The orders these people had received were actually quite simple: guard this place and prevent the Chen Family's people from leaving. They also had to obey the commands of whoever Wa Lord had assigned.
Command them... command what, exactly? At most, they could remind everyone not to let anyone slip through and escape.
The scions of the great families chatted quietly and nonchalantly. Although gunfire sounded somewhat different from other noises, in this country it would usually be mistaken for fireworks, a tire blowout, or an engine explosion, and would not cause unrest.
Even if there was a chance someone might recognize it, the great families had long since driven away the nearby civilians. They had even arranged major mall promotions across several neighboring blocks, blasting powerful speakers at the events until the thunderous noise shook the heavens.
The promotions also advertised free gifts for anyone who attended, guaranteeing that no one would leave empty-handed. This simple, unpretentious rich-person rule utterly captivated the public. Who cared whether it was gunfire or fireworks? Anyone who turned down a free bargain was an idiot!
"Why do I feel like the gunshots are getting closer? Is someone from the Chen Family trying to fight their way out?"
"Are they really fighting among themselves? Could they be putting on an act for us?"
"No. What would be the point of acting for us? If they didn't start shooting and instead caught us off guard by charging out later, wouldn't that work better?"
As the gunfire grew clearer, the great families' men abandoned their disguises and sought cover, aiming one black gun barrel after another at the entrances and exits of the sprawling estate.
Suddenly, a crisp female voice sounded through the command channel.
It was the voice of Su Enxi, the commander arranged by Wa Lord:
"Attention, all units. During the encirclement of the estate, everyone except the Chen Family Head's vehicle and the people pursuing his daughter must not be allowed to escape. Those exceptions are to be lured away. Listen carefully: the Chen Family Head's vehicle is a black Pagani, with the license plate number..."
"...?"
The Chen Family Head and... the daughter pursuing him? Wasn't that a little too much information?
No one here was stupid. Most of them had heard the rumors that the Chen Family had close ties with the Gattuso Family, and not long ago, they had personally seen blond, blue-eyed foreigners coming and going from this estate.
Thinking of that father and daughter who had turned against each other, could it be... a scumbag father colluding with foreigners, selling his daughter for glory, while the virtuous girl rose up in resistance after suffering unbearable humiliation?
At that thought, everyone's minds began to race. Each of them became a full-fledged gossip, drawing upon their extensive experience watching family melodramas to instantly piece together a series of dramatic episodes in their heads.
Mm, the drama inside the Chen Family estate was truly magnificent. Absolutely magnificent...
With such a heartwarming tale of filial piety between father and daughter, how could they not do their utmost to cooperate with the performance?
"Old Tang is missing!?"
Emiya's team had basically cleared out the warehouse. More bluntly put, they had used up an entire bag of Pseudo-Noble Phantasms and relied on Fantasy Collapse to cleanly blast away the whole warehouse area, including several layers of foundation beneath the ground.
When they decided to rendezvous at the testing and inspection center, they learned that the other team's main firepower had gone missing.
"Yes. When we regrouped temporarily on Basement Level One, Captain Tang didn't show up," Zhou Minhao said over the communications channel. "We're almost done clearing Basement Level Two now, and there doesn't seem to be any sign of him here either."
Jiu De Mayi, standing beside Emiya, raised a brow. "We can't abandon the mission halfway through to actively search for someone who got lost."
"Old Tang really is unreliable..."
Emiya was nearly used to it by now. Honestly, he was not all that worried about Old Tang. Old Tang had always displayed luck that could only be called heaven-defying. No matter how dangerous the place, even if he got lost, he would never lose his life.
"I hope he's all right... We'll stick to the planned route and explore that center first. Without Old Tang's heavy firepower on your side, will you be okay?"
Zhou Minhao's voice remained calm. "We'll be fine! There don't seem to be many Death Servants on our side, and we've found quite a few important documents and materials. If our firepower is too overwhelming, we might destroy valuable spoils."
Hiss. It was a rather impolite thought, but... why did it feel as though things had actually turned out better after Old Tang wandered off?
When Emiya and the others arrived at that mysterious testing and inspection center, they encountered no interference from enemies along the way.
Under the guidance of Jiu De Mayi, who had learned the internal routes beforehand, everyone proceeded deeper through a corridor densely lined with tall ceiling lights.
Emiya and Jiu De Mayi led from the front, while Zero remained in the middle of the group, ready at any moment to activate Dustless Land and shield her teammates from attack.
Yet despite their tension the entire way, they encountered no defensive measures whatsoever. Emiya had not expected the Chen Family's people to set up some high-end Resident Evil laser corridor, but surely they could at least install an automatic firearm trap?
"Don't let your guard down. There must be some trap waiting for us deeper inside."
Jiu De Mayi looked grave, keeping her ears open and eyes alert in every direction. She remembered that when she had first scouted this place, Nono had been tied up and brought inside by a group of people.
Her instincts as an experienced ninja told her that it was impossible for this place to have no protective measures at all.
Yet as she spoke, Emiya pushed open a thick metal door. A completely unobstructed passage sloping downward openly welcomed them, with not the slightest attempt at concealment.
"Look! The door isn't even locked."
Emiya spread his hands.
"Damn it, does this make any sense?"
Though it was a good thing, Jiu De Mayi was still filled with indignation. Her raised fist clenched tight before she finally calmed herself down and gloomily led the group deeper inside.
"..."
However, the facts proved that Jiu De Mayi's caution was useful. When the group rounded a corner and entered a tunnel, the urgent sound of limbs crawling came from the dark floor ahead.
"Stay alert! It's very likely Death Servants!"
Hiss, hiss, hiss—! Piercing shrieks like crying infants rose one upon another, growing ever sharper. Accompanied by the clanging sounds of numerous heavy objects being dragged, they made everyone's eardrums tremble, eyelids twitch, and hair stand on end.
The sounds had seemed to echo from deep within just moments ago, but within seconds they grew several times louder. The Death Servants were charging toward them with unprecedented speed—abnormally fast!
Everyone immediately drew their weapons and opened fire without hesitation.
Emiya took the sword bag carried by a Zhou Family member and drew the projected Ganzhiang and Moxie from it. His arms flicked rapidly with practiced ease—there was no need to wait for the right opportunity like with Crane Wing Double Link this time—and several black-and-white short swords shot forth, becoming cold flashes that pierced the dark tunnel.
He did not make the weapons explode. In an underground structure like this, Fantasy Collapse could not be used carelessly. One careless mistake, such as blowing apart a support pillar or load-bearing wall, could easily result in the entire building collapsing and wiping them all out.
The tearing sounds of sharp blades slicing through limbs, flesh, and blood echoed through the tunnel.
Emiya listened more closely. Though the number of Death Servants had decreased, they were still charging at them without fear.
It was as though something even more terrifying was chasing closely behind them.
Thanks to @JieJie.
DuckDuck's Heavy-Duty Bunny @EnkiduBukeqile, thanks for the monthly ticket!
Thanks to @Big Brother Emperor, Second Brother Khorne for the donation!
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