Chapter 47
The touch of the cold, hard ground woke Gu Jing from his brief coma.
A sharp ringing in his ears drowned out the other noises. He opened his eyes, his vision blurring as he saw the rough concrete floor and several pairs of black combat boots. His hands were handcuffed behind his back and bound tightly with plastic ties.
He struggled violently, only to be met with a vicious boot kick to the abdomen. The pain made him curl up, and a sweet, fishy taste of rust surged in his throat.
"Behave yourself!" A hoarse scolding voice came from above.
Gu Jing raised his head with difficulty and saw Qin Xiao and 739, also tied up tightly and thrown not far away. Qin Xiao's forehead was cracked, and blood flowed half of his face, but his eyes were as fierce as a trapped animal, staring straight ahead. 739 was in a slightly better condition and was looking at Gu Jing anxiously.
The three of them were now prisoners in the center of the lighthouse's basement.
Zhou Liguang sat leisurely in the swivel chair, slowly polishing his gold-rimmed glasses with a velvet cloth. Qin Yu's metal cigarette case sat on the console beside him, a silent mockery.
"Young people are always so impulsive." Zhou Liguang put on his glasses, restoring his gentle and refined facade. However, his gaze behind the lenses was as cold as a venomous snake. "Thinking you can get what you want by blowing open the door? How naive."
He stood up and walked to the set of servers that were still running, and ran his fingers lovingly over the cold chassis.
"These things are indeed very important. They are good things that can bring my good brother-in-law to ruin and completely reshape the Gu family." He smiled slightly, "Unfortunately, they will soon be gone."
As soon as he finished speaking, several men in black stepped forward and began expertly dismantling the server's hard drive and placing it in a specially designed shockproof box. Their movements were swift, clearly pre-planned.
"As for you..." Zhou Liguang's eyes swept across the three of them, finally landing on Gu Jing, with a playful look like a cat and mouse. "Xiao Jing, you really disappoint me. I thought you would be smarter after all the things you've been through. In the end, you were still so easily used as a pawn and sent to me."
His words were like fine needles, precisely piercing Gu Jing's most painful nerves.
Gu Jing clenched his teeth, suppressed the sweet taste in his throat, and forced himself to calm down. However, his eyes could not help but glance at the cigarette box again.
Zhou Liguang noticed his subtle movement, chuckled, and walked over to pick up the cigarette box.
"Still thinking about this?" He shook his cigarette case. "It seems my good nephew really did put a spell on you."
He walked up to Gu Jing, squatted down, and patted Gu Jing's cheek with the cold metal shell of the cigarette box.
"I'll tell you something interesting." Zhou Liguang lowered his voice, as if sharing a secret. "That old fox Qin Zhengfeng's last order before he passed out wasn't to hunt you down with all his might, nor was it to retrieve the antibodies."
He paused, admiring Gu Jing's suddenly contracted pupils, and said word by word: "He ordered that you must be captured alive, Gu Jing, at all costs."
Gu Jing's breath suddenly stopped.
"Strange, isn't it?" Zhou Liguang's voice was filled with bewitching malice. "Why would someone who killed your parents and pushed you into despair suddenly want to spare your life?"
He glanced at the cigarette box in his hand. "Do you think it's related to a message someone sent him before they died? For example, they offered you a shocking secret in exchange for your life?"
boom--!
It felt like something exploded in Gu Jing's brain!
Before his death, Qin Yu contacted Qin Zhengfeng? He offered a secret in exchange for his life?
That paranoid man who would rather drag him to hell than let go...the last thing he did was this?
The overwhelming sense of absurdity and the even more turbulent chaos nearly engulfed him once again. Hatred, doubt, and a sharp, stabbing pain that shouldn't have been there tormented him madly.
"Oh, and one more." Zhou Liguang seemed to think that wasn't enough. He slowly opened the lid of the cigarette box. What fell out was not a cigarette, but a tiny, oddly shaped metal chip. "Look what I found in there! This little thing is really well hidden."
He twisted the chip between his fingers. "This isn't the kind of thing that lunatic Qin Yu would use. It looks more like... something some rats who like to stir up trouble in the dark would use."
Qin Xiao suddenly raised his head and stared at the chip, his expression becoming extremely ugly.
Gu Jing's heart sank. The second anonymous letter... the "fisherman" hiding in the shadows...
Zhou Liguang put the chip into his pocket, stood up, and looked down at them. The last trace of hypocritical smile on his face disappeared, leaving only cold murderous intent.
"The show is over, it's time to send you on your way." He waved his hand, "Clean up. Especially him," he pointed at Gu Jing, "the body must be handled properly, no traces can be left. This is the special order of 'Mr.'"
Several men in black immediately raised their guns and pointed the black muzzles at the three men.
Desperate situation! A true dead end!
Qin Xiao roared and tried to struggle, and 739 closed his eyes in despair.
Gu Jing's heart beat wildly in his chest, nearly shattering his ribs. The shadow of death weighed down like a substance.
At this critical moment——
"call out--!"
An extremely slight, almost unnoticeable sound of breaking through the air!
The black-clad henchman who was standing in front and about to shoot Gu Jing suddenly had a ball of blood burst out of his forehead! His expression froze, and he fell straight back!
