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墨書 Inktalez
Within half a minute after the two cars streamed out, the Hotel Building was toppled by the giant beast.
The beast clearly sensed the presence of the two vehicles and let out a roar that shattered all the floor-to-ceiling glass windows of the surrounding buildings. At this moment, everyone had already retreated at least a kilometer away from the beast, yet even with the luxury car's high-efficiency soundproof glass, the ringing in their ears was unbearable.
"That's like a mobile sound wave cannon," Yu Shiming said, covering his ears.
Xu Tao was visibly startled by the roar, momentarily distracted. The Audi, traveling closely beside a street cleaning vehicle, had its right rearview mirror smashed against the right front window. The windshield was struck by a mechanical arm that hadn't fully retracted, hitting the upper right corner and causing it to shatter into countless fragments, severely obstructing the driver's view.
"Hey! Are you trying to kill your little brother?!" Xu Yao shouted at Xu Tao as he regained his composure.
"Thank goodness this car is high-end," Xu Yao replied in a fit of rage, his words lacking context.
Indeed, if the Audi's windshield or metal shell hadn't been sturdy enough, everyone in those cars would have been done for without needing to run away.
The Cadillac also noticed the Audi's dire situation and slowed down, turning on its hazard lights. Although the Audi's windshield was cracked, the damage was concentrated in one area. Xu Tao pressed the horn and activated the left turn signal.
"Don't drive so fast; if something happens to the Audi again, it won't be good," Chen Rui advised Ye Han.
At that moment, shadows that were invisible in the air seemed to awaken from slumber and began drifting toward the two cars.
Normally, traffic on Beijing's roads should be quite heavy at any time, but now it looked eerily strange; all vehicles were haphazardly parked on either side of the road while the two central lanes were completely clear. This worked to their advantage as both cars maintained a speed of around a hundred miles per hour, filled with a sense of urgency and excitement—if only there were a few police cars driven by officers who couldn't drive.
"Turn right ahead; after three blocks, we can access an unobstructed route to the airport," Ye Han said, gripping the steering wheel. "At this speed, we should reach that route in about a minute."
Ye Han turned on the signal light and edged close to the leftmost lane. As they approached an intersection, he sharply turned the steering wheel. The sudden maneuver caused everyone inside to feel slightly weightless as they took a sharp turn at a hundred miles per hour; even this two-ton SUV felt a bit of lift.
Xu Tao noticed the turn signal and understood immediately. However, he didn't slow down; instead, he shifted gears and pressed down on the clutch. This Audi S8 had clearly been modified; originally a sedan-coupe hybrid, it now rivaled high-performance sports cars. Xu Tao recognized this as soon as he took control.
It was unclear when it began, but the modification of the Audi S8 had become a peculiar hobby for some young elites in the capital. Originally a sporty sedan, the S8 could reach the level of a supercar after modifications, all while maintaining its sedan appearance, which saved a lot of trouble. As for vehicle inspections, they were of no concern to them.
The Audi S8 executed a perfect high-speed drift around the corner, with rubber tires leaving visible smoke on the ground. If anyone were on the street, they would certainly hear the piercing sound of tires screeching and smell the strong scent of burning rubber.
Suddenly, the ground shook again as a massive beast appeared before the overpass, which happened to be Ye Han's airport access route.
Ye Han quickly jerked the steering wheel and slammed on the brakes. Xu Tao saw the Cadillac's brake lights illuminate and hurriedly hit his brakes as well, leaving both cars exposed on the street.
"There's an underground parking lot over there," Zheng Hui pointed at a mall sign.
"Let's go into the parking lot."
The two cars drove into the underground parking garage. Chen Rui hurriedly instructed everyone to get out of the car, but Ye Han and Chen Rui exchanged a glance and remained inside. Chen Rui looked at Zheng Hui. "You drive the Audi." Zheng Hui nodded without saying a word and swiftly got into the Audi.
"Once we get out, split up."
Zheng Hui rolled down the window and shot Chen Rui an annoyed look. "Not everyone is as foolish as you." With that, he shifted gears and sped off in the Audi S8.
"Even if we shake them off, don't head towards the airport."
"Okay," came a calm reply as the Cadillac shot out of the parking garage like an arrow.
At that moment, Zhang Shi suddenly realized what was happening and rushed forward to try to stop the Cadillac, but Chen Rui grabbed his wrist firmly. "If you go out now, we're done for."
Zhang Shi's eyes turned red as he whispered, "So you're just going to let them go to their deaths?"
"Throw the car to save face! There's no other way now," Chen Rui said, staring directly into Zhang Shi's eyes.
"Bastard!" Zhang Shi turned and swung his fist at Chen Rui's face, sending him crashing to the ground with the sudden blow. "Then why don't you go die yourself? You're not a man!"
Dazed, Chen Rui stood up and landed a punch on Zhang Shi's chest. "It's not time for that yet."
Zhang Shi staggered back a step. His larger frame compared to Chen Rui meant he didn't react too strongly, raising his fists to prepare for another round.
