Chapter Sixty-Eight: Taking Action

The malfunctioning elevator was eerily silent; it seemed the rescue team had yet to arrive, and Ning Shuyi’s heart grew restless. The square-faced man from earlier was clearly vigilant and cautious. With the two of them lingering on this floor, another encounter would undoubtedly arouse suspicion, possibly alerting them and spoiling everything—a consequence far too grave.

Unable to set her mind at ease, she tiptoed back, eager to inform Huo Yan of the unexpected situation so they could devise a plan together. But when she reached the intersection, Huo Yan’s figure was nowhere to be found. Ning Shuyi pressed on, crossing the door midway down the corridor. Through the thundering music, she could faintly hear the hubbub inside. It wasn’t the usual chatter—there were sounds of a scuffle.

A chill swept through her. Had Huo Yan, upon being discovered, rushed in alone? In that instant, she understood why Captain Dong had told her to keep an eye on Huo Yan. The other side had five men; she and Huo Yan were only two, and her own hand-to-hand combat skills just barely passed muster. Yet circumstances left her no choice. However unimpressive her grappling technique, she could at least lend a hand and ensure Huo Yan wasn’t left to fight alone.

Ning Shuyi took a deep breath and strode forward. She had barely stepped out when, from inside, the young man with bleached yellow hair—the same one who’d ushered them out earlier—came bolting toward her, panic written all over him, a knife gripped tightly in his hand.

Clearly, he hadn’t expected someone to be blocking the corridor. Seeing Ning Shuyi startled him, and he quickly glanced behind her, relieved to find no one else.

“Move aside! Don’t make me hurt you!” he barked, brandishing his knife menacingly.

Ning Shuyi hadn’t anticipated such a tense standoff with the yellow-haired youth. Recovering quickly, she spun around and dashed to the corridor door, slamming it shut.

She might not be able to take on several thugs alone, but at least she could prevent anyone from escaping under these circumstances.

“What are you doing?!” The yellow-haired youth wasn’t truly ruthless; he grew agitated seeing Ning Shuyi lock the door and stand guard, determined to let no one pass.

Despite his panic, he forced himself to act fierce, shouting as he charged at her, “I’m telling you, get out of the way and open the door! Or I’ll poke a few holes in you—don’t come crying then!”

Ning Shuyi stood firm at the door. Though she’d spent years working in the field, she’d never been cornered like this, especially by a knife-wielding criminal. Knowing she lacked the advantage in strength, she never overestimated herself. As the yellow-haired youth lunged, she reached to her waist, retrieving the pepper spray she always carried.

Against someone stronger, even if she had a knife, she might not be able to turn the tide. But pepper spray, deployed unexpectedly, was far more effective than a weapon that could easily be snatched away.

As she calculated the perfect moment to spray, a lithe figure darted from behind the yellow-haired youth. In a flash, before he could even turn, someone yanked him off balance from behind.

Huo Yan moved with the agility of a leopard. His grappling technique was swift and clean; in the blink of an eye, the blustering yellow-haired youth was disarmed and pinned, his arms twisted behind him, Huo Yan’s knee pressing him down so he couldn’t move at all. The knife skittered several meters across the tiled floor.

“Planning to poke a few holes in someone, are you?” Huo Yan sneered, his gaze mocking as he looked at the humiliated youth. “Go on, get up! Pick up your knife—do it if you dare!”

The yellow-haired youth was terrified but, stung by the taunt, somehow managed to summon a bit more courage, struggling desperately to break free.

But his efforts were feeble, like the Monkey King trapped beneath the Buddha’s palm—he couldn’t budge.

Huo Yan pressed harder with his knee, eliciting a pained grunt. He looked down with contempt. “Brandishing a weapon in front of me—did you take me for dead?”

He glanced up at Ning Shuyi, who seemed stunned. “Are you alright?”

Ning Shuyi snapped back, waved her hand to signal she was fine, tucked the pepper spray away, and asked, “What about the others inside?”

“They’re all subdued. Don’t worry—they won’t be escaping anytime soon,” Huo Yan replied.

Ning Shuyi was a little surprised. Huo Yan hadn’t been inside long, and the four men there were hardly pushovers—had he really taken care of them all?

As if sensing her surprise and doubt, Huo Yan’s next actions provided an answer. He deftly gripped the yellow-haired youth’s arm, and with a twist and pull, the youth cried out in pain.

Repeating the motion, Huo Yan lifted his knee from the youth’s back, stood up, and dusted his hands as if repulsed by the contact.

The youth lay sprawled on the floor like a dead dog, save for his constant groans of pain, arms pressed to the ground, motionless.

“His arm…?” Ning Shuyi guessed the truth but wasn’t entirely sure.

“Dislocated—joint out of place. He won’t dare to move,” Huo Yan replied calmly. “We’re shorthanded, so this is the only way to keep them controlled.”

“And the four inside…?”

“The same,” Huo Yan nodded.

Ning Shuyi hurried forward, stepping around the yellow-haired youth to the door. Peering inside, she saw the others in even worse shape; not only were their arms motionless, but they themselves lay sprawled, unconscious.

Turning back, before she could ask what had happened, she noticed the yellow-haired youth had fallen silent as well, lying motionless on the floor.