Behind him was a scorching wall, and in front of him was his enemy with a weapon. Moreover, he had Ye Zhong in his arms as a handicap.
'This isn't good,' Dai Zhiqiang thought and quickly worked his brain to find a way out.
"Are you going to give me the Young Master, or do you want the three of us to die together here?"
Dai Zhiqiang couldn't devise a sound strategy in his mind, no matter what. Meanwhile, the building did not intend to wait as it began collapsing around them. He really had no time to waste.
If he couldn't win, he had no choice but to resort to the second-best plan.
Dai Zhiqiang sneakily pressed himself more to the wall. The wall felt like it could burn his back, but he gritted his teeth. "Huang Zhen, for whom are you working? Why are you so hung up on kidnapping Little Zhong?"
"That's none of your business. Is this your trick to waste my time? Then I'd advise you not to move recklessly. My hand might slip and accidentally hurt someone else."
Dai Zhiqiang gulped before speaking again, "The late Master saved your life. Don't you feel any remorse, harming his offspring like this?"
Huang Zhen was unperturbed by his provocation. "Don't you feel ashamed working for someone who kept taking advantage of you? And ultimately made you lose your brother?"
The fire had spread throughout the area, making the previously luxurious mansion become a gigantic oven. However, even the heat on his skin couldn't compare to the one in his heart.
"Shut up," Dai Zhiqiang growled menacingly. "If it were not for you trying to harm my family first, then we would probably still live happily in peace."
"Wrong. The second you choose to get involved with Ye Wang, your fate has been sealed to doom. If it's not me, someone else will do it because Ye Huizhong never lacks enemies. Admit it. You are guilty of your brother's death. How does it feel?"
Dai Zhiqiang desperately tried to suppress his fury. He couldn't fall for Huang Zhen's provocation, or it would be his loss.
He smiled twistedly before chuckling, "It sucks. I want to kill myself every day. But I can't die before I get even with you."
"We may be on the opposite side, but I always think we are pretty similar."
"Don't lump me together with the likes of you!"
Huang Zhen stared at Dai Zhiqiang inexplicably before continuing, "If you must know, it's because this is my role. Something that I have to do. Ye Wang knows too much and thus has to be eradicated. I will take Ye Zhong with me to ensure that Ye Huizhong won't investigate the past again."
Dai Zhiqiang's brows raised. He wasn't expecting him to tell him that. "What are you—"
CRACK.
The ceiling began to let out concerning noises as it could collapse anytime. Huang Zhen subconsciously looked up to check which was the only opening Dai Zhiqiang needed.
Using his feet, he stomped hard on the wooden floor, causing one side of the burning plank to sink while the other side went up and smacked Huang Zhen's hand like a seesaw.
"Ugh!" Huang Zhen groaned in a mixture of pain and surprise.
The knife had slipped from his hand and bounced onto the floor. Then, Dai Zhiqiang used Huang Zhen's momentary fluster to land a kick on his chest, forcing him to fly backward.
Huang Zhen crashed into the burning lounge, and Dai Zhiqiang could hear him scream in pain, but he had no leisure time to check.
He picked up his knife and bolted away at the fastest speed his feet could muster. It was a good thing he noticed the floor plank back then.
"Young Master, please hang in there!"
They had been exposed to the smoke for too long. Dai Zhiqiang was fine, but he was afraid Ye Zhong wouldn't be able to take it. He hadn't moved at all since earlier, and it bothered him.
Once again, could he only watch while those he cared about died in front of him?
"Hey, kiddo! There you are!"
From up ahead, Dai Zhiqiang saw Lin Xiang—the real one, who looked panicked as he ran towards him. "Hurry! The building wouldn't hold up much longer!"
Dai Zhiqiang hastened his step, but alas, the floor beneath him crumbled, sinking one of his feet into the floor. He tried to pull his feet, but it was stuck.
"Senior Lin, take Little Zhong and get out of here!" Dai Zhiqiang yelled.
