"One!" The young delinquent's cold voice echoed in the hall, and everyone fell silent. No one dared to make a sound, fearing that if this female fiend was in a bad mood, she might shoot them—that would be terribly bad.
"Two!" As soon as the words were spoken, a few more scattered slapping sounds came from the crowd, indicating that some people were still unwilling to give up.
"Three!" After the last number was announced, the crowd fell silent. No one dared to hold a pistol anymore. In fact, when the young woman counted the second number, everyone had already thrown their guns to the ground. No one dared to risk their lives to hold out until the end. At least, after throwing down their pistols, they might still survive. This female fiend was capricious and ruthless, killing without blinking an eye. Many people considered themselves exceptionally vicious, with blood on their hands, but compared to this seemingly lively and cute, yet actually ruthless woman, they seemed to fall far short.
Dozens of people marched down the stairs in unison. Ling Yun was among them. It wasn't that he couldn't leave, but if he used his special ability now, he would be too conspicuous. Moreover, the "special transaction" mentioned by the young delinquent girl aroused Ling Yun's curiosity. What kind of transaction would be considered a big deal? Was it drugs again?
Only such highly profitable illegal transactions could attract the attention of gangs, prompting them to prepare for a double-cross. It's just a question of who this "young master" the young woman and Lao Liao were talking about is. It seems the bar street truly is a melting pot of all sorts of people, with countless dark forces vying for power. When you're in this business, you have to be prepared to have a gun pointed at your head.
After everyone left, the hall became empty. A moment later, a faint figure appeared in the air, looking in the direction where everyone had disappeared. Ling Yun, who had already walked down several steps, suddenly stiffened, but then returned to normal.
They descended countless flights of stairs, as if this underground world lay hidden deep beneath the earth. The staircases twisted and turned, and in some places, even though they seemed to have reached the end of the stairs and the entrance to a passageway was right ahead, faint sounds of lively chatter could be heard emanating from within. However, the young delinquent refused to signal anyone to go in. Under the threat of her gun, the leader reluctantly pushed against the wall on the side of the passageway, instantly revealing a well-hidden secret door. Behind this door, more stairs led downwards.
Ling Yun was secretly surprised. He wondered what kind of deal it was that required going dozens of meters underground and setting up so many checkpoints. Was this Never Sleeping City Bar originally built on an air-raid shelter?
About fifteen minutes later, the group finally stopped. At the end of the stairs was an underground cavern that looked like a warehouse. The walls on both sides were made of gray concrete and were completely undecorated, making it look extremely rudimentary. The main entrance, which was nearly five meters wide and three meters high, was open, and more than a dozen thugs in black were guarding the door.
This should be the fifth underground level, Ling Yun secretly calculated the number of steps to go down the stairs.
Suddenly seeing dozens of people walking down, the dozen or so thugs in black were all taken aback.
Before the thugs in black could react, Lao Liao's pistols had already unleashed a merciless barrage of bullets, ruthlessly reaping their lives. Sparks flew like meteors from the muzzle, and more than a dozen thugs, without even having time to draw their pistols, fell screaming into pools of blood amidst the gunfire. Lao Liao's marksmanship surpassed even that of the young female thug; each thug was struck in a vital area, most dying with a single shot, only a few receiving a second.
Everyone's legs trembled instantly. Even among desperate criminals, there were different levels and skill levels. Some were just brutes, perhaps strong enough to kill an ordinary person. But compared to the ruthless Old Liao and the young woman, it was like the difference between an illiterate man and an expert. Witnessing such swift and brutal shooting, they couldn't help but feel a chill.
Old Liao remained expressionless, tapping the gun handles on his wrists with both hands to deftly eject the empty magazines. He then retrieved a pre-loaded magazine from his waist and loaded it into the pistol. The entire process took less than half a minute, clean and efficient, without any hesitation or unfamiliarity, clearly demonstrating a high level of skill in using the weapon.
The young woman gave him an approving look: "Old Liao, not bad. I've never seen you do this before."
Old Liao remained focused, ignoring the young woman's praise. Instead, he brought the hand holding the pistol to his mouth, gesturing for silence. He stared intently at the empty main entrance, a dark and silent place that seemed to indicate no one was conducting a transaction inside. Even the recent gunshots and the thugs' dying screams from the entrance hadn't elicited any response from within the empty space.
If no one was actually trading in this makeshift underground cavern, then why were those dead thugs in black standing guard at the entrance? Everyone was momentarily bewildered, while Ling Yun tilted his head slightly, seemingly listening to something.
