After Awakening, She Tore Apart Her Enemies and Joined the Army on an Island - Chapter 19

No one noticed that glint of cold light.

When the commotion erupted, Huo Zhenhua stepped forward to shield the elderly man.

The soldier who had gone to the window to order also rushed over.

But no one expected the assailant’s target wasn’t the elderly man, it was the back of Huo Zhenhua’s heart.

“Watch out!”

The words burst from her lips as she shoved through the crowd, stumbling forward, completely ignoring the scalding pain of soup splashing onto the back of her hand.

Yet the assailant had feigned one move to conceal another.

Just as Huo Zhenhua dodged the fatal strike, the elderly man was left exposed.

A hidden dart sliced through the air, heading straight for the elderly man’s brow.

Su Meng gasped in horror.

In the next moment, Huo Zhenhua and the other soldier tightly shielded the elderly man, safely evading the dart.

That was close!

Seeing his plan foiled, the hidden assailant in the crowd turned to flee.

“Catch him!”

Some shouted as they moved to block the attacker, while others scrambled to avoid the chaos.

Amid the disorder, Su Meng flicked a silver needle, unexpectedly striking the fleeing assailant.

The assailant faltered, reaching toward the stinging spot.

That momentary pause was all it took, he was cornered.

“Daring to cause trouble and harm, and still trying to run? Beat this scoundrel to death!”

A woman in an apron, wielding a soup ladle, charged over and began pummeling the assailant wildly.

“Beat this idiot to death! How dare he try to kill someone in broad daylight. If we don’t catch him today, who knows how many more he’d harm tomorrow.”

An elderly man nearby picked up his smoking pipe and angrily rapped it against the assailant’s head.

The crowd was furious.

“Beat him to death! Beat this wretched thing to death!”

“Daring to harm our soldiers is opposing the people. He must be severely punished.”

Before Huo Zhenhua and the other soldier in military uniforms could act, the enthusiastic crowd had already seized the assailant.

Huo Zhenhua stepped forward and snapped a crisp military salute. “Thank you, everyone!”

The other soldier also saluted, then bent down to haul up the assailant, who was crouching with his head in his hands.

The woman waved her ladle magnanimously. “No need for thanks!

You are our soldiers, and we civilians should protect you well. We can’t let scum like this harm you.”

Hearing this, the crowd grew even more fervent, everyone chiming in with words of support.

Someone even started leading a song: “…When the army and the people are united as one, let’s see who in the world can match them…”

Listening to the passionate, straightforward lyrics, Su Meng was deeply moved.

She glanced curiously at the ashen-faced assailant.

It was lunchtime, and the state-run restaurant was packed. The moment he made a move, he would be spotted so why had he taken such a risk?

Just who was that elderly man? A figure of such importance in his field?

Worth trading a life for?

Su Meng looked curiously toward the elderly man, only to meet Huo Zhenhua’s sharp, warning gaze.

Frowning, she held his stare for a few seconds, puzzled by his defensiveness but also startled by his intensity. She quickly turned her head away.

He’s terrifying!

His eyes held blades, his gaze was piercing.

She feared that if she looked a second longer, she’d be sliced to pieces.

She was only looking out of curiosity, was such vigilance really necessary?

Su Meng grumbled inwardly, then noticed four or five more soldiers rushing in through the door. They took the assailant away.

The crowd filed out of the restaurant in an orderly manner.

Su Meng took Nie Pingting’s hand and cautiously followed the flow of people outside.

Unbeknownst to her, a familiar figure was following closely behind…

the girl with straight bangs.

The girl glared resentfully at the back of Su Meng’s head, raising her hand several times as if to launch a surprise attack, but for some reason, she quietly withdrew it each time before raising it again.

Su Meng remained completely unaware.

However, Huo Zhenhua, not far away, had noticed.

Remembering how she had kindly warned him of danger despite being scalded, he unconsciously quickened his pace to approach her.

He sighed inwardly, wondering why there were so many ill-intentioned people around her.

But the crowd was too dense.

By the time he reached the doorway, he saw the girl with straight bangs push Su Meng down the steps.

“Ah!”

