"Liu Yiyi! Liu Yiyi... cough, cough..." Zhao Qiang shouted twice before choking and coughing.
Damn it, it can't be here anymore. Zhao Qiang turned and left the hall. If he really wanted to go downstairs to look for it, Zhao Qiang wasn't sure how many floors he could find. The smoke was so thick here, you could imagine what the situation was like downstairs. Even if he was out of his mind, he had to think about his own life. He couldn't risk his life for a few words of praise from Xu Xiaoya.
"Zhao... Zhao, Zhao Qiang, I... I'm here." Suddenly, a weak voice called out in the hall. Zhao Qiang didn't hear it clearly at first, took two steps forward, then realized what it meant and stepped back. "Liu Yiyi? Liu Yiyi? Is that you?"
A weak voice came from near the stage: "It's...it's me, I'm injured, cough..." It was a miracle that Liu Yiyi hadn't been knocked unconscious by the smoke or trampled to death. When Zhao Qiang went over, he realized that Liu Yiyi was right below the stage when the alarm went off. This was the innermost part of the banquet hall, and while everyone was rushing out, the inside was the safest place. But the unlucky Liu Yiyi was hit on both thighs by a table that fell from the stage, so she couldn't escape with the crowd and could only wait to die here.
The question of why the thick smoke hadn't killed Liu Yiyi was easily explained. Liu Yiyi was holding her coat, which was damp, indicating she had gotten water from somewhere. When Zhao Qiang bent down to move the table off her lap, he smelled an unusual odor. Zhao Qiang blushed. Liu Yiyi had solved her water problem herself. Although it was extremely shameful, what did it matter if she drank it to survive? Zhao Qiang would have done the same. There was a corpse lying on the ground nearby. Judging from its grotesque appearance, it must have suffered greatly before dying, possibly from the poisonous smoke. This guy was so pitiful, not as clever as Liu Yiyi.
Volume 2 [106] Unlocking
Liu Yiyi's face turned as red as a monkey's bottom. She naturally noticed Zhao Qiang's strange behavior. It must be because of the wet clothes in her hand. He knew about such a shameful thing. Even if she got out of here alive, would she still have the face to face him?
Zhao Qiang's eyes were forced open, and the toxic smoke made his eyes water. He bent down and squatted next to Liu Yiyi. "Climb up quickly, cough..." Zhao Qiang was dizzy and believed that Liu Yiyi was also holding on. Suddenly, a fierce flame burst up in the corridor outside the hall, and the entire entrance was engulfed in flames!
Liu Yiyi struggled to get onto Zhao Qiang's back. Since she couldn't use her legs, Zhao Qiang could only lift her up by her buttocks. Liu Yiyi wrapped her arms around Zhao Qiang's neck and finally got onto his back. Her body, which looked quite voluptuous, was actually not very heavy. Zhao Qiang grabbed Liu Yiyi's buttocks with one hand, and they were indeed very elastic. Compared to the last time he carried Luo Xiaowei, he felt it even more strongly. Zhao Qiang stretched out his other hand in front of him: "Xiaowei, is there any other way out of the hall? The exit is blocked by fire."
Although Zhao Qiang didn't want to expose Xiao Wei's secret, he couldn't care less about that in this critical moment. The fire had already reached the eighteenth floor, and if he didn't escape immediately, he would die here.
Xiao Wei said, "Yes! I just got the design blueprints for the Holiday Inn from the Construction Committee via Wi-Fi. There's a small door in the workroom behind the stage, and the corridor outside leads to the kitchen. Then you can go up to the roof via that staircase."
Zhao Qiang carried Luo Xiaowei into the workroom behind the stage. This used to be where Zhao Qiang repaired the sound system, but now it was a mess. The staff must have knocked over the tables and cabinets when they ran away. Under the cover of the curtain, there was indeed a small door in the corner, but it was locked! Zhao Qiang tried to turn it a few times, but to no avail.
