Ahead lay a ring road, and following the signs, I knew Tu had decided to "kidnap" me and take me back. A sense of unease crept into my heart—I didn't really need to stay, but Old Thorin's strange attitude before his farewell had given me a vague feeling of unease, and I had an urge to fulfill his promise!
“Listen, Tu! I’m the boss, you have to listen to me.” My face darkened. “Damn it… I have to go back! At the very least, I need to rescue the princess.”
“Sorry, I have no choice but to knock you out.” Tu glanced at me, gripped the steering wheel with one hand, and then raised his hand to chop at my neck. Although I couldn't move my lower body, seeing his hand coming, I immediately raised my arm to defend myself. Tu's hand cut my wrist, and I winced in pain. My years of martial arts training made me instinctively reach for his wrist, but Tu's wrist was as flexible as a snake. The moment I touched his skin, he flung me away, and then his fingers were already on my neck…
"Tu! Listen to me!" I roared. "Damn it! Can't you stop being so dogmatic?! You're not a soldier anymore! This isn't some death mission! Do you understand?! You're a human being now! Not the killing machine you used to be! Only machines don't know how to adapt! Do you hear me?!"
Finally, as if my words had an effect, Tu's hand, though it had touched my neck, paused and didn't exert any force...
From the side, Tu's eyebrows seemed to twitch, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes, before he silently withdrew his hand.
My heart suddenly tightened, and I whispered, "I'm sorry... Tu, I shouldn't have said that."
“No, it’s alright, boss.” Tu suddenly turned to look at me and actually smiled. “You’re right. I’m a human being, not a machine. This isn’t a mission, so I shouldn’t be so rigid. That’s right… being flexible is what humans do.”
"...Thank you." I breathed a sigh of relief.
Tu stopped talking, silently glancing at the road sign ahead. Then we took an exit and headed back towards Toronto…
*********
A strange feeling compelled me to find a way to rescue the princess. But before that, our first problem was... evading the police.
This is incredibly frustrating. Because of the airport explosion, we managed to escape in the chaos, and Tu even took out several gunmen who were lying in ambush and attacking us. But then we drove through the fence to get out of the parking lot, causing several accidents along the way. And when facing pursuers, Tu openly shot and blew up a car on the highway, causing another chain-reaction collision…
Most importantly, we also robbed a private car! According to the car owner who reported the theft, the police are definitely looking for us now.
Although I have connections and good relations with the Canadian police, that's limited to the Vancouver area! This is Toronto! The police here are affiliated with the Hells Angels. Old Thorin is dead, and I don't expect the police to be impartial. If Allen has bribed the police, I'll be in trouble. So, if the police find us, it's the same as Allen finding us.
We drove onto a road not far from the city center, and then found a store that sells all kinds of medical equipment. Tu went in and got a wheelchair, and then we continued on our way.
“Boss, you’re a madman.” Tu commented on me: “Among my former instructors and superiors, there were a few who were not normal. But you are the madst one I’ve ever met. You can’t move anymore, yet you still want to run to rescue people from a huge underground organization.”
We stopped in the parking lot of a motel, and Tu pushed me out of the car in a wheelchair and into the motel.
The hotel's first floor was a restaurant. When we entered, the restaurant was empty, without a single customer. A plump waitress standing behind the counter glanced at us, then walked out listlessly and invited us to sit down: "What would you like to eat?"
"Coffee, and a plate of bagels," I replied casually. Then I looked at the television hanging above the counter; the news was broadcasting the latest updates on the airport bombing.
Tu sat down opposite me: "Alright, boss, now tell me what you need me to do next."
"I'm starting to feel helpless." I shook my head: "Why did I have to be paralyzed..."
“Indeed, you are a huge burden to me now,” Tu said without any attempt to hide it. “And you want to go and rescue people… You mean, you want me to do the rescue?”
"I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid." I smirked. "Saving people is the best-case scenario. If that princess is already dead, do you expect me to go to the King of Hell and snatch her back? Oh... by the way, you're not Chinese, so you don't know who the King of Hell is." I paused, then slowly said, "We need some intelligence, or rather, some information. I need to know if Allen has taken control of everything after Old Thorin's death. Or if the princess is leading a force in resistance. Or if Allen has already taken control of the situation, seized Old Thorin's palace, and killed the princess. We don't know any of this."