Old Liao's expression grew even more tense, cold sweat beading on his forehead, dripping down. Even after killing over a dozen men, his hands, usually calm and dry, were now soaked with sweat. His intuition told him that an extremely strong killing intent lurked within the dark cavern—an intent only those who had frequently survived life-or-death trials could keenly perceive, and Old Liao was one of them. The instant he finished shooting the thugs, he seemed to hear a series of crisp clicks from the underground cavern, but apart from that, there was no other sound. Old Liao almost thought he was imagining things.
To advance or to retreat? Old Liao, though not usually indecisive, felt a dilemma for the first time in his life. Advancing, while potentially leading to a double-cross as the young woman suggested, resulting in the theft of both parties' money and goods and an unexpected windfall, also carried unknown risks, especially in a place with such a strong sense of impending doom. Retreating was Old Liao's original thought, but with the young woman's insistence, and everyone already at the threshold of the underground transaction, how could they afford to fail? Even Old Liao was somewhat unwilling, let alone the proud and arrogant young woman who insisted on the double-cross.
He turned his inquiring gaze to the young delinquent. This young girl might be less capable than him, but within the power group they belonged to, her status was even higher than his. After all, she had intricate connections with the boss, which was something he, as a mere subordinate, could not compare to.
Chapter 137 Insider Trading
Chapter 137 Insider Trading
Anyway, it was her suggestion to double-cross them, so Lao Liao thought, let her make the decision herself. Even if there was any danger, with their skills, they could easily escape. Although the route they came by was winding and hidden, it was still a straight staircase, and Lao Liao's exceptional memory had already memorized the route.
Unlike him, the young delinquent was full of youthful vigor and eager to see both sides of the transaction. Without thinking, she pointed her gun at the crowd and shouted, "All of you, get in here! I want to see who these two groups of guys are!"
Everyone knew what she was thinking. If there was danger hidden in the underground cave, then they, the ones leading the group, would become cannon fodder and would naturally not have a good ending. However, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and move forward because she and Lao Liao were threatening them with their pistols.
Many people were filled with regret: if they had known this would happen, they shouldn't have come here tonight to seek pleasure. They didn't get to enjoy themselves; instead, they might have lost their lives. If they were double-crossed, they would be lucky to even survive.
The group, their hearts pounding with fear, entered through the main entrance, glancing around nervously. The underground cavern seemed vast and empty; even the lightest footsteps echoed long, hollowly on the solid ground. Despite their best efforts to tread lightly, the dozens of people still made muffled thuds in the empty air, impossible for anyone inside to miss.
Although there was a faint light at the main entrance to the underground cavern, the cavern itself was inexplicably pitch black. Due to the haste of the event, no one had seen whether there was any light in the cavern before Lao Liao shot the black-clad thugs. However, even a fool could understand that unless the people making the transaction were blind, they wouldn't conduct it in such a dark place. The two parties must have immediately turned off the lights upon hearing the gunshots at the entrance to prevent anyone outside from rushing in and disrupting the transaction, or perhaps they simply didn't want to reveal their true identities.
Although the young woman still maintained a nonchalant expression, the way she kept her hands tightly pressed against her waist betrayed her inner tension. Without night vision goggles, even with her exceptional skills, she couldn't see anything in this pitch-black underground cavern. Especially since she was used to the light, suddenly entering darkness would cause her eyes to feel intensely uncomfortable and her mind to panic.
Clearly, the two parties involved in the clandestine transaction were aware of their intrusion and had preemptively cut off the power to the empty lighting. Did they think this would deter us? The young woman sneered inwardly. While being invisible could conceal their movements, it also meant they couldn't see the intruders. Darkness was effective on both sides, but the one who hid first had the advantage due to their preparation. Although the young woman's side had a considerable number of members, only two truly intended to fight; they didn't care if the others died.
A few minutes later, the group seemed to have reached the center of the underground cavern. Their eyes began to adjust to the darkness, which wasn't completely pitch black. Once their eyes adjusted, they could vaguely make out some outlines in the darkness, though they were still indistinct and unclear.
The underground cavern appears to be a cylindrical space, about the size of a football field, somewhat resembling an unfinished underground supermarket or shopping mall. Everywhere there are concrete columns with a diameter of over three meters and low-hanging steel beams. In some places, thin wires are used to bind templates painted red, indicating that the project is not yet completed. However, since no one comes here, it has become a good place for shady transactions.
A strong, howling wind emanated from some corner of the void, though it was invisible; it was likely a massive pipe leading to the surface. The underground void seemed very high; despite being tens of meters deep, there was no feeling of stuffiness. The dark gray walls extended upwards to a very high point, with spiral staircases every five or six meters, offering a commanding view of the void below.
