Just as Fang Senyan was burning with anxiety, the Fourth Uncle, who was being held captive, struggled slightly. He managed to lift his head with effort, looking haggardly toward Fang Senyan. Seeing this man who bore no fatherly title but held the role of a father, Fang Senyan looked at the pale, damp hair plastered to his forehead, at his bloodied, mangled hands, and at the gentle, concerned gaze in his eyes. In that instant, his eyes burned, and tears rushed forth as he squeezed his eyes shut and choked out: “Shang Fuyuan!” Fourth Uncle, however, understood the agony of his son, whispering weakly: “Listen to Ah Yan, go to Fuyuan.” Although his voice was small, his meaning was firm and absolute, allowing no room for argument! San Zai and Gao Qiang wanted to protest, but they were forced back by the sharp, fierce glare from Fang Senyan! The group then made their way toward the Fuyuan vessel.

After this flurry of activity, Hua Shanfei grew suspicious. He narrowed his triangular eyes, his face turning as dark as a pot bottom, his gaze flickering as he assessed the men from the Western District in the van. Seeing this, a jolt went through Fang Senyan’s heart, and he immediately shouted loudly: “That’s right, Hua Shanfei, give back the ambergris you took from us!” Hua Shanfei’s act of ‘buying’ over ten catties of ambergris for one hundred dollars was practically robbery. Hearing Fang Senyan shout, he actually felt a bit more reassured, because there weren't many people in this world who would value money over their lives. If the man named Xi Di were truly dead, Fang Senyan would only want to leave as soon as possible and wouldn't bother about banknotes. Hua Shanfei looked at Fang Senyan, casually took the sack containing the ambergris from one of his thugs, weighed it in his hand, and said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes: “You want this thing? Fine! But let me have a word with Xi Di first.” Fang Senyan did not hesitate, his voice sharp: “Deal, no problem. Xi Di, talk!” At this moment, Fang Senyan stood outside the van, while Xi Di was slumped in the front passenger seat, a distance of about a meter or two separating them. Xi Di’s right hand could be seen trembling with difficulty, seemingly striving to prop himself up, but in the end, his strength failed him, and he slumped over onto the seat, appearing to have lost consciousness again.

Previously, Hua Shanfei had suspected Fang Senyan, who was in the driver's seat, was playing tricks. But now, with a gap of two or three meters between them and the van door in between, all doubt vanished. He gave a cold sneer and allowed Fourth Uncle and the others to board the boat and leave.

Hua Shanfei did not know that Fang Senyan had already anticipated this situation. On the way there, he had secretly tied two thin ropes around the limbs of Xi Di’s corpse. Now, with the pouring rain, Hua Shanfei and his men standing seven or eight meters away, and the dim lights of the van, Fang Senyan, standing outside, could hook the ropes with his foot and make Xi Di’s body move slightly like a puppet, naturally, without anyone noticing. Of course, the main reason this deception succeeded this time was that Hua Shanfei never expected Xi Di to actually be dead; any stiffness in the body’s movements was subconsciously attributed to severe injuries.

The men from Fuxing appeared miserably beaten, bruised and battered, but apart from Fourth Uncle, they only suffered superficial wounds. Having worked the seas since they were young, they quickly got the motorized junk, Fuxing, started in order to escape, and it sputtered away into the stormy waves.

Once Fuxing was out of the harbor, Fang Senyan felt a slight easing of tension, but he kept his eyes fixed on the men around Hua Shanfei. After about ten minutes, Hua Shanfei finally said with that same strained smile: “Alright, my man is released, and your stuff is returned. You should let my men go now, shouldn’t you?” Fang Senyan’s mouth twitched. He took a deep breath and said: “You all back off first.” Before he could finish speaking, a chilling sensation swept over him, especially a cold spot on his back, as if an ice block had been pressed directly against his skin. Fang Senyan’s pupils instantly constricted, and he threw himself forward. Just then, the harsh crack of gunfire echoed, sending sparks showering off the front hood of the nearby van! One of Hua Shanfei’s men, wielding a homemade firearm, had circled widely to the flank and fired a surprise shot at Fang Senyan, which he miraculously managed to dodge.

Fang Senyan crashed heavily into the muddy water. A searing pain shot through his abdomen as the wound was violently strained. The cold, murky mud water filled his mouth with an indescribable metallic taste. Fang Senyan scrambled and writhed in the muck, clumsily finding cover behind a small shack to gasp for air. Then, clutching his stomach, he staggered toward the direction of his own makeshift shelter.