“Boss…” Tu looked out the window: “Whatever your plans are… you’d better hurry.”
"What's wrong?"
Tu didn't speak; he was looking outside.
Looking out the window, I saw a patrol car parked on the side of the road in the distance. Two police officers were cautiously walking towards the parking lot outside the motel. They had spotted our car!
That white private car.
While conducting the inspection, the police officer spoke into his walkie-talkie, clearly verifying information such as the license plate and the car's model.
"Looks like the guy whose car we stole has already called the police." I frowned.
“You’d better decide quickly,” Tu said calmly. “Based on my observation, this restaurant has three exits: a front one leading to the parking lot, a side door that leads to the main street, and a back door, but we need to go through the kitchen to get out. Judging from the direction, the back door is the safest exit, because restaurant kitchen back doors are usually in secluded alleys. But the drawback is that we need a car. We can’t find any transportation to get out of the alley, and your current mobility is also limited.”
Seeing my slightly surprised look, Tu said calmly, "Don't be surprised, it's a professional habit. I always observe these situations first wherever I go." He turned his head to look at the police in the distance outside the window, who were checking cars. Tu said calmly, "Boss, what are you planning to do? Are you going to force your way out? Or retreat through the back door? If you want to force your way out, I'm sure we can find weapons in this restaurant. There's definitely a shotgun hidden on the shelf behind that counter, that's a common practice for shop owners. There's also an alarm button under the cash register, and there's a 30% chance there's a handgun hidden there. I can take care of that big male waiter in two seconds, and the female waitress can be ignored..."
I smiled wryly: "You have a very keen eye for detail."
Tu shook his head: "I can also tell you that there are nine cars parked in the parking lot outside. I can name the model of each car, and I can even tell you how to start each car in ten seconds without a key using various methods. Boss... this isn't observation skills, it's a trained professional habit." He glanced at me: "Alright, now you can decide."
I laughed, then glanced at Tu: "Hmm... what you said earlier, even if we need to evacuate here, we'll need at least one vehicle, right?" I looked out the window and pointed to the police car parked on the street not far away: "How about that car?"
Tu gave me a deep look, then slowly said, "I'll repeat myself... you're a madman, boss."
Then he sighed, stopped looking at me, stood up, strode to the counter, lifted the panel, and went behind the counter.
"Hey! What are you doing!" The chubby waitress behind the counter shouted warily as soon as Tu entered. A burly waiter nearby rushed over immediately: "Hey! Get out!"
Suddenly, Tu moved!
He only had a napkin in his hand, but suddenly he twitched it and quickly wrapped it around the waiter's wrist. With a twist and a lift, the waiter screamed as his wrist was twisted and he couldn't move. He immediately knelt down on his side, and Tu easily punched him in the chin, knocking him unconscious.
The plump waitress behind her froze for a moment, then immediately screamed. Tu grabbed a fork from the table and quickly shoved it into her mouth: "If you scream, your throat will be pierced."
The waitress, her mouth stuffed with a fork, turned pale with fright and dared not move. Tu grabbed the back of her neck and pressed down gently, causing her to collapse limply.
The police outside had already begun to approach the restaurant's door, but Tu calmly slipped under the counter and quickly pulled out a pistol. He then walked around the counter, calmly loading a magazine as he went...
At this time, the police outside were still about 20 meters away from the restaurant door.
Tu remained calm, first walking to the side and locking the side door, then slowly pulling down the blinds and carefully flipping over a "CLOSE" sign.
At this time, the police outside were about ten meters away from the restaurant door.
Tu slowly walked behind the counter, casually pushed open the kitchen door, glanced inside, then closed and locked it. He also used a knife to cut the telephone line.
Just then, the police officers outside stepped onto the restaurant's entrance steps.
Tu had already circled around and slowly walked to the restaurant entrance.
The first policeman had just pushed open the restaurant door when Tu's fist struck him in the stomach. One punch, and the policeman went limp. Tu immediately grabbed him after the punch. At the same time, his gun was already pressed against the forehead of the second policeman behind him. That policeman's hand was barely a third of the way to his holster.
