188: Chapter 188 Unmanned Vehicle Chases Li Li!

"Li, congratulations on successfully becoming the global focus and completing such an epic mission as an emergency aircraft landing. I knew you could do it. Now, I wonder if you can save Miss Jiang?"

A Southeast Asian area code. No signature. But Li Li was all too familiar with this form of address. Yossi.

He didn't reply to the text message and dialed Jiang Rumu's number directly. The call didn't go through. In the top-left corner of the screen, the signal bars dropped to zero.

Li Li changed direction. Still no service. Several Hong Kong Garrison soldiers nearby also pulled out their phones.

"I don't have a signal here either."

"What about the Hong Kong Police channel?" The communications soldier twisted the dial on his walkie-talkie. It was full of static.

"The civilian frequency band is cut off, and the military channel is being jammed as well." Li Li shoved his phone back into his pocket. It was here.

This text from Yossi wasn't a threat. It was a notification. Cut communications first, then act. That trick from Dubai had been brought to Hong Kong.

Except this time, the one trapped in the information black hole wasn't a desert hotel. It was the entire city of Hong Kong.

Li Li turned and rushed to the door of the captain's cabin.

"Dock the boat."

The captain was gesturing to the maritime police boat. "Mr. Li, the pier hasn't been cleared yet; there are too many people."

"There's no time." Li Li's voice was very low. "Someone is trying to kill my girlfriend."

The captain paused for a moment. The Hong Kong Garrison sergeant next to him directly patted the captain on the shoulder.

"Speed up."

The captain didn't ask again and pushed the throttle to the max. The rescue boat sliced through the water and charged toward Tsim Sha Tsui pier.

Li Li stood at the bow. The blood on his forehead had half-dried; the wind made the wound feel tight.

The system panel popped up.

[Ding! Firefighter special mission complete!]

[Mission Rating: S-Rank! Victoria Harbour emergency landing, zero-casualty evacuation (enemy deaths do not count as casualties).]

[Distributing rewards...]

[Skill acquired: Interrogation and Confession Mastery.]

[Skill Description: Psychological pressure, micro-expression analysis, anti-interrogation recognition, information extraction, and other abilities have been integrated.]

[Bonus Tip: This skill can also be used to answer, "Why didn't you reply to my message earlier?"]

Li Li glanced at it. Closed it. Interrogation and confession. Good stuff. But he couldn't use it right now. What he lacked right now was speed.

As soon as the boat approached the pier, Li Li vaulted over the railing and jumped down. The pier was already in chaos.

Victoria Harbour had just completed a massive evacuation, and the crowds hadn't dispersed yet. Police lights were flashing, fire trucks were blocking intersections, and citizens were holding up their phones, looking for a signal everywhere.

"Why is there no internet?"

"Calls won't go through!"

"My family is still in Central!"

"Does the Octopus card still work?"

The entire city of Hong Kong had been dragged back to the Stone Age within ten seconds. Li Li stopped a Hong Kong Police officer.

"Where is the Mandarin Oriental Hotel?"

The Hong Kong Police officer pointed. "Central, on the other side."

Li Li looked at Victoria Harbour. That boeing 777 from earlier was still parked in the middle of the water, searchlights illuminating the fuselage. And Jiang Rumu was on the other side. Across the entire Victoria Harbour.

"I need a motorcycle." Just as the officer was about to speak, the Hong Kong Garrison sergeant caught up and handed over his identification.

"Borrowing one."

The officer looked at the ID, then at Li Li. This face was now known to the whole world. Covered in blood, clothes wrinkled beyond recognition. But this was the same man who, just minutes ago, had parked a boeing 777 in Victoria Harbour.

The officer didn't waste words; he slapped his own motorcycle keys into Li Li's hand.

"Honda CB300R. The Cross-Harbour Tunnel is the fastest way."

"Thanks."

Li Li straddled the motorcycle and twisted the throttle. The engine roared to life. Just as he fastened his helmet, a burst of crying and screaming erupted by the roadside.

"Open the door!" A young mother lunged at a white Tesla Model Y, pounding on the window.

"My daughter is still inside!"

In the child seat in the back, a three or four-year-old girl was crying until she trembled. The car doors were locked. The windows were up. There was no one in the driver's seat.

Several Hong Kong Police officers and soldiers rushed over; some looked for a window-breaking hammer, others tried to pry the door open. The mother was so anxious she couldn't stand steadily.

"My phone has no signal! The Bluetooth key won't connect! The key card is in my bag, but the bag isn't with me!"

Li Li glanced at it. Others were handling it. He had to get to Central. Every minute of delay meant more danger for Jiang Rumu.

He twisted the throttle with his right hand. The front wheel of the motorcycle lifted. A low sound came from behind. It wasn't a human sound. It was an electric motor starting.

