Reading settings
Chapter 1138: Akai Shuichi: How Do We Handle This Situation?
In the open ground of the Sewage Treatment Plant, the large fire from the explosion, lacking other fuel, quickly died down.
Although the bomb didn't fly near the cement platform, the force of the explosion still shattered quite a few cement blocks on the platform, showering the three FBI agents who had ducked to avoid the blast with dust.
Jodie, her nerves taut, gripped her gun, guarding against the People from the Organization suddenly rushing in for a sneak attack. After waiting for a while, however, the surroundings remained eerily silent. Not only did no one attack, but the previous sounds had also disappeared.
Akai Shuichi sat on the ground with his back against the platform, lowering his head to re-dress the wound on his left forearm.
Although he said he could shoot with his right hand, under the circumstances, he had to ensure the bomb exploded before it reached them, and the explosion site couldn't be too close. He also had to crouch immediately after firing to avoid being affected by the blast. Therefore, he could only choose to shoot with his usual left hand.
This resulted in his arm wound bleeding again. Moreover, this place was near a river, so as a contingency, he had to wrap it with waterproof wrap…
Andre Camel was on alert on the other side, but after holding his breath and listening for a long time without hearing any movement outside, he couldn't help but ask in doubt, "Do you think they've already retreated?"
"Be careful, Cameron. Maybe they're waiting for you to stick your head out to check the situation, ready to give you a bullet," Jodie joked lightly, but it was also because she had been suppressing her tension for so long that she needed some relief. "Of course, it's been almost an hour and a half. If our people have arrived nearby, they'll probably retreat too…"
Akai Shuichi was wrapping waterproof wrap around his arm when he suddenly heard a very faint yet strange sound. His movements paused, slowing his speed as he listened intently.
A very strange sound, like…
"Should I throw something out to test it?" Andre Camel took out a wad of newspaper from his pocket. "Wrap it in a piece of clothing and throw it hard, right? Mr. Akai… Mr. Akai?"
Akai Shuichi stared intently at the drainpipe under the eaves of the factory building beside him, his movements completely stopped.
The sound he heard was coming from inside, like the sound of flowing water.
No, it wasn't just this drainpipe; it was coming from other directions as well.
This time, only they and the People from the Organization were here. What would the People from the Organization be doing with water? Or rather, was it not water…
"What's wrong?" Jodie looked over, observing the drainpipe. She didn't find anything wrong with the tube; it was just a relatively thick white plastic pipe. "Isn't this the drainpipe for the factory's domestic water?"
Akai Shuichi quickly recovered, his emerald green pupils constricting slightly, revealing a coldness he hadn't shown before. "The sound of water, and…"
At the edge of the open ground, where Chi Feichei and the others had been, a bomb attached to a drainpipe on the wall side had its indicator light suddenly turn on.
"Beep… beep… beep beep beep…"
The soft beeping sound became urgent. The bomb detonated, shattering the drainpipe and igniting the gasoline inside.
In a short moment, the drainpipes around the open ground spewed intense firelight, the ignited gasoline gushing out of the pipes, the fire spreading downwards like magma.
Inside the factory building, a large iron pipe with high internal pressure was also shaken by the impact and burst prematurely, the resulting airflow and iron sand mixing with the fire.
Driven by the airflow, the fire burned even more fiercely, like a fire dragon surging towards the sky.
From a high place nearby, Stout and Yingqu Yan Nan watched the fire dragon, momentarily speechless.
From their angle, that moment was like a magician's spectacular performance, summoning a fire dragon that roared and spiraled into the night sky, or a fiery orange-red tornado. The visual effect was quite stunning.
But this fire dragon was a dangerous existence that could claim human life, especially for those within its body…
A hoarse, unpleasant voice came from the earphone:
"Wayne Walkerly, did you manage to film it?"
Yingqu Yan Nan lowered his head, looked at the camcorder in his hand, and was inexplicably speechless. "Uh, yes… I filmed it."
Ever since he started following his Boss, he even had to do a photographer's job…
Wouldn't the Boss think he was underutilized as a core member with a code name? How childish!
Stout also recovered, watching the fire dragon gradually dissipate in the air, and the fire subside. He sighed, feeling that the group of Crazy Cats from the Organization were psychologically twisted, liking to watch the scene of others' death. "Raki, I've been watching them. They didn't leave the cement platform after the explosion. With such a large fire, they should be dead, right? So, what do we…"
"Keep watching."
