Chapter 354: Midnight Worries and Distant Dangers

Zhang Mei could not sleep. She kept tossing and turning until finally, with a sigh, she gave up. Gently touching her swollen belly, she murmured, "You love keeping mommy awake, don’t you?"

She made her way down the grand staircase of Sun Lixia’s villa, heading straight for the kitchen. Li Chen usually prepared night snacks in their bedroom, but his absence meant she had to fend for herself.

"Can’t sleep?" a voice asked from behind. Zhang Mei turned to see her mother-in-law.

"I’m thirsty, and a bit hungry too," she admitted.

Sun Lixia chuckled. "Reminds me of when I was pregnant with Li Chen and Li Xinjie. I would wake up at 2 AM for a snack."

"Well, it will be over soon," Zhang Mei said.

"Then it’s sleepless nights of feeding," Sun Lixia quipped. They shared a laugh.

Sun Lixia prepared a quick sandwich for Zhang Mei. As they sat together, Zhang Mei noticed her mother-in-law’s tired eyes. "Why aren’t you sleeping at this hour?"

"Oh, it’s nothing," Sun Lixia deflected.

"You’re worried about him, aren’t you?" Zhang Mei pressed.

Sun Lixia sighed. "We never stop worrying about them, even when they’re married and about to have their own kids."

Zhang Mei voiced her own fears. "I’m worried too. I just want him home, I want all the fights to stop, I want us to raise the twins together."

"Don’t worry, Zhang Mei. Li Chen will always make sure he comes back to his family," Sun Lixia reassured her.

"What if this time things are different? What if we lose him? What if the twins never get to meet their father?" Zhang Mei’s voice trembled.

Sun Lixia forced a smile, her own worry evident. "We’re in this together. We will do anything for him to stay alive."

Meanwhile, in Japan, Li Xinjie, Shadow, Deng Chengxi, and a team of guards had landed to bring Sun Ming home safely. They drove to a secluded villa where Sun Ming had been raised by Mrs. Dong, an old friend of her late mother.

Inside, Sun Ming sat with eyes devoid of emotion, but hurting inside. Mrs. Dong tried to comfort her, speaking of the family waiting to meet her.

When Li Xinjie arrived, he greeted them in Japanese. Mrs. Dong chuckled, "We converse in Chinese here."

Li Xinjie introduced himself to Sun Ming, who merely nodded. Mrs. Dong explained, "She’s not too pleased with leaving the life she knows behind."

"I understand, but we have to go now," Li Xinjie said urgently.

"Keep her safe," Mrs. Dong pleaded.

"I would die first before anything happened to her," Li Xinjie promised.

As Mrs. Dong and Sun Ming shared a tearful hug, Deng Chengxi burst in. "Ambush," he gasped. "We have to go now."

The peaceful night suddenly erupted into chaos, the mission to bring Sun Ming home taking a dangerous turn.

Chaos erupted as Deng Chengxi’s warning echoed through the villa. Li Xinjie’s training kicked in instantly. He grabbed Sun Ming’s arm, pulling her close. "Stay with me!" he shouted over the sudden cacophony of gunfire.

Outside, Shadow and the guards had already engaged Yang Bojun’s men. The night air crackled with gunshots and shouts.

"This way!" Li Xinjie commanded, guiding Sun Ming towards the back of the villa. Mrs. Dong followed, her face pale with fear.

As they reached the rear exit, a window shattered, glass spraying across the floor. Sun Ming screamed, and Li Xinjie shielded her with his body.

"Get to the cars!" he ordered, pushing Sun Ming ahead of him. Deng Chengxi appeared at his side, gun drawn.

They burst out into the cool night air, immediately met by a hail of bullets. Li Xinjie dove, taking Sun Ming down with him behind a low stone wall.

"When I say run, you run as fast as you can to that black SUV," he instructed her, pointing to a vehicle about fifty meters away. Sun Ming nodded, eyes wide with terror.

Shadow appeared beside them, his clothing torn and a streak of blood on his cheek. "There’s too many of them," he panted. "We need to move now!"

Li Xinjie nodded. He looked at Sun Ming. "Ready? Now, run!"

They sprinted across the open space, bullets whizzing past them. Deng Chengxi and Shadow provided covering fire, their weapons blazing in the darkness.

Just as they reached the SUV, a black-clad figure emerged from the shadows, grabbing for Sun Ming. Li Xinjie reacted instantly, his fist connecting with the attacker’s jaw in a bone-crunching impact.

