254: Chapter 254 Joint Operation, Substitution

"Bang!"

This punch was like dropping a heavyweight bomb into the chaotic and noisy Underground Vault, instantly stunning everyone present.

Those treasure hunters who had been eager to try moments ago suddenly froze in place as if hit by an immobilization spell.

The fanaticism and ferocity on their faces instantly froze, replaced by utter astonishment and dread.

They widened their eyes, staring fixedly at Fang Cheng, who wore the ghoul mask, as if seeing a fierce beast suddenly charging out from the darkness.

You must know that the attacker who had just been blasted apart by a single punch was no ordinary small fry.

In terms of strength, he was definitely not much inferior to Xiongba, who had been killed by Nailhead.

That was a figure renowned throughout the Jianghu for his bravery, yet he was so vulnerable under the opponent's fists; how could everyone not tremble in fear?

"Do you want to fight me?"

Fang Cheng tilted his head up slightly, his gaze sweeping coldly across the crowd through the two blood-red holes on the mask.

The few people standing at the very front felt their feet take root when targeted by this gaze; wanting to move yet not daring to, after hesitating repeatedly, they still couldn't help but take a step back.

"What is there to be afraid of! There are only three of them in total, but we have dozens of brothers!"

In the crowd, a burly man shouted at the top of his lungs, attempting to boost everyone's morale, but his elevated tone couldn't hide his inner cowardice.

Hearing this, the other treasure hunters still wore hesitant expressions, their eyes occasionally glancing at Fang Cheng and the professor.

Although that was said, the strength of the opponent's team was extraordinary.

One was adept at mental control, capable of instantly disrupting everyone's minds and affecting their behaviors and actions.

One possessed astonishing speed and strength; the brutal scene from just now was still vivid in their minds, capable of cracking someone's head open with a single punch.

If a real fight broke out, the hotheads rushing to the very front would definitely suffer first, perhaps not even knowing how they died.

If the golden bumpa bottle were in their hands, fighting desperately for it would be somewhat justifiable.

The crucial point was that the golden bumpa bottle wasn't even here right now; there was simply no need to fight to the death with these tricky characters!

Thinking of this, the clever ones had already quietly retreated, intending to leave the Underground Vault through the front door passage and chase after the fellow who actually carried the treasure.

"Everyone, you might have some misunderstanding; we are not accomplices with that foreigner."

At this moment, the professor suddenly spoke up to explain, breaking the deadlock on the scene:

"If you want to take back the golden bumpa bottle, you can still catch up if you hurry now."

His voice sounded very sincere and earnest, as if carrying a magic power that could pacify people's hearts.

While speaking, he also stepped aside and made a polite gesture of invitation.

Seeing this, the crowd was even more stunned, unable to turn their brains around for a moment.

Fang Cheng also gave the professor a surprised glance.

"Exactly, why fight? We have no past grievances and no recent enmities, seizing the treasure is what matters!"

A tall and thin fellow reacted first, shouting while bolting toward the direction where Mike had escaped.

"Right, right, hurry up and chase, don't dawdle, otherwise that foreigner will run out of sight!"

The others also snapped back to their senses. Seeing that Fang Cheng and the professor truly had no intention of stopping them, they swarmed into the back door in a huddle, running at full speed along the direction of the secret passage.

Some even used walkie-talkies to loudly notify their accomplices guarding outside the estate to intercept Mike, who was fleeing with the treasure.

In the blink of an eye, the originally noisy and bustling Underground Vault only left behind Fang Cheng, the professor, and Li Dingjian.

Even Nailhead, whose appearance and behavior were both very eccentric, was nowhere to be seen.

"Friend, thank you for your helping hand!"

With gratitude in his eyes, the professor bowed slightly toward Fang Cheng.

He knew very well that if it weren't for that earth-shattering punch just now deterring the numerous treasure hunters, they wouldn't have escaped so easily.

Although it was unclear why the other party helped him, under the current situation surrounded by packs of wolves, being able to have one more assistant and one fewer enemy was naturally the best choice.

After a brief pause, the professor cleared his throat and continued:

"Right now the two of us still have matters that urgently need to be dealt with; we hope for your understanding. Once we successfully resolve them, we will contact you again, and there will definitely be a generous reward then."

Fang Cheng nodded slightly, acknowledging the professor's thanks, but his gaze remained fixed on the face of the middle-aged man behind.

Seeming to want to see through his true face, after pondering for a moment, he suddenly spoke up, stopping the two who were about to step away:

"If you don't mind, our two teams can join forces to seize the golden bumpa bottle together."

Seeing that the two had somewhat startled expressions, he then added:

"I still maintain my previous suspicion; the Lu family set up this scheme with a huge plot behind it, which I'm afraid is not something a single team can handle alone."

Hearing this, the professor was slightly taken aback, not expecting Fang Cheng to propose such a suggestion at this time.

