"I agree with Sir Chen’s proposal," Ling Chen said. "This is the most reliable method. Big brother, you take the others and leave first. I’ll stay behind with Fatty, Sir Chen, and Lady Zhu."

"Your combat strength is only Sir Chen and Lady Zhu. What if there’s an unexpected situation?" Qiu Yong thought for a moment, then turned to Zhang Zhongfeng. "Fourth brother, you stay too."

Zhang Zhongfeng didn’t say much, just nodded.

"That’s settled then," Ling Chen smiled slightly and turned to Zhu Qing, "After it gets dark, get a commercial vehicle. Remember, be careful and don’t attract attention."

"I understand."

Midnight.

Zhu Qing returned alone from outside. "Lady Zhu, how’s the situation outside?"

"About a kilometer outside the town, there’s a mercenary group stationed with around a hundred people, well-equipped. Their defense is very strict, I didn’t go in." Zhu Qing paused, then continued, "Plus, I stole a commercial vehicle and parked it outside, ready to go at any time."

Ling Chen nodded and said, "Thank you for your hard work, go rest first."

As per the previously decided plan, apart from Ling Chen’s group of five, Qiu Yong took the others to leave by car to find a safe place.

"Sixth brother, we’re not by your side, be careful and don’t let anything happen," Qiu Yong advised with concern.

Ling Chen smiled and said, "Big brother, you don’t need to worry about me. Despite my young age, I’ve seen all sorts of challenges over the years. Alright, no more talking, hit the road and we’ll stay in contact by phone."

"Alright." Qiu Yong patted Ling Chen on the shoulder, then turned to Zhang Zhongfeng and said, "Take care of sixth brother." With that, Qiu Yong and the others got on the commercial vehicle.

Watching the taillights gradually disappear into the thick night, Ling Chen slowly exhaled. Actually, his strong insistence on Qiu Yong and the others leaving first was not only to protect everyone but also because he didn’t want too many people to be in danger.

This operation was his idea, traveling so far to seek revenge, but things turned out this way. Honestly, seeing everyone injured, he felt more than just upset, mostly it was guilt. Sometimes, because of his own decision, everyone followed him without hesitation, willing to take risks. This loyalty alone was enough to move him. Currently, their situation wasn’t safe, rather any time there could be danger. So, he hoped some could withdraw first to avoid more losses.

Nothing happened overnight.

Early the next morning, Ling Chen yawned, got up from the sofa, rubbed his sleepy eyes, went to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and took out two bags of bread to eat with ketchup. It was time to run for their lives, so personal hygiene was not a priority.

After breakfast, Chen Junfeng and Zhu Qing, among others, got up, and everyone gathered in the living room to discuss the next steps.

"I just checked, the garage of this house has a five-seater SUV, just enough for us. Once Fatty’s condition stabilizes, we can leave by car. During this time, we’ll keep a low profile. Except for Lady Zhu, no one should leave. Once we get through these two days, we’ll be safe," Ling Chen said.

"Lady Zhu, these two days might be tough on you to scout the outside situation. Besides Seland, there’s also Zhu Hong who’s probably hiding somewhere in this town like us."

"I will."

After assigning tasks to everyone, Ling Chen went to the bedroom to check on Hu Fei. Fortunately, Fatty’s abdomen had a lot of fat, so the metal piece didn’t hit any vital organs. However, the wound caused by the metal piece was quite long, and it required careful management to prevent it from splitting open.

By lunchtime, Zhu Qing returned from her scouting, sharing the latest updates with everyone.

"This is the situation; we’re likely trapped in this town."

Ling Chen frowned. Seland’s mercenaries and the local police had blocked all the roads in and out of the town. Even if they had a car, they couldn’t force their way through. Otherwise, a hail of bullets would finish them off.

"Did you find any sign of Seland?"

Zhu Qing shook her head, "No news on him. Whether he’s in town can’t be confirmed. But someone of his stature probably values his life highly and wouldn’t risk it lightly. I think he might be in the camp, under the protection of those mercenaries."

"If that’s the case, let’s not worry about him for now and think about how to get out of here."

Saying that, Ling Chen pulled up a map of the town vicinity on his phone. The map showed two roads entering the town and two roads leaving, but all were blocked, so they needed another way out.

Two days went by in the blink of an eye, and Hu Fei’s condition had basically stabilized. Additionally, Qiu Yong called, updating Ling Chen on their situation. Qiu Yong’s group had found a port with ships going back home.

However, it was over 300 kilometers from the town to the port.

"Sir Chen, Fourth brother, whether we leave alive depends on tonight," Ling Chen said to Chen Junfeng and Zhang Zhongfeng in the living room.

The longer they delayed, the worse their situation would be. Hu Fei’s condition had stabilized, and they needed to retreat as soon as possible.

"Mr. Ling." As they talked, Zhu Qing approached and said, "I found a good spot downstairs."

"A good spot?" Ling Chen got up and followed Zhu Qing, asking, "What kind of good spot?"

"You’ll know when you see it." Soon, they arrived at a storage room on the first floor. Zhu Qing moved a carpet aside on the floor, revealing a square wooden board with a handle.

Ling Chen grabbed the handle and slowly lifted it, finding a flight of stairs underneath. "This is the basement. I found it by accident." Hearing Zhu Qing, Ling Chen became curious, "Why design such a hidden basement? Is there something unsavory down there?"

Zhu Qing said nothing and went straight down the stairs. Ling Chen followed her to the basement, turned on the light, and was shocked. This wasn’t a basement, it was an armory.

"In this country, trading weapons is legal. If I’m not mistaken, this should be the owner’s collection room. You see, from firearms from the ’70s to the latest advanced models, every type is here."

Ling Chen smiled and said, "I didn’t know you understood weapons so well."

Zhu Qing rolled her eyes at Ling Chen and said, "Do you think assassins only know how to use daggers? To be a competent assassin, you must be familiar with various weapons, not necessarily mastering them, but knowing their features."