NFBE Chapter 440 The Enemy is Nearby
Chapter 440 The Enemy is Nearby
But just as they were about to enter the last compartment, Su Ming suddenly heard something unusual—a low voice, as if coming from the compartment on the other side.
"Did you hear that?" one of the team members asked in a low voice, glancing around with a slightly wary look.
Su Ming was slightly startled, his eyes quickly glancing towards the other side of the restroom. Indeed, faint footsteps could be heard from the stall over there. After a brief silence, there was another extremely faint sound, like a door opening and closing, or someone's muffled breathing. Undoubtedly, someone was inside.
His heart skipped a beat, and Su Ming's mind raced. Could it be that the enemy had been lurking here?
No, that was unlikely. Their actions were supposed to be relatively secretive. If the enemy had truly noticed, they would have already sealed off the area. But if there really were enemies here, he couldn't help but wonder: were these people truly enemies? Or were they simply frightened by their own suspicions?
Not wanting to be careless, Su Ming gently signaled his team to stop and silently made his way to the cubicle where the unusual activity had occurred. He took every step carefully, fearing he might step on something subtle and make a noise. In his mind, he kept wondering: If there really was someone inside, was it an enemy, or... just someone using the restroom?
His hand had already touched the handle of the compartment door, but the doubts in his heart did not ease with the progress of the action. Instead, they became stronger and stronger. That intuition told him that the person inside was definitely not simple.
"You stay here." Su Ming whispered to a team member next to him, signaling him to pay attention to the movements around him, while he prepared to gently push open the door.
He took a deep breath, gripped the handle tightly with his fingers, and slowly applied force. The metal part of the door creaked slightly. He hurriedly stopped, held his breath, and strained his ears to catch every sound.
At this moment, a slight movement came from the compartment again, as if someone had gently put something down. The sound was indeed very light, but it seemed unusually abrupt in the silent environment, like a small stone dropped into a calm lake, causing ripples.
Su Ming's eyes were fixed on the door, his fingertips tingling slightly as a series of instantaneous judgments flashed through his mind. He didn't rush to open the door, but quickly stepped back and whispered to his team members, "Something's wrong. Someone's here."
The team members were obviously aware of the seriousness of the situation. They stared at the compartment nervously, their fingers unconsciously gripping the gun handles and holding their breath.
"What should we do?" asked one of the team members, his eyes full of confusion and worry, as if hesitating whether to take action immediately.
"Calm down," Su Ming whispered back, his eyes gleaming with determination. "We don't know who's inside, nor can we be sure of their intentions. Stay hidden. We can't alert them."
The air grew heavier, and every second in the restroom seemed to test their patience. At this moment, every movement, even every breath, of the team members seemed extremely important.
Su Ming felt his heartbeat quicken, and his thoughts became clearer. The enemy might be nearby. Just as he suspected, they hadn't left, but were lurking around them.
But at this moment, pushing open the door wasn't the only option. Su Ming's heart suddenly moved, and he whispered, "Wait a moment, stay alert. We can't let them know we've noticed."
He turned back to the team, scanning the other members. It was clear everyone was tense, the air oppressive and suffocating. At that moment, a new plan suddenly occurred to him—if they couldn't directly eliminate the people inside, then they might as well hide for a while and make a decision once the situation became clearer.
He quickly led the team back to another compartment and quietly closed the door. Everyone pressed themselves tightly against the wall, not daring to make a sound. Su Ming's eyes never left the door, his ears intently capturing every movement outside.
Su Ming's heart nearly leaped into his throat. He lowered his head, trying to keep his breathing steady. With each passing second, the world outside seemed to grow increasingly quiet, but he knew the silence was only temporary. The enemy might be hiding nearby, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. All he could rely on now were his teammate and his feeble instincts.
He lowered his head, quickly took out the communicator from his pocket, pressed a few buttons, and planned to send a brief message to Zheng Yaoxian to report the current situation.
"There's something unusual." This was the content of his message, concise and clear, without further ado. Su Ming knew that after Zheng Yaoxian received this message, he would inevitably make the next move. Although he didn't know Zheng Yaoxian's plan, he knew that Zheng Yaoxian's decisions were always under control, and this was precisely why he had always trusted him.
