"Leave?"
Huai Shi looked at Liu DongLi in astonishment.
Even in the midst of the performance, Liu DongLi still smiled charmingly, making coquettish eyes at the old ladies below the stage; even checking his phone was done with such captivating charm.
Then, that smile froze on his face.
Against the backdrop of the festive and rustic Yangge dance, his complexion turned deathly white. Without caring that his own act was still ongoing, he turned and pulled Huai Shi to leave.
They started with a slow jog, which soon turned into a desperate sprint.
"Nonsense, of course we're leaving. What else would we do, stay for the New Year?"
Liu DongLi's face was ashen. He muttered under his breath about "that damn woman, having no conscience at all," as he pushed through the people blocking his way. He didn't care about the disturbance he caused behind him and went straight to the back door to try to push it open.
The door moved slightly, then came to an abrupt halt.
Locked from the outside.
"Damn it, let's take the main entrance..."
Liu DongLi, furious and frantic, took out a gun from his pocket and aimed it at the two people who had caught up to him. "Get out of the way! Move! Move!"
BANG!
BANG!
The bullets hit the wall and lodged into the masonry, sending powder flying.
But once those people realized that what Liu DongLi held was no toy, they screamed and turned to run.
"Was that really necessary?" Huai Shi was taken aback.
At that moment, his phone vibrated again—another text from Ai Qing: "Closed 4."
"Do you know what this means?" Liu DongLi's face was pallid as he pointed at the text on his phone screen. "'Closed'—it means lockdown! This is the Astronomical Society's most common method for dangerous items. The '4' is a countdown, meaning only four minutes remain. In four minutes, the entire area will be physically isolated. By then, we'll be trapped in a cage with whatever they're trying to contain!"
This was the last chance Ai Qing had given them.
Plan canceled. No time to evacuate. Run as far as you can...
"Is she really that ruthless!"
Huai Shi's face turned pale with fright. He suddenly felt a bit dizzy, and his vision went dark in waves. He stumbled after Liu DongLi, passing through corridors, and collided with laborers moving items because they were in such a hurry.
"Sorry, sorry."
Huai Shi scrambled to his feet, wanting to help pick up the items but having absolutely no time. He repeatedly apologized and then turned to continue running after Liu DongLi.
The sullen man didn't speak, only glancing at Huai Shi once, mechanically picking up the items on the ground.
Yet, in the moment he raised his head, Huai Shi saw... there seemed to be a golden-red shadow slowly gliding behind those ordinary-looking eyes...
Like a goldfish in a water tank? Huai Shi thought absurdly.
「Five minutes prior.」
"Let's cancel the rest of the acts."
Inside the dressing room, King Ocean paced restlessly, awaiting the start of his sermon, but for some reason, he felt a sense of foreboding.
He had arranged all his escape routes perfectly. He just needed to complete this job and he'd leave immediately. Yet he still couldn't suppress the panic in his heart.
Something isn't right...
He chewed nervously on his fingertips, reopening healing wounds, as his sense of unease grew stronger.
"Start the sermon now!"
Unable to wait any longer, he stomped his foot, grabbed the box on the table, and ordered his Disciple, "Forget those boring acts, just make this one a clean sweep, no need for a warm-up!"
After the Disciple rushed off, he struggled to suppress his panic, putting on the benevolent smile that had become muscle memory.
But suddenly, he felt a vibration in his pocket.
It was his phone. An incomprehensible text message from an unknown number, yet its content turned his face white.
"Tu Tai has been arrested, the people from the Astronomical Society are here, run, King Ocean, you have one minute."
In an instant, a chilling terror nearly made him scream out loud.
Although he had no idea who the person sending the text was or how they knew the private number that only a few close associates knew, it wasn't the time to worry about such details now.
This was the last straw that broke the camel's back.
Go. I must leave immediately. I can't stay in Xinhai any longer!
Driven by an intense fear that almost made him scream, he grabbed the box and burst out of the dressing room, speeding towards the exit as he kicked open doors and grabbed keys, heading towards the back door.
As he turned a corner, he heard a voice ahead of him.
"Why are you leaving, young brother? Didn't we agree to stay?" The first old lady Liu DongLi had chatted up grabbed his arm enthusiastically, retaining him. "Wait until the sermon is over, and sister will make you some noodle soup."
"No, big sister, I have an emergency, a real emergency."
Liu DongLi struggled to break free, looking up ahead.
He saw King Ocean.