Apart from these, there is nothing else in the hollow. Occasionally, one or two old bags filled with cement powder are placed against the pillars, or every three or five meters there are neatly arranged stacks of nearly two-meter-high dark blue hollow bricks.
With their near-zero vision in the dark underground world, the group could not see anything else in the cave. Further away and higher up, some indistinct outlines appeared, and since there was no lighting equipment, they did not know what they were.
What exactly is this place? The more they walked, the more terrified they became, a chill rising from the depths of their hearts, growing stronger and stronger in the blink of an eye.
"Ah!" A girl's sudden scream instantly jolted everyone's already tense nerves to their limit. After a brief commotion, all eyes turned to the direction from which the scream came. Even the young punk and Lao Liao frowned and went forward to see what was happening. It wasn't that no one had a flashlight or other lighting equipment, but for safety reasons, no one dared to turn them on; otherwise, the light in the darkness would make them an easy target for the enemy.
A girl in the uniform of the Never-Sleeping City Nightclub squatted pitifully on the ground, rubbing her ankle. Two other girls each held one of her arms, their faces showing the same panic. To prevent anyone from reporting to the outside world, the young woman had forced these girls who worked at the bar to come underground as well. Although these girls were also from shady backgrounds and were used to the illegal transactions in the bar, and more or less knew some inside information, their delicate fragility, typical of girls, was highlighted in the seemingly dangerous environment because they usually only did administrative work.
The girl in the uniform had clearly twisted her ankle, letting out a scream of pain. Her eyes widened in terror as she watched the furrowed brow of the young woman slowly approaching. She feared this ruthless female killer might shoot her in a fit of rage. The other girls, her colleagues, clung tightly to her, hoping for warmth and a sense of security in their embrace.
The young woman frowned deeply as she looked at the girls in the darkness. These defenseless girls were indeed a problem; they couldn't go very far and were likely to expose her. If they were still on the ground, she would have killed them all.
*Whoosh!* A series of synchronized clicking sounds suddenly emanated from the rotating platform above the void. Everyone was momentarily bewildered, looking up at the still indistinct sky, wondering what was there. But the sounds were synchronized and loud, unlike the natural sound of wind or something falling.
A faint smell of gunpowder wafted through the air, reaching the sensitive nostrils of the crowd.
The young woman cautiously raised her gun, a vague unease creeping into her heart. She suddenly regretted coming to this godforsaken place, tempted by a double-cross. The old demon was already dead; the mission was complete. Why put herself in nameless danger for a windfall? Initially, she had been too naive, assuming it was simply two other gangs trading drugs, and that she and Lao Liao were perfectly capable of taking them down, killing them, robbing them, and returning home with their spoils. Now, it seemed things weren't so simple.
Old Liao was covered in cold sweat, and his hand holding the pistol trembled involuntarily. He had clearly heard the clicking sound; it was the sound he heard after shooting down the dozen or so thugs at the empty main entrance. It was definitely not a hallucination or a misperception. Moreover, experience told him that this clicking sound was very similar to the sound of a military submachine gun suddenly pulling back the bolt in preparation for firing.
As if to verify his idea, bright and dazzling searchlights suddenly shone above everyone's heads, the blinding light instantly turning everything white and making it impossible to see anything clearly. On the walls of each rotating platform, at intervals of one meter, searchlights the size of human heads lit up, instantly illuminating the entire underground cavern as clearly as daytime.
Standing prominently on the circular stands were a row of heavily armed soldiers, each holding an AK47, the dark muzzle pointed at the bewildered crowd.
In the center of the platform stood a middle-aged man dressed as a general and several captains. Beside the general was a group of blond, blue-eyed, high-nosed Europeans in black cloaks. At this moment, they all silently watched the young delinquent and her companions in the empty space.
Ling Yun remained silent, his body moving like an arrow, whizzing past Lao Liao like a gust of wind, heading towards the northwest corner of the underground cavern, where a tightly closed iron door stood. The upper part of the door was made of rusty railings, through which one could see a dark pipe leading to an unknown destination.
As soon as he entered, Ling Yun gasped. Although the others couldn't see anything, it didn't mean Ling Yun couldn't see anything either. The panoramic view naturally showed everything inside the cave. While Lao Liao was shooting the black-clad thugs, the general in military uniform seemed to be talking to a blond, blue-eyed foreigner. Behind him, the soldiers were busily moving boxes of what looked like very precious wooden crates onto a loading truck not far away.
It's easy to guess that these foreigners and the general were the two parties in the transaction, and what they were trading was the contents of that wooden crate. Judging from the quantity, it shouldn't be drugs. Even if all the drugs in the world were gathered together, they probably wouldn't equal the amount in this crate.