Just as despair began to set in due to my exhaustion and the seemingly endless path, causing me to slow my pace and prepare for a final, desperate stand, a shout like a thunderclap echoed from not too far ahead.
"Wen Ting Jie, where are you?"
At the sound, I instinctively turned my head.
There, with her face already showing a sickly pallor from overexertion, Li Wen Ting held up her phone and gestured towards me.
Damn it! I couldn't help but exclaim inwardly. How could I have forgotten this!
The phone signal was blocked inside the house because of signal jamming devices. Once outside, these devices became ineffective due to distance and coverage limitations.
I had wondered why Li Wen Ting hadn't been running faster earlier; turns out she was multitasking!
It seems this woman is truly not simple! And her trained subordinates are not ordinary individuals with limited capabilities.
When I and Li Wen Ting had been gone for too long and were unreachable, her subordinates didn't try to force their way in, nor did they foolishly wait at their posts.
Just as Li Wen Ting hung up the phone and responded, the pursuing bodyguards suddenly accelerated, closing in rapidly…
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!
After another burst of rapid running, as the back garden gate was forced open by external force, this impregnable cage finally presented a breakthrough!
Seeing this, Li Wen Ting and I exchanged a look and then, with the last ounce of strength we had, we made a dash for the now open back garden gate.
The moment we burst through the gate and into the car, Li Wen Ting immediately instructed the driver, "Drive faster! Take Chen Xiang to the Grand Lisboa to compete!"
Though the person didn't reply verbally, the car's speed instantly surged, accelerating wildly.
I thought that having reached this point, I had escaped the dragon's den, but to my surprise, less than two minutes later, the roar of engines sounded from behind.
They were catching up!
These bastards are like maggots on a bone, impossible to shake off!
It seems the only option is to reach the Grand Lisboa venue as quickly as possible and stay there until the competition begins tonight. Otherwise, if we get entangled, the consequences are truly unpredictable…
We sped up, and they followed suit.
And so, in the affluent district of Mong-ha, specifically in the Toi San district, a high-speed chase scene, common in Hong Kong films, unfolded in broad daylight.
Fortunately, it was daytime, and guns couldn't be used openly. Otherwise, I have no doubt that a shootout would be raging right now!
After about seven or eight minutes of speeding, the car suddenly began to slow down.
Looking up, I realized we had reached Wynn, which was managed by He Zhonghua, a mandatory stop on the way to our destination, the Grand Lisboa Entertainment City.
Even before we got close, I saw that the road in front of Wynn had been cleared and heavily barricaded. All vehicles wishing to proceed had to drive to the entrance of Wynn, stop for inspection, and only then would they be allowed to pass.
It's over!
Seeing this, I immediately lamented inwardly: what He Zhonghua had said in the villa earlier was undoubtedly true! He had been planning this for a long time to seize power within the family! Tonight's Gambling King competition is his debut, his moment to shine! And he intends to demonstrate his capabilities by having absolute control over all the contestants in the finals!
At this moment, Li Wen Ting suddenly spoke, "Chen Xiang, in broad daylight, He Zhonghua won't be able to do anything to you in public!"
"If I'm not mistaken, his goal is to delay you as much as possible, preventing you from reaching the competition on time!"
"This way, with all the other contestants secretly bought off by him, the championship title and the Gambling King Token… will inevitably fall into his hands!"
"With just a rallying cry and the promise of significant rewards, he might actually succeed!"
"I've already sent all the information via text message to Mr. He and asked him to send people for reinforcements."
"After we get out of the car, try your best to cooperate with me and stall for time!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the car, which had been driving slowly, stopped at the entrance of Wynn, guided by a dedicated attendant.
At this point, Fa Cai and the others, who had been relentlessly pursuing us, also stopped their cars.
After getting out of the car, Fa Cai and his group, without a word, all walked towards me.
As they approached, Fa Cai looked at me with a forced smile and said, "Chen Xiang, if you don't want to suffer physical pain, then obediently give up resisting and come with me!"
Before I could even speak, He Zhonghua, who had emerged from behind Fa Cai, interjected with a cold expression, "A good bird chooses its tree to perch on; a wise man adapts to circumstances!"
"The sky of Mong-ha will change tonight!"
"Chen Xiang, if you still intend to resist stubbornly, after tonight's finals conclude, I will immediately have someone send you on your way!"
It was clear that He Zhonghua was determined to win tonight's finals and was no longer hiding his intentions.
I ignored He Zhonghua, keeping Li Wen Ting's words in mind, trying to stall for time and wait for reinforcements.
Seeing my silence, after a moment of intense frustration, He Zhonghua didn't say another word and simply raised his hand and waved.
Immediately, Fa Cai and his group, along with the bodyguards who had chased us from the villa all the way to Wynn, and the group that had blocked the gate earlier, all converged towards us.
Five people against fifty or sixty!
At this very moment, at the entrance of Wynn, apart from the normal staff maintaining order, Li Wen Ting and I, along with a few others, were surrounded by He Zhonghua's fifty or sixty men, layered three or four deep, making escape virtually impossible!
The killing intent in the air instantly solidified.
"Third time's the charm!"
He Zhonghua, adopting a confident posture, stared intently at me and asked, "This is the last time I'm asking you, are you willing to abandon the wrong path and join me?"
"If you change your mind now, I can arrange for someone to help you win tonight and ascend to power!"
He Zhonghua had laid his cards bare to such an extent that I let out a scoff and replied, "I don't have many skills, but once I've made up my mind, I never change it!"
Upon hearing this, He Zhonghua's expression darkened, and he then roared, "Attack!!!"
Following He Zhonghua's command, two bodyguards in suits immediately lunged at me from both sides, their fists raised.
Having just escaped the tiger's den, I now found myself in the dragon's lair!
The second battle for freedom began at the entrance of Wynn…