41: Mysterious Man

Lu Yuan abruptly sprang from his chair, his muscles instantly tensing. The Source Power of a Second-Tier Card Master surged from his body like a tide, covering him entirely. His senses heightened to their maximum, and he vigilantly scanned every corner of the dormitory.

The windows were tightly shut, and the door lock was intact.

The dormitory building was silent, with only the faint clamor of other students echoing from afar.

There was no feeling of being watched, no sense of danger.

That message... Lu Yuan looked at his phone screen again. An encrypted, unknown number, impossible to trace the source.

But the content hit him like a heavy hammer, striking his soft spot!

Parents!

The Black Water Gang scum actually dared to target his parents!

He immediately pulled up his contacts, his fingers turning pale from the force, and dialed his mother's number.

"Beep... beep... The number you have dialed cannot be connected at this time. Please try again later..."

A cold automated voice responded.

Lu Yuan's heart suddenly sank.

He immediately dialed his father's number.

The result was exactly the same!

Unable to connect!

How could this be?

Normally, at this time, even if his parents were working overtime, their phones should be reachable!

Could it be... something had already happened?!

An indescribable panic and rage surged in his chest.

Calm down!

Lu Yuan! You must calm down!

Especially at times like this, you can't panic!

The Black Water Gang's target was him, or more precisely, the gold card in his possession.

The most likely reason for them to go after his parents was to force him to comply or to use them as leverage.

If they were really going to make a move, the most probable time would be when he wasn't home!

And he was currently at school, in a single room in Venus Tower.

They likely thought this was a perfect opportunity!

Thinking this, Lu Yuan no longer hesitated.

He quickly put on his jacket and checked the cards on him.

Auxiliary cards like Wind Bamboo Worm, Mimicry Technique, Burrowing Rat, and Feathered Sparrow were also ready.

After losing Swamp Crocodile and Shadow Mantis, his regular combat power was greatly diminished, but his self-preservation and stealth abilities remained.

Without alarming anyone.

Lu Yuan silently opened his dormitory door and slipped out.

The corridor was empty.

He didn't take the elevator but chose the fire escape, agilely descending.

At the same time, he activated the Wind Bamboo Worm card.

A tiny, almost invisible greenish-blue worm quietly flew out the window, blending into the night, acting as his eyes, quickly scouting towards his home neighborhood.

His own Source Power perception was also raised to its limit, capturing any abnormal fluctuations in the surrounding environment.

Although the security of Venus Tower was strict, for a Second-Tier Card Master determined to sneak out, it was not insurmountable.

Lu Yuan avoided surveillance cameras, using the shadows and blind spots of the buildings, and soon successfully left Venus Tower and the範圍 of Qing Teng Middle School.

The night became his best cover.

He didn't go straight home but took a detour, approaching from a relatively secluded wall at the back of the neighborhood.

The real-time footage from the Wind Bamboo Worm, combined with his keen perception, quickly allowed him to pinpoint the target.

It was in the dimly lit green belt across from the main entrance of the neighborhood.

Several figures were furtively gathered there, occasionally peeking towards the neighborhood entrance.

One of them, with conspicuous yellow hair, was the same hooligan he had seen at the school gate that day, who later furtively pulled out his phone to send a message!

It was indeed someone from the Black Water Gang!

Lu Yuan's eyes turned cold.

From their appearance, they seemed to be waiting for something, or confirming whether the target was home.

This confirmed the warning from the anonymous message.

He hid in the shadows of a more distant building, looking for an opportunity, his killing intent gathering in his eyes.

He was confident he could quickly deal with these small fries without alerting anyone!

However, just as he was about to make his move—

Screech—

A faint sound of tires rubbing was heard.

An inconspicuous gray minivan suddenly appeared, stopping in the shadows not far from Yellow Hair and his group.

The car door opened.

Three men in dark plain clothes stepped out.

Are they reinforcements?

Lu Yuan's pupils constricted slightly.

No! These people... are not from the Black Water Gang!

It seemed... after the three plainclothes men got out of the car, they didn't immediately walk towards Yellow Hair and his group. Instead, they subtly dispersed, subtly surrounding the green belt from three directions.

Their movements were very natural, like ordinary people returning home at night, but their coordination showed a trained默契.

"Hey, Brother Yellow Hair, something feels off..."

