Escape from the Kinmen Hotel (Part 2)
"You can't go anywhere!" Zhang Chong's voice pierced through the piercing alarm and reached the ears of everyone in the lobby.
“This is the International Settlement! You have no right to order me around.” William turned around, raised his neck, and gave the order: “I am now, in my capacity as the Deputy Chief Constable of the International Settlement, demanding that you open the gates and evacuate the crowd.”
The two were only a meter apart. William stared intently at Zhang Chong, warning him in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear not to make any rash moves. Any threat against him would be seen as a provocation against the British Empire, and could potentially ignite war between the two countries.
The conflict could escalate into a diplomatic issue in an instant. Ironically, with the dark muzzles of guns pointed at them, the guests shouted encouragement for the foreigners while forming a human wall and pushing towards the door. Kiyosumi slid down the railing to the lobby on the first floor.
However, the once spacious hotel lobby was now packed with angry crowds, making it almost impossible for Qingcheng to move. To get to the boiler room, he had to bypass Zhang Chong and his men. The powerful and urgent tsunami of public resentment was crashing against the gate defenses, the shouts almost drowning out the alarms. The junior agents were on the verge of collapse.
Bang bang bang!
Zhang Chong removed the silencer and fired three blank shots into the air. Instantly, a dozen or so Indian police officers reflexively raised their guns and pointed them at him.
Time seemed to freeze as all eyes turned to Zhang Chong, whose face was already beaded with sweat. He looked around and explained to everyone that the hotel hadn't caught fire at all; it was all a conspiracy by the Communist Party. The hotel's fire alarm required a large amount of smoke in a short time to trigger; if there was that much smoke, how could there not be any open flames?
In an instant, the crowd erupted in an uproar, but someone immediately retorted that the absence of visible flames did not mean they were not present; they might be upstairs or in a corner, and if the fire spread to the downstairs area, no one would be able to escape.
William seized the opportunity to demand that Zhang Chong open the gate according to public opinion, otherwise, if a major incident occurred, even Xu Qiao wouldn't be able to protect him. Zhang Chong calmly stepped forward, took out a document from his pocket, and showed it to William.
This is an arrest warrant signed by the Chief Inspector of the Concession. Zhang Chong hopes that William will cooperate well so that he will have a chance to become the next Chief Inspector, because the person CC wants to arrest is Zhou (male god), a very important CCP cadre.
The arrest warrant landed like a heavy blow on William's face, and even the arrogant William lost most of the fierce glint in his blue eyes. If Zhou (the male god) escaped, he would likely bear joint responsibility.
The Indian police officers in the concession, guns drawn, exchanged glances. One of them, a bolder one, approached William and suggested that he shouldn't get involved. He advised them to retreat before the fire reached them, and not to worry about the lives of the people here. They looked completely different from the Chinese; they wouldn't be wanted criminals of the CCP.
The proposal seemed to appeal to him. William stroked his curly beard, his two blue eyes darting around, probably weighing the pros and cons.
When the onlookers heard that the foreigners were so shameless and disregarded all decorum, they started throwing slippers and shoes at them. Everyone was shouting that they wanted to get out and that they didn't want to die.
It's pathetic. Qingcheng coldly watched their weak resistance, sighing inwardly. When will the Chinese people be able to see through the foreign masters' feigned protection, which is actually appeasement after invasion?
Isn't it wonderful to be in charge of your own life? Qingcheng finally understood Mr. Yu Cai's feelings. He pitied his misfortune and was angry at his lack of resistance. Dignity is something you have to fight for yourself, and you can never rely on the charity of a robber.
Too lazy to listen to their argument anymore, Qingcheng pressed herself against the wall, inching forward step by step, and finally managed to sneak up to the front desk.
Suddenly, the somewhat numb alarm sound disappeared.
"Section Chief, we've spotted a smoke point," a junior agent hurriedly pushed through the crowd to report.
He whispered something to Zhang Chong, and Zhang Chong's eyes immediately turned fierce: "Everyone, put your hands on your heads and squat down! Search them!"
"Why should I?" one of the guests stood up in protest.
Bang! Zhang Chong didn't even give him a chance to say his last words before shooting the man dead. The hotel guests screamed in fright and instinctively took a big step back, realizing that the spies were no joke.
