Chapter 119: Reinforcements Arrive

Xiao Ye observed that the situation here was not quite right and proceeded to confer with Chi Long.

"Something is off. Everyone, stay alert; there is a high probability of a trap here."

"Perhaps these people sensed a crisis approaching and decided to retreat beforehand," Chi Long remarked, scanning his surroundings vigilantly.

"Whatever the reason, safety is our priority."

Xiao Ye, clutching his weapons and gear, reached the hotel stairwell and addressed Chi Long. He assigned a few men to remain at the elevator and stairwell entrances in the lobby to prevent anyone from escaping, while sending two men to each floor to search for the enemy.

"Be thorough. Low-level thugs—if they resist, eliminate them on the spot! If they are high-level, keep them alive and bring them to me," Xiao Ye instructed his team in a low voice.

When they had entered, their firearms had been wrapped in black cloth to avoid drawing unnecessary attention. Now, Xiao Ye distributed them to the remaining men, and the group set their plan into motion.

On the top floor of the hotel, Tiger was watching the events unfolding in the lobby with trembling anxiety. He had long known that Xiao Ye would come here to find him.

"Damn it, I'm truly out of luck this time. I never expected him to track me down to this place!" Tiger paced back and forth in the room, his mood frantic.

Some of his henchmen had already prepared defensive measures, but his heart remained unsettled. Finally, Tiger made up his mind, pulled out his phone, and made a call.

"Mr. Cheng, Xiao Ye has already arrived at the hotel. I fear for my life, which is why I am requesting your support," Tiger said, struggling to suppress the terror in his voice.

"Xiao Ye has already broken in? What on earth did you do?" Cheng Jiangshan’s voice came from the other end of the line.

"The situation is critical; please, send reinforcements quickly! If I survive this, I will personally come to apologize to you!"

"That won't be necessary. I haven't decided what to do about Xiao Ye yet. You are on your own!"

After Cheng Jiangshan finished speaking, he hung up the phone. Tiger was left standing there, staring blankly, completely stunned.

After a long while, he finally snapped out of it.

Tiger became extremely volatile and acted recklessly. He slammed his phone onto the floor, the veins on his forehead bulging. Seeing his reaction, his henchmen began to waver in their resolve.

"Forget it! Brothers, I am going to kill this Xiao Ye today!"

Tiger was now irrational, his eyes bloodshot, his emotions more agitated than ever before. With a single order, his henchmen instantly surrounded the entire room, turning Tiger's quarters into an impenetrable fortress.

...

Back to Xiao Ye. He and Chi Long were climbing upward. Soon, they reached the second floor, which was just as deserted as the rest of the building.

The entire floor was eerily quiet. Before coming up, Xiao Ye had carefully checked that the guests staying here were regular, outside patrons. The group remained silent as Xiao Ye led the way, issuing orders to stay vigilant.

After about twenty minutes, the two had searched the entire floor. Not only was there no sign of any thugs, but they hadn't seen a single person at all.

"Did these people escape in advance? Otherwise, why is there not a soul to be seen?" Chi Long whispered to Xiao Ye.

"Unlikely. If they had fled early, our people would have noticed. Unless the intelligence we gathered was wrong, we shouldn't be coming up empty-handed." Xiao Ye spoke with composure, though he felt a hint of doubt himself.

Just as they were pondering the mystery, a door nearby suddenly opened. Both men instantly turned vigilant, aiming their weapons at the doorway. However, only a young man and woman emerged.

Upon seeing Xiao Ye and Chi Long, the young man was startled and instinctively shielded the woman behind him.

"Who—who are you people?"

The man had barely finished his question when he caught sight of the weapons in their hands, causing his voice to tremble uncontrollably. Chi Long scanned the pair; they seemed like ordinary civilians, not thugs.

After three seconds, having confirmed their identities, Xiao Ye relaxed slightly and said to them, "We are here to evacuate this floor for an upcoming drill. Please, leave quickly. Don't interfere with the exercise."

Hearing the explanation, the man looked skeptical, but urged by the woman behind him, the two left the area at high speed.

Chapter 120: The Fortress on the Top Floor

"It seems this floor is occupied only by ordinary people."

"I think I understand why there are no hotel staff here. They evacuated everyone in advance to prevent us from knowing their personnel arrangement," Chi Long said to Xiao Ye, a look of realization on his face.

"That is a possibility, but we still cannot let our guard down," Xiao Ye replied, scanning the surroundings.

The two continued to search the floor for a long time. Once they were certain there were no issues, they headed toward the third floor, leaving two team members behind to guard the second.

As Xiao Ye and Chi Long were moving down the corridor, they suddenly heard the sound of mechanical friction coming from a door ahead. They stopped instantly, holding their breath to listen.

"There must be people on the third floor. Get ready!" Xiao Ye gestured to Chi Long, signaling his intent with a set of hand signs only they understood. Chi Long nodded, and the two crept toward the door.

Just as Xiao Ye was about to reach the third floor and force the door open, a voice drifted through from the inside.

"I'm telling you, many of our people have already left. Are you sure you're not going to run now?" A man's voice, muffled by the heavy iron door, reached their ears.

"The boss has already given the order. Just stay here and stop causing trouble with these ridiculous ideas!" another man’s voice replied.

It seemed Tiger had made preparations, stationing these two to guard the third-floor entrance.

"Stop it. There's hardly anyone left in the hotel now. The low-level thugs have already run away!"

"I'm not leaving. In this business, loyalty is everything. You can run if you want!"

The man understood his companion's point, but his mind was made up; ignoring the persuasion, he remained at his post.