Empire of Shadows

When people are under intense stress, they can not only hear their own heartbeat but also the sound of blood flowing in their blood vessels.

He had heard people say that when Western cowboys dueled, with their backs to each other, at the moment they took the last step, turned around, and drew their guns to shoot, they would have this feeling.

It was as if time would slow down, and their eyesight would become better, allowing them to see every movement of their opponent, including their slightly trembling fingers and the lowering of their center of gravity to ensure a stable shooting posture, all in slow motion.

They would also hear their own heartbeat, thump… thump.

And the sound of blood rushing through their veins like a gurgling stream!

He had heard of it, but he didn't believe it.

Maybe he could hear his heartbeat. He had that feeling the first time he took off his first girlfriend's pants—his mouth was dry, and his heart was pounding in his skull like thunder.

Of course, that was definitely not an excuse he was making for his first time lasting only a dozen seconds!

But to say he could hear the blood flowing, he didn't believe it.

He thought it was something Western cowboys made up to show off some cowboy temperament and spirit. I might as well be able to hear the chatter of billions of children!

But now, he believed it.

Like a gurgling stream, blood was rushing.

His brain went blank for a moment. The hospital bed crashed open the door of the ward. He pulled hard, turning it in the opposite direction of where he wanted to go.

The other end, however, turned in the opposite direction at just the right moment.

He ran as hard as he could, hoping to get his brother out of there before they rushed up.

He didn't really have any great sentiments; he just felt that it was something he should do. If, by any chance, he couldn't do it and couldn't get his brother out, he wouldn't be stupid enough to stay behind.

There was still a chance now, and he wanted to try.

"Gentlemen, this is An'enbi…" When the two security guards saw the people walking in from the lobby, they began to perform their duties, even if it meant putting on a brave face.

Capitalists don't care about danger; they only care about whether the money they spend is bringing them the value it should.

One person walked out of the security room, while the other picked up the phone, seemingly preparing to call for backup from the security guards who were resting.

But before the call could be dialed, a hand pressed down on the cradle, and the phone, which had been making some noise, went completely silent.

The security guard in the security room slowly raised his head. A dark gun muzzle was pointing at him, shaking to the side, "Come outside."

He put the receiver on the table, slowly straightened his back, and raised his hands. He noticed that his colleague had been pressed against the wall, his face distorted from being pressed tightly against the wall, looking at him with an innocent expression.

The two were ordered to squat in the corner, their hands and feet tied.

"We're here to find a bastard. We'll leave after we find him and won't hurt anyone else here, but only if you don't do anything stupid."

The two security guards looked outside, where there were still many people. They exchanged glances and lowered their heads, saying nothing.

The young man standing in front of them took out two packs of cigarettes, stuffing one pack into each of their pockets—the forty-nine-cent kind.

Although not particularly good cigarettes, at this time, forty-nine cents was still a very mainstream "good cigarette."

The two had even less to say, continuing to remain silent. Forty-odd yuan wasn't enough for them to risk their lives.

Erwin directly pushed open the door of the emergency center. A doctor sitting next to a young nurse was whispering something to her, possibly helping her with a physical examination and enjoying it.

When he suddenly heard the sound of the door being pushed open, the first thing that appeared on his face was panic, followed by embarrassment and displeasure.

But soon, the displeasure turned into unease, and even some fear.

More men in black windbreakers walked in from outside, lifting every curtain used to protect patients' privacy, confirming whether the person inside was the one they were looking for.

The doctor stood up, "Hey, this is an emergency center. You can't do this!" He appropriately showed some professional ethics, but not much. It wasn't his fault.

Erwin strode in, stood in front of him, and casually picked up some "reports" from the counter. "Someone came in for emergency treatment just now with a gunshot wound. Where is he now?"

The doctor hesitated, not knowing whether he should say it or not. He could tell that these people didn't seem like good people.

Erwin put down the report. He couldn't understand it, but he could understand people. "Are you planning to sacrifice yourself for someone you don't even know?"

Without any psychological struggle, he chose to say what he knew, "He's in a ward on the fourth floor, the one with 'Emergency Ward' written on the door…"

Erwin patted him on the chest, "Good job. That was easy, wasn't it?"

He waved his finger, instructing the others to go upstairs. He also prepared to leave from here, "I'm sorry to have disturbed you…"

He glanced at the young nurse, whose face was a little pale, "I apologize for our behavior. I hope we won't leave you with any trouble. We'll leave soon."

With that, he left, and the entire emergency center returned to its previous tranquility.

There weren't many patients in the emergency center, and some were either drowsy or unconscious. Only one or two were awake.

Even though the place had returned to its previous tranquility, the hearts of those who were awake could no longer return to their previous state.

