Snake had collapsed to the ground, blood soaking through his trousers and flowing onto the floor. His body was trembling, and genuine fear was evident in his eyes.
“Mr. Snake,” Ramucci said slowly, “you see, I showed mercy. You’re only bleeding now; I shot you in the thigh. But if I had shot you in the knee, you would have been in a wheelchair for life… Now, I hope you’ve thought it through and will answer again, because my patience is limited.”
“I…” Snake trembled. “I really don’t know…” Seeing Ramouche raise his gun again, Snake screamed in terror, “Wait!!”
He then gritted his teeth: "There are two sets of codes! These cabinets can withstand a head-on blast of one ton of TNT! Only by combining both sets of codes can these cabinets be opened!! I'm just a site supervisor, I can't possibly know all the codes... Please..." He gasped for breath, cold sweat and snot streaming down his face, and said through gritted teeth, "I really only know one set! I can't open these cabinets... According to the plan, tonight, at ten o'clock, only by using the other set of codes from the remote supervisor, combined with the one I know, can we open... them."
After saying all this, he looked at the gun barrel in front of him and was on the verge of collapse: "Please, don't kill me... I've really told you everything I know! I... I still have a wife and a six-year-old daughter... Please."
Lamuch smiled, bent down, and said softly, "Alright, you see, it would have been better if you had cooperated sooner." Then he raised his chin and said to the subordinate who had just assembled the computer, "Carry our Mr. Snake away, clean and bandage his wounds, and then ask him to tell you a set of passwords he knows."
He shrugged and looked at Snake: "You see, I never expected to get all the codes from you. I just need you to tell me one set you know. Understand?"
"It's done."
Two minutes later, I noticed that the two female thugs who had gone out earlier had returned. After reporting their findings, they fiddled with the huge computer screen for a bit, and soon the screen flickered, displaying countless windows…
From the angle, I could tell that these people had clearly even controlled all the security cameras on this floor!
My mind started racing...
The fire exits were blocked. The elevators were blown up... and this is a 62-story building with tempered glass windows all around!
Simply put, unless someone blows a hole in the ceiling, this place has become an independent fortress!
I remained crouched in the crowd, observing my surroundings:
It seems there are nineteen bandits on this floor. Three of them are from Jack the White man's gang, but they've already left the lobby and are guarding the path to the rooftop. The other sixteen are from Lamouchi's gang. Four of them just went out; I don't know what they're doing there.
There are still twelve bandits in the hall, including their leader, Ramuchi.
Normally, there are six entrances/exits in the lobby, one of which is the main elevator, but it's been sealed off and can be disregarded. The other five entrances/exits lead to an outer corridor containing other rooms, such as a lounge, smoking room, offices, restrooms, kitchen, and so on…
Lamouchi and two of his men watched the computer screen, while the other nine thugs surrounded our group of over two hundred people. They were armed with pistols, submachine guns, and each carried a dagger...
A dagger… damn it. The thought made me sigh. Because of the security check tonight, I hadn't brought the dagger I usually carry with me.
Facing so many thugs now… the only weapon I have… is probably just a lighter. And the only person by my side who can help me is Lei Xiaohu. He's indeed very skilled, about my level. But… we have no weapons!
No matter how good your kung fu is, it can't stop a bullet. I understand that principle!
No, I need help!
I took a deep breath and looked around. All the guests looked dejected and fearful. Many women were sobbing quietly, while others leaned against their men, tears streaming down their faces. Some were trying to comfort their female companions, but their voices were very soft.
"Hi..." I said softly, "Little Tiger."
Lei Xiaohu was squatting on the ground, looking somewhat depressed. But when he heard me call him, he immediately perked up: "What should we do, Uncle-Master?"
"Shh! Shh..." I gestured to our left with my mouth: "See that door over there?"
That's the door on our left, the closest one, about twenty meters away. And in that direction, there are only two thugs, one of whom is a woman.
"Are you confident you can take one of them down in one strike?" I spoke very softly, and I was speaking in Chinese.
Lei Xiaohu held his head in his hands, his eyes darting around. He looked at the two guys not far away, thought for a moment, and nodded: "No problem. I'll deal with the woman, and you deal with the man."
The female bandit was closer to him.
I nodded and glanced at Yang Wei. Yang Wei's eyes were very calm. She nodded slightly at me and said, "We need to create some chaos first."
“Hmm.” I took a deep breath, then switched to English and gently nudged the white man in front of me: “Hey! sir.”
