Chapter 21: Gunfire

Zhong Yuan stood by the window for a few seconds before stepping back.

He still had to wait—wait for these people to let their guard down.

Time ticked away in silence.

Zhong Yuan sat on the floor, leaning against the wall, closing his eyes to conserve his energy. Xiao Hua was initially restless, but seeing Zhong Yuan so composed, he gradually calmed down and sat against the wall as well.

More than half an hour later, Xiao Hua’s head lolled to the side, and he fell asleep.

Listening to his snores, Zhong Yuan couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness. This was being a bit too relaxed.

He rose stealthily, crept to the window, and glanced outside. Those men were still playing cards.

After retreating to his original spot, he sent a text message to Zhong Da: "Tell Dong Cuo to fake a serious injury to trick them into opening the door."

Zhong Da replied quickly: "Understood."

Moments later, Zhong Yuan heard the sound of pounding on the door and shouting.

The five men, engrossed in their card game, heard the commotion and rushed toward Zhong Da’s location.

Xiao Hua was jolted awake by the noise. With dazed eyes, he listened for a moment before frowning and asking, "Brother Yuan, does that sound like Brother Da?"

Zhong Yuan nodded. "It is indeed Da Zi's voice." His voice suddenly deepened. "Give me that butterfly knife! Get ready!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Hua became instantly tense. After fumbling to retrieve the butterfly knife and handing it to Zhong Yuan, he heard him say, "Dong Cuo can't move easily; you’ll be responsible for carrying him on your back. Stay close to us, got it?"

Xiao Hua nodded frantically.

Just then, the sounds outside abruptly ceased.

Zhong Yuan gestured for Xiao Hua to crouch beneath the window.

Xiao Hua hurried over and ducked down. No sooner had he settled than a gunshot rang out, followed by a loud metallic *clang* against the iron door of their room.

Then came the sound of the latch being thrown.

As soon as the door opened, Zhong Yuan lunged out, simultaneously pulling Dong Cuo—who had opened the door—into the room, where he was caught by Xiao Hua, who was following close behind.

Without a word, Xiao Hua knelt before Dong Cuo and hoisted him onto his back.

Meanwhile, Zhong Yuan flung the butterfly knife, which buried itself deep into a man’s stomach. Before the man’s scream could fully escape his throat, Zhong Yuan was already upon him. He snatched the man's pistol and, with a backhanded motion, fired a shot into the chest of the nearest guard.

The shot signaled the start of chaos.

Amidst the flickering muzzle flashes, Zhong Da finished off the hostage in front of him and pounced like a leopard; before his feet even touched the ground, his gun was already spitting fire. Zhong Yuan, shielding himself with the man who had been stabbed, stood his ground fearlessly and fired two precise shots, dropping another man instantly.

From the moment Zhong Da shot the lock until now, barely ten seconds had passed, and all five men had been neutralized. Zhong Da swiftly kicked away the handguns of two men and grabbed one for himself, tucking it into his waistband.

Zhong Yuan pulled the butterfly knife from the stomach of the man in front of him. Seeing that the man was still breathing despite two gunshot wounds, he didn't hesitate; with a backhanded stroke, he slit the man’s throat.

He then turned back, grabbed Xiao Hua—who was carrying Dong Cuo and hadn't forgotten to snatch a spare gun—and led them to hide behind some wooden crates nearby.

They had barely taken cover when the vanguard arrived.

Seven or eight men, split into three squads, charged forward with guns raised.

Before they could get close, gunfire erupted from behind the wooden crates. Bullets, searing with heat, tore into the men’s bodies.

They were eliminated, two or three at a time, before they could even catch sight of Zhong Yuan’s group.

Seeing this, the remaining men scrambled to hide behind their own crates.

Zhong Yuan signaled to Xiao Hua, then charged out from behind the crates. As soon as he appeared, a hail of bullets rained down toward him.

Xiao Hua moved out while carrying Dong Cuo, while Zhong Da provided covering fire.

If it were just Zhong Yuan and Zhong Da, they could have simply jumped the wall after taking out those five men. But with Dong Cuo injured, that route was impossible. To escape, they had to fight their way out through the front courtyard.

Fortunately, while their leader, "Brother Ma," was a tough opponent, his underlings were mediocre.

Now that they were armed, as long as they were careful, they had a decent chance of breaking out.

The four of them moved slowly. After the enemy fired a few rounds, their magazines ran dry. In the gap while they reloaded, Zhong Yuan pressed the advantage, firing several shots and eliminating three more of the opposition.

By now, only two of the seven or eight men remained.

Terrified, one of them turned and started to run. Zhong Yuan saw him, raised his gun, and fired; the man collapsed instantly.

The other, who had also intended to flee, saw this and recoiled in fear.

Zhong Yuan ignored him. He dragged a nearby corpse to use as a shield and dived into the narrow alley beside the corrugated metal sheds they had passed earlier.

Xiao Hua followed closely with Dong Cuo on his back, while Zhong Da brought up the rear with his gun drawn.

The four of them moved forward swiftly, and surprisingly, without incident. It seemed as though all the enemy personnel were concentrated in the backyard.

As expected, they reached the front courtyard without encountering anyone else.

Three cars were parked in the yard, but the doors were locked. Time was of the essence; Zhong Yuan didn't have time to find the keys, so he had to abandon that plan. Unexpectedly, just as they were about to exit the main gate, they heard the sound of a car approaching rapidly.

Zhong Yuan’s heart skipped a beat. He turned back and pulled Zhong Da and the others to hide behind the three cars.

They had barely hidden when a black off-road vehicle swerved into the gate.

The car screeched to a halt. Immediately, the four doors opened, and Brother Ma stepped out with three armed subordinates.

Seeing this, Zhong Yuan signaled to Zhong Da.

This was their chance.

The engine was still running; if they could seize the vehicle, they could escape.

Brother Ma had rushed over after receiving a call from his men. As he stepped out of the car, the surrounding silence caused his heart to sink.

With the combat prowess of Zhong Yuan and his companion, it was impossible for them to have been captured by his men so quickly. The silence could only mean one thing: his men were likely all dead.

Brother Ma held his gun at the ready, scanning his surroundings vigilantly, moving his feet quietly to adjust his angle.

Less than ten minutes had passed since he received the call. No matter how skilled Zhong Yuan was, he couldn't have gone far while carrying a dead weight and lacking a vehicle.

Therefore, it was highly probable that they were still within the compound walls.

But where?

He first eyed the row of corrugated metal sheds. They were filled with debris and made for an excellent place to hide and set an ambush. Thinking this, Brother Ma gestured to the subordinate beside him and pointed toward the sheds.

The subordinate understood, raised his gun, and crept toward the sheds.

As he approached, Brother Ma turned his gaze toward the cars parked nearby.

After a brief look, he signaled to another subordinate.

The man understood, moved his feet, and quietly circled toward the front of one of the cars.

At that exact moment—*Bang!*

Gunfire exploded. A bullet tore through the underside of the car, kicking up a trail of dust, and struck with lethal precision into the ankle of the man who had just stepped out of the driver's seat.