“Three, four, five, six, seven…”
Gao Yi silently counted in his heart, and when he reached seven, he released his perfected rear naked choke, letting the unconscious red-haired woman slide to the ground.
This jiu-jitsu technique uses both forearm muscles and biceps simultaneously to tightly constrict the opponent's neck.
With very little force, it can achieve the effect of subduing an enemy by compressing the carotid artery and blocking blood flow.
To defend himself, Gao Yi had specifically asked professionals which martial art technique could most quickly improve his combat effectiveness.
After weighing his options, jiu-jitsu became his choice.
Although he had only received a little over a year of training, and his body had turned into a female's due to the 【Mist Mask】, in the correct posture, a five-second rear naked choke was enough to render an opponent unconscious, and a little over ten seconds would lead to shock.
Because of this, Gao Yi counted to seven before releasing the red-haired woman.
Amidst a string of curses coming from the earpiece, he conveniently turned off its intercom device.
Gao Yi stood up, leaving the unconscious red-haired woman in a large pile of cotton batting.
“She should be fine here, right…?”
Muttering to himself, Gao Yi took off the glasses from her face.
Just holding them in his hand, a strange sensation flooded his mind.
Clearly, this was indeed an item—an item that could be used at this point in time.
Without much thought, Gao Yi put the item, named 【Enemy-Seeking Glasses】, into his wrist pouch, planning to examine it later.
He did not kill her; firstly, the other party had not really done anything to him yet, and secondly, if someone died, the nature of the situation would change.
Whether it was the potential loss of control from her accomplices or the subsequent investigation by the Investigation Bureau, both would become extra trouble.
Of course, after all was said and done, Gao Yi had never truly “killed anyone” in his life.
He also lacked the basic psychological preparation for such a thing.
What, you mean the villain in the 【Heart Demon Mist】?
That “person” was not a physical entity, and Gao Yi, wielding an 【Inflatable Giant Hammer】, truly had no intention of killing; he was just venting his anger.
Taking a deep breath, Gao Yi quickly exited the “Exclusive Doll Manufacturing Area” through another pre-planned passage, re-entering the spacious “Children’s Playground.”
He paused slightly, tilting his head. The red-haired woman’s accomplices were now unable to hold back, accelerating from the entrance towards the area they had just left.
Outside, the Investigation Bureau agents were also quickening their movements, approaching this direction.
It seemed they had finally made ample preparations and received their orders.
Looking down at his phone, it was now 8:48 PM.
Not much time left; he needed to plan an escape route…
Just as Gao Yi was quickly observing possible escape routes, another anomaly occurred.
The sound of wheels rapidly approaching grew louder. When he turned around, the skinny man among the four had already caught up.
This speed completely exceeded Gao Yi’s expectations. Looking down, he saw the man was wearing a pair of blue roller skates with a cute cartoon seal drawn on them.
He immediately spotted Gao Yi, but when he turned his head and didn’t see his accomplice, his eyes instantly widened, and he roared:
“Cuihua was clearly following you just now! What did you do to Cuihua?!”
What a rustic name. Was that red-haired woman really named Cuihua…
He complained in his heart, but his words couldn't stop:
“You mean that red-haired woman?” Gao Yi raised an eyebrow slightly, stroked his chin, and looked up, feigning thought for a few seconds.
Since he was currently in a female form, this action looked quite provocative. After a few seconds’ pause, he slowly added:
“Who knows?”
Responding to an enraged person with such words could easily lead to an irrational enemy.
The skinny man clearly lost his composure. He suddenly pulled a long-handled stiletto from his waistband with his right hand, and with a quick alternation of his feet on the ground, he accelerated towards Gao Yi on his roller skates.
The speed of the roller skates went from slow to fast, instantly rushing towards Gao Yi with an unstoppable momentum. The stiletto turned into a blur, making the skinny man look like a medieval cavalryman.
A knife!
Gao Yi was not entirely unprepared for the enemy having a weapon, but seeing it in person still made him nervous.
He himself didn't want to carry a weapon, but for an investigative journalist who often operated in gray areas, after various illegal infiltrations and trespassing on private property, he already had to deal with quite a few security guards and police officers.
Empty-handed, he could still argue, but if he carried any lethal weapons, the nature of the situation would change.
Therefore, in most cases, Gao Yi would not carry weapons with him.
Similarly, this was why he practiced and learned unarmed combat techniques.
But when facing an armed enemy, Gao Yi couldn't help but regret not bringing any self-defense weapons.
A famous Muay Thai boxer once said: “Between unarmed and armed, there is a high wall.”
Even someone as strong as Tyson would need to be extremely vigilant when facing an armed robber.
And for someone of Gao Yi's skill level, the only option when facing an armed enemy was to run.
Moreover, the opponent was also wearing roller skates that clearly belonged to special equipment.
But on the other hand, this battle was not a conventional street brawl but closer to an “ability war.”
He had to break free from conventional thinking and look for a weakness!
The distance between them was not too far to begin with. The twenty-meter-plus stretch was covered before the opponent could even complete his acceleration, already closing in.
But Gao Yi, who had been forewarned, reacted faster. Facing an attack that could cause serious injury or even be fatal, he did not hesitate or hold back.
In an instant, he pressed the circular ornament in the center of the 【Stunt Belt】, activating its active effect.
【Unleash the body's potential for three minutes, greatly enhancing the wearer's agility.】
His body instantly accelerated. Gao Yi dove forward, followed by a front roll, pulling away to the side.
Behind him, the skinny man on roller skates sped past. He leaned slightly, half-crouching, extending his long knife to its maximum reach, relying on speed to swing the blade.
The blade flashed with a silver light, narrowly missing Gao Yi's clothes.
That was close. If not for the agility boost from the 【Stunt Belt】, that knife would have cut him.
The effect of the 【Mist Mask】 was actually an illusion, not a true transformation.
Although it hadn't been tested, it was unlikely that his original body would remain unharmed if he were injured in his current state.
Nevertheless, the most dangerous first strike had been dodged, and Gao Yi had once again bought himself time to react.
But on the other side, the skinny man's movements didn't stop at all. He put his feet sideways, making a sudden stop with sparks flying, and turned around, looking ready to charge again.
It was clear he had trained specifically for this equipment.
No, this wide-open terrain was too disadvantageous for him.
Looking up, Gao Yi, who had reached the center of the road, instantly made a decision and charged forward again.
That was another area of the Children's Playground, “Building Block Paradise.”
....................
