Chapter 148

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Who’s there?

Lance didn’t speak. He observed the alloy door. It looked formidable. In the upper middle of the door was a small piece of glass, about ten centimeters high and twenty centimeters wide.

A bulletproof door. He knocked on the door with his knuckles, and it didn’t even make a sound!

Lance handed his gun to the person beside him, walked to the desk, and picked up a vase stand, the kind that was about twenty centimeters square, a sturdy, square wooden frame.

It wasn’t particularly solid, but it certainly wasn’t loose.

He held it with both hands, one in front of the other, and then forcefully rammed one of its legs into the glass installed on Heller’s steel door.

The wooden frame immediately let out a creaking, twisting moan, and Lance’s hands felt a little numb from the vibration, but there seemed to be no result he wanted.

Let alone shattering the glass, not even a mark was left.

Bulletproof glass of this era was not based on advanced technology; it mainly relied on multiple layers and special raw materials.

It was impact-resistant and had better ductility.

Heller heard the movement outside and saw no change in the door. A smile appeared on his face. “Is that Lance?”

“Even if you don’t speak, I know it’s you outside.”

He stood up, walked to the door, and stroked the heavy steel door…

The metal, treated for corrosion and with a layer of special paint, gave him a very warm and smooth feeling, like touching a young girl’s thigh.

A little soft, very velvety. These words, which shouldn’t describe the touch of metal, appeared nonetheless, and were very apt.

There was an observation hole on the door, with thickened bulletproof glass. When this safe room was built, Heller had considered all this.

Not only could it be used as a vault, but when necessary, he could also hide inside to escape his enemies.

It even had enough food and water to last a week!

A week’s time. His trusted subordinates, even if they walked, could return from Imperial Night.

After a moment of hesitation, he opened the observation hole. The once dark glass suddenly revealed light, and Heller’s face.

He had a smug smile on his face, continuing to provoke Lance. “I’m standing right by the door. There’s less than a meter between us, but you can’t do anything to me.”

“Lance, you should continue to hide in the sewers like a little mouse, not poke your head out.”

“As soon as you come out, there’s a risk of being caught.”

“And even if you come out, what then?”

“I’m right here. Can you kill me?”

Being able to “talk eloquently” in front of his enemy gave Heller an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

He had been so uncomfortable recently; every thought of Lance gave him a headache. But now, those unpleasant feelings had disappeared.

He liked this feeling of “I’m standing in front of you, what can you do to me?” He looked at Lance, calm, and even wanted to laugh.

Besides venting the negative emotions accumulated in his heart during this period, he also wanted to buy time. He needed Lance to wait here until his people returned from the city.

It was about twenty-five minutes from here to the Imperial District. A round trip would take at most about an hour.

He knew it was difficult, but he still wanted to try.

If he could stall them, with his subordinates’ familiarity with this house, even if Lance’s group tried to fight a “positional battle,” they wouldn’t be as lucky as last time.

Looking at Lance, and the young, calm faces around him, Heller felt some fear growing in his heart, but it was quickly dispelled by the security of the safe room.

Hiram, on the side, directly pulled out his pistol and fired a shot at the bulletproof glass. A small crack appeared on the bulletproof glass, but it was just a small one.

Heller in the safe room laughed even louder. Although the glass had cracks, they could still roughly see each other.

He took a few steps back. “I’m standing right here. Come, shoot at me!”

“Perhaps you don’t know?”

“I’ve already arranged for people to go into the Empire to find your families. You’ve killed so many of my people, caused me to lose a large sum of money, and even lose so much face.”

“Lance, and your friends, truly deserve to die!”

“Not only do you deserve to die, your families also deserve to die. I will use your deaths and your families’ deaths to prove to them that until the last moment, don’t always think I’m the loser!”

The emotions of the people around Lance began to grow volatile. They actually planned to use bullets to open the door, but Lance stopped them all.

Bullets hitting this alloy steel door could cause ricochets. If that happened, it wouldn’t be Heller who was unlucky, but themselves.

“Bring the butler.”

Heller had a butler, but the butler wasn’t someone close to his family; he was part of a professional butler team.

His family had only been in the Federation for a few decades since they arrived.

A few decades were not enough for them to have a solid foundation, nor was it possible for them to be like those powerful figures whose butlers grew up in the manor from a young age and served the family for generations.

He just spent some money and hired a professional team. He had considered training this butler to be a family butler, but it seemed a bit late.

The butler, in his forties, was clearly frightened when he was brought over. He kept whispering, “Don’t hurt me…”

“Where is the safe room’s ventilation opening?”

Lance looked at him. “If you tell me, then I guarantee no one can hurt you.”

