189: Chapter 189 Re-entering the Fire

The baton swung out. Twenty meters. The Tesla's headlights loomed closer.

Li Li didn't crash forward. With a twist of his right hand, the motorcycle's front wheel grazed the curb and shot out, scraping past the left side of the Tesla.

The car body scraped against the end of the baton. A string of sparks exploded. The Tesla missed.

After the front of the car shot forward two meters, the steering wheel locked on its own, and the car body began to turn around. Li Li had already drifted back.

The motorcycle pulled up against the left rear of the Tesla. He stood up on the footrests and swung the baton down.

Bang! The rear window shattered. Tempered glass clattered, covering the back seat. On the child safety seat, the little girl was crying until her voice broke.

The Tesla accelerated violently, the car body beginning to sway from side to side. Li Li held the handlebars with one hand, his motorcycle biting firmly onto the car's tail.

"Little one!"

"Uncle is a good person!"

The little girl looked up. She saw a man, his face covered in blood and a gash on his forehead, reaching in through the broken rear window. She cried even louder.

Reasonable. With this look, even an adult would call the police. Even Sadako would have to retreat.

System blue text popped up.

[Friendly Reminder: Your current attractiveness rating is negative.]

[It is suggested to wash your face before continuing the rescue.]

[Otherwise, the person being rescued may suffer secondary psychological trauma.]

Li Li couldn't be bothered to look. Ahead was a straight stretch. The Tesla's front end dipped, and the motor began to accelerate. He couldn't delay any longer.

Li Li tucked the baton behind his waist, locked his left hand onto the handlebar, and reached his right hand in through the broken window. The safety seat buckle was by the child's leg. The car body was still shaking.

First try. Missed. Second try. Click. The buckle popped open.

The little girl was released from the safety seat. Li Li grabbed her waist and yanked her out. The child was terrified, her two arms clutching his forearm tightly.

Out. About thirty pounds. He held her with one hand. The motorcycle immediately slowed down.

After losing its target, the Tesla didn't stop and continued to rush forward. Bang! The front of the car slammed into a concrete barrier.

The hood flew open. The chassis sparked. The car body was stuck on the barrier, the front wheels still spinning in the air, the tires rubbing until they smoked.

Three Hong Kong Police officers rushed up, spraying the chassis fiercely with fire extinguishers. The young mother came running over, stumbling.

"Nannan!"

Li Li handed the child over. The mother caught her daughter, her legs went weak, and she sat directly on the ground.

The little girl was still crying. But it wasn't the screaming from before. Li Li raised his hand to wipe his face. The blood was half-dried, sticking to his skin.

He looked down at the motorcycle. There was still fuel. The bike could still run. Enough. He straddled it again and twisted the throttle to the end.

"Mr. Li! Your wound!"

The Hong Kong Police officer's shout was drowned out by the engine. The motorcycle charged into the entrance of the cross-harbour tunnel.

Lights flashed overhead one after another. Li Li kept his speed at 120. There were many curves in the tunnel. Going any faster would risk hitting the wall.

The phone still had no signal. He took it out and glanced at it. Blank. He couldn't make calls. He couldn't receive messages either.

The text message from Yossi was still on the screen.

[I wonder if you can save Miss Jiang?]

Li Li stuffed the phone back into his pocket. Jiang Rumu was attending a cocktail party at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Central tonight. Yin Ruoying was there too.

Someone had mentioned earlier that there were abnormal vehicles in Central. And those thirty-something people in dark jackets carrying bulging backpacks.

Not looking at phones. Not talking. Not interacting with waiters. Walking straight into the hotel. They didn't sound like good people.

Li Li was on the rescue boat at the time, his mind full of Jiang Rumu, and he hadn't had time to ask for details. Now it all connected.

Yossi hadn't done this on a whim. This was a set trap. First the missiles. Then the forced landing. Then cutting communications. Then using the unmanned vehicle to delay him. Finally, bombing the hotel. Every step was timed.

"You sure know how to calculate."

Li Li lowered his body, and the motorcycle continued to accelerate in the tunnel.

"But you miscalculated one thing. I'm not in a very good mood today."

