Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Spring Festival Gala for the Enemy

Upon hearing Wei Tao’s shouted words, Li Zixin burst into wild laughter. “Ha! Wei, are you out of your mind?” Before his voice had faded, the entire supermarket was plunged into utter darkness.

In the instant the power went out, Wei Tao snapped open his tightly shut eyes—two glints of cold light in the blackness. In a swift motion, he snatched a pistol from a burly man nearby and fired at several of the henchmen guarding the hostages, relying on memory to aim. Several muffled groans signaled that his bullets had found their marks; some of the thugs had fallen.

Li Zixin immediately realized that the blackout was Wei Tao’s doing. Knowing Wei Tao well, he didn’t hesitate for even a second—he darted aside as soon as the lights went out. At that very moment, a bullet tore through the spot where he’d just been standing.

Meanwhile, Zhao Qiang had already taken advantage of everyone’s attention being fixed on Wei Tao. Quietly, he used a knife to cut through the clear tape binding him. Seeing Wei Tao in apparent danger, Zhao Qiang didn’t rush forward; he trusted that Wei Tao would never act unprepared. The earlier stalling tactics and the shouted “Happy New Year!” were clearly the signal for action.

Seizing the opportunity as the world went black, Zhao Qiang sprinted for his gear. Well done, old Wei—even night-vision goggles are ready! Zhao Qiang quickly strapped on his equipment and activated the device. In the darkness, Li Zixin and Wei Tao had already vanished, while Li Zixin’s henchmen were firing wildly in all directions. A few women huddled, trembling, behind a sofa.

There was no time to hunt down the mastermind now; Zhao Qiang, afraid stray bullets might hit Li Zihan and the others, chose not to fire. Instead, aided by his night-vision, he crept up behind the panicking thugs and silently dispatched them with his knife.

“Are you hurt?” Zhao Qiang whispered, helping the prone Li Zihan to her feet.

In the darkness, Li Zihan nodded. “I’m fine. What about Brother Wei?”

“He’s all right. Go help Dr. Wei and the others—I’ll take care of the rest,” Zhao Qiang whispered. He placed the night-vision goggles on Li Zihan’s head and handed her a knife. “Find somewhere safe to hide. When we’re finished, Wei Tao and I will come for you.”

“Be careful!” Li Zihan whispered hastily before darting off, crouched low.

Amid the chaos, Wu Hai shouted, “Retreat! Fall back!” The thugs fired blindly as they withdrew toward the entrance. Zhao Qiang fired several shots in Wu Hai’s direction, but the bullets sparked harmlessly off shelves and other obstacles.

Step by step, Zhao Qiang pressed forward, hoping to use this chance to wipe out Li Zixin’s crew—taking down Wu Hai, that treacherous accomplice, would be a victory in itself.

Outside the supermarket, the sounds of fierce gunfire erupted. Zhao Qiang was instantly reassured—Wei Tao had set up an ambush! With renewed confidence, Zhao Qiang hastened toward the supermarket’s rear exit.

“Wait!” In the darkness, a strong hand seized Zhao Qiang.

“Old Wei? What are you doing? If we don’t hurry, Li Zixin and the others will escape!” Zhao Qiang’s hatred for Li Zixin ran deep after so many attacks; he longed for blood.

“No rush. Everything is under control. You still have a task to finish,” Wei Tao’s voice was icy.

When gunfire had first broken out in the supermarket, Wei Tao had sensed something was wrong. Returning to the store, he’d discovered Li Zixin and his gang had seized control. Instead of acting immediately, he intercepted Cai Jiashu and the others who were rushing back to the scene.

Laying his trap and feigning an attack, Wei Tao set everything in motion before sneaking back into the supermarket for the final phase of his plan.

“I’ve already planted explosives at the southeast roadblock,” Wei Tao said. “Take the others to the car and wait for me—I have something else to do.” With that, he vanished in pursuit of Li Zixin’s retreat.

Parting ways with Wei Tao, Zhao Qiang found Li Zihan and the others in the security office. Inside, the shaken group had freed themselves from their bonds. Two of Li Zixin’s henchmen lay dead on the floor—a silent testament that even the most delicate woman could pull the trigger when necessary.

After tidying up, they followed Zhao Qiang to a bus hidden at the intersection.

Seated inside, Li Zihan anxiously peered through the observation slit, her hands gripping the cold rails.

“Qiang, do you think Brother Wei will be all right?” she asked without turning.

Zhao Qiang approached, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Trust me, old Wei is as tough as they come. He’ll be fine.”

Five more minutes passed. The gunfire outside grew sporadic and distant. Soon, Cai Jiashu and the others came sprinting up and clambered into the bus.

“How did it go?” Zhao Qiang asked immediately.

Cai Jiashu wiped the sweat from his brow. “It’s done. We’ve got them trapped in that building.”

“Why isn’t Brother Wei with you?” Li Zihan asked anxiously, searching the group for Wei Tao.

“He’s still back there—he has something else to handle,” Cai Jiashu replied, taking a long drink of water before slumping into the driver’s seat. “Buckle up, everyone! We leave as soon as old Wei arrives.” With that, he started the engine.

Li Zixin was in utter despair. He had gathered ruthless men and taken numerous hostages, thinking his plan was foolproof. Yet not only had he failed, but he had also lost many men and gained nothing. Now, Wei Tao had forced his group into a decrepit building, trapping them with no way out.

“Wu Hai, send two guys to scout ahead!” Li Zixin barked, firing blindly out the window. What frustrated him most was that after Wei Tao had forced them into the building, he’d gone completely silent. A few bold henchmen had risked peeking outside, but after careful observation, they saw nothing. The group assumed Wei Tao had retreated, but the moment someone stepped out, bullets came whistling from an unseen source. Two scouts were immediately cut down.

“Wei, if you’ve got the guts, come out and face me!” Li Zixin shouted, crouched beneath the windowsill, but there was no answer. With only a handful of men left, he dared not send them out again. Instead, he cautiously poked his head out, trying to spot Wei Tao.

He had barely exposed half his head when a flash erupted from a window opposite. He ducked back instantly—a bullet smacked into the cement floor by the door, sending a cold sweat down his spine.

What Li Zixin didn’t know was that by now, Wei Tao had already returned to the bus. The only thing opposing them was an explosive ordnance robot. Wei Tao had fixed a sniper rifle onto the robot and positioned it at the window, the muzzle aimed right at the only exit Li Zixin’s group could use. After taking out the first two bold henchmen, Wei Tao had withdrawn, leaving Li Zixin and the others cowering, hurling curses at a machine.

Back at the bus, Wei Tao emerged from a pile of debris at the street corner, carrying a control board wired with several cables. Staring coldly at the building where Li Zixin and his men hid, he murmured, “Here’s a firework show for you. Hope you enjoy this year’s Spring Festival Gala.”