Rebirth Immortal-Chapter 77: Secrets Within the Ring

The car sped through the quiet streets of the city, the tension inside thick as smoke. Qin Hao sat in the backseat, turning the jade ring between his fingers, his eyes sharp with thought. The ambush at the casino had been expected, but Liu Zhen's determination to kill them over this small object was not ordinary. There was more to the ring than met the eye.

"Boss, should we head back to the base?" Wu Gang asked, his hands gripping the wheel tightly.

"No," Qin Hao replied calmly. "If Liu Zhen is this desperate, he won't stop. He'll keep sending people after us. We need to find out what's so special about this ring first."

Bao Lei, sitting in the passenger seat, turned to look at him. "You think there's something hidden inside?"

Qin Hao didn't answer immediately. He simply rubbed the cool surface of the jade with his thumb. It felt smooth, yet he could sense that it was slightly heavier than it should be. That alone told him that something was off.

"Pull over," Qin Hao ordered.

Wu Gang didn't question him. He swerved the car into a deserted alley, stopping beneath a flickering streetlamp. The dim light cast long shadows over the walls, making the place feel even more secluded.

Qin Hao took out a small knife from his pocket and carefully pressed the blade against the ring's edge. With a gentle but firm twist, a faint click sounded. A thin slit appeared along the middle of the ring.

"It opens," Bao Lei murmured in amazement.

Qin Hao carefully pried the ring apart, revealing a tiny compartment inside. Tucked within was a small, rolled-up piece of paper.

He unrolled it and frowned. The paper was old, its edges slightly yellowed, but the ink was still clear. It contained a series of numbers and symbols. Some of them looked like coordinates, while others appeared to be part of an address.

Wu Gang leaned over to look. "What is this?"

"A location," Qin Hao said, his voice unreadable. "And maybe a password."

Bao Lei frowned. "So Liu Zhen wasn't after the ring. He was after whatever this leads to."

Qin Hao nodded. "And we're going to find it before he does."

The next morning, the three of them stood outside a run-down warehouse on the outskirts of the city. The coordinates from the paper had led them here.

The place looked abandoned. The metal doors were rusted, and the windows were covered in thick layers of dust. A faint smell of damp wood and oil lingered in the air.

"This doesn't feel right," Wu Gang muttered, his hand resting on his gun.

"Because it isn't," Qin Hao replied. "Stay alert."

He stepped forward and placed his hand on the door. It didn't budge. Locked.

Bao Lei stepped up. "Let me." He pulled out a thin metal tool and started working on the lock. Within seconds, there was a soft click, and the door creaked open.

The inside was dark and silent. Stacks of old crates lined the walls, covered in thick cobwebs. Dust floated in the air as they stepped inside, their footsteps echoing in the empty space.

Qin Hao's eyes scanned the room. The address on the paper had led them here, but there was no sign of anything valuable.

Then he noticed it. A section of the floor looked newer than the rest. The wood was different, less worn.

"Here." He knelt and knocked on the floorboards. A hollow sound echoed back.

Wu Gang and Bao Lei immediately crouched beside him.

"A hidden compartment," Bao Lei whispered.

Qin Hao pulled out his knife and wedged it between the boards. With a strong push, the wood creaked and lifted, revealing a dark space beneath.

Inside, wrapped in an old cloth, was a small black box.

Bao Lei reached for it, but Qin Hao stopped him. "Wait."

He took a deep breath and carefully lifted the box out. It was surprisingly heavy for its size. He slowly opened it.

Inside was a single USB drive.

"A USB?" Wu Gang was confused. "All this trouble for this?"

"It's not ordinary," Qin Hao said.

Before he could say anything more, a sharp sound filled the air—the click of a gun being cocked.

"Drop it," a cold voice ordered.

Qin Hao didn't turn around. He had already sensed them before they spoke.

They were surrounded.

The cold click of a gun being cocked echoed through the warehouse, sending a chill down Wu Gang's spine.

"Drop it," the voice repeated, firm and unwavering.

Qin Hao remained motionless, his fingers tightening around the USB drive. He didn't need to turn around to know they were surrounded. The faint shuffle of boots, the heavy breathing of men ready to kill—he had sensed them the moment they entered the warehouse.

Bao Lei, kneeling beside him, cursed under his breath. Wu Gang's jaw clenched as his hand twitched toward his waist.

"Don't even think about it," the man behind them warned. "We have snipers outside. One wrong move, and you'll all be dead before you hit the ground."

Qin Hao exhaled slowly, his mind racing. This was no ordinary ambush. If snipers were involved, it meant Liu Zhen wasn't taking any more chances.

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"Who sent you?" Qin Hao asked, his voice calm despite the danger.