In truth, from the moment he decided to stay, Fang Senyan had mentally prepared himself for the possibility of not escaping. But even an ant clings to life, and he realized the gunshot wound to his abdomen wasn't as severe as he had imagined, so he fought hard for survival. Though Fang Senyan was fleeing like a terrified stray dog, every time he recalled the look on Hua Shanfei’s face when he saw Xi Di’s corpse, a surge of savage satisfaction fueled him, making him run even faster. “You bastard, stop! I’ll cut you down!” “Little speaker [a phonetic substitute for a curse word]! Run again and I’ll kill your whole family!” “……”

Fang Senyan was hampered by the gunshot wound to his stomach, which inevitably slowed his running speed. Seeing the menacing professional thugs closing in with fierce shouts, splashing through the mud, Fang Senyan stopped, turned, drew the Type 54 pistol he’d taken from Xi Di, aimed, and fired!

Frankly, Fang Senyan’s marksmanship was dreadful. Despite years spent as a sailor traveling far and wide, his understanding of firearms was limited to knowing how to flip the safety, pull the trigger, and discharge a bullet without accidentally shooting himself. As for accuracy... that was frankly beyond praise. But at this moment, the vicious thugs were at most seven or eight meters away, with three or four rushing forward side-by-side. At that range, it wasn’t just about shooting a target; spitting a glob of phlegm would likely hit one of the bulky men.

The shots rang out, “Bang bang.” Faint wisps of bluish gunpowder smoke vanished rapidly in the torrential rain, followed by piercing screams. Two thugs, accustomed to bullying others, tumbled into the muddy water, howling in pain. Their injuries weren't life-threatening—one had been shot through the thigh, the other had been irritatingly hit right through the cheek—mere flesh wounds, but they looked terrifyingly severe.

Especially the unlucky one shot in the face, his entire visage was slick with blood, several teeth knocked out, and blood poured from his mouth. Under the intense pain, his cries were more agonizing than a slaughtered pig’s. Those nearby didn't just hesitate to look; even hearing it made them lose their nerve.

These two shots undeniably injected considerable caution into the pursuers; they dared not press too closely. Hua Shanfei’s promised bounty was tempting, but one had to live to collect it. This young man before them was clearly a ruthless desperado who had killed Xi Di, the son of Black Ghost Dong. It wasn't worth it to be dragged down with him! He was wounded anyway; running like this would just bleed him to death!

Since the chasers began harboring such thoughts, Fang Senyan gained a much-needed chance to catch his breath. He glanced at the Type 54 pistol, now with only two rounds left, gave a helpless, wry smile, tucked it back into his waistband, and continued to stumble onward. He had thought through his plan clearly from the start: in this atrocious weather, even one person trying to flee in that van was courting death. The single muddy farm track leading to Siqiao Town would be enough to cause the vehicle to break down seven or eight times. Only the motorcycle behind San Zai’s shack was his true path to survival! Although cars couldn't manage the sand road running parallel to the beach, a motorcycle could handle it easily. Once he rode five kilometers, he could reach National Highway 703 heading toward Fangcheng Port, and then he would truly be free to go wherever he pleased!

“Key, where’s the key?” Fang Senyan slammed open the door to San Zai’s shack, feeling his vision darken in waves. After gasping for air several times, he located the keys beneath San Zai’s pillow. He pushed the motorcycle out from under the rain shed at the back door and scrambled onto it, half-rolling, half-climbing.

The thugs chasing behind exchanged bewildered glances. Two of Hua Shanfei’s staunch followers tried to rush forward to intercept, but Fang Senyan fired two shots without a word—bang bang. Although these two men weren't hit, they quickly retreated to the corner of the hut.

It was as if heaven had lent Fang Senyan a great hand; the few guns Hua Shanfei possessed were homemade and naturally lacked the waterproofing of standard firearms. Otherwise, they would have already been returning fire amidst smoke and noise. Seeing Fang Senyan mount the motorcycle and about to escape, they hadn't entirely lost the idea of giving up the chase. But just then, a man came running, stumbling, shouting at the top of his lungs with a clear note of weeping in his voice: “Brother Xi Di was actually killed by this bastard! The Boss has decreed fifty thousand yuan for anyone who captures him! If he gets away and we can’t answer to Master Dong, all of you better prepare to collect your entire families’ corpses!”

Black Ghost Dong’s notorious reputation in this area was enough to silence crying infants. Last year, during a smuggling run, he dared to clash with Vietnamese border guards; although he lost over thirty men, he also sank one of their anti-smuggling boats. Xi Di dying here was already worrying enough, but failing to deliver the murderer could cause Black Ghost Dong to vent his fury on everyone's families. Not to mention the fifty-thousand-yuan bonus offered by Hua Shanfei as an incentive.

The thugs who heard the announcement all changed expression. Even though Fang Senyan had already started the motorcycle heading out of Siqiao Town, these men started pursuing him as if injected with adrenaline. Many hopped onto nearby bicycles, while others simply grabbed knives, cursing, and bolted after him, showing every intention of pursuing him to the ends of the earth.

............... Woke up a bit late, hmm, four updates today, throw your votes this way! (To be continued, please visit for the latest chapters:)