"If it were me, I'd definitely lead the charge! Unlike you cowardly types who let women take the front lines!"
"Too bad there are no 'ifs' in this world."
"Stop arguing and pull him away." Xu Tao grabbed Zhang Shi, while Xu Yao hurried to hold Chen Rui back. Even so, both of them struggled to break free from their friends, wanting to exchange blows.
"Enough already! Is it not chaotic enough? If you kill him now, will those two girls come back?" Liu Xiwen glared at Chen Rui and then turned to slap Zhang Shi, instantly silencing the room.
Zhang Shi gently pried Xu Tao's hand away and slowly walked over to Chen Rui. "I hope you can achieve something." With that, he turned and forced a smile at Liu Xiwen. "Thanks for the slap."
"There's a mall upstairs. I suggest we go up together to find some food and wait until dawn to leave, provided that monster is lured away," Chen Rui said, brushing Xu Yao's hand aside and straightening his clothes.
No one responded, but the group still moved toward the stairs. It seemed that the slight authority Chen Rui had just established among them was quickly erased.
Chen Rui followed at the back with a bitter smile. "You'd better not get too close to the street-side area."
Xu Tao slowed his pace and walked alongside Chen Rui after everyone else had gone up. "Maybe you could be an excellent leader, but that depends on your ability to lead."
"I can't help it. I know my position, and this is all I can do. Looking at it now, this is the best choice."
"Indeed, from the current perspective, this is the best choice. That's why I think you could be an excellent leader." Xu Tao glanced at Chen Rui. "If it weren't for this situation, I would have liked to invite you to be my assistant. But..." Xu Tao shook his head with a wry smile, patting Chen Rui on the shoulder before striding ahead.
The shopping mall was vast. The first floor, like most malls, featured flagship stores of various brands, while the second, third, and fourth floors were dedicated to the mall's own operations. Higher up were the cinema, billiard hall, and various entertainment venues within the kV range. Daily necessities and food could be found on the third floor.
The group took the elevator to the third floor. The interior of the mall was somewhat chaotic; fluorescent lights hung from the ceiling still flickered, and some shopping carts were left abandoned at the exits and in various corners. However, items on the shelves had not fallen or gone missing in large quantities.
"What on earth happened back then? How did everyone disappear in such a short time?" Yu Shiming posed this question that everyone shared and pondered.
No one knew why.
"Let's save some time and hurry up; don't take too many things," Chen Rui advised once more.
Zeng Zhi turned to look at Chen Rui, smiled after a moment, and said, "If a girl falls in love with you in the future, she must have some father complex." With that, he dashed over to the shelves to start picking out food.
"Is that a compliment or an insult?" Chen Rui wondered.
Lin Yan picked up a bag of lime-flavored Lays chips from the shelf and whispered to Guo Luxing, "When I was in school, my biggest wish was for the world to become like this—everyone disappearing except for me. That way, I could go to the mall and take whatever I wanted."
"Well, that wish has truly come true now," Guo Luxing laughed. He always wore a smile when facing Lin Yan; one couldn't help but wonder if his face ever cramped from smiling so much.
Lin Yan grabbed another bag of tomato-flavored chips. "But my wish didn't include any monsters."
"I'm definitely not one of those monsters; I look too handsome for that."
Lin Yan said nothing and walked towards another shelf.
Xu Yao couldn't help but laugh at the scene. As the saying goes, "Boiling a frog in warm water," but how many people know that even in warm water, once it reaches a certain temperature, the frog will still jump out of the pot? So, boiling a frog in warm water can never succeed unless you cover the pot...
Xu Yao turned to Xu Tao beside him. "I've made up my mind. If this world returns to normal, I can give up my board rights, but you have to promise me one condition."
Xu Tao took two bottles of purified water from the shelf and sneered, "You're actually talking about conditions with me now. You've really grown up."
Xu Yao took a deep breath, as if he had made a resolution. "You must treat me the way you used to. The way you're acting now makes it seem like we're enemies. Where does it look like we're brothers? I truly, truly hope our family can return to the way we were before."
"You don't understand; you'll know in the future."
"I don't understand? Everything is something I don't understand. So what if I don't want to understand? Does that mean you can ignore me, mock me, and belittle me? What gives you the right? Just because you're my brother? Why? Just for those few shares of mine? I don't want them, okay?" Xu Yao nearly shouted the last part, his eyes starting to redden and his voice choking.
Xu Tao ignored everything and continued to look at the shelves, taking down two boxes of cookies before turning to walk away. Xu Yao stood behind him, his thin figure contrasting sharply with Xu Tao's tall stature.
Zhang Shi found a secluded spot and opened a Nestlé coffee, trying to ease his mood. Logically, he shouldn't be so impulsive, but Chen Rui's actions were strikingly similar to what he had done back then, which made him uncontrollably angry.
"Why is there no 'if' in this world? Why?"
Just as everyone was focused on selecting their favorite snacks, a loud "bang" echoed through the air, followed by the sound of glass shattering on the floor.
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