Lin Xiang, who saw what happened, could already tell this wasn't looking good. He helped him pull his feet, but it stuck pretty deep and didn't budge. The bald man cursed out in frustration.
"Forget about me! There's no time. Just get the Young Master out of here!"
"And leave you behind? Could you give me a slack already? If you die like this, I won't be able to sleep peacefully ever again."
While they bickered, both suddenly heard a familiar 'ka-chink' sound. It was like the sound of gun safety being unlocked. Then, everything seemed to move in slow motion before him.
Dai Zhiqiang turned his head to look at the direction he came from. However, a wall—or rather a body suddenly appeared in his line of vision and blocked his sight.
Before everything turned red, he seemed to see Huang Zhen pointing his gun at him. But it was already too late when he realized what was about to happen.
BANG!
The sound of a gunshot was deafening. Dai Zhiqiang's eyes widened in shock.
Warm liquid seeped through his clothes from Lin Xiang's body, which leaned limply onto him. A familiar smell of rusty iron mixed with the burning smell was nauseating, but he could only sit there with a blank look on his face.
"Senior…Lin?" Dai Zhiqiang called out groggily. His head spun as his breath and heartbeat quickened.
Looking down at his wet hands, Dai Zhiqiang could only see fresh blood dripping from them, and he almost screamed.
"Ha… That's kinda cruel of you, shoving me into the fire like that." Huang Zhen closed in a while still pointing his gun at them. "Somebody could die, you know?"
Dai Zhiqiang wanted to help Lin Xiang, but his leg was still stuck up to his thigh. Using his knife, he stabbed the area around the hole to make a wider space for his leg to slip through, but Huang Zhen was only a few steps away from them. He wouldn't make it in time!
"Kiddo…"
The raspy voice made Dai Zhiqiang look at Lin Xiang in a mixture of astonishment and relief.
The latter grinned before whispering something. It was barely audible like he used his every strength to utter those few words.
Lin Xiang didn't give him time to mull over the outrageous plan he had just told him, "Ready or not. On the count of three. Three…Two…"
"Wait! Senior—"
"...One!"
At the same time as he said that, he pulled out a small pistol from his inner pocket and pointed it at Huang Zhen, who seemed equally surprised as Dai Zhiqiang. He must not be expecting Lin Xiang to survive that shot just now.
"Huang Zheeen!" Lin Xiang roared before he pulled the trigger.
Perhaps because his hand was shaky due to blood loss, Lin Xiang's aim missed and hit his abdomen instead of his chest.
Huang Zhen moaned in pain, but he wasn't a pushover either. Before he collapsed to the ground, he shot another bullet, hitting Lin Xiang straight in the middle of his chest.
"Heuk!" Lin Xiang exclaimed before vomiting a mouthful of blood.
Meanwhile, Dai Zhiqiang, who saw the bloody exchange, finally came to his senses. "Senior Lin!"
"Just go and don't look back! Or you will waste what I did for you today!"
Dai Zhiqiang's heart ached seeing Lin Xiang crouching in the puddle of blood. If his tears hadn't dried up by now, if Lin Xiang didn't conspire to hide Dai Shenqiang's matter from him before, he probably would have shed tears for this.
"With this, I don't owe you anything anymore."
That was the last thing he uttered before slumping forward and falling to the floor.
Dai Zhiqiang bit his lips until they bled before furiously crushing the floorboard using his knife.
After he finally got his leg out, the first thing he did was check on Lin Xiang's vitality. Dai Zhiqiang had some hope but it quickly extinguished when he couldn't feel his pulse.
Dai Zhiqiang: "...."
He could only sit there for a few seconds while observing Lin Xiang's peaceful expression. What was he so satisfied with? He had just died, so why was he look so contented?
The sound of fire crackling and pillars collapsing behind him soon prompted him to stand up. Suppressing his inner scream, he killed his weighing emotions and finished what Lin Xiang told him to do.
Dai Zhiqiang corrected Ye Zhong's position in his arm before he ran down the corridor without turning back.
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