Chapter 521 - 357: Feint in the East, Attack in the West

Chapter 521: Chapter 357: Feint in the East, Attack in the West

He walked over to the corpse of a soldier whose neck had been snapped. An appreciative look appeared on his face as he commented, "A sudden burst of brute force, a precise and fatal strike, with no wasted motion. A formidable character."

Then he slowly scanned the entire battlefield, his gaze behind the gold-rimmed glasses sharp as a knife.

"Relay my orders. Seal all exits and conduct a thorough sweep of the entire Zhongjing underground. Pay special attention to the abandoned pipe networks and ruins. Any suspicious individuals are to be killed on sight!"

"Yes, sir!" his assistant immediately acknowledged, relaying the command through his communicator.

Schiller, meanwhile, took a slender glass vial from an exquisite little silver box his assistant handed him. It was filled with a viscous, crimson liquid.

He elegantly removed the stopper, brought the vial to his lips, and took a small sip, a look of rapture spreading across his face.

It was human blood, treated with a special technique said to preserve the "lingering resonance of life energy" to the greatest extent. It was his favorite "beverage."

After taking a sip, he let out a long, contented sigh.

He had a feeling he was not far from his target.

And so, he was very much looking forward to it.

’Once I capture my targets, how should I entertain them?’

’Perhaps tossing them alive into an industrial meat grinder and listening to the "beautiful music" of cracking bones mixed with despairing screams would be a fine choice.’

The sensory stimulation brought on by such extreme pain and terror always sent him into... utter ecstasy.

...

The West Ninth District, under the cover of night, was more oppressive than ever before.

An invisible tension permeated the air. The figures who usually lurked in the dark alleys had vanished. Even the most raucous electronic billboards seemed to have lowered their volume, leaving only the cold neon lights to cast mottled, kaleidoscopic reflections on the wet ground.

Squads of well-equipped Night Patrol officers moved through the narrow streets and intricate passageways, their cold electronic eyes scanning every corner.

Accompanying them were other figures, more grim in demeanor and with even colder eyes. They wore discreet "Dome" insignias on their chests and moved with the disciplined, deadly air of well-trained operatives.

After another patrol—a mixed team of Night Patrol and Dome Group personnel—passed by the entrance, sweeping the hotel’s interior with scrutinizing gazes, Liangzi wiped the fine beads of sweat from his forehead. He then went upstairs and knocked on Wu Liangchen’s door.

"I can’t do it anymore. I can’t hold them off."

"Those bastards are like rabid dogs, coming one wave after another. They almost forced their way in for a detailed search just now. If this keeps up, they’re going to tear my little place apart sooner or later."

His tone carried obvious exhaustion and a trace of lingering fear.

Clearly, dealing with these increasingly strict inspections had put him under immense pressure.

Wu Liangchen nodded, his expression calm.

He, too, could sense the tense atmosphere outside, the calm before the storm. It was already a feat for Liangzi to have covered for him this long; staying any longer would only implicate him.

"I understand," he said succinctly. "It’s time for us to go."

"Sigh!" Liangzi heaved a heavy sigh, a look of guilt on his face. "I took your money, so I should’ve kept you safe. But this time... I just wasn’t capable enough."

As he spoke, he pulled an old data drive from his clothes.

"This is an escape route I set up for myself—a hiding spot down in the abandoned pipe network on the third sublevel. The entrance is hidden. There’s enough food and water inside to last you two for ten days, half a month even. The map and password are on here. Take it and lay low for a while."

This safe house was clearly something Liangzi had poured his heart and soul into, yet he offered it without a moment’s hesitation.

"Thank you." Wu Liangchen didn’t refuse and took the data drive.

This fatty was cynical and greedy, but deep down, he possessed a street-dweller’s code of honor.

After all, he could have stayed out of it at a time like this, and no one would have blamed him.

Yet, he had taken the risk to lend Wu Liangchen a helping hand.

"Thank me for what!" Liangzi waved his hand dismissively.

"Just go, quickly. There’s a gap in the patrols outside right now. Use the entrance in the backyard to get down."

Wu Liangchen wasted no more time. He called for Song Ling’Er, packed a few things, and together they entered the web of complex tunnels beneath the city once again, using the hidden entrance behind the hotel.

Following the map Liangzi had given them, the two twisted and turned, avoiding several heavily guarded junctions, and finally arrived deep inside an abandoned ventilation duct.

Pushing open a hidden door disguised as a section of the wall, they found a small but clean and tidy space. The ventilation system was still running silently, and in a corner were stacks of compressed food, purified water, and some basic medical supplies.

"You stay here. Don’t go out. Wait for me to come back." Wu Liangchen carefully inspected the safe house’s concealment and defensive measures. After confirming there were no issues, he instructed Song Ling’Er.

Song Ling’Er nodded obediently. There was a hint of worry in her eyes, but she didn’t ask any questions.

After settling Song Ling’Er in, Wu Liangchen slipped out again.

He arrived at a dilapidated shipping container deep within a mountain of trash, thoroughly camouflaged on the outside with all sorts of scrap.

When Wu Liangchen appeared at the container’s entrance like a phantom, Black Dog, who was huddled in a corner chewing on a low-quality nutrient bar, was scared out of his wits. The nutrient bar fell from his hand to the ground.

"B-Boss! What are you doing here?!" Black Dog scrambled to his feet, his face a mask of terror.