nucmednet Chapter 94 The Unusual Red Hood Gang
Chapter 94 The Unusual Red Hood Gang
"We have prepared the venue and vehicles. The bus is waiting at the intersection near the warehouse. Would it be convenient for the children to leave now?"
Marcus's voice carried just the right amount of respect.
"Thank you for your help. I'll take the children there right away."
Li Wei hung up the phone and turned to walk into the warehouse.
"Kids, get up and pack your things."
"Just bring the essentials, nothing else. A kind gentleman has already prepared everything for us."
He clapped his hands, the sound not loud, but loud enough for everyone to hear.
The children immediately got to work, their movements clumsy yet exceptionally earnest as they folded the blankets.
Jamie carefully packed the remaining ingredients into a plastic bag, while Lily cautiously tucked the beanbag she had played with the day before into her bosom.
Before long, everyone was ready and stood in a neat line in front of Li Wei, their eyes full of anticipation.
Li Wei locked the tin door of the warehouse and led the children toward the intersection.
The snow has stopped, and the sunlight shines on the snow, reflecting a dazzling light.
Two brand-new buses were parked at the intersection, their bodies bearing the Wayne Group logo, and their windows were spotless.
Marcus stood next to the first car, wearing a neatly pressed suit and with his hair combed meticulously.
Upon seeing Li Wei and his group, he immediately came forward with a warm smile on his face.
It was obvious that he already knew what Li Wei looked like through some means.
"Good morning, Mr. Levi. Welcome, children."
The staff behind him also stepped forward to help the children carry their things and guide them to the car.
The bus was spacious and comfortable, with soft seats and the air conditioning set to a comfortable temperature, a stark contrast to the coldness of the warehouse.
The children touched the armrests of the seats with curiosity, their eyes full of wonder.
"These were all specifically instructed by Mr. Bruce."
Marcus walked over to Levi and handed him a cup of hot coffee.
"The venue was chosen in an unused apartment building owned by Wayne Group, which had been cleaned in advance."
Furniture and household goods have been purchased, and medical equipment has also been delivered.
Li Wei took the coffee, the warm touch spreading from his fingertips to his palm. To be honest, Li Wei was a little reluctant to drink coffee in the morning.
His early morning coffee always reminds him of his time as a beast of burden.
During his time working like a slave at the Gotham Police Department, he certainly drank a lot of coffee.
He watched as the children boarded the bus one by one, some peering out the windows, others whispering to each other, and a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.
"I'm sorry to trouble you all," he said to Marcus.
"Of course."
Marcus smiled and nodded. "Mr. Bruce specifically emphasized the importance of ensuring the children's safety and comfort."
A dedicated team will be responsible for your subsequent diet and education; you can check on them at any time.
Li Wei nodded, glancing at the bus's rearview mirror to confirm that all the children had boarded.
Just then, a deafening explosion suddenly came from the direction of the city center, and the ground seemed to tremble.
He turned his head sharply in the direction from which the sound came.
Thick smoke was rising from between the tall buildings, the dark gray plumes of smoke particularly glaring against the clear sky.
The children on the bus only showed panic for a moment after hearing the explosion.
After confirming that she was alright, she quickly recovered.
Jamie frowned, then quickly relaxed, and reached out to pat Lily, who was cowering in fright beside him.
The children's calm demeanor surprised Li Wei, but he quickly came to terms with it.
In Gotham, if you weren't adaptable, you'd probably have turned into a slime in the sewers long ago.
Watching the rising black column of smoke, Li Wei's heart sank.
He had witnessed the chaos of Gotham, but he hadn't expected these kids to be so used to it.
"Marcus."
He grabbed Marcus's arm, his voice urgent.
"Take the children to the apartment immediately, taking a route that avoids the city center, and make sure they are safe."
Marcus's expression changed, and he immediately nodded.
"Understood, Mr. Li Wei. Don't worry, I will take good care of the children."
He turned and boarded the bus, whispered a few instructions to the driver, and then waved to Li Wei.
The two buses slowly started moving and headed away from the city center.
As Li Wei watched the taillights disappear at the intersection, he immediately turned and sped towards his pickup truck.
He opened the car door and started the engine.
The car roared hoarsely as it sped off in the direction from which the explosion had come.
The old pickup truck's chassis bounced on the bumpy road, and the steering wheel felt a bit heavy.
Li Wei gripped the steering wheel tightly, dodging cars coming from the opposite direction, the wind whistling past his ears.