"Get in!" he shouted, practically throwing Sun Ming into the backseat. He jumped in after her as Deng Chengxi slid behind the wheel.

The engine roared to life, tires screeching as they peeled away from the villa. In the rearview mirror, Li Xinjie could see more of Yang Bojun’s men pouring out of the darkness, giving chase in their own vehicles.

"Hang on!" Deng Chengxi warned as he swerved sharply, narrowly avoiding a spray of bullets.

"They’re going to overtake us!" Deng Chengxi shouted, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

Li Xinjie looked at Sun Ming, her face pale with fear. "Stay down and don’t move," he instructed firmly.

Suddenly, one of the pursuing vehicles swerved sharply, pulling up alongside them. The passenger window rolled down, revealing a man with a submachine gun.

"Brace yourselves!" Li Xinjie yelled.

A hail of bullets peppered their SUV. Deng Chengxi grunted in pain as a round grazed his shoulder, causing the vehicle to swerve violently. They careened off the road, tires screeching as they struggled for traction on the uneven terrain.

As they raced through the narrow streets of the city, weaving through late-night traffic, the sound of helicopter blades cut through the air. Li Xinjie allowed himself a grim smile. Reinforcements were on their way.

But Yang Bojun’s men were relentless. Two black SUVs were gaining on them, their occupants leaning out of windows with weapons raised.

"Get down!" Li Xinjie shouted, pushing Sun Ming’s head down just as the rear window exploded in a shower of glass.

The night had turned into a deadly game of cat and mouse, with Sun Ming’s life hanging in the balance. As they sped towards the extraction point, Li Xinjie knew that the real battle was only just beginning. Yang Bojun had made his move, and now, the fate of the Sun family – and perhaps the entire underworld – would be decided in the hours to come.

The standoff erupted into chaos as Yang Bojun’s men opened fire. Li Xinjie and his team reacted with lightning speed, their training and experience evident in every move.

"Cover me!" Li Xinjie shouted to Shadow as he pulled Sun Ming closer, shielding her with his body.

Shadow nodded, unleashing a barrage of suppressing fire that forced their attackers to duck behind their vehicles. Deng Chengxi, despite his injury, joined the fray, his shots precise and deadly.

The air filled with gunfire and shouts as both sides exchanged volleys. Li Xinjie’s team, though outnumbered, held the advantage of better positioning and superior skill.

One by one, Yang Bojun’s men fell. Some retreated, realizing they were outmatched. Within minutes, the clearing fell silent, save for the ringing in their ears from the gunfire.

"Is everyone alright?" Li Xinjie called out, scanning his team for injuries.

"We’re good," Shadow responded, emerging from his cover. "But we need to move. Now."

Li Xinjie nodded, turning to Sun Ming. The young woman was pale and shaking, her eyes wide with shock. "It’s over," he said softly. "We’re getting you out of here."

Suddenly, he remembered Mrs. Dong. "Where’s Mrs. Dong?" he asked urgently.

"Here," came a trembling voice. The elderly woman emerged from behind a tree, visibly shaken but unharmed.

"We’re taking you with us," Li Xinjie decided quickly. "It’s not safe for you to stay here."

With no time to lose, they piled into the remaining functional vehicle. Deng Chengxi, gritting his teeth against the pain of his wound, took the wheel once again.

"The private airfield," Li Xinjie instructed. "Full speed."

As they sped through the night, Li Xinjie kept a watchful eye on Sun Ming and Mrs. Dong. Both women were silent, clearly processing the violence they had just witnessed.

After what seemed like an eternity, they arrived at the small, private airfield where their jet waited. The pilot, alerted to their situation, had the engines already running.

"Everybody on board, now!" Li Xinjie ordered, ushering the group up the stairs and into the aircraft.

As soon as the door sealed shut, the jet began to taxi. Li Xinjie felt a wave of relief wash over him as the wheels left the ground, carrying them into the safety of the sky.

"Set course for Shanghai," he instructed the pilot. "Maximum speed."

Turning back to the cabin, he saw Sun Ming curled up in a seat, Mrs. Dong holding her hand and whispering words of comfort. The rest of the team was settling in, the adrenaline of the firefight slowly wearing off.

Li Xinjie took a deep breath. They had succeeded in rescuing Sun Ming, but he knew this was just the beginning. Yang Bojun wouldn’t give up easily, and the journey ahead was fraught with danger.

As the jet streaked through the night sky towards Shanghai, Li Xinjie’s mind raced with plans and strategies. They had won this battle, but the war was far from over.