In the green belt, a skinny hooligan seemed to sense something, touching Yellow Hair with some unease.

Yellow Hair also frowned, feeling that the atmosphere around them seemed to have become somewhat oppressive.

"What's off, you fool? No news yet? Is anyone even home?"

"Forget it, squatting here all the time isn't going to do anything."

"Let's retreat first, and act when we get news!"

His sixth sense was quite strong, and he decisively prepared to leave with his men.

However, it was too late.

The moment they turned around, the three plainclothes men moved!

Like three arrows released from a bow, their speed was astonishing!

In the blink of an eye, they were in front of Yellow Hair and his group.

There was no superfluous talk, and they didn't even show any weapons.

Just clean and precise grappling!

Bang! Crack! Thud!

Several muffled thuds and the sound of bones dislocating occurred almost simultaneously.

Yellow Hair and his few subordinates were subdued instantly, unable to put up any decent resistance. Each was handcuffed behind their back, their mouths covered, and pushed to the ground.

The entire process was extremely fluid.

It didn't attract anyone's attention.

Subsequently, two more people, also in plain clothes, got out of the gray minivan and quickly dragged Yellow Hair and the others, who had lost their ability to resist, into the car.

The car door closed.

The minivan started again, without stirring up a speck of dust, quickly merged into the traffic, and disappeared into the night.

From its appearance to its departure, it was no more than a brief minute.

Only a few flattened patches of greenery were left at the scene, as if nothing had happened.

Lu Yuan, hidden in the distant shadows, witnessed all of this.

Who are these people?

Such swift movements! Such professional action!

They were clearly not from the Black Water Gang.

Official? Or military?

Or perhaps a family or enterprise showing goodwill?

Could it be... they sent that anonymous message?

Why would they help him deal with the Black Water Gang's informants?

Is it just a gesture of goodwill, or do they have ulterior motives?

Lu Yuan was completely baffled; the intricacies of this situation were truly too complex!

And—

Among the three plainclothes men who completed the mission, the leader, before getting into the car, seemed to inadvertently... glance in the direction where Lu Yuan was hiding.

Separated by dozens of meters and the thick night.

Lu Yuan, however, keenly caught the fleeting arc at the corner of the other party's mouth.

It was a... meaningful smile.

He knows I'm here!

This thought shot through Lu Yuan's mind like an electric current.

The other party not only knew about the Black Water Gang's actions but also knew that he would definitely come out!

Or perhaps, they only acted after confirming his arrival?

The minivan disappeared around the street corner.

Lu Yuan remained in his lurking posture.

The surroundings returned to calm, but Lu Yuan's heart could not.

The sudden appearance of this third party, their purpose, their stance, were completely unknown.

Compared to an overt enemy like the Black Water Gang, such an existence hidden in the dark, with unknown strength and purpose, was even more daunting!

After lurking in place for another ten minutes, confirming there were no further anomalies, Lu Yuan quietly left.

He didn't go home but found a secluded corner and took out his phone again.

This time, the call finally connected.

"Hello? Xiao Yuan? Calling so late, is something wrong?" His father's slightly tired voice came from the other end of the line.

"Dad, where's Mom? Are you two alright?" Lu Yuan's voice carried a hint of lingering fear.

"We're fine, I just finished overtime with your mom, and we're heading back to the factory dorm. What's wrong? Your tone sounds off, is it that you don't have enough money?"

"No... nothing, plenty of money, I just suddenly missed you two." Lu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, half the weight lifted from his heart, "Be careful on your way."

"Got it, you rascal, you're a grown man now, stop acting spoiled. Alright, we're almost at the dorm, you should also get some rest early, you have class tomorrow."

He hung up the phone.

His parents were fine, which was a blessing in disguise.

But this time it was resolved, what about next time?

Moreover, his third gold card was coming soon.

Should it be used to load a card slot... or as a stepping stone?

Even if he were to sell it, how would he explain it, and to whom?

At this moment, he was undoubtedly in the center of a huge whirlpool.

Countless eyes, both open and hidden, were focused on him.

Lu Yuan's mind was a mess. He looked up at the deep night sky; today the moon was bright and the stars were sparse, a rare good weather.

But the road ahead was destined to be anything but smooth.

Just then, a figure flashed through his mind—

Could she handle me?