"Don't come any closer!"
The person who said those words was me, and also that voice from earlier.
Inside the room, I was standing face to face with a middle-aged man!
He was still just as I remembered him, brimming with the swift power of a leopard, his face calm and forever indifferent! The light shone on his face, and the shadows on his face were as hard and cold as granite!
He had a gun in his hand, the muzzle pressed against my temple. With just a slight pull of the trigger, he could kill me!
And I, with the blade of the dagger in my hand pressed firmly against the carotid artery under his neck, could sever his blood vessel with just a flick of my wrist!
We faced each other and stared at each other for a while. Then he looked at me and said calmly, "Xiao Wu, you've improved. Your skills are much better than before."
I simply smiled, then looked at him and slowly said, "Long time no see... Thank you for the compliment, but all of this is thanks to you all... Jinhe!!"
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter 109: Fierce Battle
Despite the cold muzzle of a gun pressed against my temple, I wasn't too panicked. It was just that this sudden encounter with Jinhe here brought a strong… shock to my heart!
In that instant, a strange thought even crossed my mind: Could it be that Ni Duoduo deliberately lured me up here so that Jin He could ambush me?
However, I quickly banished the thought from my mind. Because I saw the look of utter horror on Ni Duoduo's face, and it was definitely not fake.
The girl covered her mouth tightly with one hand, staring incredulously at Jinhe and me locked in this strange standoff, each of us holding the other's vitals... Finally, Ni Duoduo cried out. She didn't dare rush forward, but pointed at Jinhe and screamed, "What are you doing! Let him go! Put down your gun!!"
Jin He ignored Ni Duoduo and stared at me. He seemed to sigh, "Xiao Wu, why are you here... You shouldn't be here."
"This world isn't that big," I said calmly. "One day we'll all be unable to escape each other... Do you really think I'll hide in a hole like a rat and live out my whole life like that?"
Jinhe was silent for a moment: "You've changed."
I forced a smile: "Like I said before... this is all thanks to you guys."
"But have you forgotten... the day we last met... I told you that I would only let you go this time, and that I would kill you the next time we met." Jin He's voice was icy.
"Kill me? Here?" I sneered.
"You two separate! Separate! You...you put down your gun!!" Ni Duoduo was almost crying. If it weren't for the fact that we were both pointing our weapons at each other's vitals, this girl would have already rushed over. Jin He frowned, and in that slight moment of distraction, I suddenly twisted my body, raised my left hand, and swiftly struck his gun-wielding arm outwards! At the same time, I immediately ducked down...
Bang!
The bullet grazed my scalp like never before!
Jinhe's reaction was incredibly fast! The moment I ducked, his knee shot up, aimed straight for my face! Helpless, I could only retract my dagger and strike his knee with my elbow…
We both struggled backward at the same time. I tumbled over on the ground and then stood up, while Jinhe took two steps back and raised his gun again to look for me. I had already hidden behind the sofa.
"No!" Ni Duoduo rushed towards Jin He like a madwoman, spreading her arms to try and stop him from firing. Jin He remained expressionless. As Ni Duoduo got close, he casually chopped her across the neck, and she went limp. Jin He helped her to the ground, then coldly looked at me behind the sofa: "Chen Yang. How long do you plan to hide behind the cabinet?"
I leaned against the cabinet, a dagger in my hand, and said loudly, "If you're getting impatient, you can come over."
I took a deep breath. From my angle, I could vaguely see Jinhe's shadow approaching through the glass next to me. Although he didn't make any footsteps or other noises, I was just that lucky. There was a glass container lying next to the cabinet where I was hiding!
"Do you know what? Jinhe, firing a gun in the room, were you trying to commit suicide? Or were you trying to kill Duoduo? Humph..." I deliberately provoked him. But my words made Jinhe fall silent for a moment.
Indeed. Those gunfight scenes in movies, especially those set in rooms, are usually quite exaggerated. In reality, bullets fired in the city often ricochet and deflect, becoming completely unpredictable ricochets! Unless Jinhe is confident he can hit me with a single shot, the probability of a ricochet killing me, him, or Ni Duoduo is actually the same!
Therefore, in reality, very few true experts dare to fire a gun indoors.
In the darkness, I deftly grabbed the glass vessel, crushed it into several pieces with a forceful squeeze, picked up one of the pieces that felt most comfortable in my hand, took a deep breath, and suddenly rolled away, leaping to the side at lightning speed!
Sure enough, Jinhe reacted quickly, but indoors, he hesitated for a moment before firing. Then he fired, but the bullet only grazed my feet. Fortunately, the bullet pierced through the wooden door behind me and did not bounce back.
As I lunged into the air, I was fully prepared, and I hurled the shard of glass! Jin He reacted quickly, dodging to the side... but that was exactly the dodge I wanted! My first shard of glass was just a feint; as he made his dodge, I simultaneously flung out the dagger I was holding in my other hand!
Clang!
Sparks flew! My dagger struck his gun, sending it flying. Jinhe lost his grip on the gun, but instead of panicking and retreating to retrieve it, he let out a cold snort and lunged at me!
