"Fight to the end!" Hearing multiple footsteps rapidly approaching, Xiang Ri didn't hesitate, leaping out from cover and firing quickly at the moving shadows. To his surprise, his shots found their mark, leaving only two men standing.
He had already calculated the distance before jumping out; as soon as he emptied the clip, he rolled swiftly and took cover behind a sofa chair.
"Bang!" "Bang!" The two remaining thugs, who had narrowly escaped his bullets, each fired a shot at the sofa, sending a flurry of feathers into the air as they found their own cover. Neither wanted to be an open target.
Crouched behind the sofa, Xiang Ri nearly threw himself into the open from sheer fear; one of the bullets had grazed his shoulder, leaving a stinging trail of blood that forced a grimace onto his face. Fortunately, the chair back had absorbed part of the impact; otherwise, his arm might have been crippled.
Unsure of his enemies' exact location, Xiang Ri dared not act rashly. Instead, he grabbed a fallen bottle nearby and hurled it to his left. The sharp sound of shattering glass was immediately followed by two deafening gunshots.
A slight smirk tugged at his lips as he mentally marked his opponents' positions: one was crouched behind a sofa to his front left, while the other was taking cover behind a pillar just a few feet away from his comrade. Judging by their reactions, they were likely able to communicate and coordinate visually.
With his targets confirmed, Xiang Ri resolved to strike first. He grabbed the sofa chair, using all his strength to hurl it toward the thug behind the sofa while he rolled to the right.
The thug behind the sofa had just peeked out to check the disturbance when he saw the massive chair barreling toward him, forcing him to duck back for cover. But he hadn't realized this was precisely what Xiang Ri had anticipated; with the heavy chair's speed and weight, could anyone hiding behind the sofa truly escape unscathed?
The answer, of course, was no.
With a tremendous "crash," the sofa chair slammed into the sofa, grinding it across the floor with an ear-splitting screech, bearing down upon the thug hidden behind it. He hadn't even sensed the deadly force coming, still crouched and shielding his vital organs, before a crushing force sent him sliding across the floor.
Finally, the sofa collided with the wall, rebounding slightly. The thug who had once hidden behind it was now a mangled, unrecognizable mass.
The second thug, hiding behind the pillar, was stunned by the ferocity of the scene. He hesitated for a split second, just as a shadow rolled into his line of sight. Raising his gun to fire, he barely registered a blinding flash before darkness overtook him, his consciousness fading away.
Xiang Ri lowered his still-smoking gun. That had been too close; if he hadn't been fast enough, his own 120-pound frame would be the one lying lifeless on the floor.
With the two guards dispatched, Xiang Ri moved swiftly toward the basement entrance. He knew that the noise from the scuffle would inevitably attract more of them, so lying in wait by the basement door, he could take them down as they came one by one.
Sure enough, as soon as Xiang Ri settled into his position, hurried footsteps echoed from within. Judging by the sound, there seemed to be only two or three people.
Xiang Ri took a deep breath, standing silently behind the door like a predator awaiting its prey.
Three men emerged in single file, each brandishing a weapon. One of them held a gun that made Xiang Ri's heart pound—a familiar design, rugged in structure with a mix of earthy yellow and black. He immediately recognized it as an AK-47. Who would have thought they'd bring such lethal weaponry even to a bar? Xiang Ri felt a surge of relief; his quick reaction had saved him from ending up as target practice.
Unaware that death lurked behind them, the three men stepped forward, each ready to assist, oblivious to the danger. Before they could take more than a few steps, a sharp jolt struck them all, and they fell to the floor in perfect unison.
With a fierce growl, Xiang Ri pounced on the one holding the AK-47, seizing the weapon. The gleam in his eyes as he examined its nearly 90-centimeter length shone like a 100-watt bulb. As for the three men beneath him, from the strength of his strikes, he knew their heads had been reduced to pulp; survival was beyond them unless time itself could rewind.
Inside the basement, Wu Qianyun anxiously watched the lone remaining guard, a bodyguard appointed by the old man. Though loyal, this man paled in comparison to the elite fighters under his second uncle's command. And yet, none of those elites had returned, and the sounds from outside had been terrifying—like the sky itself had shattered. Wu Qianyun shuddered, afraid to let his thoughts wander further.
"Young Master, don't worry. They're far stronger than us; they'll handle the situation outside." The guard, reading Wu Qianyun's fearful expression, offered reassurance. Wu was his benefactor, after all, and loyalty was expected. Besides, he trusted those men; upon joining the Wu household, the elites had easily replaced him and his team in protection duties. A few bodyguards had challenged them out of resentment, but a single elite had easily bested them all. There was no cause for worry, especially when the others were armed with AK-47s.
"They've been gone a long time. I fear…" Despite the bodyguard's attempts to console him, Wu Qianyun remained visibly anxious.
"Hahaha... my big brother's here; you're all doomed!" Monkey, lying battered on the ground, lifted himself to laugh defiantly, seizing the chance to taunt. His trust in his elder brother was absolute, even blind.
"I'll kill you first!" Wu Qianyun, already seething with irritation, launched a vicious kick to Monkey's face in response to his mocking.
Monkey let out a strangled grunt, falling backward with blood streaking from his mouth; Wu's kick had landed squarely, knocking out several teeth with the sharp toe of his shoe.
"Laugh now! Keep laughing! Let's see if you're brave enough to laugh again," Wu Qianyun shouted as he relentlessly kicked the defenseless Monkey, venting a deep-seated fear he couldn't shake.
"Monkey!"
"Stop it already…"
Monkey's gang watched with fury, but any attempt to help only invited more violence from Wu Qianyun. Were it not for the bodyguard holding a gun on them, they would have rushed in; now they could only watch, helpless, as their leader suffered.
"Fatty, quit your shouting, or my ears will start growing calluses." A lazy voice cut through the tension.
Wu Qianyun froze at the familiar voice.
"Who's there?" The bodyguard stepped forward, shielding his charge.
"Big brother!" Fatty and the others turned eagerly toward the source, and even Monkey, despite his injuries, felt a spark of hope reignite in his eyes.