Bang! Zhao Qiang kicked the door hard, but it didn't work. The door was a steel security door, probably to prevent someone from coming in and stealing the sound equipment in the workshop. The dust on the door made it seem like it hadn't been opened in a long time.
Zhao Qiang dared to come in to rescue Liu Yiyi for two reasons: first, at Xu Xiaoya's request, and second, because he believed he possessed special equipment. In reality, he was just an ordinary person. The main entrance was blocked by fire, and the side door was locked. Zhao Qiang kicked it several times and even tried to break it open with his body, but to no avail. He started to panic and could only continue to ask Xiao Wei for help, "Xiao Wei, this door is locked, and it's too thick for me to kick open. Can we find another way?"
Finally, Liu Yiyi couldn't help but ask from behind, "Are you talking to Luo Xiaowei? Your voice sounds off."
Zhao Qiang was in a life-or-death situation, and moreover, he couldn't expose Xiao Wei's secret, so he said bluntly, "Don't ask so many questions! Don't ask about things you shouldn't know. Let's save our lives first."
Liu Yiyi fell silent immediately after being scolded by Zhao Qiang. If it were any other time, the two of them would have definitely fallen out if Zhao Qiang spoke to her in this manner. Liu Yiyi is a very strong-willed woman, and she would not tolerate being scolded by a man like this. But now, she had to listen obediently to whatever Zhao Qiang said.
Xiao Wei said, "No, this is the only way out of the hall besides the main entrance. Brother, use your glasses and screwdriver to open it. I believe you can do it!"
"Yes, he's got the equipment!" Zhao Qiang put Liu Yiyi down on the ground. Liu Yiyi already understood that this so-called 'Xiao Wei' was not the same person as Luo Xiaowei at all. However, she couldn't figure out where this Xiao Wei Zhao Qiang was referring to was, but she didn't dare to ask. Liu Yiyi could only watch as Zhao Qiang nervously took a strange screwdriver from his waist and then inserted the screw into the lock of the security door. Could it be that Zhao Qiang wanted to use the screwdriver to open the lock of the security door? Was that even possible?
Whoosh! The fire outside burst into the hall. All the interior decoration materials were flammable, and the glass windows were already shattered. The cold wind, carrying snowflakes, fueled the fire even more fiercely. The flames spread along the decorations on the walls and burned all the way to the stage. Liu Yiyi felt a burning pain on her face, from the intense heat. In less than two minutes, the backstage workroom would also be engulfed in flames. The two of them had no way to escape. Liu Yiyi was so nervous that her stomach ached. She was only wearing a long-sleeved, tight-fitting top, and she pressed her hand hard on her smooth abdomen to relax slightly.
Zhao Qiang's forehead was covered in sweat. With trembling hands, he first adjusted the intensity of his X-ray glasses. The brass lock cylinder immediately appeared in a 3D image before his eyes. Zhao Qiang used his mind to control the shape of the screwdriver, and the tip of the screwdriver transformed into a key shape and inserted itself. Then, Zhao Qiang nervously adjusted the height and distance of each part of the key to be just right. He then tried to turn it forcefully to the left, but it didn't work! He tried to turn it to the right, but it didn't work either! The shape of the key controlled by his mind was not right!
Bang! Zhao Qiang kicked the security door hard. "Damn it!" This was the national curse of Chinese people; only this could express Zhao Qiang's feelings at that moment. Liu Yiyi couldn't help but say, "Don't be nervous, Zhao Qiang. I believe in you. We will definitely escape."
Xiao Wei also said, "Brother, don't be discouraged. You were too hasty just now. There must still be mismatched positions in the lock cylinder. Let's try again!"
Whoosh, the first flame entered the workshop, and the sound equipment inside crackled and popped. The temperature was already very high. Liu Yiyi was so hot that she could only brace herself against the door with her hands, but even that was unbearable. Her clothes felt like they were melting. Zhao Qiang pulled Liu Yiyi between himself and the security door, using his body to block the heat for her as much as possible. Although his thighs were also burning, his back was much more comfortable because of the three-proof shirt.
