Zhuo Aiguo had already gotten out of the car, and Ye Mo and the driver Xiao Yu followed suit. Ye Mo glanced around: besides the man who had been shouting and the two armed men beside him, there were two more blocking the path behind them, making a total of seven bandits. Six of them were armed.
"Pay fifty thousand yuan, then you can pass," the burly man with the megaphone continued to shout.
"Wasn't it supposed to be just ten thousand before? Why suddenly fifty thousand?" Xiao Yu, familiar with such dealings, quickly asked.
"Shut up or I'll shoot you. How much to take, that's my decision," snarled the man who had been blocking the BMW ahead, raising his gun arrogantly.
"Alright, alright, I have the money. Fifty thousand, I'll get it for you right now," said a pale-faced young man, clearly frightened. He quickly got back in his car and took out the money.
The man took the cash, waved his gun dismissively, and said, "Go."
The tall young man hurried back into the car. "Xiao Lei, let's go. Forget about Lieshe Town, let's just go back."
The woman called Xiao Lei glanced back at Ye Mo and the others, worry flashing across her face. She barely said the word "they" before being cut off.
"They drive such nice cars. They definitely have the money. Don't worry," the tall young man said confidently.
But before he finished, someone interrupted: "Kid, you go on ahead. We'll keep this woman for a few days, you come pick her up later. You—come here," said one of the armed men, pointing at Xiao Lei.
At the pointed finger, Xiao Lei's face drained of color.
"I've already paid you, please be merciful and let us go," the tall man pleaded, his face darkening again when he heard they planned to keep Xiao Lei.
"I'll count to five. If you're still here, don't blame me for being rude," the armed man threatened coldly, raising his gun and starting to count.
"No, I'm leaving!" The young man suddenly dashed back into the Mercedes, threw down a small bag, quickly started the engine, and made a sharp U-turn to escape, even though the gunman had only counted to four. Luckily, the open terrain gave him the space to flee.
The bandits laughed, sticking to their word by letting him go.
Xiao Lei's face was ashen, her lips trembling as she silently backed up until she stood beside Ye Mo's Audi.
"Your turn. Hurry up and pay so we don't waste our fun," the seven bandits closed in around Ye Mo and his group.
"Xiao Lei, you're the reporter Xiao?" Zhuo Aiguo recognized the woman and called out.
Xiao Lei turned and saw Zhuo Aiguo. Though she didn't know him personally, she recognized him and immediately stepped behind Ye Mo as if finding some protection. The intimidating men glaring at her chilled her to the bone.
"Who are you?" Xiao Lei asked nervously, eyeing Zhuo.
"I'm Zhuo Aiguo, from the Lan Ye Group," he replied.
Before he finished, Xiao Lei's eyes lit up. "You're the Lan Ye boss, Uncle Zhuo Yingqing's third uncle! I didn't expect to see you here!"
Her excitement quickly faded as she remembered her precarious situation. Even with Zhuo there, he couldn't protect her from these bandits. Her hope sank again.
"Didn't expect to see a familiar face here. Hurry up and pay, or I'll shoot you all down. Don't blame me for breaking the rules," the man holding the gun and eyeing Xiao Lei barked.
Zhuo calmed himself. He knew Xiao Lei was a well-known reporter in Yanjing, specializing in front-line dangerous stories. Whether or not she knew his niece Yingqing, he couldn't stand to see a woman he recognized dragged away by thugs.
"Ye Mo, what's your plan?" Zhuo asked. Though Ye Mo was capable, facing seven armed desperados was no trivial matter.
"Who are these people?" Ye Mo asked calmly, seemingly unfazed by the gun barrel pointed at him.
"They're domestic and foreign fugitives from China, Vietnam, and other countries. They prowl along the borders, killing at the slightest provocation but mainly after money," Zhuo explained.
"How many in total?" Ye Mo asked again.
"Thirteen originally—the 'Thirteen Protectors.' Six were killed in a gang fight recently. Now it's just these seven. Usually, they want money. If you don't cooperate, they kill immediately. They rarely abduct women, but this place seldom sees decent women anyway," Xiao Yu added, glancing at Xiao Lei, unspoken thoughts clear to everyone.
Ye Mo nodded. "Zhuo, leave this to me. You three get back in the car."
"Damn it, stop dawdling! Shoot one of them first!" The man with the megaphone grew impatient as Ye Mo's group discussed.
"Bang!" Before he finished, a man nearby fired a shot.
It was obvious the shooter agreed with the megaphone man: kill first. The target was Ye Mo.
At the gunshot, Ye Mo leapt, delivering a powerful kick to the shooter's face. The man didn't even grunt before collapsing. Two others, including the megaphone man, fell too, but Ye Mo remained unscathed.
He launched a flurry of kicks at three men. Before landing, he mimicked Wen Dong's tactic—kicking the rifles from the hands of two gunmen. The guns flew overhead, striking two men behind Zhuo and knocking them unconscious.
The remaining two immediately raised their weapons to fire.
"Bang! Bang!" Two shots rang out.
"Crack! Crack!" Two more sounds.
Zhuo and others, shaken, realized Ye Mo had caught the gun barrels mid-shot and smashed their wrists.
Ye Mo chose not to kill in front of the reporter, avoiding serious harm that might lead to gossip. Otherwise, a few iron nails would have quickly ended the threat.
Zhuo stared dumbfounded. He knew Ye Mo was strong but never expected this level. Dodging the first bullet and effortlessly taking down six men with guns was more performance than fight.
Xiao Yu's jaw dropped in disbelief. This seemingly harmless young man was a hidden powerhouse.
Xiao Lei, awestruck, watched excitedly. This was like an action movie. She forgot her earlier terror, instead feeling grateful to Ye Mo for saving her from a fate worse than death. She silently vowed never to be so reckless again.
Thinking of the fleeing Wang Qianjun, she sighed. True character only shows in danger. Even Zhuo was far stronger than the handsome but cowardly Wang.
"Bang!" Ye Mo kicked another bandit in the stomach, sending him flying several meters and knocking him unconscious on the ground.