A man stepped forward from the shadows. He was tall, wearing a black trench coat, his face half-covered by a mask. The way he moved—steady, confident—told Qin Hao this was no small-time thug.

"That's not important," the man said. "Hand over the USB."

Qin Hao smirked. "If you're willing to kill us over it, then whatever's inside must be worth a fortune. Why should I just hand it over?"

The man's eyes narrowed. "Because you don't have a choice."

In one swift motion, the man raised his gun. Qin Hao saw his finger tighten on the trigger.

He moved.

With lightning speed, Qin Hao twisted his body, his elbow slamming into Bao Lei, knocking him sideways just as the gun went off. The bullet whizzed past where Bao Lei's head had been a second ago.

Wu Gang drew his weapon, firing twice. One of the attackers cried out as a bullet found its mark.

The warehouse exploded into chaos.

Gunfire rang out, bullets slicing through the air. Qin Hao rolled behind a stack of crates, the USB still clutched in his grip. Bao Lei dove for cover while Wu Gang fired another shot, forcing the attackers to take cover.

The man in the trench coat barked orders. "Kill them! Get that USB!"

Qin Hao's mind worked fast. They were outnumbered and outgunned, but that didn't mean they were outmatched.

"Wu Gang, back door!" Qin Hao shouted.

Wu Gang nodded and sprinted toward the rear of the warehouse. Bao Lei followed, covering him with precise shots that kept the enemy at bay.

Qin Hao ducked as bullets tore into the crates behind him. He glanced at the USB drive in his hand. This thing was dangerous. Whatever was inside, people were willing to die for it.

He had to get out.

But first, he had to survive.

A shadow loomed over him. One of the attackers had crept close, a knife glinting in his hand. The man lunged.

Qin Hao reacted instantly. He grabbed the man's wrist, twisting it sharply. The knife clattered to the ground. Qin Hao drove his knee into the man's stomach, then spun and slammed his elbow into his jaw. The man crumpled.

More gunshots. Wu Gang and Bao Lei were near the exit now, but the enemy was closing in.

Qin Hao took a deep breath. Then, without warning, he charged straight toward the attackers.

They weren't expecting it.

He grabbed one man by the collar and threw him into another, sending them crashing to the ground. With his free hand, he pulled out his own gun and fired three shots. Two more enemies dropped.

"Boss, move!" Wu Gang shouted.

Qin Hao didn't hesitate. He sprinted toward the exit, dodging bullets. The moment he reached the door, Wu Gang slammed it shut behind them, locking it.

"We need a car," Bao Lei said, panting.

Qin Hao spotted an abandoned pickup truck nearby. He ran to it and yanked open the door.

"No keys," Wu Gang muttered.

Qin Hao didn't care. He reached under the dashboard, found the ignition wires, and yanked them apart. With practiced ease, he sparked them together. The engine roared to life.

"Get in!" he ordered.

Wu Gang and Bao Lei jumped into the truck just as the warehouse doors burst open. The remaining attackers poured out, firing wildly.

Qin Hao floored the gas pedal. The tires screeched as the truck sped forward, bullets pinging off the metal.

"They're getting in cars," Bao Lei warned.

Qin Hao glanced in the rearview mirror. Sure enough, two black SUVs were already chasing them.

"Hold on," Qin Hao growled.

He spun the wheel hard, sending the truck skidding onto the main road. The SUVs followed, their headlights cutting through the night.

Wu Gang rolled down the window, gun in hand. "I'll slow them down."

Qin Hao nodded. "Do it."

Wu Gang took aim and fired. The windshield of one SUV shattered, but the car kept coming. The second SUV pulled alongside them, a man leaning out with an automatic rifle.

"Down!" Qin Hao shouted.

A burst of bullets tore through the truck's side, barely missing them.

"Damn it," Bao Lei cursed. "We won't last at this rate."

Qin Hao's mind raced. Up ahead, he spotted a narrow alley between two buildings.

He made a split-second decision.

"Brace yourselves!"

At the last second, he yanked the wheel and swerved into the alley. The truck barely squeezed through, scraping against the walls.

The SUVs weren't so lucky.

The first one tried to follow but slammed into the alley's entrance, the impact sending it spinning. The second SUV skidded, trying to stop, but crashed into the first.

Qin Hao didn't slow down. He drove straight through the alley and back onto another street.

Only when he was sure they weren't being followed did he finally ease off the gas.

The city lights flickered in the distance. The truck's engine rumbled as they pulled into an empty lot.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Then Wu Gang let out a breathless chuckle. "That was insane."

Bao Lei wiped sweat from his forehead. "What now?"

Qin Hao looked at the USB in his hand.

"Now," he said, "we find out what's inside this thing."