Su Meng screamed as she stumbled forward.

Just as she was about to fall face-first and end up bruised and battered, she managed to brace herself with one hand at the last moment, rolling over and landing hard on her back against the steps.

Gritting her teeth, she found herself face-to-face with the triumphant smirk of the straight-banged girl.

“You pushed me? Stay right there!”

Struggling to sit up, Su Meng pointed at the girl, who was trying to slip away through the crowd.

Nie Pingting, seeing that Su Meng was relatively unharmed, grabbed the fleeing girl. “Trying to run after harming someone? There’s no justice in this!”

She turned to the soldiers who had not yet left. “Comrades, I want to report this! This female comrade harbors ill intentions and attempted assault.”

“I did no such thing,” Hu Wangqing, the straight-banged girl, defended herself with feigned grievance. “Comrade, you can’t just blame others when you weren’t watching your step. That’s immoral.”

Hearing this, bystanders chimed in, criticizing Su Meng. “Little comrade, maybe you just tripped over your own feet. You can’t accuse someone without evidence.”

Another tried to mediate. “The crowd was just too packed, I almost got pushed down the steps myself. Let it go, it’s a small matter. No need to stir up conflict.”

“Exactly, exactly! Harmony brings wealth, why create trouble?”

Su Meng indeed had no proof that Hu Wangqing had pushed her.

But she wasn’t one to swallow her anger.

She stood up and stared straight at Hu Wangqing. “You’re all right, I fell, and I’ll take the blame for it. My apologies, miss. Perhaps I misunderstood. With your slender arms and legs, you look like a walking mantis, how could you possibly have the strength to push me, right?”

Hu Wangqing’s smug smile instantly vanished.

She resented being compared to a mantis but didn’t want to admit to deliberately shoving Su Meng either.

Her mouth opened and closed, her face flushing with frustration, before she turned and stormed off.

Su Meng scoffed lightly. How boring, running away when things get tough. How did someone like that even dare to cause trouble?

What comes around, goes around!

Her hand, hidden by her sleeve, moved subtly.

A silver needle shot out silently.

Almost immediately, Hu Wangqing, who had been striding away, suddenly lost control and tumbled down the steps.

“Ah~”

Her palms hit the ground first, followed by the crisp sound of a bone cracking and her even sharper scream: “Ah! It hurts so much~”

Nie Pingting gloated, “Instant karma!”

Just as Su Meng was about to speak, the hand hidden in her sleeve was grasped by someone.

Startled, she looked up and met a pair of hawk-like, piercing eyes. The words on the tip of her tongue vanished instantly.

Tch! That damn man, thinking his intimidating eyes are something special!

“Are you alright?” Hearing Huo Zhenhua’s voice close to her ear, Su Meng was taken aback and quickly pulled her hand back.

What did he mean by that?

Frowning, she shot him a glance, then turned away, supporting her aching back. “Let’s go!”

First, he gave her a baffling warning look, and now he was checking on her? Was he suffering from a split personality or what?

However, they came from different backgrounds, so chances of crossing paths again were slim.

There was no need for her to waste thoughts on someone insignificant.

“Su Jiejie, shall we go to the hospital first?”

“No need, just buy some ointment.”

“Who exactly was that girl? I saw them talking to you before the meal, how could they turn around and try to harm you?”

Su Meng shook her head, “It’s almost laughable, but I don’t know her either.”

Frowning in deep thought, she was certain she had no connection whatsoever with that person.

“Maybe I’m just too beautiful and someone got jealous;

Or perhaps it’s because I’m currently homeless, and they wanted to step on me to feel better about themselves.” Su Meng joked lightly, not taking it seriously.

Nie Pingting laughed, “Su Jiejie, you’re so optimistic!

I believe you’ll have a better life ahead!”

Someone this cheerful and easygoing would surely be rewarded by life.

She decided then and there to praise Su Meng more in front of her grandmother and uncle when she got back.

To help her marry into the family sooner.

Su Meng: “…Thank you!”

As soon as she finished speaking, she caught sight of someone on the street out of the corner of her eye and showed an expression of sudden understanding.

“Su Jiejie, look… why is she here?”