The sound of gunfire in the hallway didn't cause Manager Pang in VIP room 999 any panic. Instead, he immediately rushed towards the bathroom door, as if he knew they were coming for him.

Inside the room, the thirty-odd people panicked, crowding and pushing each other towards the corners.

Among the crowd, a young man who had been drinking with Manager Pang earlier, swiftly removed his glasses, drew a gun with a practiced motion, and immediately raised his arm to shatter the chandelier on the ceiling.

As the light went out, the room was plunged into darkness.

The slender young man, armed with an NP88 pistol, leaned against the bathroom wall and aimed at the main door.

"Bang!"

VIP room 999's door was kicked open. Shui Ge, standing in the hallway, scanned the room's lighting and immediately shouted, "Glasses!"

The two brothers beside him immediately pulled out night-vision goggles from their shoulder bags. On the other side, a burly man switched his weapon to full-auto, positioned himself at the wall's blind spot, and began firing wildly into the room: "We're after Lao Pang! Anyone who doesn't want to die, get down!"

His words calmed the panicked crowd slightly. Hearing that they were after Lao Pang, they stopped moving and sought cover behind sofas and coffee tables.

Inside the bathroom.

Manager Pang glanced around. Seeing a ventilation window high in the ceiling, he rushed towards it and started smashing it with his arm.

"Go!"

Shui Ge gestured from outside.

"Da-da-da...!"

The burly man was the first to duck inside, spraying bullets as he went.

Two men with night-vision goggles followed, firing controlled bursts.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Behind the wall, the young man who was covering Manager Pang's escape fired three shots outwards with remarkable composure.

Close-quarters firefights were all about mental fortitude. After firing, the young man immediately ducked back.

The burly man who had just rushed in was hit in the chest, but his bulletproof vest stopped the round. He was shot in the leg, blood flowing freely, but he didn't fall, just continued to press forward.

The three thugs were forcing their way into the room with a do-or-die attitude. They were armed with long guns, giving them a significant firepower advantage. Most of the people in the room were there for social events and probably didn't even know Lao Pang. They weren't about to stick their necks out for him.

Inside the room, only one person was truly risking his life for Lao Pang. He was skilled, but his weapon was inferior, and he was outnumbered.

The young man, hiding behind the wall, was sweating profusely. Seeing that the light from the doorway was completely blocked, he knew that his enemies were no more than five steps away.

"Whoosh!"

Afraid of being trapped in the corner, the young man took advantage of the dim lighting and darted out.

As he emerged, the burly man fired several shots into the hall. The young man, as nimble as a monkey, vaulted over the sofa on the left and landed behind it.

"Fuck your mother!" Lu Feng, who was crouched behind the sofa, couldn't help but curse when he saw a gunman jump over: "Damn it, your boss is in the toilet! Why jump over here...!"

"Grab him!"

Shui Ge shouted from the doorway. The hotel youth kicked open the bathroom door, while the remaining two men advanced on the sofa.

Seeing Pang’s henchman roll out from the side with a gun, Lu Feng cursed him silently, because the guy had drawn the attackers over. Lu Feng was afraid to move. If he stood up rashly, they would likely shoot, but if he didn’t stand up, they would come for him anyway…

Lu Feng cursed himself for not burning incense before leaving the house today. He was having a really unlucky day.

Inside the bathroom, the hotel youth rushed in and saw that Manager Pang had already smashed open the ventilation window. However, it was too high and the space was too cramped, so he hadn't managed to climb through yet.

"Bang!"

The hotel youth struck Pang with the butt of his gun, sending him staggering.

"Come with me, or I'll kill you!" The hotel youth slung the automatic rifle behind him and, drawing a pistol, dragged Manager Pang out of the bathroom by the scruff of his neck.

Beside the sofa, the burly man shouted, "Don't move! Anyone who moves, I'll kill him!"

Lu Feng squatted behind the sofa like he was taking a dump, silently chanting Amitabha!

Seeing that they had their man, Shui Ge immediately shouted, "Withdraw!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, a voice crackled in Shui Ge's earpiece: "Four people got out of a car. They weren't part of the earlier surveillance. They must be following Lao Pang secretly. They're heading upstairs. Don't go out the main entrance, you'll run into them!"

Shui Ge frowned: "Damn it! They're blocking the way downstairs! Take hostages!"

The burly man and his companion, who were suppressing the people inside, didn't respond. They immediately obeyed.

Lu Feng had just raised his head when he saw the burly man point a gun at him: "You, stand up and come with me!"

"Big brother, I'm a waiter...!" Lu Feng blurted out, trying to think fast.

"Bang!"

The burly man smashed the gun down on him: "Hurry up!"

Lu Feng was forced to stand up and was pushed in front of the burly man, being used as a human shield.

Su Tiannan was also unlucky. He had been toasting Manager Pang and chatting with him near the main entrance before the shooting started. When Shui Ge said they needed hostages, he was instantly targeted. He was dragged away as well. Su Tianbei, who was behind him, tried to fight back, but Shui Ge fired two shots at the ground, forcing him back.

The group arrived quickly and retreated even faster. Shui Ge and his men, with four hostages, quickly left the room and headed for the stairwell.

As they fled, Su Tiannan was constantly being shoved forward. The hotel youth, walking in front, even looked back at him.

About six seconds later, they entered the stairwell. The hotel youth handed Manager Pang over to his companion who was waiting there and whispered to Shui Ge, "Let the guy in the gray clothes, the young one, go!"

Shui Ge looked at him in surprise.

The hotel youth whispered, "He's the guy I was looking for!"

"Let's go!" Shui Ge urged after hearing that.

In the dimly lit stairwell, Su Tiannan turned his head and glanced at Lu Feng beside him. He saw the latter was also looking at him.

The two unlucky hostages exchanged glances and understood each other's meaning.

There weren’t many of them, so should they work together? Otherwise, being taken away for no reason meant that they might not come back alive, it was an unknown.

Lu Feng swallowed and thought back to his glory days. He thought to himself that the First Blade of Zha Nan had to strike today. If he didn't resist, he might die!

...

Baolong Mining, No. 1 Mining Area, in the newly opened 032 underground mine tunnel, a middle-aged man looked at the rock stratum and said softly, "There shouldn't be much of a problem. It should be open tomorrow!"

The people next to him echoed his words and followed the foreman back.

"Drip!"

A drop of water fell from the top of the rock stratum and shattered on the ground.

...

District One.

Su Tianyu lay on the beach at night, drinking watermelon juice, and sighed, "Days without trouble are so heavenly!"