Power and wealth bring fragrance

A deathly silence spread and stagnated in the nineteenth-floor corridor, like a frozen pool, making it difficult to breathe.

Zhao Gang stood frozen in place, the chilling shiver running through his body, his eyes filled with layers of terror that lingered.

His chest heaving gradually subsided, but the turbulent waves surging in his heart did not stop for a moment. After a long while, he barely managed to suppress the tightness in his throat. His voice was trembling and hoarse, no longer showing any of its former majesty and coldness.

"Call the control room and find out exactly what happened."

Upon hearing this, Sun Chao seemed to wake from a dream. His whole body was still trembling uncontrollably, his fingertips were cold and stiff, and he could barely hold the phone.

His fingertips trembled as he swiped open the interface and dialed the control room. As soon as the call connected, a panicked, hurried voice, accompanied by a cacophony of alarms, came through the receiver.

"Sun, Sun Zhu! Something's happened!"

"The entire system of Elevator No. 1 collapsed instantly. The main control panel went black and crashed. The steel cable snapped instantly, and the entire elevator plummeted to the first floor! The scene was completely out of control!"

"By the way, was Chairman Zhao in that elevator just now? Is he alright?!"

The hurried and flustered questions continued, but Sun Chao had no intention of answering. With a tremor of his finger, he abruptly ended the call.

Every word on the phone went straight into Zhao Gang's ears, clear and unmistakable.

In an instant, a surge of violent rage broke through the fear and rushed straight to the top of his head.

Anger surged wildly in his chest, burning him with a dull, aching pain.

If he had hesitated even a fraction of a second, if he hadn't received that sudden, overwhelming warning, he would have been smashed to pieces by the falling elevator, reduced to an unrecognizable pile of minced meat, and died a gruesome death on the spot!

A surge of anger, a fear that nearly killed him, and lingering dread gripped his mind.

However, his long-standing high position and deep-seated shrewdness ultimately suppressed his sudden outburst of rage.

He knew this was not the time to vent his anger. The elevator tragedy in the building had thrown the entire building into chaos and out of control. Staying there would only lead to unpredictable changes and unknown dangers.

Although the extreme panic in his heart had subsided slightly, the ominous chill that lingered in his soul and could not be dispelled still firmly gripped his body, making him mentally unstable and unable to calm down for a long time. The soreness and weakness in his limbs and bones had not subsided for a long time.

Don't stay here for long.

This was the only clear thought in Zhao Gang's mind.

Without hesitation, he forced his weak and numb legs to support himself, suppressing his discomfort and fear, and turned to walk towards the emergency stairwell. His steps were hurried and disheveled, with none of his usual composure and calmness remaining.

Numb and listless, Lin Weiwei was like a puppet without a self. Without asking why or what dangers she was in, she silently took a step and followed closely behind him, never leaving his side.

Sun Chao quickly recovered from his extreme fear and, not daring to linger alone, hurried to catch up with the two and followed them into the stairwell.

The heavy fireproof stairwell door closed gently, shutting out the noisy alarms and commotion from the outside. The stairwell was dimly lit and so quiet that only the faint footsteps of the three people could be heard, making the atmosphere increasingly oppressive and eerie.

Zhao Gang walked at the front, eager to leave this dangerous place. He was restless and dazed, his blood and qi were disordered, and his legs felt weak and unsteady.

The moment he stepped off the next step, without any warning, his foot suddenly slipped!

The sensation underfoot was strange and unsteady, as if misfortune had suddenly struck from nowhere, leaving no chance to react.

Click!

The moment his center of gravity completely lost its balance, Zhao Gang lost control and fell forward violently, tumbling down the steep stairs!

The sudden feeling of weightlessness, accompanied by excruciating pain, struck him without giving him any time to take any protective action.

Boom boom boom!

Heavy impacts echoed repeatedly in the silent stairwell.

His body rolled wildly and uncontrollably down the steep stairs, his back, waist, abdomen, and limbs slamming against the hard concrete steps one after another, the dull thuds of bones colliding were ear-piercing and terrifying.

