Chapter 486: A Perilous Situation

The scent of chloroform reached Lin Dongxue’s nose, and she realized the danger. She used all her strength to push back, elbowing the landlady. The landlady stumbled with a cry, and in that moment of distraction, Lin Dongxue managed to pull out her gun, gripping it tightly. Her fingers were already numb, and her head was starting to feel light.

Wu Xu, having spent time in prison, knew better than to act recklessly when faced with a gun. Lin Dongxue kept both the mother and son within her sight as she staggered back, trying to maintain her balance.

“Was it you?” Lin Dongxue gritted her teeth, asking.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” Wu Xu took a step forward.

Lin Dongxue fired a shot into the air, causing nearby pedestrians to jump in fright. She then aimed the gun back at Wu Xu and shouted, “Don’t move.”

“Can’t I help my mom up?” Wu Xu asked.

“I said don’t move! Raise your hands!” Lin Dongxue demanded.

Wu Xu glanced at his mother on the ground and raised his hands, a sneer on his face.

Lin Dongxue’s heart was still pounding from the previous encounter. If she had been incapacitated, it wouldn’t have been just about her being kidnapped; the loaded gun could have led to a serious public safety incident.

Her phone rang, and Wu Xu made a small move. Lin Dongxue fired several more shots into the sky, both to alert her colleagues and to intimidate him. “Move again and I’ll shoot you.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Wu Xu sneered. “I’ve dealt with the police enough times to know your limits. Shooting an unarmed suspect? Aren’t you afraid of ending up in jail? A cop in prison is as good as dead.”

Lin Dongxue said painfully, “You’ve really let me down. I thought you had reformed.”

“Reformed!?” Wu Xu spat through gritted teeth. “Has society ever given me a chance!? It’s not just about being rejected for jobs; even when I try to make a living collecting scrap, society shuts me out. Once, several neighborhoods I frequented suddenly barred me from entering. When I asked why, they wouldn’t say. Later, I found out that a ‘kind-hearted’ police officer had warned the property managers about me being an ex-convict. Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. You say you want to help me reform, but once I’m out, have you ever given me any help? All I get is discrimination, discrimination, and more discrimination!”

The crowd around them grew larger, and Wu Xu shouted at them, “Listen up! I, Wu Xu, killed a man in my twenties and spent over a decade in prison! I know you look down on me and my mother, gossiping behind our backs. While you celebrate with your families, we cry alone at home. You love kicking someone when they’re down, but you run away when real danger comes. You have no idea what it’s like behind bars. Sixteen years! I paid for my impulsive youth with sixteen years of my life. I thought I had paid my dues, but society says it’s not enough. I have to pay for it my entire life!”

Tears welled up in Wu Xu’s eyes as he turned to Lin Dongxue. “You extinguished my hope and expect me to be a good person!”

Lin Dongxue’s eyes filled with tears. “I can help you. Not everyone will discriminate against you. Don’t let a few people’s coldness represent the entire world.”

Wu Xu took a bold step forward, his eyes blazing. Lin Dongxue, hands trembling, pointed her gun at him. “Stop! Stop!”

“Shoot me. I don’t want to go back to prison. Kill me! Kill me!” Wu Xu yelled.

“Stop!” Lin Dongxue screamed, her finger tightening on the trigger. At that moment, the landlady leaped up and grabbed her hand, causing the shot to go astray, the bullet flying into the sky.

The landlady screamed, “Run, son! I’ll fight the police to the death to protect you!”

Wu Xu seemed to regain his senses and started to run. The crowd parted to let him through, no one daring to stop him, as if he were carrying a deadly virus.

Lin Dongxue was desperate. The landlady held her tightly and even tried to bite her hand.

Just then, a loud crash echoed from the street. Lin Dongxue shoved the landlady away and ran out to see a white van smoking and dented, hit by Chen Shi’s car. Wu Xu was slumped over the steering wheel, unconscious.

Chen Shi jumped out of the car, signaling Lin Dongxue to throw him the handcuffs. He swiftly cuffed Wu Xu, who was bleeding and barely conscious, his legs like noodles, completely helpless.

“Don’t take my son! Please!” the landlady wailed, pushing through the crowd toward Chen Shi.

Chen Shi shoved Wu Xu into the car and held the landlady back. He turned to the bystanders and shouted, “Call the police! Now!”

“Aren’t you the police?” one person asked.

“Just do it! Two people can’t handle this.”

Lin Dongxue ran over to help, but Chen Shi said, “Explain later. Watch the suspect.”

The landlady was crying and screaming, but Chen Shi ignored her pleas. She tried to throw herself at him, but he coldly pushed her away and filmed her with his phone, making sure to have evidence that she wasn’t hurt.

Lin Dongxue watched from the car, feeling that Chen Shi was too harsh. But his method was effective. Realizing that her act wasn’t working, the landlady clung to a pole, wailing.

Some bystanders sympathized with her, criticizing Chen Shi. “Are you a cop?”

“I’m a friend of the police.”

The bystanders were momentarily silenced, then changed their tactics. “Are you even human?”

“Yes, a human who came alone.”

Finally, more police arrived and the scene was brought under control. Chen Shi got into the car and sighed in relief. He looked at Lin Dongxue, his expression complicated. After a moment, he simply asked, “Are you okay?”

“Thanks to you, I’m fine.” Lin Dongxue felt weak and dizzy from the chloroform.

Chen Shi smiled, touching her head gently. “Silly girl, don’t act alone next time.” Lin Dongxue nodded, feeling a bit guilty.