The fourth floor wasn't high. Compared to the slow elevator, the young men arrived on the fourth floor faster by running and rushing. But the moment they rushed into the ward, they ran out again.

"The person is gone…"

Erwin put his hands on his hips and glanced at the empty ward, "He couldn't have gone far. The car is still here. He must have just now…" He suddenly noticed something, walked to the side of the corridor, and picked up a lit, half-burned cigarette from the corner.

He picked it up, took a puff, and the strong cigarette smoke entered his lungs, making him feel a little more comfortable.

He slowly exhaled the smoke, "He's still in this building. Find him!"

In the utility room, he looked at his good brother lying on the ground, with blood seeping from his waist and abdomen, his expression showing some pain!

Damn it, he originally thought this would be a simple job, but he didn't expect that not only were some of them injured, but the other party had also located them so quickly.

He wanted to smoke, but he didn't dare. He hid the hospital bed in the adjacent ward and then carried his brother to this utility room, hiding behind a shelf.

The only thing he could do now was to pray that the other party wouldn't come in or would just take a glance and leave.

Unfortunately, the God of Golden Port City couldn't hear the prayers of the people of Paradise City. The footsteps outside the door became more and more numerous, and he could even see the shadows passing back and forth through the gap under the utility room door.

He didn't dare to breathe loudly anymore, almost lying on the floor, holding his breath, covered in sweat.

The chaotic footsteps at the door suddenly lessened, and those shadows could no longer be seen moving back and forth. It seemed they had left?

He breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he looked at his good brother, who was still unconscious, preparing to give him a high-five, the door of the storage room suddenly opened.

Immediately afterward, the opened light illuminated the entire storage room, and his heart almost jumped out!

At this time, his brain was blank, and he could only pray that they would just take a casual look and not come behind the shelf.

But unfortunately, they searched very carefully.

The footsteps came closer and closer, and he became more and more desperate until a pair of shoes appeared in front of him.

He slowly raised his head along the shiny leather shoes, the straight pants showed excellent workmanship, the woolen coat was very warm, and finally, he saw a person looking down at him condescendingly.

"Found you!" The man then raised his voice, "They're here!"

More people poured in. Erwin also walked over. He glanced at the two people on the ground, "Take them away."

Soon, a group of people left the gate of An'enbi Hospital. They carried the two guys, put them on the bus, and then a group of people quickly disappeared at the hospital gate, as if they had never appeared!

Erwin took them directly to the old house. This place was in the western suburbs, where there were fewer people, and everyone was afraid of getting into trouble.

The unlucky guy, who had been sitting on the rickety car for who knows how long, finally arrived here in tension and unease.

He was pushed off the car and shoved into a place that looked like a garage or warehouse, with tarpaulin laid on the ground.

The sudden bright light made him squint. He was ordered to sit on a chair.

Erwin walked over, smoking, while the others were scattered around, with some outside the door.

"You definitely know why we're looking for you," Erwin said, finding a chair and sitting opposite him.

He didn't speak, but he did know, because they had previously kidnapped a girl and shot a young man.

When they shot that young man, they didn't even think there was anything to it. He was just a young man, a young man from a small gang.

Sam also had a detached position in Paradise City, and it was said that he had some big shots behind him, so they were used to being unscrupulous in Paradise City. As long as they didn't provoke those they couldn't afford to provoke, no one could hurt them.

So, for him, for them, they didn't think that shooting and wounding, or killing, a young man was a problem.

Seeing his silence, Erwin looked at the people around him, "Who's up?"

"I'll do it," the young team leader said, stepping forward. This youthful, passionate, and motivated social organization hadn't yet become corrupt; it was like a newly risen sun, full of care and unity.

The young leader somewhat hated himself. If he had arranged for two more people to go along, perhaps these things wouldn't have happened.

He also hated these people equally.

He took a pair of pliers and a hammer from the wall, which already made the guy want to give in, but he still wanted to try and see if he could hold out.

At least, if Sam rescued him after this, it would be easier to explain.

It wasn't that he didn't resist, but he resisted and couldn't withstand it.

The young leader used the pliers to clamp his little finger, then raised the hammer high…

If he hadn't been tied to the chair, he might have already started rolling on the ground.

He screamed in pain, but it was quiet around. There weren't many people in the western suburbs, and even if someone heard, who the hell would dare to come and take a look?

Most people would pretend they didn't know what was happening, and besides, with the warehouse door closed, the sound wasn't that loud anyway.

Erwin watched him struggle in pain and scream. When the reaction wasn't so intense, he continued to ask, "Can you talk now?"

The young leader hadn't finished venting his anger. He stood beside him, already reaching for the second finger, "You better not say…"

"I'll talk, I'll talk!" he struggled violently again. It hurt too much. He had overestimated himself and underestimated these people.

