Ren Yi didn’t dare make a phone call. He sent Qiu Yan several messages in succession, but none received a reply. Every passing second filled him with growing unease.
Ren Yi asked in confusion, “Where were those people hiding earlier? Why didn’t they come out from the beginning? If they’d been there all along, you would’ve been outnumbered, and you would’ve had practically no chance of winning.”
“I think those people were sent by Purple Flame. It’s very possible that even Yellow Flame himself doesn’t know about them.”
“Oh?”
“Like you said, if Yellow Flame had helpers, what reason would he have to keep them hidden? Having them there would give him an overwhelming advantage.” Gong Yingxian analyzed, “My guess is that either Purple Flame doesn’t trust Yellow Flame, or he’s failed to kill us so many times that he had no choice but to keep this last card up his sleeve. Judging by their appearance, these people are hired killers, not members of the organization.”
“Purple Flame actually hired assassins specifically to kill us. That’s…” Ren Yi tried to make light of their predicament. “Pretty high-profile of him.”
Gong Yingxian’s eyes were cold. “He’s tried all kinds of methods and still hasn’t succeeded. Naturally, he’s becoming more and more desperate.”
“He’s always going on about using fire to purify evil or whatever, but now he’s willing to do whatever it takes to kill people and silence them. Isn’t he afraid his followers will start questioning him?”
“Once those people regard him as their spiritual leader, most of them will support every decision he makes and every word he says without question. He can always find a reason to justify himself.”
“Then White Flame must not have been brainwashed thoroughly enough.” Ren Yi frowned. “And yet, he’s the most deranged of them all.”
“People like him were already criminals to begin with. Whether Purple Flame guided him or not, he would still…” Gong Yingxian suddenly pressed a hand against Ren Yi’s chest and quietly shushed him.
They stopped in their tracks and ducked into a doorway. They had seen a figure flash past the railing on the third floor of the warehouse.
Gong Yingxian pointed overhead, signaling that they should go up.
After quietly climbing the stairs, Gong Yingxian whispered, “We’ll approach him from both sides. If you encounter him first, find a way to distract him and make some noise to alert me. Whatever you do, don’t engage him head-on.”
Ren Yi nodded. Just as he was about to leave, the corner of his eye caught sight of a fire cabinet on the wall. He opened it and pulled out a fire extinguisher, muttering, “I wonder if this thing still works.”
Gong Yingxian wrapped his large hand around the back of Ren Yi’s neck and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Be careful.”
“Don’t worry.”
Holding the fire extinguisher, Ren Yi moved slowly along the wall. As he felt the familiar weight in his hands, he imagined himself about to enter a burning building. At that moment, all his worry and fear transformed into the courage to fight. He regained his composure. Even an unknown enemy wasn’t worth being afraid of, because every time he responded to an emergency, he faced dangers he couldn’t predict.
Once his mind settled, Ren Yi felt as though his vision had even become clearer—or perhaps his eyes had simply fully adapted to the darkness. He sensed something and quietly pulled the safety ring from the fire extinguisher.
Unexpectedly, the ring was so badly rusted that it fell apart as he pulled it, its pieces clattering to the floor.
The sound was faint, barely more than a few little clicks. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t have attracted any attention. Unfortunately, the surroundings were so silent that even this tiny, unmistakably human-made noise became a beacon revealing his location.
The door of an office not far ahead was suddenly shoved open, and a dark figure rushed out. Even as Ren Yi was startled, his mind rapidly made its next decision: he hurled the fire extinguisher at the man.
With this type of dry-powder extinguisher, the powder could clump together if it sat unused for too long. It needed to be shaken before use, and winter had only just ended. Even if he shook it, the powder might not break apart properly, so it probably wouldn’t spray at all. Its weight, however, was more than enough to knock someone unconscious.
The moment the extinguisher left his hands, Ren Yi turned and ran. The passage he was in circled the open warehouse area and was only two meters wide, leaving little room to dodge. He couldn’t possibly outrun bullets, either. So before the gunfire could chase after him, he had already slammed his shoulder against an office door and stumbled inside.
As soon as he entered, Ren Yi regretted it. The office was extremely small, with nowhere to hide. He had practically walked straight into a trap. All he could do was crawl under the desk.
Hurried footsteps approached from behind, but before they entered the office, gunshots rang out again. The footsteps hesitated noticeably, then retreated and hurried away.
Ren Yi knew Gong Yingxian had arrived. He crawled out from under the desk just as Gong Yingxian darted into the office.
“Are you okay?” Gong Yingxian asked urgently.
“I’m fine. Did you miss him just now?”
“No.” Gong Yingxian replied unwillingly. “He should be in the office at the corner.”
“What do we do now?”
Gong Yingxian picked up a thick reference book from the desk and extended it out through the window.
A gunshot rang out. The book, which had barely poked its head out, was pierced straight through. Wisps of smoke still rose from the scorched edges of the hole.
Gong Yingxian threw the book to the floor and said grimly, “Fortunately, he doesn’t know we only have one bullet left.”
Ren Yi felt his scalp tighten. Neither side dared to emerge. They were testing each other’s patience and composure, but they were at a disadvantage in that regard because their opponent definitely had more ammunition.
Gong Yingxian pulled a lightbulb grenade from inside his clothes. “We can only use this as cover. I’m going to jump down to the second floor from here, circle around behind him, and take him out.”
“Fine. I’ll cover you.”
Ren Yi took the lightbulb. He hadn’t actually used one before, so he couldn’t help doubting how effective it would be.
Gong Yingxian noticed his concern. “Just throw it at him as hard as you can. It’ll scare him.”
