Chapter 0004: Xiao Yuanchao

Uncle, uncle, uncle... If you kill me... I won't be able to go home, my father will beat me to death!

Xiao Yuanchao tightly hugged his small knees with his little hands, curling up into a ball. He bit his lip, and tears flowed down to the corners of his mouth, yet he did not dare to wipe them away, only able to quickly lick them with his tongue.

Indeed," Xiao Yuanchao wrinkled his small nose and said proudly: "My eldest brother is named Xiao Jiefang, my second brother is named Xiao Zhonghua, my third brother is named Xiao Hongxing, and my fourth brother is named Xiao Xiangqian. They all loved me dearly and even bought me Transformers. However, all my brothers have passed away, and no one buys me Transformers anymore

"Speak! If you don't, I will kill you!" The man raised his hand and drew a sharp dagger, pressing it against Xiao Yuanchao's neck

Holding half a piece of Wangwang rice cracker, Changsheng was once again taken aback; this child had given him too many surprises

"Uncle, are you hungry?" Xiao Yuanchao took out half a Wangwang snow cake from his pocket and handed it to Xiao Yuanchao, while eagerly looking at the snow cake and saying, "You need to eat something when you're sick."

I am not afraid

"Xiao Yuanchao, a good name, hehe." The man chuckled, but suddenly his expression turned serious, and a chilling murderous intent flashed in his eyes as he coldly asked, "How do you know it is almost twelve o'clock?"

After finishing this sentence, Changsheng picked up a small stone and threw it outside

"Eleven twenty," Xiao Yuanchao blurted out

"But do you know how to get to the hospital?" Xiao Yuanchao asked

The temperature in the cave immediately dropped, as cold as the depths of winter. Only five and a half years old, Xiao Yuanchao shivered violently, his small body instinctively shrinking back, as if the solid rock wall behind him could provide a sense of security.

Xiao Yuanchao stared with tearful eyes, his small face filled with astonishment: How did he know that I threw the stone

At the moment the light streaming through the three-foot cave entrance illuminated the man's face, the rugged, chiseled rock walls appeared to pale in comparison.

"Are you not afraid that I will stab you to death?" the man asked strangely

Once again, Chang Sheng squinted his eyes; he found it hard to imagine that a father could frighten his son to such an extent, even to the point of being kidnapped by a stranger, while the concerns were merely about being late home and facing punishment.

The man's cheeks are sharply defined, composed entirely of lines as hard and strong as steel, exuding a resoluteness that ordinary people can never possess. Accompanying this is a potent masculine aura, instantly permeating every oxygen molecule, even rendering the slightly damp cave appear dry.

The clear and crisp voice of the child reached Changsheng's ears, leaving him momentarily stunned

At this point, Xiao Yuanchao pouted her small lips, her chubby little hands clasped together, appearing quite unhappy

"Xiao Yuanchao." The boy cautiously raised his head, quickly scanning the man's face, and pleaded carefully, "Uncle, it's almost 12 o'clock. Could you please let me go home? If I don't return home soon, my dad will really beat me to death"

Upon hearing these names, Ke Changsheng was first taken aback, followed by a face full of bitter smiles. He finally understood why there was a reorganized division along with a black beret tightly clinging to him; it turned out that the child he had grasped was actually...

The little boy cast a glance at the man's piercing gaze, quickly lowered his head, and began to count on his fingers, one by one.

The adult man lay weakly there, his right hand pressed against his waist, which was soaked in blood. His face was turned towards the darkness, seemingly afraid of the sunlight streaming in through the opening.

Xiao Yuanchao blinked his eyes, shook his head vigorously, and ran away without a trace.

As he spoke these words, the boy pouted, sniffed, and tears welled up in his eyes. However, he did not dare to cry out, stubbornly holding his breath to suppress it.

At the edge of a sheer cliff, near the mountain summit, there is a small black hole, measuring three feet on each side, resembling a nest built by an eagle on the rock face

"Remember the way to the hospital, I am going home, otherwise my father will definitely beat me to death." Xiao Yuanchao reluctantly shifted his gaze away from the Wangwang snow cake, smacked his lips, and turned to run outside

But soon, a smile appeared on his face again, and he murmured to himself: Xiao Yuanchao? ... Good child, hehe...

