Chapter 31: Chapter 29 Dawn Chapter 31: Chapter 29 Dawn Her movements were incredibly swift; it took less than two seconds to rise and strangle Liu Guobin’s neck.
Jiang Ning had envisioned this action and scenario countless times in her mind and executed it without hesitation when the time came, decisively at that.
Liu Guobin hadn’t even had a chance to react before Jiang Ning was strangling his neck.
An angry scream burst from his mouth as the intense sensation of asphyxiation incited a violent struggle from his body. His first instinct was to reach for the hemp rope around his neck, but Jiang Ning wasn’t about to let him succeed that easily.
The rope in her hands was long enough; Jiang Ning, merciless, pulled it taut behind his seat, forming a closed loop.
The seat, soft and springy, would have allowed Liu Guobin to wriggle out below if he tried. However, his seatbelt was still fastened, trapping his violently resisting body firmly in place without a single movement.
Liu Guobin, his vision growing black, tried to scream for Kuang Tun to save him, but with his throat tightly clutched by Jiang Ning, he couldn’t even draw breath, let alone make a sound.
Aware that time was of the essence, Jiang Ning watched Liu Guobin’s dying struggles. Clenching the two ends of the hemp rope in her left hand and forming a fist with her right, she delivered a heavy blow to Liu Guobin’s temple.
Liu Guobin, who had been struggling violently, suddenly went limp on the seat.
Although he seemed to have passed out, Jiang Ning didn’t let her guard down. She kept the rope strangling Liu Guobin’s neck, winding it around twice, and tied it securely to the seat. Then she picked up Liu Guobin’s phone and turned the volume of the short video to the highest setting.
As Jiang Ning did this, several girls in the back woke up. Seeing what Jiang Ning was doing, their eyes shifted from fear and dread to hope.
At that moment, Jiang Ning’s delicate and slender figure appeared to them like a divine savior.
Kuang Tun heard the scream that Liu Guobin had just let out, in these desolate mountain woods shrouded by night, the effect of that scream was terrifying beyond measure.
Kuang Tun, who had just crouched down in the bushes, shuddered all over with fear.
Without a second thought, he stood from the bushes, hitched up his pants, and hurried onto the road, “Brother Liu, what’s wrong?”
There was no response.
The van’s windows and doors were shut tight, muffling any sound from within. Kuang Tun approached the front of the vehicle, opened the passenger door, and was instantly rattled by the deafening sound of the short video.
Then, he noticed Liu Guobin, slumped over the driver’s seat with his neck at an awkward angle.
With his head tilting towards Kuang Tun and obscured by the night, the dim light prevented Kuang Tun from noticing the rope around Liu Guobin’s neck.
“Brother Liu???” Not knowing what had happened to Liu Guobin, Kuang Tun’s first instinct was to bend down to shake him awake; amidst the short video’s noise, he didn’t even realize that the van’s rear doors had been silently opened by someone.
Jiang Ning appeared behind Kuang Tun and delivered a heavy kick.
Her kick landed hard on Kuang Tun’s lower back.
A sharp pain accompanied by the crack of breaking bones resounded, and like Liu Guobin just moments ago, Kuang Tun couldn’t help letting out a scream from the overwhelming force.
He was kicked forward, not only bruising the rest of his body on various parts of the van but also hitting his head hard against the vehicle.
“Fuck your mother!”
Kuang Tun blurted out the angry curse.
By then, he realized what was happening and quickly got out of the van.
He always carried a flashlight, and having been kicked by Jiang Ning so forcefully, the flashlight fell from Kuang Tun’s hand, illuminating Jiang Ning standing behind him.
Kuang Tun, with a look of rage said, “It’s you!”
He didn’t know how Jiang Ning had come to her senses from the drug’s effects, nor how she had untied the ropes on her hands and feet, but thinking about the unknown situation of Liu Guobin still in the van, Kuang Tun was furious.
If Jiang Ning got away, the consequences would be dire.
She must not be allowed to ruin their plans!
In an instant, Kuang Tun’s gaze at Jiang Ning took on a hint of murderous intent, and he swung a punch straight at her!
Jiang Ning stepped aside, grabbed Kuang Tun’s arm, and threw him over her shoulder.
His back slammed heavily onto the ground. A severe pain shot from the spot Jiang Ning had just kicked, making Kuang Tun gasp and scream in agony.
Enduring the pain, he kicked at Jiang Ning, who dodged before grabbing his leg as he attempted to retract it and dragging him away.
The mountain trail, muddy and strewn with hard rocks, battered Kuang Tun so badly that he cried out. He tried to break free from Jiang Ning’s grip but couldn’t, and a stream of curses flew from his mouth.
Jiang Ning swung his leg and ran furiously, sharp stones gouging the skin on Kuang Tun’s back and knocking against the back of his head.
Kuang Tun couldn’t even muster the curse, leaving only his pitiful pleas in the night wind.
Jiang Ning dragged him up and down the mountain trail. She was unscathed, but Kuang Tun had nearly lost half his life.
After dragging him back to the van, Jiang Ning tossed him aside disdainfully, then took out a hemp rope and tied up Kuang Tun’s hands.
After all was done, imperceptibly, the previously dark night sky began to show the first light of dawn.
Jiang Ning looked up—the sky was lightening.