Chapter 144: Watch Out

Chapter 144: Caution

Arriving at Happiness Street, Bai Zeshao looked at the chaotic scene left behind after the fierce gunfire, yet failed to find any trace of Tian Yaopeng. He couldn't help but ask the nearby police officer, "Where are the people?"

"What people?"

"Tian Yaopeng, of course! He was just one man, how could he possibly cause this much damage?" Bai Zeshao asked with a frown.

"He was rescued," the police officer said helplessly. "We had him cornered, and Tian Yaopeng had run out of bullets. But right at that moment, a military truck suddenly burst onto the scene, launching a fierce assault and rescuing him on the spot."

Bai Zeshao felt a strong urge to curse. Was this Tian Yaopeng blessed with the resilience of an immortal cockroach? Every single time, he managed to turn danger into safety. Moreover, all factions in Shanning were currently out for his blood; who on earth had rescued him?

"It looks like the Special Service Office agents went after them," Bai Zeshao noted.

"Yes."

"Listen, you're going to drive me. We're going after them too," Bai Zeshao said, glancing at his injured left arm as he gave the order to the policeman.

"Sir, as you can see, I'm still busy with the aftermath," the policeman tried to stall, having no desire to throw his life away.

"Drive," Bai Zeshao said without wasting words. He pulled out his pistol, pressed it directly against the man's head, and said coldly, "Now."

"Alright." The policeman knew better than to mess with these thugs from the Special Service Office, and coupled with Bai Zeshao's armed threat, he had no choice but to comply and start the engine.

Boom!

Right at that moment, a high-speed chase was unfolding on the streets of Shanning. Ahead, a military truck plowed forward recklessly like a tank, closely pursued by several sedans biting at its heels, while gunfire sporadically erupted between both sides.

Inside the leading military truck, an operations agent watched as the number of pursuing vehicles and enemies steadily increased. He frowned and said, "Captain, we can't keep going like this. Although we had the element of surprise, the enemy's counterattacks are getting fiercer."

"Indeed," the Captain said, frowning as well. "According to Mr. Gao's estimations, this rescue should have been very easy. Who would have thought the authorities would be so persistent this time?"

"Captain, should we throw this guy out?" the agent asked, casting a sideways glance at Tian Yaopeng inside the vehicle, probing for a reaction.

"Even if we threw him out, it would probably only buy us a little time. They would still trace our origins. After all, this is their turf, and their advantage is overwhelming. Besides, Mr. Gao's order was to rescue him. Although the situation has changed, let's just focus on escaping for now." The Captain then turned his gaze toward Tian Yaopeng.

"Heh, I may not know who this Mr. Gao you speak of is, but I still have to thank you for saving me. However, if you keep driving like this, I reckon that within half an hour, you'll be surrounded by the military, and then you'll have only a dead end left," Tian Yaopeng said with a smile.

"It seems you have a plan. Speak up. After all, as you Chinese put it, we are grasshoppers tied to the same rope," the Captain said indifferently.

"You Chinese—" Tian Yaopeng instantly caught the subtle implication in the other man's words, and his expression shifted abruptly. "You're Japanese?"

"I suppose that apart from us, no one else in Shanning would come to rescue Your Excellency," the Captain said coldly, completely unbothered by Tian Yaopeng's shock.

Tian Yaopeng fell silent. The man before him was right; given his current predicament, no one else would have come for him besides the Japanese. He had never imagined he would sink to this point, but after a brief moment of silence, he regained his composure.

After all, a miserable existence beats a noble death any day. Since Shanning could no longer accommodate him, defecting to the Japanese seemed like a reasonably good choice.

"Just follow my directions. We'll be passing an intersection ahead; take a hard right when we get there..." Tian Yaopeng said, having regained his wits.

Before he could finish, he was interrupted. "Captain, don't listen to this kid's nonsense. We scouted the area before coming; that right turn leads into a narrow alley where our truck won't possibly fit."

The Captain remained silent, merely looking at Tian Yaopeng.

"It's precisely because it won't fit that we have a chance to escape," Tian Yaopeng explained. "We'll park the truck right at the mouth of the alley to block the pursuers, and that will allow us to slip away. The far end of that alley connects to a theater—it's crowded inside, making it very easy to hide."

"Listen to him. Take a right at the intersection," the Captain instructed the driver immediately after hearing Tian Yaopeng's explanation.

Soon, the vehicle reached the intersection. The speeding truck executed a sharp right turn, leaving deep, elongated skid marks on the ground before charging straight toward the narrow alley.

Screech!

The truck came to a halt at the mouth of the alley. The men quickly bailed out, and Tian Yaopeng, bringing up the rear, planted a few grenades on the spot before finally retreating.

"Tian-kun, not bad. It seems you truly are an exceptional talent; I really like this trick," the Captain praised, watching Tian Yaopeng's handiwork.

"This is just a small trick of mine," Tian Yaopeng replied dismissively.

Afterward, they dashed on foot deep into the alley. Meanwhile, Liu Xiaobing and his men, arriving right on their heels and seeing the military truck abandoned, killed their engines as well, stepping out and advancing cautiously with raised weapons.

Coincidentally, Bai Zeshao, guided by the sound of gunfire, had also arrived at the mouth of the alley.

At that moment, under Liu Xiaobing's silent gesture, two Special Service agents surged ahead of the formation and reached the rear of the truck. Exchanging glances, one of them violently jerked open the truck's green canvas cover. Seeing the empty cargo bed, they breathed a sigh of relief.

Just as they turned around to report the situation, they heard Bai Zeshao shouting frantically at the top of his lungs, "Get down! There are bombs!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Alas, it was a step too late. The violent explosions accompanied by sweeping waves of scorching heat instantly overturned the military truck, while many of Liu Xiaobing's men trailing behind it lost their lives on the spot.

Having already run deep into the alley, Tian Yaopeng and the others heard the thunderous blasts and felt the trembling ground, prompting faint smiles to surface on their faces.

"Tian-kun, it seems your little trick worked. We should be able to make a clean escape now," the Captain said with a smile.

"Let's keep moving. The Special Service Office is probably going to lose their minds over this," Tian Yaopeng said, not daring to lower his guard. Until he was completely out of danger, he had to exercise caution above all else.

Spit!

Shaking his head, Liu Xiaobing spat out a mouthful of dirt and hauled himself up from the ground. Surveying the casualties scattered everywhere, listening to the continuous cries of agony, and smelling the stench of burning flesh, he checked his own body with a lingering sense of terror. Finding no wounds, he finally exhaled a breath of relief.

That thought made him look backward. If it hadn't been for Bai Zeshao's warning—and his own conditioned reflex to hit the dirt—he probably would have sustained at least severe injuries.

"Xiaobing, you alright?" Bai Zeshao's voice suddenly rang in his ear.