege!" he cried, voice cracking under panic.
"Please leave him alone!" Suo Ran said suddenly, the word slipping out before he could stop it.Suo Ran rarely begged anyone. But now his voice lowered again, quieter, steadier, carrying something raw underneath. "Don't hurt him!" he said, each word carefully forced out. "He's innocent."No response came but he continued anyway, refusing to back down now that he had started. "He's done nothing!" Suo Ran added, "Whatever this is… leave him out of it." For a moment, the leader just stared at him. Then he laughed. "Asking for mercy?" he repeated, almost amused.
Suo Ran's jaw tightened. "If that's what it takes." he said firmly, voice shaking but refusing to break. That was when jun wei completely broke down. "Gege stop!" he screamed.Lian Ziho's expression changed he had never seen Suo Ran like this before, never heard him sound so desperate. The leader tilted his head slightly, as if considering something far more interesting than the situation itself. Then gun fired and it hit suo ran's shoulder instantly.
Jun Wei's scream shattered through the window. "GEGE!"At the same exact moment Lian Ziho reacted instantly. "SUO RAN!" he shouted.