Crimson Instinct

*Bai Li*

When I reached the fourth floor, I started to smell smoke from a distance. I instantly recognized it. It was a smoke bomb. I had seen it before. I had smelt it before.

So, they exploded a smoke bomb to take its cover.

Like I said to the fifteen dead people on the third floor, these bunch of people were just as cowards as them.

At first, I thought there was some spark in those people who remained, but with this smoke I smelled,  they proved me wrong.

But the smoke did one good thing. It gave me the method to find my way. I just had to trace its smell and find the room. It made my job easier to look for everyone.

As I inched closer and closer, I heard whispers and voices and gunshots. I smelt the smoke even denser and thicker than before, and a strong gust of wind continuously passing by me.

The wind...it was from a fan, a table fan to be precise because its direction was horizontal, unlike vertical like a ceiling fan.

I smiled. It must be Xin Lei who was trying to disperse the smoke.

That helped me even more because the smoke coming towards me helped me hide my presence under its cover. I must be almost invisible to them, so it gave me a little freedom to move around.

The voices grew nearer and louder. I stuck to the side of the wall and kept crawling towards the room.

Then I heard one man say that he had held Chu Jie at gunpoint.

I knew Xin Lei and Cocoa wouldn't recklessly attack.

Thankfully, I reached on time. I felt the man's presence diagonally opposite to me. I sensed his voice was forty-five degrees to my right.

I shut my eyes. For a moment, I felt my heart leap out of my chest.

Once again, it was the same as that time when Tan Ye was held, hostage. The memories of him dying before me shook me a little.

But I knew the truth now. I hadn't made a mistake then. The years of my training hadn't gone to waste.

I didn't kill Tan Ye.

And my shot today wouldn't kill Chu Jie either.

I opened my eyes.

I concentrated on the man's voice one last time.

"This ends now."

I pulled the trigger and heard a thud. I sensed confusion in the room.

Then I slowly entered and said, "This ends NOW."

And then I felt it.

The moment I stepped in, I felt their presence. The two most important people in my life were here.

Xin Lei and Cocoa.

I finally found them.

They must have seen me by now, but even without their words, I knew how they felt about me.

My heart eased to know that both were safe. I didn't come before it was too late.

Once again, I cursed my blindness.

How must Xin Lei be looking at me now? How was Cocoa looking at me?

I wanted to see their expressions because I knew they were seeing mine.

"You bastard!"

But I didn't have any more time to think about them because there were still enemies lurking in the room, one of which coming straight my way, judging his rapid and angry footsteps towards me.

I smiled.

Finally, I could say it after a long time. Finally, I could fight beside my buddy.

"Cocoa. Kill."

"Arf! Arf!"

---

A few moments ago.

*Xin Lei*

I slowly raised my head and saw the figure who I was waiting for this entire time.

Bai Li...he was here…I could see him. He was really here!

My eyes watered a tiny bit, and instantly, I felt as if a heavy load was taken off my shoulders. I felt a new sense of vigor now that he was here. The doubt and fear in my heart just vanished as if it was never there before.

I didn't feel alone. Everything would be just fine now.

I felt him looking at my way, too, for just a moment. But we didn't have any time for our reunion. There were still these bastards, and Zhang Ning left to be killed.

"You bastard!!!"

Suddenly, a man charged towards Bai Li headlong.

But Bai Li seemed in peace as he calmly smiled.

"Cocoa. Kill."

"Arf! Arf!!" 

Cocoa, who was jumping in his place ever since the moment Bai Li had entered, took two huge leaps and jumped on the man. His claws tore his skin apart, and he bit on them, sucking his life out of him.

"Ahhhh!!!"

The man scrambled in pain and was flailing like a fish taken out of the water. He collapsed dead in no time.

Cocoa jumped to Bai Li's side, and furiously nudged his head against him. "Arf!"

He softly smiled and ruffled his head. "Hey, buddy. I finally hear from you."

"Arf! Arf!"

"You…"

Bloodygame looked at him in disbelief. "You...how are you here!?"

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Another man yelled.

Bai Li chuckled. "Not even a hello to your guest? Shouldn't guests be treated as Gods?"

It felt like such a long time since I heard his voice. It was simply music to my ears.

His confident, sarcastic and blunt yet sexy and charming voice. The combination was lethal.

"So the soldier is finally here~~ Is that Bai Li's voice I hear?"

Rodey, who had just killed another man, commented as he laughed. His condition seemed even paler than before. The blood flowing out of his wound appeared to be increasing as well.

The woman was worriedly looking at his way with tears in her eyes.

Bai Li said, "Is that Rodey's voice I hear who betrayed his boss?"

Rodey was about to say something, but he coughed hard. He seemed to pant and breathe heavily, and sweat dripped down his head.

"Tired already?" Bai Li smirked.

"Shut it, you bastard."

"How dare you two ignore me!" Bloodygame screamed.

Bai Li narrowed his eyes as he looked at Bloodygame's direction, "This voice...You are the one who killed Fu Meili."