The woman didn't even have the mood to call him a jinx. With both escape routes cut off, their only option was a desperate fight to the death. But their current situation was dire: the area of scattered rocks was too small, and the rocks themselves weren't tall enough. Their chances of putting up a real fight were severely limited.
Since the enemy had dispatched a combat vehicle, they would have undoubtedly mounted a Gatling gun on top, possibly paired with a rocket launcher or two. Under the suppressive firepower of a metal storm, the two of them would have no chance of escape.
"Don't you carry any weapons when you go out? What's in the backpack?" Li Juxu thought of the one possible variable—the backpack.
"Just a few changes of clothes," the woman said dismissively.
Li Juxu froze. His hand, which had been reaching for the zipper, paused for a full three seconds before pulling it open. Inside were camisoles, little skirts, stockings, and other intimate apparel—a riot of colors, sexy and alluring. Nothing else. Unwilling to accept it, he checked three more times. It was still just clothes, and ordinary ones at that. If there was anything special, it was that these undergarments were expensive; the fabric was soft and pleasant to touch, all big-name brands that ordinary people couldn't afford.
"You're also an expendable pawn?" Li Juxu tossed the backpack back to her. This was clearly a decoy meant to draw fire. The real goods had most likely been transported via another route long ago.
"We're different!" the woman said calmly, slinging the backpack on. It had to be said, the bag seemed made for her. Without it, she was a stunningly voluptuous woman. With it on, she instantly became a cute, playful girl—slightly rebellious, yearning for freedom like the wind. For the first time, Li Juxu realized a backpack could possess the power to change one's aura.
"Different how?" Despite the woman being beautiful enough to stare at forever, Li Juxu was simmering with anger and not in the mood to appreciate the view.
"I chose to be one," the woman said.
"…" The corner of Li Juxu's mouth twitched.
"1100 meters!" The woman had been watching through the extended shard of mirror. Suddenly, she yanked her hand back. Almost simultaneously, a bullet struck the rock, chipping off a piece the size of a human head.
"I need you to draw the snipers' attention!" Li Juxu's gaze turned icy. Without hesitation, the woman removed her helmet and extended it from behind the rock. In less than three seconds, two bullet holes appeared in it.
Li Juxu peered out from behind the rock. In one fluid motion—raising the gun, aiming, firing—he completed the sequence and snapped back behind cover. One second later, two bullets whizzed past the spot where he had just been crouching, slamming into a nearby boulder and leaving two bowl-sized craters.
"One down!" The woman saw clearly through the broken mirror. The rocket-launcher carrier had been shot in the head. It was a clean shot; any ordinary sniper wouldn't have that level of skill.
"The snipers are moving closer. I need you to pinpoint their positions." But Li Juxu felt no pride. As long as the snipers remained, he faced death at any moment. Even if all the other enemies died, they wouldn't be safe until the snipers were gone.
The woman continued using the helmet as bait. Even though the snipers knew it was a trick, they couldn't resist firing. Li Juxu seized the opportunity to take down an enemy carrying a submachine gun. But after that, the snipers grew smarter, ignoring the woman and focusing entirely on him. He risked another shot and killed another enemy, but got wounded himself—a bullet grazed his scalp, tearing off a patch of skin and leaving him partially bald.
"Are you okay?" Seeing the blood streaming down his head, the woman was startled.
"Does your arm need tending to?" Li Juxu pulled out some supplies like gauze, bandaged his own head first, then tossed the rest to her.
"You want me to go out as bait again?" The woman immediately understood his intention. Her broken arm would swing while running, affecting her speed. Binding it could increase her chances of survival.
"Tell me when you're ready." Li Juxu was also preparing—mentally. Under the siege of two top-tier snipers, he only had a 3-second window for each counterattack. Within those 3 seconds, he needed to observe, aim, and fire. Even elite snipers might not manage it. He had to, or he would die.
The woman's arm needed splints or a cast, but under the circumstances and the threat of death, there was no time for that. Enduring the pain, she bound her arm herself, sweat beading on her forehead like beans. She didn't utter a single groan.
Li Juxu silently calculated the enemies' closing speed and positions. When he heard the woman shout "Ready!", he immediately tossed a handful of straw mixed with gravel into the air. The moment the straw flew up, gunfire erupted.
"Run!" Li Juxu bellowed as he leaned out. The gun barrel moved, paused for an instant, and he pulled the trigger. A blossom of blood appeared on an enemy's chest. Amidst the sharp whine of bullets passing his ear, he remained motionless, aimed at a second enemy. A spurt of fire, and the enemy's head burst like a watermelon, flying over a meter away.
According to plan, Li Juxu should have retreated behind the rock at this point. But halfway through the motion, he suddenly stopped. He had located one of the snipers. In that instant, his gaze became unprecedentedly sharp, his mind eerily calm. In one second, he completed the process from aiming to firing.
Bang—
He shrank back behind the rock, looking at the bloody graze on his shoulder where a bullet had passed. His muscles trembled involuntarily; only now did he feel the fear. A dozen meters away, the woman, whose foot had gotten stuck in a crevice, thought she was about to die. But the expected bullets never came. Gritting her teeth, she pulled her foot free and rolled behind the nearest rock, the movement jostling her broken arm and turning her face pale with pain.
Li Juxu didn't peek out to check, but he already knew the outcome. That sniper was dead. It was a strange feeling, like an experienced chef adding salt by feel, knowing instinctively it was just right without tasting. The woman's survival confirmed his intuition was correct.
The combat vehicle grew larger in their view. Modified, it looked like a monstrous steel beast, ferocious and terrifying. On its roof, a Gatling gun radiated cold killing intent, chilling even from a distance. The tall man standing beside it had eyes as sharp as knives, devoid of any emotion. Next to him, a burly man in camouflage slowly stood up, a rocket launcher on his shoulder.
Li Juxu's hair stood on end. His hand gripping the NC-22 was so tight his knuckles turned white. He shouted to the woman, "Every man for himself!"
"Wait—" the woman suddenly called out.
Li Juxu, who had been about to run, stopped and looked at her in confusion.
"Second sniper is at 11 o'clock, about 1500 meters. You take him out, I'll handle the vehicle," the woman said rapidly.
"You'll handle the vehicle?" Li Juxu wondered if he'd heard correctly.
"I'll count to three!" A remote control had inexplicably appeared on the woman's head.
"…" A cold sweat broke out on Li Juxu's back. He had underestimated this woman. He thought he had her completely under control, but it turned out she still had tricks up her sleeve.