The man shuddered, glanced back at me, and probably didn't expect anyone to talk to him at a time like this.
"Sir, we can't just sit here and wait to die!" I whispered, so only the people around me could hear: "There are only two people at the door on the left. If we rush over, we're fifty percent sure we can get out..."
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter 143: DIE HARD? ??
"You...you must be crazy!" The man's face turned deathly pale, and he glared at me. "Don't cause trouble! Let the police handle this."
I sighed, and then I saw a man in a waiter's uniform next to me. I gently touched him, and he was so startled that he almost collapsed.
"You! Hey, you!" I took advantage of the thug's inattention and quietly moved a little closer to him: "I'm going to ask you a question, so answer quietly."
"Yes...yes, sir." His teeth were chattering; he was clearly terrified.
"Is there a security room on this floor?" I sighed. "Where can we find weapons?"
My plan is simple: find a place with thick doors and walls, hide inside, and if I have weapons, I'll take my men inside and hold out until the police arrive...
These thugs can't possibly stay here for the New Year, can they?! Damn it!
I have no intention of becoming a superhero who saves everyone. My goal is simple: to save myself and my people! Of course, if others are willing to join in, I don't mind having a few more helpers.
"Weapons...?" The waiter was startled, but he shook his head: "I'm sorry. There are no guns on this floor."
I hadn't really expected to get a gun: "What about the others? There should be security guards' stuff in the security room... There must be a staff rest room for this kind of event tonight! Maybe there are some simple weapons in the security guards' rest room, even if it's just a baton or a stun gun!"
The waiter thought for a moment and replied, "I don't know if there are any weapons there... but the security break room is just outside in the hallway... it's three rooms ahead of the kitchen."
He was so frightened that his speech was somewhat slurred and unclear. Fortunately, I knew where the makeshift kitchen was.
Hmm, is it three rooms past the kitchen?
I nodded.
Then I patted him on the shoulder: "Do you have the guts to work with me? Staying here is just waiting to die! You have to understand, they might kill hostages to intimidate the police... Guess what, when they're about to kill hostages, they'll definitely choose to kill some insignificant little people first, because the big shots are the ones they'll use as hostages for important purposes."
The waiter shuddered, but perhaps my words moved him, for he looked around. Though his face was still deathly pale, he gritted his teeth and nodded.
"Hey, young man, what's your plan?" A low voice suddenly came from behind me on my right. The voice was soft, even a little hoarse, a very pleasant baritone.
I turned around and was surprised to see a familiar face!
This is a middle-aged man. And a guy that movie fans all over the world are probably familiar with. In his youth, he played many superheroes who saved others, lone heroes! In fact, the most famous film in a famous series he starred in was a scene where a group of terrorists took hostages in a building and confronted the police! He became world-famous for playing a policeman who fought a group of terrorists alone.
Although he is now middle-aged and slightly overweight, his eyes, and even the uniquely charming wrinkles at the corners of his mouth when he smiles, remain unforgettable for all movie fans…
I took a deep breath and glanced at him. "Mr. Willis? Oh, my goodness, I didn't realize you were here."
“Alright, young man, just call me Bruce.” He frowned. “What are you planning? What’s your strategy?”
“I…” I hesitated for a moment and glanced at him. Then I realized that although he was squatting on the ground just like me, his eyes did not show the fear that most other people did.
Of course, he wasn't the invincible hero from the movies; he was just an ordinary person. So there was tension and a hint of worry in his eyes, but also a degree of composure.
"What? You want to join too?" I asked, looking at him.
Bruce hesitated for a second: "Are you really sure?" Then a resolute glint flashed in his eyes: "Okay, I'll join!"
“I just want to escape from here. Do you see that door…? Look, there are only two people in that direction.” I said slowly, “In a moment, we’ll deliberately make some noise, then my friend and I will deal with these two thugs… and you, please take these two ladies and rush out of that door as fast as you can!”
We must have been talking too much, because I noticed the bandits nearby were looking at us, so I quickly lowered my head. Just as their gaze shifted elsewhere, several other voices suddenly came from beside me: "Me, we'll join too..."
I glanced around and saw about five more people who had expressed their willingness to join, two of whom were still wearing waiter uniforms. The other three were two men and one woman.
I gave a cold smile to myself.
Hmph, they've got guts to admit I'm in charge of dealing with the bandits while they're only responsible for running away! Yet none of them said a word just now!
“Okay…” I glanced at the group and counted: three waiters, two men and one woman, Bruce, and the four of us. “Well, we have eleven people now.”