He quickly exchanged a glance with Li Dingjian, their eyes meeting to convey surprise and contemplation.

Only a moment later, the professor snapped back to his senses, the corners of his mouth turning up to reveal a slightly gratified smile as he sincerely responded:

"What friend says is extremely right; I have always believed that in such a perilous place, joining forces is the wisest choice."

As he spoke, he turned his head to look toward the back door, his speech speeding up unconsciously:

"This place is not suitable for a long stay; I wonder if friend will travel with us? If there is anything you wish to understand on the way, it will also be convenient for us to discuss in detail."

At this moment, Li Dingjian's face was also taut, his eyes revealing eagerness; clearly, there were indeed very important matters that needed to be done.

Seeing this, Fang Cheng nodded slightly, indicating agreement.

The three then walked quickly together toward the back door secret passage, their figures swiftly vanishing into it.

The passage was permeated with a damp and moldy Aura, with only a few dim emergency lights emitting a weak glow, barely illuminating the road beneath their feet.

During the process of returning to the ground, Fang Cheng took the walkie-talkie from his waist, pressed the call button, and contacted Black Wolf, Lord Bao, and others, concisely explaining what had just happened.

Then he instructed in a solemn tone:

"The situation has changed; I am now teamed up with a few other friends and heading to the ground. You guys temporarily retreat outside the estate according to the plan, stay vigilant at all times, and wait for my news."

On the other side, the professor's eyes also flickered slightly as he communicated secretly with his team members through a mental connection.

"Xiaochu, Monkey, how is the situation outside?"

His voice rang directly in the minds of all team members.

Soon, a crisp and capable voice responded:

"Professor, according to your instructions, we have already rushed near Mike's team and are preparing to make a move, currently without alerting the enemy."

This was Lin Chuqiao, who was guarding the perimeter of the estate, replying.

Then, Monkey's slightly low voice also rang in this special "channel":

"Professor, I am at the observation point and see a group of people chasing a blonde-haired, blue-eyed foreigner, looking like they just crawled out from underground. I wonder if they are Mike's men?"

"Good."

The professor quickly made a judgment and decisively ordered:

"Xiaochu, you guys make a move immediately, make it quick and decisive, don't give the other side time to react."

"Monkey, get yourself ready, cooperate with Xiaochu's action, and provide firepower and intelligence support at any time."

"Understood."

Lin Chuqiao and Monkey responded in unison.

After coordinating the subsequent actions, the professor glanced at Fang Cheng beside him, who was also walking nonstop yet quietly paying attention to him.

Their gazes touched, and both seemed to have many questions, wanting to obtain answers from each other.

Meanwhile, in a patch of woods outside the wall on the southeast side of the estate.

Two foreigners with hooked noses were full of anxiety, as if waiting for someone.

The tall one was named Tom, and the short one was named Jerry; both were among the treasure hunters participating in tonight's operation.

Suddenly, the walkie-talkie in their hands made a static sound, their eyes lit up, and they immediately kept shouting into it:

"Hey, hey, Mike, what on earth are you dawdling for, come out quickly!"

Before long, hurried panting came from the other end of the walkie-talkie, as if having just experienced a mad dash of life-and-death speed:

"I also want to escape as soon as possible, but now only I am left. All around are lunatics shooting indiscriminately, and there are pursuers behind. I must hide carefully and not let them discover my whereabouts."

Hearing this, the two foreigners instantly became even more worried.

Jerry stamped his feet in anxiety and yelled:

"Mike, you must hold on; we are charging in to support you right now."

Tom also chimed in from the side, his eyes staring fixedly at the walkie-talkie, as if this could drag his accomplice out of danger.

"No, having a few more people won't help either. It's extremely chaotic inside right now; you coming in will only expose my location."

Mike refused with heavy pants:

"You guys wait patiently outside and act according to the plan. As long as we successfully take away the golden bumpa bottle, we'll be rich, so don't panic at all, stay steady!"

He tried to comfort his companion, his voice appearing somewhat trembling due to being overly excited.

Then, he hurriedly hung up.

Tom and Jerry looked at each other, sighed helplessly, and muttered:

"God bless, hopefully Mike and the treasure bottle can both be safe and sound."

They paced back and forth in place, their eyes occasionally glancing toward the inside of the estate emitting flames and gunshots.

At this moment, a cold wind blew past, brushing the branches and leaves to make a rustling sound.

The fog coiled like a ghost among the trees, adding even more mysterious and dangerous Aura.

Lin Chuqiao was dressed in a suit of black sportswear, outlining her curvaceous and lithe figure just right.

Crouching down, she was like a tigress prowling in the dark night, hiding behind the bushes.

Her sharp gaze pierced through the dense branches and leaves, tightly locking onto every move of those two foreigners outside the woods.

The call sound inside the walkie-talkie faintly came through and then abruptly stopped.