The headlights of that white Model Y flared to life. The next second, it shifted directly into reverse. Tires screeched against the ground as the rear of the car slammed toward Li Li.

The young mother was knocked over by the car body and fell to the side of the road. Li Li twisted the handlebars, and the motorcycle drifted sideways. The rear of the Tesla grazed past his back wheel. Missed by twenty centimeters.

The crowd around them erupted into chaos. Screams drowned out the police sirens. Li Li steadied the bike and looked back. The white Model Y stopped three meters away. The driver's seat was empty. The steering wheel turned on its own. The little girl in the back was still crying.

A scene flashed through Li Li's mind. The entrance to the Fire Station. That driverless Tesla, crashing straight into the gate of the Fire Station. Spies. Unmanned cars. It all connected.

This wasn't a malfunction. This was a setup. Someone had turned the car into a weapon in advance. And they had even put a child inside the car. Li Li cursed.

"Dirty."

The Tesla moved again. The car finished turning around. Its front faced Li Li. The headlights blinded him. The distance was twenty meters.

Li Li didn't wait for it to accelerate; he twisted the throttle to the max. The Honda CB300R shot forward. He grazed past the left side of the Tesla, the handlebars almost scraping the door. Wind rushed into his helmet. The street retreated rapidly.

In the rearview mirror, the white Model Y completed its second turn. It didn't hesitate. No human driver to feel fear. No one to step on the brakes. The only order it had received was one: Catch Li Li.

Blue system text popped up. [Friendly Reminder: The target behind is accelerating.] [Estimated catch-up in six seconds.] [Suggest the host confirm whether insurance covers "being hunted by an unmanned car."]

Li Li raised his hand and swiped the panel away. "Shut up." In the rearview mirror, the headlights were getting closer. Ten meters. Eight meters. Five meters.

Li Li lowered his body, and the motorcycle surged forward, hugging the road. On the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui, the crowd was being pushed to the sides by police.

"Move!"

"Don't stand in the middle of the road!"

"There's a child in the car!"

Li Li jerked the handlebars, and the motorcycle dove into a narrow alley. On both sides were the metal shutters of old shops. The width was just enough for the motorcycle to pass through. Not enough for the Tesla. But it didn't stop. The car body forced its way into the alley.

The sound of metal scraping exploded. Paint was ripped off both sides, the rolling shutters were bent, and one door flew directly to the alley entrance. It didn't care. No one inside the car cared about the car.

Li Li shot out from the other end of the alley; ahead was Nathan Road. Red light. The traffic lights were still on. Cars were passing through the intersection. He didn't slow down. The motorcycle threaded between two buses, leaving half a palm's width on either side.

The Model Y behind wasn't that narrow. Bang! It slammed into the tail of a double-decker bus. The bus was pushed two meters away. Screams filled the bus interior.

Li Li saw in the rearview mirror that the Tesla's hood was buckled and half the bumper had fallen off. But it was still moving. The front end was smashed, but it didn't affect the motor. It swerved around the bus and continued the chase.

Li Li gritted his teeth. He couldn't head toward the Cross-Harbour Tunnel anymore. The space inside the tunnel was even narrower. Once this car chased him inside, all the cars in there could be crushed into scrap metal by it.

What was more troublesome was that the child was still in the car. He couldn't let the Hong Kong Police block it with a wall of cars. He couldn't let the soldiers shoot. He couldn't just crash it into oblivion. Yossi had counted on this. By using a child, he had given this car a talisman.

Li Li glanced at the intersection ahead. On the left was a construction barrier. On the right was a bus stop. Further ahead was the ramp to the tunnel entrance. Go to Central. Go to Jiang Rumu's side. But if he didn't deal with this car first, he wouldn't be able to get through the Cross-Harbour Tunnel at all.

In the rearview mirror, the white headlights were closing in again. Fifteen meters. Twelve meters. Ten meters. Li Li suddenly slammed on the front brake. The rear wheel of the motorcycle swung out, and the bike slid sideways. The tires left black skid marks on the ground.

The next second. The motorcycle spun around on the spot. It faced the oncoming Tesla. Headlight to headlight. Motorcycle versus sedan. Three hundred kilograms versus over two tons. The faces of the Hong Kong Police officers on the roadside changed. "Mr. Li! Don't crash into it head-on!"

The little girl in the car was still crying. The Tesla didn't slow down. Fifty meters. Forty meters. Thirty meters. Li Li took his left hand off the handlebar and reached behind his waist. He drew the steel baton that was standard issue for Hong Kong Police motorcycles. He cursed under his breath. "Don't panic, basic operation." The baton snapped open. Twenty meters. The Tesla's headlights bore down on him.