The Exclusive Bodyguard of the Top Idol - Chapter 8

“It’s getting late. The company has arranged four business vans to take everyone home separately, so we won’t need the shuttle bus to drop everyone off one by one.”

“Senior Cen, are we not doing a post-performance review today?” Tan Jiajia raised her hand and asked.

S Group had a villa by the seaside that served as their dormitory, typically used for intensive training before performances. Originally rented by their former company, they had temporarily lost access to it after the company went under. Later, Huaying stepped in to renew the lease, allowing them to use the villa again for training ahead of this concert.

Following past routines, after the concert, they would return to the villa for a review meeting to summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the performance.

Cen Shu shook her head. “Not today. Everyone performed exceptionally well. The stage effects were fantastic! You’ve all worked hard these past few days, so consider this your break! We’ll regroup after the New Year to prepare for the next tour!”

The moment they heard they could go on break right after today, the members erupted in cheers.

As midnight approached, the four business vans left Binhai City Stadium one after another, each carrying members home.

Ren Jiao’s van was the last to depart. Cen Shu rode with her, along with Ji Qingshi and Qianqian.

Following the navigation, the van entered the highway toward Ren Jiao’s home. The stadium was close to the seaside, so taking the coastal highway was the only route back to the city center. At this hour, the highway was nearly empty.

Ji Qingshi sat in the passenger seat, listening to Ren Jiao and Cen Shu chat in the back. Most of their conversation revolved around work, which Ji Qingshi didn’t fully understand, but Ren Jiao’s voice alone was enough to lift her spirits. It was just that pleasant to listen to.

Just as Ji Qingshi leaned against the window, half-dozing, she suddenly heard the driver mutter, “Huh? There’s a car tailing us with its high beams on.”

Ji Qingshi’s drowsiness vanished instantly. She straightened up and peered into the rearview mirror. Sure enough, the blinding headlights of the car behind them glared back.

“What kind of jerk drives with high beams on the highway?!” The driver, irritated, instinctively pressed the accelerator, trying to shake off the pursuing vehicle.

But to his growing frustration, the car behind matched their speed, sticking to them like glue.

“Damn it!” The driver smacked the steering wheel in anger.

Sensing the driver’s escalating agitation, Ji Qingshi immediately intervened, “Stay calm, sir. Ignore them, just focus on the road ahead!”

In the backseat, Ren Jiao and Cen Shu tensed up as the van sped faster, gripping the armrests tightly, bracing for any sudden loss of control.

Following Ji Qingshi’s advice, the driver tried to concentrate on the road and ignore the nuisance behind them. But the pursuing car wasn’t about to let them go. Their speed kept increasing, and through the rearview mirror, Ji Qingshi saw the car closing in.

A sinking feeling grew in her gut. Her right hand moved to her waist, resting on her pistol.

Within seconds, the car behind pulled up alongside them on the right, nearly level with their van.

“What the hell is going on?!” Cen Shu in the back seat cried out in panic. She could clearly see the car behind them had caught up, deliberately maintaining a parallel position with theirs.

Before Ji Qingshi could respond, the car on their right suddenly swerved violently, slamming straight into theirs.

BAM! CRASH!!!

The collision sent a violent jolt through the vehicle. Ren Jiao’s business sedan shook violently, startling everyone inside, including the driver, who let out a scream.

Everyone except Ji Qingshi, who remained eerily calm, her expression stern as she locked eyes with the car beside them. Just in time to see it ram into them again.

“Turn the wheel left, hit the gas, and get away from them!”

“Uh—uh, right!” The driver, flustered, instinctively followed Ji Qingshi’s orders, stomping on the accelerator while yanking the steering wheel hard to the left.

“Everyone in the back, buckle up and hold on tight!”

Ji Qingshi’s sharp command cut through the chaos. Cen Shu and Qianqian were still frozen in shock, unable to react, but Ren Jiao, far calmer than the other two, immediately obeyed. After fastening her own seatbelt, she leaned over to help Cen Shu.

“Hurry, Sister Cen, Qianqian seatbelts now! Listen to Officer Ji!”

“O-okay!”

With Ren Jiao’s assistance, Cen Shu and Qianqian regained some composure. They had never experienced anything like this in their lives. Hadn’t even imagined they’d ever be caught in a scene straight out of a high-speed police chase from the movies!

Ren Jiao, seated behind the driver, reached forward and slapped his seat. “Driver, do as Officer Ji says!”

“O-Officer? ”

The driver barely had time to process, but those two words alone were enough to steady his nerves. Realizing a cop was in the passenger seat made him feel marginally safer.

Following Ji Qingshi’s directions, their car accelerated, putting distance between them and the pursuer. The coastal highway after midnight was nearly deserted, the dim streetlights casting faint illumination over the dark road. The black business sedan raced ahead, trailed closely by a black van, both vehicles moving at breakneck speed.

Suddenly, the van behind them surged forward, overtaking them before the driver could react, then swerved sharply to the left, blocking the road entirely and cutting off their path.

