Their harvest tonight far exceeded expectations.

“The car has driven out, they’ve left!” Li Yunmo reported from ahead.

Soon, the veterans on the outer perimeter also sent word: “The car is on the national highway.”

There was no time to lose. Zhang Jingchan and Li Weiyi quickly walked toward the exit. Just as they were about to reach the door, a “creak” sounded as the door was pushed open from outside.

Li Weiyi was scared out of her wits and hurriedly grabbed Zhang Jingchan’s arm.

The two happened to be standing in an open space with no cover. The person at the door appeared too quickly—there was no avoiding them, and they came face to face.

Six eyes met.

Liu Ying wore a peach-pink cashmere coat, short skirt, and high heels, showing a surprised expression: “Young Master Zhang, Miss Li, what are you two doing here?”

The car had left, but she hadn’t.

Neither Zhang Jingchan nor Li Weiyi spoke.

Liu Ying smiled and said: “This isn’t a good place for dating. Could it be that Young Master Zhang came looking for something? How can you be so reckless?” As she spoke in a coquettish tone, she reached back to close the main door.

Zhang Jingchan rushed forward in one swift motion, pushing her aside: “Get lost!” She looked at Li Weiyi: “Go!”

However, the strength of a petite girl couldn’t gain the advantage against a tall adult woman. Liu Ying pushed Zhang Jingchan back, saying coldly: “Young Master Zhang, control your girlfriend. She has no manners at all.”

Li Weiyi rushed over, grabbed Liu Ying’s hair, yanked it to the side, and used her other hand to shield Zhang Jingchan. Liu Ying let out a scream, her eyes widening in shock—she never expected that the usually cold and well-behaved Young Master Zhang would one day grab her hair.

Taking advantage of her being caught off guard, Li Weiyi pushed her to the ground and pulled Zhang Jingchan outside to run.

As soon as the door opened, countless footsteps approached from far to near. In the darkness, over ten workers holding steel rods were running over. Someone shouted: “Over there! The thieves are over there!” “Director Liu! Director Liu!”

Behind them, Liu Ying climbed up from the ground, spat out the dirt in her mouth, staggered over to the workers, and said viciously: “It’s these two thieves! They stole money from the factory—catch them!”

Workers surrounded them from all directions. Although Liu Ying knew Zhang Jingchan, and the factory’s middle management and above also knew her, the workers couldn’t possibly recognize the young master. Moreover, this group staying on duty at the factory, who had been holed up inside playing cards, were originally street thugs and ruffians recruited by Zhang Fengming from outside, specifically for doing unsavory work.

Zhang Jingchan took out her phone and said only one word: “Come!”

At this moment, a tall figure emerged from a dark corner nearby, also holding a thick steel rod, blocking the path in front of Zhang Jingchan and Li Weiyi—it was Zhong Yi.

“You go first! I’ll hold them off!” Zhong Yi said.

But neither Zhang Jingchan nor Li Weiyi moved.

Liu Ying made a “tsk” sound and said: “There’s even an accomplice—beat them!”

“I dare anyone to make a move!” Li Weiyi suddenly shouted sternly, “I am Zhang Jingchan, Zhang Moyun’s son, the future boss of Fuming!”

This did make the workers pause.

Liu Ying said: “Don’t listen to this kid’s nonsense. How could the young master possibly run to our warehouse in the middle of the night to steal things? Besides, Fuming can’t even pay wages now. What they stole is the money for your wages next month. Catch them and send them to the police station!”

“Liu Ying!” Li Weiyi roared, “How has my father wronged you? Betraying Fuming, embezzling assets—you’re the one who swallowed their wages!”

Liu Ying became angry from embarrassment: “Bullshit! Everyone, don’t listen to his nonsense. Over these years following us, have we ever treated you poorly? Isn’t it Boss Zhang who’s now turning his back on people? He lost money on his own investments and won’t pay everyone’s wages now! Beat them! Beat them!”

This moved the group of hooligan workers. Nothing was more persuasive than the money they’d made following Liu Ying all these years. Holding steel rods, they surged forward.

Zhong Yi’s expression had already changed. He shouted sternly: “Go!”

Two sets of hurried footsteps came from behind the crowd at the factory gate. The newcomers were faster than leopards, reaching Zhong Yi’s side in an instant.

They were two tall, sturdy men wearing baseball caps.

The corner of Li Weiyi’s lips curved up. Zhang Jingchan said in a low voice: “Well done.”

Just now, after hearing his phone call for reinforcements, the two hadn’t had time to discuss or communicate, but Li Weiyi immediately stepped forward to argue with Liu Ying, buying time. Only she could do this—Zhang Jingchan couldn’t.

The two veterans exchanged glances with Zhong Yi, pulled out tactical batons they had prepared from their waists, and with a “swoosh” and flash of silver light, the three stood side by side, completely protecting Zhang Jingchan and Li Weiyi behind them.

The unified aura emanating from the three men, different from ordinary people, made the workers pause in their steps.

With reinforcements, Zhong Yi’s previously tense expression relaxed. He urged for the third time: “Go! The three of us are enough to handle this.”

One veteran also spoke up: “You two staying would just be in the way. Just over ten people—Old Zhong alone could flatten half of them.”

The other veteran even had time to toss his jacket on the ground, saying: “Haven’t had a fight in ages. Being a PE teacher every day has made me too peaceful. These hooligans, bullying two kids! Old Zhong, leave me a few to practice on.”

Zhong Yi smiled and said: “No way.”

He had been cautious from the start. One factory, one access road—there was almost no difficulty in reconnaissance. While telling Zhang Jingchan and the others he was standing guard, he actually brought the two best fighters among his comrades. Even if the other side brought ten more people, they couldn’t possibly defeat three special forces soldiers.

Seeing them so arrogant, Liu Ying became furious and shouted: “What are you afraid of? There are only three of them! Go! Catch one for a ten thousand yuan reward! Catch those two behind them for a hundred thousand yuan reward!”

The workers’ eyes turned red, and they surged forward. The three veterans were like three sharp knives, piercing straight in. Li Weiyi grabbed Zhang Jingchan’s hand, turned and ran, while shouting: “Brother-in-law, you guys come out quickly!”

“Okay!” Zhong Yi responded loudly from amid the chaotic fighting crowd.

Zhang Jingchan and Li Weiyi rushed out of the factory gate. On the dark street, only a few storefronts had scattered lights on. Two beams of light shone from over a hundred meters away. Li Yunmo in the driver’s seat looked tense and honked the horn twice at them.

The two ran with all their might toward the approaching car.

At that very instant.

Li Weiyi suddenly had a strange feeling—the back of her head felt waves of cold. She heard a strange sound, like wind, yet not quite wind. A “whoosh”—low-pitched, yet extremely fast, accompanied by the sound of mechanical rotation coming from somewhere unknown, attacking their backs.

Li Weiyi’s eyes widened instantly. She reached out to pull Zhang Jingchan into her embrace. However, Zhang Jingchan’s reaction was faster and more decisive than hers. Li Weiyi didn’t even know where her current body found the strength—she pushed her forcefully toward the ground.

Li Weiyi heard a dull “thud” from behind. Her arm propped on the ground as she turned her head, she saw the bucket of a large excavator extending from the darkness at some unknown moment, striking Zhang Jingchan’s slender body.