Power and Wealth

Basement.

Bang… bang… bang… continuous gunshots can be heard from upstairs.

The Crew-cut and the rest of the men looked at each other and quickly wore back their pants and grabbed their weapons, before running upstairs. It was too sudden, and their safety and lives are more important. At this moment, no one cares about that woman. Dong Xuebing did not leave and helped Hou Qing wear back her pants.

"Are you alright?" Dong Xuebing asked.

Hou Qing sighed with relief. "I'm fine. Thank you."

"Come to my room first." Dong Xuebing helped Hou Qing back to his room.

The gunshots had stopped, and Dong Xuebing does not know what happened upstairs. He is unsure if he should act now, but he felt that if the police are here, there should be a gunfight. The gunshots he heard are too scattered, and Hou Qing was also puzzled. Her excitement earlier was gone, and she was listening quietly.

Ta… ta… ta… footsteps.

Dong Xuebing looked at Hou Qing. "Sis, stay here and don't move. I will go and have a look."

Dong Xuebing left the room and looked towards the end of the corridor. The Crew-cut and the men in suits were holding handguns. These should be newly issued to them, Manager Ma, the Boss, and three other armed men walked down to the basement. In front of them are two policemen in uniforms. One of them is tied up, and the other is bleeding from his arm. It should be a gun wound.

Manager Ma stared at them. "Who asked you all to come?"

The two officers kept quiet.

"Are you not going to say anything?" Manager Ma points his gun at the injured officer and looks at the other officer. "I will give you three seconds to think about it! One… two…"

"Wait!" The young officer shouted. "I will speak!"

The Boss and the rest were staring at that officer.

That officer took a deep breath and said. "I don't know what you all are doing. There is a case of someone injuring two men with a knife in the northern area, and Brother Yu and I are on our way there to investigate. We just pass by here, and your men started shooting at us. That's why we retaliate."

Ma Wentao shouted. "Bullshit! Are you still not going to tell us the truth?"

The officer replied. "It's real. We are just passing by this area."

The Boss looked at the officer and waved to Ma Wentao. "They should not be here for us. If not, it will not be only two officers."

Ma Wentao's face changed. "Boss, what should we do now?"

The Boss is also looking terrible. "The boat will be here soon. Get ready to leave. The gunshots will attract more police, and we will not escape if more time is wasted. Quick!" The Boss is unhappy with his men. If they had not opened fire, their hideout would not be exposed. But he can also understand that anyone will panic in their situation when they saw a police car driving towards them.

Ma Wentao calmed down and ordered. "Bring these two inside!"

The Crew-cut and Lao Hei grabbed an officer each. "What are we going to do with them?"

"Lock them up first. If more cops arrived, we would use them as hostages. If the boat arrives before the police…" Ma Wentao made a gesture of slicing the throat.

The Crew-cut and Lao Hei nodded.

Dong Xuebing watched everything from far and frowned, before returning to his room.

One minute later.

Dong Xuebing's room.

The Crew-cut kicked the injured officer into Dong Xuebing's room, and Lao Hei pushed the other officer from his back. After that, they lit a cigarette each, by the table.

"We are so damn, unlucky. We are almost leaving, and the police appear."

"That's right. But I heard the boat is arriving soon, and we should be fine."

"I hope so…" The Crew-cut and Lao Hei chatted.

Hou Qing looked at the two officers and sighed. Although they are not from the same precinct, they are still her comrades. Her heart had sunk to the bottom when she saw these two officers got caught. The two officers overheard the men outside talking about a female officer and knew she must be an undercover cop. They took a glance at Hou Qing, and sighed. They knew that none of them could escape.

There are more than a dozen men armed with guns outside.

Even if they are not tied up, they cannot escape too!

One of the officers, Xiao Wang, apologized. "Brother Yu, sorry… if I did not suggest taking a shortcut, we will not…"

"It's not your fault." Brother Yu, who was shot in the arm, replied. "It's all fated."

Xiao Wang looked at the woman beside them and asked softly. "Who are these people?"

Hou Qing paused for a second. She knew she couldn't escape, and whatever she said now does not matter anymore. "The stolen relics from the museum are with them, and they are preparing to leave the country."

Xiao Wang and Brother Yu inhaled a deep breath when they heard this. They had not expected to chance upon such a big case on a regular dispatch.

The Crew-cut banged the table and shouted. "Who allowed you all to talk? Shut up and sit there quietly!"

Lao Hei turned to Dong Xuebing and sneered. "Xiao Xie, what are you Dong here? Didn't you hear the Boss and Manager Ma's instructions?"

Dong Xuebing replied emotionlessly. "I have nothing to pack and is ready to leave anytime."

Lao Hei did not care about what Dong Xuebing said and laugh. "Are you afraid that the police will show up and want to hide here? You are too timid!"

The Crew-cut also laughed at Dong Xuebing.

One minute…

Two minutes…

Three minutes…

Footsteps can be heard from outside, and the door opened.

One of the men beside the Boss earlier appeared with a gun. He gave the Crew-cut and Lao Hei an eye signal and said. "The boat I here. Let's go." After finishing, he took a glance at the woman and the two unlucky officers before leaving.

Dong Xuebing listened to the surroundings, and it seems that there is no one left in the basement except for them.

The Crew-cut rotated his shoulder and clocked his gun. He looked at the woman and said pitifully. "Such a pity. If we have one hour, I can still have some fun. Alright… do you all have any last words? It's time for you all to leave."

Hou Qing gritted her teeth and clenched her fist.

Xiao Wang was panicking and struggling to break free from the ropes.

Lao Hei also turns off the safety of his gun. "Brother Liu, let me do it. Hahaha…"

The Crew-cut had not killed anyone before, and he nodded. He pushed his gun into a belt on his pants and took a few steps away.

Hou Qing looks at Dong Xuebing, the Crew-cut, and Lao Hei. "You all bastards!"

Brother Yu closed his eyes, and his partner, Xiao Wang, is shouting for help. He is hoping a miracle will happen. Only a few minutes had passed since the gunfight. Even if someone heard the gunshots and called the police, the police will not arrive in time!

Hou Qing's eyes turned red as she thought about her husband and child!

Am I going to die? Am I going to die like this?

Lao Hei raised his gun and turns to Dong Xuebing. "Step away, or you will get a fright."

Dong Xuebing gave Lao Hei a weird look and stepped back.

Lao Hei let out a weird laugh and aimed his gun at the three people. He loves this feeling of having power over the life and death of others. He laughed as he points the gun and Xiao Wang and saw Xiao Wang turns pale. He then moved his gun to point at the injured Brother Yu. In the end, he decided to start with Hou Qing. He moved his wrist slightly and aimed at Hou Qing's head.

Hou Qing closed her eyes and mumbled under her breath. "Xiao Chao, Mama is leaving now. I love you."

Lao Hei's eyes turned cold and moved his finger to squeeze the trigger!

But at this moment, something unexpected happened!

Dong Xuebing, who was standing beside, moved suddenly and landed a knife-hand strike lightly on Lao Hei's right hand. Thud! Lao Hei shouted in pain and let go of the gun. He was hit on the nerves, causing his right hand to go numb.

Lao Hei was furious to see Xiao Xie hitting him suddenly, and he returned with a straight punch!

Dong Xuebing dodged that punch easily and kicked Lao Hei's knee!

Lao Hei's shouted in pain again as his body swayed. Once he regained his balance, he rushed forward to attack Dong Xuebing with his Karate moves! Dong Xuebing did not panic and twisted his head to his side to dodge a punch and returned a punch to Lao Hei's chest. When Lao Hei unleashed a low kick, Dong Xuebing dodged and rushed forward to grabbed Lao Hei's arm and twisted it behind his back. He then gave Lao Hei a heavy blow with his elbow, and Lao Hei collapsed onto the ground!

Everyone was stunned!

No one knows why Xiao Xie is attacking his Lao Hei. Also, Xiao Xie looks skinny and should not have the strength to win against Lao Hei in a fight. Lao Hei had punched Xiao Xie before, and Xiao Xie fell with just a punch. But now, it was the opposite. That weakling Xiao Xie suddenly becomes so good at fighting?!

The Crew-cut immediately pull out the gun from his waist. "Don't move! What the f**k are you doing?!"

Hu Qing got a shock and quickly took cover by getting on the floor. Xiao Wang and Brother Yu saw it and quickly followed!

The current Dong Xuebing is a different person. He was staring calmly at the Crew-cut, who was pointing his gun at him. Suddenly, Dong Xuebing rushed forward!

Bang! The Crew-cut opened fired!

Hou Qing shouted. "Watch out!"

Dong Xuebing moved his head slightly to his side, and the bullet missed his head by centimeters!

The Crew-cut was stunned and shouted as he fired again… Bang!

Dong Xuebing lowered his shoulder and bent forward. The bullet brushed centimeters past Dong Xuebing's body and hit the wall behind him! The next moment, Dong Xuebing is in front of the Crew-cut, and the Crew-cut is about to squeeze the trigger again. Dong Xuebing immediately grabbed his hand and kneeled him in his groin, twisted his arm, and points the gun towards himself. Dong Xuebing's finger pressed against the Crew-cut's finger on the trigger, making him shoot himself!

Bang!

The Crew-cut had an unbelievable look on his face as he collapsed on the ground.

Blood is spurting out from the Crew-cut's chest!

Lao Hei crawled up from the ground and tried to get his gun on the floor. But Dong Xuebing will not let him do that. He turns around and shot Lao Hei with the Crew-cut's gun. Bang! Lao Hei is only centimeters away from his gun when he was shot. Blood gushed out from his neck as he collapsed with his eyes opened.

Everything happened within a few seconds.

