Peach-Orange! – Chapter 421 – The Man

Su Tao’s thoughts were simple.

She wanted to protect Xiaocheng!

Just as she had once said, she would rather be the one lying on the hospital bed, would rather be the one to die, than see Xiaocheng get hurt.

Now, she was simply putting her words into action.

The plainclothes man had finished his cigarette, his hands stuffed into his pockets as he watched the slowly rising sun. Hearing Su Tao’s words, he glanced at her. “If I could, I’d agree with you. But my mission only requires Chi Xiaocheng.

“Besides, Miss Su Tao, you’ve inherited your father’s bloodline power. I wouldn’t feel safe taking you with me. If you punched me on the way, I wouldn’t be able to stop you.”

The plainclothes man looked down at his watch. “Five minutes left. Including the time it takes for me to leave, you’ve got two more minutes to talk. Make your decision.”

Su Tao pressed her lips together tightly and turned to meet Chi Xiaocheng’s gaze.

The girl’s eyes were pleading.

Yet, Su Tao still shook her head firmly in refusal.

She would not allow it.

Both her eyes and the hand gripping Xiaocheng’s arm tightly conveyed these words.

Si Chen glanced at the two of them, knowing the stalemate was unbreakable.

With the last two minutes, if Xiaocheng left with the man at a run, they could still spare an extra minute.

Rather than fantasizing, it was better to think of possible solutions.

Si Chen approached the plainclothes man, took out a cigarette, and offered it. “Brother, what should I call you?”

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The plainclothes man was momentarily taken aback by Si Chen’s sudden friendliness but accepted the cigarette with a faint smile. “Someone like me, a nobody wherever I go… my name doesn’t matter. What, Young Master Si, are you planning to make the decision for them?”

Si Chen lit the man’s cigarette, then lit one for himself before sighing. “They’re practically my ancestors at this point. How could I decide for them? Since I can’t interfere with their choice, why don’t we chat?”

The plainclothes man raised an eyebrow. “About what?”

Si Chen didn’t care if the man had surveillance devices on him and spoke bluntly. “Is that head maid you mentioned your superior or your employer? How much is she paying you? I’ll give you ten times that. How about working for me?”

Si Chen continued, “I can promise you right here that I won’t ask you anything about your previous boss, like that head maid. If you work for me, I’ll treat you like a blank slate. We’ll leave the past behind.

“If ten times isn’t enough, twenty times is fine too.”

Si Chen blew out a smoke ring. “Then, later, you’ll take someone away. Once we’re clear of the sniper, we’ll regroup. We’ll be safe, and you won’t have to worry about going back as a small fry with your life at risk. A win-win, don’t you think?”

The plainclothes man clearly hadn’t expected Si Chen to try recruiting him, and in such a straightforward way at that.

“That’s a pretty good offer,” he said, exhaling a long stream of smoke. “But, Young Master Si, you don’t understand the situation of small fries like me. My family’s already been controlled.

“My mother is seriously ill. She needs about two million to recover in the hospital.

“I have a wife and daughter. They live in a nice house, arranged by the head maid, and their lives are comfortable.”

The plainclothes man looked at Si Chen. “Let me put it this way. I can die here, and they’ll get compensation. But I can’t betray the head maid.

“I’m a man. I have to take responsibility for my family.”

He stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette and bent down to place it gently on the ground. “Sorry, Young Master Si. I see your sincerity, but I have to refuse.”

“The situation is simple now, isn’t it?” the plainclothes man said calmly. “Either one of you dies with me, or we all survive. What happens after that, I don’t know.”

Si Chen frowned. “You’d die too?”

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“Wouldn’t I?” the man countered. “If one of you is killed by the sniper, the others will be furious. Then I’d have to die as collateral.”

Hearing this, Si Chen knew there was no way to turn this man.

He truly was a small fry, a nobody.

But even small fries had their own wisdom and ways of survival.

He had come to carry out this mission with the resolve to die.

As a man, protecting his family.

Was there… really no other way?

Si Chen turned back, looking at Su Tao and Chi Xiaocheng, who were still arguing, and let out a long sigh.

He walked over to the two girls. “Are you willing to gamble?”

“Gamble?”

Su Tao and Chi Xiaocheng both looked at Si Chen.

Time was running out, but the fact remained that they couldn’t reach a decision.

Both loved each other.

And neither wanted the other to be in danger.

Si Chen took a deep breath. “We’ve got about a minute left before a decision has to be made. Since neither of you wants the other to go, let me lay out my plan.

“The main component of this plan is one word: gamble!”

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Si Chen’s eyes turned fierce. “I have a feeling that my luck isn’t bad. This time, I definitely won’t die. Similarly, Su Tao’s luck seems to have always been good. And for some special reason, the two of us might even have some unseen protection.

“If the sniper fires, it’ll most likely be a one-in-three shot.

“And Chi Xiaocheng is the mission target. If what that plainclothes man said is true, then she absolutely won’t be in danger.

“In other words—”

Before he could finish, Su Tao cut in firmly, “Let’s gamble!”

As long as Xiaocheng was safe, even if she was the one shot, it would be fine.

Betting that her luck would keep the bullet from hitting her?

Her luck had always been pretty good.

And the luckiest thing in her life was meeting this little one when they were kids, wasn’t it?

Su Tao’s smile softened slightly as she turned to Chi Xiaocheng. “Xiaocheng, hide behind me later, okay?”

Chi Xiaocheng looked at Si Chen with mixed feelings. “Is this really okay? If we run for it, with a one-in-three chance, you’re the most likely to get hurt.”

With the system’s protection, Chi Xiaocheng wasn’t as panicked as before.

Su Tao was the sole female lead. Her survival odds were definitely higher than Si Chen’s.

Out of everyone here, he was the one in the most danger.

“Maybe.”

Si Chen looked up at the sky and smiled faintly.

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Deep down, he had already guessed it.

From Chi Xiaocheng’s reactions, his investigations these past few days, and the sense of dissonance he’d felt before—

Su Tao might be an extremely important person in this world.

Her luck was no less than his.

And he preferred acting only after thorough planning, not gambling like this.

But as a man, wasn’t it necessary to take a stand sometimes?

How could he let two girls shoulder the most danger?

Si Chen adjusted his glasses, the breeze ruffling his short hair. When he turned back to Su Tao and Chi Xiaocheng, his lips curled into a confident smile. “Let’s gamble.”

Not on who the sniper would shoot among the three of them.

But on whether the sniper could kill him with the first shot.

On the scales of fate, would it be adding weight, or taking it away?

Si Chen didn’t know.

But he did know one thing.

He was a man.

And at this moment, he had to step forward.