Ch66 No Way, I'll Have to Use It After All
"Brother Long, it's right here!"
"Look at all this iron mesh they've installed, and all those locks on the door. They must be hiding some serious loot inside."
The man called Brother Long's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Damn it, we've searched so many places and found nothing worthwhile."
"Guys, we're really hitting the Jackpot this time!"
All twenty-four men shouted in unison!
Over by the electric fence stood seven people, men and women. And damn, that woman was actually pretty hot.
"You lot," Yun Jingcen folded her arms, chuckling lightly, "are you going to surrender quietly, or do I have to beat the surrender out of you?"
"Before you shoot your mouth off, see if you can even get up here."
Since these fools chose to overreach, there was no need for further chatter.
Brother Long then ordered two men to dismantle the electric fence.
The pair immediately charged forward.
"Whoa!"
The moment their hands touched the wires, a wave of numbing shock sent them scrambling back.
"Brother Long, it's electrified!"
Brother Long brandished an iron rod, striking one of them.
"So it's electrified."
"It didn't kill you. Now get up there and dismantle it."
"Yes, sir."
The two hesitated. The shock felt like static electricity-barely dangerous. Enduring it seemed manageable.
So they called two more men to join them.
All four advanced together, determined to tear down the electric fence in one go.
This time, however, the four weren't as fortunate as before.
"Ah!"
"Damn it!"
Duan Yan, lurking behind Cheng Yu, surreptitiously increased the current. A sizzling sound filled the air, followed by the distinct smell of grilled meat wafting through the air.
All four stumbled backward in unison.
One even lost his footing, tumbling headlong down the stairs. The others behind him, caught off guard, rolled down in a chaotic heap.
Wails of pain and curses echoed through the stairwell.
Meng Ci couldn't help but laugh.
Seeing Liu Jie, the one pinned at the bottom, grimacing in pain, Meng Ci silently cursed him as deserving it.
Brother Long, provoked by Meng Ci's laughter, turned sideways and kicked the fallen man beside him several times.
"Damn it, get up already!"
"All you do is embarrass me!"
He then ordered the others behind him to find wood to dismantle the iron fence.
The fence was only four layers thick. One end was wrapped around the guardrail, while the other was secured by a few nails hammered into the wall-making it easy to remove.
The lack of reinforcement wasn't due to laziness, but because of the electricity issue.
Power generation now relied entirely on generators and diesel fuel, and diesel reserves were limited.
Duan Yan and his crew had no idea how long this downpour would last, so they conserved fuel wherever possible.
This generator held only two liters of diesel, yielding barely over a dozen kilowatt-hours of power.
Usually, the voltage was set low, serving merely as a deterrent.
Some cowards would flee at the sight of electricity, but these desperate men before him wouldn't stop until they achieved their goal.
After electrocuting those four, Duan Yan immediately cut the power. Wasting electricity on these scum was pointless.
He'd already briefed Meng Ci and the others about this, so they gripped their weapons tightly.
The men who'd been rolling in a heap had scrambled to their feet.
Of the four electrocuted, two had suffered cardiac arrest and stopped breathing.
The other two, though standing, suffered from twitching arms, unable to hold anything, their eyes glazed over.
Without immediate medical attention, they would likely slip into unconsciousness and die within half an hour.
Two men fetched wooden planks from downstairs, aggressively attempting to dismantle the electric fence.
Meng Ci and his group wouldn't let them destroy it.
Meng Ci drew a bow, nocked an arrow, and with a sharp whistling sound, struck the man squarely in the neck.
The bitter cold had people bundled up heavily, forcing Meng Ci to aim for exposed skin-a smaller target that moved, making accuracy difficult.
The wounded man clutched his bleeding neck, his movements to destroy the fence growing frantic.
Then, a basin of cold water was dumped down.
The men standing in front, caught off guard, let out howls of pain.
"My eyes! My eyes!"
Chaos erupted. Unable to see clearly, they stumbled, tripped over each other, and some even tumbled over the guardrail.
Fang Shurui, the one responsible for this, calmly set down the basin.
"Damn it." Brother Long had pepper spray in his eyes too, but being farther away, he recovered
Eyes red, Brother Long spat threats, vowing to make them pay!
The group seemed enraged. Some picked up sticks from the ground and began smashing the electric fence.
Soon, the fence lay in ruins.
The Qinglong Gang members surged forward.
Meng Ci dropped his bow and sword, engaging several attackers with his long blade.
Shen Que and Cheng Yu, both physically formidable, easily overpowered the Qinglong Gang's disorganized mob.
But sheer numbers prevailed. Though Yun Jingcen's group had received training from Cheng Yu, their preparation time was too brief. Gradually, the Qinglong Gang fighters pushed their way up to the seventeenth floor.
Fortunately, some of those doused with pepper spray earlier hadn't fully recovered.
So Meng Ci and his group struck them mercilessly!
They had to eliminate these men quickly; if the others below joined the fight, it would only get worse.
Meng Ci and Shen Que stayed close to each other, ready to rush to the other's aid if danger arose.
Below, those whose eyes had been injured by the pepper spray were gradually recovering and joining the fight.
Meng Ci felt the flashbang in his pocket. It seemed he'd have to use it after all.
He remembered two rooms on either side lacked doors. He could throw the flashbang and take cover inside either one.
Yun Jingcen and the others positioned themselves centrally, closer to the east and west rooms, to prevent the bandits from approaching their living quarters and potentially harming Ruan Qing.
Meng Ci and Shen Que, however, were near the wall they were building. Seeing this thick wall, the Qinglong Gang members grew even more excited!
A wall this thick meant there must be plenty of good stuff inside!
Each fantasized about what treasures they might uncover.
"To the center!"
Meng Ci called out as he approached Shen Que.
Though unsure why, Shen Que obeyed and followed Meng Ci to the middle.
Gradually, all seven gathered together.
"On my count of three, we all dash to the east or west rooms."
"Got it."
Meng Ci lowered his voice, reminding everyone to stay alert before beginning the count.
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Run!"
Without hesitation, the seven scattered in opposite directions.
Meng Ci brought up the rear, ensuring everyone was inside before pulling out a flashbang grenade and tossing it out.
As he turned to enter the room, Meng Ci was caught off guard. Someone close to him slashed his back, causing him to stagger.
Shen Que, guarding the doorway, quickly reached out and pulled Meng Ci inside.