Chapter 79

Just as Hu Xiaoniu, Liu Dezhu, and others were gathering, Qingchen had already arrived at Laojun Mountain ahead of them.

Here, the place was crowded with people. Li Tongyun was the first to jump out of the car and stretched on the parking lot.

Her small backpack hung loosely on her back, as if it might fall off at any moment, but it never did.

Jiang Xue, with a smile, was about to get out of the car behind her. However, in the next moment, Qingchen extended a hand and forcefully pulled her back onto the bus.

"What's wrong, Qingchen?" Jiang Xue, almost losing her balance from being pulled, turned to look at the young man's profile, only to find him staring intently out the window.

Jiang Xue hesitated, "Is there danger?"

Qingchen silently stared outside. At that moment, he saw five people carrying black briefcases get out of a black Buick minivan not far away.

Each of them wore sunglasses, dressed in casual clothes, but all wore the same black leather boots.

He had seen these black leather boots before, on the feet of four criminals in the courtyard at No. 4 Xingshu Road.

It was as if they had been bought in bulk.

In the car, an impatient auntie behind them said, "Are you getting out or not? If not, move aside."

Qingchen ignored her.

Not until he confirmed that the five people had entered the scenic area did he turn to the passengers behind him and apologize.

If a person remembers everything in their life, they would never believe in coincidences.

Too many things happen under the guise of coincidence, but they hide many ulterior motives.

The same boots, the same five people.

Qingchen suddenly seemed to understand something, but he was not sure.

They were not there for tourism; no one could be on the run and still have the leisure to travel.

At Laojun Mountain, there was only one road up and down the mountain. If they were discovered by Kunlun, it would be hard to escape.

A truly smart criminal would not put themselves in such a dangerous situation, but they had come anyway.

They must have come for the time traveler.

In just the past two days, news from across the ocean reported that a time traveler had brought back a targeted cancer drug, which had been confirmed to be effective.

A bottle of the targeted drug usually costs tens of thousands of dollars and might last a month.

The bottle brought back by the time traveler was auctioned for a sky-high price: ten million dollars.

The buyer was not a wealthy person fighting cancer but a pharmaceutical company, which bought the drug for research purposes.

In fact, the targeted drug was not unique; other time travelers could bring back identical ones.

Otherwise, the bottle could have sold for a billion dollars.

On the day the pharmaceutical company publicly auctioned the targeted drug, its stock price rose by 32%.

There was a huge commercial value between the surface world and the hidden world. The rich bought life, tech companies bought technology, and other companies bought hype, each getting what they needed.

This visible monetary value directly created a massive gray profit chain.

There would always be people willing to take risks for it.

By this time, the sky at Laojun Mountain was gradually darkening, and a sea of people was pouring in, quickly covering the tracks of all the criminals.

When Qingchen got out of the car, Jiang Xue quickly pulled Li Tongyun's small hand and asked, "What's wrong, Qingchen? What did you see?"

Jiang Xue was wearing a pair of black silk gloves to conceal her mechanical limb.

"I noticed five people, who are likely the five suspects still on the run," Qingchen observed the surroundings and said, "But first, you can rest assured; they are not here for you. Otherwise, we would already be trapped in the car."

Jiang Xue asked, "What should we do? Should we go back?"

"The bus we are on is the last one. There are no more buses back now," Qingchen explained, "When the media reported on you, they only accidentally revealed your address, but your photo was not exposed. So we are currently safe."

Qingchen and his group were not wealthy, so they took the public bus, while Hu Xiaoniu and others rented a car, which was not limited by time or schedule.

Li Tongyun said, "Mom, don't worry. We'll just follow what Qingchen says."

Qingchen thought for a moment and said, "Let's go to our accommodation first. Don't go mountain climbing tomorrow. We'll take the first bus back to Luocheng when it gets light."

At the homestay Jiang Xue had booked, Qingchen did not go to his room alone but stayed in Jiang Xue and Li Tongyun's room.

He went to the toilet and sent a message to Liu Dezhu: Stay home for the seven days of the National Day holiday; don't go anywhere.

Qingchen did not tell Liu Dezhu not to come to Laojun Mountain, as that would easily expose himself. However, as long as Liu Dezhu did not come, he believed Hu Xiaoniu would cancel his trip as well.

But Liu Dezhu did not reply.

Qingchen returned to the room, pulled the curtains, and quietly stood behind them, silently observing the outside world.

He stood there for hours without showing any signs of fatigue.

Jiang Xue, seeing him stand for so long, asked, "Xuchen, why don't you rest for a bit? I'll keep watch by the window."

Qingchen shook his head, "You don't know what they look like, Aunt Jiang Xue. Why don't you make me and Xiao Yun a bowl of instant noodles and get the beef jerky out of my bag? I'm a bit hungry."

It wasn't that he wanted to eat; rather, Qingchen noticed that if he didn't eat, Jiang Xue and Li Tongyun would be too nervous to eat anything.

Li Tongyun quietly moved a chair behind Qingchen and gently massaged his shoulders and neck to help him relax, "Qingchen, are you not tired? Why don't you rest for a bit? You said they are not here for us, so there's no need to be so tense."

Qingchen still shook his head, showing no intention of resting, "I'm fine, I can hold on."

Jiang Xue, looking at the young man's back, suddenly felt a sense of security. She said, "Maybe..."

"Shh!" Qingchen interrupted Jiang Xue before she could finish.

At that moment, he saw the familiar figures outside the window.

Two criminals were cautiously walking past the entrance of the homestay where Qingchen and the others were staying. They had walkie-talkies pinned to their chests, and one of them was speaking into the walkie-talkie with a serious expression.

As they walked, one of them kept his right hand on his waist.

When the two figures disappeared from the entrance of the homestay, Qingchen glanced at his phone; it was 11:55 PM.

Countdown: 00:05:00.

The final five minutes.

Qingchen frowned; the criminals were already on high alert.

They were in a state of readiness for battle.

"The criminals' target might be the homestay next to us," Qingchen said.

Jiang Xue was taken aback, "Yunshang Inn? There are so many people there; they are in danger."

"Right."

Qingchen put down the curtain and went to the toilet to check the communication equipment. Liu Dezhu had still not replied to his message, even after several hours.

...

Thank you, True Odd Uncle, for becoming the book's patron. The boss is generous, and the boss will make a fortune!