Inside the elevator.

Following Lu Chao’s question, the air grew deathly still, and the atmosphere turned frigid.

The man in the windbreaker stiffened. A flicker of astonishment crossed his eyes, hidden beneath the brim of his hat, before being replaced by an icy glint.

"You’re quite vigilant,"

he said in a hoarse voice, glancing at the security camera in the upper-right corner of the elevator.

As he did, his right hand, tucked into his pocket, twitched slightly, as if concealing some kind of trump card.

’Sure enough.’

Lu Chao’s eyes narrowed, and all his doubts vanished in an instant.

He had only been suspicious, constantly on guard for retaliation ever since he moved.

He never expected that a simple bluff would reveal the man to be Ah Bao of the Rock Gang.

"If you want to prove your innocence, tie your own hands and come with me."

"Otherwise..."

Ah Bao’s voice suddenly sharpened, laced with an icy threat.

Using the reflection on the elevator doors, Lu Chao saw the man slowly drawing his hand back, as if about to pull a gun from his pocket and fire.

In that instant, it was a matter of life and death!

Lu Chao cleared his mind of all stray thoughts and made his decision.

SWOOSH!!

His waist twisted like a coiled spring, unleashing a burst of power as his right fist tore through the oppressive air.

Like a stone splitting the sky, the killing blow from the 2nd Floor of his Fighting Skill surfaced in his mind, accompanied by a piercing whistle.

Ah Bao was momentarily stunned, as if he hadn’t expected Lu Chao to be so decisive.

In his haste, a vicious look appeared on his face. He gave up on drawing his gun and raised a palm to meet the attack.

BANG!!

The muffled sound of fist meeting palm exploded within the elevator. The massive shockwave made the elevator car shudder violently.

The floor number on the metal wall changed to two. Ah Bao’s arm trembled visibly, and his expression changed slightly.

He clearly hadn’t anticipated that Lu Chao’s Life Energy was no less than his own—in fact, it was even higher.

In a flash, a surge of viciousness welled up inside him. He reached his left hand into his pocket again, determined to draw his gun and shoot, no matter the cost.

WHOOSH!!

However, a powerful gust tore through the air, making his eardrums ring.

Unleashing his full power, Lu Chao had no intention of holding back. He had already dropped the silver briefcase. His left arm, coiled at his waist, swiftly followed up from a difficult angle, striking like an iron awl toward his opponent’s abdomen.

Alarm bells screamed in Ah Bao’s mind. His attempt to draw the gun was interrupted once again!

With an angry roar, he was forced to change his move, raising his other palm to block.

BANG!

Another muffled impact echoed, reverberating through the elevator once more.

The floor number on the metal wall changed to three. The elevator doors slid open automatically, but no one stepped out.

Pressed against the back of the car, Ah Bao felt his arm go numb. The force of the punch coiled into his palm like a python, impossible to deflect.

THUMP THUMP THUMP!!

His footsteps heavy, he staggered and quickly used the momentum to retreat, trying to create distance to reassess the situation.

But a dark shadow flashed before him, and a pair of bright, cold eyes met his.

The taut muscles of a right leg bulged, straining the fabric of the casual slacks.

Seventh Skill: Colossal Rock Shake!

Lu Chao transformed into a human beast, launching forward in a single leap, driving his knee upward.

In that split second, there was no escape.

Ah Bao’s face paled. He hurriedly crossed his arms, mobilizing his Martial Arts Power to block in front of him.

THUD!!

Like a boulder crashing down from a cliff, an immense, majestic force slammed into him.

CRACK!

The sound of bone fracturing seemed to ring out. The irresistible force, raw and savage, violently smashed his crossed arms apart.

Pale-faced, Ah Bao felt as if his chest had been struck by a sledgehammer. His blood roiled, and he staggered backward, crashing into the elevator wall.

The sealed elevator car shook again, and the steel suspension cables outside trembled back and forth, groaning.

The open doors slowly slid shut. After pausing for a few seconds, the floor number changed to four!

In that very instant! 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Lu Chao’s eyes narrowed. Seizing the opportunity, the muscles in his right arm bunched up. His five fingers formed a claw, and like an eagle striking from the sky, he grabbed Ah Bao’s head.

Then, in the moment his opponent staggered, strength failing him,

BAM!!

he unleashed a burst of power and smashed Ah Bao’s head against the steel wall of the elevator.

The tremendous noise vibrated in all directions, echoing through the upper and lower floors of the apartment building.

Many residents were drawn by the commotion, stopping what they were doing inside their homes and looking outside with confusion.

A woman waiting for the elevator was startled, looking bewilderedly at the ascending floor number in front of her.

Fifth floor!

BAM! BAM! BAM!!

Before she could recover, a series of muffled impacts exploded one after another, endlessly echoing.

Each sound was unnaturally violent, as if a wild beast were smashing objects in a confined space, venting its fury.

More and more residents noticed the disturbance.

A young woman by the elevator on the sixth floor looked panicked. She retreated in alarm toward the stairwell, her eyes glued to the closed elevator doors.

The next moment,

just as the floor number changed to six,

she couldn’t help but raise a hand to cover her face, peering through the gaps between her fingers with a mixture of terror and curiosity.

DING!

The chime indicating the elevator’s arrival sounded, and the gray-black doors slowly slid open.

The figure of a man in a windbreaker lay on the floor like a sack of broken garbage, face up. Blood oozed from his head, trickling down his forehead and past his rolled-back eyes. His body twitched sporadically.

