They had originally planned to make a huge profit—bring back as many supply boxes as possible, hopefully filling an entire truck.
But they hadn't expected to run into the Public Security Bureau.
It was one thing for the Bureau to guard the entrance of the Hollows—but to actually chase them inside? These guys clearly had too much time on their hands.
There was no other choice.
To protect the supply boxes already in the truck, Nicole had to make a call—she'd lead the team back to the city.
"Billy, we're heading back to the city."
"Boss Nicole, I don't have a map—I don't know the way…"
"Just follow me."
Without missing a beat, Nicole pulled out a map and found the fastest route out of the Hollows.
Then she turned to Soldier 11 beside her.
"Left at the next intersection, then keep going straight... Soldier 11, step on it. Don't let that patrol car catch up."
"Relax. No one can catch me."
Right then, Soldier 11 seemed like a completely different person—eyes sharp and focused, watching the road ahead while constantly checking the rearview mirror for the patrol car.
In the past, she could easily shake off a tail like this.
But now, even at top speed, the patrol car behind was still holding on tight.
It was clear—someone skilled was behind the wheel back there.
The intersection was just ahead.
Nicole urged, "Soldier 11, left turn! Come on, what are you waiting for—turn now!"
They were seconds from crashing into a roadblock.
Nekomata yelped, "We're gonna crash, meow! Turn already!"
But Soldier 11 remained calm. "Don't panic. This is the perfect chance to shake them off."
In a split second, she cranked the wheel. The SUV spun, sharply veering left.
The two left tires briefly lifted off the ground—on the verge of flipping—before Soldier 11 jerked the wheel the other way.
Bang!
The wheels slammed back down. The SUV wobbled violently, almost losing control.
But she quickly stabilized it and accelerated full speed in the direction Nicole had mapped out.
Behind them, Billy was in the truck. He didn't dare pull off that kind of stunt.
Still, the truck had clearly been modified—its power was more than double that of a normal vehicle. He quickly caught up again.
Once the truck was steady, Billy glanced in the rearview mirror.
The patrol car had been left over a hundred meters behind. Finally, he could breathe again.
...
In the patrol car, Zhu Yuan's driving was just as exceptional—she'd always ranked first in the Bureau's vehicle performance assessments.
But her style was far more composed. She'd never try a reckless move like Soldier 11's, so she had slowed at the turn.
In just seconds, the SUV and truck had pulled over a hundred meters ahead.
Zhu Yuan frowned. She hadn't expected them to be this skilled behind the wheel.
Then she glanced at Seth in the passenger seat. "Check the map..."
Seth pulled out his phone, opened the file sent earlier by HQ, zoomed in, and found their current location.
"There are no intersections for two kilometers... two kilometers ahead, there's a road deeper into the Hollows... and a bit further, one that leads back to the city..."
He quickly relayed the info to Zhu Yuan.
"Captain, do you think they'll head deeper into the Hollows or toward the city?"
"If they're not idiots, they'll head deeper. If they go to the city, the branch office can easily lock onto their location and send backup. They'd have no way out..."
Zhu Yuan actually hoped they'd head for the city.
But she figured these tunnel raiders wouldn't be that dumb. They'd probably go deeper into the Hollows and exit from the other side toward the outer ring...
Still, it was just a guess.
In the back seat, Qingyi sat calmly, sipping from a tiny teacup. A full tea set rested beside her.
"This is really good. Sam Li called it 'Chen Yu Gu Ming.' I've searched every tea market in New Eridu, and no one's even heard of it."
This tea had been a gift from Sam Li during their last encounter.
Speaking of Sam Li—this whole C41 Hollows mess was escalating. She wondered if the folks from Hare's House had gone in looking for treasure too.
Knowing that stingy boss, she wouldn't pass up such a lucrative opportunity.
Maybe they'd even run into each other down there.
Seeing Qingyi sipping tea, Seth couldn't help but protest. "Senior Qingyi, how are you still drinking tea at a time like this?"
Qingyi answered lazily, "What do you expect? I'm not driving, I'm not checking maps or contacting HQ. You want me to be your cheerleader instead? Just call me when you catch up. I'll deal with them."
Seth was speechless.
She made a good point, but it still felt weird to see her so relaxed during such an intense chase.
Suddenly, Zhu Yuan asked, "Seth, how far to the next intersection?"
Seth checked the map. "Almost there... They'll definitely head deeper into the Hollows. Captain, get ready to turn."
But moments later, he froze.
The SUV and truck ahead blew past the fork in the road—they didn't turn into the Hollows.
Before he could process it, they both made a sharp right—heading out of the Hollows.
Were they actually going to enter the city?
Seth's eyes lit up. "Captain, I just checked—the road they're on has no more forks. They're definitely leaving the Hollows."
Zhu Yuan let out a breath. "Perfect. Seth, call the branch. Have them dispatch patrol cars into the city. We'll cut them off there."
"Understood," Seth replied.
He immediately pulled out his phone and contacted HQ.
...
About ten minutes later, Zhu Yuan and Seth watched as the truck and SUV exited the Hollows. They stayed hot on their tail.
At the same time, HQ sent an update—three patrol cars had already been deployed nearby. The moment the target vehicle left the Hollows, its location would be locked in.
As they neared the Hollow's exit, Zhu Yuan instinctively eased off the gas.
Everything went dark for a moment—the scenery changed.
They had officially left C41 Hollows.