The driver’s eyes widened in shock at the van suddenly filling his view. Instinct took over, he slammed on the brakes. A screeching, ear-piercing sound tore through the night, startling awake the slumbering birds nearby.

The abrupt, forceful stop sent everyone lurching forward uncontrollably. Ji Qingshi gripped her pistol tightly, steadying herself before pressing a hand against the car door.

Six masked men stepped out of the blocking vehicle, all armed.

Through the windshield, Cen Shu and Qianqian caught sight of the guns in their hands and shrank back in terror. Ren Jiao appeared composed, but her white-knuckled grip on the armrest betrayed her tension.

Ji Qingshi unlocked the passenger door and turned to the bodyguard who had followed them into the car. “Stay inside and protect Ren Jiaojiao.”

The bodyguard nodded nervously, sweat already beading on his forehead.

Ji Qingshi then addressed the driver. “When you get the chance, find a way around that car. The moment you see an opening, go and don’t wait for me.”

Before the driver could even respond, Ren Jiao cut in sharply from the back seat. “No! We’re not leaving you behind!”

Ji Qingshi frowned at her, his expression clearly disapproving as he shook his head and said, “Listen to me.”

Seeing the six men in the car ahead already raising their guns toward their vehicle, Ji Qingshi had no time to explain further. He pushed open the car door and rushed out.

The six men likely hadn’t expected anyone from the target vehicle to jump out on their own. They froze for a moment before quickly adjusting their aim.

They were armed with submachine guns. Heavy firepower weapons far superior to Ji Qingshi’s pistol. Though their weapons were more powerful, when it came to marksmanship, Ji Qingshi was destined to win before the fight even began.

After exiting the car, she used the vehicle as cover. Taking advantage of their momentary panic at her sudden appearance, she raised her gun and fired in one fluid motion.

It had to be said that Ji Qingshi’s aim was impeccable. She didn’t even seem to take deliberate aim. What looked like a casual shot to outsiders struck one of the men squarely in the arm.

The man howled in pain, then angrily fired several shots in Ji Qingshi’s direction. His companions, startled at first, followed suit with reckless gunfire.

Some criminals were ruthless desperadoes willing to risk their lives, but they were far from the disciplined strength and experience of well-trained special police officers.

Faced with the hail of bullets, the people still inside the car were completely panicked. Cen Shu and Qianqian clung to each other, the driver crouched beneath the steering wheel, and only the expensive bodyguard remained composed, shielding Ren Jiao.

Ji Qingshi ducked to evade the gunfire from the six men, rapping on the car window as she ran toward the rear of the vehicle. “Go! Drive! I’ll handle things once you’re gone!”

Ren Jiao had no idea what her plan was, but she refused to leave. “No, we can’t go! We—”

But the driver was already beyond listening. The moment he heard Ji Qingshi’s order to flee, he gripped the steering wheel, turned it sharply to the left, and slammed on the accelerator, sending the car lurching forward.

The sudden movement jolted everyone inside, nearly throwing them off balance. Seeing the car suddenly move, the six men cursed in frustration. One of them immediately raised his submachine gun and sprayed bullets at the fleeing vehicle.

“Hurry up! If they get away today, this job’s a bust, and the boss won’t let us off easy!”

The six men were hired hands, willing to fight to the death. They couldn’t let their targets escape!

Their attention was instantly diverted by the fleeing car, giving Ji Qingshi the perfect opportunity. She moved swiftly, following the direction the car had gone while retreating to use the dim highway lighting for cover.

The few seconds bought by the car’s escape were enough for Ji Qingshi to fire three shots, each one hitting its mark. Though not necessarily fatal, it was enough to shift the tide.

Three of the six men were hit, one of them fatally struck twice.

“Damn it! I’ll kill you!”

“Fuck! She’s just one person and a woman at that! Can’t you handle her?!”

The three uninjured men abandoned their pursuit of the car and turned their guns on Ji Qingshi. She didn’t linger after hitting her targets, instead retreating rapidly while answering her phone. “Where are you?! Still not here?!”

“We’re here! Deputy Captain Ji, right on time!”

As he spoke, a vehicle sped into Ji Qingshi’s line of sight. A special police squad car.

The car pulled up beside her, the door swinging open. Ji Qingshi leaped inside.

With reinforcements arriving, the six opponents were no match at all and were quickly dealt with. Four were killed on the spot, while the other two were captured alive and handed over to the Special Investigation Team after contacting the provincial department. The cleanup was left to the late-arriving criminal police team, while the SWAT vehicle escorted Ji Qingshi home.

After driving some distance and leaving the danger zone, Ji Qingshi suddenly looked out the window and shouted, “Stop the car!”

In the darkness of the night, a familiar business van and two police cars were parked on the emergency lane of the highway. Ren Jiao stood there, communicating with the officers who had arrived on the scene.

A shooting had occurred on this stretch of the highway, and the stationed police at nearby checkpoints had already blocked off the area likely intercepting the bullet-riddled business van.