The thick smoke drew closer, and the air gradually filled with the pungent smell of gunpowder and burning.
Pedestrians on the street scattered in all directions, some with fear on their faces, others just running forward with their heads down.
Li Wei parked the car in a quiet alley, pulled the handbrake, opened the car door, and sped out.
He avoided the panicked crowd, moved quickly along the corner of the wall, and soon saw the source of the explosion.
—That was a bank.
The bank's glass facade was shattered, with fragments scattered across the street, and several bodies lay at the entrance.
Blood stained the snow, gleaming eerily in the sunlight.
A group of people dressed in black and wearing red hoods were guarding the bank entrance.
They carried submachine guns and occasionally fired them into the sky.
Once someone gets within a certain range of them, they will be toyed with and shot at.
These guys came in all shapes and sizes; some were short and stout, their bellies bulging out of their clothes, looking like total couch potatoes.
Some of them were thin and not much taller than the roadside trash cans, looking no more than thirteen or fourteen years old.
However, these guys all have one thing in common: absolute indifference to life.
They were skilled, their grip on the gun was very practical, and their marksmanship was also quite good.
After analysis, Li Wei determined that these guys were definitely prepared.
He pressed himself against the wall of a nearby building and found a vent.
The view here is expansive, offering a clear view of the bank's interior.
He held his breath and peered out.
The bank lobby was a mess; the teller counters were smashed to pieces, and cash was scattered on the floor, trampled beyond recognition.
Several Red Hood members were rummaging through the safe, their movements rough and their shouts occasionally escalating.
Their guns were always cocked, the muzzles casually pointed at the ground, yet carrying a deadly threat.
A mother and daughter huddled in a corner of the hall, the mother holding the little girl tightly in her arms, her body trembling uncontrollably.
A short, stout member of the Red Hoods noticed them and walked over with a gun in his hand.
"Get out of the way, don't block the way."
His voice was hoarse and impatient, even though the poor mother and daughter weren't blocking the way.
The mother shook her head, hugged her daughter even tighter, her lips trembling, but she couldn't utter a word.
The Red Hood member scoffed and, without the slightest hesitation, raised his hand and fired a shot.
The gunshots were particularly jarring in the enclosed hall, and Li Wei subconsciously squinted.
The mother's head snapped back, and blood spurted out.
It splattered on the wall behind her, forming a glaring flower of blood.
Her body went limp and fell to the ground, her eyes still wide open, filled with endless fear.
The little girl froze for a few seconds, looked down at her mother in her arms, and then suddenly burst into a heart-wrenching cry.
She held her mother's body, her small body trembling violently, her cries piercing through the ruins of the bank and reaching the street outside.
"It's so noisy."
The short, stout Red Hood member frowned, slowly raised his gun, and aimed it at the little girl's forehead.
The gun muzzle was dark and gleamed coldly in the light reflecting off the walls of the hall.
The little girl's crying stopped abruptly. She raised her tear-streaked face and looked at the gun pointed at her.
His pupils shrank, his lips trembled slightly, but he couldn't make a sound.
Her little hands were still tightly gripping her mother's clothes, her nails turning slightly white from the force.
Li Wei's heart clenched suddenly, and his fingers gripped the crack in the wall so tightly that the veins on his hands stood out.
His body was tense, his muscles bulging, and his mind was racing.
There were at least six Red Hood members around, each armed and ruthless. Charging in would be suicide.
His gaze swept across the surroundings. Next to the building were several bags of construction waste, containing steel bars and rubble.
A banner hung on a lamppost not far away, swaying precariously in the wind.
He took a deep breath and slowly moved his body.
He crouched down and picked up a steel bar as thick as his arm from the pile of construction waste. He held the cold metal in his fingertips and felt the rough texture on it.
Inside the bank, the short, stout member in the red hood curled a cruel smile as he slowly pulled the trigger.
Li Wei's pupils contracted sharply, and he stood up abruptly, throwing the steel bar in his hand at a member of the Red Hood group at the bank entrance.
The steel bar, accompanied by a whistling sound, struck the member precisely on the back of the head.
The other man groaned and fell straight down, the submachine gun in his hand hitting the ground with a crisp sound.
This sudden turn of events stunned the Red Hood members of the bank.
The short, stout man temporarily lowered the gun he was pointing at the little girl, turned to look at the door, and roared, "Who?!"