A pool of blood spread from beneath the corpse, the smell of rust filling Qingcheng's nostrils. She hadn't expected Zhang Chongzhen to go on a killing spree indiscriminately. What was the difference between him and a bank robber? Not really. For spies, killing wasn't illegal; as long as they labeled someone a member of the Communist Party, they were acting in the name of duty.
William and the Indian police officer didn't dare utter a sound in response, a typical case of bullying the weak and fearing the strong.
What puzzled Qingcheng even more was that the fire station was only a few hundred meters away, and the fire alarm had been sounding for so long, so why hadn't they responded? Could it be that the lookout tower hadn't seen any flames or smoke, so they weren't responding?
Suppressing the nausea rising in her stomach, Qingcheng observed her surroundings through the front desk. Apart from the police officers, everyone in the room was an ordinary citizen. If she wasn't mistaken, the body of the spy who had been smoking earlier had been discovered.
The hot potato seized from the spy's body was conveniently tucked behind her waist. If she were searched, not only would the gun be discovered, but her disguise as a man would also be exposed.
Without further ado, she pretended to be scared and shrank under the front desk. Her head "accidentally" bumped the button under the desk. The button was connected to the police station's alarm system, but no sound was heard in the hotel.
And then there was that hot potato. Qingcheng quickly pulled it out from behind her back, reached under the table to the trash can, and put it in...
"You, come out!" The agent's sudden shout almost made Qingcheng's heart stop beating.
"Boss... you called me?" Qingcheng raised her hands, looking bewildered.
Before anyone could react, the two receptionists hiding under the table and Qingcheng were dragged out by the agents. Qingcheng was relieved that the agents hadn't discovered her little trick. The guests in front of her had been divided into men and women. The agents pushed the two female receptionists and made them search the ladies and wives.
Qingcheng was drafted into the men's team and worked under Zhang Chong's watchful eye. She dared not look around and had to be careful when walking and talking, as if she were wearing an invisible shackle.
Even so, she could still feel a pair of eyes staring intently at her from behind, like thorns in her back. She wasn't the only one suffering; Qingcheng could sense the suppressed emotions of the guests, their burgeoning anger like balloons on the verge of bursting. If looks could kill, Zhang Chong would have been tortured to death by the guests countless times.
However, no one dared to speak up, because if they made the slightest mistake, the corpse on the ground would become them.
An eerie silence filled the lobby. Qingcheng, head bowed, meticulously searched each guest's belongings as instructed by the secret agents. She had no time to worry about her own safety; she could only pray that Old Wang wouldn't come out. Those "good comrades" on the "list" were the most attractive to fairies.
Fortunately, Zhang Chong felt that his deterrent effect had worked, so he left the lobby to search other floors.
At this moment, Qingcheng felt a hard, square object tied to the guest's leg. She didn't know what it was. Should she expose it or play dumb? Qingcheng was stunned for a moment, but the guest became impatient and urged her to finish quickly. A dozen fierce-looking burly men around them joined in the commotion.
Haha, there's more than one group having a meeting in the hotel! When the guest raised his arm, a flat oval shape was reflected in the cuff. A flash of inspiration struck Qingcheng, and she decided to take a gamble. She calmed herself down and asked the guest to take off his coat, as his leather jacket was too thick.
"What did you say? Say it again!" The guest grabbed Qingcheng's collar excitedly, revealing a faint blue tattoo on the base of her neck.
Kiyosumi buried her face in her hands and sobbed, "I'm sorry, guest, I didn't mean to, please don't hit me, boohoo..."
Hearing the commotion, the secret agents quickly assembled at the scene. The leader, holding a gun, ordered the troublemakers to remove their coats, or they would be considered communists and killed without mercy.
The troublemaker, seething with anger, had to do as the secret agent demanded, even though he was furious. He slowly unbuttoned his shirt, a bead of cold sweat sliding down his forehead...
Suddenly sensing danger, Qingcheng immediately lay down on the ground. She heard a sharp sound of breaking glass, followed by a "whoosh" as the team leader fell face-up next to her, with a dark, bloody hole in his head and a chunk of his skull caved in.
The bullets were too fast; the agents in the hall didn't know what was happening and looked at each other in bewilderment.