Throughout the entire process, I just sat there, watching Tu calmly complete each task...
He was incredibly composed! So composed it was almost quiet! So quiet it was almost elegant! He seemed to have calculated every second perfectly! First, he closed the restaurant's other two exits, then drew the side windows, preventing people on the side street from seeing what was happening inside. He cut the phone line, and only then did he walk to the restaurant door and wait for the two policemen to push it open themselves before striking decisively!
easy!
When Tu Na handcuffed the two policemen to the ground, I checked the time...
From the moment he started dealing with the waiters in the restaurant to the moment he subdued the police, it took less than two minutes. More importantly, he didn't make a fuss, he didn't even fire a gun. He quietly took care of four grown men.
As Tu pushed us out of the restaurant in his wheelchair, he didn't forget to lock the door and unplug the power before leaving, turning off the lights and sign outside. Then he casually hung up the "CLOSE" sign.
“They won’t wake up for at least an hour, and they won’t cause us any trouble,” Tu said calmly. “I’ve checked the hotel’s registration records. There are no guests.”
Once inside the police car, Tu immediately turned on the radio.
“This is the police’s internal public information platform. The radio will report all kinds of cases that happen in each block to the patrol cars on the street,” Tu said calmly. “I think we will hear the latest news about the airport bombing... and also, Thorin’s castle.”
I nodded. "If Allen really staged a coup, then there would at least be some conflict in the castle, or at least a small-scale gunfight... If Allen could take Thorin's castle without firing a shot, then old Thorin would have been killed long ago. I believe that even if Allen killed Thorin, taking the castle would still require some effort. I guess there are three possibilities. First, old Thorin's loyal followers protected the princess as she escaped... However, this possibility is very small. Since Allen could plan to blow up Thorin, he must have made arrangements in the castle as well. Second, a bloodbath has already broken out in the castle. Allen massacred the castle, purging all of old Thorin's loyal followers. However, I think this is also unlikely, because putting aside old Thorin..." Lin has been in power for many years and has many loyal followers; Allen can't easily eliminate them. Otherwise, Allen would have overthrown old Thorin long ago. Therefore, the third possibility is that Allen has surrounded the castle with his men and is currently in a standoff with those stubbornly resisting inside. Old Thorin is dead, and the remaining forces are largely defeated. Allen doesn't need to launch a major offensive; he can simply use his power to force a peaceful resolution. So, the question now is how long the people inside the castle can hold out. If Allen has already succeeded, then we don't need to exert any effort; we can just turn back to Vancouver. At worst, we can burn some paper money for old Thorin—that would be enough to honor him. If Allen hasn't succeeded yet, then we need to find a way to rescue them.”
As I spoke, I picked up a car phone and dialed the number in Thorin's castle!
A few seconds later, I put down the phone and laughed, "Looks like we're in for a lot of work... Clearly, Allen hasn't succeeded yet. The people in the castle are still locked in a standoff."
Tu drove forward, saying calmly, "How did you figure that out, boss?"
“Because the phone lines are down.” A complicated expression crossed my face. “Remember when we were ambushed in that small town in Kunshan? The other side used equipment to block communication signals. Obviously, if Allen wanted to stage a coup, he would also cut off the castle’s communication with the outside world when he surrounded it. The interruption of communication means that Allen has not yet succeeded. If he had successfully taken control of the castle, then the communication inside the castle should have been restored by now.”
The radio inside the police car broadcast news and updates on various cases occurring in different parts of the city. The lights on the walkie-talkie inside the car also flashed, indicating that the police headquarters was trying to contact the police car.
“At most thirty minutes. The police will find out that one of their patrol cars is ‘out of control.’” Tu said calmly. “Boss, robbing a police car was also part of your plan, right? You should know that after we rob a police car, we will be discovered very quickly. Because according to routine, patrol officers will contact headquarters regularly. If there is no contact for a long time, the police will find that a patrol car is out of control. Then all the police in the surrounding area will swarm around us like flies!”
I chuckled. "Is there even a question...? Sound the sirens, Tu, make a big commotion! We're heading to the castle now."
"Like I said, boss, you're crazy." Tu said slowly, then quickly turned on the siren, and the police car sped off down the highway...
