Chapter 23: Escape
At that moment, the hosts on the helicopter broadcasting the rooftop scene all seemed to have discovered something.
Suddenly, their faces changed drastically, and they shouted in unison: "The whole building is shaking!"
"No, the whole building is tilting, or rather..."
Citizens watching on TV already knew what the hosts were trying to convey from the third-person perspective broadcast:
"It's collapsing! The whole building is collapsing to one side!"
As everyone watched, the building crumbled from the bottom up, and the scattered debris fell with immense force, causing the surrounding ground to tremble.
The police helicopter, which had been hovering near the building's edge, moved away from the collapsing structure under the pilot's control!
Seeing the building tilt from the explosion, Director George Stacy leaned helplessly against the cabin, his eyes glazed over, and he murmured in a low voice:
"This is impossible… What am I supposed to do…"
Faced with a scene that resembled a natural disaster, Yang Xu was completely disoriented.
He understood why the Joker would commit suicide, but he hadn't anticipated such a catastrophic aftermath!
The thunderous roar caused by the building's collapse snapped Yang Xu out of his daze.
His instincts screamed at him that if he didn't act, he would die!
Yang Xu regained his composure and struggled to maintain his balance on the tilting rooftop.
He knew the building wouldn't hold much longer and immediate action was crucial.
Realizing he had no choice, Yang Xu quickly scanned the distant helicopters and nearby buildings, making a swift assessment:
"My only chance of survival is that."
He saw an adjacent building, shorter than the Times Building, and in the same direction it was collapsing.
If he could use the collapsing building's momentum to leap to the opposite rooftop, he might escape unharmed.
Knowing he had no other option, Yang Xu made a quick decision.
A sudden surge of focus, a byproduct of the "John Wick" lottery pull, sharpened his senses, and his muscles tensed, like a high-performance machine entering its preheat phase.
While stabilizing himself, Yang Xu retreated until his back was against the roof's edge.
His strange behavior caught the attention of some reporters covering the disaster: "What is he trying to do?"
Yang Xu's next move left them speechless.
He took a deep breath and suddenly sprinted forward!
He moved like a cheetah, covering the distance across the rooftop at incredible speed.
Reaching the edge, Yang Xu pushed off the ground with his right foot.
Just before the building completely collapsed, he launched himself into the air like a giant bird.
He traced a perfect parabola, flying towards the opposite rooftop!
At that moment, both the reporters and the live audience were stunned. This was beyond their wildest expectations.
Yang Xu flew through the air, his eyes fixed on the opposite rooftop.
He moved his hands and feet, trying to add momentum to his flight. It was as if some movie scene was happening, the kind of movement he had only seen in action films, the byproduct of some lucky lottery pull.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Yang Xu traversed the three-meter gap like a stunt movie protagonist.
After a few seconds, he felt his feet touch the hard concrete.
He performed a tactical roll to absorb the impact.
"Yeah!"
The reporters and spectators cheered, as if they were part of the feat.
Then, they remembered that the escaped man and his clown gang were criminals.
Immediately, curses and spitting sounds erupted from their mouths.
Of course, Yang Xu was unaware of this. He staggered to his feet, using one hand for support.
Although he had absorbed most of the impact, his legs still throbbed with pain.
Before he could catch his breath, another violent tremor shook the ground, almost causing him to fall.
After barely regaining his balance, Yang Xu realized the collapsed New York Times building had struck this building with a dull thud.
Glass shards, bricks, and dust flew everywhere, falling like rain.
Citizens and tourists in New York's Times Square screamed and scattered in panic.
They fled in all directions, dodging the falling debris and glass.
Some collapsed in fear, while others ran desperately, seeking shelter.
Chaos reigned in the streets, with vehicles colliding and traffic completely paralyzed.
People rushed into nearby buildings, seeking refuge.
Some hid in shops, while others took cover in corners, covering their heads and trembling.
"Boom!"
After a deafening crash, the building's main structure hit the ground.
Dust and gravel filled the air, creating an apocalyptic scene.
The massive impact caused the ground to shake violently, surrounding buildings trembled, and glass shattered.
Even the building he had just landed on shook continuously.
Yang Xu didn't dare to linger on the unstable rooftop.
The lock clicked open with surprising ease, as if the gun had been perfectly suited for the task, perhaps another unexpected bonus from a recent lottery draw. He then ran downstairs.
Using his phone's light, Yang Xu carefully navigated the fire escape.
He avoided loose stairs and falling debris!
Fortunately, he dodged a collapsing ceiling, jumped over a broken staircase, and reached the first-floor exit.
Emerging, Yang Xu saw the once-towering building reduced to ruins.
All that remained were twisted steel and broken concrete.
Thick smoke and dust obscured the scene.
Using the smoke and dust as cover, Yang Xu activated another lottery result, shifting his appearance and demeanor to "Binbin," blending into the chaos, and quickly left.
Shortly after he departed, numerous police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks arrived.
The live broadcast helicopter landed and took over the disaster relief coverage.
Director George Stacy glanced resentfully at the blacked-out electronic screens.
He then angrily directed officers to establish an isolation zone and assist in the rescue.
He also ordered them to try and capture the accomplice, "John Wick," to redeem his mistake.
But that was a futile hope; Yang Xu had already escaped.
As the rescue operation began, this event, reminiscent of the 9/11 attacks, came to an end!