Wow! What kind of gun is so powerful? Qingcheng looked curiously out the window, and another bullet flew through the shattered stained glass, blowing half of the little spy's head off. The protruding eyeball hung in mid-air for a short while before being crushed to the ground by its original owner.
Well done! This time, we can be completely sure that reinforcements have arrived!
Ah—the ladies and young women, unable to bear the atmosphere of death, screamed and ran wildly through the hall, fearing they would become the next innocent corpses to die.
The young spy was about to draw his gun to maintain order when, splat! The sharp blade sliced through his flesh, exposing his red and white trachea. He clutched his neck in disbelief, trying to speak but only able to spit out a mouthful of blood.
The troublemaker's eyes were bloodshot, and he was holding a sharp knife with drops of blood dripping from the blade.
Bang bang... The junior agent next to him fired several shots, sparks flying, but he missed the target. Perhaps he was frightened, because his hand holding the butt of the gun was shaking uncontrollably, and he lost his aim.
The troublemaker snorted and his strong arm swept towards his face like a thick tree branch. Crack! It was the sound of bones breaking.
Before the other spies could react, dozens of armed men surrounded them, disarmed them, and rained blows on the spies with fists the size of earthenware pots. The screams of agony rose and fell, more agonizing than the slaughter of pigs.
In just a few dozen seconds, the situation reversed dramatically. With the threat of spies gone, Kiyosumi scrambled to his feet and mingled with the frenzied crowd as he moved toward the boiler room, keeping an eye on what was happening behind him as he ran.
The continuous gunfire caught Zhang Chong's attention, and chaotic footsteps came from above as more and more agents, led by him, rushed down the stairs.
Hmm—wah, wah, wah…
Urgent sirens blared from outside the gate. Zhang Chong, standing on the stairs, turned pale and began cursing William as a barbarian who didn't know what was good for him. Before he could finish his rant, about twenty fully armed police officers burst through the window and opened fire on the agents on the stairs.
Amidst the crackling of gunfire, Qingcheng darted into the small door of the kitchen like a rabbit. According to Wang Renyong, there was a hidden door on the left wall of the kitchen that led directly to the boiler room.
The huge kitchen was empty, the food in the pot was still steaming, and a few green vegetable leaves floated in the sink. Clear thoughts raced through my mind: the cook must have run away.
Looking back, no one was following, but Qingcheng dared not relax. She grabbed a kitchen knife and tucked it behind her waist, but then, remembering the sharp throat-slitting knife in the customer's hand, she changed her mind and used a sharp boning knife instead.
Armed with a weapon, she strode towards the hidden door, intending to take a shortcut to escape the hotel. Given Zhang Chong's abilities, the small disturbance she created wouldn't last long.
At that moment, the hidden door in the tiled wall opened slightly, and several soft wisps of white steam billowed out. Wang Renyong's large head squeezed out from the crack in the door and waved vigorously at her: "Qingcheng, over here!"
"Coming." Kiyosumi closed the door behind her, and the white tiled wall returned to its original state, with no trace of a door.
In the sweltering boiler room, they changed into the clothes they had prepared in advance. Then, Wang Renyong pulled open the inconspicuous iron cover on the ground, and a musty smell mixed with the smell of rust hit them. Qingcheng covered her nose and looked inside. It was pitch black. Fortunately, Wang Renyong was good at socializing and was able to find out about the hidden small air-raid shelter.
Ahead was a vertical shaft leading underground, and Old Wang nimbly climbed down. The path was narrow and dark; Wang Renyong led the way with a flashlight, and Qingcheng followed him quickly. Soon the path began to slope, and after walking a while longer, a flash of white light indicated that the exit was near.
Upon reaching the spot, Wang Renyong paused, placing his hand to his ear as if listening intently. After a short while, his expression changed, and he said to Qingcheng, "There are people blocking our way ahead, and they seem to be accompanied by dogs."
"There's no going back now, let's get him." Kiyosumi had just finished his bold statement when he immediately deflated.
The captured pistol was thrown in the trash can. She originally had two guns, but the bullets were all used up. Now she was just a helpless burden.
“It’s alright, we can start a revolution with just a kitchen knife.” Wang Renyong smiled knowingly and took out a wide-backed kitchen knife from his bag.
