EM 2. Escape

Xiao Mingxuan stared at him, unable to believe what he was seeing.

The plan had been for him to seize most of the goods, gain leverage in the negotiation, and push for the deal to happen that day. Then, hit them with a surprise attack. Meanwhile, the main force would arrive, wipe everyone out, and take both people and goods in one sweep.

In other words, his identity was never supposed to be exposed. The team arranged in secret had been ordered to pose as mercenaries. If anything went wrong, they would barge in and pull him out. If all went well, they’d support the ambush and then, right under the eyes of the arriving troops, “rescue” him.

The Xiao family held serious weight in politics. No way the security bureau would risk his life. He figured that team had to at least be made up of former special forces. But when he looked at the man in front of him, he realized he had been dead wrong.

The guy was on the thinner side, with slightly long bangs and a bit of charm in his eyes. His face was painted, so it was hard to tell what he actually looked like. But none of that mattered. What mattered was, from head to toe, there was nothing about him that said special forces. If anything, he gave off more of a gangster vibe than Xiao Mingxuan did. His first thought was that someone up top was reshuffling the deck, or a few parties had teamed up to go after the Xiao family. Otherwise, why send someone like this to save him?

Song Feng had no idea what kind of storm Xiao Mingxuan was battling inside. After reminding them to hurry up and “get to work,” he turned to leave.

Back on the floor, Fu Shanming’s hand had already reached the zipper, just about to pull it down when Xiao Mingxuan snapped. He grabbed the back of his collar and kicked him away. “Get your ass back here!”

“Huh?” Song Feng turned his head.

But Xiao Mingxuan hadn’t used much strength due to the awkward angle, so Fu Shanming had only staggered a half-step away. He bounced right back almost immediately. Having been interrupted twice in a row, his eyes were bloodshot and brimming with wild greed and excitement.
The drug high only made him more dangerous.

What Song Feng saw when he looked back was the two of them pressed together, and one of them looking like a demon. He hesitated. “Boss… are you asking me to join you for a threesome? Because honestly, your little lover doesn’t seem very happy about it.”

Xiao Mingxuan choked, practically swallowing his own breath. Fu Shanming was still hovering, twitching with energy. Furious, Xiao Mingxuan pulled a combat knife from his ankle, fully intending to gut the bastard.

But Fu Shanming caught the movement. His muscles snapped taut, and he sprang back just in time. Then he sneered, pulled a pistol from his back waistband, and aimed it straight at Song Feng. His prize was already cornered. If he just got rid of this eyesore, he could keep playing.

Song Feng might’ve looked casual, but his instincts were sharp. The moment Fu Shanming reached for his gun, Song Feng spun his submachine gun around and fired.

The bullet tore right through Fu Shanming’s hand, blood spraying everywhere.

Fu Shanming grunted, gritting his teeth to keep from screaming. He was lucky the bullet hadn’t come from a small-caliber rifle or a dum-dum round, or else his hand would’ve been completely gone. Even so, half his palm was nearly severed, hanging by nothing but a flap of skin. He had full confidence in his own ability, yet he’d been pushed to this state. That’s when he realized the man in front of him wasn’t ordinary. If this kept up, he’d gain nothing from dragging it out.

Xiao Mingxuan didn’t want to waste time. “Kill him.”

Song Feng nodded and raised his gun, but suddenly paused.

Fu Shanming leaned against the wall, the smile on his lips twisted and eerie. His eyes gleamed, flickering with a strange light as he stared straight at them.

A jolt ran through Song Feng’s chest. His gaze dropped lower. Two thoughts flashed through his mind. Shoot him and drag the boss out. If he didn’t die, shoot again.

He made a snap decision, grabbed Xiao Mingxuan, and sprinted out. The moment they stepped past the doorway, a thunderous explosion erupted behind them. The ground shook violently, and a wave of searing heat slammed into their backs, flinging them forward. Both of them hit the scorching ground hard, mouths full of dust.

“Cough, cough…” Xiao Mingxuan’s eardrums throbbed painfully from the shock. He rolled over and sat up. “What the hell just happened?”

