MMB Chapter 1466 A swaggering act to lure the snake out of its hole.
Chapter 1466 A swaggering act to lure the snake out of its hole.
Night fell, and the waves gently lapped at the beach, leaving behind white foam. Far from the blood-soaked coconut grove, the beach was much quieter. Anran sat alone by a rock, the sea breeze ruffling her long hair. She hugged her knees, her gaze fixed on the direction of the woods where Chen Jun had disappeared, her eyes filled with a mixture of worry and trust.
When that familiar figure emerged from the shadows at the edge of the woods and walked towards her on the fine sand, An Ran immediately stood up.
By the faint light from the distant city and the hazy moonlight, she could clearly see the large patches of dark red blood on Chen Jun's body, and the obvious damage to his combat uniform.
"Chen Jun!" An Ran cried out softly, disregarding everything else, rushing to him in a few steps, her hands frantically searching his body, her voice trembling, "How are you? Where are you hurt? Let me see! So much blood..."
Her touch was direct and flustered, filled with unreserved concern. Chen Jun could feel her slender hands, calloused and slightly cold from nervousness, rapidly brushing across his chest, waist, and arms... even pausing when approaching certain sensitive areas.
"Hiss..." Chen Jun's body stiffened almost imperceptibly. He subconsciously reached out and gently grabbed An Ran's wrists, which were about to touch below his belt. He said helplessly, but with a slightly unusual temperature. "An Ran... don't touch me. I'm fine."
He emphasized the word "touching" slightly, a mischievous glint in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a serious expression. "It's really nothing, it's all enemy blood, just smeared on. Look, it's alive and kicking."
To reassure An Ran, he even spread his arms and twirled lightly in front of her, his movements fluid, making him appear no longer injured.
An Ran's cheeks flushed slightly as he grabbed her wrist, and she heard the subtle undertone in his voice. But her anxiety finally subsided. She pulled her hand away, but still carefully examined him from head to toe, making sure that apart from his dirty and torn clothes, he had no obvious wounds before letting out a long sigh of relief.
"That scared me to death..." she complained softly, then looked up again, her eyes regaining their usual clarity and intelligence. "I heard everything that was going on in the woods, including Lao Wen and the others... Are you 'fishing' again this time?"
Chen Jun gave her an approving look; she was indeed the woman he had chosen, with a keen sense of smell. He briefly explained his intentions—to feign weakness to lure the enemy out and try to uncover the deeper mastermind behind the scenes.
After listening, An Ran pursed her lips, remained silent for a few seconds, and then nodded with an "Mmm." "I understand your thinking. Using yourself as bait is indeed the most direct and effective method, especially in this situation where the enemy is in the dark and we are in the light, with limited clues." Her analysis was calm and insightful, but then her tone shifted, carrying an undeniable insistence, "However, you must also be careful! This isn't China, after all. We're unfamiliar with the area, and we don't know how much power the enemy has, or if they have any backup plans. No matter how meticulous your plan is, it can't withstand the possibility of something unexpected..."
Seeing the lingering worry in her eyes, Chen Jun felt a warmth in his heart, but a confident, slightly arrogant smile appeared on his face. He reached out and gently rubbed An Ran's cheek with the back of his fingers; the touch was slightly cool. "What, don't you believe in your husband's abilities?"
He deliberately used the term "husband," with obvious intimacy and teasing, and sure enough, An Ran's ears turned even redder.
Before An Ran could retort, he continued, his tone becoming confident and aggressive: "Passive defense isn't my style, and luring the snake out of its hole needs a catalyst. If we're going to play, let's play big. Isn't there a famous night market here? I heard it's very lively."
An Ran was taken aback, her eyes widening slightly: "Go again? In this situation..." She thought Chen Jun would at least retreat to the safe house first and make further plans.
Chen Jun smiled and asked calmly, "What, scared? Didn't you say you wanted to visit the night market here and experience the local atmosphere? There's no time like the present, let's do it now."
“Come on, I’ll be your protector tonight and guarantee your safety.” Chen Jun took An Ran’s hand, his tone as relaxed as if they were just going for an ordinary night walk.
