Chapter 185: Escaped Again?
Seeing the front door of Villa No. 5 pop open, Shiguang felt a surge of joy and immediately ordered his men to escort Tom away while he began planning the assault.
“Your Highness, it’s done!”
Tom returned to Fang Xiaocao’s side and reported in a low voice.
Fang Xiaocao nodded but still felt uneasy, as if she had overlooked something important.
No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t recall what it was.
“Could there still be unexpected changes?” she murmured to herself.
“Don’t worry, Your Highness. Everything will be fine,” Tom reassured her with a confident smile. “Even if there is danger, you still have me!”
He patted his chest, his exaggerated expression clearly meant to lighten her mood.
Fang Xiaocao managed a small smile. “Thank you, Tom.”
“Aww, Your Highness, you don’t have to thank me. I am your loyal knight, after all!” Tom chuckled.
Despite his humor, Fang Xiaocao remained preoccupied, her mind racing to figure out what she had missed.
She was certain it was something crucial!
She just couldn’t remember what.
“Move in!”
“Assault team, advance!”
“Support team, provide covering fire!”
Shiguang checked his magazine before barking out his orders.
Then, he took the lead, sprinting towards the villa’s open door.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
Gunfire erupted once again in front of Villa No. 5.
Both sides fired relentlessly, determined to suppress their enemy in a storm of bullets.
Shiguang’s seven-member assault team, led by himself, charged toward the open entrance under a hail of gunfire from the villa’s upper floors.
A mere thirty-meter distance felt like an endless chasm—every step was a dance with death.
Two agonizing screams pierced the air.
Two of the assault team members had been hit and collapsed into pools of blood.
But Shiguang and the remaining four managed to reach the villa’s entrance, pressing themselves into the blind spot where the attackers in the attic couldn’t reach them.
The gunfire stopped.
Both sides fell silent.
Downstairs, the police scrambled to evacuate the wounded.
Upstairs, Han Xue and her people prepared for close-quarters combat.
Seeing this, Fang Xiaocao was convinced that Han Xue was doomed.
The short but intense firefight just now had nearly emptied the magazines of the police’s support team.
Han Xue’s side had fired even more rounds.
There was no way they had many bullets left.
Meanwhile, Shiguang and his team had fresh magazines loaded.
There was no way Han Xue and her group carried an entire armory with them, right?
Even if each of them had two or three magazines, they would have used up most of their ammo by now.
Soon, another flurry of gunfire erupted from inside the villa—sharp and rapid, but brief.
Fang Xiaocao’s heart pounded with anticipation.
“Who won?”
“Did Han Xue get gunned down?”
Her mind was filled with these two questions.
The answer came quickly.
But it was not what she expected.
The shattered attic window of Villa No. 5 was suddenly pushed open.
Shiguang stuck his head out and shouted, “Leave a few people to tend to the wounded! Everyone else, drive around to the back entrance! Some of them escaped through the rear window!”
Then he ducked back inside.
Clearly, he was in pursuit.
Fang Xiaocao froze.
Now she finally realized what she had forgotten.
There were no police stationed at the back entrance!
She had come from the rear entrance earlier and had worried that Han Xue and her people might escape that way and run into her.
But once she reached the front, she completely forgot to warn Shiguang about it!
The attic was only three stories high.
If they weren’t afraid of getting hurt, jumping down was totally possible.
There was a balcony on the second floor.
Han Xue and her crew could easily escape that way!
Fang Xiaocao broke out in a cold sweat.
“How could I forget something this important?!”
She muttered to herself in frustration.
“Your Highness, do you want me to chase them?” Tom asked in a low voice.
Fang Xiaocao blinked, about to agree.
But then she remembered—she was still being hunted by the Blacklist assassins.
She hesitated for a moment before shaking her head.
The danger from the Blacklist was far greater than that from Han Xue’s group.
Now that the police were after Han Xue, even if she managed to escape this time, she wouldn’t be able to cause trouble again anytime soon.
But the Blacklist was different.
The Blacklist was like a sharp dagger hovering over Fang Xiaocao’s head, ready to strike at any moment.
“No need to track Han Xue. I have more urgent threats, and I need you to protect me.”
Fang Xiaocao spoke in a serious tone.
Tom was momentarily taken aback.
Then he asked, “Your Highness, what other threats do you have?”
“I’m being hunted by the Blacklist assassins. You need to stay with me and keep me safe.”
Fang Xiaocao forced a bitter smile.
Tom’s eyes widened in shock.
“The Blacklist?”
“How on earth did you provoke them?”
He asked in disbelief.
“It’s a long story. I’ll explain later. Right now, we need to leave this place.”
Fang Xiaocao sighed.
“This gunfight made too much noise. It will definitely attract attention from all sorts of factions, including the Blacklist.
If we stay here, it’s too dangerous.”
She said in a firm tone.
“You’re right, Your Highness!”
“I’ll get you to safety first!”
Tom nodded and led Fang Xiaocao out of the villa district.
As they walked along the street, Tom remained highly alert, scanning the surroundings for any sign of danger.
“Your Highness, where should we go?”
He asked cautiously.
Fang Xiaocao thought for a moment before replying,
“Find a hotel and book a room under your name. We’ll stay there for now.
My identity has already been flagged by the Blacklist.
No matter where I go, if I use my ID, they’ll track me down quickly.”
Tom nodded and picked a nearby hotel.
He checked them in under his name and secured a room for them.
Fang Xiaocao finally had a chance to rest.
After days of being hunted, constantly on edge, she was exhausted—so much so that even sleeping with one eye open hadn’t felt safe.
But now that Tom was back, she had a chance to recuperate.
At the same time, she needed to rethink her strategy.
She would also have to discuss things with “Hot Noodles” again.
Following Fang Xiaocao’s instructions, Tom booked a suite on the second floor with large windows.
Why the second floor?
Because it made for an easy escape route.
If Blacklist assassins found them, they could jump out and flee in an instant.
(End of Chapter 185)