“There was a timed bomb in the corner,” Song Feng’s face paint was now streaked with dirt. He shook his head and stood. “He pulled the fuse, and there were only five seconds left before it blew. You didn’t see the look in his eyes. I swear, if I’d fired another shot before running, he definitely would’ve managed to lunge at me and drag me to hell with him before he died. That guy was terrifying. Are you hurt?”

Xiao Mingxuan shook his head, took a deep breath, and forced down the overwhelming heat building inside him, struggling to stay rational. He looked toward the ruined wooden shack, now blasted into splinters under the haze of dust and smoke, and slowly walked over.

“Hey, hey, boss,” Song Feng followed behind him. “With all that noise, the narcotics squad or border troops will be here any second. This really isn’t the time to pick up your little lover’s corpse. We should be running. There’s plenty of fish in the—”

“Shut up,” Xiao Mingxuan cut him off. “There’s a hidden stash under the floor.”

Song Feng paused, then quickly walked over to where the explosion had gone off. The blast had blown a hole in the floor, around three meters deep. A few crates were faintly visible inside.

“He must’ve slipped into the secret passage while we were escaping,” Xiao Mingxuan deduced. “He’s probably still alive.”

Song Feng let out a sound of acknowledgment and rubbed his chin. “With a hiding spot that good, why didn’t he drag you down here to get it on? Was he waiting for the gunfire to get the mood going? Man, your little lover’s got some kinks.”

Xiao Mingxuan didn’t respond. But in his mind, he thought that if Song Feng had stayed behind with that lunatic, the two of them might have kept each other busy long enough to get blown to pieces together. That would’ve wrapped things up nicely.

Song Feng noticed his stare and cleared his throat. He pulled a flashlight from his pocket. “Wait here. I’ll go take a look.”

Xiao Mingxuan rubbed his forehead. His body temperature was climbing fast. It took everything he had not to lose control. He forced himself to breathe deeply and focus on something else. Fu Shanming might’ve been a lunatic, but he wasn’t stupid. If he were, Xiao Mingxuan would’ve been dead a long time ago. A man like that wouldn’t have survived this long or risen this high without a reason. If he chose this spot, there had to be something more to it.

After a moment of thought, Xiao Mingxuan jumped down after him. “Is there a tunnel?”

“There is. And drugs too.” Song Feng walked over and handed him a small bag.

Xiao Mingxuan took one look and recognized the quality. With nearly two years of experience in the trade, he knew it was good stuff. He nodded and tossed the bag onto one of the crates. “Where’s the tunnel?”

“Over there.” Song Feng pointed his flashlight. “Look, there’s blood on the ground.”

Xiao Mingxuan glanced up. Faint noises drifted from above. Song Feng tugged at his arm. “Come on, Boss. Time to run.”

Xiao Mingxuan followed him into the tunnel and asked under his breath, “Could it be your people?”

“No way,” Song Feng replied while running. “As soon as I found the tunnel, I told them to pull back. Don’t worry, Boss. I’ll get you out of here.”

Xiao Mingxuan didn’t respond. This guy might not be as useless as he looked.

The tunnel twisted and turned. After a short stretch, they reached a bend. Song Feng tossed a grenade behind them.

The explosion rocked the tunnel behind them. Dust and heat surged forward. Song Feng gave a quick glance back, then brushed the grit from his palms. “There. That should keep them from following.”

Xiao Mingxuan roared, “Then why the hell did you blow it up?”

“This way no one can chase us. Besides, didn’t I tell you to run?”

“…”

The two of them sprinted through the passage, chased by falling debris of wood and stone. They burst out of the tunnel and collapsed at the exit, gasping for breath in a heap. Jungle stretched out around them. Just a few meters ahead, a narrow river shimmered under the light, water glinting in ripples.

Song Feng tapped the communicator in his ear. “We’re out. Yeah, the boss is with me. Head to the rendezvous point. We’ll meet you there.” He turned off the device, crouched down, and studied the blood trail. “Boss, looks like your little lover went that way. You want to go after him?”

