In the front desk attendant's astonished gaze, Meng Lang walked out of the hotel alone.
Gazing at the still torrential rain outside, his expression became a bit more relaxed.
Life is actually simple, it's the human heart that complicates things.
When the human heart in your eyes is no longer complex, life will become simple, strive for what you like, cherish what you get, and what you lose... just forget it.
Shaking his head, Meng Lang opened his umbrella and walked into the curtain of rain...
...
At 10:15 p.m., Meng Lang returned to his rental apartment in a somewhat disheveled state. As he opened the door, he continued to grumble about the day's weather.
And this entire scene was being watched by a pair of eyes hidden in the dark.
It wasn't until Meng Lang entered the rental and closed the door that a shadow slowly emerged at the dim entrance of the building...
Under the faint light of the hallway, a man wearing a hood and a mask, with hands in his pockets, walked slowly to the door of 303.
He pressed his ear against the door to listen carefully.
Only after the sound of the tap running lightly inside did he narrow his eyes and turn his attention to the door of 302.
He took out two slender pieces of wire and slowly inserted them into the lock of the room's door.
After a little while, a faint click was heard, and the lock was successfully opened.
The man revealed a sinister smile, gripped the handle, just about to open the door, when "click-click" two light sounds were heard.
Under the man's stunned gaze, the doors of 301 and 303 opened simultaneously...
The bright indoor lights from both rooms caught the man in a crossfire, exposing every detail.
The sudden light caused the man's actions to freeze on the spot, as if he had been cast a spell.
"Huh?" The woman who came out of 301 was very pretty. When she saw the man, her eyes first showed surprise, then quickly became uncertain, sizing him up.
In the middle of the night, wearing a hoodie, a mask, and gloves, all bundled up tightly, she couldn't help but feel suspicious.
Meng Lang, who came out of 303, looked equally astonished at the man. He had changed into a dry coat and was holding a trash bag, seemingly just about to head out to throw out the garbage.
Yuan Li, trapped in the middle and strongly observed by a man and a woman, felt as if a million alpacas were stampeding through his heart, almost causing him to collapse!
Could it really be such a coincidence?
Did he not check the almanac before leaving home today?
To kill a person, yet encounter such an unexpected complication?
Due to the heavy rain, the entire city seemed to have quieted down, with few pedestrians around, as almost everyone was hiding at home, and in such old buildings, it was rare to see a person for half a day.
Who would have thought that at the critical moment of action, two surprises would suddenly appear?
Wasn't 301 always empty? When did this woman show up?
And that 303, weren't you taking a shower? Even with a beautiful woman undressed and waiting, you wouldn't be in such a rush, right?
"You must be looking for Lawyer Lin, right? She seems to be out in the evening." Meng Lang didn't seem to care about the man's odd attire and turned to close his own door.
"Oh, is that so? Then I'll come back tomorrow, cough cough!"
Yuan Li reacted quickly, knowing that too many people had seen him today and he could no longer execute the perfect plan as intended. He made a snap decision to retreat strategically.
He also cunningly covered his mouth and coughed a couple of times, feigning a cold cough to make a reasonable excuse for his appearance.
"This Lawyer Lin is really busy, one wonders what on earth she does every night?"
Meng Lang murmured to himself while holding the trash bag and walked toward the man, seemingly intending to pass by him and go to the hallway to dispose of the trash.
Yuan Li slightly bowed his head, but as the two were about to brush past each other at a distance of only one meter, he caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye of Meng Lang's shoulder suddenly dropping.
"Not good!" His heart sounded the alarm.
In the next instant, a dark shadow smashed towards his head!
Instinctively, Yuan Li raised his hands, "Bang!"
"Ah!" Yuan Li cried out in pain, his left hand was struck and instantly hurt immensely.
"Thud!" The trash bag hit the ground, and from the dull impact, it was clear that it contained some heavy object.
Indeed, inside the trash bag was indeed a sturdy bag containing a 5KG dumbbell...
In the midst of severe pain, Yuan Li only saw Meng Lang's figure flash as he raised a round object and charged at him.
"Hiss!" A jet of gas sprayed out, covering Yuan Li's face!
Even though he noticed something was wrong and immediately extended his right hand to block, while also shutting his eyes, some of the gas still made contact with his face.
Despite the protection of the mask, his face was in a burning pain that made Yuan Li unable to hold back a scream.
It would take too long to explain, but everything happened in the blink of an eye. Meng Lang's toss and spray, two swift movements, inflicted significant damage on Yuan Li, who was caught off guard.
However, the opponent had rich combat experience. Enduring the pain, Yuan Li stepped forward, his hand flicking to his waist, and a shiny dagger appeared in his hand.
Ignoring Meng Lang's somewhat flustered dodging, Yuan Li stabbed the dagger towards Meng Lang's abdomen!
Yuan Li, savvy in combat and human anatomy, knew that this area was a nerve cluster zone. If stabbed there, unless one had incredibly strong willpower, an ordinary person would lose the ability to move due to the acute pain.
In the face of his specialized combat skills, Meng Lang, an ordinary citizen, stood no chance of fighting back.