This made her willow-like eyebrows slightly furrow, pondering inwardly.

She immediately withdrew her gaze, looked at Bailing and Dachui beside her, and nodded slightly to signal.

Bailing stood in the shadows, her eyes sparkling with strange radiance like gems in the darkness.

She then took a deep breath, mobilizing that mysterious special power within her body.

In an instant, airflow surged around her body, as if illusory light and shadow were flashing around her, and her figure began to change drastically.

Before long, a robust man with blonde hair and blue eyes appeared—it was none other than Mike.

From the high-bridged nose and deep-set eyes to the jacket stained with blood and scratches on his body, down to the mud-caked boots on his feet, everything was identical to the real person.

If Mike himself were here, he would probably be dazed into thinking it was an image in a mirror.

Bailing shook her head gently, adapting to her new physical state.

Immediately after, the corners of her mouth turned up, hooking into a playful smile as she made a "victory" sign toward Lin Chuqiao and Dachui.

Dachui stood aside, also grinning widely, his eyes flashing with excitement.

His hands tightly gripped his signature large iron hammer, slightly loosening his muscles and bones as his joints made "crack, crack" sounds.

Lin Chuqiao gazed at the two, her eyes bright and sharp, and said softly:

"Start action!"

Outside the woods, Tom and Jerry were like ants on a hot pan, anxiously pacing back and forth, not daring to move their eyes away from the estate's direction for even a second.

Inside the estate, gunfire was incessant and fighting was fierce, yet the woods here were terrifyingly quiet.

The passage of every second seemed to pull at their hearts, carrying out a tug-of-war.

If there were completely no chance to get the golden bumpa bottle, they perhaps wouldn't be this anxious.

Yet hearing right now that the treasure had already fallen into the hands of their accomplice, the two instead became fraught with anxiety about gains and losses.

Suddenly, the quietness was broken.

From deep within the woods came a rustling sound, as if someone was shuttling through it rapidly.

Tom and Jerry instantly became alert, their heads turning sharply as their spines straightened, and their hands quickly raised the rifles they carried.

The muscles of both men were tensed, their gun barrels aimed at a pitch-black clump of bushes, staring fixedly without letting go of any slightest movement.

"Tom, Jerry, it's me!"

Suddenly, an exceptionally familiar voice came out from the woods.

Following closely, a figure stumbled out running.

He was seen with disheveled blonde hair, his jacket damaged, and several bloodstains hanging on his face, as if having just experienced a tragic and fierce battle.

It was precisely Mike, who had talked with the two earlier.

"Tom, Jerry, you guys run quickly! They are catching up!"

Mike shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice revealing extremely genuine panic.

The two widened their eyes, their mouths slightly agape, their faces full of astonishment.

They couldn't figure out no matter what why Mike, who clearly should have broken out from the front gate direction of the estate or climbed over from the wall, popped out from this concealed woods.

"Mike, you... what is going on?"

Tom spoke with a somewhat trembling voice.

Before he could finish asking, Mike hurriedly waved his hand, lowered his voice, and said urgently:

"No time to explain, the plan has changed, they discovered my whereabouts!"

As he spoke, standing at a distance, he forcefully threw over a bulging backpack:

"The golden bumpa bottle is inside, you guys take it and run first, I'll draw away the pursuers!"

Right at this moment, another wave of shouting and hollering came from the woods, with the voices of both a man and a woman.

"He is hiding here, everyone hurry over!"

"Bastard, don't run, leave the stuff behind for me!"

Before the words fell, a tall and sturdy man aggressively burst out of the woods.

Wielding an iron hammer in his hand, his steps pounded the ground with "bang, bang" sounds, kicking up a cloud of dust and looking extremely ferocious.

Tom and Jerry didn't dare to think any further; in their panic, they subconsciously reached out to take the backpack, turned around, and bolted.

Due to being too hurried, their steps stumbled, almost causing them to fall to the ground.

Yet they didn't even look back, their hearts holding only one immensely excited thought:

"We must absolutely not let the treasure be snatched away!"

After the two figures disappeared into the fog-shrouded mountain forest.

Mike, who stayed in place, chuckled lightly, and then a flash of light surrounded his body, his appearance and figure changing drastically.

It turned out to be Bailing, who had restored her original appearance.

She turned around to look at the man and woman who had chased over.

They were Dachui and Lin Chuqiao, who were pretending to be pursuers.

The three looked at each other and smiled, their eyes sparkling with the joy of an initial victory.

"Don't relax, this is just the beginning."

Lin Chuqiao walked forward, tidied the stray hair by her temples, gave a soft warning, and then assigned tasks:

"Bailing, you transform into the foreigner's appearance again and get ready."

"Dachui, go guard our retreat route, I will contact the professor now to report the situation here."

Hearing this, the two nodded in agreement, immediately carrying out subsequent actions according to the plan.