Xiao Mingxuan got to his feet. The running had made the drug spread faster through his system. It hadn’t hit him earlier, but now that they’d stopped, he could feel the fire in his blood. Every cell in his body screamed at him, his reason stretched thin, like a taut string about to snap.

Song Feng looked up at him. “…Boss?”

Xiao Mingxuan lowered his gaze. The first thing that caught his eye was that pale, exposed neck. A jolt ran through him, and he quickly looked away. He’d played the game before, knew exactly how to please a man, but now wasn’t the time to think about that. He clenched his fists, forcing the thought out of his mind.

Just then, a glimmer caught the corner of his eye. He froze, then turned and walked toward the river.

Song Feng noticed he wasn’t heading in the direction his “little lover” had taken and figured he wasn’t planning to give chase. He got up and followed along, only to see the man approaching the river. Alarmed, he reached out to stop him. “Boss, what are you doing? It’s best not to touch the water here. You might run into a crocodile or a venomous snake.”

Xiao Mingxuan paused. The urge to cool down in the water surged up in him, but he forced it back down. His brow furrowed deeply. The heat rampaging through his body was driving him to the edge. He knew that some aphrodisiacs could be fatal if not dealt with, but he had no idea which kind was running through his veins.

Song Feng watched him from behind. He noticed how straight the man’s back was, as if holding back something unbearable. The muscles under his hand were pulled so tight, the veins in his arm bulged. “Boss? What’s wrong with you?”

The touch on his arm sent a wave of hunger and craving crashing through Xiao Mingxuan. He yanked his arm free, certain his eyes must look frightening right now. To hide them, he lowered his head a little. “I’m fine. Let’s go. Which way’s the rendezvous point?”

Song Feng didn’t believe him for a second. His job was to protect this man, and if something went wrong and he failed to act in time, it could be a disaster. He moved around to face him but couldn’t get a good read on his eyes. Leaning in slightly, he called, “Hey.”

They were close. Too close. Xiao Mingxuan could feel the faint brush of breath against his skin, and in that moment, the last thread of restraint in his mind snapped. He grabbed Song Feng by the waist and growled, voice rough and furious, “I gave you a chance.”

His eyes were bloodshot, wild like a beast on the verge of breaking free. Every hair on Song Feng’s body stood on end. He’d thought it was just the heat earlier, but now he realized Xiao Mingxuan’s body temperature was unnaturally high. A terrible suspicion dawned on him. “Don’t tell me you were drugged. Fuck!”

His body was spun around and slammed against a nearby tree. Two strong hands reached around and started unbuckling his belt, while a flurry of searing kisses rained down beside his ear. Each one was forceful, heated, making him feel like he was about to be devoured.

Panic flooded Song Feng’s mind. He struggled hard, but the other man’s strength was overwhelming. He couldn’t break free. Xiao Mingxuan was consumed by the fire raging inside him, and the lack of release was driving him to the brink. A low growl escaped his throat, and he sank his teeth into Song Feng’s neck in a punishing bite.

Song Feng immediately realized that Xiao Mingxuan had lost all rationality. His mind spun with possibilities.

The first option was to knock him out and carry him away. But to do that, he’d need to break free and fight, which would take time and effort. And if the drug wasn’t purged from his system, it could be fatal. The mission required keeping him alive.

The second option was to stop resisting. He might get hurt and still have to carry the man out afterward, but at least he’d survive.

He hesitated for a second, weighed his personal dignity against the mission, then let out a sharp curse under his breath. He gave up struggling. As the belt came undone and his pants were pulled down, he swallowed hard.

“My ‘virginity’ is really about to be gone,” he muttered.

Then he quickly shifted, pulled up his pants just enough, and dug into his pocket. After rummaging for a few seconds, he pulled out a condom. He had brought it for some fun after the mission. Never expected he’d have to use it like this.

“Losing my virginity is bad enough,” he grumbled quietly. “But do I really have to be the one to put it on for him too? What kind of cruel fate is this…”