"Now we have two kitchen knives." Qingcheng also took out a boning knife, the one she had taken from the kitchen.
The two chuckled knowingly, "Great minds think alike!" "Let's go!"
"Wait a minute." Qingcheng pressed Wang Renyong down and asked very seriously, "How do you use a knife?"
The stark contrast made Wang Renyong roll his eyes, his lips almost drooping to the ground: "It depends, do as you please."
"Tch, that's pointless to say," but Qingcheng quickly understood Wang Renyong's meaning: "Don't act rashly unless absolutely necessary."
There was a black gate at the exit, and through the gaps you could see three agents leading two dogs, patrolling back and forth on the street.
At this distance, before they could even draw their cleavers, the dogs pounced. Even if they were lucky enough to injure the spies or the dogs, they would have a hard time escaping. It would be better to take advantage of the chaos.
While the spies were walking their dogs across the alley, Wang Renyong quickly led Qingcheng away from the air-raid shelter, heading in the opposite direction from the spies.
The early spring breeze carried a slight chill, and since it was a cloudy day with no sunshine, the two unconsciously wrapped their trench coats tighter, leaving only their stiletto heels showing.
The moment the toes of their shoes touched the shoulder of the road, a secret agent shouted arrogantly from the side: "Halt! Where did you two come from?"
"From there." Wang Renyong calmly pointed to a small alley, while Qingcheng "shyly" hid behind Wang Renyong, stealing glances at the spies out of the corner of her eye.
"Oh~ what's your relationship with the two of you? Do you have your identification with you?" The agent's suspicious gaze swept back and forth between the two of them.
Wang Renyong covered his mouth with his hand and laughed in the tone of a Shanghai lady: "Hehehe, the boss is joking. My daughter and I are just out strolling around, how could we possibly have our IDs with us?"
"Where are you staying? I'll take you back." The agent pestered him.
"Boss, how could I trouble you? My husband's car is on its way, and he wants us to wait at Yong'an Department Store," Wang Renyong said, declining the offer.
"It's very close. Hey, why aren't you saying anything, Miss?" The agent suddenly reached out to Qingcheng, but she dodged it.
After blocking most of Qingcheng's path, Wang Renyong immediately explained that the little girl was timid. He then turned and tapped Qingcheng's head, scolding, "You can't break through at all. If you embarrass me again, you won't be allowed to go to Mr. Tang's ball tonight."
"Hmm~ Mom, I'm going. Let's take a taxi back. Don't wait for Dad." Qingcheng said coquettishly, pulling on Lao Wang's arm, looking very affectionate like a mother and daughter.
Hearing Qingcheng's soft voice and local accent, the agent relaxed his guard considerably. Qingcheng thought to herself that this agent was really annoying, making it difficult for them to move an inch. If they stayed any longer, something might go wrong. She gently tugged at Lao Wang's sleeve, signaling him to leave quickly.
"Alright, alright, rickshaw." Wang Renyong immediately understood and reached out to flag down a rickshaw.
Just then, a rickshaw passed by, and after they got in, the spy didn't bother them anymore and walked away dejectedly. It seems the spy only wanted to flirt with the pretty girl, but having heard that they had dealings with Mr. Tang, a tycoon in Shanghai, he didn't dare to act rashly, fearing that they had powerful connections.
Gradually, they heard the dog's hissing behind them. Wang Renyong's expression changed, and he urged the driver to hurry up.
Dogs are far more useful than humans when it comes to tracking. If a dog pounces on you from behind and bites you, no one can stand it.
A cold wind blew by, dappling the shadows of the trees. The Kinmen Hotel had been left far behind by the rickshaw. When they reached the main road, the driver stopped and asked his wife if she needed to change routes, as there was a roadblock ahead.
Wang Renyong made a quick decision to change course, but the driver took three or four smaller roads, all of which were blocked off.
It seems Zhang Chong was extremely well-prepared; the area within a ten-kilometer radius of the Kinmen Hotel was completely surrounded. Qingcheng gestured with her eyes for Lao Wang to get out of the car and find another way out.
