[edited]

Jiang Ning instructed Grandma Zhong to return to the house and lock the door, then turned to Zeng Nianlun and said, “Let’s go.”

As she reached the stairs and opened the door, Jiang Ning was about to step out when Huo Yishen suddenly pulled her back, blocking her from descending first.

Jiang Ning, who was forced in the back, hesitated, “…”

Though the special police are experienced in combat, leading to draw fire is the best strategy. However, the situation is chaotic now, and those willing to charge ahead are scarce. Moreover, the enemies possess real weapons, of unknown quantity.

Faced with life and death, Jiang Ning withdrew and took the second position.

“Bang, bang, bang…”

Just after advancing about ten steps, a deafening sound echoed.

The enemy lacked martial integrity, opening fire without warning and they aim to eliminate everyone on the 18th floor.

Huo Yishen positioned himself carefully. Shots from the 16th floor were imprecise in angle and view and they only hit the railings or walls but not his feet.

Yes, he only exposed his feet.

Because of the continuous gunfire, Grandma Zhong exclaimed, “Be careful!”

“Bang!”

Gunshots echoed from the 17th floor.

Huo Yishen is a skilled marksman, but she managed to also shoot despite President Ba’s gun’s strong recoil. Jiang Ning’s arm was numbed from the shock, but her shot found its mark.

Quietly descending the stairs, she unsheathed the Tang sword slightly. Its polished surface reflected Zeng Nianlun, who suddenly raised his knife to stab her in the back…

Without looking back, her right hand, holding the gun, circled her left armpit and fired subtly. The shot did not hit his heart but landed in his stomach.

Zeng Nianlun screamed while clutching his stomach, and Grandma Zhong swiftly struck him with her cane.

Blood gushed as he stumbled and fell.

Meanwhile, Huo Yishen hastened to the second door, as the man on the 16th floor pried open the gun first and rushed upstairs…

Suddenly, something like a fist was thrown down, and a thick fog continued to spray out.

“Ah, a grenade!”

Someone shouted, and everyone turned around and retreated in fear.

The acrid smoke induced tears and blurred vision.

Huo Yishen seized the moment and fired his gun. Shots rang out, screams followed and soon it fell into dead silence again.

Jiang Ning stood on the stairs, contemplating her next move.

“Ah…”

Screams erupted from downstairs, followed by the sounds of fighting.

“Are you okay, Anning?”

Zheng Weili’s anxious voice reached her.

“I’m fine, how about you?”

Zhang Chao gasped, “We’re okay, it’s already handled!”

They had set out at dawn, intending for a quick return with their sleds. Instead, they were greeted by gunfire upon reaching downstairs.

They dropped the firewood and rushed up.

A few of them died, but those who survived were only wary of those upstairs, looking for opportunities to continue rushing upwards. Today, it’s either you die or I live.

They hadn’t anticipated an attack from behind!

Zheng Weili was formidable and showed no mercy.

Attacked from above and below, chaos reigned.

The smoke grenade’s foul odor made them cover their noses as they retrieved the bodies. In the middle of murder, they found crude firearms, likely from an illegal source.

Guns can both take lives and save them.

Zhang Chao and Lu Yu checked the corpses. They find ammunition, gold chains, rings, cigarettes, watches, and lighters.

“Ah, finally the 18th floor has some hardcore weapons. Let’s see which bastard dares to charge upstairs now, I’ll cut off their heads!

“Yu, we have to be strong!”

“Chao, we have to rise!”

Hmm, with weapons in hand, this world is mine!

The two of them instantly feel invigorated and they straighten their backs.

From today on, they will kill gods if they encounter them, and slay Buddhas if they come across them!

Unfortunately, no one cares about their passionate imagination. Zheng Weili rushes up while covering her nose, and seeing Zeng Nianlun bleeding on the ground, she asks in surprise, “What’s going on?”

Jiang Ning draws her sword, “He was bribed by the protected grain collectors, he wants to stab us with the knife behind our backs.”

“Don’t, don’t kill me.” Zeng Nianlun’s face is pale, pleading in fear, “I didn’t want to, but they kidnapped my son and threatened me. If I didn’t cooperate, my son wouldn’t have a chance to come back.”

“It’s your son’s life, but what does it have to do with us?”

It’s one thing to be a coward in times of trouble, but it’s another thing to want protection from the 18th floor and then turn a knife towards it. If it wasn’t for Jiang Ning’s suspicion and precaution, they might have died at his hands.

Not only Zeng Nianlun, Zheng Weili kicks the door and shouts angrily, “Listen, if you don’t come out, I’ll kill him!”

The frail Lu Yu stretches out his foot and steps on Zeng Nianlun’s bleeding wound.

Do they really think the 18th floor is a savior, a Bodhisattva who overlooks past offenses? What are they thinking!

Zeng Nianlun screams in agony.

Zhang Chao thinks he hasn’t stepped hard enough, so he also gives another kick.

Huh, can they bully anyone on the 18th floor? Stabbing with a knife in their back, why don’t they ascend to heaven?

Amidst the thunderous banging on the door, the door of 1703 is finally opened. The woman, with red eyes, looks both panicked and angry.

She runs to the corridor, holding the injured Zeng Nianlun and crying, “Husband, how are you?”

Zeng Nianlun is extremely weak, “Wife, it’s all my fault, I couldn’t save Abao.”

Abao is their son who was taken away by the protected grain.

Zeng Nianlun’s wife is extremely resentful, she curses at Jiang Ning and others, “Do you have no humanity? Why do you want to kill my husband?”

Why? Her words shock everyone.

“Your husband stabbed us in the back when we were vulnerable with the knife. So, if we weren’t stabbed to death, it’s our fault?”

“If it weren’t for you, my son wouldn’t have been taken away by them. It’s all your fault. Now you want to kill my husband. You are the inhumane murderers!”

“Because your son was taken away, your husband can kill me?” Jiang Ning finds it amusing, “Since your husband dared to kill me, why can’t I retaliate?”

Lu Yu is angry, “You couldn’t protect him, why blame us?”

“Before installing the stainless steel doors, we warned you to consider carefully. It’s dangerous to be close to the 18th floor. What did you say at that time? And what did you do later?”

Zhang Chao and others are furious, “When danger came, we rushed to the front to die, but you cowardly hid and wouldn’t come out. Now you blame us for when your son was being taken away. Why don’t you blame your own uselessness?

“You don’t have the guts to deal with them, but you’re good at stabbing us with a knife. It seems like the 18th floor is easy to bully?”

Zeng Nianlun’s wife becomes hysterical, “It’s all because of you, all because of you, otherwise we wouldn’t have encountered this bad luck!”