Chapter 8 — My House Is 42 Degrees Hot, Turns Out It's A Horrifying Plot

Uncle Ly and the others breathed a sigh of relief. It's just me. Still maintaining high vigilance. I looked at Vuong Cuong. He sat in front of the computer. Turn your back to me. Shoulders trembled slightly. I don't know if it's because of anger. Or because of lack of commitment. Just in time for the last row of servers to shut down completely. Just as the last light went out. Vuong Cuong suddenly turned around. There was no panic or fear left on his face. Instead there was a strange and distorted smile. In his hand. I don't know when a black remote control appeared. He firmly pressed the red button on it.

“Khuong Ninh.”

Teeth white in the dim light.

“You won.”

“But you don't expect to leave this building alive.”

Just finished speaking. An earth-shattering explosion rang out. The sound came from downstairs. From my own apartment. The entire floor shook violently. Right after that. A burning smell and thick smoke billowed from the door and floor crevices into the room. The explosion did not come from outside. Which came from inside the floor right under our feet. The whole room. The whole building. And everyone inside. It was as if an invisible hand had lifted them up and thrown them down hard. Immediately followed by violent shaking. Some servers in racks were so shaken that they slid out of their slots. Fall to the floor. Shooting sparks of electricity. Uncle Ly standing next to me couldn't keep his balance. Staggered and hit the wall hard. Liu Phuong let out a scream so miserable that it no longer sounded like a human voice. Then collapsed to the ground. Completely unconscious. On Vuong Cuong's face, a crazy smile appeared like a hellish devil.

“Ha ha ha ha!”

“Let's die together!”

“Everyone go to the grave with me!”

Thick smoke began to billow from every gap in the floor at a speed visible to the naked eye. That's not ordinary smoke. It's black smoke produced from burning chemicals. Brings a strong toxic smell. Just take a breath. My throat hurt like it was on fire. My eyes were so stinging that I couldn't open them.

"Cough! Cough! Cough!"

The moving workers coughed. Instinct made them frantically find a way to escape. But the exit was completely covered by black smoke.

"Calm!"

I screamed to myself inside. Don't panic. You have to be more alert now. Crazy Vuong Cuong does not intend to die with us. He is creating chaos. Surely he has his own way out. I tried to open my eyes. Through the opaque smoke and tears. Lock Vuong Cuong's figure tightly. He didn't rush out the door like everyone else. Instead, he turned around and ran deeper into the engine room. At the very end. Behind a server cabinet. There is a small door disguised as a wall. That was his escape route. His real purpose is not to kill people. It's about taking the most important thing and running away. In the blink of an eye. I understand everything. This bunch of servers. These coin miners. Just a tool. It's a shell that he can leave at any time. And what he really values. The "more precious than life" data he mentioned. Definitely stored in a physical device that can be carried with you. One hard drive. Or a USB. And now. He's running to get it. I can't let him succeed. If you let him run away with that thing lost. I will lose all the cards in my hand. It is even possible that he and those behind him will pursue him to the end. I shouted with all my strength at Mr. Ly who was coughing non-stop.

“Stop him!”

“He wants to run!”

Just like the demeanor of someone who used to be a soldier. Uncle Ly responded extremely quickly. Just heard me scream. He immediately understood. Grab a crowbar from the ground. Use your sleeve to cover your nose and mouth. Without saying a word, he rushed straight towards Vuong Cuong.

"Follow me!"

“We can't let this bastard run away!”

The other workers also immediately regained consciousness. Anger towards Vuong Cuong temporarily overwhelmed fear before the fire. Everyone took the tools next to them. Chasing at the same time. And I don't stand still either. I rushed to the wall. Use all your strength to break open the sealed window. We need air. Before Vuong Cuong could be captured, everyone died of suffocation from toxic smoke. The soundproofing panels are closed so tightly that there are almost no gaps. I hit hard with my elbow. Besides the sharp pain. No effect. Right at that moment. I saw a fire ax in the corner of the wall. It is standard equipment of the building. Vuong Cuong paid no attention to it. I immediately rushed forward. Grab the ax handle. Turn around. Use all your strength to slam down on the window. The soundproofing panels crumbled. The window glass exploded. A large hole appeared. Fresh air immediately rushed in. Temporarily blew away the thick smoke around us. From downstairs came the screams of the crowd. In the distance, the sound of a fire siren is getting closer and closer. Rescue is coming. But before they arrived. I have to get what I want. I threw down the ax. Turned around and rushed deeper into the smoke-filled engine room. Uncle Ly and others struggled with Vuong Cuong. But within him lies terrifying strength. Like a crazy wild animal.