28 Counter-Kill

"Bang!"

The warehouse door was kicked open, and a piercing beam of light flooded in, blinding everyone inside. The survivors hiding in the darkness huddled together in panic.

Two men with buzz cuts stepped through the doorway; one held an iron pipe, while the other dragged a long, heavy chain. The chain scraped against the floor with a grating, metallic screech. As their gazes swept over the cowering survivors, their eyes were filled with mockery.

Because the two had entered so abruptly, Hu Li and Li Qi had no time to hide, and they were caught fully in the men's line of sight.

"Hey! I told you I heard movement in here, but you didn't believe me. Look at that—these two new ones seem a bit restless," the man with the chain said first.

"Tch, who tied these ropes? Are they that easy to break?" The man with the iron pipe approached as he spoke, but his pupils contracted the moment his eyes landed on the shredded remains of the rope scattered on the floor.

He halted abruptly, signaling to the chain-wielding man to look at the floor. The chain-wielding man followed his gaze, saw the severed pieces of rope, and his expression shifted as well. They turned their wary gazes toward Hu Li and Li Qi, but after a quick glance at Hu Li, they locked their attention on Li Qi.

Li Qi was burly and muscular, especially his biceps and chest; even through his clothes, it was evident that he was a tough guy. As for the other one, he was as thin as a monkey, looking like a total weakling.

"Hey! What's your name?" the chain-wielding man asked, lifting his chin.

"Li Qi," he grunted.

"Are you a strength-type mutant?"

"Yes." Li Qi answered without overthinking it, but Hu Li, standing to the side, frowned. These two wouldn't ask such things without a reason—what were they plotting?

"Come with us!" The chain-wielding man stepped forward, reaching out to grab Li Qi.

Li Qi, naturally, was having none of it and blocked him with his arm.

"Hey! You dare to resist?" The man, annoyed, swung the chain to bind Li Qi.

But Li Qi was a strength-type mutant; it wouldn't be so easy to ensnare him. Li Qi grabbed one end of the chain, while the other end was still wrapped around the man's wrist. With a forceful tug, Li Qi sent the man crashing to the ground with a loud "thud."

The man let out a shrill scream. Caught completely off guard, his chin slammed hard against the concrete floor, causing his teeth to collide with such force that he bit off a large chunk of his tongue. Blood instantly sprayed from his mouth.

Seeing this, the man with the iron pipe realized he was no match for Li Qi and turned to flee.

Hu Li narrowed his eyes, his body blurring into a trail of afterimages as he darted forward. He overtook the man, reached the door, and slammed it shut.

"You're a speed-type mutant!" the iron-pipe wielder realized, his face pale.

Seeing how thin Hu Li was, the man grit his teeth and swung the iron pipe at him. But just as the pipe reached the peak of his swing, Hu Li had already vanished. Before he could turn around, he felt his pipe being clamped in place, unable to move.

He looked up to see a large hand firmly gripping the iron pipe above his head. Following the arm down, he realized it was none other than the strength-type mutant, Li Qi.

The man tugged at the pipe, but when it wouldn't budge, he abandoned it and lunged forward. In the next second, his shoulder was seized by a hand with such immense pressure that he felt as if his joints were being crushed.

"Aaah! It hurts! Let go! Let go, it’s going to shatter!" Following the chain-wielding man's lead, he let out a harrowing cry.

"Speak! How many of you are there in total? How many weapons? How many mutants, and what are their abilities?" Hu Li took the iron pipe from Li Qi, weighed it in his hand, and glared fiercely at the man.

"Let go, I'll talk, I'll talk! Tell him to let go!" The pain was unbearable; his legs turned to jelly. If they didn't release him, his shoulder would truly be pulverized.

Hu Li signaled to Li Qi. The brothers, who had worked together for years, understood perfectly. Li Qi released his grip, but simultaneously kicked the man behind the knees, forcing him to the floor with a sickening "snap."

His kneecap was shattered.

"Aaargh!" The man shrieked before passing out cold.

"S-sorry, I couldn't control my strength," Li Qi said, scratching his head apologetically.

Hu Li looked at him helplessly. This guy was usually the one getting bullied. What would he do without him? He didn't mind that the man fainted, but he didn't want Li Qi to kill him by accident; he still needed information. He kicked the man hard in the stomach, and he groaned back to consciousness.

"Speak! How many of you are there?"

"There are eighteen of us," the man gasped, enduring the pain.

"How many guns?" "Four handguns."

"How many mutants?" "Three."

"What are their abilities?" "Fire, earth, and metal."

The man was sweating profusely, his eyes rolling back in his head. The other man on the floor had already passed out from blood loss.

In the corner, the survivors watched this dramatic scene. It was the kind of thing they had only seen on television, yet here it was, happening before their very eyes. They realized that since the apocalypse had arrived and zombies were real, such dramatic events weren't so strange after all. But this scene brought them a sliver of hope.

"Big brother, can you save me and my daddy?" A little girl suddenly stood up, ran to Li Qi, tugged on his pant leg, and looked up at him.

Li Qi looked down; the girl was so small she barely reached his knees. He turned to look at Hu Li, who just let out a cold snort and looked away.

Li Qi didn't mind. He smiled, crouched down, and reached out to pat the girl's head, but pulled his hand back halfway. He was too strong now; what if he accidentally hurt her? He decided against it.

"Don't worry, little one. I will do my absolute best to get you all out of here."

"Really? That's great!" The girl turned and sprinted toward a man in the crowd. "Daddy! That big brother said he'd save us!"

"Thank you! Thank you both!" The girl's father caught her and bowed deeply to Li Qi and Hu Li.

Seeing a glimmer of hope, the others began to bow and thank them as well. Hu Li stayed far back, determined not to get involved in this mess.

Li Qi reached out to steady the man, stopping him from bowing. "Please, don't. I can only do my best; getting out of here will require everyone's cooperation."

"You're a mutant, you can definitely lead us out! We believe in you!" someone shouted, fanning the flames.

Hu Li watched coldly, waiting for Li Qi to be hit with a harsh reality check.

"That's right! You're a mutant, you can do it!"

"Yes, yes! You just took those two down in an instant; there's no doubt about it!"

One after another, they piled praises and high expectations onto Li Qi.