I landed face-first on the ground, my back slamming hard against the earth. But I had no time to catch my breath. I quickly rolled to the side, and Jinhe was already beside me, his hand viciously slashing towards my throat! His move was fast and ruthless; if he had landed on me, my Adam's apple would probably have been shattered!
I raised my arm to block at my throat, and at the same time, I rolled over, using my knees to push myself up. But Jinhe was still more agile than me. Before I could even get to my feet, Jinhe had already leaped up and kicked me hard!
I flew out almost skimming the ground, my body grazing the ground for a good three or four meters before crashing heavily into the wall.
With a cold laugh, Jinhe casually took off his coat, cracked his neck, and slowly walked towards me, saying indifferently, "Xiao Wu, although you are much stronger than before, you are still no match for me. You are good at throwing knives, but even if I lose my gun, I can still kill you with just my bare hands."
He kicked me in the ribs. Luckily, Jinhe jumped up hastily and didn't put much force into it, so my ribs weren't broken. Even so, I still felt excruciating pain in my ribs, especially after the kick. For a few seconds, I almost choked and couldn't breathe properly.
I coughed a few times before I felt my lungs start breathing again. I struggled to my feet, gritted my teeth, and stared at Jinhe: "Fine! Why don't you give it a try!"
Jinhe smiled... I used to think Jinhe looked so cool when he smiled, but now I feel that his smile is filled with murderous intent!
I clenched my fists, gave a low shout, and rushed forward. Then, I pushed off the ground with both feet and leaped into the air, kicking him hard in the chest! Jinhe covered his chest with his arms, and my kick landed on his arm. He only swayed and staggered back two or three steps!
My full-force kick failed to knock him down, which surprised me. However, I reacted quickly and, taking advantage of his retreat, I launched another flying kick. This time, a ferocious glint flashed in Jinhe's eyes...
I could even feel the soles of my feet touching Jinhe's chest, but in that instant, my ankle hurt, and I was tightly gripped by one of his arms, unable to move an inch!
"Didn't your master teach you that blindly jumping and kicking is a suicidal act?" Jin He sneered.
I snorted and simply leaped up. Even though he had one leg wrapped around my arm, I used my other leg to fly up and sweep it horizontally toward his head! Jinhe quickly raised his other hand to block to the side and fought back. My leg swept across his arm, and he only swayed slightly.
As for me, both my legs left the ground, and I lost my balance, falling downwards. Jinhe took advantage of the situation, raising his leg and kicking me squarely in the back of my thigh with his toe, then threw me away.
boom!
I flew three meters and crashed heavily into the television set in front of the wall. Instantly, the expensive LCD TV was smashed to pieces. My body became embedded in the base of the TV, and shards of glass from the screen cut my skin, causing blood to flow.
I struggled to stand up, ignoring the blood drawn from the cuts on my palms. But then I stumbled, and Jinhe kicked me in the back of my right thigh, causing excruciating pain and leaving my entire leg numb!
I barely managed to keep my balance when Jinhe was already in front of me, throwing a punch at my face. I raised my hand to block it, but his other punch landed on my face. I staggered and fell several steps to the side, about to fall. I braced myself with my hands on the ground, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jinhe approaching. In desperation, I raised my leg and kicked out, hitting Jinhe in the waist. Jinhe finally groaned and stepped back.
I was breathing heavily. I'd taken a punch to the face, and my ears were ringing. Half my face was numb and obviously swollen. After Jinhe regained his balance, he glanced at me and smiled, "Hmph, not bad, that last kick wasn't bad."
Chapter 110 of Part Two: The Road to Success is right here!
I cursed inwardly.
Jinhe is indeed formidable! Although I had never fought him before and had only heard about his strength, after fighting him today, I was almost no match for him!
Incredible! And not just ordinary incredible!
Of all the masters I've encountered, apart from my senior brother, no one has ever beaten me so badly that I was practically powerless to fight back! Judging from my estimation, he's even more powerful than Sha Hu, the top double-flower red stick master of the Hua Gang whom I killed! You have to understand, Sha Hu's skills were originally far superior to mine; I only managed to kill him by sneak attacking him.
I pressed one hand to my waist, panting heavily, staring intently at Jinhe. Seeing him closing in again, I suddenly spun around on the spot, simultaneously pulling hard on my waist!
Whoosh!
A dark shadow streaked through the air and lashed out at Jinhe's head. Jinhe raised his arm to block it, but the shadow curved and struck Jinhe's face hard with a loud slap! He snorted, took two steps back, and covered his face with his hand.
Looking at Jinhe's face again, there was a bloody mark left from being whipped, and blood was even flowing from his forehead.
"Not bad, a very clever reaction." Jinhe snorted and stared at me.
I was holding the belt I'd torn from my pants...it seemed like a pretty good Dunhill belt. But holding something like that as a weapon just didn't feel quite right.
Jinhe looked at me and laughed mockingly, "Do you really think you're Bruce Lee? You think you can use a belt as nunchucks?"