Liu Yiyi was deeply shocked. She had always been a strong woman who never needed a man's care or help. She ran her own company and did all the business herself. Even when she suffered scorn and bullying, she never shed a tear in front of a man. She looked down on any man around her, believing them to be unreliable lies. But now, Zhao Qiang had risked his life to come back and save her, shielding her from the flames and creating a temporary safe haven for her with his own body. Liu Yiyi finally regained the mindset of a normal woman. She needed a man's care, and her gaze towards Zhao Qiang softened.
Zhao Qiang took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Then he readjusted his X-ray glasses and inserted the screwdriver again. This time, Liu Yiyi was sitting right below the keyhole and could see it clearly. She discovered that the screwdriver in Zhao Qiang's hand had turned into the shape of a key. Liu Yiyi clearly remembered that it was a flathead screwdriver before. What was going on?
What puzzled Liu Yiyi even more was why Zhao Qiang kept touching his glasses with his right hand. Judging from his expression, it seemed that he had seen through the lock cylinder. Otherwise, how could he know that the lock cylinder and the key-shaped screwdriver were not compatible?
Bang! A loud bang, the digital amplifier on the control panel exploded. Zhao Qiang's hand trembled, and he felt an intense heat coming from behind him. Liu Yiyi was pressed tightly against Zhao Qiang's chest. Her hair was curled by the high temperature, and her clothes showed signs of melting. Her arms were stinging like needles. It was only because Zhao Qiang blocked most of the heat that she was being burned. Otherwise, she would probably have been burned.
*Whoosh!* The lock cylinder moved! Zhao Qiang shouted inwardly, "Success!" The monstrous screwdriver drove the lock cylinder to turn rapidly, and finally the security door loosened. Zhao Qiang pushed hard, knocking over a pile of clutter at the doorway. A blast of cold air rushed in. Zhao Qiang bent down, picked up Liu Yiyi, stepped out of the workshop, and then kicked the security door shut. The flames that followed immediately licked at the security door!
(Thanks to Yinmo Suichen, smilelibra, and Qingyu for the donations!)
Volume 2 [107] (Escape)
The small corridor was relatively enclosed, so there wasn't much smoke inside. However, the lights had been turned off long ago, and Zhao Qiang could only make out the surroundings by the faint firelight outside the window. After determining the direction, Zhao Qiang carried Liu Yiyi and ran into the kitchen. There were also flames inside, but the fire was not big and it was still passable. If Zhao Qiang had lingered outside any longer, the path to the kitchen would probably have been blocked.
Whoosh! A large ball of fire suddenly rolled down the stairs. It turned out to be several wall decorations that had caught fire. The upstairs was already on fire! Zhao Qiang didn't dare to waste any time. He carried Liu Yiyi and continued rushing towards the top of the stairs. Although Liu Yiyi weighed less than 100 pounds, carrying her for a long time was still a considerable burden. Zhao Qiang's legs began to tremble.
Whoosh, whoosh, flames leaped wildly in the stairwell, turning the entire stairwell into a sea of fire. Zhao Qiang's heart immediately sank to the South Pole; the fire upstairs was even fiercer than downstairs, and he was too late.
"Xiaowei, why did the fire start upstairs? Is there any other way to get up?"
Xiao Wei said, "Brother, the fire spread from outside the window. The floor with flammable materials in the window will burn sooner. We have no way out unless we go down, but that's a dead end. We have to rush up, take off our clothes and rush up. The last time I contacted the hotel's surveillance video, the floors above the 18th floor were safe."
Having already survived a life-or-death ordeal, Zhao Qiang wasn't too panicked. The first thing he did was take off his wool sweater (he had already given his coat to Xu Xiaoya), and then he took off his pants. Xiao Wei's reason for telling him to take off his clothes wasn't without reason; if the fire got on his body, the clothes would melt and stick to his skin, which would cause a lot of trouble and increase the severity of the burns.