“But if you don’t tell me, then unfortunately, God did not hear your prayer!”

The butler swallowed. It was on the outer wall…

At this moment, Heller in the room saw that Lance and his people had all left. He couldn’t help but feel some curiosity, and a hint of fear of the unknown. He couldn’t help but bang on the steel door and loudly ask, “Where did you go?”

“Given up?”

“Come back, come to Daddy!”, he said, then couldn’t help but laugh loudly, “Daddy loves you all. If your fathers are all dead, I can take their place, haha!”

But no one paid him any mind, which made him feel a hint of unease, a hint of fear.

But the safe room was so secure. He had seen it before it was installed. Even explosives couldn’t open it. He should be safe, right?

At this moment, a sudden, unfamiliar voice came from behind him, “I found it, here!”

This voice startled him greatly. He thought these people had really come in, but when he turned around, he found nothing there.

The safe room only had one door. How could they possibly get in?

He had just breathed a sigh of relief when his face changed slightly, because the voice sounded again, coming from the ventilation shaft.

Morris, with a rope tied around his waist, was suspended on the outer wall. The manor’s main building had four floors. The study was on the second floor, and the safe room occupied the height of the second floor, extending into the third and a half floors.

Guided by the butler, they quickly found two ventilation holes on the outer wall, one above the safe room and one below.

Because carbon dioxide is heavier, one ventilation hole was located at the “floor” level of the safe room.

This way, if there was someone in the safe room, the carbon dioxide produced by breathing would flow out through the lower ventilation hole. At the same time, due to negative pressure, the upper ventilation hole would draw in fresh air from outside, forming a circulation.

Heller’s expression was not looking good. He didn’t know what these people were going to do. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I swear, I won’t spare any of you, I swear!”

But no one paid attention to him. Two minutes later, water began to rapidly pour into the upper ventilation hole.

His scalp tingled, and goosebumps rose all over his body. While cursing obscenities, he tried to block the ventilation hole.

But this ventilation hole was too large and too high. Even if he stood on a table and could reach it with his hand, there was nothing to stop it from filling the safe room with water.

Seeing that he couldn’t stop the water from pouring in, he quickly looked at the lower ventilation hole, and to his horror, the water couldn’t flow out.

They had blocked the lower ventilation hole!

“You wretched scum from hell, covered in sores, stop your damn actions!”

No matter how much he cursed or what he said, the water kept coming in and couldn’t flow out.

The safe room wasn’t large, about seven to eight square meters in total, with smaller safes, individual shelves for items, and a table inside.

The water flow was too fast, and seemed to be constantly increasing.

What he didn’t know was that the butler and maids, in order “not to cause trouble,” very cooperatively brought all the rubber hoses from the garden, connected them to all available faucets, and poured water into this ventilation hole!

Seeing the water already at his ankles, Heller knew he couldn’t stay here any longer.

It wouldn’t take an hour, at most half an hour, before this room would be filled with water. He had to find a way to save himself.

He tried many methods, but ultimately none were feasible. He looked at the water gradually reaching his calves and finally decided to take a chance.

He glanced at the study. There was no one in the study at this moment, it seemed there were two people at the door.

These people were too careless!

He inwardly mocked Lance, then ensured his pistol was loaded and ready to fire instantly. He pulled the bolt, unlocked the door, took a deep breath, and then pulled hard… pulled… pulled!

He looked at the immovable door. A sudden heart palpitation made his chest ache again. His features contorted, and he stood for a while, leaning on the steel door and pressing his chest, feeling a little better.

“What’s going on?”

“Why won’t the door open?”

He no longer cared about the gun in his hand, casually placing it on a nearby table. This time, he used both hands to pull the door.

The door opened inwards.

But even with all his strength, the steel door didn’t budge!

He even used his feet!

His feet braced against the doorframe, his arms pulling hard, his whole body seemed to be suspended in the air, but the door still didn’t move!

He unlocked it again, and heard the unlocking sound, but the door still wouldn’t open.

Reluctantly, he began to pound on the steel door, panicking like a lost brother, “Save me!”

Under the butler’s guidance, Lance and his people dismantled the small safe in Heller’s bedroom.

Although there was no password, taking it away whole and slowly dismantling it back at their place was just as good.

At this moment, someone suddenly ran over. “Heller is shouting for help.”

Lance had someone send the safe to the car first, while he himself took some people into the study.

It had to be said that the merchant he chose was indeed good; even after so much water had been poured in, not a single drop leaked from the doorframe.

“Save me, Lance!” Heller’s face was genuinely terrified; he was truly scared!

