“Old Song…” Brother Hu gazed at Old Song’s fallen figure, tears welling up in his eyes. They had chosen this path, fully aware of the potential consequences. But seeing his brother collapse right in front of him caused a tumultuous wave of emotions to surge through him.

Wang Yun swallowed hard twice, then turned and sprinted away into the distance.

“Wang Yun is running! Chase him!” Wu Yaoming, having just put on his gas mask, spotted Wang Yun’s disappearing figure and immediately shouted.

They had originally approached from the direction Wang Yun was fleeing. But when Kolyev called for reinforcements, they had to temporarily change their course. Ultimately, they never anticipated that it would end with Old Song’s final act—using his own body to block their path and sacrificing his life to buy time for Wang Yun and the others to escape.

From the moment Wang Yun began to run, this large-scale capture had effectively come to an end. As long as Wang Yun wanted to flee, there was no stopping him.

The livestream audience was in a somber mood. Viewers flooded the chat with rows of candle emojis, mourning Old Song’s heroic sacrifice. His act of bravery was deeply moving, resonating with everyone who watched.

“I was in tears. This is the only time I’ve ever wanted the villains to win!”

“Me too. Big Brother already carried Old Song on his back, so why did Old Song still have to sacrifice himself?”

“Old Song’s leg was injured. He knew he couldn’t escape, so he used the last of his life to help his teammates!”

“Who plays Old Song? My god, I was completely drawn in. It’s so tragic!”

“I cried. My wife didn’t cry, so I made her cry!”

The emotions in the livestream were running high.

Just as Wu Yaoming and his team had anticipated, after Wang Yun and his group ran out of the stadium, Brother Hu suggested splitting up to increase their chances of survival. But Wang Yun refused. He had already lost Old Song and couldn’t afford to lose anyone else.

“Head south. There are many newly developed buildings there. Once we get inside, they won’t be able to catch us. Right now, the only ones who can save you are yourselves.”

With that, Wang Yun put all his strength into running. His sole target was the southern outskirts.

Who knew how long Wang Yun and the others ran, but by the time they finally stopped, the sky was already light.

From last night until dawn, the program inspectors had pursued them for a full eight hours. Helicopters, police dogs, gas masks—all were used. But in the end, they still failed to capture Wang Yun.

The program inspectors lost thirty-four members. Wang Yun’s side lost two. Judging by the numbers alone, it was a clear gain for Wang Yun. But considering that Wang Yun originally had only six comrades, losing two meant he was down by a third.

At 7 PM, Wang Yun, Brother Hu, Wang Zi, and Xiao Gang were sitting in an under-construction building. There were no barriers around them, with the place open to the wind from all directions—a true Syria-style shelter. The four of them sat in silence, heads lowered.

After a long while, a sigh broke the quiet.

“Boss, Old Song… Old Song…” Brother Hu started, his voice choked with emotion.

Little Gang elbowed him, signaling him not to continue. Wang Yun glanced at the three of them, their eyes red, clearly in low spirits.

“I know. I won’t let Old Song die in vain. I will avenge this.”

When Wang Yun said this, his voice was heavy with determination. If he said he would avenge, he definitely would.

“Don’t dwell on it too much. See if there’s anything to eat around here. Let’s fill our stomachs first. You all did very well today.”

Wang Yun stood up and patted the three on their shoulders. From jumping off the cliff until now, the courage and bravery they displayed truly surprised him.

“Let’s find a hotpot place. Old Song always said he liked to eat tripe,” Wang Yun said.

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Zi couldn’t hold back anymore, and tears streamed down his face. Old Song had been with him ever since they got out of prison, and they had the closest relationship. Suddenly losing Old Song made Wang Zi feel an emptiness inside.

“Let’s go! Today, we have to eat to our heart’s content and drink until we’re drunk!” Brother Hu shouted.

They had escaped this time, and the program inspectors wouldn’t catch up to them anytime soon. They had a moment to catch their breath.

***

In the program headquarters, there was another familiar silence. No one spoke, but unlike the atmosphere on Wang Yun’s side, the room was filled with smoke.

Hardy, who had been so arrogant before, was now silent. He had seen Wang Yun and the others fly off the cliff with his own eyes. If he were in their place, he wasn’t sure he’d have that kind of courage.

Meanwhile, Kolyev had seen firsthand how Wang Yun eliminated all his men. Every move was ruthless, and his shooting was unfailingly accurate. In the end, Wang Yun spared his life, but it was more to repay the favor from the cliff when the helicopter didn’t fire at him. Though deep down, Kolyev knew the truth—the shots weren’t fired because he was moving too fast.

“Anyone got something to say?” Wu Mingyu finally broke the silence.

They couldn’t just sit around doing nothing. They had gone all out this time and still came back empty-handed.

“No, we were outmatched,” Ying Yuezi said coldly.

She had faced off with Wang Yun before, failing to recognize him even when he was right in front of her. How could she expect to catch him?

“I quit.”

Huh?

Just as everyone was feeling defeated, Kolyev stood up, looking exhausted. His disciple beside him was utterly shocked.

“Master, what’s this about?”

Ames was puzzled. His master had been afraid of Wang Yun’s revenge earlier, so why was he quitting now?

“Kolyev, I know you felt humiliated by Wang Yun today, but a man must be able to bend and stretch. Staying here to see him captured is the only way to get your revenge,” Wu Yaoming tried to persuade him.

Kolyev had made significant contributions to their team, especially with his skills in facial recognition and surveillance.

But Kolyev shook his head, looking desolate.

“It’s no use. Wang Yun can’t be caught. He didn’t humiliate me, he respected me. He respects each one of you too. Now I understand why Everick chose to quit. We’re not in the same league. Continuing like this is just self-inflicted humiliation,” Kolyev said, a sense of relief washing over him.

“If that’s how you feel, we won’t stop you. Everyone has their own pursuits. No matter what Wang Yun does, I won’t give up. Giving up isn’t in our dictionary,” Wang Yue said angrily.

Werner shook his head slightly. He stood up and looked at Kolyev.

“Captain Kolyev, you’re a good man. I respect your choice!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay