The wind sweeps through the decayed old district, kicking up stray dust and tattered scraps of paper. Inside the abandoned ventilation shaft, Li Chuan and Shen Qiu inch forward cautiously. The rusted metal walls scrape against their clothing, the sound unbearably sharp in the silence. The air is thick with the stench of rot and dampness—every step must be taken with care to avoid the risk of sudden collapse.
Shen Qiu whispers through gritted teeth, "Wah lau eh, this place worse than I imagine, sial. If this thing collapse, we really become history already."
Li Chuan says nothing, his entire focus locked on the path ahead. He knows one thing for certain—Li Feng would never rely on just one layer of security. If they could figure that out, it meant—
"Stop."
Li Chuan suddenly raises a hand, signaling Shen Qiu to freeze.
Shen Qiu immediately halts, following Li Chuan's gaze. Under the faint beam of their flashlight, he sees it—the thin, nearly invisible threads crisscrossing the ventilation shaft's exit.
"Infrared tripwires," Shen Qiu breathes, his chest tightening. "One more step, we trigger the alarm."
Li Chuan takes a deep breath, inching closer to examine the wires. After a moment, he murmurs, "This is not just a standard alarm system. It's an active security net."
Shen Qiu frowns. "Meaning?"
Li Chuan reaches out, flicking the steel wire lightly. A barely visible spark jumps across it. His voice is calm but grave. "Anything that touches these wires sends an electrical signal directly to the control hub. And that hub…"
"…is linked to Li Feng's command center," Shen Qiu finishes, his face darkening.
"Exactly."
Shen Qiu exhales sharply. "Can we bypass it?"
Li Chuan is silent for a moment before shaking his head. "This is a real-time monitoring system. If we try to cut or disconnect it, they'll notice immediately."
"Then how?" Shen Qiu clenches his fists. "We stuck here, is it?"
Li Chuan's lips curl slightly. "We don't have to avoid it. We just have to deceive it."
Shen Qiu's eyes widen. "You mean… make it think we already triggered it?"
Li Chuan nods. Without hesitation, he pulls out a small electromagnetic disruptor—a device they had prepared for emergencies. He quickly adjusts the frequency, tuning the interference wave to match the tripwire's signal range.
"This device will send a minor distortion pulse in five seconds," Li Chuan explains. "It'll create the illusion that someone has passed through the tripwire, but not enough to trigger a full-scale alert."
Shen Qiu barely breathes as he watches Li Chuan work.
Five seconds later—
A soft beep.
The infrared wires flicker for a brief moment, as if reacting to an intruder.
Meanwhile, several kilometers away, inside Li Feng's command center—
An alarm light flashes on the monitor.
"Tripwire triggered! Target has entered the ventilation shaft sector!"
One of Li Feng's subordinates turns urgently. "Boss, they must have breached the system. Should we lock down the exit?"
Li Feng leans back, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table. A slow smirk spreads across his lips.
"No need."
His voice is chillingly calm.
"They walked right into the trap. They won't be walking out."
His eyes gleam coldly as he issues the command:
"Collapse the tunnel. Bury them inside."
Li Chuan and Shen Qiu barely manage to slip past the tripwires when a sudden, deep rumbling shakes the entire ventilation shaft.
Li Chuan's head snaps back. His voice sharpens.
"RUN!"
The tunnel behind them begins to cave in. Chunks of concrete and twisted metal rain down, shattering upon impact. The deafening roar of destruction drowns out everything else.
Shen Qiu stumbles but forces himself forward, his breath ragged. "Li Feng is blowing up the tunnel!"
Li Chuan's gaze darkens. "He wants to bury us alive."
Just ahead, the exit is mere meters away.
But the collapse is faster than they expected.
Shen Qiu grits his teeth, pushing himself to full speed—but just as he's about to leap through the opening, a massive slab of concrete crashes down in front of him, sealing off the exit entirely.
"Shit!" Shen Qiu shouts.
Li Chuan's eyes dart around, analyzing their surroundings in an instant. Then, his gaze lands on a particular section of the side wall—
A loosened metal panel.
A possible escape route.
"There's another way," Li Chuan says, voice steady despite the chaos.
Shen Qiu hesitates for half a second before following Li Chuan's line of sight. "What's behind there?"
"Don't know." Li Chuan steps forward without hesitation. "But it's either this, or we get buried alive."
Without wasting another second, he kicks the metal panel open and dives in.
Shen Qiu doesn't think twice—he follows.
The very instant they disappear inside, the entire ventilation shaft collapses behind them, sealing off the tunnel forever.
Dust settles. Silence follows.
Shen Qiu coughs violently, staggering to his feet. He wipes the grime from his face, eyes adjusting to the dim surroundings.
Slowly, he realizes where they are.
An underground parking garage.
The place is abandoned, long-forgotten. The air smells of rust and old gasoline. Dust-covered cars sit in eerie silence, untouched for years.
Li Chuan dusts off his jacket, his sharp gaze scanning the area.
It takes him only a few seconds to come to a chilling realization.
"We're not just anywhere."
Shen Qiu frowns. "Then where is this?"
Li Chuan's voice is calm, but edged with meaning.
"Li Feng's back door."