Nova jerked awake, his eyes snapping to the ceiling. Li Ya, beside him, gripped her pistol tightly, her gaze darting nervously toward the door. The sounds of gunfire, mixed with screams and curses, echoed from upstairs.
"It's coming from the window! Over there by the window!""Damn it, it's a woman! Is she from the apartment downstairs?""I don't know! Brother Li, my brother's gone! He's dead!""Fuck! I can't take this anymore. This damn strategist is useless. Brother Li, we need to get revenge now!""One grenade will take care of it. Smash that bitch! She dared to fight back!""Wait! Brother Li, she's out there, but the downstairs is empty. It's a single room. We can't waste a grenade on an empty house!""I remember a guy lived downstairs. When did it change to a woman?"
Chaos erupted from upstairs, and Nova listened closely, his expression darkening. They had grenades. No wonder Lin Yue had suddenly opened fire — she was drawing their attention to keep them from coming after Nova with explosives.
"Shh..." Li Ya pressed her finger to her lips, signaling Nova to stay silent. If the enemy realized there were still people downstairs, they would be dead. In such close quarters, a grenade would finish them off without a chance to react.
Moments later, a rustling sound came from outside the door. Nova's skin prickled. He caught a glimpse of a pupil through a carefully positioned mirror, the figure outside pressing against the iron door, eyes darting like a predator. It made Nova's blood run cold.
"Brother Li! There's no one downstairs. It's dead quiet! But the door's locked. She couldn't have left through the main entrance!"A voice from upstairs echoed back."She's gone! The woman climbed out the window to sneak attack us!""Damn it! She's like Spider-Man! Search the whole building! We have to catch her!""Fuck! Brother Li, I'll take her down myself when we find her. I want revenge for my brother!"Footsteps pounded above as the thugs began mobilizing.
"Brother Li, I'll follow you. You're the toughest. It's safer with you!""Shut up. Check your guns. Let the strategist carry the grenades!""Do we have enough bullets? That woman's aim is deadly accurate!""Split into two teams. Start from the top floor. You guys check the first floor. We'll search the middle!""Don't miss any room, and make sure to check every window!""Remember the strategist's orders. Move out! We can't let her escape!"
The thugs were moving fast, and soon their footsteps echoed in the corridor. Nova clenched his teeth, hatred flashing in his eyes. These bastards. He hadn't done anything to them, but they were determined to kill him! Lin Yue, you have to make it out alive!
Ten minutes later, the sound of gunfire rang out again.
"Rat-a-tat-tat!""Damn it! She's on the second floor!""The strategist is dead! The strategist is gone!""Shit, her aim's too good! She got a headshot!""Which room on the second floor? Have you got her?"Nova could hear Brother Li shouting as he led his men downstairs in a hurry: "What happened to my strategist?""Brother Li, the strategist's gone! That woman's in the room on the right side of the second floor. We searched that before, and the door was open.""Damn it! Lao Song! Lao Song! You idiots can't protect the strategist? What the hell are you doing? Don't just stand there! Catch her!""Brother Li… That woman's scary. Her aim is too accurate."Chaos broke loose downstairs. Nova listened intently, but no more shots rang out. The thugs were hesitant, giving Lin Yue the chance to slip away. They hadn't caught her yet.
"Damn it! No one's here. Keep searching!""Where's my grenade? Give it to me!""Brother Li, it's on the floor... Rat-a-tat-tat! Rat-a-tat-tat!"Another burst of gunfire from the top floor. Another man was shot without a chance to react. Brother Li was beside himself with fury, leading his men back upstairs, only to find nothing again.
"You useless fools! Hold her off! Don't let her get away!" Brother Li's rage was palpable, and his men were terrified. Lin Yue was a ghost to them — shoot, then vanish. They feared her more than their own leader. Hesitate even for a moment, and she'd be gone.
"Good, very good!" Nova whispered through gritted teeth, sweat dripping down his face, not even noticing. "Well done, Lin Yue! Don't let that bastard Li catch you. He's dangerous."
"Boss, it's 10:30 AM." Li Ya whispered urgently, her eyes scanning the door. Nova glanced at the wall clock, its body battered by a stray bullet last night. The hands ticked slowly but steadily.
"Two more hours," Nova muttered. "Two more hours, and this will all be over." But the gnawing fear remained. The talent reward — what if it didn't work? What if it couldn't solve this mess? His thoughts spiraled, tormenting him. If only the thugs weren't around. If only things had gone differently…
Time crawled by, with sporadic gunfire echoing from both upstairs and downstairs. Nova risked peeking out the window but saw no sign of Lin Yue. She'd been so elusive, he had no clue where she was. The building had become her battlefield, a maze she had mastered while the thugs stumbled around like fools.
But even Lin Yue wasn't invincible. She was playing the long game, evading them, striking when she had the upper hand. The thugs had passed Nova's door several times, Brother Li even trying to break it down. But Li Ya's fortifications held, and Brother Li had left, furious.
The stalemate dragged on until 12:20 PM. Just when the new reward was about to activate, the entire floor trembled with a deafening bang.
"Boom!" The shockwave sent Nova staggering. Dust and debris rained down from the ceiling.
"It's a grenade!" Li Ya gasped, eyes wide with horror. The thugs must have caught Lin Yue.
"Is she dead? Please, no..." Nova's voice was strained as he shot a desperate look at Li Ya. She didn't answer, her face grim. No one knew if Lin Yue was alive or dead.
In the aftermath of the explosion, the faint sounds of maniacal laughter echoed from above.