Chapter 23: 23, Boss Luo

The despair in factory manager Wang Dongyang's heart spread gradually, like a climbing tiger seizing his entire chest. He had not expected to be seen through, the only surprise being that he did not understand why the youth across from him knew guns.

The next moment, he retreated swiftly, hoping to buy time with insurance, yet Ren Xiaosu would never give him such a chance. The man crashed into Wang Dongyang like a cannonball, driving his ribs to fracture and sending the gun flying!

Wang Dongyang lost his last refuge, lying on the ground coughing blood foam as he said, "Spare me, and I will tell you where my property is hidden."

"You speak first, and I will let you go," Ren Xiaosu said calmly.

"Do you take me for a fool?" Wang Dongyang understood his efforts were futile. How could this youth spare him? If he were spared, would there still be a place for him near the 113th barrier? Moreover, when Wang Dongyang first heard of Ren Xiaosu, the latter had a nickname... the ruthless Ren Xiaosu.

"Your lungs have already been pierced by the fractured ribs, so even if you return to the settlement now, it is too late," Ren Xiaosu laughed. He too desired Wang Dongyang's wealth, but the key was that the other party clearly would not say it at this moment.

Ren Xiaosu no longer hesitated. He did not know when the battle between the mercenaries and the wolf pack would end. Delaying further, whoever from either side suddenly arrived at the factory, he would not fare well.

The sharp sound of weapons slicing leather rang out. Ren Xiaosu used a bone knife to carve wounds on Wang Dongyang's chest, mimicking wolf claw marks, until confirming no vital signs remained before picking up the handgun and leaving. The two magazines still on Wang Dongyang's body were also taken by him.

A total of 36 bullets.

When Ren Xiaosu departed, the entire factory had no living soul. He turned back to gaze upon this scene of carnage, his back to the darkness, and this was the world he inhabited.

...

"Brother, are you alright?" Yan Liuyuan saw Ren Xiaosu lift the door curtain and enter, unable to wait as he said, he insisted on circling around Ren Xiaosu, only relaxing when he found no bloodstains.

"I am fine," Ren Xiaosu reattached the bone knife to his leg and asked, "How was it when I left? Has anything happened in the settlement? Have those mercenaries returned?"

"Some have returned, bringing wounded, along with their comrades' and the wild wolves' corpses. It is said the remaining ones went to the factory area," Yan Liuyuan said.

Ren Xiaosu thought this was normal. Even if the wild wolves were formidable, facing mercenaries several times their number, armed with weapons, victory was impossible.

"How many wild wolf corpses did they bring back?" Ren Xiaosu asked.

"Over thirty," Yan Liuyuan said, "Brother, those wild wolves were huge!"

Before, when Yan Liuyuan asked Ren Xiaosu how big wolves were, Ren Xiaosu had described them as massive. Only today did Yan Liuyuan understand how big "huge" truly was.

Ren Xiaosu frowned, relieved he had not lingered too long in the factory. Otherwise, he might have just encountered the mercenaries rushing there. Now, it seemed the wolf pack had retreated upon realizing their surprise attack would fail, so the mercenaries had not been delayed much.

No wonder, when he returned via a detour, there were no more gunshots on the wilderness.

Yet the wolf pack grew stronger and smarter. This time letting them go, who knew what the settlement would face next time.

Suddenly, a commotion arose outside. Ren Xiaosu lifted the door curtain and looked out, only to see a group of ten mercenaries arriving early in an off-road vehicle.

A military officer on the vehicle said, "There is a heavy reward for those who leave the settlement tonight!"

Ren Xiaosu's heart stirred, for he knew they were clearly seeking him!

The other side must have already visited the factory. Though Ren Xiaosu believed ordinary people could not detect the flaw in Wang Dongyang's wounds, a crucial issue remained unresolved: Wang Dongyang's gun was lost!

If someone traced back using this flaw, clues would easily be found—this was unavoidable for Ren Xiaosu.

"Brother," Yan Liuyuan worriedly glanced at Ren Xiaosu.

"It's fine," Ren Xiaosu pushed Yan Liuyuan's protruding head back.

Recalling carefully, Ren Xiaosu had not taken the main road when leaving the settlement. As far as he remembered, no one knew he had gone out, except Yan Liuyuan.

The soldiers guarded the settlement's entrance. Soon, all the mercenaries returned. The settlement's people watched, and suddenly these mercenaries began rummaging through every household.

This was... searching for the gun.

Suddenly, a familiar voice shouted, "I know who went out tonight."

Ren Xiaosu turned to see the clinic doctor Yu Tong smiling slyly at him. Yu Tong stood far away, mainly fearing Ren Xiaosu might kill him outright...

The mercenary officer slowly approached: "Who?"

"It's him, Ren Xiaosu. I saw him leave the settlement with my own eyes," Yu Tong said proudly.

Ren Xiaosu did not argue, admitting, "At that time, our side's outhouse was occupied by He Zong, so I had to go outside to defecate."

"Who is He Zong? Is this true?" the officer asked loudly.

Beside him, the bewildered He Zong did not know why he had been implicated. He weakly said, "I did have diarrhea tonight, and many can testify..."

The officer turned to Ren Xiaosu, sneering: "Search."

As he spoke, soldiers rushed toward the hut. Just then, Wang Fu Gui suddenly appeared: "Wait, he is someone the Barrier's boss Luo Ran specifically asked to look after. You cannot treat him this way."

The officer paused: "What do you mean?"

"The Barrier's boss Luo Ran entrusted someone to look after him this afternoon. Even he doesn't know why," Wang Fu Gui quickly explained. "As for the reason, you can ask Boss Luo. We cannot say more."

"Boss Luo?" The officer was surprised. Everyone could see he clearly knew the boss named Luo Ran, who seemed to be a significant figure in the Barrier.

After pondering, the officer said, "Even if he is Boss Luo's man, this matter is too serious. I will personally visit Boss Luo to apologize and explain tonight."

After speaking, his soldiers no longer hesitated, rushing directly into Ren Xiaosu's hut to search, while two others began frisking Ren Xiaosu.

After two minutes, all soldiers shook their heads, finding nothing.

The officer looked at Ren Xiaosu: "Take me to where you defecated."

Ren Xiaosu frowned and walked outside the settlement. He had not expected this officer to be so meticulous, leaving no room for error! Yan Liuyuan, seeing this, prepared to rush forward, but Ren Xiaosu turned back and barked, "Get back!"

Yan Liuyuan's eyes reddened instantly.

Ren Xiaosu led the officer and soldiers outside the settlement, pointing to a pile of feces: "Here, fresh, absolutely not overnight."

The officer glanced and ordered continued searches of other households, no longer bothering with Ren Xiaosu.

Only then did Ren Xiaosu finally breathe a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he had prepared thoroughly. Before leaving, he had observed the surroundings carefully, and upon returning, he had devised a reason. He not only buried the gun outside but also provided the final evidence for his lie... by defecating on the spot.

He turned his gaze to Yu Tong, who had followed closely. Seeing Ren Xiaosu's vicious stare, Yu Tong immediately urinated...