The young leader left his side somewhat unwillingly and stood against the wall, but he knew when to do what.

"It's Mr. Sam, and Booker. They need the girl. Someone placed a takeout order."

After hearing this, Erwin thought for a moment, "Red High Heels, is it?"

"Yes, yes, it's Red High Heels…"

This matter was a little troublesome. Erwin knew a little more than the others.

He knew that Lance had rejected the Mayor's decision to assign Red High Heels to him. In other words, no matter who was running Red High Heels now, the Mayor must be behind it.

Erwin could make his own decisions on other matters, but on this matter, he had to talk to Lance.

The call was quickly connected to Lance. Erwin briefly explained the situation, "What do we do now?"

Lance leaned on the headboard and lit a cigarette. Countless images and thoughts flashed through his mind. He didn't speak for a long time, and Erwin didn't urge him.

He himself felt overwhelmed by this kind of thing. He was just a small person, but he was about to enter into a confrontation with the Mayor's forces. He couldn't even imagine it, so he wouldn't disturb Lance's thinking.

About a dozen minutes later, Lance's voice came from the receiver, "Let Maurice keep an eye on Red High Heels. Pay attention to safety."

"Then arrange for a car, and when they send Lisa out, intercept them halfway, along with the people and the car. Be quick and don't give them a chance to identify us."

"Plan it carefully and see which route is faster and more convenient. Go straight out of the city and hide in Creek Valley City until I get back."

If he didn't have Mr. Paslei Tuo as his backer, he might have thought of other ways, but he believed that the Mayor wouldn't fall out with Mr. Paslei Tuo over something without evidence.

And no matter what Mr. Paslei Tuo's attitude was on this matter, if things suddenly broke out, if he didn't protect Lance, then he wouldn't have the core elements to become one of the Federation's five major families.

As for the future?

Solve the immediate matter first.

He had considered letting Lisa suffer first. In fact, that was the best way, not offending anyone, only making Lisa suffer.

But he was unwilling to do it, not only because someone was watching this matter, but because once this matter was not stopped, they would become more and more aggressive in squeezing Lance's bottom line.

Don't you want to avoid things escalating to an uncontrollable point?

Then give in!

Giving in again and again, he would eventually become scum no different from Heller.

Everyone is born with a bottom line, and the bottom line is abandoned by themselves in such a process.

Although he may not necessarily become a good person, he absolutely doesn't want to be scum!

After listening, Erwin was a little worried, "Will there be trouble?"

Lance had already made a decision, so he wouldn't change it again, "Leave everything to me."

After Erwin hung up the phone, he felt a little heavy. He found Maurice and told him what Lance had instructed, and Maurice immediately left with his men.

He then returned to the warehouse.

The unlucky guy who revealed the mastermind seemed particularly relaxed at this time. Apart from the pain in his fingers making him frown from time to time, he already felt much better.

He knew that Erwin was the leader of this group, and he asked directly, "When will you let me leave here?"

"My friend needs a better medical environment."

Erwin stood at the door, squinting at the man. He took a puff of his cigarette, "You can't leave…"

Before the unlucky guy could show an unbelievable expression, Erwin turned and left. His instructions came from outside the door, "Take good care of him until Lance comes back."

"You're not keeping your word!" he shouted loudly, full of resentment.

The young leader asked back, "Did we say that if you confessed, we would let you leave?"

He was a little stunned, his brain began to think about whether this was the case, but then the fist hammered on his face interrupted his thinking…

The next morning, Booker limped to Sam, "It's all arranged, we can send her over at any time."

Sam was picking at a slender cigarette holder in his hand, glanced sideways at Booker, "Then have someone send her over, and remember, make sure they know we're back!"

Booker nodded. He hurt in the front and hurt in the back. This Sam was a pervert!

But he didn't dare to say it, he could only obey silently. At this time, he even developed the idea that it would be better to continue in jail.

He thought he was perverted enough, but compared to this pervert, his perversion was as childish as playing house!

At this time, there was already a modified van at the door. There was a huge red high heel on its carriage. On the side carriages, "Red High Heels Club, the best club" and "If you become God, it must be because of Red High Heels" were reprinted such AD words.

But there was no address, no phone number, no other contact information.

Those who can become members of Red High Heels have ways to get the contact information of Red High Heels.

And those who can't even get the contact information are basically not qualified to become members of Red High Heels.

The mayor was very satisfied with the membership system he proposed, and they were not short of money, and did not need to profit from those poor people.

Lisa had changed into beautiful clothes, dressed up like an exquisite gift, and locked in a large gift box.

Next to it were many tools that could be used to torture people, and there were also various costumes, even some medicines, some surgical supplies!

This was Sam's request. Maybe today's customers won't need it, but he must let him know that the services Red High Heels can provide him are not as simple as he thinks!