C16 Pink Trap

As the sun set, Lin Hao dropped Ling off at Grandma Chen's house. After filling her in on the situation, he headed out on his own.

Half an hour earlier, he had received a call from Zhou Ya. It seemed she had gotten his number from Qin Sisi. She was brief over the phone, simply setting up a meeting place.

A hotel isn't usually an extraordinary location, but when a woman invites you to one, it takes on a whole new meaning.

Lin Hao was about to ring the doorbell when the door swung open. Zhou Ya was there, draped in a red slip dress that clung to her like a second skin, its silk fabric leaving little to the imagination.

"You've arrived?" Zhou Ya's voice was sultry as she smiled, arms crossed, body angled, her eyes a seductive lure.

"Seems like my timing might be off," Lin Hao chuckled. "Tell you what, I'll leave you to your evening. Whatever you need to say, we can discuss over the phone..."

Before he could finish, Zhou Ya seized his arm and yanked him into the room. The door shut with a definitive thud behind him. Lin Hao, taken aback, stared at her. "What... are you up to?"

"I want to!" Zhou Ya's smile was laden with innuendo.

It took a moment for Lin Hao to grasp her play on words. She was blatantly setting her sights on him.

"Heh, you've got ambition, but I'm not in the business of collecting junk," Lin Hao retorted coldly. "Your secret dealings with Boss Bao might be under wraps, but they're not completely unknown."

Zhou Ya shuddered at his words. She hadn't expected Lin Hao to have dug so deep, uncovering her affair with Boss Bao.

"Let's cut to the chase. What's it going to take for you to leave me alone?"

"I'm here, aren't I? You decide what happens next. If it's money you're after, I'm not flush with cash at the moment, but if the price is right, we might be able to work something out."

Zhou Ya laid her cards on the table. Lin Hao settled into the sofa, a cigarette between his lips, smirking as his eyes roamed over her curvaceous figure.

Seeing the change in the situation, Zhou Ya dropped her guarded demeanor and approached with a seductive smile, gracefully seating herself on Lin Hao's lap.

"Lin, I wouldn't claim to be a national beauty, but I've had my fair share of admirers. If you're interested... I could be yours for the day. Give it some thought, won't you?"

While speaking, Zhou Ya's hand made its way onto Lin Hao's body, gliding from his neck down to his chest.

Lin Hao kept his composure, his smile unfazed. Resting his left hand on her shoulder, he murmured, "And if I'm not interested?"

A flash of malice crossed Zhou Ya's eyes as she replied icily, "If you're not willing..."

Abruptly, Zhou Ya snapped her fingers. A loud blast echoed as the window glass shattered. A fist-sized hole appeared nearby, revealing a deformed bullet cooling from red-hot to emitting white smoke.

Lin Hao was no stranger to danger.

But this situation made his past encounters seem trivial by comparison.

"Take a good look. There's no need to back yourself into a corner. Think it over before you answer," Zhou Ya said with a cold laugh.

Lin Hao glanced out the window where a monitor had appeared, acting like a magnifying glass, zooming in on the building across the street. It became clear that a sniper was hidden in a room on the eighteenth floor.

Even with the knowledge of the sniper's location, Lin Hao was at a disadvantage, likely in the crosshairs of the sniper's scope. Any rash move could mean the next bullet would find him.

"Going to such lengths, aren't you worried about running out of options?" Lin Hao asked coolly.

Zhou Ya chuckled, "I've tried both carrot and stick, and you still resist. You're quite the stubborn one!"

"You've got that right!"

Lin Hao nodded, scooped Zhou Ya up in a princess carry, and tossed her onto the bed.

The sudden motion left her pajamas in disarray, barely concealing her allure.

Lin Hao dove in for a kiss, and Zhou Ya's excitement began to build.

Indeed, Zhou Ya had the appearance of an aloof beauty, but beneath the surface, she was emotionally unraveling. Lin Hao's behavior had genuinely touched her heart.

As she emitted a series of enchanting sighs, Lin Hao seized the moment to deftly draw the curtains closed with his foot.

The very next instant, Lin Hao tumbled out of the bed and sprinted for the door.

Regaining her composure, Zhou Ya heard the door slam shut. She whirled around to the window and, noticing the drawn curtains, her anger boiled over.

"Damn it!"

Fuming, Zhou Ya whipped out her phone and dialed swiftly.

"He's on the run. Keep tabs on him!"

After hanging up, Zhou Ya seethed, "After all this, you're still not moved? Leaving me hanging? Unforgivable!"

In her frustration, Zhou Ya resembled Lady Ma from 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils'; unable to enchant Qiao Feng, she was driven to a frenzy, her rage erupting.

Lin Hao bolted from the hotel, aware of the sniper's position and knowing that the front door was not an option.

Boss Bao, however, appeared to have anticipated this. As Lin Hao dashed through the back exit, several killers concealed in boxes dropped their cigarette butts and took up the chase, shouting as they went.

The monitor flashed a dire warning once more, presenting the options: 1. Escape; 2. Fight.

With the situation at hand, Lin Hao couldn't possibly choose to fight. The number of assailants aside, the lurking sniper was a threat not to be ignored. Boss Bao had spared no expense in hiring such killers, and without immediate flight, Lin Hao knew his demise in these alleys was imminent.

"Escape, just run!"

Lin Hao yelled, and a route map materialized on the monitor.

He followed the map at breakneck speed, quickly losing the killers in pursuit.

Yet, the persistent alarm on the monitor indicated that danger was still present.

"Bang!"

Out of nowhere, a gunshot pierced the air.

Lin Hao's shoulder erupted in searing pain.

Under the faint glow of a streetlight, he saw his T-shirt sleeve in tatters, the fabric blood-soaked and skin lacerated, as droplets of blood steadily fell.

Clenching his teeth, he continued his desperate run, casting glances over his shoulder.

Just as expected, the gunman had caught up. Now, with a silenced pistol in hand, he was rapidly pursuing Lin Hao.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

"Danger Rating: ★★★."

"Options: 1. Engage in Battle 2. Kneel and plead for mercy."

Lin Hao was taken aback. He noticed that 'escape' wasn't among the choices this time, and even details like the 'Danger Rating' were displayed.

With the alarm growing more insistent, Lin Hao inhaled deeply and clenched his jaw. "Engage in Battle!" he declared.

"Activating—"