Cold Summer Air

In the scorching heat of Summer City, even the wind carried a sense of dryness and warmth. The air conditioner in the Russell family’s living room hummed loudly, but it couldn’t drown out Mrs. Russell, Bella Fisher’s nagging voice. “Aida! High school starts in just a week, and you’re still lying on the sofa watching variety shows? Even if your grades are good, you can’t be so careless. Please at least flip through your study materials.”

Ida Russell lay lazily on the sofa, her fingertips resting casually on the remote control. The laughter from the screen still echoed in the room. She glanced at her mother with a hint of casual arrogance. “Mom, why the hurry? You know perfectly well that my grades are either the highest or the lowest in the class. Either way, it doesn’t matter whether I prepare for class or not. Besides, those teachers might not even be as smart as me. Going to school is basically just a formality.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she shouted, “Mom Yun, bring me a glass of juice, please. It needs to be frozen.”

Bella Fisher was so angry that her brows furrowed. She turned to glare at William Russell, who was standing nearby watching the scene: “Look at the daughter you’ve raised! She’s just entered the first year of high school. She hasn’t even met the teacher yet, yet she dares to say such nonsense. What will happen in the future?”

William Russell walked over with a smile, gently patting his wife’s shoulder. His eyes were filled with affection for his daughter. “Come on, dear. Ada is already grown up and knows what’s appropriate. She’s always been top of her class and never given us any worries. She has the same personality as me when I was young—bold and confident. Isn’t that great?”

Ida Russell immediately teased her, making a face at Bella Fisher: “Did you hear that, Mom? Dad understands me better!”

William Russell shook his head helplessly and rubbed his daughter’s head. “Stop talking nonsense. Listen to your mother. Go back to your room and read for a while. Don’t keep staring at the TV all the time.”

“Oh, I see.” Ada Russell reluctantly stood up. Just as she was about to take a step forward, the landline phone beside the sofa suddenly rang loudly, breaking the noise in the living room.

She picked up the phone casually. Before she could say anything, a rough and sinister voice came through the line, carrying an unmistakable threat: “William Russell, your daughter is in my hands! If you want her to live, bring five million in cash to the overpass at Regent Square right now! Remember, don’t call the police, or you’ll be dealing with her corpse!”

“Beep—beep—beep”—the busy signal rang abruptly. Ada Russell’s fingers gripping the phone tightened suddenly, her knuckles turning white. The casualness in her eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a look of seriousness.

Seeing her strange expression, Bella Fisher quickly asked, “What’s wrong? Who called?”

Ida Russell quickly regained her composure, her tone returning to its usual calmness. “It’s nothing, just a typing mistake,” she said. Without waiting for Bella Fisher to ask further questions, she turned and ran upstairs, her steps hurried, almost causing her slippers to fly off.

In just two minutes, she changed into a black short jacket and work pants. Her hair was tied up into a high ponytail. There was no longer any trace of petulance on her face; instead, she looked neat and tidy. She rushed downstairs, grabbed her bag from the hallway, and said, “Dad, Mom, I’m going out for a while. I might not be back until late. Don’t wait up for me for dinner.”

“This child, as soon as I said a few words to her, she ran out. She’s becoming more and more disobedient.” Bella Fisher frowned and sighed, her voice filled with exasperation.

William Russell took her hand and comforted her gently, “Don’t worry, Ada knows what she’s doing. If anything happened, she’d call us. As parents, we should just stay calm.”

Bella Fisher nodded, but her unease didn’t go away. She had the feeling that her daughter’s expression just now was somehow strange.

As night fell, a bright red Porsche shot through the streets of City S like an arrow leaving the bowstring. The roar of the engine broke the silence of the night. Inside the car, Ada Russell leaned back in her seat, her fingers swiftly scrolling across the phone screen as she dialed a number labeled “Uncle”.

The moment the call connected, a deep and powerful middle-aged man’s voice came through: “Miss, what can I do for you?”

“Uncle Cheetah, we’ll be at Ruijin Square in a moment. Let’s meet at the usual spot.” Ada Russell’s voice was completely flat, yet carried an air of authority that couldn’t be ignored. She didn’t sound like a girl who had just started freshman year of high school.

