Chapter 381: Let Go

2022-05-20

“Zhang Zijun, let me say something fair.” I raised the loudspeaker and called out, “This kid you’re holding, Yang Ting, odds are he never bullied your son. And even if he picked on someone else, does that mean he should die? He’s a kid, barely ten years old. Could you really live with yourself if he died by your hand?”

Hearing my words, Zhang Zijun burst out laughing, so hard he almost couldn’t breathe. His whole body shook, and with every tremor, Yang Ting shook along with him. Right then Yang Ting looked absolutely terrified, shrinking back as far as he could. But not a sound came from his mouth, as if he’d completely forgotten how to speak.

Zhang Zijun said, “Oh really? So it’s my son who deserves to die? Who did he ever mess with? He did nothing, so why did that happen to him! Listen, don’t come here with that holier-than-thou attitude. You don’t get it. No one in the whole world can help you. You don’t understand that hopelessness.”

Zhang Zijun’s voice cracked as he shouted, “You don’t get it. If the people who bullied my son got punished, would we be here right now? No! But what choice do I have? In this world, I’m the only one who can help myself!”

“So, you brought my wife here on a bike, did you?” Zhang Zijun shouted, “It takes twenty minutes to drive here, and it’s been way longer than that. Why isn’t my wife here yet?”

I waved my hand for everyone to settle down, then spoke, “You know the road takes twenty minutes, but the paperwork takes time too. Why are you rushing? I’m telling you, as long as you let him go, any condition you have, we’ll meet it!”

“Enough with that nonsense. Ten minutes. I want to see her in ten minutes.” With that, Zhang Zijun stopped talking.

The man beside me spoke up, “She just got here. I was going to tell you while you were talking, but it didn’t happen. What do I do now? Should I bring her in?”

I shook my head gently and said, “Stay next to me. Wait until I tell you, then call her in. Got it?”

“I got it,” he replied. “But what do we do next?”

“We wait.” I stared up at Zhang Zijun on the rooftop and spoke quietly.

Zhang Zijun kept quiet, and I didn’t try to rile him up. By now, Gu Chen should have entered the teaching building. According to Principal, Zhang Zijun had blocked off all the access to the rooftop when he went up. Now it was all up to Gu Chen. The teaching building didn’t have an elevator, so he’d have to climb seven flights of stairs.

About three minutes later, I watched as the seventh floor window cracked open.

A face appeared by the window—it was Gu Chen. He poked his head out, and I noticed a rope wrapped around him. I couldn’t see what the other end was tied to, but when he spotted me, Gu Chen gave me a big thumbs up.

I knew that meant Gu Chen was ready to act. I stayed completely still and just watched him. With his back to us, Gu Chen began easing out of the window. Every move was slow and careful. At this height and this close to Zhang Zijun, the slightest misstep could give everything away.

He had to be cautious and gentle. Even with a safety rope, sprawled out more than twenty meters above ground, just thinking about it made my legs go weak. Forget doing anything else. Everyone looked up at Gu Chen. There wasn’t a single sound. We all knew this was the only way to save Yang Ting.

If Gu Chen failed, we’d never get another chance. This was it—if he succeeded, Yang Ting would live. If not, he’d fall from eighty feet up, nothing left but a bloody corpse.

Everyone’s eyes stayed on Gu Chen, but from that distance, Zhang Zijun couldn’t really tell if we were watching him or something else. Gu Chen began painstakingly inching upward. It was still raining. Judging by how Gu Chen looked, those last two meters seemed almost impossible.

Zhang Zijun stood on the edge of the rooftop, still clutching Yang Ting.

The world suddenly went quiet. Only the wind and the patter of rain remained, getting heavier by the second. Now it had been six or seven minutes. Zhang Zijun seemed to get impatient and shouted, “Where’s my wife? Why haven’t I seen my wife yet? Are you playing games with me?”