Thanks to Wang Renyong's keen judgment, they disguised themselves as mother and daughter and successfully evaded two waves of searches. After walking through a small part of the public concession, Qingcheng's legs started to cramp. She found a step to sit down, wiped the sweat from her brow, and realized that she really couldn't walk anymore. Wang Renyong also realized that wandering around aimlessly was not a solution and that they needed to find a place to hide.
Let the leaders figure out the big question of where to go; Qingcheng was more worried about getting blisters on her feet—they hurt so much! Just then, Wang Renyong whispered, "The dog's coming."
"Huh? You're afraid of dogs?" Kiyosumi asked, frowning.
"That's not an ordinary dog, it's a military dog!" As soon as Wang Renyong finished speaking, he pulled Qingcheng and ran faster. Qingcheng didn't understand, but she endured the pain in her feet and ran with her leader.
What's coming will come eventually, so Qingcheng stopped and pulled Wang Renyong back. Using the token he had given her, she opened a stone gate and went inside to hide first.
The clanging sound of a dog dragging its chain across the courtyard wall gave Qingcheng goosebumps. She nudged Lao Wang and asked him how he knew it was a military dog.
Old Wang explained that military dogs are specially trained and do not bark wildly when chasing. They only bark once to alert their owners after spotting a target. Moreover, since military dogs are mostly fierce breeds, the biggest difference between military dogs and police dogs lies in the iron chain versus the leather chain.
They haven't been found yet, probably because they left in a rickshaw, which has made their scent less noticeable. However, military dogs are not ordinary dogs, and it's only a matter of time before they are found.
Inside the house, Wang Renyong used whatever he had on hand to create traps one after another, while Qingcheng scouted from the second-floor window, reporting on the movements of the spies.
Once everything was set up, the dog's hissing was already very close to the gate. Wang Renyong and Qingcheng used a chest of drawers to block the bedroom door on the second floor as a final delay.
Woof!
The military dogs seemed to have spotted their target, and with a flurry of footsteps, they all rushed into the yard. Kiyosumi guessed that there were more than twenty spies.
After a few dull thuds as heavy objects hit the ground, a piercing scream came from downstairs. They quickly scrambled outside using the water pipes, but their luck ran out, and they were spotted by two spies who had circled around.
"Don't run!"
Bullets flew towards them, whistling all around them. If Wang Renyong hadn't reacted quickly and pulled Qingcheng along in a serpentine pattern, they would have been riddled with bullets long ago.
Wang Renyong cursed under his breath and told Qingcheng to run in the other direction, otherwise, if they caught two people, the organization would suffer a great loss. Qingcheng nodded breathlessly, too exhausted to speak, and with great willpower, she started running again.
Thick, dark clouds pressed down on the sky, making it even darker. Qingcheng circled around a few times before bumping into the pursuing agents. They grinned maliciously and slowly approached.
The hunter, having spotted his prey, was not about to give up easily. Qingcheng put his hands behind his back, kept backing away, and his heart was pounding wildly in his chest, as if it was about to leap out of his chest.
Boom!
A flash of white light appeared, and a bloody gash appeared on the agent's wrist holding the gun. As he screamed in agony, Qingcheng had already snatched the gun and, with a thud, killed another agent.
The wounded agent, his eyes red, lunged at Qingcheng. The disparity in strength between men and women was vividly displayed at this moment. More and more agents gathered towards her. Qingcheng steeled her heart and fired several shots into the agent's abdomen.
Her body was already stained with blood. Qingcheng pushed the corpse aside. Before the spy could get through, a military dog rushed into the alley and ran towards Qingcheng, baring its teeth.
She didn't know where she got the strength, but the moment the dog pounced, the sharp blade in her hand accurately pierced the dog's neck. However, she was still too weak, and the knife didn't go deep. The dog didn't die; it rolled over, arched its back, and assumed an attacking posture, but it was bleeding and moving more slowly than before.
"You bastard!" Kiyosumi's hand gripping the knife hilt trembled slightly. She wiped the blood from her face, switched hands, and prepared for the impending fierce battle.
The dog launched another attack, but Qingcheng used the momentum to roll away, dodging the sharp teeth. She grabbed the dog's wound and, with a swift movement of her left hand, plunged the knife into its flesh. The dog resisted, struggling desperately to leap up, and Qingcheng was about to lose control.
Bang! Blood splattered all over her face.