The hoarse voice on the other end was decisive.
…
Dim light, a murky, sticky environment.
A beam of light pierced through the muddy sewage, shining on the cement wall.
Akai Shuichi, Jodie, and Andre Camel held their breath, submerged in the sewage, listening to the deafening sounds above, their faces grim.
Using the drainpipes to transport gasoline to the surrounding open ground, then detonating the bombs…
What bastard came up with such a vicious idea!
Fortunately, the cement platform behind them was originally a sewage sedimentation pool in the Sewage Treatment Plant, which had been abandoned and sealed for some unknown reason, used to accumulate sewage, but it could still be opened.
But now there was a more serious problem. The flames and explosions above blocked the way, and the space below was filled with accumulated sewage. Without oxygen, they could only hold their breath and stay below.
Akai Shuichi calmed his expression, used his Waterproof Flashlight to illuminate the surroundings, pointed in one direction, and gestured for Jodie and Andre Camel to follow him.
The other two understood Akai Shuichi's intention and immediately followed.
Time was limited; they had to find the exit of the Water Storage Pool as soon as possible, otherwise, they would suffocate in the sewage.
They only hoped that the sealed space of this Water Storage Pool wasn't too large, so they could find the exit quickly…
Half a minute later, the three of them finally clearly felt the flow of water. Just as they breathed a sigh of relief, Akai Shuichi suddenly stopped and turned off his flashlight.
Before the other two could express their surprise, they understood the reason.
There were voices outside the exit, faintly audible through the open factory building and the sewage.
"Raki, are we just going to stay here…"
Jodie: "..."
They'd come this far…
Andre Camel: "..."
Unexpectedly, they were still within the encirclement…
Akai Shuichi: "..."
It's over, how do we handle this situation…
Outside, the factory building.
Chi Feichei stood beside the Water Accumulation Pool, speaking in a hoarse voice, "Keep watch. The cement platform behind them is a Water Accumulation Pool. If they react quickly, they might use the Water Accumulation Pool to avoid the explosion, but the Water Accumulation Pool only has this one exit. That side is blocked by the fire, so they only have this one way out…"
When he went to cut the circuit, he found the Factory Layout Map.
When he had Rum's people deliver the gasoline, he had Vodka's people sneak into the factory building and block several parts of the drainpipes.
After the gasoline arrived, he placed the gasoline cans in the factory building next to where he and Gin had been, and used a simple oil pumping device to let the gasoline flow into the drainpipes.
This would ensure that the open ground was surrounded by gasoline, and because some parts of the drainpipes were blocked, the gasoline wouldn't flow to other places, preventing other areas from being affected.
Then, as long as they left the bombs as detonation devices, they could retreat here, avoiding the explosion and fire while also being able to lie in wait.
If Akai Shuichi didn't die in the explosion and fire, he would only be able to use the Water Storage Pool under the cement platform to avoid the explosion and fire. Under the circumstances where the other side was blocked by fire, he would definitely come out from here…
This was the only Gate of Life in this gasoline and explosion scheme.
Yes, he couldn't guess which way Akai Shuichi would run, so he decided to be proactive, using the explosion and fire to cut off Akai Shuichi's other choices, forcing him to run to the place he had calculated.
Also, there was no need to feel sorry for the FBI's device; he could also help detonate it, although the outcome wasn't what the three FBI agents wanted…
Of course, he couldn't let Akai Shuichi be blown up or burned to death.
Earlier, Gin had intended to have someone throw bombs to force the FBI agents out of the cement platform. The sound of the explosion would create a different echo in the Water Storage Pool.
Akai Shuichi was leaning against the cement platform at the time. After the explosion, he should have been able to judge that there was a pool of water below the cement platform behind them through the slight humming echo.
The drainpipes transporting gasoline would also make unusual sounds. Coupled with their retreat to this location, the surroundings were much quieter, so Akai Shuichi should have become vigilant, heard the unusual sounds from the drainpipes, guessed the various possibilities of the crisis, and then thought of the Water Storage Pool under the cement platform, taking his companions down into the water in advance, successfully dodging the explosion and fire…
The Gate of Life had been left for Akai Shuichi; it just depended on whether Akai Shuichi could seize it.
For someone as smart as Akai Shuichi, it should be no problem…
Aside, Gin stood by the pond, lit a cigarette, and agreed to continue waiting. "Just stay here and watch! If no one comes out of the sewage, it can also confirm that they really died in the fire!"
Above the pond, a group of people silently surrounded and waited with guns.
Below, in the pipe connected to the Water Storage Pool, Akai Shuichi, Jodie, and Andre Camel looked grim.
Firstly, they were suffocating.
Secondly, they felt the intense malice from above.
Thirdly, after dodging various crises and explosions, they had come all the way here, only to be forced to sink in the sewage, with nothing to use. They either suffocated in the water or surfaced and were shot dead by the People from the Organization… There was a feeling of tragic sadness, but also a feeling of resolute death.
Jodie felt the lack of oxygen becoming more and more severe. She gripped her gun tightly and, in the dim sewage, patted Akai Shuichi and Andre Camel.
Akai Shuichi understood Jodie's meaning and also took out his gun.
Let's attack.
Although the chance of survival was slim, it was better than being forced to drown in the sewage.
Wait…
Andre Camel suddenly remembered something, took out two tin cans connected by rubber tubes from his pocket, handed them to Akai Shuichi and Jodie, and gestured with his hand.
When he was installing the air pump, he found a small air pump. Because he had to wait for Akai Shuichi and Jodie to come back, he was bored. He also thought about their previous predicament under the bridge, unable to swim away, and Akai Shuichi's mention of the Emergency Oxygen Supply Device, so he made a few simple…
Although it was a bit crude, the air in the tin cans could last for a while, right?
Don't blame him for being late; he just made them casually and forgot about them before. He just remembered now.
Jodie and Akai Shuichi didn't understand Andre Camel's gestures; they couldn't see clearly in the dim sewage. However, holding the tin cans and feeling the rubber tubes, they roughly understood that there was oxygen inside, instantly surprised.
Andre Camel gestured for a while, realizing that the other two might not be able to see or understand, decisively gave up, took out a tin can himself, opened the seal of the rubber tube, and breathed in oxygen.
Akai Shuichi wrote on Andre Camel's hand, Cameron has made a great contribution this time, but he needs to confirm how many small cans Cameron has prepared, to see if they should just hold on for a while, wait for the People from the Organization to leave, or create an opportunity to counterattack.
Happy Birthday Yiye!
(End of Chapter)
In the open ground of the Sewage Treatment Plant, the large fire from the explosion, lacking other fuel, quickly died down.
Although the bomb didn't fly near the cement platform, the force of the explosion still shattered quite a few cement blocks on the platform, showering the three FBI agents who had ducked to avoid the blast with dust.
Jodie, her nerves taut, gripped her gun, guarding against the People from the Organization suddenly rushing in for a sneak attack. After waiting for a while, however, the surroundings remained eerily silent. Not only did no one attack, but the previous sounds had also disappeared.
Akai Shuichi sat on the ground with his back against the platform, lowering his head to re-dress the wound on his left forearm.
Although he said he could shoot with his right hand, under the circumstances, he had to ensure the bomb exploded before it reached them, and the explosion site couldn't be too close. He also had to crouch immediately after firing to avoid being affected by the blast. Therefore, he could only choose to shoot with his usual left hand.
This resulted in his arm wound bleeding again. Moreover, this place was near a river, so as a contingency, he had to wrap it with waterproof wrap…
Andre Camel was on alert on the other side, but after holding his breath and listening for a long time without hearing any movement outside, he couldn't help but ask in doubt, "Do you think they've already retreated?"
"Be careful, Cameron. Maybe they're waiting for you to stick your head out to check the situation, ready to give you a bullet," Jodie joked lightly, but it was also because she had been suppressing her tension for so long that she needed some relief. "Of course, it's been almost an hour and a half. If our people have arrived nearby, they'll probably retreat too…"
Akai Shuichi was wrapping waterproof wrap around his arm when he suddenly heard a very faint yet strange sound. His movements paused, slowing his speed as he listened intently.
A very strange sound, like…
"Should I throw something out to test it?" Andre Camel took out a wad of newspaper from his pocket. "Wrap it in a piece of clothing and throw it hard, right? Mr. Akai… Mr. Akai?"
Akai Shuichi stared intently at the drainpipe under the eaves of the factory building beside him, his movements completely stopped.
The sound he heard was coming from inside, like the sound of flowing water.
No, it wasn't just this drainpipe; it was coming from other directions as well.