And in front of him,

a young man with a crew cut, wearing a white short-sleeved shirt splattered with blood, was slowly bending over to pick up the silver briefcase from the floor.

Seemingly noticing her presence, he paused for a moment.

Then, flashing his white teeth, he stood up and put a finger to his lips, as if trying to offer a harmless smile.

"Shhh..."

"AHH!!"

Her face a mask of terror, the young woman who had been waiting for the elevator trembled, and her scream echoed throughout the entire apartment building.

....

WEE-WOO!

Ten minutes later, flashing red and blue lights swept by, and the sound of a patrol car’s siren came from the street.

Many people in the apartment building poked their heads out of their windows, looking left and right.

They were curious and confused, but also worried and perplexed.

Street No. 2 had always been peaceful. The Patrol Department’s second branch office was nearby, so how could something happen so suddenly?

"Severe traumatic brain injury, extensive cerebral contusions... He’s in a deep coma with weak spontaneous breathing. It’s basically impossible for him to ever wake up."

"He’s one of the Rock Gang’s men, right? Serves him right, getting what he deserved."

"It’s a shame. He seems to be a suspect in two home invasion cases. It’ll be hard to interrogate him now."

Downstairs, Ah Bao lay at the apartment entrance, his face a bloody mess, his eyes rolled back, and his breathing faint. Several medics from the Patrol Department were gathered around him.

In addition, two patrol officers were retrieving surveillance footage and documenting the scene.

Witnessing this, Lu Chao’s expression was calm.

He had no regrets, nor did he feel he had been too heavy-handed.

If not for his concern about the elevator’s security camera recording everything and the trouble that would come with killing someone, his opponent would already be dead.

"This guy was actually carrying a gun."

Chen Xiao, who had arrived on the scene, clicked his tongue in amazement. He held a Black Star pistol that had been confiscated from Ah Bao.

"The serial number is untraceable. Probably bought it on the black market."

"It’s a good thing you reacted quickly enough. Otherwise, who knows what might have happened."

He hadn’t expected a gang member would actually dare to come for revenge. After watching the surveillance footage, he was even more impressed by Lu Chao’s decisiveness.

"Just lucky,"

Lu Chao said, shaking his head. He didn’t want to explain too much.

Amid the rustling and shuffling, he turned his head to look to the side.

The woman who had been frightened earlier was being comforted by other patrol officers, and her emotions were gradually stabilizing.

A few nosy neighbors, along with Zhao Yuanqing who had come after hearing the commotion, were being held back inside the building, unable to get close.

He had wanted to handle it quietly, but he hadn’t expected to alarm so many residents in the building.

After thinking it over, he had decided to inform Captain Yang and Chen Xiao and let the Patrol Department handle the aftermath.

"Will this cause trouble for Captain Yang?"

Lu Chao asked after a moment of thought.

Although he had the right to use force in self-defense as an officer, there were limits, and he hadn’t been on duty at the time.

However, Chen Xiao shook his head gently. "Unlicensed firearm, malicious retaliation, assault on a patrol officer..."

"As long as he isn’t dead, it’s easy to handle. It won’t affect you at all."

Lu Chao nodded slightly, his worries assuaged.

"But..."

Chen Xiao suddenly blinked, gesturing ahead.

Lu Chao paused, then followed his gaze. A patrol car had screeched to a halt by the roadside. The door flew open, and Captain Yang Wangtao strode over purposefully.

"Captain Yang..."

"Are you all right?"

Captain Yang was in his blue patrol uniform, his face stern. His sharp gaze swept across the scene before finally landing on Lu Chao, looking him up and down.

"I’m fine."

Lu Chao shook his head, feeling a bit apologetic.

He knew that Yang Wangtao had been swamped these past few days, busy tracking down that group of wanted criminals.

"Good, as long as you’re fine."

Yang Wangtao nodded, his tense expression relaxing slightly. He then patted Lu Chao’s shoulder.

The three of them made some small talk, and Lu Chao curiously asked about the progress of the recent investigation.

"That group is very cunning. They’re well hidden."

Yang Wangtao shook his head, then a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

"However, that Qiu Shan was seriously injured back then. A few antibiotics won’t be enough for him."

"The Department already has some plans..."

He didn’t finish, but Lu Chao understood the implication and guessed the rest.

’The Patrol Department plans to lie in wait for the prey to walk into the trap, waiting for them to expose themselves.’

After confirming Lu Chao was unharmed, Yang Wangtao, ever decisive, quickly left with Chen Xiao.

And so, the whole fiasco came to an end.

The patrol car’s flashing red and blue lights gradually faded into the distance. The nearby Patrol Department branch office was still brightly lit.

Lu Chao watched this scene and remained silent for a few moments.

’With this, the Rock Gang is completely finished.’

’But I still don’t know who it was that was fishing in troubled waters back then.’

’Ah Bao was clearly just a pawn, blinded by hatred and completely ignorant of the truth. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have come after me.’

’I should probably let Brother Hao know about this later.’

Shaking his head, Lu Chao made a decision.

He then turned and walked into the apartment building, explaining briefly to Zhao Yuanqing that everything was fine.

Back in his apartment, without bothering to change out of his blood-stained white shirt, Lu Chao hurried into his bedroom and closed the door.

With a faint rustle,

he took a small, USB-drive-like storage device from his pocket. A fervent, bright light gradually filled his eyes.

’It’s actually... Martial Arts Combat Skills...’