“There’s a tunnel ahead. After we go through it, we turn left onto Highway 4, then go two blocks and cross an intersection. Then we take Highway 9 and follow it down; that’s the castle.” Tu said slowly as he drove. “I’ve estimated it. If we go at full speed, it will take about thirty minutes. If we encounter any obstacles, there might be a delay, possibly adding another twenty minutes.”
I glanced at him: "I think this is your first time in Toronto? You seem to know the roads very well?"
"You forgot? I looked at the traffic map on the way back from the airport just now," Tu said calmly.
I widened my eyes: "You only glanced at it a few times, less than a minute."
“It’s a professional habit, boss.” Tu pointed to his head: “The map is right here now.”
After we crossed a block, suddenly we heard sirens behind us! Two police cars roared up from behind, and a police motorcycle was also closing in from a side road!
"Boss, it seems the police have found out." Tu smiled.
“Very good.” I laughed. “If Allen sees that we’ve brought a large number of police to the castle, won’t he be surprised? Hehe… Well, the premise is that your driving skills can guarantee that we won’t be stopped by the police halfway.”
"Trust your expertise, boss." Tu raised an eyebrow, then quickly shifted gears. Accelerate!
With a whoosh of sirens, and a convoy of police cars following behind, we entered a tunnel...
The light in the tunnel suddenly dimmed, and I immediately turned around to observe the police car chasing us. The police car even used its horn to warn us to stop.
One...two, three...um...
That's too little.
I frowned: "Too few... If we only take three or four police cars to the castle, it probably won't be enough."
"You mean, make an even bigger commotion?" Tu glanced at me and said softly, "As you wish, boss."
After saying that, he suddenly freed one hand to draw his pistol and pointed it out the window...
Bang!!
A gunshot rang out, and Tu shot out the tire of a passing car coming from the opposite direction! The car immediately let out a shrill screech of brakes, and then, in the rearview mirror, I clearly saw it crash head-on into the wall next to the tunnel. The car behind it couldn't avoid it in time and also crashed into it. Then... bang bang bang bang.
It's impossible to know how many cars couldn't stop in time, resulting in a series of rear-end collisions! In an instant, people and cars were overturned in the tunnel, and countless cars crashed into each other.
Tu put away his gun, slowly rolled up the car window, and said calmly, "Alright, now I guarantee that there will be at least three times as many police cars chasing us later."
Sure enough, after we finally emerged from the tunnel and crossed two more blocks, we heard the sound of a propeller in the sky. Looking up, we saw a helicopter with police markings circling overhead, closely following us.
"See, I wasn't wrong, boss." Tu curled his lip: "They've even deployed planes."
At that moment, on the information platform inside the police car, a police officer was loudly cursing: "All nearby police cars, follow them! I'm going to catch these bastards who dare to steal police cars!!!"
Part Three: The Pinnacle, Chapter One Hundred - The Great Melee
The police car's side mirrors were smashed off, the left door was deeply dented, the windshield was chipped, the hood was twisted and deformed, and the headlights were shattered.
We made it through three checkpoints and roadblocks along the way. If it were a regular car, it would have been stopped long ago. Luckily, we were a police car with special tires, so when we faced a roadblock with nails laid out on the ground, we easily drove over it without the tires bursting.
Along the way, we crashed into at least four police cars, and at one point we were almost overtaken by them. We even exchanged a few shots. The unluckiest one was a policeman on a motorcycle. Because Tu braked suddenly, he didn't have time to stop and crashed into us, then tumbled into a flower shop on the side of the road.
Another police car tried to speed up and force us to stop, but Tu rammed into it, breaking a fire hydrant on the roadside. A jet of water shot into the sky, almost blowing down the police helicopter that had been following us.
When we finally made our way onto Highway 9, a heart-stopping chase, we were followed by seven or eight police cars, and a police helicopter was overhead. Sirens blared deafeningly. What infuriated the police most was that our lead car, the one being pursued, was brazenly speeding along with its siren blaring, causing many pedestrians and those unaware of the situation to wonder: "Why is a whole convoy of police cars driving recklessly on the road? Are they arresting criminals? But we only see police cars, not criminals."