Su Li fell silent.
The three rafts continued heading toward the nearest building, Golden Eagle No. 1, Building A. The brothers Gao Shupeng and Gao Shuxue, whom they had killed two days earlier, were from this very building. Gao Shupeng had led twelve people, and Gao Shuxue had seven at the time. Together, that made twenty people. If all of them were from Building A, it was easy to imagine that those left behind now were likely just the old, weak, and frail—hardly any resistance to speak of.
When the three rafts reached Golden Eagle No. 1, Building A, everyone stood on the rafts, gazing up at the building ahead. Not only that, but they also looked out toward the other two buildings. The tallest, Golden Eagle No. 1, Building B, was less than a kilometer away in a straight line, while Shimao Center was only about one and a half kilometers off. These three skyscrapers formed a triangular cluster, close to one another. Last night, Jiang Shuijue had suggested that Su Li abandon the Zifeng Building and move here. Su Li had been hesitant then, but now, seeing it with his own eyes, he immediately took a liking to the place.
If they truly took over the Golden Eagle Alliance, their numbers would surge, and staying in the Zifeng Building would feel cramped. These three towers were different—even if their numbers doubled, they could easily accommodate everyone. On Building A ahead, figures could be seen through windows and on balconies. The human survivors inside had already noticed these strangers arriving from afar and were watching them covertly.
On the thirty-first-floor balcony directly ahead stood six men, all armed, their faces tense as they stared at the unfamiliar outsiders. Using his Peep Rune, Su Li observed that only one of them had reached Level 6; the other five were Level 5 Spirit Source users. The Level 6 man had a hooked nose and a rather ugly appearance. He had originally been a subordinate of Ding Shijie, sent yesterday to temporarily take charge of this building. The other five were original residents of Building A, subordinates of Gao Shupeng, whom Su Li had killed.
Two days earlier, Gao Shupeng had left with thirteen elite members of Building A and never returned, failing to come back all night. Those still stationed in Building A grew uneasy, and someone went to Building B to report the matter to Ding Shijie. Ding Shijie was the first leader of the Golden Eagle Alliance, residing in the tallest of the three towers, Building B, which he directly managed. Building A’s leader was Gao Shupeng, though his status within the alliance was lower than Ding Shijie’s, and he answered to him. Upon learning that Gao Shupeng and his thirteen men had not returned overnight and were presumed dead, Ding Shijie wasn’t particularly concerned. He simply sent a subordinate to temporarily take over Building A and stabilize the morale of those left behind, while he himself set out to recruit Jiang Shuijue and his group at Jinhui Center. If successful, the next step would be to absorb the Zifeng Building, further expanding the Golden Eagle Alliance’s scale.
But he hadn’t expected to run into Su Li, losing everything—including his life.
The only Level 6 Spirit Source user on the thirtieth-floor balcony, the hooked-nose man, was the one Ding Shijie had sent yesterday to take over Building A. Facing Su Li and his group, he still felt confident. Unaware of Ding Shijie’s death, he believed the Golden Eagle Alliance had over a hundred members, with numerous strong fighters and a freakishly powerful leader like Ding Shijie. He didn’t think much of Su Li’s sudden appearance with just eleven people. In his estimation, Su Li’s group was likely from some other minor faction, not too strong—otherwise, they wouldn’t have only eleven members. After spotting them from afar, he had already sent someone to Building B, less than a kilometer away, to call for reinforcements. He was sure help would arrive soon.
Seeing Su Li’s rafts stop in front of the building, he barked, “Where are you from? This is the Golden Eagle Alliance. If you want to join us, we’ll welcome you warmly. But you need to put down all your weapons and come up one by one. No crowding or suspicious moves, or you’ll be mistaken for attackers.”
This spiel had been taught to him by Ding Shijie. The three towers of the Golden Eagle Alliance were highly visible, and it wasn’t unusual for scattered survivors or small factions to come seeking refuge. Those who surrendered were welcomed and processed according to procedure. Of course, if they came to provoke, they were shown no mercy.
Ding Longyun laughed heartily at this. “We’re not here to join you—we’re here to take over this place. But you need to put down all your weapons and come down one by one. No crowding or suspicious moves, or you’ll be mistaken for attackers.”
