Chapter 125: Escape

A police car pulled up to the side of the alley. The window rolled down to reveal a stout, middle-aged man observing the sea of officers sealing off the area.

An officer approached, saluted, and said, "Captain Yi, the suspects abandoned their vehicle and fled. Based on their escape route, they are in Union Village. We have already surrounded the entire village and are awaiting your orders."

"Good, well done." Yi Zhiyong nodded. His task was merely to secure the perimeter; the rest would be handled by the armed police.

"Evacuate the civilians."

"Yes, sir." The officer immediately led his team to begin the evacuation. As the villagers were cleared out one by one, the village fell into an eerie silence.

Du Bin and his two companions had originally been heading toward Shuanglin Boulevard, but the police had shot out their tires. Forced to flee on foot, they had ducked into the village. Hu Guozheng, having twisted his waist, was howling in pain, forcing them to move slowly and take refuge in a random civilian house. The place was small—only about thirty square meters—but it was fortunate the owner was away, or they surely would have been exposed during the evacuation. After helping the "fatso" onto the bed, Du Bin gestured to Li Ning, who was hiding by the door.

"I’m truly sorry for dragging you into this. Could you tell me anything about the R-Vaccine? Even a little bit?" Du Bin asked, squatting beside her.

"Actually, I’d like to know what the R-Vaccine is myself. My brother and his team seem obsessed with it," Li Ning said, recalling the encounter in Guangzhou with that botanical monster, where the three of them had used an R-Vaccine booster and gained immense power.

"They?" Du Bin looked surprised.

"The members of the Special Investigation Unit. The R-Vaccine my brother uses grants immense power for one hour. Once that time passes, he becomes extremely exhausted for three hours, unable to muster any strength at all."

"Is that a side effect?" Du Bin asked, puzzled.

"I suppose so. That’s when they are at their most vulnerable."

"Is the R-Vaccine on the market the same as the one your brother uses?" Du Bin asked, sensing a crucial question.

"I’ve never used it, so I’m not sure. But there has been a lot of unrest in the black market lately." Li Ning remembered her brother’s recent dealings there, which seemed linked to the vaccine.

Hu Guozheng chimed in, "The black market—the international one?"

"It seems I need to take a trip to the black market. If I can get my hands on the R-Vaccine, even better. Comparing the two will reveal the truth." Du Bin had decided; if there were two types of R-Vaccine, he had to have both. By analyzing them together, the questions that had been plaguing him might finally be answered.

"Old Du, let’s worry about getting out of this village first!" Hu Guozheng sighed at their situation.

"You’re one to talk. Stop posturing and trying to act tough—you’ve only gone and gotten yourself injured." Looking at the fat man’s condition, Du Bin was speechless.

He spread his hands with an indifferent look. "My fault, then?"

"Whose else would it be?"

Hu Guozheng suddenly blurted out something that made Li Ning jump: "You’ve got the biggest chest, so you make the calls."

Li Ning longed to smash a brick into his head. "Whoever has the biggest chest makes the calls"? It made her sound like some kind of tyrant—though she was, in fact, quite overbearing, she simply refused to admit it.

"It’s almost nightfall. If we’re going to leave, we have to do it under the cover of darkness." Du Bin knew they couldn't just sit and wait to die. The fat man was injured and immobile, but he could use his abilities to save himself. Du Bin decided to draw the police away to ensure their safety and then contact Auntie Lan. After making up his mind, he said to Hu Guozheng, "The signal is jammed here. You stay here, and I’ll go draw Li Ping and the others away. Once it's safe, I’ll contact Auntie Lan immediately."

Without waiting for a response, Du Bin ran out of the house. Li Ning followed him. The sky was pitch black, covered in layers of dark clouds, and the distant rumble of thunder mixed with the sound of police sirens.

"I’m truly lucky," an officer muttered as he bumped into the fleeing Du Bin. He immediately pulled out his radio to notify the armed police.

Suddenly, a flash of fire erupted. Li Ning, hiding in the shadows, shot the officer in the thigh from behind. Because she had a silencer equipped, the sound was minimal. The officer collapsed, struggling in a pool of blood. Du Bin stepped forward, knocked him unconscious, and dragged him into a house, confiscating his radio. Slipping through the alleys unnoticed, they moved quickly. Since the police had sealed the entire village and most civilians had been evacuated, and because the village had no surveillance cameras, no one detected their movements.

