Strongest Soldier King

"What's happening?" everyone cried out in alarm, rushing to the living room, only to see bullets riddling the windows with holes, powerful enough to penetrate the less sturdy walls and enter the room. They all dropped to the ground, crawling towards the inner rooms, or searching for nearby cover. Luo Zheng, who was leaning against the couch, flipped behind it for protection and drew his pistol as he saw bullets coming from all directions.

"Quick, notify headquarters, we need backup." Lan Xue, who was about to take a shower, burst out of the bathroom, her face frosty as she backed up against the inner room's wall. With eyes full of rage, she looked outside and loudly reminded everyone, "Stay hidden, find weapons and prepare to fight. We have no guns, so let them come in and we'll fight."

"I have some here." Luo Zheng threw the two pistols he had snagged to Lan Xue and Ghost Hand, then quickly made a call. Considering the intensity of the gunfire, there must have been nearly a hundred gunmen outside. Such a violent attack would definitely require support to survive.

The call went through quickly, and Luo Zheng briefly explained the situation and location before hanging up. Bullets were raging everywhere, and the situation was dire. After securing his phone, Luo Zheng saw the boss lying on the floor of the back room, hands over his head and a gun in his hand. The enemy's gunfire was so fierce that the boss was too nervous to fight back. Luo Zheng urgently shouted, "Boss, give me the gun."

After hearing the shout, the boss hesitated for a moment but still pushed the gun across the floor to Luo Zheng. Picking up the pistol, Luo Zheng saw Lan Xue and Ghost Hand diving towards the front and back doors, each finding a place to hide and return fire. Luo Zheng, catching a glimpse of the staircase out of the corner of his eye, had an idea. He lifted the sofa and slammed it against the window to block the view, then dashed towards the stairs.

Upon reaching the staircase, Luo Zheng arrived near a window already shattered by bullets that were violently streaming in, making it impossible to poke his head out to return fire. Seeing a few sofas in the upstairs living room, Luo Zheng quickly hurled them onto the balcony. The sudden appearance of the sofas attracted even more gunfire, giving Luo Zheng the chance to dash into the next room. Cautiously peeking out from the window, he was shocked at what he saw.

Outside, nearly a hundred armed militants had gathered to form a circle, surrounding the entire building. They took cover behind vehicles, all armed with automatic weapons, and were firing fiercely. With an expression as grave as iron and eyes squinted in anger, Luo Zheng aimed at a loudly shouting leader-like figure and decisively fired.

"Bang!" The bullet whizzed away, crossing the space of less than fifty meters, and entered right through the forehead. The powerful kinetic energy of the bullet churned upon meeting resistance, pulverizing the foe's brain and ending up lodged inside the head. The fiercest of the militants was instantly killed.

The sudden turn of events startled the militants, who then directed a furious barrage of gunfire towards Luo Zheng's position. After firing one shot, Luo Zheng had already run back to the upstairs living room. Because of the angle, bullets from the outside swept from below, posing less of a threat to the second floor than to the first. As long as one stayed away from the windows, it was safe. However, taking fire passively wasn't in Luo Zheng's nature. Once in the living room, he saw a two-meter-tall refrigerator and got an idea. He sheathed his gun and cautiously moved the fridge towards the balcony.

"Thud thud thud!" Bullets pummeled the refrigerator, leaving it riddled with holes. Soon, the refrigerator was destroyed, offering no protection against the bullets. Luo Zheng had to abandon the plan to use the fridge as cover. Looking around the other rooms and finding nothing suitable to shield against bullets, he grew anxious.

The walls of the villa were not sturdy or thick and were often made of wooden boards. If they continued to be targeted like this passively, it wouldn't be long before the entire villa was shot to pieces, leaving no survivors. With a face ashen with anxiety, Luo Zheng made his way to the stairs. Seeing that many parts of the first-floor walls had already been breached, and that everyone was hiding in perilous conditions, Luo Zheng hurriedly crouched and descended the stairs to reach the boss. Lying on the ground, he anxiously asked, "Is there a basement?"

"Yes," the boss came to his senses, his face flushed with shame as he hastily said, "Follow me."

At that moment, the gunfire outside suddenly came to a halt, startling Luo Zheng. With a puzzled look, he glanced outside, unsure of the enemy's intentions, but he quickly motioned for the boss to lead the way. They needed to hide while the enemy had ceased firing; the villa was so damaged it could collapse at any moment.

The others, seeing Luo Zheng's hand signals, moved quickly to join him, their faces etched with surprise and suspicion as they looked outside. Upon hearing there was a basement, everyone turned to the boss, who awkwardly realized he should have thought of it sooner. He gestured for everyone to follow and headed towards the kitchen.

The kitchen, connected to the balcony, was a mess from the dense gunfire, with bullet shells littering the floor and numerous bullet marks on the walls. The boss pointed to a small door in the kitchen. Snow Leopard rushed over and opened it, revealing a small storage room with a one-square meter iron plate in the center. Snow Leopard lifted the plate, exposing a wooden ladder, and everyone quickly descended, Luo Zheng taking up the rear.

Just then, a voice called out loudly from outside, "Those inside, listen up. I just want one person. Hand over Luo Zheng, and the rest of you will be spared."

Luo Zheng, about to enter the basement, paused, taken aback. Lan Xue looked at him anxiously, shaking her head. Luo Zheng gave a bitter smile, understanding her gesture. In such a dire situation, if his surrender could resolve the conflict, it might be a solution worth considering. The person shouting outside spoke in an international language, which suggested they were assassins. Assassins typically targeted only their quarry and were not prone to attacking others indiscriminately, a fact that could be inferred from the fact that Lan Xue and the others had not been mistreated. If he gave himself up, the assassin would complete their task and leave—it made sense in theory.

Luo Zheng glanced at his anxious comrades, feeling a tug at his resolve. To sacrifice oneself for the greater good was the action of an honorable man. He looked deeply into Lan Xue's eyes. Lan Xue, clearly perceiving his intention, bit her lip anxiously and shook her head, her eyes pleading and her complexion ashen. Mountain Eagle turned around and looked at Luo Zheng, speaking urgently, "Don't listen to their nonsense. We can just hide out in the basement. It's easier to defend than to attack, and soon enough, the others, led by Ghost Hand, will come to our rescue."

The basement was not large, and it was a dark room. A single grenade thrown in would spare no one. Luo Zheng said with a wry smile, "Everyone knows the situation. If the enemy outside attacks for three more minutes, the whole building will collapse, and none of us will survive. They are assassins; they only want me."

"No, I refuse to live on without you," Lan Xue stated coldly, her voice resolute and brooking no argument. Her gaze swept around the room, and seeing Mountain Eagle about to speak, she cut him off, "There is a way."

"What way?" Snow Leopard asked, the situation already so dire that there was no room for turning back. They all were prepared to die fighting, but at the mention of a possibility from Lan Xue, they all looked at her in surprise.

"You have a way?" Luo Zheng also looked at Lan Xue in astonishment, then turned his head to keep a wary eye on the outside, ready in case the enemy charged in. He stared at the walls, ready to collapse at any second, his face as stern as iron, his brow deeply furrowed.