Rotting Land: Survive

The crowd worked together to pull Old Zhao away from Derek. Freed from the restraints, Derek felt the pressure on his throat loosen, and he fell to his knees, gasping for breath.

Fortunately, Tang Xiaoquan commanded in time; otherwise, within seconds, Derek would have suffocated and died.

Compared to Derek’s panting, everyone was more surprised by Old Zhao’s sudden change.

Even while restrained by Bi Dahu, Zhao Yunhai still struggled like a fierce beast, "baring his fangs and claws."

"Let me go! Old Bi, Little Wen, let go! Let me kill that bastard!"

"Old Zhao, calm down. What’s going on? For God’s sake, at least explain why you want to kill that brat?" Bi Dahu was also baffled by Old Zhao. Although Derek’s actions tonight were disagreeable, they didn’t warrant death, at least not by strangulation.

"What do you know? You know nothing. Get out of my way! Don’t stop me!" With powerful arms twisting left and right, Old Zhao struggled tirelessly.

Seeing the situation worsening, Tang Xiaoquan sighed softly and stood up before Old Zhao: "Uncle Zhao, calm down. I know why you’re so agitated, but please first ease your emotions and carefully recall what Derek said. It’s never too late to make a decision after recollecting."

Old Zhao glared angrily at Tang Xiaoquan, but his hands subconsciously paused in their actions.

Feeling the struggles weakening, Bi Dahu and Wen Quanxin finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It was their first time experiencing such "conflict" with Old Zhao, and none had expected him to possess such explosive power.

Bi Dahu also took several breaths of powerful Qi. After calming down, he looked at Tang Xiaoquan in confusion and then asked: "Little Tang, what’s wrong with Old Zhao? Why is he so agitated?"

"Yes! Little Tang, do you know the reason?"

Bi and Wen raised questions that reflected everyone’s thoughts. After all, Old Zhao was known for his good temper within the team.

Not only was Old Zhao good-tempered, but his conduct was impeccable, especially in the way he cared for young members like Wen Quanxin; he treated them as if they were his own children.

So, Old Zhao’s unusual fury not only worried everyone but also fueled their urgency to understand the reason behind it, hence providing Zhao Yunhai relief from his troubles.

Tang Xiaoquan scanned the crowd and finally focused on Old Zhao.

Due to his earlier agitation, Old Zhao now found it difficult to catch his breath because of his fierce struggling.

Sighing softly, Tang Xiaoquan said: "Old Zhao, what’s hastening you is because of the girl, right?"

"Girl?" Wen Quanxin was confused upon hearing this.

The remaining survivors glanced at each other. Their memory only extended to Derek mentioning some girlfriend named Demmi. They couldn’t see any connection between the girl and Old Zhao.

Disregarding others’ doubts, Tang Xiaoquan continued in as gentle a tone as possible: "If my guess is correct, isn’t the girl named Zhao Lina your lost daughter?"

Whoa! No sooner had he spoken than there was a commotion throughout the venue!

Not only the survivors but even Derek, who had been restrained tightly by Old Zhao, stopped panting in shock, his eyes wide while staring at the middle-aged man before him.

"No way... Old Zhao, could Little Tang be right? Is Zhao Lina really your daughter?" Wen Quanxin couldn’t believe this fact. He couldn’t believe there could be such coincidence in the world.

But seeing Old Zhao’s accelerating breathing rate, Wen Quanxin couldn’t help but admire Tang Xiaoquan’s judgment.

"Indeed! Little Tang’s judgment is correct! Zhao Lina is my daughter!"

Done with speaking, Old Zhao waved his arms, trying to free himself from Bi Dahu’s restraint.

Bi Dahu, who was deeply absorbed in the explosive event on the scene, felt an immense force on his arms. He instinctively tightened his body and urged in a deep voice: "Old Zhao, calm down! Don’t act rashly! There are more than one Zhao Lina in this world, maybe she’s just a namesake!"

"Indeed, Old Zhao, even if she is truly Zhao Lina, you shouldn’t kill him. With him, we can find your daughter, right?" By switching from defense to offense, Tang Xiaoquan knew Old Zhao would hardly agree at this moment, but Tang Xiaoquan understood that no matter how violent and uncooperative Old Zhao seemed, there was one vital point he couldn’t breach: Zhao Lina’s life.

As long as the point about Zhao Lina’s life was emphasized, and Old Zhao made aware that Derek held the key to her survival, Old Zhao would likely give up the thought of murder.

Over time, once completely calm, he would naturally reflect on the entire process.

Sure enough, upon hearing Tang Xiaoquan mention relying on Derek to find the girl, Old Zhao’s struggling motion weakened once more.

But he still spitefully shouted: "Dahu, Little Wen, what are you doing! Let go of my arms!"

"Letting go is possible, but you first need to ensure you won’t cause more trouble!" Bi Dahu held firm.

Old Zhao shook his head vigorously: "First, release me!"

"No! Agree not to cause more trouble first!"

"Release first!"

"Agree not to cause trouble first!"

"You..." Even Old Zhao’s temper was driven away by Bi Dahu’s persistence.

However, thanks to Bi Dahu’s constant verbal exchange, the mania in his heart subsided slightly.

Taking two deep breaths, Old Zhao "surrendered" and said: "Fine! Fine! I promise I won’t cause trouble, alright? Can you release me now?"

Bi Dahu hesitantly looked at Tang Xiaoquan in front of Old Zhao, and Tang Xiaoquan nodded subtly.

Judging from Old Zhao’s steadily calming breath, Tang Xiaoquan believed he had regained control of his emotions.

"Well, let me say this first: if you act impulsively, I’ll tie you up immediately!" After another wary warning, Bi Dahu finally slowly released his arms.

No sooner had Bi Dahu let go than Old Zhao took steps toward Derek.

Seeing the middle-aged man approach step by step, Derek instinctively retreated.

Though he now understood why the middle-aged man was angry, he believed he didn’t do anything against him. "Um, you’re Uncle Zhao, right? Please calm down, let’s talk calmly. You know, Lina often mentioned you to me."

"Is that so?" For some reason, hearing the mention of Lina from the young man made Old Zhao want to kill.

It’s understandable, considering anyone listening to Derek’s previous account would worry about their daughter.

Since Old Zhao had a daughter, he knew what fate awaited his daughter at the hands of Japan.

Therefore, at this moment, Old Zhao didn’t even want the girl Derek mentioned to be his daughter.

"I ask you, what does the Zhao Lina you mentioned look like? How tall is she? What does she wear?"

Faced with Old Zhao’s intense gaze, Derek gulped and then hurriedly replied: "Lina is 1.68 meters tall, with short hair, looking quite capable. When I saw her, she wore a denim T-shirt. Oh, and there’s a black mole beside her mouth. Additionally, you, you, you..."(To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to vote with recommendation and monthly tickets on Qidian.com. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)