The radio crackled: "First Team, Huijiang Street, no sign of the suspects."

After a pause, another voice added: "Second Team, Xinfeng Street junction, no sign of the suspects."

The third and fourth teams reported the same. Yi Zhiyong, furious, shouted, "I don't care how you do it, dig three feet into the ground if you have to, but find those people!"

Hiding on a rooftop, Du Bin sneered as he watched the officers searching for him below. "Catch me, will you?"

Du Bin switched to the least-used Channel 4 to communicate with Li Ning, coordinating their ambushes and retreat routes. Their silent, perfect synergy left the police running around like fools.

"My God, this is insane!" Yi Zhiyong couldn't believe it. The four teams inside the perimeter were all injured. His radio dropped to the ground. He felt deeply insulted; how could just three people systematically injure over thirty officers without being caught?

Just then, a man appeared behind him. His words shocked Yi Zhiyong: "Captain Yi, may I take over command?"

Yi Zhiyong turned to see Li Ping, the overall commander of the operation. Without a second thought, he handed over control. Li Ping grabbed the radio and said, "Who among the four teams is still uninjured? Report your positions."

Many responded; about fifteen men were still fit for duty. Li Ping pondered for a moment before deciding, "Captain Yi has handed over command to me. Everyone, switch your radios to Channel 4."

Du Bin, who had been eavesdropping, froze. Channel 4 was the one he and Li Ning were using. If they switched over, he would lose contact with her.

"Li Ping." Du Bin was taken aback.

This move effectively cut off his ability to cause surprise disruptions. He hoped that when Li Ning heard her brother’s voice, she would switch channels to contact him. Rain began to fall, and flashes of lightning tore through the night sky. The rain pelted him, and when the radio went silent, Du Bin was initially relieved, thinking they had switched channels. But then, he realized something was wrong. He scrambled to track the frequency: *Damn it, did that idiot Li Ning expose herself?*

Du Bin called out on Channel 4, "Li Ning, take the fat man and leave immediately!"

No matter how many times he called, there was no reply. Du Bin’s anxiety spiked. He was now alone, and Li Ping, who had grown up with him, knew all his habits.

"No need to shout, I’m right here." Li Ning emerged slowly from the rooftop door, walked up to him, and made a face. "Heh, you were worried about me? I’m flattered."

Du Bin rolled his eyes. "Enough. Let’s get out of here. Your brother knows where we are."

They ran downstairs, but upon reaching the parking area, they found a dozen officers waiting, guns pointed at them. They had no choice but to retreat and hide.

"Du Bin, your habits haven't changed. You still love playing these sneaky little games." A figure stepped out from the center of the group.

"How did you guess my channel?"

"Four is a symbol of misfortune, but it’s also your lucky number. So, I figured you’d be on Channel 4." Li Ping looked angry at his sister for helping him; she was a police officer, yet she was breaking the law. Sensing her brother’s gaze, Li Ning felt a pang of guilt and subconsciously retreated behind Du Bin.

"Alright, if you want to keep discussing this, we can do it at the station." Li Ping waved his hand, and the officers surged forward. Du Bin watched them approach, feeling useless. If his injuries weren't so severe, he could have recovered his abilities, but even then, he wasn't sure he could escape armed police who had taken the R-Vaccine.

*Bang!* A Honda swerved into the scene, scattering the officers. Li Ping raised his pistol and fired at the vehicle, forced to dive for cover as the car sped toward him. He hadn't injected the R-Vaccine, so he remained a normal human.

Seeing Hu Guozheng at the wheel, Du Bin gestured to Li Ning. She understood, drawing her twin pistols and firing at the arms of every officer who dared to aim.

*Bang, bang, bang... click, click, click...* The moment the last officer fell, Li Ning’s magazine was empty. They jumped into the car, and Hu Guozheng, gritting his teeth against the pain in his waist, slammed on the gas. They quickly smashed through the blockade the police had set up at the edge of the village.

Li Ping, furious at his sister’s actions, ducked into an alley and immediately injected himself with the R-Vaccine. Veins bulged on his skin as his body surged with raw power. With a mighty leap, he propelled himself over ten meters into the air, chasing them by jumping across the rooftops.