Chapter 113: Night Skirmish

"Brother Nine, it's Ye Fei," one of the security guards shouted.

"Damn it! Fight them! Everyone, scatter and run!" Brother Nine roared, his eyes turning bloodshot as he saw Ye Fei and his team blocking their path.

Ye Fei scanned the group of guards, but failing to spot Sha Qiang, he said in a low, sharp voice, "Finish this quickly. Sha Qiang has already fled, and the security company's people are likely already on the move."

"Haha, Brother Qiang and the others are already gone! Ye Fei, you'll never catch them, ha-ha—" Brother Nine laughed wildly.

Ye Fei lunged toward him. A flash of cold light flickered in his hand, and he plunged it into Brother Nine’s shoulders, leaving two bloody holes. With a swift twist, he crippled the man's legs and kicked him, sending him crashing heavily against the wall.

"You're at death's door, yet you still don't know when to quit," Ye Fei said coldly after disabling him.

The remaining guards were seized with terror. Ye Fei’s methods were ruthless; he turned men into cripples in an instant. No one was immune to the fear.

But fear was useless. For the wrongs they had committed, these six men would make them pay tonight.

There were over twenty guards in total, but within six minutes, they were all sprawled on the ground, none able to stand. To prevent them from causing further harm, Ye Fei and his team had disabled them on the spot. Since they had no time to stand guard, they simply rendered the thugs immobile and left them to wait for the police.

Time was of the essence. Ye Fei took the driver's seat, and as soon as the other five climbed in, he floored the accelerator, the car shooting forward like an arrow from a bowstring.

"Ye Fei, were you a professional racer?" Li Guozhong asked. Ye Fei’s driving skills were truly exceptional, no less than those of a top-tier racer.

"I practiced a bit. I once joined an international racing tournament for a mission and took second place," Ye Fei said indifferently.

*Damn,* "practiced a bit" and took second place in an international tournament? Li Guozhong and the others grumbled inwardly. They had all undergone rigorous training, including driving, but even after that, they couldn't compare to true professionals. If Ye Fei wasn't bragging, he was truly formidable.

As for running red lights and speeding through the downtown area, Li Guozhong made a single phone call, and the traffic police who had been pursuing them vanished.

However, as they neared the security company's headquarters, the road ahead was blocked by several vehicles.

"It's them," Li Guozhong said.

"Leave the old man in the green shirt to me; you handle the rest," Ye Fei commanded.

Before he could finish, a sudden chill ran down his spine. Ye Fei jerked the steering wheel, sending the car into a drift.

*Screech—*

*Bang—*

Before the piercing sound of tires against asphalt had even faded, the six men heard a gunshot. A bullet shattered the window and grazed the seat, though fortunately, no one was hit.

"It's an ambush! Get out and find cover!" Ye Fei shouted. Reacting with lightning speed, all six pushed their doors open and rolled out of the car.

If not for that drift, the bullet would have struck Ye Fei.

Fortunately, this was a remote area; otherwise, the attackers wouldn't have dared to ambush them so brazenly with gunfire. Because it was an isolated place littered with weeds, trash, and discarded junk, Ye Fei and his team quickly found cover, no longer worried about being sitting ducks.

However, the opposition seemed well-prepared. Every time Ye Fei or his men dared to peek out, shots rang out immediately.

Thankfully, the attackers didn't dare use heavy weaponry in the city, or Ye Fei’s team would have been in serious trouble.

Ye Fei hid behind a large boulder and drew his pistol. He took aim and fired at the abandoned car, hitting the gas tank. The vehicle exploded with a deafening roar, sending flames shooting into the sky. The area was instantly illuminated. Ye Fei had been waiting for this moment; as everyone's attention shifted and their eyes squinted against the sudden glare in the darkness, Ye Fei and the five others lunged out, quickly shifting to new cover.

"Watch out! They’re moving while we're distracted! Everyone stay alert!" the long-haired man shouted.

*Bang—*

Ye Fei identified the sound and fired a shot in that direction. Though it was a hasty, casual shot, it struck the ground right at the long-haired man's feet.

