Past of the Tomboy (8)

The searing pain in Zhong Lichun's thigh rendered her temporarily immobile. The screams of those hit by shrapnel inside the truck only added to her distress. Just then, another terrified shriek echoed from the side. Zhong Lichun, drenched in cold sweat, gritted her teeth and looked up. She saw a pursuer climbing up the side of the truck and entering the carriage.

Considering the carriage was packed with people, if this guy got his footing and used them as hostages, Zhong Lichun would be in a real bind. She had to take him down before he could steady himself.

Ignoring the agony in her thigh, Zhong Lichun pushed herself up and lunged at the climbing enemy. The man had just gotten in, and the truck's violent rocking made him unstable. As he grabbed the edge of the carriage to regain his balance, Zhong Lichun was already upon him.

Due to her leg injury, Zhong Lichun couldn't stand steady. When she crashed into him, they both fell. They then began brawling inside the carriage. Normally, with Zhong Lichun's skills, she could handle two or three people. But the grenade had exploded too close, and the shockwave had left her disoriented. Coupled with her leg wound, her combat effectiveness was less than half.

They rolled around the carriage as they fought. The hostages, terrified, scrambled backward, none daring to help. Subduing the attacker wasn't easy for Zhong Lichun.

Finally, Zhong Lichun managed to twist his arm and pin him. But before she could make another move, her opponent suddenly exerted force, grabbing the wound on Zhong Lichun's thigh. This time, Zhong Lichun couldn't suppress a cry of pain. Her grip on his arm loosened. Seizing the opportunity, he yanked his head back, slamming the back of his skull into Zhong Lichun's nose. The heavy blow to her face made her vision go black as she fell backward.

Breaking free from Zhong Lichun's hold, the pursuer scrambled to his feet. His gun had fallen during the struggle, so he drew the Military knife from his belt and lunged at Zhong Lichun with both hands.

In desperation, Zhong Lichun could only extend her hands to grab his wrists, blocking the attack. But against his sheer strength, she, a woman, couldn't possibly contend with a grown man. The blade tip crept closer and closer to Zhong Lichun's throat.

At the critical moment, a male hostage shouted and grabbed the gun from the floor. He wielded it backward, using the barrel to smash the butt of the gun into the enemy.

The blow was brutal. The wooden stock of the gun cracked, and the man who had been trying to kill Zhong Lichun grunted and fell sideways, blood pooling on the back of his head.

Just then, several more enemies climbed aboard. The man who had saved Zhong Lichun seemed to find his courage. He charged at one of them, shouting, "Damn it! We're all going to die anyway, so I'll fight you! With this many of us, can't we take you down?"

He shouted this in English, and most people in the carriage understood. Hearing his words, everyone froze for a moment. After exchanging glances, they seemed to snap out of it. All the men stood up and charged at the enemies climbing onto the truck.

In the cramped, violently shaking carriage, the climbers had no time to react before being swarmed by several times their number. They were quickly subdued and beaten, with no chance to fight back.

Seeing those who had been terrified moments ago now rising in defiance, Zhong Lichun managed a faint smile. Relying on others is not as good as relying on oneself; self-rescue is the only way. It was remarkable that these people had realized this.

With the resistance of all the men in the carriage, the climbers were dealt with one by one and thrown off the truck. Those below who hadn't managed to board dared not try again. Since they couldn't get on, their only option was to kill everyone inside.

The shooting resumed, bullets whizzing past the carriage. Many who had been celebrating their victory were hit. Facing the enemy's gunfire, their newfound courage evaporated. Everyone ducked, heads down, fearing a stray bullet.

By now, Zhong Lichun had recovered. At least her head wasn't spinning anymore. She knew they couldn't escape like this; they needed a way to make the enemy stop firing. Glancing at the corpse of the enemy killed by the gun butt, a cold glint flashed in Zhong Lichun's eyes. She crawled over and, with all her might, pushed the body off the truck. Of course, she didn't just throw the body off. As she did, she pulled the pin from a grenade attached to the corpse's waist.

As the body fell, it coincidentally landed on the windshield of a jeep right behind them, shattering the glass. The next second, the grenade exploded, blowing the front of the jeep upward. The occupants were killed instantly.

The out-of-control vehicle swerved and crashed into another jeep, flipping both over. Another jeep was sent flying sideways, tumbling several times before coming to a stop.

There had been five pursuing vehicles in total, and now three were out of commission. Zhong Lichun grabbed her rifle and, gritting her teeth, stood up. She then unleashed a barrage of fire at the two remaining vehicles below. This time, however, she wasn't aiming at the people inside but at the ground in front of them. She couldn't stand steady enough for accurate fire, so she had to gamble.

Fortunately, Zhong Lichun's luck held. The wild shots managed to hit the front tires of both vehicles. With their tires blown, the jeeps lost control. One flipped over, while the other crashed into a large rock by the roadside.

All five pursuing jeeps were now immobilized. Zhong Lichun slumped to the ground and promptly fainted. Yet, even as she lost consciousness, a smile played on her lips. No matter what, she had managed to save them all.

Unbeknownst to Zhong Lichun, Kabu, who was driving, had an ashen face. A bullet hole marred his right flank, and blood was seeping out. He had been unlucky enough to be hit by a bullet that penetrated the car door during the earlier shootout. Furthermore, due to the several violent impacts, the chassis had scraped against a protruding rock, severing the brake lines. Kabu couldn't even stop the vehicle.