"Take off your clothes!" Zhao Qiang ordered Liu Yiyi without any politeness. In fact, Liu Yiyi already knew why she had to take off her clothes. When the fire was at its fiercest in the workshop, she had already felt that her long-sleeved tight T-shirt was about to melt. She understood what serious consequences it would be if it melted while she was wearing it, so even if she was ashamed, she had to take it off.
The decisiveness of a strong woman was revealed at this moment. Liu Yiyi first pulled off her business skirt and took off her tattered stockings as well, leaving her only wearing a T-shirt that barely covered her. The reason she wore this kind of underwear was not because she had any special fetish, but simply because she was afraid that the underwear lines would show through her business skirt. For a respectable woman like Liu Yiyi, she would not allow her image to be in any way improper.
Then Liu Yiyi took off her long-sleeved bodysuit, revealing a black bra underneath. The cups were semi-circular, with half of her breasts exposed. Without hesitation, Liu Yiyi reached out to unfasten the bra straps. In her opinion, life was far more important than face. Besides, Zhao Qiang was the only one there. Facing this boy who was only her younger brother, she felt less pressure. Moreover, Liu Yiyi had a strong sense of dependence on Zhao Qiang at the moment. Even if Zhao Qiang said he wanted her, she would probably agree.
"Stop, stop..." Zhao Qiang finally spoke up to stop her. The scene was too erotic, but the surrounding environment didn't allow him to think too much. "Don't take any more off, this is enough." Zhao Qiang was only wearing a shirt on his upper body and a pair of underwear on his lower body. Then he tore a tablecloth off the workbench, turned on the faucet, but the water flow had already stopped. It was probably because the water pipes below had burst or the water pressurization motor had failed. However, there was a large basin of water next to him. Zhao Qiang soaked the tablecloth and draped it over Liu Yiyi's back. With the tablecloth covering her, Zhao Qiang was able to barely suppress the erection in his underwear. Even if it was dangerous outside, it was impossible not to feel something when facing a beauty like Liu Yiyi.
"I'll carry you on my back. Hold the tablecloth tight and make sure your head doesn't stick out. We're going to charge forward." Zhao Qiang picked Liu Yiyi up again. The wet tablecloth on his back would reduce the damage when they crossed the fire line.
Liu Yiyi clung tightly to Zhao Qiang's back. Apart from her bikini, she was completely naked. Such intimate contact made it impossible for her not to feel something strange, even though she was in danger. However, as Zhao Qiang charged towards the stairs, no one had time to think about these things. Rushing into the raging fire was a test of life. Sensuality was nothing.
Whoosh, whoosh, the running shoes played their biggest role at this moment. Zhao Qiang accelerated in about five meters. With the help of the running shoes, even carrying Liu Yiyi on his back was not a big problem. Whoosh, he leaped up in front of the first staircase. Bang, when he landed, the two of them were already at the turning point of the staircase. The fire was bigger here, and most of the flammable materials falling from the upper floors were concentrated here. Zhao Qiang felt a knife-like pain in his legs. He stepped on a ball of flames and leaped up again. Perhaps because there had been several outbreaks before, the energy supply of the running shoes was somewhat delayed, or it might be because of the lack of running distance. The second jump landed in the middle of the remaining stairs.
Zhao Qiang didn't dare use the jump function again. He took big strides and rushed upwards. Just then, he heard a rumbling sound behind him. The spot where Zhao Qiang had just passed was collapsed by falling objects. Zhao Qiang didn't dare to look back. He took big strides and his thighs were so strong that he almost cramped up! The corridor on the nineteenth floor was also flickering with fire. The fire was weaker to the right, so Zhao Qiang carried Liu Yiyi and rushed there to take shelter. When he looked back, he saw that the stairs leading to the twentieth floor had collapsed, breaking the stairs that Zhao Qiang had come up with. If he had hesitated for even a second, he might have fallen back to the eighteenth floor with the cement blocks.
