Power and wealth bring fragrance

The bone-chilling fear was like fine, dense needles, piercing Zhao Gang's internal organs, making his whole body stiff and cold, his consciousness trapped in boundless panic and deathly silence from which he could not escape.

He stared blankly at the completely decayed, lifeless white jade Buddha statue in his palm, his mind collapsing as the deadly images of the elevator falling and the stairs tumbling through his mind exploded in succession.

Adding to that Wei Yuan's piercing prediction, an unprecedented despair completely overwhelmed all his confidence.

Sun Chao, kneeling on the ground beside him, looked at him covered in blood, motionless, with empty and lifeless eyes. His heart sank suddenly, and extreme panic gripped his throat.

In his eyes, Zhao Gang was weak, pale as paper, covered in blood, and breathing so lightly that it was almost imperceptible. He looked like he was on the verge of death.

A wave of overwhelming fear instantly swept over Sun Chao. His mind was racing, and only one thought remained—Chairman Zhao is dying!

Zhao Gang is now the pillar of the Zhao family, the core of maintaining all power, connections, and interests.

If this towering jade pillar were to collapse here today, the Zhao family would be leaderless and in great chaos.

Sun Chao was a trusted confidant who accompanied and followed Zhao Gang throughout the entire process. He was the person closest to Zhao Gang. Afterwards, when the Zhao family sought to hold him accountable and vent their anger, they would only pin all the blame on him.

At that time, he will definitely suffer the most tragic fate. He will probably be skinned alive, dismembered, and torn to pieces by the Zhao family, leaving him no way out.

The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became. A bone-chilling cold shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Sun Chao's hair stood on end, his legs went weak, and his voice cracked as he screamed in terror, "Chairman! Chairman, hold on! Don't let anything happen! Someone! Is anyone there?! Come and save him!"

The shrill, panicked cries echoed and reverberated in the dimly lit, enclosed stairwell, shattering the oppressive silence.

The chaotic shouts poured into his ears, noisy and piercing, instantly pulling Zhao Gang back to his scattered mind.

He was filled with intense pain and resentment. He clenched his teeth and endured the pain of his bones being dislocated and his flesh being torn. He forced out a low shout from deep in his throat, abruptly interrupting Sun Chao's cries.

"What are you yelling about! I'm not dead yet!"

Although the rebuke was weak and hoarse, it carried the cold and authoritative air of someone who had always held a high position.

All of Sun Chao's cries caught in his throat instantly. The extreme terror on his face vanished abruptly, replaced by the ecstatic joy and relief of surviving a disaster. His heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled back into place.

He let out a long breath, quickly composed himself, and carefully, without the slightest bump, reached out to support Zhao Gang's back, slowly helping him sit up.

Zhao Gang sat firmly against the cold wall, his chest heaving violently, his heavy, disordered breathing particularly clear in the silent stairwell.

Each breath pulls on the chest cavity, triggering a sharp, piercing pain, as if countless bone fragments are rubbing and pricking each other within the flesh.

His heart sank, and he gritted his teeth, knowing something was wrong. The violent impact of tumbling down the stairs must have broken several of his ribs.

The pain of tearing flesh and the excruciating pain of dislocated bones layered upon each other, engulfing his entire body and tormenting him to the point of almost fainting.

But these thorough and real physical tortures were nothing compared to the deep-seated fear in his heart.

Wei Yuan's prophecy came true. The protective Buddha statue became completely ineffective, and the good fortune that had accompanied him for many years vanished. An inescapable bad luck clung to him.

At this moment, he had no support whatsoever, as if he were naked and exposed to endless danger, and could encounter deadly trouble at any time.

The extreme fear had completely shattered his courage, leaving him utterly devoid of even the slightest urge to move or stand up.

He dared not move, nor could he afford to gamble.

No one knows whether this persistent bad luck will trigger a fatal crisis with the slightest movement.

Perhaps if he exerted even a little force to get up, the broken ribs would instantly pierce his heart and lungs, causing him to die on the spot.

