Chapter 744: Xu Jijun's Suicide

Su Jin.

Xu Jijun suddenly spoke.

Huh?

Su Jin lifted her head.

"If... I'm saying if. If I can't leave, you go on board by yourself." Xu Jijun earnestly looked into her eyes: "Go to Singapore, I have an account there that can support you for the rest of your life."

Su Jin's hand stopped.

"What nonsense are you talking about." She lowered her head and continued wiping her gun: "We agreed to leave together."

"Plans have changed." Xu Jijun gave a bitter smile: "'Lao Shi' won't let me leave. My being alive is a threat to him. Only when I die can he rest easy."

"Then let's die together."

Su Jin said it lightly, as if she had long put life and death aside.

Xu Jijun looked at her, suddenly laughed, his eyes reddening.

"Jinling, when she left, entrusted me to take good care of you." Xu Jijun whispered ruefully: "I failed, instead dragging you into this muddy water."

"This is the path I chose myself."

Su Jin put down her gun.

Holding Xu Jijun's hand, she said: "Before she left, sister told me you look sharp but are actually the most foolish. For a promise, you can stake everything. She said that if one day you have no way out, I must definitely bring you away."

Xu Jijun's hand trembled.

Han Jinling.

The woman sitting in the wheelchair, yet more meticulous than anyone.

When she passed, she was calm, once holding his hand and saying: "Jijun, in this life I have no regrets meeting you. But in the next life, let us meet in another way. You in the sunlight, I too in the sunlight."

But sunlight has never belonged to people like them.

There's movement.

Su Jin suddenly let go, drew her gun and stood up.

From the other end of the container yard came faint footsteps.

Not just one person.

Xu Jijun also stood up, drawing his gun from his waist.

The two stood back to back, warily scanning their surroundings.

Dusk deepened, the yard's lights not yet fully on, shadows crisscrossed, making it impossible to see the attackers' exact positions.

How many?

Xu Jijun asked quietly.

"At least six people." Su Jin's ear twitched as she located the source: "Two at three o'clock, three at nine o'clock, and one... on the high ground."

She lifted her gaze to the abandoned crane beside the yard.

At the crane's top, a faint glint appeared—a sniper scope.

"A professional team." Xu Jijun sneered: "Lao Shi really thinks highly of me."

Before his words faded, gunfire erupted.

Bang!

Bullets struck the container, spraying sparks.

Xu Jijun and Su Jin rolled for cover simultaneously, hiding in the container's indentation. Bullets rained down, pinning them down.

"We can't stay here." Su Jin said urgently: "They'll flank us."

"Withdraw to Berth Seven." Xu Jijun glanced in the direction: "The ship should be arriving soon."

They took turns covering each other, moving between containers. Bullets chased their steps, punching hole after hole in the steel.

Su Jin's marksmanship was precise; each countershot could push back an enemy in a direction. But the opponents were too numerous, and under their suppressing fire they could never break out.

"Su Jin, listen to me." Xu Jijun suddenly grabbed her: "I'll draw fire, you flank from the side. Get on the ship, don't look back."

"Impossible." Su Jin declared firmly.

"This is an order!" Xu Jijun shouted.

"I'm not your woman!" Su Jin's eyes blazed in the twilight: "Xu Jijun, hear me! Live together, die together!"

Xu Jijun froze.

Just then, the sniper on the crane fired again.

This shot aimed at Xu Jijun's head.

Almost at the instant the gunshot rang out, Su Jin instinctively lunged forward, using her body as a shield for Xu Jijun.

Pfft—

The bullet pierced her right shoulder, bringing out a spray of blood.

Su Jin!

Xu Jijun embraced her falling body.

Su Jin's face instantly paled, but she gritted her teeth and shoved Xu Jijun away: "Go!"

More footsteps came from all directions.

They were surrounded.

Xu Jijun looked at Su Jin in his arms, her color fading, then at the black-clad men emerging from the shadows. Six in total, forming a semicircle, their guns trained on them.

Leading them was a middle-aged man in dark fatigues, resembling an officer.

Xu Jijun recognized him.

This man was Lao Shi's personal bodyguard—Chen Dong.

"Mr. Xu, long time no see." Chen Dong stepped toward Xu Jijun, his aura imposing: "The teacher sent me to ask you, why are you doing this?"

