Chapter 49: A Slow Walk

Zhuo Aiguo, Ye Mo, and the chauffeur, Xiao Yu, had already exited the vehicle. Ye Mo surveyed their surroundings. Besides the man with the megaphone and two armed men flanking him, two more blocked their path from behind, and two more stood in front. A total of seven men, six armed with guns, surrounded them.

"Give us $50,000, and you can leave," the man with the megaphone demanded.

"Wasn't it $10,000 before? Why the sudden increase?" Xiao Yu asked, familiar with the situation.

The man who had stopped the BMW snarled, waving his gun, "What? Say one more word, and you're dead! I decide how much we take!"

The young man paled, complying quickly. He retrieved $50,000 from the car. The man accepted the money and waved them away. "You can go."

The young man immediately got into the car, saying, "Xiao Lei, let's go! Don't go to Flowing Snake; let's head straight back."

Xiao Lei glanced at Ye Mo and his companions, worry etched on her face. "They—" She was cut short by the young man. "They're driving a nice car; they'll have the money. Don't worry—"

He was interrupted again. "Punk, you can leave! We're keeping her for a few days. You can pick her up later. You, woman, come here!"

A gunman pointed at Xiao Lei, whose face drained of color. "Um, we already gave you the money. Please let us go—" The young man's face, which had regained some color, paled again at the prospect of leaving Xiao Lei behind.

"I'll count to five. If you're still here, I won't be so nice!" The gunman raised his weapon, interrupting the young man, and began counting down.

"Wait! I'm leaving!" The young man sped toward his Mercedes, abandoning a small bag, started the engine, and executed a rapid U-turn, fleeing before the count reached four. The open space allowed for his maneuver.

The robbers, true to their word, laughed and cleared a path for his escape. Xiao Lei remained, pale and trembling, backing toward Ye Mo's car, unable to speak for a long time.

"Your turn. Be quick and don't waste our time," the seven men closed in.

"Xiao Lei? You're journalist Xiao?!" Zhuo Aiguo exclaimed, recognizing her.

Xiao Lei turned, seeing a familiar face, though initially not recognizing him. The recognition, however, offered a small measure of comfort, and she quickly retreated behind Ye Mo, her heart pounding in fear of the looming men.

"You are?" Xiao Lei looked at Zhuo Aiguo anxiously.

"I'm Zhuo Aiguo, from Lan Ye Corporation—" He was interrupted by Xiao Lei's surprised exclamation: "You're CEO Zhuo of Lan Corp?! Zhuo Yangqing's uncle? I never expected to see you here…"

Reality crashed back down. Even Zhuo Aiguo couldn't protect her from these thugs. Her joy evaporated.

The man fixated on Xiao Lei yelled, "You two know each other? Hurry up and give me the money! Woman, come here, or I'll shoot you all! Don't blame me!"

Zhuo Aiguo composed himself. He knew Xiao Lei, a Beijing journalist who covered dangerous assignments. He wouldn't let her be taken.

"Ye Mo, any ideas?" Zhuo Aiguo knew Ye Mo could fight, but seven armed thugs were different from market thieves.

"Who are they?" Ye Mo asked calmly, seemingly ignoring the gun pointed at him.

"Mercenaries and thugs from various countries. They operate along the China-Vietnam border and beyond. They kill and rob at will," Zhuo Aiguo explained. He wouldn't have sought Ye Mo's help otherwise.

"How many?" Ye Mo asked.

"Thirteen originally, calling themselves the '13 Turbos.' A gang fight left only seven. They mostly want money, but will kill if defied. They rarely take women, especially not one like her…" The chauffeur, more familiar with the area, replied, glancing at Xiao Lei. His unspoken question hung in the air: Why is someone like you here?

Ye Mo nodded. "Boss Zhuo, leave this to me. You three, get in the car."

"Wasting our time! Yang Pi, kill one!" The man with the megaphone was impatient. Before he finished, a gunshot rang out—aimed at Ye Mo.

In a blur of motion, Ye Mo jumped, kicking the gunman in the face, silencing him instantly. Two more men fell before Ye Mo's swift strikes. He then kicked the guns from two other assailants' hands, using them to knock out two more men behind Zhuo Aiguo. The remaining two raised their weapons to fire.

"Bang! Bang!" Two more shots rang out. Then a "crack"—Ye Mo had disarmed them by breaking their wrists. He avoided killing them, fearing repercussions from the journalist. Zhuo Aiguo watched in stunned silence. This wasn't a fight; it was a display of superior skill.

The driver was equally amazed. Xiao Lei, initially terrified, watched with fascination. She’d never seen such refined martial arts, a pity she couldn't film it. Gratitude washed over her, replacing her fear. She resolved to be less impulsive in the future.

Thinking of Wang Qianjun's earlier escape, she sighed. True character revealed itself in times of crisis, and Zhuo Aiguo was far superior to the handsome but cowardly Wang.

With a final thud, Ye Mo sent another thug flying with a powerful kick to the stomach.