The communicator screen flickered, and then a reply came through. The words between the lines revealed Zheng Yaoxian's usual calmness: "Stay hidden, don't alert the enemy, and wait for my instructions."
Su Ming couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as he read the brief reply. Zheng Yaoxian clearly wasn't rushing into action, choosing instead to wait, awaiting more information and the enemy's next move.
"Understood," he silently replied briefly, then slipped the communicator back into his pocket. The oppressive feeling in his heart hadn't dissipated; instead, it had intensified. Although he'd prepared himself, every time he thought of the enemy lurking in that restroom, he felt like an invisible hand was choking him, making it impossible to breathe.
The team members' eyes remained alert, but they made no sound, as if every second in the air was filled with deadly threats. Su Ming took a deep breath and silently reminded himself: He must remain calm now and not let any anxiety cloud his judgment. Every step could mean the difference between life and death; he couldn't afford to let down his guard.
He stood there, his mind racing with thoughts of his next strategy. The footsteps from the restroom didn't continue, but instead grew quieter. Su Ming knew this was simply a sign that the enemy had temporarily let down their guard, or perhaps they were waiting for further instructions.
One of the team members whispered, "Captain Su, what should we do next?"
Su Ming turned his head and glanced at the team member with a solemn look in his eyes: "Keep hidden for the time being and wait for Mr. Zheng's instructions. He will make arrangements." He didn't want to reveal too much of his thoughts at this moment. Instead, he hoped to make a more accurate judgment through Zheng Yaoxian's plan.
Before he finished speaking, the communicator vibrated again. Su Ming subconsciously took out the communicator and stared at the screen, only to find that it was a reply from Zheng Yaoxian.
"For the next five minutes, stay still and don't expose yourself. Do not contact anyone unless necessary." The instruction was concise and clear, with almost no embellishment.
"Understood." Su Ming took a deep breath and closed his eyes, his inner tension easing slightly. He knew that Zheng Yaoxian had clearly realized the complexity of the situation and had chosen to keep them still, waiting for the enemy to reveal their whereabouts. Perhaps Zheng Yaoxian was somehow gathering more intelligence, preparing for the enemy's next move.
The team members tacitly fell silent, their gazes fixed on the movements around them, fearing to miss even the smallest detail. Everyone felt an unprecedented pressure, a tension like approaching thunder, poised to erupt at any moment.
Minutes passed, as if time had been stretched by an invisible giant hand, and the restroom remained silent. Even the dripping sound of the water pipes was particularly clear, as if every drop of water was reminding them: time waits for no one, and any hesitation in making a decision may cost them money.
Su Ming's heartbeat gradually returned to a steady state, but his eyes remained intensely focused. He knew that no matter what, he had to make the most accurate judgment, without a moment's hesitation. Even if the enemy was hiding deeply, he had to have the courage to uncover the mystery.
Suddenly, there was a slight noise outside the restroom door. It was the sound of soft footsteps, as if someone was quietly approaching. Su Ming's heart suddenly tightened. He signaled the team members to remain still with his eyes, then quietly approached the restroom door.
The sound became clearer and clearer, and the footsteps were getting closer, as if the person was approaching them step by step, gradually locking onto their hiding place. At this moment, Su Ming's intuition told him: the enemy is nearby, even outside the door.
He held his breath and pointed to another team member, asking him to quickly check the communicator. Although he was not sure, the intuition in Su Ming's heart became stronger and stronger - this was no longer a random sound, but a signal that the enemy was approaching them.
However, Su Ming still didn't react excessively. He knew that at this moment, any rash action would expose them. Waiting and observing was the safest option.
At this moment, the communicator vibrated again. The frequency of the vibration made Su Ming instantly understand that this was not a normal command from Zheng Yaoxian, but a precursor to the enemy's attack.
"Retreat!" he whispered, and almost instantly, all the team members understood his meaning. They immediately prepared to leave, quickly avoiding the enemy's search range. At this point, retreat was no longer an option, but the only way to survive.
Su Ming walked all the way back to the corner of the bathroom, feeling an unprecedented unease welling up in his heart. His pace quickened involuntarily, and each step felt like stepping on cold rock, hard and heavy. Although he tried to control his emotions, the uncontrollable anxiety rolled over his chest like an undercurrent.