Lu Qi drew out his baton, and Li Zhong glanced around, grabbing a mop nearby. An inch longer, an inch stronger — dealing with a large snake, this seemed more reliable.
The business hall manager, Yu Li, was lying stiffly behind the counter, already fainted from fright. Around her, there was no sign of the large snake described by the staff. Lu Qi gave Li Zhong a look — snake or no snake, they needed to get her out first.
The two slowly approached, observing their surroundings as they walked. When they were about two meters away from Yu Li, they smelled an extremely foul odor. Lu Qi stopped in his tracks; he saw the large, black and yellow striped snake right beside Yu Li.
The female staff hadn't exaggerated; judging by its appearance, it should be a king rat snake, estimated to be over two meters long.
The snake also sensed their approach, warily lifting its head.
Li Zhong's hand trembled slightly as he gripped the mop, whispering, "This is too big, better call 119."
Lu Qi glanced at Li Zhong; true, it was huge, but as a police officer, needing the fire department's help to handle a king rat snake would be laughable. Besides, the snake was very close to Yu Li and could attack her at any moment.
"There's no time, save the person first. You distract it, I'll save the person."
"Me?" Li Zhong obviously disagreed with the rescue plan; distraction was essentially bait. Why was it him?
Lu Qi said, "Let's switch, give me the mop."
Li Zhong gulped, reluctantly handing over the mop.
Lu Qi took the mop and continued approaching, waving it at the king rat snake. The snake remained still; according to his knowledge, king rat snakes, also called king snakes, didn't have fangs or venom. Their common attacks were either biting or wrapping, and a king rat snake this large had strong attacking power.
It's known as the king of snakes, with a saying, "One place has king snakes, ten places have no venomous snakes."
Summoning his courage, Lu Qi advanced, swinging the mop at the snake's head. This successfully angered it, and the king rat snake began moving towards him, gradually away from Yu Li.
Seeing the opportunity, Li Zhong rushed forward, picked up Yu Li, aiming to bring her to safety immediately.
The ploy worked; however, the king rat snake suddenly darted back like lightning, giving up on Lu Qi, and its bowl-thick body wrapped around Li Zhong's ankle.
Seeing the situation turn dire, Lu Qi hastily dropped the mop and lunged forward, grabbing the snake's weak spot before it could bite Li Zhong.
A powerful force pulled Li Zhong downward, and he fell with Yu Li. Ironically, Yu Li awoke at that moment; seeing the scene, she screamed and fainted again.
Lu Qi used all his strength to grip the king rat snake, not daring to relax. Any hesitation, and its fangs would leave bloodied holes in them; even if not venomous, the risk of infection was high.
Li Zhong had to release Yu Li to pull at the snake's tail, attempting to free himself from its coil. Only when trapped can one truly grasp its strength; this snake demonstrated power far superior to an adult's.
Working together, the two gradually pried the snake's body away. At that moment, the ceiling above rumbled, and something dark fell with the collapsing ceiling panels.
Another king rat snake, though slightly smaller, landed squarely on Lu Qi's shoulder, and its wrist-thick body tightly wrapped around his neck like a rope.
The sudden constriction caused severe suffocation for Lu Qi. His face turned red from the rush of blood, filling him with regret. This was a job for professionals, not amateurs; their urgency to save led them to underestimate the scene's difficulties, and now they were in big trouble.
Although there were many onlookers outside, no one dared step in. The distance, coupled with the power outage in the hall, left the situation inside unclear.
Lu Qi even contemplated death; the king rat snake's body squeezed tighter and tighter. He could no longer breathe, golden stars danced before his eyes, and his strength was rapidly waning.
The onlookers mostly filmed with their phones, but due to distance and lighting, they couldn't capture any details.
At the critical moment, Xu Chunliang parted the crowd and entered the scene. Once inside, he raised his right hand, rhythmically opening and closing his fingers.
The king rat snake around Lu Qi's neck was attracted by the gesture, releasing its grip and moving away from Lu Qi.
The other snake wrapped around Li Zhong did the same. Both snakes seemed intimidated by Xu Chunliang's presence, ceasing all attacks but remaining nearby.
As Xu Chunliang approached, the snakes grew more cautious. The male king rat snake raised its head — a sign it might attack.
Xu Chunliang sighed inwardly; not only had he lost his Inner Strength, but even his ability to control snakes and insects had significantly weakened. In the past, snakes and insects saw him and kept respectfully at bay; now they dared to confront him.
Seeing the king rat snake flick its red tongue, Xu Chunliang's anger flared. Raising his right hand, he smacked the snake's head.
The king rat snake was stunned by the blow, not grasping what happened. Xu Chunliang smacked it again, and the two snakes were entirely subdued by his imposing manner, appearing meek and unsure.