Lu Yuanyi was unaware that his younger brother was already worrying about his intelligence. He felt like a tiny boat caught in a violent storm, tossed and swayed on the water until he felt nauseous. His eyelids felt as heavy as lead, impossible to open. Then, suddenly, his butt was kicked—DUANG, DUANG, DUANG.
Lu Yuanyi was furious.
"How dare you! Who has the nerve to kick this young master? Just wait till I wake up—you’ll regret it!"
Lu Chao, thoroughly enjoying himself, kicked again and again. Hmm, the sensation under his foot was particularly satisfying.
The noise outside had died down—now was the perfect time to escape. With that thought, he put even more force into his kicks.
"Ow!"
Finally, the mix of humiliation and pain jolted Lu Yuanyi awake.
He opened his eyes, ready to curse—
"Shh! Be quiet."
Seeing him finally awake, Lu Chao whispered a warning.
Twisting his body to turn around, Lu Yuanyi blinked in confusion.
"Third Brother?"
Worried the kidnappers might barge in at any moment, Lu Chao quickly hushed him. "Second Brother, don’t make a sound. We’ve been kidnapped. Turn over—I’ll untie you first."
At Lu Chao’s words, Lu Yuanyi’s face paled as he remembered sneaking out to watch the magic show.
Where was Yang Zongze? And how had Third Brother ended up kidnapped too?
Lu Chao could guess his thoughts but had no time to explain. He used his teeth to gnaw at the cloth binding Lu Yuanyi’s wrists.
Damn it, why was it tied so tight?!
As he bit and tugged, he felt his front tooth wobbling. Pah!
With a soft clink, Lu Chao spat out a tooth.
Lu Yuanyi stared at the bloodied tooth, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Third Brother… Wuwuwu…"
Lu Chao rolled his eyes and kept chewing at the cloth. "Stop crying."
Lu Yuanyi immediately swallowed his sobs, holding them back so hard he nearly hiccuped.
Finally, the cloth loosened. Lu Chao’s mouth ached—he never wanted to bite anything again.
"Now untie me."
Lu Yuanyi flailed his hands in a panic.
Lu Chao felt the ropes around his wrists tightening instead.
???
"Lu Yuanyi, don’t panic. Take it slow—undo one knot at a time."
Wiping his tears, Lu Yuanyi held his breath, forcing his hands to steady. At last, the ropes came loose.
"Good! Now let’s wake up the others and free them too." Lu Chao shook out his sore arms and whispered.
"I’m awake… Can you help me?"
A tiny voice, soft as a mosquito’s buzz, came from the corner.
Lu Chao turned to see a fair-skinned, rosy-lipped little boy in navy-blue riding clothes staring at him pleadingly.
Lu Chao: So cute. These kidnappers really picked the prettiest ones!
"Of course."
In another corner, Lu Yuanyi was untying Yang Zongze.
As the drug’s effects wore off, Yang Zongze gradually regained consciousness.
The room fell silent except for their breathing and heartbeats.
Then—footsteps at the door.
Lu Chao glanced at the awakened group, then tilted his head and closed his eyes, signaling them to play dead.
The others mimicked him, leaning against each other in feigned sleep.
Click.
The door opened.
"Third Brother, look—these brats are all good-looking, huh?"
A burly man with a thick beard nodded.
"You stay and guard them. I’ll go into town to gather intel. A day without food won’t kill them. And no opening this door for anyone while I’m gone!" After a pause, he decided to take the key with him. Better safe than sorry—in their line of work, you could never be too careful. If Liu Zi took off with the goods while he was away, all their efforts would be for nothing.
Once the door shut, Lu Chao dared to open his eyes.
Suddenly, he met a pair of bright, clear eyes.
"Thank you. My name is Yingge. What’s yours?"
Lu Chao shook his head.
"No need for thanks. I’m Lu Chao. Were you kidnapped after watching the magic show too?"
Yingge nodded sheepishly. "My cousin said he’d take me to see the world, so we sneaked out. Never thought we’d run into bandits."
"Is your cousin here too?"
Yingge shook his head. He’d been engrossed in the show when he blacked out—then woke up here.
Raised by his grandfather, Yingge was used to swords and spears, so he’d stayed calm even in this situation. Only after seeing Lu Chao helping the others did he dare speak up. Still, for all his bravery, he was just an eight-year-old—now, fear was creeping in.
"Don’t be scared. We’ll find a way out together," Lu Chao reassured him.
"Waaah! Mommy!! I want my mommy!!" A deafening wail shattered the silence.
In the quiet room, the cry was piercing.
The outburst set off the other children, their eyes reddening as they teetered on the edge of panic.
"Whoever cries the loudest gets sold first."
!!!
Lu Chao’s threat instantly restored silence.
Lu Yuanyi: Third Brother is terrifying!!
Lu Chao counted heads—six in total.
He motioned for them to huddle closer.
"Before I was caught, I sent Qingshan back to inform Mother. But the city gates closed too late—we were taken beyond the walls. The other kidnappers are trapped inside. We’re facing two possibilities: either they’ll use us as hostages to negotiate, or they’ll flee and sell us off for quick cash. Right now, there’s only one guard outside, and the door’s locked. I think this is our best chance to escape. What do you all think?"
"If they trade hostages, wouldn’t we be safe?" Yingge asked hopefully.
"Not necessarily. My father says bandits are ruthless—they especially hate the wealthy and powerful. Don’t reveal your family backgrounds." Lu Chao glanced at Lu Yuanyi, regret gnawing at him. He never should’ve taken him out for fun.
"But the mountains have wolves! Even if we escape, won’t we get eaten?" A chubby boy sniffled. His grandmother had warned him about that last time he played in the hills.
"Second Brother, what do you think?" Lu Chao turned to Lu Yuanyi.
He’d come here to rescue him—no matter what, Lu Chao would protect him first.
"I… I think we should escape and hide, then wait for Father and Mother to find us."
Lu Chao nodded.
Yang Zongze agreed too. Who would’ve thought Lu Yuanyi’s delicate-looking younger brother would be the most level-headed among them?
Yingge naturally sided with Lu Chao—he felt safer by his side.
The last boy, who’d been silent until now, also nodded.
Only the hesitant chubby boy remained.
"I… I’ll go with you guys."
As the saying goes, three cobblers equal one Zhuge Liang. In other words, kids who sneak out to play are never short of clever ideas. Their schemes came one after another, impressing even Lu Chao, the "fake" child among them.
Once they settled on a plan, Lu Chao stretched out his hand. The others looked puzzled.
"Come on. Before warriors go into battle, they toast their flags. Today, our squad will crush the enemy’s spirit! Are you ready?!"
"Yes!" several voices responded in hushed tones.
"Lu Chao, let's give our team a name," Yang Zongze said, his fear now forgotten. What boy doesn’t dream of being a hero? A surge of excitement rushed through him, making him feel like a general about to charge into battle.
"Flying Tigers!" Lu Chao blurted out without hesitation.
"Great name! With wings added to a tiger, victory is ours!" The usually silent boy clapped in approval.
