The battle was once again one-sided, and we collected even more weapons. As we moved up, even some of the staff members upstairs in work attire surprisingly took up arms. They must have heard the commotion downstairs and reacted quickly. These employees were likely not drunk; they moved swiftly, pushing over desks to use as cover, then drawing their weapons and firing. We also took cover behind the desks, but He Bailing and He Jinghui had already flanked them. A brief struggle ensued, and their necks were snapped.
We entered a spacious office, watching as papers, scattered by the gunfire, drifted through the air. This was due to the airflow created when bullets passed through them, a phenomenon that actually exists and isn't confined to movies.
Approaching a wall, He Jinghui, having just dispatched a staff member with his dagger, led us to discover it. He tapped it and found something unusual, quickly locating a button on the floor.
Upon pressing it, the wall slid open. It was a hidden elevator, its door perfectly camouflaged to match the wall, which was why we hadn't noticed it.
We didn't enter the elevator, fearing it might have been tampered with. We found the nearby stairs and decided to proceed upwards that way. If we remained vigilant, we could minimize casualties.
Of course, casualties were inevitable, as we noticed that the higher we climbed, the more alert the company's occupants became, and their reactions were much faster. Some had even sobered up from their drunken state and were firing at us with their weapons.
One could imagine them, still holding wine glasses, entwined with each other, completely unsuspecting of any danger, thinking nothing could go wrong. But after their revelry, they met their end with bullets to the head.
Some of the women, it seemed, were not part of their group but were likely prostitutes hired from outside. As soon as they saw someone get shot, they screamed and huddled on the floor, trembling in fear. We naturally didn't kill them but had the police officers protect them.
Their party had now been abruptly halted, and everyone was on high alert. The higher we went, the greater the danger, and casualties began to mount.
Watching officer after officer fall, I felt a pang of sadness, but I knew they were all holding out until the very end for the noble cause of criminal investigation.
But what I never could have imagined was...
After Zhao Xiong sacrificed himself this time, it was Li Fan's turn. As we stormed the 15th floor of the performance company, the central building, it appeared to be over 20 stories high from the outside, likely one of the taller structures on the island.
Li Fan was near a conference room on the 15th floor when Liu Yuning and I, along with others, were surrounded by mercenaries who had recovered their senses. We were caught in a pincer movement!
Seeing the police officers around me fall one by one, I too began to feel a surge of panic, afraid of being hit by the dense gunfire. But at the crucial moment, He Jinghui and He Bailing suddenly appeared behind the mercenaries, launching several silver needles. Instantly, the surroundings became enveloped in smoke.
Li Fan, along with several SWAT officers, charged out, guns blazing. Liu Yuning, Du Wantian, and I let out a shout, raising our guns and firing relentlessly, carving a bloody path down the eastern corridor. The dense bullets pierced through the heads of many of the criminals. We stepped over their corpses, but just then, a deafening gunshot ripped through the air behind us. Li Fan was shot in the chest!
Several SWAT officers continued to fire, pulling their captain into the conference room to safety. We wanted to turn back, but countless mercenaries were charging from behind. He Bailing and He Jinghui were already engaged in a fierce battle. Li Fan, through the automatic door of the conference room, shouted at us: "Don't worry about us, keep going! Whatever the outcome, if you can make it back, please tell our families that we persisted until the last moment for the cause of criminal investigation. Take our identification cards back with you!"
"Li Fan..." I knew he had prepared himself for sacrifice. I grabbed Liu Yuning and Du Wantian. "We can't let them down!"
I recall that only Liu Yuning, Du Wantian, and I continued upward. The three of us were armed with shotguns and submachine guns. I also had a sniper rifle on my back, but it was unusable now.
Several grenades hung from my waist, ready for use. When we reached the 18th floor, we were met by another group of armed terrorists. These mercenaries seemed different from the previous ones; they wore bulletproof vests, carried light machine guns, and had stun batons at their waists. The odds were heavily stacked against us, but at that moment, Liu Yuning and Du Wantian made their move!
I knew they were buying me time!
However, Liu Yuning and Du Wantian were truly more formidable than many female SWAT officers. Yuning was one thing, but I never knew that this maid from our He family possessed such astonishing combat prowess. After a barrage of gunfire, she sprang up, her feet leaving the ground, and with a flying kick, sent an armed assailant flying. She then used her right knee to pin another, grabbing both their heads and smashing them together. For the final blow, she headbutted a fat man in front of her, dazing him so much he could barely stand. He stared at Du Wantian with wide, terrified eyes: "Are you really a woman..."
Du Wantian delivered an upward kick that struck the fat man in a vital spot...
Yaaahh!! A scream echoed. The fat man's expression was one of utter disbelief as he knelt on the ground and met his maker.
As she retracted her foot, Liu Yuning had already wrapped her legs around a burly man's neck, twisting it with a sickening crack. Inspired by them, I also exerted my strength. The He family's martial arts were not to be trifled with. I would later teach these skills to Monkey, so he could benefit from them his whole life. And now, with my fists, swift and fierce as a gale, I had beaten several armed militants into unconsciousness.
Suddenly, the surrounding mercenaries were writhing on the ground, groaning in pain. The three of us regrouped, fists clenched, maintaining our guard, and stepped over their bodies to continue upwards.
Looking back, Du Wantian remarked, "I didn't expect us to take them all down."
"Heh, neither did I," I replied with a sarcastic, inexplicable smile. At that moment, I couldn't quite articulate my own feelings.
After that, the ascent was almost smooth sailing. But upon reaching the rooftop, we discovered a problem: Gao Mingqiang and the others were nowhere to be found.
A short while later, He Bailing arrived with the remaining survivors. I saw how few we were now; Li Fan was dead, and only two SWAT officers remained.