The piercing scream jolted everyone to their feet. Though few had drunk much, the sound instantly sobered them all.
Suddenly, the entire room trembled violently.
The robot's screen flashed red in an instant.
"Alert! Alert! Unknown lifeform invasion detected. Please evacuate immediately."
Liu Yu anxiously demanded, "What's happening outside? How do we evacuate safely?"
"Unknown lifeform intrusion," came the cold reply.
Hearing this, panic swept through the crowd like wildfire.
"Could it be the Zerg?"
"Heavens, how did the Zerg get in?"
"Hualing Research Institute is heavily fortified—did they come from underground?"
Chaos erupted.
Zhang Lin and Wang Shui remained relatively composed. Zhang Lin queried the robot, "Is it the Zerg? Have the security teams been notified?"
The robot responded, "Unknown lifeform confirmed. Security has been alerted."
Wang Shui whispered, "The Zerg are a known species. Since it's 'unknown,' it's likely not them."
Zhang Lin nodded in agreement, then sought to reassure the others. "Remain calm. The security team will arrive shortly. We will be safe."
"Right."
"Yeah, security will be here soon."
"Don't panic."
Gradually, the crowd steadied themselves.
Zhang Lin glanced at Su Xun with mild surprise. Though the youngest among them, Su Xun displayed the greatest composure.
His calmness stemmed from having Nikola commandeer the car to deliver his Iron Armor and synchronize via local network to pinpoint the monster's location.
It had appeared in the southernmost private room, the farthest point from their position. Nikola transmitted the creature's image directly into Su Xun's mind through electromagnetic waves.
At once, Su Xun recognized the beast— the Skull Lizard!
Familiar from the original world's film Kong: Skull Island, it measured between 3.65 and 28.95 meters in length, weighing 40 to 100 tons—a colossal serpentine monster with powerful limbs and a skull-like visage.
How did this creature leave Skull Island and end up here? Su Xun knew that Skull Island was indeed a real place in this world.
At that moment, the image of the Skull Lizard appeared on the robot's screen.
Zhang Lin and Wang Shui exchanged uneasy glances; their expressions betrayed a shared shock.
"Evacuate immediately! Evacuate!"
The robot issued commands, leading the way to guide them out.
"Follow me, everyone."
Zhang Lin and Wang Shui took point, the group following close behind.
They arrived at a corridor to find a nearby private room torn apart, blood staining the floor.
"Move quickly!"
Startled, the group hurried with the robot toward the exit.
A thunderous roar erupted.
Outside, a six-meter-long medium-sized Skull Lizard battered the "Sky" barbecue restaurant.
It swung its massive claws, slashing open the sturdy walls.
Security personnel had arrived, assisting staff in evacuating the crowd. The area was densely packed, limiting their ability to launch an offensive against the monster. They resorted to stun guns to distract and contain the creature within the vicinity.
"Check—are all personnel accounted for?"
By now, Zhang Lin and the others had reached the safe zone, where security officers guarded them individually.
Wang Shui began counting heads. Upon finishing, his face drained of color. "Where's Su Xun?!"
"Su Xun was just behind me!" Liu Yu spun around suddenly, only to find him missing.
"How could this happen?!"
Wang Shui's face went pale. He had proposed this meal and chosen the venue. If anything happened to Su Xun, he would bear the guilt forever.
"I'm going back to find him!"
"Wang, wait!" Liu Yu grabbed him firmly. "The monster is out there. It's too dangerous!"
Wang Shui shouted fiercely, "But Su Xun is still inside! We can't leave him behind!"
"Wang, compose yourself!" Zhang Lin stepped before him. "How do you know he's there? We were safe the entire way—he couldn't have gotten hurt."
"Then where is he?!" Wang Shui scanned the surroundings. "Su Xun, where are you, boy?!"
"Su Xun!"
"Engineer Su!"
Voices rose in desperation, yet Su Xun remained nowhere to be found.
Suddenly, Liu Yu noticed another group being escorted out by security.
"Is that Wang Xin and his crew?"
The crowd turned, confirming Wang Xin's party emerging from the very place where the monster first appeared.
Liu Yu hurried over. "Brother Xin, everyone—did anyone see Su Xun?"
No one answered.
Liu Yu studied their grim expressions and felt a sinking dread. "What's wrong with you all?"
One beside Wang Xin lifted their head. "Xiaoyan—she's still inside! Su Xun apparently ran back to save her."
"What?!"
Liu Yu's face drained of color. The little sorceress trapped inside—knowing her identity, he raced back to inform Zhang Lin and the others.
"What did you say?!"
Zhang Lin's heart leapt into his throat. Pulling out his phone, he hurriedly placed a call.
Meanwhile, Wang Xin pounded his head in anguish. "Damn it! If only I had the strength of Iron Man! Xiaoyan wouldn't be..."
"It's not your fault, Brother Xin," one companion soothed. "There was no way we could have saved her."
Yet the image of Yan Yan being flung aside by the beast haunted Wang Xin's conscience. Collapsing to his knees, he prayed fervently, Xiaoyan, please be alright!
"Attention all units: Researchers remain unaccounted for. Without confirmed locations, refrain from using weapons indiscriminately!"
"Yes!"
The security team began coordinating a rescue operation. "Prepare to deploy tear gas against the creature."
"Deploy!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
"No!" Wang Xin stormed forward, eyes blazing with fury. "Do you even know who's inside? You're trying to kill her!"
His rage reddened his eyes.
Amid his anguished cries, a security guard coldly replied, "That area's already been destroyed. Whoever's inside has likely been crushed by the Skull Lizard."
Helpless, Wang Xin watched the tear gas canisters soar through the air, sinking to the ground.
The Skull Lizard roared fiercely, its howls mingling with agonized thrashing as the gas tormented it.
With reckless abandon, it charged to break through the tear gas perimeter—only to slam into the electrified nets raised by security, ensnaring it.
Inside the collapsed building, beneath a warped steel door, Yan Yan lay curled up.
Her right arm was pinned beneath the metal, agony so searing it nearly rendered her unconscious.
She sensed her arm had gone numb and tried to shift the steel door—but it was wedged immovably between the walls.
Tear gas seeped in, and Yan Yan hastily tore a strip of cloth with her left hand to cover her mouth and nose—yet she still struggled for breath.
"Damn it... cough, cough... when I get out... cough, cough... I'll make sure Dad finds out who ordered the tear gas... cough, cough, cough!"
The relentless gas stung her eyes, forcing them shut.
Through blurred vision, a towering silver-white figure materialized before her—before she lost consciousness completely.