The five arrived at the staircase entrance.

Unexpectedly, they were blocked by a double-leaf security door.

"Don't worry, the refuge floor is not allowed to be locked. It normally remains closed only to block out gas and smoke."

Just as Gu Ji finished speaking, Yang Dong placed his hand on the door, intending to open it.

At that moment, his ear twitched slightly as he heard something, quickly pressing down Yang Dong's arm.

In an instant, there was movement in the corridor.

It was Qi Liran and Dahai, leading the desperadoes out from the eighth floor.

Perhaps because more people gathered around them, they gained a sense of boldness, their unrestrained laughter audible even through the metal door, no longer concealed.

Luckily, they were heading to the ninth floor.

After confirming that no one was in the stairwell, Gu Ji delayed for five seconds before allowing Yang Dong to proceed.

Yang Dong swallowed his saliva with difficulty, then carefully turned the handle.

Everyone held their breath nervously.

Gu Ji stood by the door with a gun, ready to move.

"Creak!"

Suddenly, the lock emitted a sharp metallic scraping sound, eerily piercing in the silent corridor.

Ding Le and Yang Chen nearly gasped for air, their legs trembling violently as if sifting chaff.

Luckily, it didn't alert the people downstairs.

After the door opened, Gu Ji first listened to the stairwell, and after confirming there was no one, he stepped into the corridor and gestured "OK" with his hand. Pan Xinli immediately followed.

Not until all four stepped onto the stairs did Yang Dong prepare to close the door.

Maybe he paid too much attention to the sound of the security door closing, he neglected the fire axe in hand, and as he turned to leave, the metal axe blade clashed with the door frame with a "bang," startling everyone on the stairs.

"Move quickly!"

Gu Ji shouted in a low voice.

Their footsteps reverberated instantly in the ninth floor. A desperado in a floral shirt and silver chain reached the stair entrance and caught sight of Yang Dong running up the stairs' landing, revealing a ruthless smile.

"There's someone in the stairwell!"

The desperado shouted, immediately chasing after them with a gleaming machete in hand.

"Ah! Run! The syndicate overseers and thugs are killing!!"

Second last in line, Yang Chen was so terrified he screamed desperately for help.

But this only drew the attention of the desperadoes and the martial overseers. Instantly, more footfalls pursued from the stair entrance, and as the machete-wielding thug's blade was about to strike Yang Dong's back—bang!

A gunshot rang out.

A flash of flame lit up the stairwell, and the bullet pierced through the desperado's chest, who collapsed with a distorted expression.

"Watch out for cracks on the stairs! Move quickly!"

It was Gu Ji who had fired the shot, saving Yang Dong's life. Leaving those words behind, he turned and rushed away, swiftly climbing up to the eleventh floor with a few leaps.

The remaining few dared not delay, with Yang Dong not even having the courage to look back, focusing solely on running for his life.

"They have a gun!"

"It's just one gun, don't be afraid, chase them!"

"Kill them!"

...

One desperado yelled, and the rest of the thugs rushed forward, giving chase. They seemed to have forgotten the cracks on the stairs.

When three stepped on the same stair, there was a "crack," the cement broke, and a desperado fell with a scream, tumbling down to the eighth floor, then continuing to roll until he fell onto the sixth floor stairs, his head smashed instantly.

"Watch the stairs, chase them one by one!"

At this point, Dahai's voice echoed in the stairwell, raising his gun towards the people running upstairs.

Bam, bam!

He fired two shots, the bullets struck the cement steps, debris scattering everywhere.

"Yang Chen, keep shouting!"

Gu Ji scolded as he turned back, shooting down another chasing desperado.

In the critical moment, Yang Chen could only follow his order and shout desperately.

The entire corridor reverberated with cries of "Qi Liran's rebellion," "Dahai's betrayal," and "Mobsters killing," but unfortunately, the emergency staircase was a rarely frequented place, and despite shouting for a long time, no one appeared.

"Get into the sixteenth floor!"

Gu Ji reached the sixteenth floor entrance, saw the stairs to the seventeenth unexpectedly broken, and had to consider another way inside, "All team members gather near me immediately!"

After shouting, he quickly flashed the High-Power Flashlight, scanning the floor swiftly.

Unexpectedly, the deformation in the middle floors was even worse than the lower floors, a large section of cement roof collapsed, slanting onto the supporting columns and floor, nearly connecting the sixteenth and seventeenth floors.

He leaped, climbing up along the roof, followed closely by Pan Xinli and the others.

But the desperadoes pursued tightly as well.

Though fewer than the last round, they were no less ferocious, the leading hulking man fired two shots.

A scream echoed as Ding Le, who was running, fell, clutching his right leg.

"My leg! Mr. Yang! Save me!"

Yang Chen had no time to care for him, stepping over Ding Le's leg as if ignoring him entirely.

Panicked like a dying camel, Ding Le struggled forward while shouting desperately:

"Mrs. Pan! Yang Dong! Mr. Wa! I don't want to die!!"

Gu Ji heard someone calling him.

Turning back, he saw the armed desperado had reached Ding Le's side, and just as he raised his gun to aim, there was a sudden footstep in the darkness.

A cold sweat broke out on his back, hair standing on end as he swiftly rolled sideways into the cement ruins, attempting to adjust his aim.

But from the darkness came a sudden shout:

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.