Liu Yiyi only slightly opened her eyes when she felt Zhao Qiang stop beating. When she saw that the stairs leading to the nineteenth floor had disappeared, her face turned pale. "There's no way out?"
Zhao Qiang said, "It looks like the fire up there is quite intense. Let's find another way. Xiao Wei, see if there's another passage."
Xiao Wei said, "Go fifty meters to the right and you will see the original public staircase. However, it is unclear whether it will catch fire. The most likely place to start a fire now is a straight staircase."
Zhao Qiang said, "Let's go take a look first." After saying that, he picked up Liu Yiyi and ran forward. Fortunately, although the public staircase was also on fire, it was very spacious, twice the size of the original staircase, so the surrounding fire did not affect their progress much. The two climbed up the staircase to the 28th floor. Zhao Qiang was so tired that he was about to collapse. He was only able to keep going because of his will to survive.
Along the way, no fire could be seen, only the smoke that filled the air indicated the danger. However, the two knew that it was only a matter of time before the fire spread, and waiting for rescue on the roof was the only way out. They didn't know if Xu Xiaoya and Luo Xiaowei were out of danger yet.
When Zhao Qiang and Liu Yiyi reached the 28th floor, they found it occupied. The once spacious staircase vanished, replaced by an empty hall. Three people sat at the top of the stairs. One of them astonished Zhao Qiang—it was Zhang Chunjiang! He had been knocked unconscious in the restroom, yet he had managed to wake up and reach the 28th floor before them in such a critical situation. This man's vitality was truly remarkable. Zhao Qiang regretted not punching him again! It would be unwise to act now, as the other side outnumbered them.
The second person was Qian Duole. Zhao Qiang wasn't sure if he had appeared in the banquet hall, but he was here now, looking panicked and exhausted. Zhao Qiang was covered in dust, and Qian Duole didn't recognize him. The third person was none other than Zhang Lingfeng, the owner of Tianmeng Nightclub.
Liu Yiyi pulled the tablecloth on her back even tighter, pressing her body against Zhao Qiang. She dared not let the three men see her current appearance, partly because she was afraid of losing the image of a strong woman she used to present to them, and partly because she was afraid that her alluring appearance would arouse the evil intentions of the three troubled men.
By the dim light of the emergency lamp, Zhang Chunjiang saw Zhao Qiang carrying someone up the stairs. He recognized him after a closer look and was quite surprised. He snorted and said, "He's really lucky. He's still alive and has time to save people. Is he trying to look cool in this outfit? He might as well just go naked."
Zhao Qiang guessed that Zhang Chunjiang hadn't seen clearly who knocked him unconscious in the toilet, otherwise he would be lunging at him now. Qian Duole didn't even glance at Zhao Qiang; in this life-or-death situation, he had no time to dwell on the past. Qian Duole suddenly stood up and said, "We can't wait here. Let's find a way to keep climbing, otherwise we'll be finished if the fire spreads up."
Zhang Chunjiang said, "Young Master Qian, as you just saw, the floors above are not yet in use. The staircases on both sides have been demolished and rebuilt. How are we supposed to get up there? Fly up?"
Zhang Lingfeng cursed and stood up: "Damn it, I don't believe there's no other way. If you want to wait here, I'll wander around."
The road ended here. Zhao Qiang was shocked. Where had Xu Xiaoya and Luo Xiaowei gone? Could something have happened to them on the lower floors?
Volume 2 [108] Revenge
Zhang Lingfeng left on his own. At this moment, no one cared about anyone else; escaping was the most important thing.
Zhao Qiang placed Liu Yiyi against the wall. Liu Yiyi dared not remove the tablecloth. Although the icy water was extremely uncomfortable on her body, she still had to endure it. Witnessing the current situation, Liu Yiyi knew that things were very troublesome. She took the initiative to ask, "Are Xiaoya and Xiaowei still downstairs?"
