Chapter 146: The Guide

An intentionally lowered voice came through the phone.

"Boss, I just saw the military vehicles from Chuncheng drive into Nanyun Town."

The burly man was startled, springing to his feet with a look of suspicion and shock in his eyes.

"What did you say?! How many vehicles, how many people?!"

"Could it be that they've made up their minds to wipe us out?"

Although he was well-prepared, if the Chuncheng military truly decided to sweep through his camp, there would be no way for him to resist.

The voice on the other end paused, then reported, "Just two off-road vehicles in total, with five people getting out."

"Two men and three women. Judging by their appearance... they're very young, at most in their early twenties."

The burly man finally relaxed, flopped back down into his seat, and cursed angrily, "Asshole! Next time, finish your sentence all at once! You scared the hell out of me!"

"Just five mere youngsters, nothing to be afraid of."

His subordinate was silent for a moment before speaking up, "Boss, what I mean is..."

"These five seem quite capable; their organs should fetch a good price!"

"Besides, the doctor's experiments over there..."

The burly man nodded slightly. Indeed. The doctor had been constantly nagging them to send over some better experimental subjects. Weren't these five ready-made specimens?

"Good, then keep a close eye on these five!"

"Find out what their objective is."

"Yes!"

He hung up the phone and waited nearby, pretending to be waiting for someone while keeping a close watch on Xu Han and the others.

People came and went at the restaurant entrance. A small cat strolled lazily out of the restaurant and quickly disappeared. A moment later, a little bird flew out from the restaurant, vanishing into the woods.

After waiting for over ten minutes, Xu Han and his group finally emerged from the restaurant.

Hua Piaowu wiped her mouth and said, "I didn't expect the food at this little place to be quite decent."

Xu Han looked around and said, "Alright, it's time to carry out our mission."

"We're heading toward the border to wipe out that organ-trafficking organization, though it seems a bit far."

Hearing this, the young man keeping watch nearby felt a chill in his heart. They really were sent by the Chuncheng military to eradicate their stronghold!

However...

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly. Young people were simply young people, completely devoid of vigilance. Did they really think they were safe just because they were in this small town? Little did they know, the organization's eyes and ears were everywhere here! In his eyes, Xu Han and the others were already fish in a barrel.

Zhu Junjie remarked, "I think we need to find a guide."

Xu Han said thoughtfully, "You're right, we do need a guide. After all, none of us have ever been into this forest, so having a guide would make things much safer."

"Who should we get, then?"

Xu Han's gaze swept over his companions.

The young man silently prayed in his heart, hoping Xu Han would notice him. That way, he could have his boss prepare the trap and lead these fools right into the trap!

Just as he wished, Xu Han walked up to the young man and patted him on the shoulder, "My friend, judging by your looks, you must be very familiar with this area, right? Can you help guide the way for us?"

Elation surged within the young man, but on the surface, he put on a puzzled expression. "Guide the way? What way?"

Xu Han explained their objective. Although the young man had already heard it all, he still feigned utter shock.

"What?! You're going after that organ-trafficking syndicate?!"

"I advise you not to go! It's too dangerous! Their organization is extremely powerful!"

Zhu Junjie said with a disdainful smirk, "Tsk, what is there to be afraid of? We've all been trained by the military! We exist specifically to deal with criminals like them!"

"Name your price. How much do you want?"

Wild joy flooded the young man's heart, but he managed to suppress his excitement, frowning and pretending to ponder. He replied, "Then... fifty thousand. That's not too expensive, right? Throughout the entire Nanyun Town, you absolutely won't find a second person more familiar with these paths than I am!"

Xu Han smiled and nodded, "Not bad, not bad! Fifty thousand it is! As long as the mission is accomplished, fifty thousand is nothing!"

The others all nodded in agreement. To make the act more convincing, the young man continued, "Let's get this straight first! If there's any danger, you guys have to protect me!"

Soon, a consensus was reached. With the young man leading the way in front, Xu Han and the others followed him into the depths of the forest.

...

Back at the stronghold, the burly man had already dismissed the two women. He paced back and forth in his room, waiting for news from his subordinate.

Soon, his phone lit up. He leaped forward like an arrow, snatched the phone, and read the message.

Chen Bing: Boss, they asked me to be their guide and are heading over now. Once you set the trap later, lock me up in a cage first.

The burly man wore a puzzled look. Lock his own subordinate up first? What kind of logic was that?

He immediately sent a reply asking for clarification.

Shortly after, another message from Chen Bing arrived, explaining his entire plan to the boss.

Chen Bing intended to lock himself inside a cage so that Xu Han and his group would come to rescue him. While their attention was focused on rescuing Chen Bing, the syndicate could launch a surprise attack, guaranteeing absolute success!

The burly man slapped his thigh, praising Chen Bing for being such a resourceful kid. He immediately agreed to the plan and ordered his men to go and prepare the traps.

...

Deep within the dense forest, Chen Bing led the way. Xu Han and his companions acted like wide-eyed tourists, looking at this and touching that, completely behaving like newcomers out to see the world for the first time.

This completely dispelled any lingering doubts in Chen Bing's mind. These youngsters were already fish in a net!

As the group pushed deeper into the woods, they quickly approached the stronghold.

Standing beside a massive tree, Chen Bing pointed toward the distant wooden cabins and whispered, "Everyone, that's the stronghold you're looking for. I'll leave the rest to you; I need to take my leave."

Xu Han smiled warmly and nodded, "Thanks for your hard work."

Just as Chen Bing turned to walk away, a piercing sound of wind-breaking rushed from above.

The next instant, a massive iron cage plummeted from the sky, crashing into the ground with a resounding *boom* and trapping Chen Bing entirely inside.

Chen Bing's expression shifted drastically. He grabbed the iron bars of the cage and shouted at Xu Han's group, "Help! Someone save me! They've spotted us!"

"Hahahahaha..."

Far from taking any action, Xu Han and his group burst into hearty laughter. Even Su Li couldn't help covering her mouth with a giggle.

Panicked, Chen Bing pounded on the cage and roared, "What are you laughing at? Save me! Wasn't this not supposed to happen? Why are you changing the script?"

Xu Han stared at Chen Bing, a smile still playing uncontrollably on his lips. "What's with the panic over being locked in a cage provided by your own people?"

The expression on Chen Bing's face froze. These people knew his true identity? That was impossible! He had acted completely naturally the entire way without slipping up once!