Crimson Instinct

*Xin Lei*

Three minutes…this place is going to blow in three minutes!?

How is it possible? 

I quickly looked around, and I found the corner of the room flicking in red light.

Zhang Xiulan said, "There! That thing flicking over there!"

Zhang Ning kept laughing. "I already activated the bomb even before Xiulan arrived. The moment I got the report from my guard, I knew I had nowhere to run. Even if I escape, the IB will be there to catch me. So, so, so! So if this was the end, then I decided that it would be the end of everybody! This is the fourth floor. You will never get out of this building in time before three minutes are over! Hahaha!"

Then she sneered at Bai Li.

"I am sad for you, Bai Li. I really trusted that you would never join hands with Xiulan. But you did. Even though only I deserve to stay by your side, you chose this bitch Xin Lei! I got no choice...you will have to die too! If you couldn't be mine, then I won't let you be anyone else's either!"

Suddenly, a man jumped out of the darkness. 

Huh? Who is he?

He rushed towards the corner where the bomb was. 

Zhang Ning narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?"

But nobody replied.

"Cocoa! Come!"

"Arf!" 

"Xin Lei. Zhang Xiulan. Stay here."

Cocoa guided Bai Li towards the corner. He was talking to the unknown man, so I presumed that he was with Zhang Xiulan, and they got to know each other while I was kidnapped. I quickly typed. "Is there really a bomb?"

"Yusheng. What is the matter?" 

So his name was Yusheng.

He said, "There is indeed a bomb. The timer has already started. It's at 02:18."

Bai Li said, "We don't have time to diffuse it."

Zhang Ning giggled. "Hehe. Did you think that I was joking? We are all going to blow into smithereens! Hahaha!"

Zhang Xiulan slapped her hard. "It's only your dead body that is going to blow up because we will definitely escape! Goodbye."

And with that in a single strike, Zhang Xiulan slashed her throat hard. Blood spurted out like a fountain out of her neck.

"Gaahh…"

She clutched her neck, but soon her limp body collapsed on the floor.

Zhang Ning was dead.

I typed. "What about Bro and the others? Have they got out?"

"Don't worry. They are safely out of the building. Luo Zhiqiang just relayed the message. It's only us. RUN!"

"Arf!"

The four of us and Cocoa rushed out of the room like crazy. We climbed down the staircases like a marathon.

My chest felt heavy and breathless. My heart was beating like crazy. I didn't know how much time was left in that bomb. 

Will we make it in time? 

We were on the second floor, and I felt my mind go blank.

How much time was left now? 

It wasn't just about getting out of the building. We had to run more so that we were completely out of the blast's radius.

Was less than just two minutes really enough for that?

Suddenly, we heard a loud crash.

*BOOM*

We felt the building shaking. I heard back to back crashes of pillars, walls, and ceilings tumbling down.

I froze.

I quickly typed as we kept running. "What's going on?"

Zhang Xiulan said, "How is it possible? How can the bomb explode? There is still more than a minute left!"

That man, Yusheng, said, "That bitch. She hid another bomb, too, that ticked off just now!"

Bai Li said, "But this bomb didn't blast the place, or we would have been dead. The building is shaking as if an earthquake has hit. She wanted us to get trapped in the rubble and debris of this concrete building so that we cannot escape outside."

"Arf! Arf!"

We looked towards where Cocoa barked. My eyes widened.

At our right, a pillar lost its balance and was about to crash on us!

I gritted my teeth.

Damn you, Zhang Ning!

"This place is not going to hold on for long. We have to speed up!"

I held Bai Li's hand, and we somehow ran under the pillar as it was collapsing. Since it seemed to be still attached to the floor, it was slow in crashing down on us.

Cocoa already leaped beyond it while Zhang Xiulan and Yusheng followed just after him.

First floor...we are at the staircase of the first floor!

*CRASH*

Just as we were about to climb down, I felt cement and tiny dust of stones trickling on my shoulder.

I looked up and was aghast to see a huge slab of rock about to fall on us.

Thankfully, Cocoa, Zhang Xiulan, and Yusheng were already a little ahead of us. But Bai Li and I were straight under it, and it was falling on us fast!

No...it was impossible for us to get out in time...

"Xin Lei...make it out alive, will ya?" He smiled as he faced my way.

What? I don't-

Suddenly, Bai Li shook his hand from mine and pushed me forward.

W-what…?

"Xiulan! Yusheng! Catch her!" He yelled.

I tumbled down. They turned and seemed in shock, but they quickly reacted and held my arms.

What...what just happened? Why am I the only one here?

Bai Li... Bai Li!

The slab was just about to fall when Cocoa suddenly barked.

"Arf! Arf!"

He leaped back towards Bai Li.

"Cocoa! Stay back!" Bai Li yelled.

"Stop!" Zhang Xiulan screamed.

*CRASH! THUD!*

The slab fell in between us with a loud thud.

I could only watch in horror. Zhang Xiulan, Yushen, and I were on one side while Bai Li...he and Cocoa were on that side…

NO!!!

They are stuck on that side! How will they get out!

I felt my legs freeze. I felt I couldn't move.

No...no...I-I need to go back...I need to get Bai Li out…

My knees trembled, and I somehow ran towards the giant slab, but Zhang Xiulan pulled me back. 

I glared at her.

"What are you doing!?"

"Xin Lei!"

I stiffened. Bai Li... that was Bai Li…

"Please get out with them. Cocoa and I will find our way out. Don't think about me. Just leave! There is no time!"