Zhao Qiang said, "I don't know. When I took them from the kitchen to the nineteenth floor, there was no fire yet. If they had gone smoothly, they should be here now, or they may have reached the rooftop by some other route."
Liu Yiyi pointed to the digital watch on Zhao Qiang's wrist. She already knew that Zhao Qiang was using it to contact another woman named Xiao Wei. She had just heard that Xiao Wei had the blueprint for this place, so Liu Yiyi wanted Zhao Qiang to ask her about it.
Zhao Qiang glanced at Zhang Chunjiang and Qian Duole and shook his head. Liu Yiyi knew that Zhao Qiang did not want to expose the other Xiao Wei in front of these people, which made her feel even more mysterious about the other Xiao Wei. At the same time, she also felt a sense of pride, after all, Zhao Qiang did not hide her contact with that Xiao Wei, which could be considered a kind of trust.
Zhao Qiang plopped down on the ground, needing to catch his breath. He had never imagined carrying Liu Yiyi up so many floors before. Xiao Wei vibrated her digital watch, and Zhao Qiang secretly checked the information on it. "Brother, this floor was recently renovated and it's not registered in the construction committee's files, so the terrain has changed, and I can no longer guide you forward."
Zhao Qiang sighed. He had more important things to decide now: where Xu Xiaoya and Luo Xiaowei were. If they hadn't climbed to the 28th floor yet, Zhao Qiang had to go down and find them. If they had already found their way to the rooftop, then Zhao Qiang could continue without any worries.
"You stay here, I'll find a way." Zhao Qiang stood up. He considered for a moment and thought that Xu Xiaoya and Luo Xiaowei should be able to escape to this floor. After all, there was no fire in the stairwell when he took them to the nineteenth floor, and they both had wet cloths covering their mouths and noses. It was unlikely that they would stay downstairs waiting for him. Maybe they were also looking for a way forward somewhere on this floor. At the very least, he should observe this floor first, otherwise it would be extremely dangerous to go downstairs rashly.
Liu Yiyi nodded. At this moment, she couldn't move her legs. To save her, Zhao Qiang had even left Xu Xiaoya and Luo Xiaowei. Liu Yiyi felt guilty. If she made Zhao Qiang carry her out to find a way, she would feel even more guilty. Once they found a way, Zhao Qiang would naturally come back to carry her. Liu Yiyi believed that Zhao Qiang would not abandon her.
Qian Duole said to Zhang Chunjiang, "You go find a way too. We can't stay here no matter what. If the fire comes up, we'll be roasted pigs."
Although reluctant, Zhang Chunjiang followed Zhao Qiang and began to wander around. The building was spacious, and Zhao Qiang didn't believe there were only a few staircases. If all else failed, he would find the broken staircase and try to climb it with a rope.
Leaving the spacious lobby, there was a long corridor with unfinished office buildings on both sides. The winding layout was somewhat complicated, and Zhao Qiang, who was carefully collecting ropes along the way, was disappointed; he couldn't even find a single scaffold. It took Zhao Qiang about five minutes to get through the office buildings. Soon, he found the dismantled staircase, with a large, empty hole in the ceiling above him. He couldn't find any ropes, but Zhao Qiang felt the screwdriver at his waist. It seemed like he could use it. He decided to try it first, and if that didn't work, he would think of another way.
Zhao Qiang took the screwdriver and extended it upwards. It was actually only a little over two meters from the hole above his head. If Zhao Qiang had jumped with all his might, he might have been able to grab the hole wall, but he was afraid of wasting too much energy on his running shoes, as he still needed to carry Liu Yiyi on his back and continue on his way. The screwdriver transformed into a long hook and hung on the hole wall. Zhao Qiang gripped the screwdriver tightly and used his mind to command it to retract. The screwdriver then pulled him upwards with a whooshing sound. However, Zhao Qiang's head throbbed with pain, presumably because the added weight of a person made it very difficult to control the screwdriver's extension and retraction with his mind.
