Ling Yichen's fingers trembled slightly with tension as he gripped the trigger tightly. The black-clad men in front of him formed an impenetrable encirclement, their gleaming weapons radiating a chilling aura in the dim light. The masked man beside him was equally vigilant. Their fates were now intertwined, and the secret of the chip, like a lone lamp in the darkness, remained to be seen, unsure if it could be illuminated in this life-or-death struggle.
Ling Yichen took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, but the tense atmosphere in the air was like an invisible net, binding him tightly. The pungent smell of gunpowder mixed with the damp, musty smell unique to the basement made him frown involuntarily. His gaze swept across the faces of the men in black, trying to find a weakness, but the cold eyes of the men in black sent a chill down his spine, as if he were facing a group of emotionless killing machines.
"You think you can kill us? Not so easy!" Ling Yichen shouted, his voice echoing in the empty room, carrying a desperate resolve. Though his voice was firm, the slight tremor at the end betrayed his inner tension. The masked man beside him gripped his dagger tightly, his body tense, ready for battle at any moment.
The leader of the men in black sneered, a laugh as sinister as the cry of an owl in the silence. "You're not getting away today. Hand over the chip obediently, and maybe we'll spare your lives." As he spoke, the man in black slowly approached, the weapon in his hand gleaming coldly in the lamplight.
Ling Yichen's heart skipped a beat. He instinctively gripped the chip in his pocket, as if it were his last lifeline. "Don't even think about it. Come and take it if you dare!" Ling Yichen retorted defiantly, while simultaneously signaling to the masked man to prepare to break through.
Suddenly, the lights in the room flickered a few times and then went out, plunging the world into darkness. Ling Yichen was startled; he knew this was a good opportunity to break out, but the darkness also made the situation more dangerous. The acrid smell of gunpowder permeated the darkness, and he heard the shouts and footsteps of the men in black, echoing in all directions, making it impossible to discern their direction.
"Follow me!" Ling Yichen whispered to the masked man, and the two cautiously moved towards the edge of the room. In the darkness, their footsteps made a slight scraping sound on the ground, each step taken with extreme care. Ling Yichen's eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, and he saw a ventilation duct ahead; perhaps they could find a way out there.
Just as they were about to reach the ventilation duct, a blinding flashlight beam shone, instantly illuminating their figures. "There they are! Grab them!" the man in black shouted in the darkness, followed by a burst of gunfire that shattered the silence.
Ling Yichen and the masked man quickly took cover behind a piece of equipment. Bullets struck the equipment with a series of "bangs," sending sparks flying. Ling Yichen's heart pounded rapidly; he could hear his own heartbeat exceptionally clear amidst the gunfire, as if it were about to burst through his chest. Through the gaps in the equipment, he saw the man in black approaching them, his weapon gleaming coldly.
"This can't go on. We have to find a way to break through," the masked man said anxiously, his voice tinged with despair.
Ling Yichen nodded. He looked around and noticed a small door on the other side of the room. "We'll break out through that small door. The terrain there is complicated, and they won't be able to catch up easily," Ling Yichen said.
The two exchanged a glance, then simultaneously rose and rushed towards the small door. Their footsteps pounded on the ground, followed by shouts and gunshots from the men in black. Ling Yichen could feel the bullets whizzing past his ears; the sharp sound sent chills down his spine.
Finally, they reached the small door. Ling Yichen pushed hard, only to find it locked. His heart sank; he knew he was in dire straits. Just then, the masked man pulled a key from his pocket and quickly unlocked the door.
"How did you get the key?" Ling Yichen asked in surprise.
The masked man didn't answer, but simply pulled Ling Yichen and rushed into the passageway behind the door. The passageway was filled with a damp, nauseating stench mixed with a faint putrid smell. Ling Yichen and the masked man ran desperately through the narrow passage, the cobblestone path beneath their feet uneven, each step fraught with danger. Their breathing was rapid and heavy, echoing through the passageway like the footsteps of death itself.
Suddenly, Ling Yichen heard a violent explosion behind him. He instinctively turned around and saw the room engulfed in flames, with flames shooting into the sky. "What happened?" Ling Yichen was filled with doubt. He didn't know how the explosion was caused. Was there a problem within the men in black, or was someone else secretly helping them?
Ling Yichen and the masked man had no time to think; they continued running forward. After running for a while, they discovered that the end of the passage was a huge basement, filled with all sorts of strange equipment and emitting a pungent chemical smell.
Ling Yichen's gaze swept across the basement, and he saw a huge screen displaying strange symbols and numbers. His eyes lit up instantly; he knew these symbols and numbers might be related to the secrets of the chip.
He slowly walked towards the screen, his gun poised to fire. Suddenly, he heard a slight noise coming from a corner of the basement. Startled, he quickly raised his gun and pointed it at the source of the sound. "Who's there? Come out!" he shouted.
A figure stood up from the corner. Ling Yichen recognized the person; it was the policeman who had helped him before. "It's you? What are you doing here?" Ling Yichen asked in surprise.
The police officer didn't answer, but instead gave a strange smile. "You think I'm here to help you? How naive," the officer said coldly.
Ling Yichen's heart sank; he realized he had been betrayed. Just then, the basement door was flung open, and a group of men in black rushed in. The leader of the men in black looked at Ling Yichen and the masked man, and said with a sneer, "You won't escape today."
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