As Dr Harriet Brown died, she could not comprehend a lot of things. The most critical was the reality of the Apocalypse Protocol. She had heard it spoken about by drunk higher-ups during one of the casual meetings they had in the past.

They had spoken casually about how good it would be if there was a way to erase everything when things went south. In their line of business which involved a lot of shady political deals to ensure smooth operation around the world, one had to have an exit strategy.

She had thought the idea was just the product of inebriated minds.

But it seemed it was real. And they were using it against her to protect themselves. She was merely a pawn in the game to them.

Luckily, she had always been cautious.

She had never thought that they would kill her. She had always assumed that they would use her as a scapegoat if things went south.

She did not have a fancy code name, but she had made sure that she had hidden away enough information to take down the International Health Alliance.

She was not sure if her plan would succeed. But knowing that she left one last 'f u' for those old board members helped her walk into the darkness with some sense of satisfaction.

After killing Harriet Brown, Frank turned to the direction where Harriet had indicated. He could not see anyone, but he knew that a person would not disappear. He looked at the bookshelf, the mannequin and the file cabinet.

His eyes drifted from these three objects before settling on the anatomical mannequin. His lips curved in wicked amusement before shooting at the mannequin head.

As the shot hit the brain, Hu Lei rolled out of the way. She held the letter opener in her hand and threw it at Frank's head, aiming for his eye. However, Frank managed to dodge. Still, the opener hit his ear, before falling behind the couch.

Hu Lei did not give him another opportunity to shoot.

While his focus had drifted for a second, she stood from the ground and punched his chest with a flat palm. The heel of her hand landed on his lower ribs, and there was a slight cracking sound. He lost his breath for a moment.

However, he used the hand with the gun and swung it at her face. Hu Lei stepped back and the butt of the gun about to hit her face grazed her cheek, leaving a nasty bruise.

Hu Lei suppressed the pain while Frank aimed at her head again. If he fired, she would be shot at a point-blank range.

She made a split-second decision and turned, held that arm with the gun on her shoulder.

With a deep scream, she pulled on that arm and executed a shoulder throw. Since the man was much taller and heavier than her, she could not do it beautifully. His weight pulled her down with her and she landed on his chest.

However, she did not mind.

Before he could lift the hand with the gun, she bent over his body and caught both his hands with all the power in her body. The stronger right arm with the gun was difficult to keep down.

Hu Lei lifted it and hit it against the floor repeatedly, injuring the knuckles, until he let go. Once he did, she tried to dislocate both his wrists, but he hardened them.

His face still had a smile.

"You are quite strong. Why don't you come to the dark side?" He asked.

Hu Lei was trying to get out of the impasse. While she was restraining both of his hands, she could not let them go because he would probably attack her or reach for the gun. If she released him, she had to be sure that she could take him out.

"What do you think about the suggestion?" The man spoke again.

Hu Lei looked at Frank and her eyes narrowed.

"What does the dark side offer?" She asked.

"Lots and lots of thrills." The man smiled. "I can tell that you like the excitement, judging from what you did to Dr Brown."

Hu Lei smiled. "I can get all the thrills I want without being controlled by people. Been there, done that."

She suddenly released his right hand and reached for the gun. As soon as she held it in her hand, the man caught her wrist, preventing her from turning the firearm on him.

However, she was not interested in that. She fired four rounds and emptied the clip before dropping the gun. While Frank was surprised by the turn of events, she turned her left wrist and freed herself from the grip. She also released his left hand before climbing over the couch.

She propelled herself over the back of the couch and fell on the other side. Frank was a tough opponent, and he did not seem like he was in a hurry.

"You could have stalled for a little time. I'm sure someone will be here soon to rescue you, little princess." He said with a laugh as he stood up.

Hu Lei found the letter opener and clutched it in her hand.

"I also like my thrills. It's more satisfying to beat up someone with my own hands." She said as she tried to look for a good angle of attack.

"I understand that." He responded.

Hu Lei peeked from one end of the couch and she saw him taking out a small firearm from an ankle holster.

She realised why he had not been worried about losing his first firearm. He had a backup. As soon as he turned in her direction, Hu Lei did not hesitate. She did not even allow him a moment to lift his gun before aiming for his head.

This time, she did not throw the letter opener directly at his head. She allowed it to curve a little before it came back to the original trajectory.

Before Frank could figure out what had happened, the letter opener pierced his eye.

Strangely, the man still lifted his gun and shot at her.

Without a weapon and uncertain if the pierced eye would be enough to keep the man down, Hu Lei made her first responsible decision.

She decided to escape the room. There was no advantage for continuing the fight while she was the one on the losing end.

She could get reinforcements and return to finish the job.

It was not like the guy would be going anywhere after that injury. Even if his brain was not affected, he would find it difficult to get far.