No sooner had he finished speaking than Old Wen, who had been keeping watch nearby and listening intently to the commotion, could no longer contain himself and strode over. His face was filled with disapproval and anxiety as he lowered his voice and advised, “Boss! Given the current situation, going to the night market? We were attacked during the day, and now we're going to a crowded, conspicuous place at night… I understand your strategic intentions—to make a high-profile appearance to provoke them into attacking again, making it easier for us to gather clues. But… this is too risky! The night market environment is complex and crowded; the difficulty of deploying and protecting our forces will increase exponentially. What if they become desperate and resort to extreme measures…”
Old Wen's words were reasonable and well-founded, filled with concern for Chen Jun's safety. The plainclothes officers behind him also showed the same expression.
Chen Jun simply shook his head, interrupting him, his tone calm yet undeniable: "No buts. Lao Wen, you're overcomplicating things, and you're overestimating the other party's abilities."
His gaze swept over the faintly visible city lights in the distance, and he continued, "Today's attack involved considerable force, but as you saw, the result was disastrous. Now, not only have they lost manpower, but more importantly, their plan has failed, and they've exposed some of their strength and intentions. In the short term, they need to reassess, regroup, and adjust their plans. They won't be able to come back so quickly. In fact, they might even lie low for a while because of today's failure and our 'strong' response (referring to the earlier appearance of Lao Wen and his team)."
He paused, a cold smile curving his lips, his words radiating confidence and a hint of contempt: "Besides, what do you take them for? A regular army? A warlord's armed force? They're nothing but a bunch of hyenas who can't stand the light of day. At most, they'll have some gunmen and snipers to create some chaos. A hundred or so men, a few beat-up guns, and they think they can take me down in a foreign land?"
Chen Jun looked at Lao Wen, his eyes sharp as knives: "Lao Wen, when I was a greenhorn, I was surrounded by several times more people in much harsher conditions, and they couldn't do anything to me. What chance do they have now?"
These words were not only a reassurance to Lao Wen, but also an expression of absolute confidence in his own strength, and a sign of contempt for potential enemies.
After saying that, ignoring Lao Wen's hesitant expression, he naturally put his arm around An Ran's waist and led her, walking casually and nonchalantly across the beach where the gunfight had just taken place. Moonlight shone on them, the sea breeze blew, and the two figures leaned against each other, as if they were really just a couple strolling on the beach, completely ignoring the lingering smell of gunpowder and the faint stench of blood in the air.
After walking around for a while, Chen Jun, seemingly still wanting more, put his arm around An Ran and headed towards their seaside hotel. "Let's go back to the hotel and change our clothes. We'll be too conspicuous walking around the night market dressed like this."
Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, and then glancing at the faint bullet marks and bloodstains on the ground (which had already been partially cleared by the team), Lao Wen felt utterly overwhelmed. He understood Chen Jun's determination and intentions, but this act of completely exposing himself to the open and voluntarily stepping into the most uncontrollable environment still made this commander in charge of security coordination feel uneasy and anxious. He could only urgently adjust the deployment plan, mobilizing more plainclothes team members to infiltrate the night market area in advance, while silently praying that nothing major would happen tonight.
……
The night market, located in the city's old town, is brightly lit and bustling with activity. Narrow streets are lined with stalls selling all sorts of local handicrafts, snacks, spices, and clothing, filling the air with the complex aromas of grilled meats, desserts, and various spices. The throngs of people—tourists of different skin colors and speaking different languages—mingle together, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere.
Chen Jun changed into casual clothes, and An Ran wore a simple dress. Hand in hand, like countless other couples visiting the area, they strolled slowly through the crowd. Chen Jun appeared relaxed, occasionally pointing to an interesting stall or snack and chatting quietly with An Ran. An Ran was gradually infected by the lively exotic atmosphere, a relaxed smile appearing on her face, temporarily forgetting the dangers of the day.
Chen Jun appeared relaxed, but his peripheral vision remained constantly alert, his muscles tense and ready to spring into action at any moment. He could sense at least five or six scrutinizing and wary gazes from different directions being fixed on them—those were the protection personnel arranged by Lao Wen. At the same time, he also vaguely detected a few more deeply hidden gazes, filled with malice and probing. The fish seemed to be starting to swim closer.
