The blazing flames licked the edges of the metal cage, crackling and popping. The acrid smell of burning mixed with thick smoke kept flooding into the nostrils of Ling Yichen, Li Yang, and the girl, making it difficult for them to breathe. The cold back of the man in sunglasses was gradually disappearing into the distance, as if taking away their last hope of uncovering the secrets of the new drama.
Ling Yichen gripped the metal cage bars tightly with both hands, shaking it violently, but the sturdy metal cage remained unmoved, only emitting dull thuds, as if mercilessly mocking their futile efforts. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared angrily at the departing car, the pungent smell of its exhaust fumes seeming like a mark of humiliation left by the enemy. "Damn it! I can't be trapped here like this," he said through gritted teeth, his voice hoarse with anger and anxiety.
Li Yang stood up, looking around for a way to escape. The raging fire around him emitted intense heat, burning his skin and causing large beads of sweat to roll down his forehead, evaporating instantly on the dusty ground. His vision struggled to navigate through the firelight and smoke, seeing only a scene of despair. "This cage is too sturdy. We have to find a way to open it," Li Yang said, panting heavily, his voice weak amidst the howling flames.
The girl huddled in the corner, hugging her knees, her body trembling slightly. Her eyes were red and swollen from the smoke, tears streaming down her face, blurring her vision. The acrid smell of burning and smoke made her cough incessantly, each cough feeling like it was going to rip out her lungs. "Are we going to never get out of here?" the girl cried, her voice filled with despair.
Hearing the girl's words, Ling Yichen's heart tightened. He walked to her side, squatted down, and comforted her, "Don't be afraid, we will definitely get out. I promise." Although his voice was firm, he wasn't entirely sure.
Just then, a sharp siren blared from afar, piercing the suffocating tension. Ling Yichen's heart leaped with joy, thinking the police were coming to their rescue. But as he listened more closely, he realized the siren was fading into the distance, seemingly heading in the opposite direction. "What's going on? Haven't the police found us?" Ling Yichen wondered, his hope instantly dashed.
Li Yang frowned as well: "Perhaps they've been distracted by other things. We can't rely on others; we can only rely on ourselves."
Ling Yichen took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He examined the metal cage again and noticed a small ventilation opening at the bottom. Although the opening was small, it might be a way to escape. "Look, this ventilation opening, can we find a way to enlarge it?" Ling Yichen said, pointing to the opening.
Li Yang and the girl looked in the direction Ling Yichen was pointing, a glimmer of hope igniting in their eyes. "But we don't have any tools, how can we enlarge the ventilation shaft?" the girl asked.
Ling Yichen pondered for a moment, then suddenly thought of a solution. He took off his coat, tucked a corner of it into the gap in the vent, and then pulled hard. "Perhaps we can use the friction of the fabric to widen the gap in the vent," Ling Yichen said.
Li Yang and the girl joined in, and the three of them pulled hard on the clothes together. The sound of metal rubbing against the clothes was piercing and seemed particularly sharp in the open environment. With each pull, Ling Yichen could feel the metal vibrate, and the vibration was transmitted through the clothes to his hands, making them hurt.
After some effort, the gap in the vent was indeed widened a bit. Ling Yichen was delighted. He continued to work harder, sweat pouring down his forehead, dripping onto the metal with a hissing sound. The pungent smell of sweat mixed with the surrounding smoke and burning odor, making the air even more unpleasant.
Just as the gap in the ventilation vent was widened enough, Ling Yichen suddenly heard faint footsteps approaching from afar. Startled, he immediately stopped what he was doing and gestured for Li Yang and the girl to be quiet. The three of them held their breath, listening intently as the footsteps grew closer.
"Who is it?" Ling Yichen asked in a low voice, his voice filled with vigilance.
The footsteps stopped in front of the metal cage, and a figure slowly appeared before them. Ling Yichen looked closely and realized it was the thin girl he had met in the warehouse earlier. "It's you? What are you doing here?" Ling Yichen asked in surprise.
The girl didn't answer. She took a key out of her pocket and, to Ling Yichen and the others' surprise, unlocked the metal cage. "Come with me. There's no time to explain." With that, the girl turned and ran off in one direction.
Ling Yichen, Li Yang, and the girl exchanged a glance. Although filled with doubt, they followed without hesitation. They traversed the ruins, surrounded by smoke and a pungent smell. The path beneath their feet was rugged and uneven, every step fraught with danger.
After running for a while, the girl led them to a secluded basement. The basement was filled with a damp, musty smell, and the dim, flickering lights made them feel uneasy.
"Where is this? Why did you save us?" Ling Yichen asked.
The girl took a deep breath and said, "I work for a competitor, and I've never agreed with their methods. I know the secret of the new show, and I know you're looking for it. I want to help you."
Ling Yichen was overjoyed: "Really? You really know the secret of the new drama?"
The girl nodded: "Yes, but the secret is encrypted, and we need to find a special decoder to decrypt it."
"Where is the decoder?" Li Yang asked anxiously.
The girl hesitated for a moment, then said, "The decoder is in my boss's office, which is heavily guarded. It will be very difficult to get the decoder there."
Ling Yichen gritted his teeth: "No matter how difficult it is, we have to try. The fate of the new drama is in our hands."
Just as they were about to discuss how to obtain the decoder, a violent crash suddenly came from the basement entrance. Ling Yichen was startled; he knew that the man in sunglasses must have discovered their escape and was chasing after them.
"What do we do? They're coming after us!" the girl exclaimed in terror.
Ling Yichen quickly looked around, trying to find another exit. But there was only one entrance to the basement, and they had nowhere to escape. "We can't just sit here and wait to die; we have to find a way to stop them," Ling Yichen said.
The crashing grew louder, and the basement door seemed poised to be smashed open at any moment. Ling Yichen, Li Yang, and the girl stood tensely in place, awaiting their unknown fate. Just how powerful was the man in sunglasses? Could they find a way out of this desperate situation, obtain the decoder, and uncover the secrets of the new drama? Everything remained uncertain, and they stood on the edge of fate, awaiting their judgment…
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