A volley of bullets was fired.
Leona's momentary lapse in concentration was due to finding the elevator empty.
Damn it!
She had been tricked!
Subconsciously, she turned her head towards the emergency stairs beside the elevator door. As expected, a figure stood there, as imposing as a colossal mountain, oppressing her heart until she could barely breathe.
Leona gritted her teeth and raised her gun again, intending to fire.
Whoosh!
A glint of cold steel arrived first!
Before Leona could react, the sharp Tai Sui pierced her metacarpals and pinned her to the wall.
Leona screamed in pain!
She looked at Chen Jinzhao, who was walking towards her, with horror and cried out, "Who exactly are you?"
Even though she had known Chen Jinzhao was strong, she hadn't expected him to be this powerful.
Chen Jinzhao had no interest in addressing Leona. Instead, he lowered his head to look at the corpses of the two soldiers, then knelt to close their eyes. He walked past Leona and into the corridor, heading towards the laboratory.
All four soldiers had sacrificed their lives, Wen Fulai and Xu Nianqing had been abducted – this was the worst possible outcome.
Chen Jinzhao returned to Leona's side.
Leona had calmed down and said with a sneer, "No matter how capable you are, our plan has succeeded!"
"Hahaha!"
Chen Jinzhao silently pulled the Tai Sui from Leona's palm. Before he could wipe the blood off the triangular blade, Leona saw a mist form on its surface, washing away the dirty bloodstains.
Leona's pupils contracted violently, as if experiencing an earthquake.
"You..."
"This is Tai Sui!!"
Seeing Tai Sui was like facing the true form of the Jade-Faced Asura.
Leona finally understood the terrifying existence she was facing. Fear filled her eyes, and she stammered, unable to speak.
This was the Eye of the Candle Dragon, China's strongest single operative!
But hadn't he retired three years ago? How could he be here?
Leona opened her mouth, wanting to say something more, but Chen Jinzhao raised his hand, grabbed her by the neck, and twisted it forcefully. Her head drooped lifelessly.
Throughout the entire process, Chen Jinzhao had not uttered a single word.
His mind held only one thought—
Kill!
At this moment.
Chen Jinzhao's phone rang. It was a message from the head of security, stating that the suspects had been identified as several students from the International College, and their names and photos had been sent.
As for the other students, there were no casualties.
Chen Jinzhao's gaze turned incredibly chilling. The Black Blood Group was truly everywhere, making it impossible to guard against!
The information indicated that three people had already died here. The one who escaped must be Joel and the remaining two. Chen Jinzhao muttered coldly, "You had better not fall into my hands, or I will tear you to shreds."
He went downstairs and was about to call Tao Qiyue to inquire about the situation when a police car pulled up in front of him.
"Get in!"
"We've tracked the suspect vehicle and they're heading towards Ninghai Port!"
The person who arrived was Tao Qiyue.
During official duties, Tao Qiyue's face was devoid of any jesting; it held only seriousness and a stern demeanor.
Chen Jinzhao said nothing more and immediately sat in the passenger seat of Tao Qiyue's car.
"The situation is urgent, I'm counting on you," he said.
Tao Qiyue turned to look at Chen Jinzhao. "The Municipal Bureau has already dispatched personnel to intercept. Your job is to fasten your seatbelt."
As soon as she finished speaking.
A strong sense of acceleration pushed them back into their seats. Tao Qiyue floored the accelerator, and the police car shot out of the campus like a steel beast.
Multiple departments in the city were cooperating, clearing the main road from Ninghai University to Ninghai Port to pursue the three fugitives with all their might.
Ninghai Port.
Joel slowed down his driving.
"Damn it, China's reaction speed is too fast. If we enter the port now, it'll be walking into a trap. We'll head north along the coast. Ten kilometers from here, there are our people on the coastline, and we can take a speedboat out to sea once we get there."
As he spoke.
Joel turned left at the next intersection and headed north.
Meanwhile.
Tao Qiyue also received a report about the suspect vehicle changing direction. She murmured hesitantly, "What are they planning to do?"
Chen Jinzhao glanced at the report, his face grim. "Perhaps someone is waiting to meet them on the northern coastline. Has there been any reaction from the provincial authorities?"
Ding Ling Ling!
Chen Jinzhao's communicator rang loudly. It was Xu Hanchen calling.
"Little Chen, how is it?" Xu Hanchen's voice was heavy.
If the Black Blood Group managed to smuggle people out of the country under their noses, Xu Hanchen would lose face. Chen Jinzhao said in a deep voice, "The enemy is cunning, and it seems someone is waiting for them on the coastline. Old Xu, can you mobilize the provincial helicopters to scout the coastline to the north? The police system alone might not be enough."
"I already have arrangements in place over there," Xu Hanchen's words relieved Chen Jinzhao.
After a pause.
Xu Hanchen added, "Little Chen, if the situation becomes untenable... I hope you understand the need for compromise."
This meant that if Chen Jinzhao encountered an extremely dangerous situation, he should prioritize his own safety!
Chen Jinzhao smiled wryly. "Old Xu, if I really did that, would I still be me? Don't worry, I know what to do. You just wait for good news."
Tao Qiyue's ears perked up as she heard Chen Jinzhao's address.
Old Xu?
A wild thought leaped into her mind.
Could it be Xu Hanchen?
This thought startled her. Xu Hanchen was one of the top three figures in the military, wielding immense power. If influence within the military was the sole criterion, Xu Hanchen would undoubtedly rank first.
It couldn't be him!
What kind of status would be required to have a direct line to Xu Hanchen?
"Focus on driving, don't think about such nonsense," Chen Jinzhao reminded her from the side. Tao Qiyue jolted back to attention, a hint of embarrassment appearing on her face.
The distance between the two vehicles had narrowed to five kilometers, and it was still closing!
Tao Qiyue received successive reports, and even heard news of the provincial military's reinforcement. She let out a long sigh. "After your reminder, we've already dispatched personnel to cut off the road leading to the coastline. The suspect vehicle is about to enter our encirclement."
Chen Jinzhao's brow remained furrowed.
He knew how ruthless the people of the Black Blood organization were. If their escape route was completely cut off, they might resort to killing the hostages.
Chen Jinzhao opened his map and scanned it, his gaze settling on Lingfeng Mountain, several kilometers to the north.
"Clear the small road leading to Lingfeng Mountain and guide them to escape in that direction," Chen Jinzhao instructed.
Tao Qiyue almost slammed on the brakes and turned to look at Chen Jinzhao. "Are you crazy? Lingfeng Mountain is treacherous terrain. If we let them escape in there, even a thousand police officers would need three days and nights to search it."
Allowing the criminals to escape into Lingfeng Mountain was too risky!
Chen Jinzhao took a deep breath and said, "Do you trust me? If we completely block their escape route, Professor Wen and Xu Nianqing will be killed. That's a price we cannot afford!"
Tao Qiyue faced a dilemma.
If Joel and the others escaped into Lingfeng Mountain and eventually got away, she might be dismissed from her post.
But if she blocked all their escape routes, they might actually kill the hostages!
Their operation would have been in vain!
However, the second outcome was slightly better for Tao Qiyue, as at least the criminals would be apprehended.
Anyone else in this situation would have undoubtedly chosen the safer option, which was why Tao Qiyue was so conflicted.
In the end.
Tao Qiyue gritted her teeth and said to Chen Jinzhao, "I trust you!"
"If the sky falls, we'll bear it together!"