They walked up to a stall selling handmade knitted items, and An Ran was drawn to a brightly colored shawl, picking it up to examine it closely. Just then, something unexpected happened!
"Honey! Look! It's him! It's him!"
A woman's voice, trembling with emotion and tears, suddenly rang out from a food stall diagonally opposite. The volume was quite loud and stood out clearly in the noisy night market.
Chen Jun and An Ran both looked in the direction of the sound. They saw a woman in her thirties, dressed in simple local clothing, pointing excitedly at Chen Jun and speaking urgently to a similarly plain-looking man beside her. The man was holding the hand of a little girl, about five or six years old, with pigtails and rosy cheeks.
“That’s right! It was him! He was on the beach during the day! If it weren’t for him, our Xiao Ai would be gone! Waaah…” The woman said, tears streaming down her face. She pulled the man and child, pushed through the crowd, and walked quickly toward Chen Jun.
Some tourists and vendors nearby were attracted by the commotion and looked over curiously.
The family of three approached Chen Jun. The woman was emotional, and the man looked grateful. Before Chen Jun and An Ran could fully react, the couple, holding the bewildered little girl, made as if to kneel down and kowtow!
"My savior! Thank you! Thank you for saving our daughter!" The man's voice choked with emotion.
Chen Jun reacted extremely quickly. The moment the other person's knees bent, he swiftly reached out with both hands and steadily supported the couple's arms. A supple yet irresistible force prevented them from kneeling.
"No! Get up!" Chen Jun lowered his voice and said seriously, "It's nothing, just a small act of kindness. Anyone would help if they saw a child in danger. Please don't do this!"
He quickly scanned his surroundings and found that their location had attracted a lot of attention because of this incident. Several pairs of eyes, hidden in the shadows and filled with malice, seemed to have become more focused and intense because of this unexpected turn of events.
An Ran also realized what was happening and quickly stepped forward to help support the emotionally agitated mother, gently comforting her.
Chen Jun squatted down, looked at the somewhat timid little girl, patted her head, and said in a gentle but quick voice, "Little girl, from now on you must stay close to your parents and not run around anymore, understand?"
The little girl nodded, not quite understanding.
Chen Jun stood up and said quickly and firmly to the couple, "Taking good care of the child is more important than anything else. You really don't need to thank me. We have other things to do, so we'll be leaving now."
Having said that, he didn't give the grateful couple another chance to express their thanks, nor did he want them to be involved in any potential dangers. He held Anran's hand tightly, gave her a wink, then decisively turned around, quickly merging into the bustling crowd, and walked in another direction. After a few turns, he disappeared into the dazzling array of stalls and the surging throng of people.
The couple remained standing there, gazing in the direction they had disappeared, repeatedly expressing their gratitude.
Seeing that there was no excitement to be had, the onlookers gradually dispersed.
That unexpected scene, though brief, was like a spotlight shining in the darkness, clearly exposing him in that instant.
He led Anran by the hand, his steps seemingly casual, but in fact, he was moving in a clear direction toward the relatively peripheral area of the night market, where there were fewer people, but the alleys were complex and it was easy to maneuver and observe.
Unsurprisingly.
As they walked through a relatively quiet alleyway lined with clutter and closed stalls, Chen Jun's keen senses picked up at least three deliberately soft but clearly hostile footsteps coming from three directions, along with the subtle sound of metal objects rubbing against clothing.
In the shadows at the entrance and end of the alley, shadowy figures could be seen moving about, blocking the way.
The hustle and bustle of the night market seemed to be kept out of the alley by an invisible barrier.
The enemy had indeed been lured in. Moreover, they arrived faster than he had anticipated, and their actions were more decisive. It seemed that his defeat during the day and his high-profile appearance at the night market had indeed deeply provoked them.
Chen Jun gently pulled An Ran behind him, turning his body slightly to the side to form a protective stance. In the dim alleyway light, his eyes became like those of a predator before hunting, cold and sharp.
"Stay close to me," he whispered to An Ran, his voice calm and even.
An Ran sensed the sudden tension and the chilling hostility in the air. She didn't speak, but instead squeezed Chen Jun's hand tightly to show that she understood. At the same time, her body tensed up instinctively, and she went into a state of alert.