He remembered his relatives who had died in gang feuds: his grandfather, his father, his aunt, his siblings, and his uncle.

Others might not have affected him the most, but his uncle had a great impact on him.

He could barely remember what happened. That day, he received a call saying his uncle had been murdered.

He drove to the roadside. The police had already cordoned off the street. His uncle was tied up in a crucifixion pose, hanging from a streetlamp.

Seeing the blood continuously dripping from the cross became a nightmare for him for a long time, only recovering years later.

At this moment, his uncle’s dying image flashed before his eyes, and he trembled all over.

His emotions suddenly spiraled out of control. He pounded on the steel door violently, frantically. “Let me out!”

“Help me, get me out of this damned place! I have money, all clean money, and a large sum of unregistered bonds, and… I also have villas, houses, they’re all yours, all for you all!”

“Give me a way out, I promise I won’t seek revenge…”

His face was completely distorted. The oppressive feeling of death was driving him mad!

“What are we walking this path for?”

“Isn’t it all for money?”

“Lance, Lance!”

He pounded on the observation hole, “You can always find more subordinates after yours are gone. There are countless people like that on the docks. Don’t let money pass you by!”

“I can compensate, for all the wrongs I’ve done!”

At this point, more and more people came into the room, watching him through the cracked glass window.

Everyone remained silent, a stark contrast to Heller, whose emotions were out of control in the safe room.

So many calm, indifferent, even ruthless eyes watching him increased Heller’s pressure even further.

The water level continued to rise, already reaching his waist. He suddenly began to cry sadly and painfully, “Lance, please, I don’t want to die, please, let me out of here, or turn off the water!”

“I know I’ve done many unforgivable things. I want to… apologize to all of you, please…”

“You can make me do anything, I’m willing to endure it all, but please, don’t let me die!”

But Lance, and the people outside the door, still watched him unmoving, their expressions barely changing, just like the alloy steel door that once protected him, but now blocked his path to life.

At night, the city’s water pressure was low, but the water pressure in the pipes was high. What might have been “trickling” water during the day was now “gushing” out!

The water level rose rapidly, which could be described as “visible to the naked eye.”

After a while longer, he already began to feel suffocated. It wasn’t that the water had submerged him, but rather the carbon dioxide concentration and the psychological sensation of suffocation.

It was like someone with claustrophobia or nyctophobia, who, despite not actually drowning in a specific environment, would still feel like they were drowning and couldn’t breathe!

He began to gasp for air, his emotional breakdown intensifying. After repeated pleas yielded no results, he became frantic again!

“You will all regret this, you will all go to hell!”

“Don’t think you’re so righteous, so just. We’re all the same, Lance!”

“One day, you too will suffer everything I have suffered. You too will be killed in torment. No one is an exception!”

“I curse you, I curse you!”

He was completely out of control.

But the rising water level wouldn’t stop because of how much he cursed or what he was doing. Soon, the water had reached the observation hole, and he had to tilt his head back, keeping his head above the water as much as possible.

Two minutes later, the observation hole was completely submerged. People could see Heller standing against the wall on a shelf.

But the space left for him was already limited.

He seemed to have no strength left to continue cursing. The entire room was filled with the gurgling sound of water.

In the last minute or so, he started cursing again, as if people always had to leave something behind when they passed through this world.

Some left literary works, becoming pioneers, lighting the way through the wilderness for those who followed.

Some left ideas, admonishing people on how to face life and themselves, helping them find direction in their confusion.

And he, left behind profanity.

Two minutes later, the last of the curses and pleas disappeared. Through the small observation hole, one could see him struggling to breathe some air, having gone to the upper ventilation hole, but the continuously rising water level denied his reasonable request.

The rushing water blocked his breathing, and water also began to accumulate in the ventilation hole.

He submerged again, and through the observation hole, seemed to be making a final plea, tapping on the door and window, silently saying something.

But no one responded to him.

After spitting out a few large bubbles and convulsing violently a few times, he became still.

Only then did Lance turn around and look at them. “Two more left.”

The group quietly left the room, but their hearts were definitely not as calm as they appeared on the surface.

About ten minutes later, a convoy of cars quickly returned to the manor, but the number of cars returning was significantly less than when they left.

Lance and his team had laid a layer of caltrops on their way back. These spikes were too simple for tires; one puncture meant a blowout!

Several cars had their tires punctured and stopped halfway. They cleared the spikes from the ground and some returned first, while others had abandoned their cars and were walking.

When Heller’s trusted subordinate in the first car saw the main gate pushed by a truck and crashed into the fountain, he knew something was terribly wrong!

(End of this chapter)