Chapter 12

As Ma Ling was about to follow Liu Handong upstairs, he stopped her: "Wait in the garage. Find a black Highlander with the license plate Jiang A16789. Wait behind the car. If I don't find Gu Changjun, he won't be able to run. Remember, he's tall and thin with a scar on his face."

"Do you think he will definitely go to the garage? There are so many cars outside," Ma Ling retorted, pointing to her head, "Use your brain. I'll go up with you, so we can watch each other's backs."

"Men fight, what do women have to do with it?" Liu Handong was somewhat angry. How could this girl be so ungrateful? The World Peak Group was as dangerous as a dragon's lair; one couldn't easily take risks.

Ma Ling was furious, turned around, and took a few steps. Suddenly, she turned sharply and delivered a high kick, landing on Liu Handong's shoulder.

"I'm a black belt in Taekwondo. Do you want to try?" Ma Ling coldly flicked the hair from her forehead.

"Alright, you take this, and give me the baseball bat." Liu Handong compromised, handing the flashlight to Ma Ling. This wasn't just a flashlight; it was also a stun gun. When the switch was pressed, blue sparks crackled at the front.

Ma Ling led the way with the stun gun. As they walked up the emergency stairs, a dark figure rushed towards them. She pressed the stun gun, and the figure twitched a few times before collapsing. She shone the flashlight on it and saw a white-collar worker in a shirt and tie.

"Wrong target," Ma Ling said.

"No problem, be more careful next time," Liu Handong said, searching the man's body and picking up a key card.

The walkie-talkie crackled with the security department's dispatch orders, sending people to the basement electrical room to maintain the power supply. Due to the power outage, most of the building's cameras were out of commission, but the building had a backup power supply, so the access control system was still effective, and without a card, one couldn't move an inch.

Liu Handong and Ma Ling went straight up to the eighth floor via the fire escape. They encountered some World Peak Group employees hurrying down the stairs, who curiously glanced at them but didn't ask questions. In such a large company, it was normal not to recognize each other.

Both of them moved quickly and soon reached the eighth floor. They peeked down the corridor, and no one was there.

Liu Handong walked over, his footsteps muffled by the thick carpet. He came to the door of 815, turned the doorknob, but it didn't budge.

"Let me try." Ma Ling stepped forward and delivered a side kick, and the door opened with a bang.

Liu Handong quickly drew his gun and entered the room, crouching low.

The room was empty, but the computer, powered by an uninterruptible power supply, was still on. The screen showed the fire escape, with a green image, likely from an infrared camera.

Liu Handong's heart sank. It was a trap!

He turned to leave, and suddenly the lights came on, and the entire building was illuminated. The doors of the offices in the corridor opened, and over a dozen tall, muscular men emerged, armed with Japanese swords, rubber clubs, and steel pipes, grinning menacingly at the two of them.

Liu Handong raised his gun: "Stay back!"

The men sneered, and suddenly a voice came from behind: "Drop the gun, or I'll shoot her."

Liu Handong turned to see Gu Changjun holding a Type 64 pistol to Ma Ling's head.

Liu Handong hesitated for a few seconds and then threw his gun at Gu Changjun's feet.

"Qiangzi, pick it up," Gu Changjun ordered.

A bald security guard picked up the gun, checked the magazine, and found it empty. He opened the chamber and found it empty again.

"Damn you, you're scaring us with an empty gun!" Qiangzi angrily threw the Type 54 at Liu Handong, who dodged.

"Take care of him," Gu Changjun said.

The thugs advanced, but suddenly Ma Ling jabbed the stun gun into Gu Changjun's waist, causing him to tremble and shake uncontrollably.

At the same moment, Liu Handong crouched down, picked up the Type 54, loaded a bullet, and chambered it, aiming at the group again.

"I only have one bullet. Who wants to die first?" Liu Handong asked.

Gu Changjun fell to the ground, and Ma Ling quickly picked up the gun and aimed it at the thugs.

Gu Changjun was still shaking on the ground, his pants wet from the electric shock.

Liu Handong said, "You watch them. If anyone moves, shoot them in the head. Can you hit accurately?"

Ma Ling replied, "Don't worry. I've been playing with my father's guns since I was a kid. The provincial shooting team recruited me, but I didn't go." This wasn't likely to be a lie, as her grip on the gun was very steady.

Liu Handong kicked Gu Changjun in the head, giving him double insurance, then carried him to the elevator, with Ma Ling covering him from behind.

The thugs glared at them, but these were not ordinary security guards; they were high-priced special security personnel hired by the World Peak Group to handle trouble. They couldn't tolerate their boss being taken right under their noses.

