Chapter 144 - 136: The Outlaw

Chapter 144: Chapter 136: The Outlaw

Xufeng entered the airlock chamber, removed his clothes, and underwent a full-body atomized disinfection. He then soaked in a pool of specially formulated medicinal solution for 30 minutes, came out for a cycle of UV sterilization, and finally put on a self-contained oxygen-supplying isolation suit before walking into the negative-pressure laboratory.

After completing this entire procedure, Xufeng and his team were completely isolated from the outside world. It was impossible for any virus to get in.

Huang Zhiqiang’s father, Huang Henian, had already arrived at Huangyang Port as his son requested, a look of confusion on his face.

"Zhiqiang, you’re not sick, are you? Why did you call us here? And why did you send your mother to the hospital? Don’t tell me you’re really selling your mom off to Myanmar. I’m usually just joking about that... This isn’t right!"

"Uh... it’s complicated. Just listen to me, okay? I’d never do anything to hurt you or Mom. Just have Mom get a check-up. You’ll understand at 7 PM tonight. Don’t you like fishing? I booked you a spot on a sea fishing boat—a six-hour unlimited fishing trip. You should get on board now!"

"Hiss... Right, right, you’re absolutely right. Your mother should go get a check-up. Where’s the boat?"

’Since my son isn’t sick, is getting my wife a check-up, and booked me a sea fishing trip, he must be doing this just to be a good, filial son!’

Watching Huang Henian board the boat, Yu Dong and Zhou both chuckled. Only Zhao Youcai seemed lost in thought.

Yu Dong said, "Alright, Xufeng’s team is in, and Huang’s father is taken care of. Now, it’s our turn to get to work... Time to be outlaws for a day."

At that moment, Zhao Youcai glanced at the others, looking conflicted.

"Dongzi, I... I’m kind of having second thoughts. He’s selfish, I know, but... at least he paid for my schooling and living expenses all these years. He fulfilled some of his duties as a father. Plus, he’s an electrician. I was thinking maybe he could be of some help to us."

Yu Dong knew Zhao Youcai was talking about his father.

’Besides... an electrician?’

Yu Dong really did need an electrician.

Managing a massive cruise ship with its intricate and complex circuitry meant that the more electricians, the better.

"Youcai, if you think you can let go of your hatred and try to save your father... maybe that’s a form of growth, isn’t it?"

Yu Dong felt that the Zhao Youcai of this life... had changed a little. He didn’t seem so extreme anymore.

The Zhao Youcai of his previous life would never have said something like this.

"Okay! I’m not going to agonize over it anymore. Since I want to do it... I shouldn’t let my thoughts get tangled up. If this decision really is a mistake, well, I can just kill him later."

Zhao Youcai decisively picked up his phone and dialed his father’s number.

"Dad, I’m in trouble. I’m at the Huangyang Port Police Station in Yanhai City. You need to come here right away... I need your help now."

"What!? What did you do? Is it serious? Will it affect your brother’s civil service exams?" a frantic male voice came from the other end of the line.

Then, a woman’s voice was heard.

"I told you that kid’s been mentally unstable since he was little... He was bound to get into trouble sooner or later. See? See! It’s not that karma doesn’t exist, it’s just a matter of time. What a sin."

Zhao Youcai’s expression changed instantly. All his previous conflict vanished, replaced by an extremely cold tone as he asked again:

"Dad, I need you to come to the Huangyang Port Police Station now... I’m in trouble. I really need you. You’re the only one who can get me out."

"Youcai, it’s not my place to criticize you, but... how could you break the law? If you won’t think about yourself, can’t you at least think about your brother? Sigh... Your brother finally came home for a day off today, and we were having a nice time at home. Forget it, forget it. Tomorrow. I’ll go see you after I take your brother to school. Don’t let your brother find out about this!"

BEEP BEEP BEEP...

Zhao Youcai hung up the phone, turned his head toward Yu Dong, and stretched his mouth into an exaggerated, almost clown-like smile.

"Dongzi, let’s get back to work. The apocalypse is coming~~~"

Yu Dong, Huang Zhiqiang, Liu Ye’ye, and Zhou Jian Country stared at Zhao Youcai, feeling a bit horrified.

"Youcai... are you okay?"

"I’m great. Never been better. Let’s hurry, we’re running out of time."

As if nothing had happened, Zhao Youcai calmly went back to the final preparations with them, his expression placid.

It made the other four feel creeped out.

But their time was up. The operation couldn’t stop!

For now, the core team willing to become outlaws with Yu Dong consisted of only those four people.

Huang Zhiqiang, Zhao Youcai, Liu Ye’ye, and Zhou Jian Country.

The others didn’t share such staunch conviction. For instance, the nurse, Shen Xinyi, thought Yu Dong was just telling her a story to amuse her—another one of his new tricks to win her over.

