Just as the weight of Zhang Yiming's twisted revelations threatened to crush them beneath its sheer depravity, a thunderous volley of gunfire erupted from outside the compound's walls. The old man's expression soured, his lips twisting into a contemptuous sneer.
"Ah, I see your friends have finally made their presence known," he sneered, his gaze boring into Sun Lixia with undisguised disdain. "You know, my dear, this could have all unfolded in a very different manner."
Turning towards the masked guards, Zhang's voice took on a razor-sharp edge. "Take them back to their cells and deal with whatever incursion is unfolding out there. Swiftly."
As the guards moved to comply, dragging the shackled captives away, the sounds of battle intensified tenfold. Somewhere beyond the fortress's walls, all hell had officially been unleashed.
---
