Song Zhao and Gu Yanlin immediately realized—Yan Yu, the person they had been searching for all along.

The source of the riot has been found: it was instigated and incited by some of Yan Yu's men who took advantage of people's unease.

They initially thought Yan Yu's actions were just a sign of resentment because his father's attempt to take power failed and he had lost his backer. They never expected that he was actually targeting Gu Yanzhi.

Gu Yanzhi had always felt that someone was watching her, and they had been investigating but hadn't found anything. Now she realized that it was someone from Yan Yu's group.

Gu Yanzhi slowly opened his eyes, and what came into view was darkness.

She was in a dark and stuffy room, but the sky outside the window was unusually bright. The thick curtains blocked the glaring sunlight, but they did not bring any coolness.

The air was thick with an indescribable dryness and stifling heat, as if every inch of air was squeezing Gu Yanzhi's body, making it difficult for her to breathe. Her throat was so dry it felt like it was on fire, and her lips were cracked and painful.

Her head throbbed with pain, as if it had been struck hard by a sledgehammer.

Gu Yanzhi tried to move her body, but found herself tied to a chair, her hands tightly bound with rough ropes, and her feet tied with the same ropes, making it impossible for her to move.

The room felt like it was steaming her, and Gu Yanzhi felt sweat constantly dripping from her forehead, wetting her cheeks. She looked around and realized the room was like a sauna; apart from the wooden chair, there was no other furniture. A few old boxes and miscellaneous items piled in the corner made the room look even more cluttered.

Gu Yanzhi's mind was still foggy, but she remembered what had happened before she fell into a coma.

Gu Yanzhi sat in the spacious living room, a gun in his hand, listening carefully to the sounds of commotion outside, planning to escape immediately if anything went wrong.

The residents of this villa area are all wealthy and powerful, making them one of the main targets of the blockade, besides government departments.

However, the villa area has tight security, keeping people firmly outside and preventing anyone from breaking in.

Their house was located in a relatively remote area, so Gu Yanzhi could only hear a limited amount of noise. This sense of distance gave her a strange sense of security, but at the same time, it made her more vigilant.

The sound of shattering glass was crisp and piercing, and Gu Yanzhi's heart clenched. Just as she was about to get up and hide in her pre-prepared hiding place, a figure swiftly rushed into the villa.

The newcomer was tall and moved swiftly, clearly having come prepared.

Gu Yanzhi knew the situation was dire. She took a deep breath and pointed her gun intently at the newcomer, but unexpectedly, there was more than one person. While Gu Yanzhi was fighting with the newcomer, another figure rushed in. Before she could react, she felt a sharp pain in her head and instantly lost consciousness.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door. Judging from the sound, there were two people. The door slowly opened, one figure walked in, and the other stopped at the doorway.

Upon seeing the person's face, Gu Yanzhi's eyes widened and her breathing became rapid.

"It seems you know me." Gu Yanzhi's strange reaction caught Yan Yu's attention. His voice had lost its usual warmth and sounded even more hoarse and shrill in the extremely dry air. He even had a strange smile on his face, as if he was enjoying Gu Yanzhi's despair and fear.

“Of course I know the famous Young Master Yan.” Gu Yanzhi took a deep breath, trying his best to suppress the hatred in his heart. “Why did you kidnap me? What grudge do we have?”

Yan Yu didn't answer Gu Yanzhi's question, but only let out a cold laugh. He slowly walked up to Gu Yanzhi, lowered his head, and looked down at her with a condescending attitude. His eyes revealed a cruelty and ruthlessness that sent chills down Gu Yanzhi's spine.

He reached out and forcefully grabbed Gu Yanzhi's chin. Gu Yanzhi felt a sharp pain, but she gritted her teeth and didn't make a sound. Yan Yu's grip tightened, as if he wanted to crush her chin. She felt her breathing become difficult, but she still stared firmly at Yan Yu without flinching.

It was only then that Gu Yanzhi saw Yan Yu's true colors. He had lost his usual gentle and approachable mask, revealing his original gloomy and insane nature. His eyes flashed with a fierce light, like a raging beast. This reminded Gu Yanzhi of the days he had been tormented by him in his previous life, and that endless fear and despair surged into his heart once again.

Yan Yu's words sent chills down Gu Yanzhi's spine: "Song Zhao and Gu Yanlin have ruined many of my plans. If it weren't for them, that idiot Chu Guodong would have been dead long ago. If I can't kill them, I'll take you with me to keep me company on the road to the underworld." Then, Yan Yu revealed a cruel smile, "I wonder when they'll find this place. I hope they don't keep me waiting too long."

Upon hearing this, Gu Yanzhi understood that Yan Yu had completely gone mad.

Gu Yanzhi pondered to herself that this place was probably a trap, and she was the bait. She didn't know what tricks Yan Yu had up his sleeve, but based on her understanding of Yan Yu, he was probably planning to perish together with everyone else.

She couldn't just sit and wait to die; she had to escape and couldn't let A-Zhao and Yan-Lin put themselves in danger.

Gu Yanzhi's mind raced. Yan Yu was nowhere to be found, and the man at the door was still guarding the entrance. That man was the one she had fought before she lost consciousness. Gu Yanzhi knew she couldn't beat him, especially since she was injured. Forcing her way in was out of the question; she had to outsmart him.

Gu Yanzhi pulled a knife from her spatial storage and carefully began to cut the rope binding her wrists. However, due to her injured hands, her movements were not very nimble, and she accidentally cut her finger. Blood immediately gushed out, and she silently gasped for breath. Gu Yanzhi endured the pain and continued cutting the rope.

The ropes binding his hands and feet were finally untied. Without pausing, Gu Yanzhi quickly pulled out another tranquilizer gun from his spatial storage and silently walked to the door.

The person at the door seemed very confident in himself, or perhaps he underestimated Gu Yanzhi; he was leaning against the wall, dozing off.

Without hesitation, Gu Yanzhi shot him in the neck. The man didn't even have time to react before collapsing limply to the ground. Only then did Gu Yanzhi realize the location of her surroundings; it looked somewhat familiar. Gu Yanzhi realized this was the abandoned building where she had sought revenge in her past life, and she never expected to be here again in this life.

She had thoroughly investigated the building in her quest for revenge, so it's fair to say she knew it very well.

Gu Yanzhi quickly planned an escape route in his mind. He didn't know what this building was used for before the apocalypse. It was built very securely, with only one entrance and exit. However, Gu Yanzhi knew that there was another very hidden small window. Unlike the explosion-proof materials used in the other windows, that window was just an ordinary window.

All she had to do now was avoid Yan Yu and climb out of that window.