Chapter 97: The Death of Chang Huasheng

Chang Huazhong grabbed his second brother's arm and said, "Second Brother! Get in the car quickly!"

Seeing Chang Huasheng remain motionless, he assumed his brother was still in the stress-induced state of the fight and didn't pay it much mind, so he pulled him again with force.

Just then, Chang Huasheng slowly turned his head. Aided by the light from the car headlights shining in front of where he stood, Chang Huazhong saw a face covered in blood!

Chang Huazhong was shocked and cried out, "Second Brother! Where are you hurt?" As he spoke, he took a step forward and wrapped his other arm around Chang Huasheng from behind, trying to steady him.

Seeing it was his brother, Chang Huasheng opened his mouth slightly as if to speak, but unexpectedly, no sound came from his throat; instead, a large mouthful of blood sprayed out!

Terrified, Chang Huazhong shouted, "Big Brother!" He could now see that Chang Huasheng's injuries were severe, and this shout was to call Chang Huaqiang down to help.

Chang Huaqiang, who had been vigilantly watching the surroundings from the car to prevent the villagers from surrounding them again, felt his heart skip a beat upon hearing his youngest brother's cry! He hurriedly pulled the handbrake, pushed open the car door, and jumped out!

By this time, Chang Huazhong had seen Chang Huasheng's condition clearly! He stood there like a wooden chicken, his fingers stiff and his lips trembling. He wanted to speak but felt his brain was in chaos, filled only with the scene before his eyes!

Chang Huaqiang had already exited the car and reached his side. Seeing him in such a state, he didn't stop to think and jumped in front of Chang Huasheng!

But the scene before him made his head roar as if a surge of blood had rushed up! His vision went black, and he nearly collapsed!

Forcing himself to stay calm, he bit his lower lip hard. A sharp pain came from between his teeth, and blood with a salty taste flowed into his mouth. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva mixed with blood with a gulp, then grabbed Chang Huasheng's arms from the front. A sharp knife was plunged into Chang Huasheng's chest, the blade almost entirely buried, leaving only the wooden handle exposed!

Once grabbed by Chang Huaqiang, Chang Huasheng's body went limp; the strength that had been holding him up dissipated the moment he saw his eldest brother!

In the chaotic fight, relying on his height and strength, he hadn't been completely helpless against dozens of people. He had already planned it out: he would take a few hits, then seize an opening to knock down a few more and break out of the encirclement!

He had been swinging the wrench in his hand with a whistling sound, deflecting a hoe that was being smashed toward him, when he suddenly felt a chill in his chest! Something had plunged into his body!

At that moment, he felt a commotion near his ears. The people surrounding him suddenly scattered. Then, a light shone from afar, illuminating the face of a sharp-featured man with a black mole on his forehead. He remembered that during the chaotic fight, he had ripped the cloth off this man's face. Now, the man was empty-handed, retreating in a panic!

Next, he heard his younger brother Huazhong's voice, and later he discovered his eldest brother had arrived too. His tightly wound spirit suddenly relaxed, and a sharp pain surged from his chest! His body went limp!

Chang Huaqiang hurriedly called out to the stunned Chang Huazhong to help lift the man into the car, and the truck roared as it turned around and headed toward the national highway!

The brothers only thought of getting him to a hospital quickly. They didn't dare go to the nearby villages. Chang Huaqiang knew that about a hundred kilometers away, they could enter Huaxian, at the border of Nanjiang Province and Xiangxi.

Once the car was on the highway, less than 10 minutes later, Chang Huasheng, leaning in Chang Huazhong's arms, suddenly became a bit clearer. The blood on his face had already been wiped away by Huazhong with his sleeve. He called out in a low voice, "Big Brother! Little Zhong!"

Hearing the voice, Chang Huazhong hurriedly said, "Big Brother! Second Brother is awake!"

Chang Huaqiang glanced back, his hands and feet still moving, continuing to drive the truck forward! He shouted, "Huasheng, hold on, we'll be at the hospital soon!"

Chang Huasheng's mind was unusually clear at this moment. He struggled to pull the corners of his mouth into a smile and said weakly, "Big Brother, Little Zhong, I'm afraid I won't make it! Go report this to the Gongan Bureau, report it to the Gongan Bureau. I saw the person who stabbed me. On his forehead, there's a black mole."

As he spoke, he spat out another large mouthful of blood! Chang Huazhong, holding him, cried in fear, "Second Brother! Stop talking, we're almost at the hospital!"

Chang Huaqiang endured the tears that were about to fall, pressing hard on the accelerator, hoping only to reach the hospital sooner.

At this moment, a flush of red suddenly appeared on Chang Huasheng's pale face. He suddenly straightened his body, grabbed Chang Huazhong's hand with force, and shouted, "Send... send me home!"

Immediately, his straightened body went limp like a deflated ball! Chang Huazhong felt his arm sink! He suddenly remembered what the elders used to say about how people become heavier after death. He trembled and called out "Second Brother!", only to see Chang Huasheng's neck seem to break as his head hung heavily on his chest!

Following Chang Huazhong's heart-wrenching cry of "Second Brother!", Chang Huaqiang slammed on the brakes. The car let out a piercing screech before lurching forward and coming to a stop!

He looked at the lifeless Chang Huasheng and, unwilling to give up, used his hand to check for breath. His heart felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer! In less than an hour, he had lost this brother!

Chang Huaqiang tried hard to restrain himself, not letting his tears fall. He asked in a deep voice, "What did Second Brother tell you before he died?"

Chang Huazhong, who was holding Chang Huasheng's corpse, finally came to his senses. He choked out, "Second Brother, Second Brother said the person who stabbed him had a black mole on his forehead, and that we must, we must go report it to the Gongan Bureau! Second Brother also said... he wanted to go home!"

———

At the Gongan Bureau of Huaxian, a small city at the border of Nanjiang and Xiangxi, near 12 o'clock at night, a 130 light truck pulled up to the main gate with a sharp screech of brakes!

A young man in his twenties jumped out of the car; it was Chang Huaqiang, who had been racing through the night to get here. The piercing sound of the brakes was exceptionally loud in the quiet winter night. Old Yuan, the night-shift guard in the Gongan Bureau's guard room, was startled awake from his sleep by the sound. He tugged at the collar of his cotton-padded jacket, wiped the window glass with his sleeve, and picked up his flashlight to shine it outside. Suddenly, a person's face appeared on the glass. Old Yuan was startled and shouted, "What are you doing!"

The face pressed against the glass was Chang Huaqiang's. He was just about to knock on the window to call someone when he saw the person inside had already spotted him.

So he shouted, "Open the gate! We're reporting a case, my brother was stabbed to death!"

Upon hearing that a life had been lost, Old Yuan didn't dare to be negligent. He hurriedly pushed the door open and went out. By the light of the flashlight, he saw a young man in his twenties, with a truck parked behind him. Because the truck was parked sideways across the gate, the license plate couldn't be seen.

Old Yuan asked vigilantly, "Where are you from? Who was stabbed? Where is it?"

Chang Huaqiang then remembered to take out the introduction letter issued by the brigade from his jacket pocket and handed it to Old Yuan.

Old Yuan took it and looked at it carefully, saying, "Oh, Nanjiang people! Surname Chang, what is your situation?" ===== CHAPTER 98 =====