37: Chapter 37 Liang Lingmeng prepares to sacrifice herself to save Cao Kun

Although Cao Kun had been mentally prepared.

The muscles throughout his body were already coiled with power, like a taut bowstring.

Mastery of Combat techniques flashed clearly in his mind, and he was confident that with this superhuman physical strength and skill, he could take down the group of thugs before him one by one.

However, when the pitch-black muzzle in Sang Biao's hand turned in their direction, a freezing chill instantly shot up Cao Kun's spine.

This thing was no mere fist or club!

No matter how good your skills were, flesh and blood were as fragile as paper in the face of bullets.

Cao Kun's heart hammered uncontrollably, and as his adrenaline surged, a trace of regret quietly sprouted.

He had been too arrogant.

He had only just bound the system a few days ago; was he really going to die in this dilapidated factory?

This was too infuriating!

If only he had been more cautious...

Unlike Cao Kun's tension and fleeting regret, Liang Lingmeng felt a sense of calm, as if everything had settled.

In this desperate situation, the taut string seemed to have loosened.

Her mother's kind face seemed to appear before her eyes; perhaps... this was for the best, as she would soon be able to see her again. It was just a pity that she hadn't been able to bring the enemy to justice with her own hands.

But when her gaze swept over the young man beside her, Cao Kun, who had been inadvertently dragged into this, that calm was shattered.

He was still so young; he shouldn't die here.

A strong sense of responsibility surged into her heart.

She subtly turned slightly and said quickly to Cao Kun in a breathy voice that only the two of them could hear.

"Listen well... I'll count to three, then I'll charge at Sang Biao with all my might, doing my best to block his muzzle and his line of sight. Don't worry about anything else; seize the opportunity, immediately rush out through the gap behind us where the debris is piled up, and run to the right. There's an abandoned pipe where you can hide temporarily... Whether you survive or not is up to you."

Her tone was resolute; she had already determined to sacrifice herself to create an opportunity.

Just as Liang Lingmeng's eyes narrowed, her leg muscles tensed, and she prepared to fight to the death.

An unexpected turn of events occurred!

"Ahhh...! Run...!"

A hoarse roar, using every ounce of strength in his life, suddenly exploded!

Old Zhou, who had been pinned firmly to the ground by two thugs, had somehow erupted with a final burst of strength and suddenly broke free from his restraints!

His face was covered in blood, his eyes bloodshot, like a wounded beast in its final moments. Completely disregarding his own safety, he threw himself at Sang Biao, who was standing with his back to him, pointing his gun in the direction of Liang Lingmeng!

This lunge was completely without technique, yet it was shockingly fast and filled with determination!

"You're courting death!"

Sang Biao realized the fierce wind attacking from behind and instinctively wanted to turn the muzzle, but Old Zhou had already slammed into his side like a heavy stone, causing him to stagger and his gun-wielding arm to be knocked high into the air.

"Bang!"

The gunshot was deafening in the enclosed space! A flash of fire appeared!

The bullet struck Old Zhou directly.

Then, Old Zhou's body slid softly to the ground, a blindingly bright crimson quickly spreading across his chest.

"Now is the time!"

Cao Kun's pupils constricted sharply, and all hesitation and regret were completely washed away in that moment by his will to survive and a surge of hot blood!

His system-enhanced body reacted to the extreme!

In the split second that Sang Biao was briefly off-balance from the impact and the gunshot, and the muzzle was diverted, Cao Kun moved!

Like a streak of black lightning skimming the ground, he didn't run backward, but lunged forward!

His target was directly Sang Biao's gun-wielding right hand!

"Snap!"

A precise and ruthless side kick lashed out like a steel whip against Sang Biao's wrist!

"Ah!" Sang Biao cried out in pain, his fingers loosening, and the deadly gun flew from his hand, tracing an arc.

Cao Kun landed and rolled, his movements incredibly fluid. He reached out and snatched the handgun, which was still spinning in the air, firmly into his hand!

The cold metallic sensation transmitted, instantly dispelling the last trace of unfamiliarity and fear he had toward firearms, and a strange sense of control welled up in him.

"Don't anyone move! I'll kill whoever moves!"