Xu Jijun supported Su Jin, letting her lean against him.

The blood had already stained the shirt red.

"Why?" Xu Jijun snorted angrily: "Go ask the teacher—four years ago, what he promised me, did he fulfill it? He said he'd keep my father safe, so what happened?"

Chen Dong's face was expressionless: "That was an accident."

"An accident?" Xu Jijun laughed even louder: "What about Jin Ling's death? Was that an accident too? She had late-stage cancer, and there was an effective drug, but why did the teacher withhold it? Just because I wanted to quit?"

Chen Dong remained silent.

"Speak up!" Xu Jijun roared: "Tell the teacher, how many dirty jobs have I done for him these years? How much money have I laundered? What did I get in return? My father is rotting in prison, the woman I love died of illness right before my eyes! I'm just a damn pawn in his hand, used and discarded!"

His voice echoed across the scene, filled with desperate sorrow.

"So you betrayed the teacher?" Chen Dong finally spoke: "You gave the list to Lin Dongfan, intending to destroy everything?"

"Yes!" Xu Jijun admitted openly: "I want to destroy it all! This filthy world, this man-eating game—I will make it vanish completely!"

"Then you must disappear too."

Chen Dong raised his hand, five gun barrels aiming simultaneously at Xu Jijun.

Xu Jijun held Su Jin tight, whispering in her ear: "Sorry, Su Jin… I've dragged you into this…"

"I won't let you say that…" Su Jin weakly shook her head, her blood‑stained hand gripping his wrist: "I'm not afraid… Elder Sister Jin Ling is waiting for us…"

Chen Dong's hand was about to fall.

At that critical moment, a "buzz—buzz—" sound rang out from the scene—Xu Jijun's phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated.

Chen Dong's hand stopped.

Xu Jijun pulled out his phone; the screen showed the name Lin Dongfan.

He hesitated a second, then answered and put it on speaker.

"Old Xu, where are you?"

Lin Dongfan's voice came over, relaxed as if chatting with an old friend.

Xu Jijun looked at the surrounding gun barrels and smiled: "Watching the sunset at the dock. How about it, missing me?"

"A bit." Lin Dongfan said: "I just got word that the teacher's people are coming for you—do you need help?"

"No need." Xu Jijun said: "My own affairs, I'll settle them myself."

The other end of the line fell silent for a few seconds.

"I've handed the list over to the Inspection Group." Lin Dongfan said: "The skies of Wu Zhou are about to change."

"Not bad."

Xu Jijun gazed at Su Jin in his arms, seeing her face pallid, her breath growing ever weaker.

Feeling life slipping away.

Xu Jijun's voice also grew much softer, tinged with despair: "Dongfan, could I ask you for one more favor?"

"Speak."

"My father… Xu Chuping, is in Qincheng Prison. If he ever gets a chance to be released after serving his sentence, help me… find him a place to spend his twilight years."

"... All right." Lin Dongfan agreed.

"Thanks."

Xu Jijun suddenly showed a hint of relieved smile: "Well… goodbye, old classmate."

"Wait—"

Lin Dongfan seemed to sense something.

But Xu Jijun had already hung up, he threw the phone to the ground, lifted his head to face Chen Dong across from him: "Go ahead."

Chen Dong raised his hand again, but Xu Jijun was faster.

Xu Jijun swiftly raised the gun in his hand, but instead of aiming the barrel at Chen Dong opposite him, he pressed the muzzle against his own temple.

"Bang!"

The gunshot echoed in the dusk.

Blood spattered, landing on Su Jin's pallid face.

Her eyes remained open, watching Xu Jijun's collapsing body, yet a hint of a relieved smile touched her lips.

She mustered her last strength, shifted her body to lean beside Xu Jijun, and clasped his hand.

Then she closed her eyes.

Chen Dong lowered his hand, gazing at the two corpses on the ground, silent for Along while.

He pulled out his phone, dialed a number, and reported in a low voice: "Senior leader, the matter is settled. Xu Jijun committed suicide, and Su Jin is dead as well."

From the other end came an aged voice: "Clean it up cleanly, leave no trace."

"Yes."

Chen Dong hung up, then gestured to his subordinates to handle the scene.