A series of agonizing screams echoed down the stairs, hoarse and broken, filled with the most intense pain.

His scalp was torn, his forehead was bruised, and warm blood seeped out instantly, flowing freely down his cheeks, blurring his vision and soaking his clothes. In an instant, he was bleeding profusely from his head and his whole body ached terribly.

Sun Chao behind him was completely stunned. His pupils contracted sharply, his mind went blank for a moment, and he froze on the spot for a full second before he suddenly came to his senses.

"President!!"

He cried out in alarm, his face turning deathly pale, and rushed down the stairs, desperately chasing after the tumbling figure.

After tumbling down more than ten steps, Zhao Gang's body finally crashed heavily against the wall at the corner of the stairwell. The rough, cold wall surface abruptly stopped his fall.

His bones and muscles seemed to be completely dislocated, and every inch of his flesh was being torn apart. He was paralyzed on the ground, unable to move, and blood kept dripping from his forehead, staining the cement ground beneath his feet. He looked extremely disheveled and miserable.

Sun Chao scrambled to his side, his heart pounding, his eyes filled with fear and anxiety, his eyes instantly reddening, almost bursting into tears, his voice trembling with a heavy sob.

"Chairman! How are you?! Hang in there! Please don't get hurt! I'll call a doctor right away! Call an ambulance immediately!"

Excruciating pain swept through his entire body, and Zhao Gang was almost too exhausted to even speak. He could only let out low, weak groans, his breathing disordered and weak, and he had no time to respond to Sun Chao's calls.

At this moment, all the pain paled in comparison to the overwhelming fear surging in my heart; countless chaotic thoughts collided and exploded wildly in my mind.

In the interrogation room, Wei Yuan's calm, detached, yet piercing words echoed in my ears like a spell, crystal clear.

Stepping out of the interrogation room, bad luck and misfortune immediately befall them.

He had previously thought it was just the helpless barking of a prisoner on the verge of death, a last-ditch effort by a dying man to bluff and curse, both laughable and pathetic.

Within minutes, the elevator crashed and the stairs collapsed, two deadly disasters followed one after another, each more fatal than the last, proving the prophecy true!

A bone-chilling coldness shot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, sweeping through his limbs and bones, making his soul tremble and his whole body feel icy cold.

How can this be a curse?

This is clearly a prediction of life and death!

Could it be that Wei Yuan truly possesses the terrifying ability to make his words law and decide life and death?

Extreme terror enveloped his mind, and Zhao Gang's remaining rationality struggled violently, forcibly pulling his chaotic thoughts back.

No! Impossible!

He screamed wildly inside, refusing to believe what was happening before his eyes.

By the way, what about the Buddha statue he was wearing?

That was a magical artifact he had acquired at great cost. The man himself had promised that this treasure could ward off all bad luck and evil spirits, and protect people with peace and good fortune year after year.

Over the years, he has committed countless evils and been plagued by misfortunes, yet he has always acted with impunity and remained safe and sound. Zhao Gang felt that this Buddha statue had also played a part in protecting him.

Why did it suddenly fail today?!

Despite the excruciating pain that seemed to tear his body apart, Zhao Gang gritted his teeth and trembled as he raised his blood-stained hand, reaching into his robes to fumble for the white jade pendant he always wore close to his heart.

The moment my fingertips touched the pendant, a dry, cold sensation washed over me.

He looked down and his blood froze instantly!

The white jade pendant, which used to be lustrous, translucent, and bathed in warm light, now looks completely different.

Its entire body is gray, dull, dark, and murky, devoid of any brilliance. Its surface is dry, mottled, and lifeless, like a stubborn rock buried deep underground for thousands of years, enduring endless decay and erosion, dead, withered, and devoid of any vitality.

When did the Buddha statue turn into this grotesque state?

Could it be that the Buddha statue is malfunctioning, which is why he has been experiencing a series of bad luck?

Boundless shock, fear, and despair descended like an abyss, completely engulfing Zhao Gang.