NOVEL NEXT Chapter 287: Come with Me
Zhongcheng Building.
The staircase was not commonly used, a layer of dust had accumulated on the handrails. Aside from the cleaning staff, Yu Qin and her group might have been its rare patrons.
Sigh—
Climbing the stairs from the first to the sixteenth floor wasn't a big deal for most people.
However, to do so in one go and still look as if nothing happened required a strong physical constitution.
Clearly, the people Yu Qin was leading were worn out.
Having flown directly from Southeast Asia to the Myanmar area, after disembarking from the plane, they had switched various modes of transportation. Sneaking across the border felt like a long journey on foot, and by the time they reached Anling, their spirits were already half gone.
To confront Lin Chuan better and without causing a big commotion, they couldn't ascend the staircase quickly.
As many as thirteen people were in the group, controlling the sound of their footsteps as they climbed upward.
Taking advantage of this moment, Yu Qin asked while walking, "Have those two been dealt with?"
"After they entered the Han River area, we drugged them and confined them. No word of this operation will leak," her aide replied.
Yu Qin nodded slightly, "What about Lin Chuan?"
"Lin Chuan is unsuspecting. He went to work as usual with his girlfriend today and should be taking a nap now. We haven't noticed him leaving the company," the aide added.
A cold smile curled at the corner of Yu Qin's mouth.
She had heard of Company 720 many times before.
The name Lin Chuan had come up when Yu Keke had plans to recruit him.
However, no one had anticipated the current situation.
Yu Qin glanced at the staircase about one and a half meters away, ascending step by step, knowing that once she climbed these stairs, she would meet her old rival.
Truth be told, she quite admired Lin Chuan.
In "Arms Tycoon," she had seen Mr. Lin as a kindred spirit, finding resonance among arms dealers; she had hoped to be on the same side as Lin Chuan.
Regrettably, it was just the opposite.
She and Lin Chuan, stood on completely opposing sides.
Now, she was here with her resolve to confront her old rival!
"Lin Chuan, I am coming. You will be quite surprised, won't you?" Yu Qin thought to herself.
The tapping of hurried footsteps became more frequent and rhythmic, echoing in the stairwell, this group with only one destination—the sixteenth floor.
Suddenly!
Yu Qin abruptly stopped, "Stop!"
The others tensed up immediately, forcefully halting their steps.
"Boss, what are your orders?" the aide asked with a frown.
Yu Qin raised her hand to signal him to be quiet, "Listen, is that an alarm?"
An alarm?
Everyone present stiffened.
Yu Qin held her breath and listened intently; from outside the staircase, a faint whirring of sirens could be heard.
The sound of the sirens was very untimely.
This meant that the police had arrived.
"I hear it!" the aide murmured in a deep voice, his complexion complex.
"Boss, are they coming for us?" someone among the thirteen asked.
This question echoed the sentiment of most present.
These people, desperate fugitives, feared being captured!
No criminal wanted to hear the siren's call.
It was as if the Grim Reaper had raised its scythe overhead, poised to pass judgement on their sins.
The sound grew louder and clearer.
Those in the stairwell could now hear it distinctly.
The battle was imminent.
The aide hurriedly tried to maintain order, "What nonsense! Our operation is meticulous; there's no chance of a leak. The sirens are probably just the police passing by on another task. Don't panic!"
Yu Qin scanned the silent group and nodded, "It's probably just a coincidence. Don't worry."
But then.
A voice from the loudspeaker in the stairwell boomed, "To the people in the stairwell, you are surrounded. Drop your weapons and surrender immediately!"
Yu Qin's brows furrowed, her face drained of color in an instant.
The aide's legs weakened, he clutched at the dusty handrail as if grasping a lifeline, and looked to Yu Qin in panic, "Boss, they're coming for us! We've been discovered!"
Read latest chapters at empire
The others went pale; the once well-organized group descended into chaos in an instant.
The loudspeaker continued to blare.
First, it called out in Chinese, and, worried that Yu Qin and her companions might not understand, Shen Qianqian considerately played the broadcast in English and Malay as well.
"The police are here! They've surrounded the building! What do we do?"
One of the operatives moved up a few steps and peeked out the window, casting just a glance outside, which was enough to feel like they'd just brushed past death's door.
Downstairs, a long line of police tape stretched out, sirens blared, and the lights from the alarms were so dazzling even in daylight. Innumerable detective and SWAT teams, armed and ready, were making their advance—no fly could get in, much less get out.
What terrified him the most was the red dot that seemed to land on his head the moment he peeked outside.
A red dot from a sniper's aim!
He immediately retracted his head and dared not look outside again.
"Disperse to different floors!"
Yu Qin, worthy of being the leader, didn't panic in the face of an emergency and immediately ordered them to scatter. The more they dispersed, the better their chances of escape.
However, Lin Chuan had already anticipated her strategy.
The staircase exits from the first to the sixteenth floors were locked tight and couldn't be opened quickly, nullifying the plan to disperse to different floors right where it was hatched.