This time, only they and the People from the Organization were here. What would the People from the Organization be doing with water? Or rather, was it not water…
"What's wrong?" Jodie looked over, observing the drainpipe. She didn't find anything wrong with the tube; it was just a relatively thick white plastic pipe. "Isn't this the drainpipe for the factory's domestic water?"
Akai Shuichi quickly recovered, his emerald green pupils constricting slightly, revealing a coldness he hadn't shown before. "The sound of water, and…"
At the edge of the open ground, where Chi Feichei and the others had been, a bomb attached to a drainpipe on the wall side had its indicator light suddenly turn on.
"Beep… beep… beep beep beep…"
The soft beeping sound became urgent. The bomb detonated, shattering the drainpipe and igniting the gasoline inside.
In a short moment, the drainpipes around the open ground spewed intense firelight, the ignited gasoline gushing out of the pipes, the fire spreading downwards like magma.
Inside the factory building, a large iron pipe with high internal pressure was also shaken by the impact and burst prematurely, the resulting airflow and iron sand mixing with the fire.
Driven by the airflow, the fire burned even more fiercely, like a fire dragon surging towards the sky.
From a high place nearby, Stout and Yingqu Yan Nan watched the fire dragon, momentarily speechless.
From their angle, that moment was like a magician's spectacular performance, summoning a fire dragon that roared and spiraled into the night sky, or a fiery orange-red tornado. The visual effect was quite stunning.
But this fire dragon was a dangerous existence that could claim human life, especially for those within its body…
A hoarse, unpleasant voice came from the earphone:
"Wayne Walkerly, did you manage to film it?"
Yingqu Yan Nan lowered his head, looked at the camcorder in his hand, and was inexplicably speechless. "Uh, yes… I filmed it."
Ever since he started following his Boss, he even had to do a photographer's job…
Wouldn't the Boss think he was underutilized as a core member with a code name? How childish!
Stout also recovered, watching the fire dragon gradually dissipate in the air, and the fire subside. He sighed, feeling that the group of Crazy Cats from the Organization were psychologically twisted, liking to watch the scene of others' death. "Raki, I've been watching them. They didn't leave the cement platform after the explosion. With such a large fire, they should be dead, right? So, what do we…"
"Keep watching."
The hoarse voice on the other end was decisive.
…
Dim light, a murky, sticky environment.
A beam of light pierced through the muddy sewage, shining on the cement wall.
Akai Shuichi, Jodie, and Andre Camel held their breath, submerged in the sewage, listening to the deafening sounds above, their faces grim.
Using the drainpipes to transport gasoline to the surrounding open ground, then detonating the bombs…
What bastard came up with such a vicious idea!
Fortunately, the cement platform behind them was originally a sewage sedimentation pool in the Sewage Treatment Plant, which had been abandoned and sealed for some unknown reason, used to accumulate sewage, but it could still be opened.
But now there was a more serious problem. The flames and explosions above blocked the way, and the space below was filled with accumulated sewage. Without oxygen, they could only hold their breath and stay below.
Akai Shuichi calmed his expression, used his Waterproof Flashlight to illuminate the surroundings, pointed in one direction, and gestured for Jodie and Andre Camel to follow him.
The other two understood Akai Shuichi's intention and immediately followed.
Time was limited; they had to find the exit of the Water Storage Pool as soon as possible, otherwise, they would suffocate in the sewage.
They only hoped that the sealed space of this Water Storage Pool wasn't too large, so they could find the exit quickly…
Half a minute later, the three of them finally clearly felt the flow of water. Just as they breathed a sigh of relief, Akai Shuichi suddenly stopped and turned off his flashlight.
Before the other two could express their surprise, they understood the reason.
There were voices outside the exit, faintly audible through the open factory building and the sewage.
"Raki, are we just going to stay here…"
Jodie: "..."
They'd come this far…
Andre Camel: "..."
Unexpectedly, they were still within the encirclement…
Akai Shuichi: "..."
It's over, how do we handle this situation…
Outside, the factory building.
Chi Feichei stood beside the Water Accumulation Pool, speaking in a hoarse voice, "Keep watch. The cement platform behind them is a Water Accumulation Pool. If they react quickly, they might use the Water Accumulation Pool to avoid the explosion, but the Water Accumulation Pool only has this one exit. That side is blocked by the fire, so they only have this one way out…"
When he went to cut the circuit, he found the Factory Layout Map.
