The ascent through the elevator shaft was a grueling test of physical endurance and mental fortitude.
Every few seconds, the building would shudder—a deep groan that vibrated through the steel cables Mo Chou was desperately gripping. The sound was like the death rattle of a giant, a warning that the Phoenix Mall was going to collapse anytime.
Beside her, Liu Feng moved remarkably well, his form barely making a sound against the concrete walls. They climbed in a synchronized silence.
They reached the top floor just as a massive jolt tilted the building by another few degrees. Mo Chou kicked open the roof door, and the cold wind rushed in to meet them.
The sun was just beginning to bleed over the horizon. It would have been a beautiful sunrise if not for the thick black smoke billowing from the mall's lower levels, staining the sky with the remnants of Madam Lu's ambition.
