CCTnovel Book 5: Chapter 234: Pursue and Escape
Book 5: Chapter 234: Pursue and Escape
“Y-You’re... awake...” Chen Xing’s face stiffened slightly as he pulled out a can of soup from his bag and forced a smile. “You seemed really drunk. I was going to make you some soup to sober up,” he said.
When Wang Defa saw the soup can in Chen Xing’s hand, his face broke into a huge smile. “Geez, so that was what you were doing. I thought you were going to run off with your bag!”
“Come on, what are you talking about, Old Wang? We’re in the same boat now—where could I possibly go?” Chen Xing quickly masked the flash of panic in his eyes.
“Haha, looks like I was overthinking it. Sorry, sorry!” Wang Defa apologized twice to show his sincerity. He accepted the can of soup and took a look at it.
“Only a manager would be so well-prepared for everything. I’m impressed that you’re even carrying something like this around...”
“Hehe. My wife insisted I carry it with me because I’d often end up wasted when I go out drinking with clients.”
“Your wife’s truly a virtuous woman.”
“Virtuous? You’re putting her on a pedestal. She’s just a little better in this regard.”
“Haha, I’ll definitely visit your wife when I get the chance in the future.”
Wang Defa patted Chen Xing on the shoulder before his expression suddenly changed. “Oh no, I drank too much. I need to use the bathroom.”
“Go ahead.”
“I’ll leave this to you then, Manager Chen.” Wang Defa waved and jogged out the door.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Chen Xing’s expression darkened. “That b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲’s starting to suspect me. I need to leave now.” He slung his bag over his shoulder, then moved silently to the door, listening to the sounds outside.
“No, can’t leave through the door.” Chen Xing looked around the room, his eyes lighting up as he spotted something.
This room had once been a reception office, so aside from the door they had entered through, there was a window on the other side of the cluttered space. It had originally been used by the factory’s receptionist.
Though the window was small, Chen Xing figured he could squeeze through it. He walked over, quickly swept the clutter on top of the window sill away, and looked at the window. Taking a deep breath, he glanced at his slightly swelled stomach.
He told himself that after all this, he’d probably need to lose some weight, or at least drink less.
The window wasn’t high, so Chen Xing was able to easily slip the upper half of his body through it.
Hmm... his stomach was still a bit too big so he’d have to squeeze himself through it. The position he was in wasn’t ideal to force his way through, though.
He tried jumping to push himself up but the movements only hurt his stomach even more.
“Do you need help?” A hand suddenly reached over and grabbed Chen Xing’s shoulder.
“Thanks...” Chen Xing was about to express his gratitude but his face turned pale. Chen Xing froze, lifting his head to see Wang Defa standing there with a sinister grin, silently watching him.
I... I may have underestimated how difficult escaping would be...
Tadashi’s legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.
Luckily, the area around him was a large swamp and river. The ground was soft, so the fall didn’t cause any injury. But the terrain made escape so much harder. He had truly overestimated his own capabilities.
Tadashi reached into his shirt and pressed his lips in frustration. The food he had hidden had been thrown away by that damn kidnapper. A whole day and night without food, and with such serious injuries, his strength was nearly gone.
Maybe hiding had been the best option. But it was too late to regret now.
Tadashi struggled, trying to get up from the ground.
Splash...!
A strange sound suddenly echoed through the air.
That’s... the sound of water? And it’s very close...
Tadashi’s body tensed. A chill ran down his spine.
Is it an animal? Or... No, it doesn’t matter. Either way, I can’t afford to take the risk.
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand. He scanned his surroundings. It seemed like he was still far from the reed swamp that the nice uncle had mentioned, and there weren’t many places to hide.
His only choice was to stagger into a thick bush.
A moment later, the unmistakable sound of footsteps splashing in a water puddle reached his ears. A figure was slowly approaching. Through the gap in the foliage, Tadashi held his breath as he watched the figure.
It was the kidnapper who referred to himself as Old Wang.
He was covered in mud, looking miserable, but still in much better shape than Tadashi. He was holding a half-meter-long steel pipe, swaying as he took each step, but moving with a determined purpose.
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He reached the spot where Tadashi had just fallen. As if he’d discovered something, he crouched down and examined the ground, noticing the clear signs of a struggle.
“Ha, stupid brat, I caught you after all.” Wang Defa laughed, grabbing a handful of mud and tossing it aside, his voice full of mockery.
He suddenly straightened up, looked around the field, and yelled, “Hey boy, you’re hiding around here, aren’t you?”
Tadashi clamped his hand over his mouth, not daring to make a sound.
“Stop hiding and come out. I’ve found you.”