Qingcheng was startled, and the vicious dog in front of her suddenly collapsed to the ground, a lot of white goo gushing out of the blood hole on its skull.
Li Sheng's face suddenly appeared before her eyes. He pulled off a spy's clothes and urged, "Qingcheng, change your clothes quickly."
Upon seeing her comrade, Kiyosumi was so overjoyed that her legs went weak and she knelt down. Before she could express her gratitude, she hurriedly changed her clothes, her arms too weak to move.
The chaotic footsteps were close at hand, but Qingcheng hadn't changed yet. Li Sheng's face darkened, and he turned around and shouted towards the alleyway, "Don't come in, there's a sniper."
As if to complement his words, bang, the ensuing gunshots rang out across the heavens and earth.
With a rumble, the dark clouds that had been holding back all day transformed into huge raindrops, pattering down on the bluestone slabs and silencing all other noises.
Looking at the dog's corpse, several fragments flashed through Qingcheng's mind. It was different from before. She frantically used a knife to gouge out the bloody hole in the dog's head.
Finally, she dug out the bullet. Without time to examine it closely, the anxious Li Sheng pulled Qingcheng's arm over his shoulder and led her into the group of spies.
"My brother is injured, and I need to take him to the hospital." Li Sheng's explanation went unnoticed, and with his wet hair sticking to his face and obscuring his features, the agent nodded to him.
The remaining military dogs sniffed around Qingcheng and his companion, whimpered, and lay back down on the ground. They were then successfully transferred to Li Sheng's car.
With a thud of the accelerator, Kiyosumi was finally out of danger. Only then did she have time to unfold the bullet she was holding in her hand. It was a ZB-26, and it was indeed different.
When the military dog's body was transported to a roadblock, the dog handler pointed at the secret agents with heartache and cursed, "Our junior soldiers from the military law department were only lent to you to track down the Communist Party, not to be your vanguard suicide squad to die for you."
"Heh, it's just a dog. CC will compensate you for the price." The agent replied nonchalantly.
"Compensate? You couldn't afford to compensate even if you gave your life." The dog trainer's eyes were red as he choked back tears as he stroked his beloved dog's body.
"Watch your mouth, you bastard! How dare you compare me to a dog!" The agent sneered and pointed his gun at the dog trainer.
Suddenly, the crowd parted to make way for them, and all the officers saluted in unison. A military dog led the way, marching in formation. Behind it, the dog walker was tall and slender, wearing a wet military green cloak, holding a chain in one hand and a box of Kaisiling pastries in the other, looking quite relaxed.
"Councilor Gao, a young soldier has died in the line of duty," the dog handler cried out pitifully, tears dripping onto the body.
"It's just a dog. We'll compensate you; we won't renege on our debt. Please rest assured, sir." The agent holstered his gun, but his attitude remained arrogant even after seeing Gao Junxiao.
Those watching felt a strong killing intent around them. Gao Junxiao smiled and loosened the iron chain in his hand, and the military dog lunged at the spy, its mournful howl almost drowning out the torrential rain outside.
A group of grown men just stood there watching, no one daring to step forward to help. They all knew that even if they weren't afraid of dogs, anyone would tremble in the face of well-trained military dogs.
"Stop!" With Gao Junxiao's command, the military dog immediately released the mangled human leg and lay on the ground with its tongue lolling out.
The man was injured, and his anger had been vented. The team leader quickly stepped in to smooth things over, ordering his men to take the injured agent to the hospital for treatment. Gao Junxiao smiled and apologized to the team leader, explaining that his hand had slipped in the rain and that the headquarters would cover the medical expenses, so there was no need to worry. The team leader didn't dare to breathe, nodded in farewell, and made an excuse to go to the hospital with him.
After the onlookers dispersed, Gao Junxiao handed the cake box to Lu Xian, stepped forward and patted the dog trainer's head, gently telling him that a real man sheds blood but not tears, and to give the little soldier a proper burial, and that he would ask the commander to posthumously confer a title upon him later.
The dog handler wiped away his tears and respectfully saluted Gao Junxiao. Gao Junxiao touched the cold dog's body and sighed repeatedly.
At this moment, a fist-sized wound on the dog's head caught his attention. He leaned closer to examine it closely, and a thoughtful expression appeared on Gao Junxiao's face.
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