Xu Zimo entered the elevator, but the moment she exited, she was suddenly grabbed from the side of the elevator and slowly dragged into the security passageway next to the elevator shaft.
The girl was somewhat panic-stricken, yet no matter how she struggled, she couldn't break free from the arms and the hand that covered her mouth.
"Shhh."
In the dim light of the security passageway, Xu Zimo recognized the voice. When the hand covering her mouth relaxed slightly, she had a chance to turn her head and saw Qing Chen's face.
However, Qing Chen wasn't looking at her; he was silently lost in thought.
Xu Zimo realized that this young man always seemed to be contemplating, never stopping.
The next moment, footsteps echoed up from the stairs below the security passageway.
Who would choose the stairs over the elevator when they have nothing better to do?
...
...
Meanwhile, the G3171 high-speed train from Los Angeles City to Xian City North Station slowly came to a halt.
Liu Dezhu, who had skipped class, didn't bring any luggage and hurriedly walked out.
The crowd was slowly pushing its way out of the station, and Liu Dezhu's figure seemed particularly hasty.
No one knew that among the congested crowd, two young men with Bluetooth earpieces kept their eyes locked firmly on the back of Liu Dezhu.
The dusk had just faded, and the sky was shrouded in clouds, with no moon in sight.
"Target 2 has arrived at Xian City North Station and is leaving the station. Boss, it's very likely he is going to the hotel to meet with Target 1," one of the young men said.
Laughter came through the Bluetooth earpiece: "As expected, he took the bait. Keep a close eye on him. Go wherever he goes. Tonight, we'll put on a little show of encirclement and relief. Not only is Qing Chen going to die, but Liu Dezhu and the boss behind them will die as well."
"Roger that. But boss, the strength of Target 2 is unknown. According to the last observation, he should have 'Awakened' the Fire Element. The two of us might not be able to handle him," said the young man.
"Don't worry. There are masters rushing to your location. They're very close to Xian City North Station. Liu Dezhu won't be able to escape. You two just need to stick close to him. I've prepared a big surprise for them tonight," the voice in the earpiece responded.
"Understood," said the young man. He exchanged a look with his companion who had followed him from Los Angeles City, and the two of them followed Liu Dezhu silently.
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Just then, another unfamiliar voice came through the Bluetooth earpiece: "Boss, what about their organization's sniper? That's a bit harder to deal with."
"Don't worry," someone replied in the earpiece. "We chose this time for them to attempt a rescue, specifically so that they would take the high-speed train. Any other mode of transportation would be too late. And since it's a high-speed train, how could a heavy sniper rifle pass through the security check?"
However, at this moment, Liu Dezhu suddenly came to a stop at the exit of Xian City North Station, motionless.
When he stopped, the two young men behind him also stopped.
The three of them stood still like this, amidst the ceaseless flow of passengers, like three statues.
As the passengers passed by, they detoured around them, like a river flows around rocks in its bed.
Between the three of them, there seemed to be a strange field of force, controlling the surging crowd at the exit.
"Boss, Target 2 has stopped moving. He might be waiting for someone or he might have noticed us," one of the young men whispered.
"Just observe for now," the voice in the earpiece instructed. "Pay attention to whether there's anyone around who makes eye contact or talks with Target 2. Regardless of what they look like, they could be his associates. To avoid our detection, they might not have taken the same train."
Time ticked by, but Liu Dezhu just stood there silently, not checking his phone, not talking to anyone, doing nothing.
Gradually, the young man trailing Liu Dezhu started to feel that something was off: "Boss, I think something's fishy. Liu Dezhu doesn't seem to be planning to leave the station at all."
"Wait, the support outside Xian City North Station has already arrived," someone said softly over the earpiece.
No sooner had the voice faded than Liu Dezhu turned around, heading directly towards the two young men behind him.
From the moment Liu Dezhu stood still to the moment he turned around, precisely 31 minutes had passed—the time it took for Qing Chen to reach the Vienna Hotel by car.
"Boss, Liu Dezhu seems to have noticed us," the tense young man said, his muscles taut as if he were facing an enemy.
However, when Liu Dezhu passed by the two, he didn't make a move. He merely brushed past them nonchalantly: "White Day sends its regards."
Afterwards, Liu Dezhu did not look back but re-entered the station, swiped his ID card, and boarded another high-speed train back to Los Angeles City.
"Boss, Liu Dezhu is heading back to Los Angeles City. He got on the G2206 high-speed train," the young man said in a rush.
"He's going back?" The boss on the phone also seemed surprised. "Why did he leave just like that?"
"Really," spoke the other young man. "G2206 is now in motion. He has indeed gone back."
"Did he do anything strange?" the boss asked.
"He said... White Day sends its regards."
In the earpiece, the boss went silent for half a minute: "A feint. Liu Dezhu's trip to Xian City was just to draw our people arranged near the Vienna Hotel to the high-speed train station, aiding Qing Chen's escape. The timing was well calculated too, our guy arrived just as Liu Dezhu left."
In front of a set of French windows, a gaunt figure began to smile faintly: "White Day? Is that what your organization is called? So, the boss of White Day is also in Xian City, aren't you? You didn't go back, I suppose. Interesting."