The distance wasn't too high, and Zhao Qiang quickly reached out with his other hand and grabbed the opening. Then he leaped up to the 29th floor. Smoke appeared inside, and the emergency lights were all on, but it was still quite dark compared to the spacious area. It was also a corridor with rooms on both sides. The stairs went up to the next floor and were normal.
Zhao Qiang didn't dare waste any time. He grabbed the cave wall with both hands and jumped down the twenty-eighth floor again. He was going to carry Liu Yiyi back up from here. Once Liu Yiyi reached the rooftop, if he didn't find Xu Xiaoya and the other two girls, he would have to come back and search again. He couldn't forget the old ones just because he had saved the new ones.
Zhao Qiang made his way back to the stairwell, but before he even got back to where he started, he heard Liu Yiyi shout angrily, "Get out of here! Get out of here!"
Oh no! Zhao Qiang had a sudden realization. Someone must have seen Liu Yiyi after she was exposed; she looked like she was enticing men to commit crimes. There were already four men here, and Zhao Qiang wouldn't be foolish enough to do something so pointless at this time. But what about Zhang Lingfeng and Zhang Chunjiang? These were notorious villains with a history of such behavior. Leaving Liu Yiyi alone was definitely not a good idea!
Zhao Qiang ran with all his might and rushed into the hall. He saw Qian Duole bending down and pulling at Liu Yiyi. Liu Yiyi tried desperately to wrap the tablecloth around herself, but she was too weak and her thighs were injured. As a result, she was no match for Qian Duole. The tablecloth was pulled away in a flash, and her perfect body was exposed to the air.
T-string panties, a half-circle bra, and exposed tender flesh—in Qian Duole's eyes, this was an extremely provocative and lewd scene. He had inadvertently glimpsed a beautiful face wrapped under the tablecloth earlier, and the self-destructive emotions displayed when a person is on the verge of danger made this already lustful young master act immediately. Who knew that when he pulled, he discovered that Liu Yiyi was practically naked underneath? Qian Duole went even crazier. Now that he had a full view of the beauty, Qian Duole let out a strange scream and pounced on her.
Zhao Qiang's running shoes kicked into action, and he almost instantly caught up with Qian Duole. With a swift elbow strike, Qian Duole's body flew through the air. Just as he touched Liu Yiyi's arm, he passed her and began to fall down the stairs. Bang! Qian Duole crashed onto the concrete steps, his body rolling down the stairs, his screams echoing throughout the hall.
Liu Yiyi was sobbing softly. She didn't care that Zhao Qiang had seen her body, but seeing her like this was no different from being humiliated by a lecherous man she didn't like. Zhao Qiang already hated Qian Duole to the bone, and now he was extremely jealous. He rushed down the stairs and chased after Qian Duole, kicking him violently. When Qian Duole fell down the stairs, he suffered internal injuries, and blood gushed from his mouth.
New and old grudges surged into Zhao Qiang's mind. This dangerous external environment was also a stimulus to him, as if giving Zhao Qiang a signal that killing someone would not be punished. Kill Qian Duole, his enemy! That would be to avenge a quarter of the damage to his shop. If he could also kill Zhang Chunjiang, that would be two-quarters. Moreover, they were now scattered, which was the perfect time to strike!
Zhao Qiang picked up a piece of steel pipe from the ground. It was cut off from the pipes being modified upstairs and had been thrown downstairs for some reason. One end was a cross-section, while the other end was sharpened. It was about a foot and a half long.
With a thud, the iron pipe pierced Qian Duole's abdomen. Blood gushed from Qian Duole's mouth as he gripped the steel pipe tightly with both hands, his eyes filled with terror. He couldn't believe that Zhao Qiang had intended to kill him. At that moment, Zhao Qiang's eyes were bloodshot. The several brushes with death during his escape had numbed his senses. He didn't know if he could leave the Holiday Hotel alive. The thought of revenge instantly filled his mind. He stepped on Qian Duole's chest and forcefully pulled the steel pipe outward.