Ren Yi nodded. “Be careful.”
Gong Yingxian returned his gaze with a resolute, fearless look—the eyes of a man with extraordinary courage, as though nothing could ever bring him down.
Ren Yi placed a hand against Gong Yingxian’s face and said earnestly, “I love every single part of you. Don’t you dare get hurt.”
Gong Yingxian’s heart trembled uncontrollably. He took Ren Yi’s hand. “You too. Everything about you is wonderful. I love every part of you.”
Ren Yi looked into Gong Yingxian’s eyes with boundless affection. “Go. Take out the bad guy, then bring us home.”
Gong Yingxian brought Ren Yi’s hand to his lips and kissed his warm palm. “Follow my instructions.”
First, he tossed a couple of the small bottle bombs into the passage to test the waters. The little devices weren’t particularly powerful, but they made quite a racket. In the tense, dangerous atmosphere of the night, they were like firecrackers going off right beside someone’s head. Gunshots immediately followed, and even Ren Yi could hear the other man’s agitation.
“The second-to-last office in this row is where he’s hiding. I’ll jump down to the second floor as quickly as possible, then come up the west staircase and subdue him. Keep throwing the bombs to draw his attention.”
“Understood.”
“Light it.”
Ren Yi used his lighter to ignite the fuse on the lightbulb. It burned rapidly, visibly shortening until the flame was almost at the bulb’s original screw base.
“Throw it!”
Ren Yi hurled the homemade grenade through the window with all his strength.
A tremendous explosion erupted. Flames shot up more than a person’s height, and the floor beneath his feet trembled.
Ren Yi was stunned. He hadn’t expected such a small lightbulb to have that much power.
The gunman confronting them clearly hadn’t expected them to have so many bombs. Unable to determine how many weapons they still possessed, he no longer dared to rush out and shoot recklessly. Taking advantage of the flames as cover, Gong Yingxian leaped out of the window, vaulted over the railing, and landed directly in the passage on the second floor.
Ren Yi continued throwing bombs without pause, confusing the gunman and preventing him from advancing or leaving his position.
Before long, several more gunshots rang out nearby, seemingly accompanied by the roar of a man.
Ren Yi’s heart pounded with fear. He cautiously leaned out and confirmed that a fight was indeed taking place. Spotting the fire extinguisher not far away, he grabbed it and ran toward the sounds.
Suddenly, Gong Yingxian and the gunman tumbled out through an office doorway and crashed to the floor.
The gunman shoved Gong Yingxian away, planted both feet on the ground, and sprang up with the momentum. His movements were supple yet powerful. Gong Yingxian naturally wasn’t about to let him get away so easily. Gripping the railing with his left hand to steady himself, he swept his long leg toward the man’s lower body before he could regain his footing.
The opponent fell, rolled to one side, and sprang back up with practiced agility. Gong Yingxian rose as well, and the two exchanged blows in the narrow passage.
Unless one looked closely, it was difficult to notice the scattered bloodstains on the floor. But Ren Yi saw them. The blood clearly came from Gong Yingxian’s right arm, whose movements had visibly slowed.
The gunman noticed it too. Every strike was directed toward Gong Yingxian’s right side, his target unmistakable. Gong Yingxian struggled to block and could barely manage to counterattack. For a time, neither could gain the upper hand.
Gong Yingxian was injured!
Ren Yi’s heart ached, and he was so furious he wanted to kill someone. Clutching the fire extinguisher, he shook it frantically. Hearing the hardened powder inside loosen, he charged forward without a second thought and sprayed it directly at the gunman.
The gunman raised his arms to shield himself, but he couldn’t stop the fine powder from getting everywhere. In an instant, his eyes were blinded.
Gong Yingxian seized the opportunity to deliver a sweeping kick to the man’s chest. The blow landed solidly and forcefully, knocking him straight to the ground.
Ren Yi planted a foot on the gunman’s chest and sprayed his face relentlessly. At first, the man dodged and struggled, but soon his efforts became futile. Finally, he curled up, struggling to breathe as though he had been poisoned.
Ren Yi threw the fire extinguisher aside. “What do we do with him? If we don’t help him, he’ll suffocate.”
“Keep him alive. Tie him up.”
Ren Yi crouched down and rolled the man over. He cleared the large amount of powder clogging his nose and mouth, then patted his back until he brought him back from the brink of suffocation. By then, however, the man seemed to have little strength left.
Seeing that he wouldn’t die, Ren Yi left him alone and turned to Gong Yingxian, asking anxiously, “Were you shot?”
Gong Yingxian glanced at the sleeve already soaked through with blood. “Take off his jacket first and tie him up.”
Ren Yi had no choice but to strip off the man’s jacket and bind his hands behind his back to the railing, securing them with several tight knots.
Gong Yingxian crouched down and delivered a heavy punch to the gunman’s temple, knocking him completely unconscious. Then he sank to the floor himself, exhausted.
Ren Yi hurriedly supported him, his eyes reddening. “How bad is your injury? We need to get you to a hospital right away!”
“I wasn’t hit in the bone or an artery. Tear off my sleeve and bandage it.”
Ren Yi did as instructed, but the sight of Gong Yingxian’s blood made it difficult for him to keep his eyes open.
Suddenly, Ren Yi’s phone vibrated in his pocket.
He froze, then hurriedly pulled it out. This was a new phone, and only Qu Yangbo and Qiu Yan knew the number. It was very likely…
“Is it Sister Yan?” Gong Yingxian asked urgently.
With a grim expression, Ren Yi handed the phone to Gong Yingxian.
The message read:
She’s in my hands. Come to the conference room on the first floor and exchange Bai Chicheng for her.