Only Changsheng remained in the cave. He took out his wine flask and took a deep swig, shaking his head in resignation

Seeing the little boy frightened by himself, the man seemed very happy and smiled as he put away the knife. However, the next sentence from Xiao Yuanchao left him dumbfounded

"Uncle, when can you let me go home?" The boy's eyes were filled with a pleading expression: "If I don't go home soon, my father will kill me"

"Aren't you afraid that I will kill you?" A cold murderous intent once again surfaced on Changsheng's face as he wanted to see whether this child would truly be afraid.

Xiao Yuanchao's small face, with tear stains still fresh, was full of innocence yet also seriousness. The focus he displayed when discussing such matters was something even Chang Sheng felt ashamed of. At least, when he was five and a half years old, he was very timid and extremely afraid of death

"Hey, Xiao Yuanchao," Changsheng called out to Xiao Yuanchao, nodding affirmatively as he said, "Your father definitely won't hit you today"

Changsheng suddenly developed a great interest in this boy, it is important to note that he is only five and a half years old

After about ten minutes, another small stone fell from the black hole. Subsequently, a stone would fall from inside every ten minutes, producing a crisp sound when it shattered

Chang Sheng was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, and waved his hand vigorously

The eastern face of Xiake Ridge features sheer cliffs, sculpted by nature with a near ninety-degree angle. Beneath the cliffs lies a hundred-meter-high precipice, naturally formed and remarkably smooth, without even a single protruding rock.

The boy is not fundamentally afraid of the injured man; rather, he fears that if he does not return home soon, his father will give him a severe beating.

Oh? Five and a half?" A hint of unusual color flashed in the man's eyes as he nodded slightly and continued to ask, "What is your name?"

"If you kill me, will I die?" Xiao Yuanchao asked with wide eyes

Xiao Yuanchao shook his head vigorously, then nodded forcefully, followed by another shake of his head and another nod.

Yes, you have already thrown seven stones, and now it is time to throw the eighth one

Xiao Yuanchao's eyes widened in shock, seemingly stunned, filled with fear.

In the black hole, a boy of about seven or eight years old huddled in the corner of the entrance, staring with a pair of terrified eyes at the adult man diagonally opposite him

Your elder brother? Second brother? And third brother? Fourth brother?

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuanchao's eyes lit up, and without saying a word, he took off running. However, after running a couple of steps, he stopped and timidly said to Changsheng, "Uncle, the place I brought you to cannot be found by anyone. Once those soldiers have left, you can go to the hospital for treatment"

"My eldest brother, second brother, third brother, and fourth brother have all died. Serving in the military means one must die. I will also serve in the military in the future, so I am not afraid of death," Xiao Yuanchao pouted, blinking his bright, sparkling eyes and said: "Do you have an eldest brother, second brother, third brother, or fourth brother? If you do, you wouldn't be afraid of death either"

"Yes, you will die!" Chang Sheng spoke with a fierce tone, his face twisted in a grimace.

You throw a stone every ten minutes to keep track of time while simultaneously sending a distress signal. Changsheng glanced at his watch and continued, It is three minutes off, although not very precise, it is quite good for someone your age

My name is Chang Sheng, but others always like to call me Chang Sheng. The man smiled at Xiao Yuanchao and extended a finger, saying: Tell me, what time is it now

Chang Sheng nodded with a bitter smile

Without waiting for Chang Sheng to speak, Xiao Yuanchao pondered while gesturing with his hands and feet: "You go down the mountain, turn left, then turn left again, then turn left again, turn right, then turn right again, make a turn and go right, go right, jump over, go right, go right, go right, do you remember?"

The injured man seemed to find it very amusing, slowly turning his face.

I..." Xiao Yuanchao paused for a moment, fear evident in his eyes as he said, "If I go home late, my father will kill me"

After about a minute, the boy finally spoke in a timid voice, saying: "Five and a half."

A small pebble fell out of the black hole, silently plummeting to the bottom of a one hundred meter deep cliff, shattering into pieces upon impact

You may leave now. Chang Sheng let out a heavy sigh and waved his hand at Xiao Yuanzhao.

"Little one, how old are you?" the man asked