Zhao Wenjie was too afraid to act, Yan Yikai was only half-convinced and just trying things out, and as for Qiao Ping... she was pregnant, so she was out of the question.

Although Xia Yao was sensible and knew how to have a good time, she was timid. Zhao Youcai was afraid of scaring her, so he didn’t let her participate.

’When all is said and done, it’s still just the few of us who are willing to risk our lives together.’

When it came time for the final operation, the team in this life only had one more person than in the last one: Zhou.

Zhou drove the rented van, taking the group to the Shangri-La Hotel.

Liu Ye’ye got out and called Jiang Cheng’s room, luring him out with an excuse.

Upon seeing a beautiful and innocent-looking female university student like Liu Ye’ye, Jiang Cheng’s guard dropped to its lowest point.

"Are you looking for me, beautiful?"

"Yes, President Jiang. I need to talk to you about something..."

Just as Jiang Cheng got close to the van, a pair of hands reached out from behind, clamped a handkerchief over his nose, and after a few seconds of struggle, he passed out.

Zhou pried his mouth open, fed him a sedative, and tossed him into the back of the van.

They then repeated the process... getting Lin Cong and Tian Hui inside as well.

In the back of the van, the three of them fell into a sleep as deep as a baby’s.

"Done!"

Driving back to Huangyang Port, the group worked together to drag the three of them into a "detention warehouse" near A Port and shackled each of them to the wall with leg cuffs.

It was actually just a large shipping container that Yu Dong’s group had rented in advance.

Zhou clapped his hands. "These three will stay in their baby-like sleep until around 7 PM. We just need to come back for them then."

Huang Zhiqiang looked at the three people they had taken care of so easily and said:

"Dongzi, I think this stuff works way better than all your persuasive speeches. One pill and they’re ’convinced’ to sleep. We should do the same to all those engineers and lock them up. Then we can just wait and see who turns and who doesn’t. We’ll stab the ones who turn and rescue the ones who don’t... How simple is that!"

Yu Dong shook his head. "If we do this too much, we’ll get exposed easily, especially at the port. It’s too crowded and densely populated here. If we get caught in the act, we’ll really be branded as terrorists. We wouldn’t even make it to 7 PM before being arrested or shot dead..."

’This is straight-up kidnapping!’

"True..."

Huang Zhiqiang scratched his head, abandoning the idea of kidnapping people directly from the port.

At that moment, they looked toward the cruise ship, where engineers and crew members were constantly going in and out to perform maintenance. These people were all valuable assets.

’We’ll deal with them later...’

...

「5:00 PM.」

Shen Xinyi went downstairs and began to act on the "interesting project" she had discussed with Yu Dong the previous night.

First, she saw an elderly couple walking their dog in the residential complex.

She also saw two university students sitting at the entrance of the complex. They had set up a table with two baskets of fresh eggs on it.

"Wow! They’re giving away free eggs at the entrance for some event! I’ve got to go get a basket!"

Shen Xinyi said in the most exaggerated tone possible as she walked past the elderly couple.

"Huh!?"

Wang Xiuying whipped her head around as if a keyword had been triggered.

"Where are the free eggs? How do you get them?"

Then she dashed after Shen Xinyi with surprising speed.

At the entrance, Shen Xinyi picked up a promotional flyer for cycling and, holding a bag of eggs, said:

"What!? There’s more up ahead? You can get more just by riding your bike over there? That’s amazing! I’m definitely going to get them all!"

Wang Xiuying immediately followed suit and got a bag of eggs. Her husband wanted to get some too but was turned down by the two part-time students.

"This event is sponsored by Xiaohongshu. Only elderly ladies are eligible."

"Hey! You’re discriminating against old men! That’s not fair!"

Wang Xiuying ignored that, tied Teddy’s leash to the back of her electric scooter, and took off after Shen Xinyi.

"I won’t let a single free egg get away from me! I swear it!"

Wang Xiuying rode along, collecting freebies and tailing Shen Xinyi all the way to Huangyang Port.

"What? There’s a giveaway for soybean oil on the cruise ship???" Shen Xinyi covered her mouth, her expression even more exaggerated with disbelief.

"Huh!?"

’Keyword detected!’

Wang Xiuying, leading her dog, continued to follow Shen Xinyi...

Yu Dong, sitting in the checkpoint at Huangyang Port A, watched Wang Xiuying and Shen Xinyi go inside and nodded.

"We can begin."

The young guard on duty felt the dagger pressed against his throat. He glanced at his colleague lying unconscious on the floor... and swallowed hard.

"Okay... Don’t kill me. I’ll do anything."

Yu Dong gave him a warm smile.

"Don’t worry, I’m not a bad guy."