The dagger, at a tricky angle, plunged directly into Meng Lang's abdomen.
"Pff!"
The next moment, Yuan Li's grim smile froze on his face.
This doesn't feel right!
But there was no time to think carefully, a dark shadow was rapidly approaching from the side of his head.
"Bang!" Yuan Li felt as if his head was hammered, his head tilted, and he crashed heavily against the corridor railing.
"Hey! Are you okay?" Withdrawing her leg, Yan Weiwei finally reacted after a brief moment of shock from the sudden exchange of blows, rushing over to save Meng Lang.
She kicked Yuan Li over and was about to check on Meng Lang's injuries when he shouted a warning.
"I'm fine, be careful, he can still move!"
Yan Weiwei turned her head and saw Yuan Li shake his head and somehow manage to stand up again.
Right now, his eyes were bloodshot from the irritation of Meng Lang's anti-wolf spray, his vision somewhat blurred. His left arm was in excruciating pain, probably suffering at least a minor fracture, and he looked utterly disheveled.
Fury raged within him.
The plan he had long prepared not only got exposed, but what was more incredible was that it seemed as if the other party had come prepared, having set up a trap in advance for him to fall into.
Dumbbell-filled trash bags, anti-wolf spray, and the protective clothing they were wearing.
Each element was interlinked, as if they were specifically waiting for him here.
However, he couldn't fathom how his plan, which had only just begun, was discovered.
This simply defied logic!
Alright, one could be accidental, his attention had indeed been focused on Meng Lang, the most threatening target.
But unexpectedly, another seemingly frail bystander turned out to possess astonishing combat abilities.
If it had not been for his instinctive tilt of his head and the thick hood that cushioned part of the force, a normal person might have been knocked out by that kick.
A regular woman, upon seeing a knife-wielding assailant, would either scream and flee, or at least, not launch such a powerful and determined attack, right?
"Hey! Who exactly is this guy? Was he trying to pry open the door just now? Is he the clothes thief you mentioned? How did you know he would come again tonight?
And hey, how come you're not hurt after being stabbed? Could it be that you've mastered the legendary Golden Bell Shield and Iron Cloth Shirt?"
Yan Weiwei bombarded Meng Lang with a series of questions like an inquisitive child.
"I mean, shouldn't we take care of the enemy first at a time like this?" Meng Lang said with a black line on his forehead.
Despite still standing, his legs were actually trembling, his back drenched in cold sweat.
Watching the knife thrust towards him, he had a feeling that he was as good as dead.
Most people face this life-and-death moment and maintain their composure, but they are the absolute minority.
Yuan Li, seeing the two of them still in the mood to chat, glared at them, his eyes bloodshot.
"No matter who you are, you've already angered me!"
"Oh ho, the little thief is quite arrogant, huh. But could you wipe your snot and tears before you talk tough? With that mental strength, you still come out to steal?"
Yan Weiwei looked at him somewhat amused.
Even at this moment, she thought he was just an ordinary clothes thief.
Yuan Li's face darkened.
Is this a question of mental strength? I'm in pain from the spice!
Clenching his teeth, he griped the blade in his hand and leaned slightly forward in a dagger-fighting stance, then quickly charged at Yan Weiwei.
In his eyes, Yan Weiwei was a more significant threat than Meng Lang, whose martial skills seemed ordinary, and naturally became his primary target.
"Be careful!" Meng Lang hurried to help, but suddenly everything in front of him blurred.
"Bang!" Yuan Li was sent flying back, crashing into the railing again.
The weapon in his hand clattered to the ground, and he curled up on the floor holding his abdomen, clearly severely wounded.
"Hiss!" Meng Lang took a sharp breath.
He knew Yan Weiwei was formidable, but was she this formidable?
He had expected a fierce battle of three hundred rounds, but she settled the opponent in just one round. Was this how a former police captain fought?
Certainly, the director hadn't allocated enough budget!
What he didn't know was that Twelve Road Spring Leg, also known as Twelve Road Spring Leg, is known for its ferocity and explosive power; when sparring with opponents, victory or defeat often comes in an instant.
Unlike the flashy, performance-oriented martial arts, the kind Yan Weiwei inherited from her family could be considered a specialized "National Martial Arts" intended for real combat.
Of course, the fact that Yuan Li was so easily defeated also stemmed from being ambushed by Meng Lang earlier, injuring his left arm, his vision affected, and his fighting ability significantly compromised.
But now wasn't the time for astonishment.
Meng Lang saw that the opponent was injured and stiff, immediately took out something resembling a flashlight, and intended to finish him off.
Yet history's wheels once again began to "rumble" forward...
Yuan Li, who appeared to be in pain on the ground, suddenly sprang to his feet and reached into his chest.
The next moment, a dark muzzle was aimed at Yan Weiwei.
"Be careful!"
Even with mental preparation, facing the muzzle, Meng Lang felt his soul leave his body, but with resolution, he bit his lip and threw himself at Yan Weiwei, who was frozen in shock.
"Bang!"
A gunshot echoed in the silent rainy night...