A minute and a half later. The motorcycle rushed out of the Hong Kong Island exit. It was just as chaotic here. There were people everywhere on the street. Cars were parked in the middle of the road. People were holding phones with no signal, cursing.

Fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars were all squeezing toward Central. Li Li cut across Connaught Road. The intersection ahead was blocked.

Two fire trucks were parked across the road, their red and blue lights flashing alternately. He slowed down. A Hong Kong Police officer raised a hand to stop the vehicle.

"Sir, the road ahead is closed, you can't—"

Li Li took off his helmet. The Hong Kong Police officer's words got stuck.

This face had just appeared on a global broadcast ten minutes ago. Covered in blood. Clothes torn on one side. But now, few people in the world didn't recognize him.

"Mr... Mr. Li?"

"Mandarin Oriental, what's the fastest way to get there?"

The Hong Kong Police officer subconsciously pointed to the right.

"Turn into Pedder Street, two hundred meters." He paused. "But that's blocked too."

"Thanks."

Li Li put his helmet back on, and the motorcycle squeezed between the fire trucks and the road bollards. The Hong Kong Police officer shouted from behind.

"Mr. Li! Wait for support!"

The motorcycle had already turned into Pedder Street. The shops on both sides were all closed. The street was more than half empty, with only a few people running.

One hundred meters. Fifty meters. The sign for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel appeared ahead. The main entrance was brightly lit.

Several black cars were parked at the entrance. Guests in formal attire were walking out. Security guards were still maintaining order. A waiter was helping a middle-aged woman down the steps.

It looked normal. Too normal. Thirty-something people entered the hotel. It was impossible for there to be no disturbance.

Li Li parked the motorcycle on the side of the road and hopped off. He didn't rush directly into the main entrance. First, he looked at the main entrance. Then the side door. Then the building structure.

Which floor was the banquet on? Was Jiang Rumu still inside? If she saw the forced landing in Victoria Harbour, she would definitely come out to look for him. But what if she was stopped? If the elevators stopped? If Yossi's people had already made their move?

Li Li looked up at the top of the hotel. Communications were jammed. Police forces were drawn away by the forced landing in Victoria Harbour. Fire, Coast Guard, Hong Kong Garrison, all were dispersed in different places. This hotel was now a trap.

Whether Jiang Rumu was inside was no longer the only problem. Yin Ruoying was there too. There were hundreds of people at the cocktail party. Yossi mentioning "Miss Jiang" in the text wasn't just to scare him. That person wouldn't waste words.

Li Li took a step forward. The main entrance was just twenty meters away. The second step had just landed. The hotel lobby on the first floor exploded.

The entire glass curtain wall shattered from the inside. Flames sprayed out from the lobby. Shattered glass swept across the street. Two security guards were blown away by the shockwave. One hit the edge of a flower bed, the other smashed into the hood of a car.

Li Li lowered his body. The shockwave hit his chest. He took three steps back, his back hitting the motorcycle body. Only ringing remained in his ears.

One second. Two seconds. Screams flooded back. Someone was climbing out from the broken window on the first floor. Someone was hanging halfway on the window frame, their legs dragged by someone inside. Someone was covered in dust, lying on the ground coughing.

Li Li had just steadied himself. The top exploded again. The top floor of the hotel. A fireball surged up. At a height of over forty stories, debris rained down.

Glass. Metal strips. Concrete chunks. Burning decorative panels. People on the street were crying and running to both sides. The roof of a black sedan was smashed through, and the alarm started screaming.

The first floor exploded. The top floor exploded. Both top and bottom were sealed. Li Li stood in a pile of broken glass. The old wound on his forehead split open, fresh blood streaming down his face.

The fire illuminated half the street. The hotel's main entrance was swallowed by smoke and dust. Cries for help came from inside. Someone was pounding on the second-floor windows. Someone was shouting for help inside.

Jiang Rumu's phone still wouldn't go through. There was no reply to the message either. Was she inside or not?

Li Li threw his helmet on the ground. Click. The broken glass was crushed under his feet. First step. Second step. Third step. He walked into the fire.