When I looked back, Jie Yuting and Liang Qian had already surrendered, pinned to the ground by the men following behind and bound with rope. Just then, someone started shooting at me again, and to dodge the bullets, I slipped and tumbled down the stairwell.

I knew what happened next because when he fell from above, he happened to collide with me.

I rubbed my chin, finding it strange. Since Da Xiong had rolled down the stairwell, his trajectory should have been obvious, yet those men hadn't followed to capture him too?

After a moment of thought, I figured they were rushing to take the two hostages and thus chose a large-scale withdrawal.

They left an ambush here, waiting for Da Xiong to appear.

Thinking of this, I realized Liang Qian and Jie Yuting must have already been taken far away, possibly already aboard the enemy’s ship.

The thought sent a wave of anxiety through me. I said to Da Xiong, “Forget these little Japanese devils; saving them is the priority. If the ship pulls away later, saving them will be much harder.”

Da Xiong looked troubled, scratching the back of his head, and replied, “Can’t do that. These devils don't look simple. Ogawa is still down there; he definitely won't handle these guys. How about this: we split up. You go to the deck to save Liang Qian, and I’ll go save Nie Chuan. Besides, I’ve got plenty of guns, so I’m not afraid of anything.”

As he was speaking, I noticed those Japanese soldiers beginning to move again toward the stairs.

Because there was light in the stairwell, the moment they entered, I clearly saw the five or six figures. Though I only saw their backs, I noticed they were all in uniform: black nylon vests over short-sleeved T-shirts.

On these vests was a golden insignia depicting a lightning bolt splitting a skull in half.

Each of these Japanese men had weapons like * and flashbangs clipped to their utility belts, military knives tucked into their boots, and each carried a semi-automatic rifle.

Although I didn't know the specific names of the rifles, they looked like advanced, modern equipment.

Da Xiong clearly saw them too, smacked his lips, and said to me, “These guys look like they’re trained; they won't be easy to deal with.”

He then patted the pocket on his chest and added, “Good thing this old man Xiong has quite a few guns myself.”

After the group had all descended into the stairwell, Da Xiong stood up, intending to follow.

At that moment, I glanced toward the entrance where these men had emerged, grabbed Da Xiong’s arm, and pulled him back down into a crouch.

Da Xiong, confused about what was happening, urgently asked, “What’s wrong?”

I stared tensely toward the doorway and managed only one word: “Wait.”

Indeed, as we both held our breath and squatted there, a heavy set of footsteps approached.

Then, a figure nearly seven feet tall slowly walked in through the entrance they had just used.

Judging by his physique, I determined he was the large man who had taken the lead when we were on the deck earlier.

It was just that there had been illumination then, preventing me from getting a clear look at his face.

Now, despite the lack of light, his white hair was strikingly conspicuous in the dark.

If this man was part of the same group as the others, I wouldn't have been surprised.

Given the prevalence of visual subcultures in Japan, hair colors are wildly varied; even purple hair wouldn't be unexpected.

However, this man’s hair wasn't dyed; he also sported a long beard, clearly indicating he was not young.

With both hair and beard white, he looked to be at least sixty or seventy, yet the man’s physique was clearly robust, and he moved with powerful strides.

He walked while turning his head to scan his surroundings, his pace quickening from slow to fast as he headed rapidly toward the stairwell.

“Don’t you think this guy is weird?” I asked Da Xiong.

Da Xiong paused, then asked, “He is pretty weird, running around at his age.”

I shook my head. “It’s not that. He seems to carry an aura that isn’t quite... alive.”

Da Xiong didn't grasp it and stared intently at the man.

At that moment, the man reached the stairwell entrance.

Da Xiong and I saw his attire clearly at the same time. He was wearing a very old-fashioned black suit, and his walk was somewhat stooped.

For some reason, every strand of his hair was standing straight up, and even his beard was bristly, making him look utterly peculiar.

The man stopped at the threshold of the stairs and turned his head to look back.

In that instant he turned, we both clearly saw his face and gasped in unison.

His eyes were narrowed to slits. It was hard to tell if it was due to deep wrinkles or if his eyes were naturally elongated, but the corners of his eyes stretched all the way back to his temples, creating a bizarre appearance.

His nose was very high, sharply pointed, and hooked.

Coupled with his very pointed lips—his entire upper lip seemed curled upward—his face possessed a striking three-dimensional quality.

I must admit, many of the 'zongzi' [mummies/corpses] I’d seen looked better than this man. He seemed only four parts human and seven parts animal.

Just then, Da Xiong interjected, “Holy hell, *, this is the first time I’ve seen someone uglier than you. Why does this guy look like a rat?”

Though his insult wasn't aimed at me, I glared at him irritably and said, “Do you know why the black sow keeps grunting at the tree?”

Da Xiong clearly didn't understand the reference, scratching the back of his head and asking, “What black sow, white sow, what are you talking about?”

I smiled slightly and replied, “Because it’s laughing at the crow in the tree for being black.”

Da Xiong became even more bewildered after my explanation and urgently asked, “What does that mean?”

I patted his shoulder, smiling without answering.

Da Xiong stared at me in confusion for a long time before exclaiming, “Hey! Hurry up and explain it to me.”

I made a shushing gesture. “Shh. Where did that person go?”

Da Xiong poked his head out slightly to check the direction of the stairwell. “What’s the big fuss? He must have gone in.”

I looked around with a touch of suspicion, sensing the atmosphere was suddenly strange.

What I had actually wanted to say was that this person didn't look like a rat, because rats weren't this massive.

I carefully examined the man’s hands. They were long, the palms huge, and covered in fine hair, looking like an eagle’s wings.

This man was like a giant humanoid eagle; I wondered if he was the one Yang Guo had once adopted.

I had a distinct feeling that this person possessed incredibly sharp senses of smell and sight, giving the impression that one could never escape his gaze.

For example, when he turned his head just now, I felt he was looking directly in our direction.

Then Da Xiong dusted himself off and stood up. “I’m going to save Nie Chuan. You hurry and check if Jie Yuting and the others are still on the ship, or it’ll be too late.”

I was internally conflicted because I had promised not to let Nie Chuan die, yet Liang Qian was in imminent danger.

Back at the ruins on Durban Island, I had watched Liang Qian die before my eyes, powerless to intervene.

I couldn't bear that kind of pain again.

Furthermore, at that time, I hadn't been sure if what I saw was an illusion or some other phenomenon, so even if Liang Qian had died, I hadn't been completely crushed.

But if anything happened to Liang Qian this time, I would truly lose her.

Even if she didn’t recognize me, I felt saving her was the most important thing right now.

Silently offering an apology to Nie Chuan in my mind for my selfishness, I also got up from the ground and told Da Xiong, “Finding Nie Chuan is the main objective. Those few men are not simple; avoid a direct confrontation. Just getting Nie Chuan out completes the mission, understand?”

Da Xiong waved his hand. “Stop ordering me around. Your PLA regulations don't fly with me. I have my own judgment.”

Knowing Da Xiong said that meant he understood, I patted his shoulder and said, “Go. Be careful. If things go really south, take Nie Chuan, find a place to hide, and wait for me to come to the rescue.”

I was really getting into character, completely failing to consider that I wasn't a * and couldn't fight as well as he could; any talk of support was empty. My own survival was questionable.