Cao Kun knelt on one knee, holding the gun with both hands, the muzzle sweeping rapidly across the surrounding restless thugs. His voice was tense but exceptionally sharp.

The situation was instantly reversed!

The thugs were afraid to act rashly, looking at that pitch-black muzzle—which had just belonged to their boss—and they froze in place, not daring to move.

Most of them were just brawling hoodlums; they might dare to fight with fists and kicks, but facing a real opponent holding a gun with a fierce look in his eyes, their arrogance was suddenly cut in half.

Cao Kun felt settled, knowing that the opportunity was fleeting.

He did not hesitate any longer, let out a low roar, and sprang into action! He was no longer just passively defending or running away, but actively attacking!

The Mastery of Combat awarded by the system was perfectly displayed at this moment.

His movements were as fast as a ghost, his power was incredibly heavy and fierce, and every strike landed precisely on the thugs' joints, soft spots, and other vital areas.

Fists, elbows, knees, and legs became the deadliest weapons, and combined with exceptionally agile footwork, he wove through the crowd.

In less than two minutes, the twenty or thirty people who had been so aggressive were all knocked unconscious and taken down by Cao Kun.

On the other side, the moment the gun went off, Liang Lingmeng's heart felt as if it had been tightly gripped.

She didn't pay attention to the destructive battle on Cao Kun's side, focusing all her attention on Old Zhou, who had fallen to the ground.

"Old Zhou! Old Zhou!" She rushed to Old Zhou's side, trembling as she lifted him up and cradled him in her arms.

Blood continued to gush from the bullet hole in his chest, instantly staining her arms and clothes red.

She frantically tried to press down on the wound, but the blood was warm and viscous, and it couldn't be stopped at all.

"Hold... hold on! Old Zhou! I'll call for an ambulance right now! You must hold on!"

Liang Lingmeng's voice was filled with sobs, and her other hand fumbled around in a panic for her phone, only to realize she had no idea where she had lost it.

Old Zhou's complexion turned gray at a speed visible to the naked eye, and his breathing became weak.

But as he looked at Liang Lingmeng's anxious face, his mouth corners struggled to pull upward, revealing a smile that was extremely complicated but ultimately settled into relief.

He arduously raised his hand and pointed to the inner pocket of his jacket.

Liang Lingmeng understood and quickly pulled a mobile phone from his pocket.

Old Zhou used his last bit of strength and said intermittently: "Ling... Lingmeng... don't cry... call... call Bureau Chief Wang..."

Every few words he spoke, blood foam spilled from the corners of his mouth.

"Old Zhou, stop talking! Save your energy! The ambulance will be here soon!"

Liang Lingmeng's tears burst forth. While following his instructions to unlock the phone and quickly dial Bureau Chief Wang's number, she sobbed to comfort him: "You'll be fine... Your son is still waiting for you... You must hold on!"

The call was quickly answered, and Liang Lingmeng suppressed her grief, reporting their location and the situation in the most concise language possible.

Old Zhou listened to her clear words, and the last trace of attachment in his eyes seemed to be let go.

His gaze was somewhat unfocused as he stared at the dim lights on the ceiling of the warehouse, his voice growing lighter and lighter: "Lingmeng... I'm... I'm sorry... I... I wasn't a good superior... and... even less of a good law enforcement officer... but... but I didn't... didn't mean to get you killed... It's good... you're still alive..."

"Don't say that, Old Zhou! You don't owe me anything! You saved me and Cao Kun!" Liang Lingmeng tightly grasped his gradually cooling hand. "Hold on! For Xiao Lei! For your son!"

Hearing the words "your son," Old Zhou's pupils moved slightly, and finally, that smile of relief froze on his face, his eyes losing all luster and becoming hollow.

His hand fell limply.

"Old Zhou—!!!"

Liang Lingmeng let out a mournful cry, holding the gradually cooling body in her arms tightly as tears poured down.

This superior, who had once led her, taken care of her, eventually betrayed her, and ultimately sacrificed himself for her, had finished his life full of entanglement in such a tragic and contradictory way.

His final expression was calm, even carrying a trace of relief, as if he had finally escaped from the endless tearing between family affection and duty.