Dark alleys stretched endlessly as Li Chuan and his team sprinted forward, their footsteps urgent yet measured. Neon lights flickered in the damp air, casting elongated shadows that seemed to house unseen eyes, watching, waiting.
Behind them, the Executors advanced with relentless precision—like trained hounds closing in on their prey, leaving no room to breathe.
"Faster!" Shen Qiu barked, eyes locked onto his tablet. His fingers danced across the screen, analyzing the urban layout. "Left ahead—cut through the abandoned parking lot! There's an entrance to the underground sewers!"
As they ran, Su Man reloaded her magazine with practiced ease, her sharp gaze sweeping their surroundings. "Something's wrong… they're herding us in a specific direction."
"An ambush?" Cheng Mo muttered.
Li Chuan's instincts screamed danger. He skidded to a halt, his breath steady. "We can't follow their rhythm. Change route—now!"
Before they could alter course—
A gunshot rang out from a rooftop to their right. The bullet grazed Li Chuan's shoulder, embedding itself into the wall behind him, sending debris flying.
"Sniper!" Su Man hissed, ducking for cover.
Shen Qiu clenched his jaw. "Not just one. They predicted our escape and set up a firepower blockade!"
Li Chuan's mind raced. Their exits were sealed—ground units closing in, rooftop snipers locking them down.
"They want to force us into the sewers," Cheng Mo noted grimly, gripping his combat knife.
Su Man frowned. "But why? What's waiting for us down there?"
Li Chuan's eyes darkened.
"Because it's a trap."
Suddenly, Shen Qiu's screen flickered with a burst of data. His eyes widened. "Wait! I just caught a weak wireless signal—there's a temporary command station nearby, syncing their operations in real time!"
Li Chuan's sharp gaze met his. "Which means… if we take it out, we disrupt their entire operation?"
Shen Qiu nodded. "Exactly. Their strategy depends on constant data updates. Cut off the feed, and they lose tactical precision."
Li Chuan didn't hesitate. "Find the source. We're shutting it down."
Shen Qiu's fingers flew over the keyboard, isolating the signal's origin within seconds. "Southeast—under the highway. An abandoned telecom outpost."
Li Chuan issued orders swiftly. "Su Man, cover us. Cheng Mo, you're with me—we storm the outpost. Shen Qiu, provide remote support."
The team veered sharply, breaking into a sprint toward their new objective.
The Executors immediately adjusted, moving to intercept—but Li Chuan and his team were already steps ahead, weaving through the urban maze, dodging suppressive fire with precise movements.
At the highway underpass, the telecom station's doors were bolted shut. Shen Qiu worked on bypassing the locks while Su Man provided covering fire, taking out enemy shooters with lethal accuracy.
"Hurry!" Cheng Mo kicked the door open, rushing in to locate the core system.
Shen Qiu dove into the interface, fingers flying across the keyboard. A countdown appeared:
10, 9, 8…
"Done!" he called.
The system crashed.
Immediately, chaos erupted among the Executors.
"Our signal is down!"
"We've lost tracking on the targets!"
Inside Tianmu Tower, Li Feng sat in his office, watching as the tactical map on his screen flickered—then went dark.
For the first time in a while, his lips curled into an intrigued smirk. "Impressive, Li Chuan. You always find a way."
Then, with a low chuckle, he leaned back in his chair.
"But this is far from over."
Beyond the glass, the storm raged on.