“No, twelve.” Bruce glanced at me, then at someone beside him. I then noticed a beautiful young blonde girl crouching next to him. Looking at the tender look in Bruce's eyes as he gazed at his companion, I understood. What had driven this Hollywood tough guy to this desperate gamble was probably protecting his woman! Sure enough, Bruce said calmly, “She’s my friend, not some celebrity… Just like you said. If the criminals wanted to kill hostages to intimidate the police, they would probably choose to kill ordinary people first… like her!”
“Okay…” I nodded.
“Tell me your plan,” Bruce said, staring at me.
I took a deep breath and smiled. "Okay... In a moment, I'll deliberately start an argument with you, and you'll deliberately push me... See that male thug behind me guarding that door? Push me as hard as you can, the harder the better, and try to get me as close to him as possible! Don't worry about me falling. Trust me, even if I do fall, I'm confident I can take him down!"
I gestured to Lei Xiaohu with my eyes and whispered, "Look, this is my friend. He's incredibly skilled! He'll handle the female bandit. The two of us will take them down instantly, then use their guns to distract the other bandits... As for you... please take the others and rush out through that door while things are chaotic! Remember, run down the corridor towards the makeshift kitchen! The faster the better. Three rooms past the kitchen is the security guard's rest room; there might be some basic weapons there! After I take down the bandits, I'll provide cover fire!"
Bruce paused for a moment, then glanced at me. "There's a problem."
"What?"
“We deliberately started an argument, I pushed you… but are you sure they won’t shoot me right away?”
I thought for a moment, but before I could speak, Yang Wei said in a calm tone, lowering her voice, "Mr. Willis, you're a big star, and a hostage like you is extremely valuable to them! So unless absolutely necessary, they won't hurt you. Because keeping a hostage like you will be of greater use to them. So I don't think they'll shoot you." Yang Wei paused deliberately here, and said frankly, "Of course, this is just my prediction, but I'm only 70% sure."
“…Okay.” Bruce nodded. At that moment, I saw a familiar look in his eyes…yes, just like that lone hero he’d played so many times!
“When I say ‘action’ in a moment, we’ll begin immediately,” I said quickly.
After fiddling with his laptop for a while, Ramucci finally returned to the table.
“Alright, now we can contact the esteemed Los Angeles Police Department.” Lamouchi smiled, then suddenly sighed: “What I dislike most is dealing with American police.”
Then, he casually flipped through the large pile of cell phones he had gathered in front of him and laughed, "I think this is probably the first time in my life I've ever dialed 911."
Then, laughing, he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I hope that in the eyes of the authorities you are important… because I will use your lives to blackmail them, hoping they will cooperate and give me another set of codes to open these explosion-proof glass cabinets… If they don’t agree… I think I’ll have to do some things I don’t want to do next.”
He flipped through the phones, then casually picked up a small women's phone, which was inlaid with what he couldn't tell was either crystal or diamond.
I recognized it immediately...it was Jessica's phone!
Lamouchi glanced at the phone in his hand, then casually chuckled, "Oh, whose phone is this? I think I'd be honored. If it were a female celebrity's, I imagine fans all over the world would envy me, wouldn't they...?"
He had just finished speaking when his expression suddenly changed!
He was looking at the call menu on his phone, and then his face darkened, revealing a sinister smile...
"Oh, look what I found..." Lamuch suddenly looked up and said coldly, "This is quite a surprise... Just ten minutes ago, there was a record of dialing 911 on this phone! Oh, although the call didn't go through... But what I'm curious about is, ten minutes ago, before my men and I even started our operation, why would the owner of this phone suddenly call the police?"
He had already raised his pistol, his eyes like those of a cobra in the desert: "Oh, just as I said, plans always change, and life is always full of surprises... although I hate surprises the most!!"
He held his phone in one hand, then suddenly revealed a playful smile, looking like a wild beast poised to pounce on its prey: "Oh, I've found the master's name... Ah, Miss Jessica Alba... Oh, that's a name that resonates far and wide... You know, I'm a big fan of yours too!!"
My heart sank, and I knew something was wrong!
The situation was critical, so I gritted my teeth, made a decisive decision, and whispered to Bruce, "Go!!"
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter 144: "Relative" Safety
"Hey! I told you, stay fucking away from me!!"
At my command of "Action!", Bruce suddenly took the initiative. He yelled, stood up from the ground, grabbed my collar, and shoved me hard.
I took the opportunity to stagger back two steps, and at that moment, the thugs next to me were immediately attracted by us.