Even so, it terrified everyone. The long-haired man was shocked; that kid hadn't even poked his head out, yet he’d nearly landed a shot just by sound.

"Keep them suppressed! Whether we kill them or not, we need to leave immediately," the old man in the green shirt commanded. The explosion had already drawn the attention of the police, who would surely arrive soon.

*Click-clack...*

*Bang-bang—*

The two sides remained in a stalemate. While the old man’s group couldn't kill Ye Fei’s team, they held the advantage and kept the six suppressed, allowing for only an occasional return shot.

When the sirens of police cars finally echoed in the distance, the old man and his cohorts scrambled into their vehicles and fled.

"It seems Old Cui's operation was leaked. These people weren't here to kill us; they were mainly buying time for the security company to escape," Li Guozhong remarked.

Ye Fei looked at the flashing lights approaching behind them. "You’d better go deal with the police. Our car is wrecked—just 'borrow' one of theirs."

A large group of police officers approached, nervously pointing their guns at them. Li Guozhong produced a Ministry of State Security ID, which settled the matter, and they commandeered a police cruiser.

*The Ministry of State Security...* Ye Fei thought to himself, *It seems Cui Yanwu isn't just a simple task force captain. I wonder what his true standing is within the Ministry.*

"Shenhai police, immediately coordinate with my mission. Seal all exit points of the city and verify the identity of everyone leaving," Li Guozhong ordered. Since the operation was compromised, there was no need for secrecy anymore.

After handling the situation, the six left in the police car, with the local officers following to assist in the arrests.

The security company’s headquarters stood in the night like a crouching beast.

Sha Qiang, Brother Hua, and other key members were still inside, having not yet departed.

"Brother Hua, aren't we leaving yet?" Sha Qiang asked.

"Don't worry. Everything is prepared. It won't be that easy to catch us in Shenhai. It's a shame we can't take all this weaponry with us, but since we can't stay in the country anymore, let's give Ye Fei a big gift before we go," Brother Hua said.

Just then, a man walked in. "Brother Hua, the women Ye Fei was protecting are gone. Rumor has it Zhang Linsheng took them."

"Zhang Linsheng... opposing me? I'll make him pay sooner or later," Brother Hua growled.

"Brother Hua, why don't we just blow up their headquarters building? We're heading abroad anyway; they won't be able to touch us," Sha Qiang suggested viciously.

"No, the repercussions would be too great. It would cause mass panic. If the high-level officials in China issue a kill order, neither we nor our benefactors will have a good end. Remember, don't just act for a moment's pleasure; consider the consequences. Some things might be satisfying to retaliate against, but the fallout is more than we can bear," Brother Hua said heavily.

Sha Qiang quickly nodded in agreement.

"Brother Hua, Old Green and his men say Ye Fei has arrived," a subordinate reported.

"Good. I knew they couldn't kill Ye Fei. Hmph, everyone has their own agenda; they just didn't want to get involved in this mess. Shunzi, tell the boys to get ready. Let's give Ye Fei a big surprise," Brother Hua sneered.

"Sha Qiang, Leopard, let's go," Brother Hua laughed.

The three walked toward the armory.

*Boom—* The doors swung open to reveal a massive display of weaponry, from pistols and submachine guns to sniper rifles, grenades, and explosives.

This was a full-blown arsenal, far exceeding the standard equipment permitted for security companies. All of it had been smuggled in under the guise of security business, with local officials turning a blind eye. This was the same source that had provided the weapons for the kidnapping of Zhang Xiaoxiao.

Those kidnappers were actually Brother Hua's former subordinates from before he founded the security company. Once he realized the benefits of "whitewashing" his image, he had led his men to transform into a legitimate firm.

When Brother Hua’s company aligned with Fang Tingfang’s faction, they joined forces to reach into the Yingde Private School. However, there are no secrets in this world. Another school board member, Rong Gui, eventually discovered their activities and, along with Lu Weiming of the Ming Gang, muscled in for a cut of the profits. Unfortunately for them, they had barely gotten involved before everything fell apart, dragging them into the disaster as well.