Qiangzi couldn't hold back and stepped forward, intending to say something threatening.

Ma Ling decisively pulled the trigger.

The gun fired, and the bullet grazed Qiangzi's head, taking off his ear.

"Damn!" Qiangzi touched his ear, which was gone, and his hand was covered in blood.

"Sorry, I missed. I was aiming for your head," Ma Ling said.

The others didn't dare to advance. They didn't believe Ma Ling had missed. Everyone there was familiar with guns and knew that handguns were the hardest to shoot accurately, especially the Type 64. Despite the close range, hitting an ear required excellent marksmanship and nerves of steel.

The elevator doors opened, and Liu Handong kept his gun at the ready. Seeing no one inside, he entered, and Ma Ling followed, backing in.

"Which floor?" Ma Ling asked.

"Second floor. There are traps on the first floor and in the basement," Liu Handong said.

Ma Ling pressed the button for the second floor.

The World Peak Group's elevators were fast, and they quickly reached the second floor. Liu Handong carried Gu Changjun and threw him onto the grass below, shouting, "Jump!"

Ma Ling didn't hesitate and leaped down.

Liu Handong followed, rolling on the ground and raising his gun in alert. In the distance, the lights of several World Peak Group security vehicles, filled with uniformed guards, were approaching.

Nearby, there was a gardener's cart. Liu Handong threw the unconscious Gu Changjun onto the cart and called to Ma Ling, "Run!"

The two of them pushed the cart and ran, choosing paths that cars couldn't follow, such as the green belts. A group of special security guards rushed out of the building, shouting, "Close the gates, release the dogs! Flank them, don't let them escape!"

In the darkness, two fierce Dobermans came charging.

Ma Ling's face turned pale. "What do we do?"

Liu Handong stopped the cart, knelt on one knee, and aimed the gun at the Dobermans, taking a deep breath and slowly pulling the trigger.

The last bullet spun out of the barrel, and the 7.62mm Type 51 pistol bullet hit one of the Dobermans.

"Good shot," Ma Ling praised.

As soon as she spoke, the wounded Doberman rolled over and lunged forward, silent and fierce.

"Damn!" Liu Handong holstered the empty gun and turned to run, pushing the cart.

The Type 54 couldn't even knock down a Doberman, and the Type 64 would be even less effective. A full magazine probably wouldn't do the job.

With dogs chasing them from behind and security guards blocking them from the front, they were in a remote area, with no help in sight.

Suddenly, a car's headlights appeared, and a vehicle screeched to a halt in front of them. Wang Xing called out, "Get in!"

Ma Ling opened the door, and Liu Handong threw Gu Changjun into the car, then climbed in himself. Ma Ling got in the passenger seat, and Wang Xing floored the gas, and the Jetta shot forward like an arrow, with the two Dobermans barking furiously in pursuit but unable to catch up.

"Uncle Wang, why did you come so late? How is my dad?" Ma Ling asked.

Wang Xing smiled bitterly. "Niece, I came as fast as I could. I didn't know you were at the World Peak Group, so it's already a miracle that I found you. Your dad is fine. He was shot in the stomach, but he'll survive."

Ma Ling felt a weight lifted off her shoulders and then clenched her teeth. "If anything happens to my dad, I'll make them suffer." She thought for a moment, picked up the stun gun, and shocked the unconscious Gu Changjun again, causing him to stiffen as if he had come back to life.

"Where's Xiaofan?" Liu Handong asked.

"She's in a safe place. Don't worry; she's my lucky charm. No one will harm her," Wang Xing replied, sharply turning the steering wheel and accelerating, crashing through the barrier and exiting through the World Peak Group's rear loading dock.

"The address must not be given to the police," Liu Handong said.

"Don't worry. I've been in law enforcement for years; I know the rules. No one else knows where she is."

Liu Handong added, "Those killers were hired by Gu Changjun. He wants to kill Xiaofan. The man in the hospital is his subordinate, and his brother is reportedly dead. This live capture is yours, and the credit is yours. Stop the car ahead."

Wang Xing pulled over to the side of the road, surprised. "Where are you going? The police are looking for you."

Liu Handong said, "Gu Changjun is just a lackey. There's a bigger boss above him. If they need a scapegoat, there's no one better than me. I want to live a few more years."

He handed the Type 54 to Ma Ling. "Your dad's gun. Tell him thanks for me."

He slammed the car door and walked away.

Ma Ling got out of the car and called out, "Hey, where are you going?"

"Wherever I want to go," Liu Handong said, not looking back.

"What's your name?"

"I'll tell you next time we meet," Liu Handong disappeared into the darkness.