Ren Zhong shook his head, "Having money means nothing if you canât live to spend it."
"This is all the money I have!"
"I canât earn that money, sorry."
Ren Zhong shook his head again, turned the vehicle around, and made a move to leave.
"House number 144, Alley 7, South District slums is my secret residence! I have something in the basement there! Once you have it, even if Mr. Yang doesnât fully obey you, the treatment you receive wonât be worse than mine! This secret is at least worth a million!"
She didnât use the squad communication system for this announcement but shouted it with her mouth.
At this distance, Ren Zhong could hear her clearly.
Ren Zhong moved a bit closer and replied with skepticism, also verbally, "How do I know what youâre saying is true? And whereâs the money?"
Bang!
Si Mawan transferred him 300,000 post-tax points, "Save me! Now do you believe me? Iâve already transferred you the money! What I said is true!"
Ren Zhong nodded, "Alright!"
Ren Zhong boldly charged back, boosting his armorâs power with an amplifier, and hurled his guns to fend off two Ruined Beasts, helping her break through the encirclement.
Si Mawan seized the gap and rushed out, swiftly passing Ren Zhong without looking back.
Ren Zhongâs dual guns zoomed back from the left and right behind him, sweeping away a cluster of tiny, grain-sized intelligent machines that had quietly approached his motorboatâs engine, then, under his remote control, shot forward again.
Ren Zhong shrugged, silently sighing.
Those who seek death have their own ways of courting it.
If not for his high Brain Reaction Index capturing the buzzing wing vibration in his war armorâs auditory resonance, he might have fallen for it.
Earlier, in her panic, Si Mawan had revealed a big secret.
The last time she fell into Chen Hanyuâs hands, the vengeful Chen Hanyu exposed her identity.
Si Mawan knew it was more likely to be bad than good, so revealing it was of no use, and she might even die more miserably, so she took the secret to her grave.
But this time, seeing a glimmer of hope for survival, she made this trade.
Clearly, after getting out of trouble, Si Mawan immediately regretted it.
She thought she was being very discreet.
In the chaotic situation, no one would notice the couple of grain-sized intelligent machinesâperfect timing for a lethal maneuver.
Coincidentally, Ren Zhong thought the same.
After all, this spot was concealed from Lin Wang and Bei Lihuiâs position by the foothill of a small hill, out of their view.
If the move were sudden enough, they wouldnât realize a thing.
Ahead, Si Mawan was brutally pierced through the neck and motorboat by two javelins that came chasing from behind.
She hadnât expected Ren Zhong to be even more ruthless.
Dead!
Ren Zhong shouted in terror through the communicator, "Si Mawan!"
As the motorboat was destroyed, Lin Wang and Bei Lihui, fighting and fleeing in the rear, simultaneously heard Ren Zhongâs scream and saw Si Mawanâs death report in the squad system.
Lin Wang felt no sorrow but instead a thrill.
Ren Zhong could be useful!
Even though he fled promptly, seeing a comradeâs tragic death and knowing to scream indicated he had foolish humanity.
"Captain, whatâs your status? Si Mawan just died!"
Ren Zhong shouted again.
Lin Wang grievously injured a Ruined Beast with a javelin, using another to electrically jolt back chasing opponents briefly, and replied, "Pan Fenglian and Song Qianlian are in bad shape, you must hurry back to join us. Only together can we break through! Damn Legion Beasts!"
Ren Zhong quivered with fear, "I canât, Captain. Iâm too weak. Iâm afraid."
Lin Wang was furious, cursing internally, but patiently advised, "Itâs alright, Iâm strong with Bei Lihui, but just barely. As long as you come back, itâll be fine."
"I... I..."
Ren Zhong feigned hesitancy while briefly fending off Second and Third Level Ruined Beasts, then used the gunâs tip to sever a strap and retrieve Si Mawanâs backpack, before darting forward another segment.
The Second and Third Level Ruined Beasts did not pursue him; instead, they crazily gnawed at Si Mawanâs corpse and motorboat.
Ren Zhong dashed out, reaching again the peak of the small hill where he last took a short rest, overlooking the scene from above.
At the innermost part of the pursuit formation, that humanoid Ruined Beast still stood motionless under the tree.
Further out, Song Qianlian was still desperately dodging in all directions against a formation of over ten Fourth Level Ruined Beasts.
Lin Wang and Bei Lihui were each fighting and fleeing under the chase of a dozen Fourth Level Ruined Beasts.
Both were continuously depleting the self-reactive protective equipment they wore.
The energy of their moves clearly indicated both had injected stimulants.
Obviously, the more perilous situation forced them to go all out.
Ren Zhong observed for nearly a minute, past his last Information Flow Interference Bomb throw point.
As expected, things resumed their original course.
The pair wasnât fleeing directly toward Ren Zhongâs current hilltop but were diverting to another small valley branch.
The Legion Beasts began moving, running towards Lin Wang and Bei Lihuiâs position like a person, yet without closing in excessively, maintaining a steady three-kilometer gap.
Ren Zhong calculated for a while, then restarted the floating motorboat, traveling along the mountain range, maintaining a five-kilometer distance from the Legion Beasts, and skirting along the edge.
[Recommendation Ticket]