Xingxing saw the man’s dagger thrusting toward Leiting’s heart. Without hesitation, he lunged forward, using his own body to shield the blade.
By the time Leiting reacted, it was too late. It never expected Xingxing to jump in front of it to take the blow. At that moment, Leiting’s roar was almost piercing, as if it could already see Xingxing’s blood splattering across the scene.
The lanky man was eagerly anticipating it too. A child’s life was undoubtedly more valuable than a dog’s. But what happened next left him stunned.
Just as his dagger was about to plunge into the little boy’s heart—just as he was eagerly awaiting the sight of the child’s blood—suddenly… the dagger stopped.
It was as if an invisible, impenetrable barrier was blocking it. No matter how much force he applied, the blade refused to advance even an inch, unable to pierce the boy’s body.
The lanky man’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“What the hell, is this fucking sorcery?”
At that moment, Xingxing felt a slight burning sensation on his wrist. He looked down and saw the protective charm his mother had tied around his wrist—shattered, its red string broken.
His eyes widened as he stared at the cursing man, who looked as if he’d seen a ghost. In that instant, he seemed to understand something.
Bang!
A gunshot suddenly rang out.
Then, Xingxing watched as the lanky man standing before him sprouted a blossom of blood on his chest. His eyes bulged, and he collapsed backward.
Xingxing was terrified.
But the next second, Leiting, now fully alert, yanked him aside to safety.
Footsteps rushed in from all directions.
A moment later, Xingxing felt himself being pulled into a familiar, secure embrace.
“Xingxing, don’t be scared, don’t be scared. It’s okay now.”
Xingxing gradually calmed down and looked up to see Sheng Zexi holding him tightly.
Despite facing the attacker, despite nearly being stabbed, Xingxing hadn’t shed a single tear. But now, seeing Sheng Zexi, his eyes instantly reddened.
“Daddy—” Xingxing sobbed, burying himself in his father’s arms.
Sheng Zexi held his little son, soothing him, his heart aching.
That gunshot had been Sheng Zexi’s. He had fired the moment he arrived, hitting the lanky man square in the chest.
Sheng Zexi had followed the scent trail left by Xingxing and Leiting, with Amber leading the way. But when he arrived, the sight that greeted him made his blood run cold-a dagger poised to stab Xingxing.
He hadn’t hesitated. He pulled the trigger.
“Xingxing, are you hurt?” Sheng Zexi immediately checked his son’s body.
“Daddy, I’m fine, but the protective charm…” Xingxing stretched out his hand, showing Sheng Zexi the broken red string.
Sheng Zexi understood instantly.
That so-called “protective charm” was actually a talisman. Ningning had once explained its power to him.
Thank goodness. Thank goodness for that talisman. It had blocked the fatal strike. Otherwise…
“Xingxing, don’t tell anyone about the protective charm except Mom and Dad.”
“If anyone asks what happened just now, say that man missed. Understand?”
Seeing how serious his father was, Xingxing nodded immediately.
In truth, Xingxing was clever. He already sensed this was something he shouldn’t talk about.
Meanwhile…
With several more gunshots, Chen Han and his team subdued the other two men.
None of the three died, but all were wounded by gunfire.
The gunshots instantly startled the residents of the county. Some didn’t dare leave their homes, only peeking through their windows, while the bolder ones cautiously opened their doors to look. When they saw so many soldiers, they immediately realized they were likely apprehending criminals. No one dared step out, only watching in silence.
Chen Han quickly led his men to search the house.
Soon, they uncovered a large stash of drugs hidden in the cellar.
“Zexi, I never expected these guys to actually flee to Huansha Island and hide here—so deep underground,” Chen Han said. “Thank goodness your kid discovered them and reported it. Otherwise…”
“With this much narcotics seized and these three captured, once we report this, the children and the dogs will definitely be commended for their efforts.”
Just then, the lanky man curled his lips into a faint smirk.
Chen Han strode over and nudged the man’s face with his gun. “What the hell are you smiling about? You’ve been caught—what’s so funny?”
But Sheng Zexi’s expression remained grim. He knew the real crisis wasn’t over yet.
“I just spoke to Xingxing,” Sheng Zexi said in a low voice, pulling Chen Han aside. “He overheard them saying they planted timed bombs all over Huansha Island—set to detonate at midnight tonight.”
“What?!” Chen Han’s face paled. “Are you serious?”
“Absolutely. My dogs can sniff out some of the bomb locations. They can help find them.”
Sheng Zexi had learned this from Amber and her pups.
As for the bombs, of course, he’d gotten the idea from the newspapers.
In reality, Xingxing hadn’t overheard the criminals discussing this. But to outsiders, unless the men had carelessly revealed their plan in front of the boy, how else could he have known?
Chen Han immediately turned to the military dogs for confirmation.
From their reactions, the dogs did pick up traces of explosives—but the scent was too faint to pinpoint exact locations.
It dawned on Chen Han just how exceptional Sheng Zexi’s dogs were. They were top-tier material for military work. It was almost a shame they weren’t officially trained as K9 units.
But now wasn’t the time for that.
Chen Han grasped the severity of the situation. If there really were timed bombs, they had less than five hours to find them all.
If they could locate every single one, fine.
But if even one was missed…
The consequences would be catastrophic.
Chen Han stormed back to the lanky man, grabbing him by the collar. “Talk. Where did you plant the bombs?”
“How do you know—?” The man’s eyes bulged in shock before he caught himself, clamping his mouth shut.
“Tell me. Where are they?”
Seeing the soldier’s certainty, the three criminals panicked.
Only they knew about the bombs—how the hell did the military find out?
“There—there are no bombs!” they stammered in denial.
As if they’d ever confess!
Chen Han could tell these men wouldn’t break easily. Interrogating them now was pointless.
“Take them away. Interrogate them thoroughly,” he ordered before turning back to Sheng Zexi. “For now, we’ll have to find the bombs ourselves.”
“Can all your dogs detect explosives?”
Sheng Zexi nodded.
“Good. We’ll split into five teams. We must locate every bomb before midnight.”
“Yes, sir!”
With Amber and her four pups leading the way, the five teams began their desperate search.
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