Silent sniper rifle!
Everyone was shocked!
Zhou Liguang's expression changed drastically: "There's an ambush! Find cover!"
Before he finished speaking!
“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Two more subtle gunshots rang out almost simultaneously! The other two black-clad men holding guns also fell to the ground! Killed instantly!
Chaos broke out instantly!
The remaining black-clad men panicked, seeking cover and blindly firing in the direction the bullets might have come from (perhaps a vent blown open high up, or some other hidden hole!) Bullets raced wildly through the basement, hitting the server cabinets and sending sparks flying!
"Bang!" With a loud noise, one of the lights in the basement was broken and the light suddenly became dim!
Chance!
Gu Jing's eyes flashed coldly, and without caring about the blood marks on his wrists caused by the plastic tie, he suddenly rolled to the side with all his strength! At the same time, he kicked hard at the knee of a black-clad subordinate who was frantically looking for a target!
The man was caught off guard and fell to the ground with a scream.
Gu Jing pounced on him like a cheetah, and with his tied hands he struggled to grope for the dagger on the other's waist, pulled it out suddenly, and cut off the cable tie on his own hand with his backhand!
Free your hands!
Without any pause, he grabbed the dagger and rolled on the ground, dodging a string of bullets, and at the same time swung the knife to cut the restraints on the hands of 739 who was closest to him!
"Mr. Gu!" 739 was freed and immediately picked up a gun that had fallen on the ground.
"Cover me!" Gu Jing growled, his eyes fixed on Zhou Liguang who was trying to hide behind the console! And the metal cigarette box left on the ground!
And that chip! The chip that might point to the mastermind!
Qin Xiao also took advantage of the chaos to break free from some of his restraints. Together with 739, they used the server cabinet as cover and engaged in a fierce firefight with the remaining black-clad men! The sound of gunfire, shouting, and the crash of bullets was deafening!
Gu Jing shuttled through the rain of bullets like a ghost, using the shadows and chaos to quickly approach Zhou Liguang!
Zhou Liguang had obviously discovered Gu Jing's intention, and for the first time, panic appeared on his face. He pulled out his pistol and fired randomly while yelling into the communicator: "Come in, anyone outside! Quick!"
But the sounds of banging doors and gunshots outside seemed to be suppressed by the sudden sniper attack!
After Gu Jing rushed to the control console, Zhou Liguang raised his gun and shot!
Gu Jing dodged sideways, the bullet grazed his earlobe and flew past, bringing with it a gust of scorching wind! He thrust the dagger in his hand forward without hesitation!
“Puff!”
The dagger accurately pierced Zhou Liguang's wrist holding the gun!
"Ah--!" Zhou Liguang let out a shrill scream, and the pistol flew out of his hand!
Gu Jing's other hand stretched out like lightning, and his target was not Zhou Liguang, but the metal cigarette box that rolled to the ground!
Just as his fingertips were about to touch the cigarette box——
"call out--!"
Another sniper bullet came through the air!
But this shot didn't hit any of the black-clad men, but hit the ground less than ten centimeters in front of Gu Jing's feet! A small hole was blown open in the concrete floor, and gravel splashed!
A clear warning!
Stop him from getting the cigarette pack?!
Gu Jing's movements suddenly stopped, and he suddenly looked up at the darkness where the bullet came from!
Who is it?! Whose sniper is that?! Wasn't he here to save them?! Why stop him?!
During this moment of hesitation, Zhou Li endured the severe pain and crawled backwards, shouting hoarsely: "Retreat! Retreat through the backup passage!"
Two trusted men immediately rushed over in the hail of bullets, carried Zhou Liguang, and rushed to an inconspicuous secret door disguised as a wall in the corner of the room!
Gu Jing wanted to chase, but two more sniper bullets hit the ground in front of him accurately, blocking his way!
He could only watch as Zhou Liguang was dragged through the secret door and disappeared. Along with him, the crucial chip also disappeared.
And the metal cigarette box was kicked by someone in the chaos, rolled into the gap at the bottom of the server cabinet, and was instantly swallowed by the darkness.
Gu Jing stood there, breathing heavily, his face a mixture of blood, sweat, and unwillingness. He looked in the direction of the closing secret door, then looked towards the dark corner where the sniper bullet came from. His eyes were icy cold, but filled with huge, unanswerable questions.
Qin Xiao and 739 dealt with the remaining men in black and rushed to Gu Jing.
"Are you okay?" 739 asked anxiously.
Qin Xiao looked at the secret door and the crater on the ground with a gloomy expression and cursed: "Damn it! Who on earth is this?!"
The gunfire in the basement gradually died down, leaving only the hum of malfunctioning server cabinets and the lingering, intermittent whine of sirens.
The short-term crisis seemed to be resolved, but they fell into greater confusion and passivity.
The one who saved them was also the one who stopped them.
Zhou Liguang ran away, taking the chip and the secret with him.
The cigarette box disappeared, taking with it the last mystery left by Qin Yu.
Gu Jing slowly tightened his grip on the dagger that was still dripping with blood, his knuckles turning white from the force.
He raised his head, gazing at the bottomless darkness where the sniper was still hidden. His voice was hoarse but carried a heart-pounding calmness:
"Whoever you are..."
"I'll find you."
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