Chapter 019: Shadows of the Enigmatic Tower

At that moment—

“Ah—!” A sharp cry rang out suddenly from the top of the pit—it was Su Jin’s voice! Immediately followed by the dull thud of something heavy falling and a man’s furious curse: “Damn woman! How dare you bite me!”

Yang Rui’s pupils constricted sharply. Su Jin was in danger up there too!

In that split second of distraction, the burly man leading the group seized the opportunity. His rubber baton, whistling through the air, crashed violently down onto Yang Rui’s shoulder and neck—fast and fierce!

At the critical moment between life and death, Yang Rui’s body reacted instinctively, outpacing his thoughts. He suddenly ducked low; the baton grazed his scalp and slammed heavily against the equipment casing with a metallic clang! At the same time, his right foot forcefully pushed off the slippery, muddy ground. His body shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, recklessly charging toward the nearest and weakest point in the encirclement—an opening beside the burly man!

“Stop him!” the man roared.

Taken completely off guard, and with the muddy bottom slick beneath their feet, the security guard who was hit lost his footing and fell backward into the muddy water with a splash. The circle of encirclement instantly tore open!

Yang Rui paid no attention to the outcome. Riding the momentum of his charge, he lunged toward the humming device, using both hands and feet. His target was the glaring red emergency stop button.

“Damn fool!” The burly man reacted swiftly, swinging the baton again, aiming hard at Yang Rui’s back.

“Bang!” A muffled thud sounded. A burst of intense pain exploded across Yang Rui’s back. His vision darkened, a bitter taste filled his throat, and he nearly lost consciousness. But gritting his teeth, he used the force of the blow to propel himself forward quicker, finally slapping his fingers firmly onto that red button.

“Beep—!!!”

A shrill, piercing alarm instantly drowned out the equipment’s hum, echoing through the entire pit bottom. The indicator lights on the two running infrasound generators and strong magnetic excitation devices flickered wildly, and the humming ceased abruptly, like a wild beast’s neck was suddenly snapped. An eerie silence settled over the pit, broken only by the relentless shrill of the alarm.

“Damn it! He shut down the equipment!” The burly man snarled in frustration, ignoring the alarm as he raised his baton once more, ready to strike Yang Rui’s crouched form beside the device.

“Freeze! Police!” A commanding shout thundered sharply from above the pit’s rim. Several beams of bright, focused flashlight cut through the darkness, illuminating the three security guards below with pinpoint precision.

Everyone at the pit bottom froze.

At the edge of the pit top, several tall figures dressed in dark plainclothes had appeared without warning. One held up a badge, his voice booming: “We are the city’s Criminal Investigation Division! All personnel below, drop your weapons immediately! Hands on your heads! Squat where you are!”

Police?! Yang Rui was stunned but elated, forcing himself to ignore the searing pain in his back as he looked up. On the pit top, Su Jin was being supported by a female officer. Her face was pale but her eyes bright, and she quickly called down to the pit: “Yang Rui! Are you okay? I called the police! Amy helped me make the call!”

It turned out that the moment Yang Rui slipped and revealed their position, Su Jin knew the situation was dire. Instead of panicking like most girls would, she made a swift decision. Using the cover of the barricades and night, she retreated a short distance and quickly dialed Amy’s number. In a breathless voice, she said only, “Taji! Police! Danger! Hurry!” before hanging up and shutting off her phone to avoid being tracked.

Then she picked up a half-brick off the ground and hid behind an abandoned cement pipe. When the first Hengtai security guard rushed over to check the pit top and spotted her, trying to grab her, she didn’t hesitate—she smashed the brick onto his calf. As he bent over in pain, she bit down hard on the arm he was reaching out with. That was the chaos and cries from the pit top just now, buying precious time for Amy’s call and the police’s arrival.

The three security guards below, faced with the sudden arrival of the police and the cold gleam of their guns, panicked. The leader tried to argue, “Officer, it’s a misunderstanding! We’re just the security here. That guy’s the thief…”

“Shut up! Whether he’s a thief or not, we’ll investigate,” the officer’s voice cut through sharply. “Drop your weapons! Now! Or face the consequences!”

Seeing the police ready and waiting at the pit rim, radiating an intimidating presence, the three guards lost all will to resist. They obediently dropped their batons, put their hands on their heads, and squatted down in the muddy water.

Yang Rui exhaled deeply, his taut nerves suddenly relaxing. The overwhelming pain in his back and chest crashed over him like a tidal wave, forcing out a muffled groan as his body swayed.

“Quick! Go down and rescue them!” the officer at the pit top ordered immediately.

Two officers swiftly descended the ladder, carefully lifting the mud-covered, pale-faced Yang Rui. Su Jin, supported by the female officer, also climbed down. Disregarding her own earlier dishevelment, she rushed to Yang Rui’s side, urgently asking, “Yang Rui! How are you? Where are you hurt?”

“I’m fine… not dead yet,” Yang Rui grinned weakly, but the movement tugged at his back, causing him to gasp sharply. “Just… took a hard hit to the back.” He looked at Su Jin’s messy hair and the dirt smudged on her face, then glanced at the pit bottom’s grim metallic web and the now-silent sinister devices. His eyes flickered with a mixture of relief and gratitude. “Dr. Su, this time… it’s thanks to you. You were sharp, and ruthless.”

Su Jin’s eyes reddened slightly with a mixture of anger and worry as she looked at his battered state. “Now’s not the time for jokes! Let the police check your injuries!” She turned to the lead officer, pointing at the metal components and devices, her tone urgent and clear: “Officer! These people are suspected of serious cultural relic destruction! More importantly, they are using this equipment and layout to conduct extremely harmful pollution activities involving infrasound and strong magnetic fields! We suspect this directly or indirectly caused severe health and environmental problems at the nearby Chen Family Ji Shan Hall! This site must be immediately sealed off for professional inspection!”

The officer frowned deeply, surveying the pit bottom’s eerie scene—like a cult altar festooned with strange instruments. He realized the situation was far graver than just catching a petty thief. He immediately radioed for backup and ordered the scene to be secured to preserve evidence.

Soon, more police vehicles and flashing emergency response trucks arrived at the Cultural Innovation Park. Police cordoned off the Taji area. Technicians in white coats began photographing, sampling, and conducting preliminary tests on the pit’s equipment, pipes, and metal networks. As an environmental expert, Su Jin was invited to join the technical investigation. She presented her detection data and assisted the police with explanations.

Yang Rui was helped into an ambulance for initial examination and wound treatment. Doctors preliminarily diagnosed soft tissue bruising and minor bone fractures in his back, recommending hospital X-rays for confirmation. Sitting on the ambulance’s edge wrapped in a blanket provided by the police, he gazed at the brightly lit, siren-flashing Taji site where Su Jin worked diligently and intently amidst the crowd. His heart churned with complex emotions.

The sinister scheme of the Greedy Wolf Devouring Heavenly Doom had been shattered, and the mask of the Hengtai Foundation torn aside. But this was only the beginning. The mysterious “Hengtai,” and the true purpose and power behind it, were likely far beyond imagination. He and Su Jin had now firmly positioned themselves against this colossal force.

The night wind blew, carrying the dampness of the river and the flickering glow of police lights. The storm in the city’s west had only just begun to rise. At the storm’s eye stood the silent River Town Tower, its shadow warped under the flashing lights, as if harboring even deeper secrets.