When he had Rum's people deliver the gasoline, he had Vodka's people sneak into the factory building and block several parts of the drainpipes.
After the gasoline arrived, he placed the gasoline cans in the factory building next to where he and Gin had been, and used a simple oil pumping device to let the gasoline flow into the drainpipes.
This would ensure that the open ground was surrounded by gasoline, and because some parts of the drainpipes were blocked, the gasoline wouldn't flow to other places, preventing other areas from being affected.
Then, as long as they left the bombs as detonation devices, they could retreat here, avoiding the explosion and fire while also being able to lie in wait.
If Akai Shuichi didn't die in the explosion and fire, he would only be able to use the Water Storage Pool under the cement platform to avoid the explosion and fire. Under the circumstances where the other side was blocked by fire, he would definitely come out from here…
This was the only Gate of Life in this gasoline and explosion scheme.
Yes, he couldn't guess which way Akai Shuichi would run, so he decided to be proactive, using the explosion and fire to cut off Akai Shuichi's other choices, forcing him to run to the place he had calculated.
Also, there was no need to feel sorry for the FBI's device; he could also help detonate it, although the outcome wasn't what the three FBI agents wanted…
Of course, he couldn't let Akai Shuichi be blown up or burned to death.
Earlier, Gin had intended to have someone throw bombs to force the FBI agents out of the cement platform. The sound of the explosion would create a different echo in the Water Storage Pool.
Akai Shuichi was leaning against the cement platform at the time. After the explosion, he should have been able to judge that there was a pool of water below the cement platform behind them through the slight humming echo.
The drainpipes transporting gasoline would also make unusual sounds. Coupled with their retreat to this location, the surroundings were much quieter, so Akai Shuichi should have become vigilant, heard the unusual sounds from the drainpipes, guessed the various possibilities of the crisis, and then thought of the Water Storage Pool under the cement platform, taking his companions down into the water in advance, successfully dodging the explosion and fire…
The Gate of Life had been left for Akai Shuichi; it just depended on whether Akai Shuichi could seize it.
For someone as smart as Akai Shuichi, it should be no problem…
Aside, Gin stood by the pond, lit a cigarette, and agreed to continue waiting. "Just stay here and watch! If no one comes out of the sewage, it can also confirm that they really died in the fire!"
Above the pond, a group of people silently surrounded and waited with guns.
Below, in the pipe connected to the Water Storage Pool, Akai Shuichi, Jodie, and Andre Camel looked grim.
Firstly, they were suffocating.
Secondly, they felt the intense malice from above.
Thirdly, after dodging various crises and explosions, they had come all the way here, only to be forced to sink in the sewage, with nothing to use. They either suffocated in the water or surfaced and were shot dead by the People from the Organization… There was a feeling of tragic sadness, but also a feeling of resolute death.
Jodie felt the lack of oxygen becoming more and more severe. She gripped her gun tightly and, in the dim sewage, patted Akai Shuichi and Andre Camel.
Akai Shuichi understood Jodie's meaning and also took out his gun.
Let's attack.
Although the chance of survival was slim, it was better than being forced to drown in the sewage.
Wait…
Andre Camel suddenly remembered something, took out two tin cans connected by rubber tubes from his pocket, handed them to Akai Shuichi and Jodie, and gestured with his hand.
When he was installing the air pump, he found a small air pump. Because he had to wait for Akai Shuichi and Jodie to come back, he was bored. He also thought about their previous predicament under the bridge, unable to swim away, and Akai Shuichi's mention of the Emergency Oxygen Supply Device, so he made a few simple…
Although it was a bit crude, the air in the tin cans could last for a while, right?
Don't blame him for being late; he just made them casually and forgot about them before. He just remembered now.
Jodie and Akai Shuichi didn't understand Andre Camel's gestures; they couldn't see clearly in the dim sewage. However, holding the tin cans and feeling the rubber tubes, they roughly understood that there was oxygen inside, instantly surprised.
Andre Camel gestured for a while, realizing that the other two might not be able to see or understand, decisively gave up, took out a tin can himself, opened the seal of the rubber tube, and breathed in oxygen.
Akai Shuichi wrote on Andre Camel's hand, Cameron has made a great contribution this time, but he needs to confirm how many small cans Cameron has prepared, to see if they should just hold on for a while, wait for the People from the Organization to leave, or create an opportunity to counterattack.
Happy Birthday Yiye!
(End of Chapter)
