Lu Guanzhong was stunned by Yue Yun's incredible speed. Just as he was about to swing his long blade, Yue Feng's spear pierced straight through his throat. With a swift flick and pull, Yue Feng raised Lu Guanzhong's severed head aloft on the spear's tip.
The sight made the old servant with the pipe hesitate. He sheathed his weapon, raised his hands, and declared, "I surrender!"
Yue Yun and Yue Feng froze for a moment, but in the next instant, the old servant's sword suddenly swung toward Yue Yun.
*Clang!*
The blade struck heavily, but it didn't meet Yue Yun. Instead, it was stopped by Yue Qiang's shield.
"You sly old fox!" Yue Yun cursed angrily. "You fake a surrender just to pull a dirty trick on me!"
Furious, Yue Yun drew his fist blade and, with a flash, appeared behind the servant's right flank. Before the old man could speak again, the icy blade of Yue Yun's weapon had already driven into his neck. Without hesitation, Yue Yun thrust his left-hand dagger into the servant's heart in a precise, backstabbing motion.
*Splurt!*
Blood sprayed forth as the old servant's body crumpled lifelessly to the ground.
"You should've let the boss handle you," Yue Qiang commented wryly.
"Who knew this old geezer was so underhanded?" Yue Yun muttered angrily, punctuating his frustration with a sharp kick to the corpse.
...
Once the Thirteen Guardians were dispatched, Zhao Xian and the others gathered around Shen Mengchu.
Pointing to the group of hired fighters crouched nearby, Zhao Xian asked, "Boss Shen, what should we do with these men?"
"Contact their companies and demand territories as ransom for their return. For those without companies, they'll work for us in Exploding Sky Company until they pay off their debts," Shen Mengchu replied coolly.
Kun Shao, incredulous, asked, "Sis-in-law, you're just going to let them off that easy?"
"Killing them serves no purpose. Better to make them useful," Liang Jinyu interjected.
Kun Shao shrugged, seemingly indifferent, before glancing at Murong Xuan'er.
Murong Xuan'er shot him a disdainful look, then turned and strode into the imposing Future International Tower.
Inside, most of the Shenyin employees had already been subdued. A small number, however, had escaped amidst the chaos. Among them were Cheng Ye and Tu Jiao Jiao.
After organizing the captives, Shen Mengchu reviewed the list compiled by Cao Bin.
"Cheng Ye, Qian Kun, and Tu Jiao Jiao escaped?" she asked sharply.
Meanwhile, as Xu Que arrived at the scene, Tian Shengli was crouched by the door of Fang Xiu's office, pressing his ear against it.
"Commander Tian, what are you listening to?"
"Ah?" Startled, Tian Shengli turned to see Xu Que, then relaxed.
"Can't you hear it?" He gestured toward the door.
Xu Que frowned, puzzled, but leaned in to listen.
*Beep... beep... beep...*
The steady rhythm echoed faintly.
"A bomb?" Xu Que speculated.
Tian Shengli gave him a sidelong glance. "You've been watching too many movies. Real bombs don't beep like that."
"Then what is it?" Xu Que pressed.
Tian Shengli rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Sounds more like a radio signal. Or maybe a receiver."
At those words, realization dawned on Xu Que. He clenched his fist, and with a single squeeze, shattered the door handle.
"Xu Que, wait—!"
Before Tian Shengli could finish his sentence, Xu Que interrupted, "Relax. This door was specially designed by Old Zhao under my orders."
Hearing this, Tian Shengli sighed in relief and followed Xu Que inside.
As the lights flickered on, Xu Que glanced under Fang Xiu's desk.
When Tian Shengli moved closer, Xu Que quickly held him back. "Don't come any closer. There's likely a trap here."
"A trap?" Tian Shengli asked, startled.
"Something like that," Xu Que replied. "Fang Xiu is far too meticulous to leave something unprotected."
"True," Tian Shengli nodded. "That man is incredibly secretive."
"Secretive? In what way?" Xu Que asked, intrigued.
Tian Shengli pondered for a moment before replying, "He has a few odd habits. Whenever he goes home, he always takes a detour through the Western Suburbs Villa District, as if something there draws him in. And late at night, he often sits alone on a concrete block at the south side of the base. Beyond that, I'm not sure."
Xu Que patted his shoulder with a smile. "Thanks for the intel. Let's head out for now. I'll figure this out later."
"Alright."
After the two exited Fang Xiu's office, Xu Que soared toward the southern part of the base. Arriving at the concrete block, he expanded his senses, scanning his surroundings. His gaze eventually fell on a crack in the cement. Inside, two metallic keys glinted faintly.
"Didn't expect this sly fox to be so cautious," Xu Que muttered, prying the keys loose with a gentle strike.
However, when he examined them closely, confusion flickered across his face.
"Just house keys? What the hell?"
Disappointed, Xu Que returned to Fang Xiu's office. "Commander Tian, looks like we won't be opening that trap tonight. I'll think of another way."
"No problem. If it comes to it, I'll get someone to break it open."
"Don't!" Xu Que stopped him immediately. "If brute force could solve this, I'd have done it myself."
Realizing the truth of Xu Que's words, Tian Shengli relented. "Alright. I'll go rest. Let me know if you need anything."
"Thanks for your help," Xu Que said with a nod.
After parting ways, Xu Que checked the time. It was already 3 a.m. Only five hours remained before the dimensional rift's eruption. Without wasting another moment, he headed to the Western Suburbs Villa District.
...