chapter 8 hijack

“How is it going?”
Riley Li asked with a hopeful expression, wishing Adrian Xu would teach Jonathan Ye a lesson right away.
“That guy, he's quite tough-talking. Don't worry, there will be plenty of chances to deal with him!”
Adrian Xu said coldly. Riley Li nodded, knowing that Adrian Xu never speaks empty words.
“Adrian, he knows Aurora's mother, so don’t go too far!”
Mason Wang spoke with righteousness, speaking appropriately, causing Aurora Xiao to glance at him.
“Mason, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. It's just a lesson for him!”
Adrian Xu agreed verbally, but he had already planned how to deal with Jonathan Ye. He wouldn’t be satisfied until Jonathan was beaten and bloodied.
Jonathan Ye was drinking coffee and playing with his phone, completely indifferent to Adrian Xu.
To him, such minor characters were like ants, unworthy of his attention or concern for their threats.
As he was about to pay and leave the coffee shop, he sensed something and looked outside.
“Move, all of you get out of my way!”
A few minutes later, frantic shouting and rapid footsteps approached. The coffee shop door was pushed open forcefully, and four fierce men with blades rushed in.
Seeing this, the coffee shop staff hid behind the cash register, and both Aurora Xiao and Riley Li were startled.
The four armed men scanned the cafe and focused on the table where Aurora Xiao and Riley Li were sitting.
As they approached, Mason Wang, the leader of the Sanda (Chinese boxing) club with agile skills, stood up quickly and aimed a kick at the leading strapping man.
Adrian Xu, an athletic student, reacted quickly, stepping forward to strike another man.
“Crack!”
Mason’s kick was fast, but unexpectedly, the man caught his ankle just in time.
“Your amateur skills are a disgrace. Get out of my way!”
The leading man with a scar on his face scoffed and struck Mason’s abdomen with the hilt of his knife.
Mason felt a churning in his stomach and knelt down, vomiting.
He was unprepared for the assailant’s strength; despite practicing Sanda, he lacked real combat experience against these ruthless and experienced criminals.
Adrian Xu fared even worse, being kicked aside by a simple move, unable to stand up, only groaning in pain.
Aurora Xiao and Riley Li were terrified. Before they could scream, the men held knives to their throats.
Security staff from the mall, armed with electric batons and some with guns, surrounded the coffee shop entrance, creating a blockade.
“Guys, don't act rashly. If you want money, I can give it to you, but don’t harm them!”
Mason managed to speak again, addressing the scar-faced men.
“Shut up! We're trapped now, what’s the use of money? One more word, and I’ll kill you!”
The scar-faced man threatened Mason, scaring him into retreating in fear.
Adrian Xu was completely silent, not daring to make a sound.
Aurora Xiao, held hostage, tried to remain calm due to her education.
She saw Mason, who usually cared for her deeply, now defeated and cowering in the corner, feeling greatly disappointed.
“Please don’t kill me, I’ll do anything you ask!”
Riley Li, in utter fear, pleaded with tears streaming down her face.
“Don’t be afraid, girl!” said the man holding Riley, licking his knife. “We just robbed a jewelry store upstairs and got trapped by these guards. We just need you as hostages to escape the building, then we'll release you, heh heh!”
He laughed sinisterly, chilling Riley to the bone.
Aurora Xiao tried to stay composed in this critical situation, accidentally noticing Jonathan Ye at a distant table.
“Is this guy stupid?”
Jonathan continued drinking his coffee, seemingly oblivious to the situation, baffling her.
“To those at the door, listen up! We have two students here. I’ll count to ten, and if you don’t clear a path, I’ll kill one!”
The guards were negotiating, but the scar-faced leader shouted out this ultimatum.
After much deliberation, the guards decided to clear a path to ensure the safety of Aurora Xiao and Riley Li.
“Hey, let’s take them out!”
As the men prepared to take Aurora and Riley, she felt hopeless, knowing their chances of being released were slim.
But then, Jonathan Ye’s voice suddenly rang out.
“I’m not interested in what you four are planning to do.”
“But if you want to leave here unharmed, let her go now!”
Aurora was moved by Jonathan’s intervention. Adrian Xu was silent, and Mason Wang, who usually wooed her, was too scared to speak. Yet Jonathan Ye, whom she looked down upon, stepped forward.
But she was also worried. These men were formidable, and even Mason Wang, a skilled martial artist, was no match for them. What could Jonathan do?
“Is it you who’s speaking?”
The leader licked his lips menacingly.
Jonathan put down his coffee cup, stood up calmly, and faced them.
“Yes, it's me!”
Pointing at Aurora, he said, “Let her go. As for the rest, I don’t care. Do what you want, but you can’t take her!”
“Give you ten seconds to consider. Accept my offer and leave, or do you want me to take action and deal with all of you?”
He spoke indifferently, as if discussing something trivial.
Everyone was stunned, with mixed expressions.
“Has this guy gone mad?”
Adrian Xu thought scornfully, finding Jonathan’s attempt to play the hero absurd, especially his challenge to the four criminals, claiming he could take them all down by himself.