It took less than twenty seconds for Dong Xuebing to kill two men.

Dong Xuebing took in a deep breath to calm himself down and walked over to the bed to untie the three police officers. Xiao Wang, Brother Yu, and Hou Qing were staring at Dong Xuebing in shock. They could not understand why he had killed those two men and why he is saving them.

Hou Qing suddenly realized something and gasped. "You… you are one of us?!"

Xiao Wang and Brother Yu were stunned. One of us?!

Hou Qing finally understood why Dong Xuebing is willing to offend the others to protect her, and he did not rape her. Instead, he even applied medication and fed her. These are not what a hooligan or outlaw will do! Also, the way Dong Xuebing fought and his guts are not what a small-time hooligan has. He does not even flinch when a gun is fired at him! Hou Qing knew that she would not be as calm as him!

Dong Xuebing smiled and extended his hand for a handshake. "Sister, sorry for not letting you know. I was afraid the room will be tapped and did not identify myself. Xie Hao is a fake name. My name is Dong Xuebing, from Yan Tai County Public Security Bureau. I am here as an undercover officer to investigate the Provincial Museum break-in case."

This young man is one of us!

All of them were relieved and overjoyed.

Hou Qing grabbed Dong Xuebing's hand tightly. "Thank you… Thank you so much!"

Brother Yu was pressing on his wound, exclaimed excitedly. "If it's not because of you, we will all be dead. Comrade, thank you!"

"Don't mention it." Dong Xuebing passed a pillowcase to Brother Yu. "Your wound is still bleeding. Hurry and bandage yourself up!"

Xiao Wang suddenly asked. "You are called Dong Xuebing?"

Dong Xuebing nodded. "What's wrong?"

"This name… why is it so familiar?" Xiao Wang asked.

Hou Qing also felt Dong Xuebing's name sounds very familiar, and she had seen his face somewhere.

Hou Qing paused for a second and said. "My name is Hou Qing, from Lui An City Public Security Bureau."

Xiao Wang and Brother Yu also identify themselves. "We are from Zhang Ze City Bureau."

Zhang Ze City? That is the southern part of Hebei Province, and that means they are still located in the province. Dong Xuebing thought for a while and said. "Those people are preparing to board the boat. They should think you all are killed from the gunshots earlier, and it will be safe for the time being. But they will know something had happened if they did not see their men in a few minutes."

Xiao Wang panics when he knows they are still in danger. "Brother Yu, what should we do now?"

Brother Yu had tied the pillowcase around the wound on his arm. "There are more than a dozen of them outside, and all of them are armed. If we go up now, we will be seeking death. Let's just wait in the basement now. The Bureau should have sent officers over. When the reinforcements arrived, we will be safe." He looked at the gun Dong Xuebing is holding. "We have two guns. If we guard the stairwell, it should not be a problem."

Dong Xuebing looks at him. "When the police arrive, the boat should be gone."

Hou Qing frowned. "Are we… going to see them escaping with the stolen relics?"

Brother Yu sighed. "I am injured and cannot hold the gun. Xiao Wang was newly posted to our Bureau and is still inexperienced. Even if all of us rush out, we will not win against them. I also don't want our national treasures to be smuggled overseas, but what can we do?" He turns to Hou Qing. "How is your shooting?"

Hou Qing shook her head and swung her arm. "I am also injured."

This temporary team is either injured or inexperienced. There is no way for them to win against the men outside.

Dong Xuebing waits until they finish discussing. "Have you all decided?"

Brother Yu nodded. "We will wait in the basement."

"Ok." Dong Xuebing passed his gun to Hou Qing. "I will leave this gun with you all. There should be a few bullets left. Take care."

Hou Qing, Brother Yu, and Xiao Wang were stunned when they heard this. "What do you mean? Where are you going?"

Dong Xuebing picked up the other gun from the floor and checked the remaining number of bullets. "Where else can I go? I am going to fight it out with them. They are upstairs, and the boat is arriving. If I don't arrest them now, when can I arrest them?" Dong Xuebing had gone undercover to retrieve the stolen relics, and not hide in the basement.

Xiao Wang was shocked. "You are going alone?"

Dong Xuebing nodded. "I had wanted to do this alone, if why will I infiltrate into the bath parlor?"

Hou Qing shouted. "No! It is too dangerous! You are alone and only have one gun! There are dozens of guns outside! How are you going to win?" Dong Xuebing had saved her life, and she does not want to see him die.

Brother Yu added. "That's right. Don't be rash. This is not the time to be impulsive."

Xiao Wang said anxiously. "Let's wait until the reinforcement arrives!"

Dong Xuebing made a mental calculation of how many BACKs he has. Although he had used his powers a few times this week, he had accumulated a lot of BACKs before he infiltrates into the bath parlor. Dong Xuebing straightened his clothes and got up. "I have been quite lucky, and you never know if you never try. I am going now. Take care." Before the rest can say anything, Dong Xuebing left the room.