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Li Wei suddenly rushed out, moving quickly along the wall to avoid the sight of the members at the door.
He grabbed the submachine gun from the ground, his finger on the trigger, his eyes fixed on the short, stout red-hooded member.
The other Red Hood members in the hall reacted and all raised their guns to fire in Li Wei's direction.
The bullets hit the wall, scattering countless fragments and causing chunks of cement to fall.
Li Wei rolled to the side and hid behind an overturned counter. The bullets hit the counter with a thud.
The little girl was still curled up beside her mother's body, trembling with fear, tears streaming down her face like broken beads.
Enraged, the short, stout Red Hood member abandoned the little girl and turned to fire in Levi's direction.
The bullet whizzed through the gap in the counter, grazing Li Wei's shoulder and bringing a burning sting.
Li Wei gritted his teeth, and taking advantage of the moment when the other side was changing magazines, he suddenly leaned out and pulled the trigger.
The bullet whistled through the air and struck the short, stout man in the thigh. He screamed and fell to the ground, dropping his gun.
"Grab him!"
Another tall, thin Red Hood member roared and charged toward Li Wei.
His movements were nimble, and the short knife in his hand gleamed coldly in the light.
Li Wei dodged the attack by sidestepping it and then punched the man in the face.
The other party groaned, blood flowing from his nose, but he did not flinch at all, and slashed at Li Wei's abdomen with his knife.
Li Wei bent down to dodge, and at the same time kicked him in the knee.
With a crisp snap, the other person fell to his knees, and the dagger fell to the ground.
Two members of the Red Hood organization rushed in from the bank entrance. Li Wei was caught off guard and one of them kicked him in the back.
I stumbled and bumped into the counter, feeling a tightness in my chest.
He turned and fired, hitting one of them in the shoulder, who screamed and staggered back.
In the chaos, the thirteen or fourteen-year-old Red Hood member picked up a gun from the ground and pointed it at Li Wei.
His hands were still trembling, but his eyes were unusually fierce.
Just as Li Wei was about to raise his gun, he heard a little girl crying behind him.
He looked back and saw that the short, stout member had already gotten up, holding another gun in his hand, and was pointing it at the little girl again.
This time, there was no hesitation in his eyes, and his finger was already on the trigger.
Li Wei's pupils contracted sharply, and almost instinctively he lunged forward, scooped the little girl into his arms, and rolled on the ground.
The bullet grazed his back, struck the ground, and sent sparks flying.
The little girl trembled violently in his arms, her small hands gripping his clothes tightly, her voice hoarse.
Li Wei held her and hid behind the counter, clearly feeling the fear emanating from her small body.
There was also the warm, sticky blood of her mother on her body.
"Damn it, get out here!"
The short, stout member roared and fired wildly toward the counter.
The bullet pierced the wooden plank, sending splinters flying that landed on Li Wei and the little girl.
Li Wei tightly covered the little girl's head, pressing her down beneath him, his ears filled with gunshots and roars.
His gaze swept across the hall, where the remaining four Red Hood members were closing in on the counter, their guns pointed at their hiding places.
His hand reached for his waist, where there were no weapons, only the business card Bruce had given him, cold against his skin in his pocket.
The little girl behind him cried weaker and weaker, her body gradually going limp, with only her shoulders still twitching slightly.
Li Wei took a deep breath and his gaze fell on the safe not far away.
When those members were searching the safe, it seems they didn't close it completely; the cash inside was still sticking out.
He held the little girl and slowly moved his body, crawling towards the safe.
Bullets kept coming, landing on the ground around them and leaving bullet holes.
He could feel that the little girl in his arms was so frightened that she had lost all strength, and her cries had turned into weak sobs.
Finally, he climbed to the safe, pushed the door open wider, and shoved the little girl inside.
"Stay here and don't make a sound."
The little girl looked at him with teary eyes, nodded, and gripped the edge of the safe tightly with her little hands.
Li Wei stood up, picked up a steel pipe from the ground, and rushed towards the nearest Red Hood member.
The other party was taken aback by his sudden appearance, paused for a moment, and then raised his gun to fire.
Li Wei dodged to the side, and the steel pipe slammed into the man's wrist. The man screamed and dropped his gun.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Li Wei snatched the gun and fired a shot with his backhand, hitting another member in the chest.
The other person fell to the ground, blood gushing from the wound, quickly staining the ground red.
The remaining two members looked on with fear.