With a spurt, blood gushed out. Qian Duole stared in astonishment at the bright, vivid blood blooming in his abdominal cavity like a fountain. At that moment, Zhao Qiang raised the steel pipe and thrust it downwards again with all his might, aiming directly at Qian Duole's chest. If he was going to kill him, he would kill him completely, piercing his heart and taking his life!
"Watch out!" Liu Yiyi screamed. Zhao Qiang turned around abruptly, only to see a similar steel pipe aimed at his chest. Instinctively, Zhao Qiang ducked, his hand, which had originally intended to stab Qian Duole in the chest, redirecting the attack backward. However, realizing the danger too late, Zhao Qiang's ducking was a bit too slow. The incoming steel pipe struck Zhao Qiang squarely in the forehead. A sharp pain shot through Zhao Qiang's head as the steel pipe entered from his forehead and exited from his back. Zhao Qiang's last conscious thought was that the steel pipe in his hand had also pierced the attacker's chest, and he vaguely saw that it was Zhang Chunjiang! The iron pipe had pierced his heart. Another enemy killed, he thought. He'd made a profit!
Volume Two [109] Resurrection
Zhao Qiang sometimes thought that he and Zhang Chunjiang didn't really have any hatred. They should have been master and apprentice drinking and eating together, discussing repair experience. But the entanglement of interests made Zhang Chunjiang lose his mind, and in the end, the two even ended up fighting to the death.
Zhang Chunjiang returned from another route and saw Qian Duole being knocked down the stairs by Zhao Qiang. Desperate to save his master, Zhang Chunjiang grabbed a steel pipe from the ground and jumped down from the building, stabbing it into Zhao Qiang's back. Just as he successfully launched his sneak attack, another steel pipe pierced Zhang Chunjiang's chest, causing his heart to rupture and blood to gush from his mouth.
Zhang Chunjiang couldn't believe his eyes. Looking down, he saw that the steel pipe had indeed pierced Zhao Qiang's body at the same time he had pierced Zhao Qiang's head. The two of them collapsed to the ground almost simultaneously. On the other side, Qian Duole was only convulsing. His mind was a complete mess. Suddenly, the fire scene had turned into a killing field, and he was one of the victims. How could someone who had lived in a peaceful and prosperous world since childhood accept this? Even Liu Yiyi was completely bewildered, her mouth agape, not knowing what to do.
With a thud, Zhao Qiang's laptop bag, which was hanging from his waist, fell to the ground. The laptop inside rolled out and hit the corner of the wall. Zhao Qiang tried to straighten his arm to grab the laptop, but he couldn't do it at all. His hand went limp halfway out and he fell down. His eyes widened and he stopped breathing.
Zhang Chunjiang fared somewhat better; at least he was still conscious. When he saw Zhao Qiang die before him, Zhang Chunjiang let out a grotesque laugh, but the laugh failed to come out properly and instead turned into a mouthful of blood and foam. He tried to stand up with one hand on the ground, while the other hand gripped the steel pipe in his chest, presumably intending to pull it out. Unfortunately, this action lasted less than three seconds before Zhang Chunjiang's body went limp, and he lay on the ground like a rag doll. Residual nerve signals occasionally twitched his muscles, causing his body to twitch a few times, but each twitch was weaker than the last. He went to see Max before Qian Duole.
Liu Yiyi forgot that she had nothing left. The hand she had been covering her chest was now placed near her mouth. She covered her mouth and wept silently, her face deathly pale! Suddenly, she rolled on the ground, her body tumbling down the stairs. Ignoring whether it would worsen the injury on her thigh, Liu Yiyi desperately crawled towards Zhao Qiang. She couldn't believe that Zhao Qiang, who had just carried her to safety from the inferno, was dead. But the steel pipe stuck in Zhao Qiang's forehead felt like a needle piercing Liu Yiyi's heart. He had done it to save her! Liu Yiyi finally burst into loud sobs, her tears soaking the ground behind her as she crawled.