That's why women are nothing but trouble!

Zhou Yunzhi had already stepped in front of her and started chatting...

"Where are you going shopping? You just came from the countryside, so you probably don't know your way around! With me here, at least you won't get lost!"

"I heard you're Lu Changqing's fiancée. When are you two getting married?"

"Let me tell you, don't believe anything about that Chen Yuting! She's just an embarrassment! Any man who gets involved with her is asking for bad luck!"

Song Ning sighed. It seemed she couldn't shake her off now.

Still, Zhou Yunzhi really did know Rong City well. She pulled Song Ning through one turn after another, until a bustling street suddenly opened up before them.

"This street has everything! Whatever you want to buy, I can help you pick it out! My taste is definitely better than yours!"

The afternoon was warm without being stifling.

Song Ning hadn't come out with any particular purpose. As Zhou Yunzhi chattered away beside her, she listened without paying much attention.

As long as this spoiled, self-satisfied young lady didn't provoke her, she couldn't be bothered to argue with her.

Just then, a man hurried toward them and slammed hard into Zhou Yunzhi's shoulder.

Zhou Yunzhi nearly fell from the impact and snapped angrily:

"Are you blind? Watch where you're going!"

A moment later, she shouted, "Bastard! Thief! He stole my bag!"

Having gotten what he wanted, the man took off at a sprint.

Zhou Yunzhi hastily chased after him!

Song Ning instinctively felt something was wrong, but Zhou Yunzhi had already followed him into the alley beside them.

She had no choice but to chase after her.

The alley was narrow and curved around a bend. There were no pedestrians inside.

Song Ning grew increasingly uneasy and shouted from behind:

"Zhou Yunzhi! Stop chasing him! Come back!"

Zhou Yunzhi did come back.

She came backing away.

Three tall, burly men had appeared in front of her, each holding a knife.

Song Ning immediately turned around. Sure enough, they were surrounded from behind as well.

Zhou Yunzhi backed up beside Song Ning and grabbed her hand.

She was trembling all over.

"M-my bag! I don't want it anymore! You can have it!"

"Hmph!" The man in front had a knife scar across his forehead, and his voice was chilling.

"You can have your bag back!"

As he spoke, he took the bag from the man beside him and tossed it to Zhou Yunzhi.

Then he grinned viciously. "But you two-we're keeping!"

Song Ning's first thought was, Was this... Chen Yuting's boyfriend, Brother Yang?

But she immediately dismissed the idea. These men had a vicious edge to them, nothing like the two bumbling fools who had followed her that day.

"Brother Liang! Which of these two women is she?" one of his underlings asked quietly.

"The prized beauty. Whichever one's prettier!"

Hearing that, Song Ning knew she had been caught in someone else's trouble.

She scanned their surroundings and set her sights on the sticks of firewood leaning against the wall.

But after looking back and forth between Zhou Yunzhi and Song Ning several times, all the men finally settled their gazes on Song Ning.

Zhou Yunzhi's eyes widened in astonishment!

She nearly called them blind!

Before the men could lunge at her, Song Ning grabbed a stick and landed a rapid flurry of blows on several of them.

At the same time, she shouted, "Run!"

But Zhou Yunzhi's legs had already gone weak with fear. She couldn't run at all.

Song Ning had no choice but to turn back and pull her along...

That brief delay was enough. When she turned around again, a burlap sack dropped over her head, completely enveloping her.

Room 208 in the senior officials' ward.

Gu Zheng was writing something with a pen while Chen Liang watched beside him, offering reminders now and then.

Han Xiao suddenly pushed the door open and entered, his expression grave. "Boss! We've got movement!"

Both men in the room grew serious and looked up at Han Xiao.

"Ge Liang has shown up in Rong City! He's kidnapped Zhou Yunzhi!"

"Ge Liang?"

Gu Zheng's brows drew tightly together.

"So Ge Liang was the first to show himself! And why did he choose Zhou Yunzhi as his target? Could he be after Elder Zhou?"

"Boss!"

Han Xiao couldn't help saying, "Whenever it comes to this sort of thing, you completely miss the point! Everyone in the military district knows Zhou Yunzhi chases after you every day! Elder Zhou has been retired for years. Why would he go after him? He's coming for you!"

"That's why women are nothing but trouble!"

Gu Zheng muttered the complaint, then turned to instruct Chen Liang:

"Triple the guard on He Biao! Don't overlook even the slightest sign of trouble! Movement is a good thing. It means they're losing patience!"

"Yes, sir!" Chen Liang straightened to attention, then turned and left.

"Han Xiao, take some men and find out what Ge Liang is up to. Bring Zhou Yunzhi back safely! Keep it quiet! And don't round them all up! Ge Liang is just one of He Biao's low-level underlings. Follow the trail and see if there are any bigger fish!"

"Yes, sir!" Han Xiao answered solemnly.

But he didn't leave immediately. Instead, he continued:

"Boss! Song Ning was there when they kidnapped Zhou Yunzhi! She... she was taken too! Do you think we should notify Lu Changqing?"

Gu Zheng abruptly raised his head. "Since when do you give me half a report and hold back the rest?!"

"S-Song Ning was clearly just caught up in it, so I..."

"Shut up! Assign more men! I'm going myself!"

When Song Ning woke, her hands and feet were bound, and she was lying on a cold concrete floor.

She first tried moving a little. Fortunately, apart from being unable to move freely, she wasn't injured.

Zhou Yunzhi was also tied up and lay a short distance away.

This seemed to be an abandoned warehouse. Oil stained the floor, and rusty machine parts, wooden crates, and other things lay scattered around.

The ceiling was high, and the windows were large, but they were about three or four meters above the floor. Many of the panes were broken.

Song Ning's hands were bound behind her back. She felt around on the floor for a long time before finding something like a piece of sheet metal.

Perhaps they thought this place was secure enough for two tied-up women.

No one came to check on them, even by the time Song Ning had sawed through the ropes around her wrists.

After untying the ropes around her ankles, she looked through the glass pane in the door and saw three men standing guard some distance away.

She observed them carefully. Once she was certain there were only three men outside, she gently nudged Zhou Yunzhi awake.

Then she covered her mouth before she could scream.

"Don't shout! We've been kidnapped! We need to find a way out!"

As she spoke, she leaned close to Zhou Yunzhi's ear and quietly gave her a few instructions.

Zhou Yunzhi had never experienced anything like this, but she knew they had no other option right now.

She could only nod shakily in agreement.

Song Ning untied the ropes around her hands and feet, then arranged them to look as though she was still bound.

Next, she found an iron wrench with a broken jaw, held it in her hand, and lay down beside her.

Once Zhou Yunzhi saw she was ready, she raised her voice and shouted:

"Someone! Is anyone there? Help!"

Sure enough, before long, a man peered through the window in the door and snarled:

"What are you yelling for? No one here can save you!"

"Sir! Sir, don't go! Can I have some water? I can't take it anymore!"

Another man's voice came from farther away. "What's that woman yelling about?"

"She says she wants water!"

"Give her some! Brother Liang still needs them to bargain with!"

The man at the door walked away, cursing under his breath.

Song Ning immediately got up and stood behind the door, gripping the iron wrench.