Rui Xiaodan finally got the audio system she had longed for. It not only added a touch of elegance to her room but also became a deep internal wound due to its connection with Ding Yuanying. She believed that by giving her all, she would have no regrets and could let go. She thought that going through the motions would bring her peace. However, the indescribable pain did not fade with time; instead, it quietly grew and spread in her heart.
She truly tasted the bitterness of love and the reality of the heart's hell. To escape this inner torment, she threw herself into her intense work, unwilling to let her mind rest, unable to bear the pain that came from within. Only in the dead of night did she let Ding Yuanying's face rise from her heart to her mind, accompanied by the sound of "Daughter of Heaven" from the audio system and an unshakeable sorrow.
One afternoon, a torrential downpour hit the ancient city. Lightning slashed through the cloudy sky, and thunder roared as if exploding overhead, turning the world into a realm of water.
In this rain-soaked afternoon, the Criminal Investigation Team discovered the hiding place of Wang Mingyang, the second-in-command of the "Ma Wang criminal gang," and seven of his accomplices. They immediately deployed police forces to capture them. Wang Mingyang and his gang quickly sensed something was wrong and fled in two cars along the highway towards Yiyang County, brutally shooting and killing one staff member and seriously injuring two at a highway checkpoint. Pursued and blocked by the police, Wang Mingyang's group abandoned their cars and escaped into a nearby brick kiln, using the complex terrain to resist. This location was north of Yiyang County, about 30 kilometers from the ancient city.
The Criminal Investigation Team, under Captain Lei Jianfeng's command, split into three groups to search and approach the brick kiln.
The terrain of the brick kiln was highly complex, with walls for drying bricks and kiln tunnels everywhere. Rui Xiaodan cautiously advanced in the pouring rain. She heard gunfire from the east side of the kiln, indicating that the police had already engaged the criminals. The police encirclement was gradually tightening, and the road was filled with police cars as reinforcements arrived.
Rui Xiaodan moved along a wall of brick slabs towards the gunfire. Just as she stepped out from behind the wall, a gun barrel suddenly protruded from the other side, pressing against her head.
Rui Xiaodan was startled, thinking, "It's over." She then heard the decisive click of the trigger, but to her surprise, the gun did not fire. Realizing it was a dud, she seized the split-second opportunity, grabbed the opponent's wrist with her left hand, twisted sideways, and threw him to the ground. She twisted his arm, took the gun, pressed it against his head, and pinned him down with her leg before pulling out her handcuffs.
Only then did Rui Xiaodan see clearly that the man was none other than Wang Mingyang, the second-in-command of the criminal gang.
Just as she was about to handcuff Wang Mingyang, she noticed another criminal aiming a gun at Zhao Guoqiang, who was grappling with another criminal. Since the shooter couldn't get a clear shot, Rui Xiaodan quickly aimed and fired, hitting the criminal in the head. He fell, blood splattering.
Wang Mingyang, pinned under her, saw it all and casually remarked, "Nice shot."
Rui Xiaodan, both angry and amused, thought, "What a time to make such a comment." She swiftly handcuffed Wang Mingyang. By then, Zhao Guoqiang had subdued the other criminal. They handed the two criminals over to the reinforcements and rushed towards the gunfire, where the police and the reinforcements were already exchanging heavy fire.
The siege of the brick kiln lasted over half an hour, ending with three criminals killed, two wounded, and three captured without any police casualties. The technical team was busy examining the scene and photographing the bodies, which were then loaded into cars. The police cars, with flashing lights, and the dozens of armed officers created a scene of majesty and power in the pouring rain and flashing lightning.
After the scene was cleared, the captain ordered the team to return. They regrouped on the highway, and the vehicles transporting the criminals began to leave. Rui Xiaodan stood silently beside the Santana police car, her mind blank.
The captain approached and said, "I heard what happened. It was lucky it was a dud."
Rui Xiaodan murmured, "I killed again."
Zhao Guoqiang said, "Miss, are you serious? If you'd been any slower, I would have been dead."
The captain said, "It's over now, and Wang Mingyang is still alive. Xiaodan, are you okay?"
Rui Xiaodan shook her head, "Captain, can you all go ahead? I'd like to stay a while longer."
Understanding the psychological toll on Rui Xiaodan as a woman, the captain thought for a moment and said, "Alright, be careful. Change out of your wet clothes when you get back so you don't catch a cold."
Rui Xiaodan watched as the captain's police car drove away, then sat in her car, buried her head on the steering wheel, and let the rain soak her seat. The rain from her hair dripped down continuously.
The heavy rain showed no sign of stopping.
As Rui Xiaodan calmed down, she truly realized from a rational perspective that she had once again narrowly escaped death. Only one thought occupied her mind: if it hadn't been a dud, she would never see Ding Yuanying again. The thought of never seeing him again brought a wave of deathly pain to her heart, and tears silently streamed down her face.
The tide of emotions kept crashing within her. She didn't know if she was becoming more confused or clearer. Instinctively, she took out her phone and called Ding Yuanying.
"Hello..." Ding Yuanying's voice came through the phone.
At the sound of his voice, all her emotions, her despair, her heartache, poured out like a breached dam. She cried out, "I almost got killed just now. The gun was right at my head, but it was a dud. I was so scared I would never see you again..."
The line went silent.
Rui Xiaodan stifled her sobs, but tears continued to flow.
After a pause, Ding Yuanying asked, "Where are you?"
Rui Xiaodan replied, "On the highway outside Yiyang County."
Ding Yuanying asked, "How far is it? Which road will you take back?"
Rui Xiaodan said, "Over 30 kilometers, taking the North Ring Road into the city."
Ding Yuanying said, "I'll be waiting for you by the North Ring Road in 30 minutes."
Rui Xiaodan was stunned and hesitated, "Why?"
Ding Yuanying said, "To have you as a confidante in this life is enough."
He hung up, and Rui Xiaodan, after turning off her phone, suddenly felt a sense of exhaustion.