008. I Want This Kind of Luck Too!

"The emergency backup power system has been activated, and the security system is online," a robotic voice announced as the lights flickered back to life.

Black Widow smirked, stepping into the elevator without even glancing at Jiang Chen. "I'll admit, you've got some luck," she said, her tone laced with arrogance. "But sometimes, luck isn't enough."

She was seething beneath her cool exterior, desperate to win back the upper hand after feeling outplayed by Jiang Chen's unnerving calm.

From her earlier physical contact with him, she had already concluded: this man didn't know MMA, or any martial arts, for that matter. Physically, he felt like a regular person—perhaps even less impressive than the average guy.

"There are at least ten men waiting for us upstairs," Black Widow continued as the elevator ascended. "I won't have time for you later. But if you ask nicely, I might just help you."

She shot him a smug look, expecting some sign of weakness, but Jiang Chen remained calm, a faint smile tugging at his lips. His composure only served to frustrate her further.

Keep pretending you're calm, she thought, narrowing her eyes as she prepared herself.

Without hesitation, Black Widow pulled on her Widow's Bite gauntlets and, with a swift motion, ripped off the restricting skirt of her evening gown, tearing it down to her knees with a sharp rip.

"The enemy will reach the elevator entrance in five seconds," the voice from her communicator warned.

Black Widow cracked her knuckles, her body tensing as she mentally counted down:

5... 4... 3...

Ding.

The elevator doors slid open. Jiang Chen's eyes widened slightly as he saw a dozen armed men waiting outside—submachine guns, rifles, and automatic weapons pointed directly at the elevator. The flashbang that Black Widow had tossed just before the doors opened went off in a blinding flash, disorienting the men.

Before they could recover, Black Widow moved.

With the grace of a predator, she flipped out of the elevator, delivering a perfect somersault and slamming one of the men in black to the ground with a guillotine choke. As another man tried to react, she flipped into the air again, delivering a powerful kick that sent him flying.

Chaos erupted as the men tried to gather themselves, firing their weapons in confusion. But Black Widow was already using the walls, flipping and twisting behind the men, dodging every bullet.

Meanwhile, Jiang Chen stood still, watching wide-eyed as bullets whizzed past him. For a moment, he considered taking cover. But as luck would have it, the man Black Widow had knocked down earlier staggered to his feet, directly in front of Jiang Chen—just in time to take the brunt of the stray gunfire. He was riddled with bullets and dropped to the ground, shielding Jiang Chen completely.

That was close, Jiang Chen thought, his heart racing. So thrilling!

As the firefight raged, Black Widow made quick work of the remaining enemies. She snapped her Widow's Bite forward, unleashing two small discs that discharged arcs of electricity, dropping two more men in an instant.

The rest of the group finally snapped out of their confusion, realizing they were up against an elite opponent. Dropping their guns, they drew pistols and daggers, surrounding Black Widow. But she was far from done.

With lightning speed, she disarmed one man, slashing his throat with a fluid motion before using him as a human shield. She fired his pistol wildly, stunning others with her electric gauntlets as she deflected blows with precision.

Spinning low to the ground, she swept her legs out, knocking the rest of the men down. Then, with a final aerial flip, she clamped her legs around one man's neck and drove him into the ground with a sharp twist.

She stood victorious, catching her breath as she wiped her hands together in satisfaction.

Mission accomplished, she thought, pride swelling inside her. This is what real strength looks like—not luck.

Hearing gunfire behind her, she turned with a smug smile, expecting to see Jiang Chen in trouble. Instead, she was greeted by the bizarre sight of the remaining men in black standing at the elevator, frantically firing at Jiang Chen—only for their guns to jam.

Click. Click.

Another round misfired.

Finally, one bullet escaped the chamber—ping!—only to ricochet off the elevator door and strike one of the shooters.

In a matter of seconds, the men were down, felled by their own weapons.

Black Widow blinked in disbelief. She had fought tooth and nail, performing acrobatics, risking life and limb... and Jiang Chen? He just stood there, somehow emerging unscathed.

What... kind of luck is this?! Black Widow fumed internally.

With a mixture of annoyance and awe, she muttered under her breath, "I want this kind of luck too."