Solving Middle Age Crisis by Intelligence System

Chapter 754 488: Hunter and Prey (Part 2)

The conversation in the tavern, which had resumed, stopped once again unknowingly, and all eyes were focused back on the scene.After a while, just when Qi Yun thought the other party would not answer, the old bartender spoke in a hoarse voice: "Gold Mountain has been abandoned for many years, the road conditions are very poor, filled with disused mines, nothing worth seeing."

"I'm very interested in the history of abandoned mines; I came specifically to see them." Qi Yun insisted, as he pulled out another hundred-dollar bill from his wallet, placing it under the empty glass.

The old bartender glanced at the bill but did not take it, nor did he speak further.

At this moment, a booze-soaked guy next to them leaned over: "Buddy, I heard you say you want to go to Gold Mountain?"

"That's right, I want to have a look." Qi Yun turned to this guy who initiated the conversation.

The man was about forty, wearing a cowboy hat, his cheeks red, and a cunning smile on his face.

"I can take you there!" the cowboy-hat man grinned, revealing a mouthful of tobacco-stained yellow teeth, "He's right buddy, the place isn't easy to traverse. I've been there, and I'm very familiar with it."

Qi Yun glanced at the silent old bartender and showed an expression of interest: "Oh? You're very familiar with it?"

"Very familiar!" The cowboy-hat man thumped his chest, his alcohol breath sprayed on Qi Yun's face, "My name is Buck, and there is no one in this town more familiar with that place than me. I go there almost every week to hunt."

There was a lot of self-praise in his words, yet his gaze flickered, continuously assessing Qi Yun and his partners, seemingly evaluating their worth.

Qi Yun nodded with satisfaction: "Very well, then you can be my guide. Accompany me to Gold Mountain tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Buck was overjoyed, his eyes darted around, and he rubbed his fingers: "I have no problem leading the way, but if I'm your guide, I won't be able to work."

"Of course, I'll pay you. How much do you want?" Qi Yun asked as he pulled out his wallet.

"Five... two thousand USD a day!" Buck originally showed a palm, but seeing the thick stack of hundred-dollar bills peeking out of Qi Yun's bulging wallet, he quickly withdrew three fingers and changed the price quadrupling it.

Two thousand USD a day, in this impoverished backcountry, is probably what one might earn in a month.

Others in the tavern looked over, their eyes shifting between Qi Yun's wallet and Buck's face, some showing envy, others holding schadenfreude, thinking Buck was fleecing a fat sheep.

There was no change in Qi Yun's expression; he just watched Buck silently, then took out a thousand USD from his wallet and placed it on the bar.

"I'll pay you half first, the other half when we return."

Buck's eyes were glued to the pile of green bills, a gulp sounded in his throat, he had just tried a gambit, but this sucker agreed.

He grabbed the money quickly and shoved it into his pocket, the smile on his face almost splitting to his ear, pounding his chest to guarantee: "No problem BOSS, see you at the town entrance early tomorrow morning!"

Qi Yun nodded, said no more, and led Brother Quan and the others out of the tavern.

Back in the hotel room, they locked the door and slept.

...

The next morning, Qi Yun and his five men had tidied up, driving two Raptors to meet Buck at the town entrance.

The man drove an old pickup from the eighties, its body rusted and the exhaust spouting black smoke.

"BOSS, morning! Should we set off now?"

Qi Yun, a bit worried his car would break down halfway and delay his business, beckoned him to get into his own car.

Buck grinned, glanced at the road in another direction, then opened the co-pilot door and got in.

The vehicle started up and, following Buck's direction, left the town heading toward the western mountains.

Initially, there was still a stretch of asphalt road, but it soon turned into bumpy dirt tracks, and eventually, even the dirt roads disappeared, leaving only gravel washes scoured by mountain torrents.

The powerful off-road capabilities of the Raptor shone at this moment, stable despite the poor road conditions.

After driving for about an hour and a half, the terrain in front began to change dramatically.

Looking out of the car window, the area of hills was crisscrossed with gullies, with not a speck of green in sight.