As he yelled, Zhang Zijun shoved his arm forward. Yang Ting tipped over the edge, half his body dangling down. As he looked up, Yang Ting saw Gu Chen pressed against the building. Seeing him, the fear in Yang Ting’s eyes eased a little.

For a kid barely over ten, Yang Ting could put on a tough face when picking on others, but when it happened to him, every emotion showed clear as day. He’d been screaming moments before, but now he went completely quiet. That sudden change made Zhang Zijun suspicious.

He tried to peer over and see what was happening. There was no way I could let him spot Gu Chen lying against the wall.

“Zhang Zijun!” I called out through the loudspeaker. “Guo Limin is outside right now. I’ll let her come up, just don’t do anything rash.”

Hearing me, Zhang Zijun stopped leaning over and looked down. “Let my wife in right now. I want to see her.”

I shifted over, speaking quietly to the man next to me. “Bring Guo Limin over now.”

Then, into the loudspeaker again, I said, “Zhang Zijun, your wife’s on her way right now, but you need to realize your time is running out. Yang Ting’s life is in your hands. I hope you don’t do anything reckless. Whatever’s on your mind, we can talk it over.”

This wasn’t just for Zhang Zijun to hear—it was for Gu Chen too. Once Guo Limin arrived and saw what was happening she’d warn her husband. Then, even if Gu Chen was a miracle worker, he’d never get another shot at saving Yang Ting.

But Guo Limin didn’t even have to get close to clearly see Gu Chen and Zhang Zijun. So, Gu Chen had at most three minutes to grab Yang Ting. If he took any longer, Zhang Zijun would definitely notice. Yang Ting’s life was now in Gu Chen’s hands. He couldn’t make a single mistake.

Now the rain was coming down harder. Water poured off my raincoat’s hood, forming a curtain in front of my eyes and dripping down my forehead into my clothes. But I barely noticed. Every eye was locked on Gu Chen.

The rain soaked the wall, making it almost impossible for Gu Chen to move. Any slip would send him plummeting. Even with the safety rope, a fall from eighty feet in the air was deadly. Plus, any noise at all, and Yang Ting’s death was as good as certain.

Gu Chen gripped tight to the ledges jutting from the wall. Both feet braced hard, and just then, he reached out with one hand, trying to grab Yang Ting’s ankle to pull him free from Zhang Zijun. It was an incredibly dangerous move.

Grabbing Yang Ting in that moment meant their lives hung by a thread. Anyone could see—Zhang Zijun was dead set on killing. It was just a matter of time. If Gu Chen didn’t act, Yang Ting would definitely die. But if he tried, could he really save him?

Would that safety rope, not all that thick, hold the weight of two people? What if it snapped and both of them fell?

No one could know until Gu Chen made his move.

Gu Chen knew time was slipping away. I saw him crouch, ready to leap. This jump was all or nothing—he’d have to hold onto Yang Ting, and then someone inside could pull both of them back in through the window. But in the air, nothing ever goes to plan. If they smashed into the glass or the wall, Gu Chen might drop Yang Ting by accident.

No one had any idea how this would end.

Gu Chen had already let go with one hand, ready to jump.

Just then, a woman’s voice rang out, “Zhang Zijun, are you blind? There’s someone down there!”

The voice belonged to none other than Guo Limin.

Turned out, Guo Limin had already noticed what was happening.

At the same time, Gu Chen lunged upward.

Zhang Zijun clearly heard the shout, and he felt the movement too. He released his grip. There was barely enough space on that ledge for one person, let alone anyone else, and with the rain coming down, Yang Ting toppled forward.

Everyone stopped breathing. I saw Gu Chen and Yang Ting crossing paths in midair. I nearly sighed in relief—if anyone could grab Yang Ting in that split second, it was Gu Chen. Now all he had to do was hold on tight, and in a couple minutes, they’d both be safe.

Gu Chen’s hand shot out, reaching for Yang Ting.

Time seemed to stop.

Only the rain kept falling.