“What… what exactly is going on?” Guan Ze struggled free from Lian Qiguang, staring in shock at the shattered glass on the ground.
“Can’t you see?” Lian Qiguang leaned against the dead corner behind the table, expressionlessly loosening his raised collar. “Someone wants to kill you.”
“Why me?”
“I don’t have any enemies.” At least, not in this world.
“I…” Guan Ze was speechless.
The two of them hid tightly behind the narrow space formed by the tables, holding their breath and listening carefully to the outside. The once noisy street had gradually fallen silent. The shop was full of dead or injured people; those who hadn’t escaped were hiding somewhere. The surroundings were eerily quiet.
“Did they… leave?” Guan Ze lowered his voice.
Lian Qiguang glanced at him expressionlessly and did not respond.
“This street has always had good security, and most people who come here are from Zone One and Zone Two. Such a big incident will definitely alert higher authorities. Military and patrol robots will arrive soon. If they failed in one strike, they’ll probably retreat, right?” Guan Ze muttered, trying to peek out.
Lian Qiguang pressed a hand on his head and shoved him back into place. “If you don’t want to die, stay still.”
“I just want to see what’s happening outside.”
“…idiot,” Lian Qiguang glanced at him as if looking at a fool, then pulled over a chair.
“You want to know?”
“Mm.” Guan Ze nodded hard.
Lian Qiguang flipped the chair over and gripped its backrest, expressionlessly looking outside while his fingers slowly rubbed the cold metal.
“Open your eyes and watch carefully. That would’ve been your fate just now.”
He threw the chair out.
A sharp burst of gunfire rang out. The chair was instantly blown to pieces. Bullets pierced through it and slammed into the wall, denting even the reinforced metal.
Lian Qiguang’s eyes flickered slightly.
A very strong gun. If weapons like this had existed back then, humans wouldn’t have been treated like livestock in underground bases.
“….” Guan Ze stared at the destroyed wall, face pale.
“So they really are determined to kill you,” Lian Qiguang said flatly.
Guan Ze lowered his head and tried his lightbrain, but no matter how he pressed, the screen stayed black.
“Signal is blocked,” he said hoarsely.
“They really went all out,” Lian Qiguang muttered.
“Don’t worry, military forces will arrive soon,” Guan Ze said, gripping Lian Qiguang’s arm tightly. Whether he was comforting him or himself, it wasn’t clear.
“Before that, we’ll probably be turned into dust,” Lian Qiguang replied flatly.
“What do you mean?”
“They’ll breach in five minutes. If it were me, I wouldn’t retreat—I’d push forward.”
“Damn it…” Guan Ze muttered, staring at his blocked lightbrain.
“Xiaoguang… I’m sorry,” he said suddenly, guilt written across his face. “I dragged you into this…”
“Time to retreat,” Lian Qiguang cut him off, pulling out Qianming from his space. “Can you run?”
“Mm.” Guan Ze nodded blankly.
“Stay behind me. If you die, no one cares.”
‘Beep! Beep!’
A sound came from the lightbrain on Lian Qiguang’s wrist. Guan Ze was stunned. “Wasn’t it blocked?”
Lian Qiguang glanced at it and immediately understood.
The special number Xiahou Shaoxuan had stored.
He tapped it open. Xiahou Shaoxuan’s face appeared on the holographic screen.
“Wife, I just sensed your lightbrain—”
A gunshot rang out again.
Gunfire?
Xiahou Shaoxuan’s expression changed instantly. He slammed both hands on the table, eyes sharp. “Wife! What happened?”
“We’re trapped in a small shop. There are about seven enemies with firearms. High lethality weapons. They are advancing inside. Estimated entry within two minutes.” Lian Qiguang spoke quickly and clearly.
“We?” Xiahou Shaoxuan froze, then saw Guan Ze beside him. “Second Aunt?”
“Shaoxuan, bad luck today,” Guan Ze sighed helplessly.
“Can’t talk anymore.” Lian Qiguang’s expression changed again, gripping Qianming. “They’re close. We must withdraw immediately or we’ll be surrounded.”
Without waiting for a response, he cut the connection.
“Wife! Wife!!” The screen went black.
Xiahou Shaoxuan’s face darkened, killing intent surging in his eyes.
Thinking of the gunfire he just heard, his heart tightened violently. He wanted to call back, but feared distracting him.
“Damn it!” he slammed his fist into the table, denting the reinforced surface.
Then he forced himself to calm down and immediately contacted Xiahou Yuchi.
“Xiaoguang, what are you going to do?” Guan Ze asked softly.
“Go out. Kill them.”
With a click, Lian Qiguang planted Qianming on the ground, listening to the approaching footsteps.
“Stay close,” he said.
Suddenly—his eyes sharpened.
Now.
He slammed his hand onto the ground.
Ice spread rapidly in all directions. Frost surged like lightning, freezing everything in sight.
“Go!”
He grabbed Guan Ze and ran.
Gunfire erupted behind them. Ice shields rose one after another, blocking bullets. One shattered, another instantly replaced it.
The street outside had become empty, eerily silent. They sprinted through the intersecting alleys while gunfire chased them relentlessly.
Lian Qiguang’s face gradually turned pale. His already overdrawn ability was reaching its limit, pain burning through his body.
The bullets were getting closer.
He frowned, glanced at Guan Ze, then suddenly pushed him away and stopped.
“Xiaoguang!” Guan Ze stumbled, barely regaining balance.
“Get lost.” Lian Qiguang stood with his back to him, gripping Qianming.
“Xiaoguang! Let’s go!” Tears welled in Guan Ze’s eyes as he tried to rush forward.
“If you don’t want to die, get lost.” A pause. “Go bring the flying vehicle.”
The alley was too narrow to deploy it here.
Flying vehicle.
Guan Ze’s eyes lit up. He gritted his teeth and turned to run. “Xiaoguang! Wait for me!”
His figure disappeared around the corner.
Lian Qiguang raised Qianming horizontally, staring at the seven approaching figures.
Dead silence filled his eyes.
Then—
‘Come.’