He knew they were very close to the border, and there was a US Military base in Afghanistan.
He didn't believe that a big shot like Tony Stark wouldn't have military support. Once they reached the border, it meant they would forever lose Tony Stark, this mobile, walking super-arsenal.
So, upon hearing that there was no one left here, his first reaction was that they had started retreating the moment he moved.
He immediately ordered everyone to pursue towards the northwest.
As for Qin Xiao, after delaying for more than ten minutes, he really wanted to call and ask if Tony and the others had escaped the danger.
Unfortunately, the satellite phone Black Widow had left behind was hit by a bullet on the ground, he didn't know when.
It should have been when the two cars in front of them had fired a few scattered shots this way.
"Damn it!"
Qin Xiao gritted his teeth, and since he was already helping, he decided to see it through to the end. He got into an SUV and floored it, chasing after them in a northwesterly direction.
Let's look at Bearded Man's side first. He received a report from his subordinates.
A group of vehicles were speeding away towards the northwest.
After driving for four or five minutes, Bearded Man's phone rang again.
He didn't know who was calling this time. After answering the phone, Bearded Man's expression turned serious.
He spoke directly into the walkie-talkie.
"Retreat! The target has already been taken away by the US Military. Retreat immediately!"
In the desert, a dozen or so vehicles turned around simultaneously, beginning to retreat along the path they had come.
As for Qin Xiao, although he heard the words from the car intercom, they were speaking in some kind of Arabic language.
Qin Xiao didn't understand a single word.
Fortunately, the system's prompt rang out just in time.
"Congratulations to the host, the task of saving Tony Stark has been completed, reward 1000 points."
"Congratulations to the host, you have befriended the first generation of Avengers Hawkeye and left a deep impression on him, gaining 500 points."
"Congratulations to the host, Black Widow's favorability towards you has greatly increased, gaining 200 points."
"Congratulations to the host, Iron Man's favorability towards you has greatly increased, gaining 200 points."
"Congratulations, Host, Hawkeye's favorability towards you has greatly increased, gaining 100 points."
Notifications kept popping up. He had completed the mission, and unexpectedly, getting closer to a key figure also earned him points. This should be considered a hidden reward.
They had been through thick and thin together, and sure enough, this was a fast way to increase favorability.
Qin Xiao just didn't know why Hawkeye only gave him 100 points. Was it because they weren't as familiar, or was it because Hawkeye's presence was relatively weak?
However, Qin Xiao didn't have time to think about that now, because the mission was already completed. It was no longer necessary to chase after the Ten Rings.
Going forward, he might encounter them, even though Qin Xiao was now a Super Soldier and was wearing the system-produced protective suit.
But he wasn't invincible. If his head was hit by large-caliber bullets, or if he encountered large-scale thermal weapons, such as a few rockets, Qin Xiao wouldn't be able to handle it.
He could fight with his life on the line, but unnecessary risks were a bit of a waste.
There was no other choice; he had to avoid them for now and wait for Tony and the others to come to the rescue. If only the satellite phone hadn't been smashed.
After a moment's thought, Qin Xiao immediately turned the car around and drove back the way he had come.
On the other side, the Bearded Man, who had already begun to retreat, was becoming increasingly uneasy.
The number of vehicles didn't add up; he'd checked the count at the beginning.
He had even made a point of observing them later, and apart from the two that were blown up at the front, there shouldn't have been any more casualties.
But if those at the front had been blown up, how had they escaped his blockade?
It didn't make sense that after chasing them for so long, they were directly rescued by the US Military.
If that was the case, he should have encountered Americans, too.
The more he thought about it, the more something felt off, especially when considering the marksman in the enemy team at the beginning.
It seemed like the last wave only had gunfire, and the archer never showed up again.
Wrong!
They'd been tricked, and someone was left behind to cover their retreat! Otherwise, the number of vehicles wouldn't add up. The two vehicles that went ahead were probably ambushed.
Damn it!
So many of his men had died, and they'd put in so much effort, only to get nothing.
And they'd been played for fools.
The Bearded Man grew angrier the more he thought about it, and he immediately picked up the walkie-talkie to issue an order to his men.
Qin Xiao didn't even know that the Bearded Man had started hunting him in the desert.
He was simply heading back the way he came, playing it safe.
Qin Xiao figured that no matter when the support arrived, it was better to be cautious.
He would retrace his steps for a while and then head south towards Pakistan.
Once he reached a city in Pakistan, he'd be perfectly safe.
However, Qin Xiao overlooked one thing: the Bald Man who had kidnapped Tony Stark had a camp located within Pakistan.
Even though that camp had been wiped out, the Bald Man hadn't died, and he had more than just this one team in the area.
Qin Xiao didn't know any of this, including the various factions within the Ten Rings. He only knew that the mission was complete.
And he had gained so many points for nothing, bringing his total to three thousand.
He was only two thousand points away from unlocking the second-level shop.
The car had plenty of fuel, and he also found a pack of cigarettes inside. He was currently enjoying a cigarette as he drove south.
As he was driving, he suddenly noticed a small black dot ahead.
It looked like a person.
A single person naturally posed no threat to Qin Xiao. He drove towards this person without a care in the world.
Who knew that this person, upon hearing the sound of the car's engine, actually turned around and gave Qin Xiao a hitchhiking gesture.
"You've got guts. In such a chaotic place, you dare to flag down what is clearly an armed militant's car."
Qin Xiao glanced at the heavy machine gun still mounted on the car frame, and couldn't help but admire the person's audacity.
He thought about the vast desert, and that the pursuers behind him might not be able to catch up.
Moreover, leaving this person here, in case the terrorists behind them saw him, they would inevitably kill civilians to vent their anger.
With the idea of doing a good deed, Qin Xiao performed a cool drifting maneuver, bringing the jeep to a halt.
He stopped beside this traveler.
"How about it? Need a ride?"
The traveler was wearing a pair of baggy suit pants, with the sleeves of his blue shirt rolled up.
A dirty scarf covered his face to block the wind and sand, making him look very dejected.
Seeing Qin Xiao stop, the man was overjoyed and ripped off the scarf.
"Can you take me to the nearest town? Thank you!"
The man revealed a simple, honest smile, but Qin Xiao...
...saw the man's face and looked as if he'd seen a ghost.
"It's you???"
-----------------------
Completed English PDF of this fan-fic on my Patreon shop if you want to support and own the full fan-fic in one go. Just grab the PDF and binge the entire story from start to finish!
Guys, I've uploaded some High Quality english translated fanfic on my Patreon shop! Feel free to check it out-if you're interested, you can grab a copy and support me there.
Here are a few titles of recently uploaded fanfics:
New Addition
" Marvel: Omniscient and Omnipotent — Growing Stronger by Watching Battles "
" Marvel: Cultivating Swallowed Star Techniques, Shocking the Avengers "
" Master of Souls in the Marvel Universe "
" Marvel: The Supernova "
" Marvel: Sign In at the Start to Obtain Chibaku Tensei "
" Marvel becomes a knight starting from Drive "
" The Marvel Universe in Meiman I Opened a Supermarket "
" Marvel: I Control Dreams in the World "
" Marvel: Starting Sign-ins from the World "
" Marvel: The Speedster "
" Marvel: The Kryptonian "
many more are available 110+
Your support means a lot-thanks in advance, legends!
patreon.com/SuperTL
(End of Chapter)