Perhaps if you take a step, you will encounter an inescapable danger and end up being smashed to pieces.

The unknown dangers are far more despairing than the direct pain.

Zhao Gang sat frozen in place, his whole body tense, not daring to move an inch, for fear that any slight movement would bring about a new round of deadly disaster.

He swept his cold gaze across Sun Chao in front of him, his tone leaving no room for argument and carrying a chilling aura.

"You can go out now."

Upon hearing this, Sun Chao was stunned for a moment, his face full of confusion and bewilderment, unable to figure out Zhao Gang's intention.

This was a dark and enclosed stairwell. Zhao Gang was seriously injured and unable to move. His injuries were extremely dangerous and unknown, and he was simply unable to stand on his own.

Lin Weiwei, standing to the side, remained dazed and blank-eyed the entire time, like a soulless puppet, standing there listlessly, completely unreliable.

In such a dangerous moment, instead of leaving someone to accompany him, the Chairman wanted to kick him out?

Sun Chao was filled with doubt, dared not disobey but was also full of worry, so he could only soften his tone and carefully advise.

"Chairman, your injuries are too severe and you have difficulty moving around. I'll stay here to watch over you, so we can respond promptly if anything happens..."

Before he could finish speaking, a sharp and piercing gaze suddenly pierced his eyes.

Zhao Gang's eyes flashed with coldness and ferocity, a ruthlessness born from being on the verge of despair and driven to the extreme by fear, instantly locking onto Sun Chao's body.

Sun Chao froze, a cold sweat instantly seeping down his back. All his words caught in his throat, and he fell silent, not daring to utter another word.

He dared not argue any further, quickly suppressing his doubts and unease, obediently getting up and preparing to leave the stairwell.

Just as he turned around and raised his hand to touch the fire door, Zhao Gang's deep, cold voice slowly came from behind him, each word icy and carrying an inviolable prohibition.

"Close the door. Without my permission, you are not allowed to step inside!"

These words carried an eerie and solemn tone, sending chills down one's spine.

Sun Chao's heart skipped a beat. Although he didn't understand the reason at all, he didn't dare to ask any questions. He nodded heavily and didn't dare to delay for the slightest.

The heavy fire door slammed shut, cutting off the faint light and air from outside and completely locking up the stairwell space.

The small, enclosed space grew increasingly dark and desolate, creating a suffocating atmosphere of oppression.

All external sounds were completely cut off, leaving only Zhao Gang's heavy, disordered breathing, which echoed slowly in the empty, cold stairwell.

As his tense nerves relaxed slightly, Zhao Gang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, suppressing a surge of fear.

He slowly turned his head, his gaze falling on Lin Weiwei, who remained dazed and blank, like a puppet.

The woman's eyes were lifeless, her face blank, completely oblivious to the danger, pain, and deathly silence around her. She simply stood there silently, like a soulless shell.

A complex hesitation flashed in Zhao Gang's eyes. His mind churned and weighed the options several times. In the end, all his doubts vanished, leaving only a resolute determination to go all in.

He slightly raised his eyes, facing Lin Weiwei's direction, and spoke in a low, cold voice.

"Come here."

Without the slightest hesitation or thought, Lin Weiwei moved her feet mechanically, like a puppet, slowly walking to him and standing quietly without any movement.

Despite the excruciating pain in his chest, Zhao Gang slowly raised his blood-stained, trembling hand and carefully placed the completely gray and lifeless white jade Buddha pendant into Lin Weiwei's thin palm.

He stared into her blank eyes, his tone stiff and solemn.

"Hold on tight, no matter what happens, don't let go."

Lin Weiwei was completely oblivious to the deeper meaning, and without the slightest resistance, she slowly closed her five fingers, tightly gripping the cold, withered white jade pendant in her palm, obedient to an almost eerie degree.

Zhao Gang stared intently at the hand clutching the Buddha statue, his fists clenched tightly at his sides, his knuckles turning white. His heart tightened uncontrollably, and an unknown sense of unease and tension enveloped his entire body.