The Three Bullets

"But we don't know what this box is made of. We've tried everything, but we still can't open it!"

"No matter. The key must be with Eldest Miss Chu. Once we capture her, we'll get the key!" Captain Ruan said with a laugh.

"Exactly! Lao Da, you're brilliant as always! Hahaha!" The other mercenaries burst out laughing.

Feng Ge coveted the box just as much, but he didn't dare say anything about how everyone should get a share.

"Bzzzzzt!" Just then, the shrill sound of a welding torch cutting through metal came from inside the yacht.

"Looks like they've started over there. Soon, we'll find out exactly what's inside!" Captain Ruan gazed at the box in his hands, his eyes filled with greed.

In the central cabin, Chu Xiaoxiao looked pale and helplessly toward Ye Min.

Ye Min wasn't in much better shape. She had a gunshot wound in her left arm, hastily wrapped with a strip of cloth, and blood had soaked through her jacket.

"Miss Chu, it looks like we're not getting out of this one. They've jammed our signal. I never thought they'd be so brazen as to attack so close to shore—and they even bribed Captain Wei in advance."

"Uncle Wei?! How could he?"

"There's no mistake. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to pinpoint our location out at sea. Even getting close to us would've been difficult. But just now, our yacht approached them on its own! Captain Wei also locked the control room in advance!"

"I..." Chu Xiaoxiao couldn't accept the truth for a moment. Her expression darkened.

"The people outside probably aren't from Rabbit Country. I just heard them speaking what sounded like Vietnamese. They're probably foreign mercenaries. They're ruthless and leave no survivors. Our security company can't handle opponents of this caliber.

"What's more, they outnumber us several times over, and they have heavy weapons like rocket launchers. All we have are handguns. We really... underestimated how determined they were to capture you!

"Miss Chu, I'm sorry, but I have to tell you that I'm out of options. Unless a boat passes by and notices something's wrong, all we can do now is wait for them to break in and surrender."

"Then... will we die?" Chu Xiaoxiao murmured.

"Judging by how they acted just now, they won't leave anyone alive except their target—you," Ye Min said with a bitter smile.

"You mean they'll kill you?" Chu Xiaoxiao's face grew even paler.

Ye Min nodded with a bitter smile. "Don't worry. People in my line of work are prepared for this. I'll save one last bullet for myself."

Tears welled in Chu Xiaoxiao's eyes. After spending several days together, she had grown fond of Ye Min, who felt like an older sister. How could she bear to watch her die?

"Bzzzzzt!" Suddenly, the shrill sound of a welding torch cutting through metal came from outside the door. The two women immediately understood what it meant and exchanged bitter smiles.

Chu Xiaoxiao lowered her head and fell silent for a long time. When she looked up, the corners of her mouth lifted into a faint smile. Though fragile, it was filled with unwavering resolve. "Sister Ye, please save one bullet for me, too."

Ye Min looked at the young woman in surprise, as if she were seeing her for the first time.

"Miss Chu..."

"Just call me Xiaoxiao."

"All right, Xiaoxiao. You're their target. They've taken you hostage to force the Chu Group to make business concessions. You... still have a chance to survive." Ye Min hesitated before speaking.

"You don't have to comfort me, Sister Ye. They kidnapped me this way today and didn't spare even innocent people. That's enough to show how ruthless they are.

"If I fall into their hands, my mother will agree to all their demands to keep me safe. But in the end, they'll probably just bleed the Chu Group dry. Once I'm no longer useful to them, I'll die all the same.

"Besides, if I fall into their hands, I'll probably wish I were dead!"

Ye Min looked at Chu Xiaoxiao with admiration. There was no greater terror than facing death, yet she could still see her situation so clearly. Was this what you'd expect from a young prodigy who'd made waves in the business world?

Ye Min sighed, then shared a smile with Chu Xiaoxiao. It was a smile full of helplessness.

The two leaned against each other, watching the thick door slowly being cut open, and savored the last few moments together.

As Chu Xiaoxiao felt that familiar despair, the image of someone surfaced in her mind once more.

That night, deafening gunshots had erupted in the darkness, followed by a dazzling flash of fire that had pulled her out of the abyss.

"Sister Ye, if someone appeared out of nowhere when you were at your most desperate—like right now—and took down all the bad guys, then smiled and said, 'Hey, beautiful,' how do you think you'd respond?" Chu Xiaoxiao asked, her cheeks faintly red.

"Haha! If someone like that showed up right now, I'd give myself to him on the spot!" Ye Min grinned.

Chu Xiaoxiao looked at Ye Min in surprise. "Sister Ye, so this is the real you!"

In front of Chu Xiaoxiao, Ye Min usually acted like a very proper bodyguard. Chu Xiaoxiao hadn't expected to hear her say something like "I'd give myself to him."

"Honestly, what I hate most is the bodyguard etiquette class at our company. We're expected to mind our manners and speech in everything we do. But I'm about to die anyway, so I might as well stop pretending to be a proper lady before I go. Otherwise, you might not even recognize me in the underworld. Haha!"

Ye Min was actually quite gentle-looking, but there was a valiant edge to her features. The contrasting qualities blended together into a unique charm.

"Yeah! Before I die, I want to be my true self, too! I'll give myself to him as well! Hehehe!" Chu Xiaoxiao said with a giggle, clenching her little fists.

"Hahaha!"

The two women forgot their fear and laughed together in the face of despair.

As the two women talked, the thick door had already been cut through three-quarters of the way. Sparks flew from the welding torch. It wouldn't be long before a large hole was cut through, and then the women's last line of defense would be gone.

Ye Min carefully checked her magazine. After the fierce fight just now, she had only three bullets left!

She took them out one by one, then slid them back into the magazine and chambered a round!

One for the enemy, one for Xiaoxiao, and one for herself!

She gripped her handgun tightly and turned to look at Chu Xiaoxiao. Xiaoxiao was pale as she watched her, but she nodded firmly.

Ye Min returned her smile, raised the handgun, and aimed at the door, narrowing her eyes.

The cutting had stopped. Faint voices came from outside. It was obvious the other side was preparing to break in.

"Boom!" Just then, the entire yacht suddenly lurched violently.

"Ah!" Chu Xiaoxiao lost her footing and fell with a cry. Ye Min fared little better, but she quickly crouched and moved to Chu Xiaoxiao's side, staring at the door in alarm.

Could that have been the enemy's cover before storming in? Was there really any need to make such a commotion?