Shi Dazhuang jumped up like a startled leopard, turned off the light, locked the door, glanced out the window, and then leaped out.
He turned around and closed the window, saying to Beauty and Bai Xiaosan, "Hide here and don't go out!" Then he drew his Type 92 pistol and, like a cat, tiptoed as quietly as possible, quickly ran out of the courtyard along the corridor connecting the various rooms of the police station.
A gunshot rang out, and a bullet struck the wall behind Shi Dazhuang.
Shi Dazhuang leaped forward and rolled, hiding behind a pillar. Then he quickly returned fire in the direction from which the gunshot had just rang out.
A muffled groan came from the other side, followed by a string of curses and a series of gunshots. Bullets thudded against the pillar where he was hiding, kicking up a lot of mud and rocks.
Shi Dazhuang recognized the accent as being from Mianyue or Vietnam. This was within his expectations; small criminal gangs within China wouldn't dare storm a police station with guns. Only criminals abroad, with an escape route, would be so audacious. Once they left the country, there was nothing that could be done about them.
However, Shi Dazhuang hadn't expected that this group would also have assault rifles. Judging from the sound, at least two AKs were firing in his direction simultaneously. Moreover, his opponents were very experienced; they weren't just firing blindly, but were using burst fire to suppress him, preventing him from leaving his current position. There must be someone else flanking him from the side.
It must be one of Mu Ka's people, but I don't know if Mu Ka will come in person. Unfortunately, there isn't even a single photo of Mu Ka in the police files.
Shi Dazhuang only had a Type 92 pistol, with a full magazine of only 15 rounds. Given the uncertainty of the enemy's numbers and location, he had to conserve his ammunition as much as possible.
He came to Southern Yunnan to pick up Yu Meiren, not on official business, so he didn't bring a gun with him. Peng Jiahu had specifically left this gun for him in case of an emergency. Although doing so was against discipline, Shi Dazhuang couldn't care less about that after the hotel explosion.
The bursts of gunfire only fueled Shi Dazhuang's fighting spirit; he felt as if he had returned to his days as a soldier. For an excellent reconnaissance soldier, he had encountered even the most difficult situations, let alone a few bandits in front of him.
He tucked the gun into his waistband, took a deep breath, gripped the groove in the pillar with his fingers, and climbed up the pillar to the roof beam of the corridor. Hanging upside down on the ceiling, like a spider, he moved five or six meters to the side. The eaves obscured his figure, and the bandits continued to fire at the pillar.
He saw two dark figures approaching his hiding place from both sides. He remained still, and when one of them got close, he suddenly jumped down, tackled the assailant, pressed his elbow against the assailant's throat, and snapped his neck as he rolled over. Then he drew his gun and shot the other assailant dead.
The thugs wielding AKs spotted him, and bullets began raining down on him.
Shi Dazhuang rolled on the spot, dodging the bullets, and rolled behind a stone block. He saw that there were three criminals, two of whom were holding AKs and the other was holding a pistol.
The three thugs had probably learned a thing or two about his prowess and dared not take any risks. They began to retreat while fighting. Their retreat was very methodical. One of them sprayed bullets with an AK while the other two ran backward. The two AKs took turns suppressing the enemy, preventing Shi Dazhuang from putting up an effective counterattack.
The criminals retreated to the gate of the police station, where a pickup truck was parked.
We can't let them get away!
This was Shi Dazhuang's only thought. One of those three people was very likely Mu Ka. Once they got in the car and escaped into the mountains to the south, it would be difficult to catch them. They only needed to run towards the border, and unless there was a large police force to surround and capture them, it would be too difficult to stop them from crossing the border in the rainforest.
We must hold them off!
Gunshots can be heard far from here. Besides the police station, there's also the town government. They'll definitely call for help from Ruihekou after discovering the attack on the police station. The special police from Ruihekou should be able to arrive in two hours.
Shi Dazhuang certainly didn't expect that the armed helicopter from the Baoteng Municipal Bureau SWAT Brigade had already taken off. If it came directly to him, it would arrive in less than an hour. Of course, the helicopter's rescue target wasn't him, but Peng Jiahu was currently experiencing a life-or-death situation.
In the blink of an eye, three team members had been lost, Peng Jiahu's heart was bleeding. He didn't know if Simao had managed to send out a distress signal; if not, the situation would be truly difficult to manage.
The enemy not only has assault rifles, but also grenades and individual rocket launchers, while our side only has pistols. How can we fight this battle?
"Damn it! This isn't drug trafficking, it's invasion!" Peng Jiahu cursed as he assessed the situation. Their only chance of survival was to flee deeper into the jungle, using the complex terrain for cover and outflanking maneuvers. This was a common tactic drug traffickers used to evade police pursuit, but now it was their turn to use it.
Since the communication equipment was all in Simao's car, and the car has now been blown up, the headset is no longer usable.
Peng Jiahu ripped off the earphone cord and shouted at Sanzi, who was more than ten meters away, "Retreat! Retreat into the rainforest! I'll cover you!"
He spoke loudly, hoping that the people on the other side of the woods to his left could hear him.
The Sanzi clearly understood his order and began running into the woods, using the dense tree trunks to avoid the bullets. After running for a while, they began to return fire at the bandits, giving Peng Jiahu time to escape.
Peng Jiahu immediately got up and ran into the dense forest as well. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a bandit kneeling down with a rocket launcher slung over his shoulder.
"You fucking bastard, you still want to come?" he cursed, taking a sideways step and yelling at the Sanzi, "Get down!"
The Sanzi quickly dropped to the ground, and a rocket whistled through the air, striking the tree trunk he had just been leaning against, exploding into a huge fireball that sent dead leaves flying through the forest.
Peng Jiahu didn't have time to care whether Sanzi was alright or not. Taking advantage of the swirling leaves and lingering smoke, he flanked from the side and, seizing the opportunity, fired a shot that struck the smug guy who had just fired the rocket.
Of course, he had anticipated a barrage of retaliatory bullets that would follow, so after firing, he didn't even have time to check if he had killed his opponent before rolling into a ditch on the spot.
He lay prone in the ditch, searching for Sanzi's figure, not daring to call out.
At this point, the bandits, probably because they had lost one of their men, became more cautious and dared not press forward too aggressively. A brief stalemate ensued.
The Sanzi finally peeked out from behind a tree and gestured that he was alright. Peng Jiahu was relieved and gestured for them to continue retreating.
The Sanzi retreated, with Peng Jiahu providing cover fire. Then, the Sanzi provided cover while Peng Jiahu retreated. They ran like this several times. The forest became increasingly dense, and as darkness fell, they could see nothing but the faint shadows of the trees.
The two sides ceased fire as if they had reached a tacit agreement.
After a while, the sound of an engine starting came from the woods. Peng Jiahu determined that it was not their vehicle; the sound suggested it was an off-road pickup truck like a Ford F-150.
Peng Jiahu let out a long breath, threw away the last empty magazine, and secretly rejoiced. If it had gotten any darker, he would have been almost out of bullets.