Hearing Ding Longyun mimic his words, the hooked-nose man flew into a rage, blustering, “How dare you! Where the hell are you from? Do you even know what this place is?” As he spoke, he looked into the distance and soon spotted two rafts heading toward them from Golden Eagle No. 1, Building B. Both rafts were packed with people—at least a dozen or more. Since Building B was close, they would arrive quickly. Combined with his six men, their numbers would at least double Su Li’s group. The hooked-nose man’s courage swelled, and he grew more composed.
Ding Longyun turned to Su Li. “What’s the plan? Do we just fight our way up?”
At this, the hooked-nose man tensed, gripping his knife tighter and stepping back. The five men beside him also looked nervous. They sensed that Su Li’s group was no ordinary bunch, especially with the three beauties—two adults and one child—who seemed to have some background. With only six fighters on their side, they couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
Su Li also noticed the group emerging from Building B, heading their way. Originally, he had planned to go straight up to Building A, but now he changed his mind, deciding to wait for the people from Building B to arrive. “Let’s wait a bit. We’ll deal with them when they get here.”
“Alright, your call.” Ding Longyun understood Su Li’s intent and lowered his steel rod again.
The hooked-nose man listened to their casual conversation, feeling both anger and glee—angry at their arrogance, but gleeful at their foolishness in waiting for Building B’s reinforcements to arrive before making a move. It was practically suicide.
The distance from Building B was less than a kilometer, and the two rafts carrying fourteen people quickly closed in. The hooked-nose man waved from afar and shouted, “Brother Rui, hurry over! There’s a bunch of clueless bastards here saying they want to take over this place! Haha, it’s killing me! Don’t they know where they are?”
The man called Rui, in his twenties, snorted coldly. “Who’s been living too long and wants to die here?” He said this while looking toward Su Li and his group on the three rafts.
Su Li turned around to face them. As their eyes met, he suddenly felt that two or three of these people looked vaguely familiar, as if he’d seen them somewhere before. Rui’s words trailed off as he got a clear look at Su Li’s turned face. His expression shifted dramatically, as if he’d seen a ghost. Without a word, he leaped—not toward Su Li’s group, but into the water.
*Splash! Splash!* Two more splashes followed as two others behind Rui also jumped in. They swam frantically back the way they came, as if they couldn’t get away fast enough, wishing they had more limbs to flee.
The hooked-nose man stared in stunned disbelief. Even the other eleven who had come with Rui were bewildered. Someone shouted, “Brother Rui, what are you doing?”
“Have you lost your minds? Why are you jumping in the water?”
On the thirtieth-floor balcony, the hooked-nose man and his five companions, along with the eleven on the two rafts, were all utterly confused. Meanwhile, Rui and his two companions swam even faster, as if some terrifying monster was chasing them.
Then Su Li remembered. Rui and his two companions were among the Golden Eagle Alliance members who had gone to Jinhui Center yesterday. That’s why they looked familiar—he just hadn’t placed them at first. Seeing them panic and flee into the water at the sight of him jogged his memory. They had barely escaped with their lives yesterday, thinking the ordeal was over. They never expected Su Li to show up here today. When they hadn’t noticed him at first, but then suddenly did, they were terrified out of their wits, diving into the water without a second thought.
Their actions left the others baffled, sensing something was off. The sharper ones began to feel uneasy. If Rui and his companions had fled in such a sorry state yesterday, and now jumped ship at the sight of these eleven, could their disgrace be linked to this group? The thought made them anxious.
Su Li watched Rui and the others swim away. They were small fry, not worth his effort, so he didn’t bother chasing them. Instead, he smiled at the remaining eleven on the approaching rafts. “You’ve come just in time. We’re here today to take over these three buildings. Anyone willing to stay and join us, just put down your weapons. Those who don’t want to stay, we won’t force you—you’re free to leave now.”
Su Li’s voice was calm and his tone gentle, but his words left the listeners stunned.
“Take over these three buildings? Do you even know what you’re saying?” The hooked-nose man on the thirty-first-floor balcony was furious. Remembering Ding Shijie’s order to temporarily manage this building, he now had authority over about twenty people—more than he’d ever had in his life. He was determined to protect his power and interests, and he wouldn’t let some random group ruin it.