You Mingxu never expected such a mishap on the road—an ambush and shootout with a gang. She didn’t know whether it would turn out to be a blessing or a curse for her mission. All she could do was wait and see, while keeping an eye on Luo Yu beside her. If they were overpowered and faced death before even starting their mission, she would seize Luo Yu’s gun. Alone, escaping to save her life shouldn’t be difficult.
You Mingxu had only seen Luo Yu fire one shot to kill Ahua, but she hadn’t expected his marksmanship to be this good. With five or six opponents, he took them all down with a single shot each. Gradually, their side gained the upper hand. Huang Long and Guo Feirong were also ruthless characters; even when their men were shot, they didn’t so much as frown, continuing to press forward with suppressing fire toward the enemy.
Seeing the situation turning against them, the Xiangtan Lao realized they couldn’t succeed. The remaining few jumped into their cars and sped away. Huang Long, his eyes red with rage, was about to order his men to pursue when Luo Yu shouted, “Stop!”
Guo Feirong, having calmed down, pressed Huang Long’s shoulder and said, “Don’t delay our main task. We’ll report to the boss and settle the score with them later.”
Huang Long glared darkly ahead as the Xiangtan Lao quickly disappeared from sight. In the end, he didn’t insist.
Their plan had clearly been disrupted. Of the thirty or so men they had brought, half were dead or injured. Luo Yu pondered for a moment before quickly issuing orders: Divide the men into groups—one to clean up the mess. They couldn’t leave the bodies lying on the road for the police to discover, or the deal would fall through. Huang Long was furious about this: attacked by the Xiangtan Lao, yet having to clean up after them. He vented his anger by stabbing the enemy corpses multiple times.
The others helped the injured brothers into the cars and found a nearby place to treat their wounds. It was already dark, so it made sense to find a place to rest and continue the journey tomorrow. Fortunately, they had a doctor accompanying them, who hurriedly tended to everyone’s injuries.
Soon, they found a few abandoned, ownerless old houses on a mountain far from the highway and settled in.
You Mingxu observed the entire process silently, without doing anything unnecessary. After all, she wanted the deal to proceed smoothly and the arrest to happen on-site even more than they did.
By the time everything was settled and Luo Yu had finished handling the aftermath, it was past eight in the evening. You Mingxu stayed in one room and soon saw Luo Yu enter, holding two boxes of instant noodles he had prepared.
You Mingxu naturally wouldn’t refuse food. She took one box and ate without looking up. Luo Yu sat down beside her. He still had bloodstains on him—all from others—and quickly finished his noodles.
Before You Mingxu could put down her bowl, he took it and tossed both boxes outside. She watched his figure but said nothing.
He seemed somewhat tired. Returning to the room, which only had a dilapidated bed and two stools, he sat on a stool and lit a cigarette.
You Mingxu said, “Give me one.”
He flicked one to her. You Mingxu placed it between her lips, and he picked up a lighter to light it for her. She didn’t even flinch, letting him light it before leaning against the wall and slowly smoking.
“What happened?” she asked.
Luo Yu only vaguely replied, “The Xiangtan Lao have had a grudge against us for a long time, trying to steal our business. But they need the capability to succeed.”
You Mingxu sneered, the scene of their lawless shootout flashing in her mind, and said, “You all deserve to die.”
Luo Yu wasn’t the least bit angry and replied with a smile, “Yeah, we all deserve to die.”
Both fell silent for a moment before Luo Yu said, “How about a deal?”You Mingxu looked at him.
He smiled and said, "I'm going for a big score this time. If I succeed, even Xing Jifu will have to look at me with new respect. If I fail, I'll probably pay with my life. It seems the risks on this trip are even greater than I anticipated. If I don't make it, I'd appreciate if you could collect my body. The condition is that as long as you behave during this journey, I won't lay a hand on you."
That strange feeling surged in You Mingxu's heart again. She always felt that even now, Luo Yu remained an enigma to her. She couldn't see through his motives, couldn't understand his occasional silences and his decision to spare her.
"What if you succeed?" You Mingxu asked.
Luo Yu laughed heartily: "If I succeed, everything will be mine, including you. I can do whatever I want with you, what more is there to say?"
You Mingxu: "In your dreams!"
He reached out to pat her face, but she avoided his touch. Unbothered, he said, "Whether it's a dream or not, you'll find out soon enough."
Luo Yu walked out of the room. Below the farmhouse stretched patches of wasteland, with silent distant mountains. Almost no lights shone in these deep mountains. A light rain began to fall from the sky, creating a tranquil atmosphere. From the surrounding houses came the moans of injured brothers and the sound of conversations.
He stood silently for a long while, letting the fine rain spray his face, feeling an unexpected comfort and relaxation.
His phone rang.
When he saw the caller ID, his heart skipped a beat - it was Xing Jifu calling.
This wasn't normal.
This deal was so important that Xing Jifu had sent all three of them. Though he hadn't shown himself, he had also come to Guizhou, operating remotely without directly participating in the transaction or making appearances.
Not just him, Xing Yanjun had come too. They had all traveled separately. Xing Jifu was clearly thinking about retirement. While he wouldn't let Xing Yanjun get directly involved in these affairs, the Crown Prince would ultimately become their new boss in the future. Xing Jifu probably wanted his son to be prepared in advance.
Earlier, when trouble occurred on Luo Yu's end, he had called Xing Jifu to report as soon as they settled in the farmhouse. Though surprised, Xing Jifu hadn't said much, agreeing with their assessment that Xiangtan Lao's account would be settled later, while emphasizing they should remain vigilant and focus on the deal.
During previous transactions, Xing Jifu rarely initiated contact with them. Why was he calling again now?
Luo Yu answered with a respectful tone: "Boss."
Xing Jifu's voice held a rare note of urgency: "Luo Yu, Yanjun's in trouble. He also encountered Xiangtan Lao and got injured. His current location is very close to yours."
Luo Yu paused for a moment before saying, "I'll contact him immediately."
Xing Jifu said, "Take good care of Yanjun. Have him return to Hunan first thing tomorrow morning. Hmph, Xiangtan Lao - I want them dead."
It had been years since Luo Yu had seen Xing Jifu this angry, and a chill ran through him. After hanging up, he immediately gathered several men, contacted Xing Yanjun, and rushed to the roadside to provide assistance.
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