The land was riddled with holes and piles of waste rock dug by human hands.

"BOSS, this is Gold Mountain," Buck turned his head and said to Qi Yun.

Qi Yun shifted his gaze back: "Is there an eagle-shaped hillock to the west from here? Do you know where it is?"

"Eagle-shaped hillock?"

Buck rubbed the back of his head, his eyes quickly darting around, showing a confused expression, "This place is full of mounds and rocks, it could look like anything... an eagle beak? Let me think."

He pushed open the door to get out as if he wanted to relieve himself, but his gaze inadvertently looked in the direction where they had come.

Dust was billowing there, seeming as if vehicles were rapidly approaching.

Brother Quan, who had been paying attention to the rearview mirror, saw this scene, a cold smile on his lips, he murmured: "Here they come."

Qi Yun also glanced through the rearview mirror and indeed saw smoke and dust closing in from afar.

Buck pulled up his pants and walked back, standing by the rear door of the car watching Qi Yun, with a teasing smile on his face.

"Are you remembering now?" Qi Yun unhurriedly pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

"Remembered a bit." Buck's smile turned a little sinister, no longer concealing, he gestured with his chin towards the direction of the smoke and dust, "But, it looks like my friends are eager to meet you, BOSS."

The roar of engines quickly approached, and four battered pickups rushed forward, the kicked-up dust enveloping Qi Yun and the others.

The leading vehicle stopped in front of the Raptor, and the person who got off from the co-pilot was none other than the bearded owner from the hotel, holding a double-barreled shotgun.

Other doors also opened, seven or eight people jumped down, young and old, each with a fierce look and armed with weapons.

Their greedy eyes swept back and forth over Qi Yun and the two Raptors.

The Big Beard approached, tapping on the car door with the butt of his gun, his tone full of contempt: "Get out, yellow-skinned monkeys!"

"Hand over everything of value! Leave the cars, and maybe if I'm in a good mood, I'll let you scram."

"Otherwise...hmph hmph...no one would ever find you if you were buried here."

His cohorts behind him laughed uproariously, seemingly thinking they had the upper hand and were sure of this band of fat sheep.

Qi Yun blew out a puff of smoke, sighing inwardly, truly affirming the old saying, "bad people come from poor mountains and bad lands."

The locals were too impolite.

Qi Yun didn't rush to get out of the car; instead, he looked at Big Beard deeply: "Are you sure you want to do this?"

This calm reaction surprised Big Beard and his cohorts, then they erupted into even louder laughter.

Big Beard spat on the ground, then donned a ferocious attitude: "Stop talking nonsense, get the hell out! I won't say it a second time!"

Qi Yun slowly shook his head, as if lamenting something.

The driver's seat, Brother Quan turned around and asked: "Shall we do it?"

Qi Yun flicked away the cigarette ash, calmly saying: "Go ahead."

Receiving a positive response, Brother Quan yelled into the earpiece: "Clear the site."

Just when Big Beard was impatiently about to teach Qi Yun a lesson, the window of the Raptor behind them suddenly rolled down.

The next second, the muzzles of three MP5s emerged, and a barrage of gunfire rained down on the crowd.

"Ratatatat——!"

The rain of bullets instantly sliced through the air, and the four bandits at the front had no time to react before blood mist erupted from their bodies, convulsing as if electrocuted and collapsing!

When Big Beard heard the gunshots and turned to look, his previously fierce expression instantly froze.

"They have guns! Fuck! They fucking have submachine guns!" a bandit screamed in terror, his voice distorted.

"Damn it!"

"God! Help me!"

Yet, it was already too late.

As the MP5 gunfire exploded, the driver's side door was also kicked open, and Brother Quan grabbed the door with his left hand, leaning out with a Glock 17 in his right hand, swiftly taking precise shots that killed two guys who had just lifted their shotguns.

Then another shot hit Big Beard in the arm, causing him to cry out in pain and drop the shotgun to the ground.

The gunshots echoed in the empty mining area, and fear had already enveloped Big Beard's face.