He smiled and moved closer. This time, I swung my belt, but he grabbed it instantly and pulled hard… He was much stronger than me, and I couldn't match his strength. Suddenly, a thought struck me. I lunged at him! A glint flashed in Jinhe's eyes. He sensed my intention to use this opportunity to get closer, and he threw a punch. This time, I only slightly lowered my shoulder, letting the punch, which was originally aimed at my chest, land on my shoulder. Although the pain made my vision blur, I still managed to get close to him!
Jinhe realized the danger, but his other hand was tangled in my belt! He couldn't free his hand!
I took the punch to the shoulder, but my right arm had already bent...
Bang!!
With a muffled thud, my elbow slammed heavily into Jinhe's chest! I had used all my strength in that strike! And it was my signature move—a powerful, heavy blow!
Jinhe took a heavy blow to the chest, and his expression changed drastically instantly! At the same time, I felt a tremendous force slam into me, sending me flying through the air. I actually flew upwards! I crashed heavily into the wall!
That terrifying force! I don't even know what move Jinhe used to knock me away! And he used all his strength in desperation! My body slammed into the wall, even cracking a crater in the lime plaster wall!!
When I fell to the ground, my whole body was in excruciating pain; I even suspected that several of my bones were broken… Just as my vision blurred and I was about to faint, shards of glass on the ground pierced my skin. The sharp pain instantly brought me back to reality, but I coughed incessantly. My mouth was full of blood!
Jinhe staggered back several steps, his body pressed against the wall, one hand clutching his chest, his face changing drastically as he stared intently at me. Finally, he opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Good. Good lad! This time, you've really shown your skill." Jin He took a deep breath, his breathing becoming erratic, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Although my heavy blow had caused considerable damage, it was clear that it hadn't rendered him incapable of fighting. As for me, I was almost finished.
Jinhe's eyes were filled with coldness. He strode over, and I only saw him lift his leg. In a moment of panic, I overturned the coffee table next to me to block him...
Bang! His kick actually pierced through the coffee table, but his toe still landed on my stomach. I screamed and staggered backward, feeling as if my intestines were tangled together.
Jinhe kicked through the coffee table, but his leg got stuck in the hole. I knew I had no chance of winning against him, and by then I had retreated to the window. I gritted my teeth and smashed the window with my elbow. With a bang, shards of glass flew everywhere. I grabbed two pieces, raised my hand, and threw them at Jinhe. Then, without even looking at him, I leaped out the window…
Bang!
When I landed on the ground, all I felt was the impact. My vision went black, and I bit my tongue hard to regain some clarity amidst the excruciating pain.
Fortunately, Ni Duoduo's home is on the second floor. If it were any higher, I would have been doomed.
I knew that the two pieces of glass I shot out last would probably not hurt Jinhe. I struggled to my feet and staggered out onto the street.
I was lucky to be alive. I had just run out when I saw a taxi coming. I rushed onto the street, and the taxi braked suddenly, narrowly avoiding hitting me. Ignoring the taxi driver's shouts and surprise, I opened the car door and threw myself inside.
The driver was terrified when he saw my tattered clothes, my body covered in wounds and blood, and my face swollen. I yelled at him, "Drive! Drive!!"
I took a deep breath, cleared my head a bit, and yelled at him, "Drive! I'm not a bad guy! I'm rich! I've been robbed! If you can take me back to the XX Hotel, I'll give you a thousand dollars!"
I don't know if it was my explanation or the "one thousand dollars" that worked, but the driver finally shut up, though he still looked flustered. He quickly stepped on the gas.
As the car sped away, I saw Jinhe rush out of the building, but the car had already started moving. He couldn't catch me.
However, as I watched the figure behind me gradually disappear into the distance, a sense of annoyance rose within me!
For the lobby staff at the Le Royal Meridien King Edward Hotel, today was destined to be an unforgettable day. This five-star luxury hotel, usually frequented by impeccably dressed individuals, was now a blood-soaked, ragged mess. I burst out of a taxi, knocking over the doorman who was opening the door for me. I then tumbled onto a trolley full of suitcases, flipping over and landing on the floor.
Two lobby staff members immediately came over and helped me up. The lobby manager had already picked up the phone to call the police. Hotel security guards also rushed over and tried to restrain me.
I was almost fainting by then. I just grabbed the person in front of me, not knowing if he was a security guard or a hotel employee, and managed to say, "I'm a guest in room XX... I've been robbed..."
"Oh my God! Call the police! And get a doctor! We need an ambulance!!" The lobby manager finally recognized me. After all, I'm a VIP guest staying in a luxury suite here! And the waiter who helped me up... if I remember correctly, he helped me with my luggage when I checked in. I even gave him a hundred-dollar tip! That was enough to make him remember me.
My whole body had relaxed, and I had no strength left. The pain from my injuries made it impossible for me to open my eyes. In the dim light, I seemed to see Hammer and Hansen walking out of the hall. They suddenly saw me, were terrified, and rushed over.
I felt a sense of relief, closed my eyes, and fainted.
When I woke up, I was lying in a hotel room. There was a doctor next to me, and even two medical machines. I was covered with a thin blanket, but I could feel that my upper body was naked underneath. My head felt heavy and numb; this dizzying feeling was like being drunk. Later, I realized that it was because my head was wrapped up.
To my surprise, I didn't feel any pain... I guess I've become numb.