The man paused, finding the woman a bit strange. However, as long as there was money, he could take the job regardless of her sanity.
"Alright, tell me, who do you want dead?"
"Gao Qi."
The man was not surprised. He had also seen the press conference of that live broadcast. After watching it, he had a premonition that this person would end up on his list.
He nodded, "Okay, same old rules. Half the payment before the job is done, and the rest of the commission after completion. No problem?"
"None, but I can't transfer it to your card. I'll bring you cash. You pick the meeting place, and then send it to this number."
After hanging up, Madam Gao looked at her handbag on the sofa.
It contained all her jewelry and savings.
Originally, they were meant to support her and Gao Xu's lives. But now, she had gone mad. Whether they could survive no longer mattered. All she wanted now was for Gao Qi to die.
That night.
Gao Qi walked out of a restaurant, his face flushed. After seeing off a client, he leaned against a tree and bent over to vomit.
Even as the heir of the Gao family, he still had to drink with clients when discussing business.
After expelling all the alcohol and food he had consumed, Gao Qi felt much better. The dizzying sensation in his vision had also subsided considerably.
He wiped his mouth and saw a vending machine by the roadside. He got a bottle of cola from it and gulped down several mouthfuls.
This finally helped to suppress the strange taste in his mouth.
He threw the empty plastic bottle into the trash can and slowly made his way to the parking garage.
The moon in the sky was obscured by dark clouds, leaving only a few streetlights along the road, making the street appear desolate and silent.
The closer he got to the parking garage, the quieter the surroundings became.
Gao Qi's back suddenly felt cold, a clear sign that someone was following him.
He narrowed his eyes slightly and continued walking without changing his pace.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from behind him.
Gao Qi spun around abruptly, and his gaze fell upon a small figure.
Gao Xu ran towards him, shouting, "Brother, run!"
Gao Qi's face was filled with shock, but he quickly saw the tall figure behind Gao Xu, and the object glinting in his hand under the light.
It was a dagger.
Gao Qi didn't hesitate. He scooped up Gao Xu and turned to run.
The pursuer immediately gave chase.
Gao Qi's stamina was not good, and he was carrying a child, so he was quickly caught up to by the person behind him.
The man behind him raised the dagger and lunged at him.
Gao Qi knew he couldn't dodge and was about to brace himself for the blow when Gao Xu, cradled in his arms, suddenly stretched out his arm to block the dagger!
The dagger instantly pierced Gao Xu's tender arm.
The little one's face contorted in pain.
"Xu!"
Gao Qi cried out, placed his brother on the ground, and lunged at the assailant!
The assailant had not expected the prey, who had only been trying to escape, to fight back. He naturally engaged in a fierce struggle with Gao Qi.
At this moment, the police also emerged.
Officer Wang subdued the assailant and said hatefully, "If I didn't need to keep you alive to find out who hired you, I would have shot you dead just now!"
He looked at the Gao brothers with a hint of guilt.
"I'll have someone take you to the hospital now."
"Thank you, Officer Wang."
Gao Qi's shoulder had been cut, but he paid it no mind, his only concern being his brother.
Gao Xu's face was pale with pain, and he was dizzy from blood loss. "I'm fine, Brother... Don't worry..."
As soon as he finished speaking, he fainted.
Shen Qing Qing arrived in time and used acupuncture needles on the acupoints to stop Gao Xu's bleeding. She then observed him carefully.
"Don't worry, he just lost too much blood. The dagger didn't hit any vital organs. He'll be fine after being bandaged at the hospital."
"Then why did he faint?" Gao Qi was completely beside himself.
Shen Qing Qing sighed, "He's just a child. Of course, he'd faint after losing so much blood. Don't worry about him. It's you who needs to worry now. If you keep bleeding like this, you'll be in danger."
Only then did Gao Qi notice that he was feeling cold all over. "I..."
He only managed to utter one word before he fainted.
Shen Qing Qing quickly used acupuncture needles to stop his bleeding. Once everything was handled, the police car that brought them also took them to the hospital.
The Gao brothers quickly regained consciousness after being bandaged and receiving IV drips.
The first thing Gao Qi did upon waking was to look for Gao Xu. "Is my brother alright?"
Shen Qing Qing stood up and pulled aside a curtain by the bed. Lying on the hospital bed behind the curtain was Gao Xu.
He smiled at Gao Qi, "Brother, I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
Gao Qi's hanging heart finally settled in his chest.
"You're too foolish! Why did you come up to block that stab for me?"
Gao Xu murmured, "I didn't think that much..."
At that moment, he had seen his brother about to be injured and instinctively wanted to protect him, without any thought of the harm the dagger would cause himself.
Gao Qi remained silent for a long time and said, "This must never happen again!"
"Mm-hmm, I'll listen to you, Brother."
Gao Xu then looked at Shen Qing Qing, but hesitated to ask certain questions with his brother present, relying on his eyes to convey his queries.
Shen Qing Qing glanced at Gao Xu, who was looking down at the bandage on his wound, seemingly uninterested in anything else.
Shen Qing Qing suddenly asked, "Xu, do you know what your mother did?"
Gao Qi was shocked, "Ms. Shen!"
Shen Qing Qing ignored him and looked directly at Gao Xu. "You know, don't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have appeared at such a coincidence. You wanted to protect your brother, and also to prevent your mother from committing murder, right?"
Gao Qi stared at Gao Xu in astonishment.
He was only eight years old, not particularly tall for his age, and quite thin. Although he was handsome, he had very little flesh on his body, likely due to the anxiety and constant hiding that had accompanied his mother's life lately.
Gao Xu slowly raised his head, tears welling up in his eyes, but deep within them, there was a surprising determination. "Yes, I don't want my brother to be hurt, and I don't want Mom to do something irreversible."
That was why, when he overheard his mother on the phone talking about killing his brother, he had made up his mind.
Even if he died saving his brother, he absolutely would not let his brother get hurt.
Shen Qing Qing sighed, "You are a good child."
Gao Qi looked at Gao Xu, unsure of what to say. He had always treated his brother as a child who needed protection and knew nothing, but today he realized that was not the case.
His brother also wanted to protect him.
Knowing that the brothers would have things to discuss, Shen Qing Qing left them some space. As she reached the corridor, she received a call from Officer Wang.
"How is it?"
"He confessed everything," Officer Wang's voice was tinged with a smile. "That kid isn't a killer at all, just a petty hoodlum who lives by scamming people. Who knows how he convinced Madam Gao, but he actually made her believe him."