“Yes, miss, I’ll be there in a moment.”

Ten minutes later, the Porsche stopped in front of Dark Night Space, the largest entertainment venue in Ruijin Square. Ada Russell opened the car door and walked in. The receptionist immediately bowed respectfully upon seeing her. “Miss, your private room is ready.”

She said nothing, merely nodded slightly. Without stopping, she entered the luxurious private room at the back of the room. The lights in the room were dim. On the leather sofa lay a glass of Bloody Mary that had just been prepared. She went over, sat down, and shook the glass. The red liquid swirled inside, reflecting the cold glint in her eyes.

Before long, there was a knock at the door. “Come in.”

The cheetah stepped inside, dressed in a black suit. He had a tall and upright posture, with a steady expression on his face. When he saw Ada Russell on the sofa, his gaze paused for a moment. At that moment, she held a glass in one hand and fiddled with a delicate pistol in the other. There was a cynical smile on her lips, but her eyes were sharp and her presence was unmistakable.

The cheetah didn’t waste any time in small talk. He said directly, “Miss, if you’ve come to see me, what’s the matter?” He knew that this young lady was impatient and didn’t like beating around the bush.

Ida Russell put down her glass, her fingers tracing the barrel of the pistol. Her tone finally became more serious: “Someone tried to kidnap me and extort five million from my father. But they picked the wrong person.”

The cheetah’s expression changed slightly. “The wrong person was tied up? Then the person who was actually tied up…”

“I don’t know who she is, but this whole situation is my fault. If anything happens to her, I won’t be able to rest in peace.” Ada Russell looked up at the cheetah. “I want you to use all your criminal connections to find her as quickly as possible. Ten minutes—that’s all I give you.”

The cheetah frowned, his tone tinged with concern. “Miss, using criminal forces could expose your identity. That would have negative consequences for both you and the Russell family. It’s probably not advisable.”

Ida Russell leaned forward slightly, her eyes filled with a 恳 ent look, though her tone remained firm. “Uncle Cheetah, I know it’s not proper, but I can’t just ignore her. Please, help me this time. And from now on, please don’t call me ‘miss’. Just call me Ida. It’s too formal.”

The cheetah looked at her, then nodded after a while. “Okay, Ada. I’ll do my best. I’ll let you know within ten minutes.”

Time passed by second by second. All that could be heard in the private room was the ticking of the clock. Ada Russell continued to fiddle with the pistol, appearing calm on the surface. Yet, the slight movements of her fingers revealed her impatience.

At the eighth minute, the door to the private room was suddenly kicked open with a loud “bang”. Several shady-looking men rushed in, each with a fierce expression on their faces, staring at Ada Russell with hostile eyes.

Ida Russell didn’t even lift her head. She continued to wipe her pistol slowly and gracefully, as if the people standing before her were nothing more than air.

The man at the head of the group was smoking a cigarette. He stepped forward toward her, looking down at her with a taunting and arrogant tone. “Hey, little girl, this isn’t a place for you. If you’re smart, you’ll leave right now. If we’re in a good mood, we might spare your life. Otherwise, you’ll get to experience just how tough we are.”

As he spoke, he glanced at Ada Russell with lecherous eyes, his gaze wandering over her body in a completely inappropriate manner.

Ida Russell finally raised her gaze. There was no trace of fear in her eyes. Instead, a cold smirk appeared on her face, and her tone was filled with mockery. “You’re not going to be polite? Fine. I hate it when people are polite to me. I’d like to see just how capable you really are, so I can experience what ‘power’ really feels like.”

“Little…” The cheetah tried to step forward, but Ada Russell raised her hand to stop it. She tilted her head slightly, looking at the cheetah with a hint of defiance in her eyes, as if to say: “Don’t worry, I can handle this.”

The cheetah stopped in its tracks, a hint of doubt in its eyes, but it still stepped aside. It really wanted to see how much this young master had improved over the years.

The man at the head of the group was enraged by Ada Russell’s attitude. His face darkened as he threw away the cigarette in his mouth and stamped on it with his foot. “Fine! Since you refuse to drink when offered, don’t blame us for being rude! Brothers, go ahead and take this little girl down and give her a good lesson!”