"Tell me, how much money will it take for you to do it?" Samuel Qu's cold gaze swept over everyone present. In his world, there was no problem that money couldn't solve—and if it couldn't, he'd just double the price.
The team leaders hesitated for a long time before one finally spoke up: "It's not about the money. The people inside have endless tricks up their sleeves—we can't predict what they'll try next. Besides, our informants have all been killed by them. There's no way for us to know what's going on in there anymore."
"That's right, Samuel Qu. We may risk our lives for money, but I have to answer to my men. We can't just die here without knowing why, can we?"
"That Max Mo is an absolute demon. The way he attacks—it's beyond imagination. Are we even fighting humans anymore?"
I didn't believe those rumors before, but now I have no choice. I heard that Hirayama Jiro is very close to the Yin Family. If he could give Cecilia Gu some biochemical weapons, who knows what else he might provide? How are we supposed to stand up to that?
......
The noisy chatter below made Samuel Qu's temper flare up instantly.
Seeing that money couldn't persuade them, Samuel Qu was ready to use force.
Samuel Qu slammed his cup onto the floor. Instantly, men rushed out from the shadows, weapons aimed at the group.
"Gentlemen, don't refuse a toast only to drink the penalty wine." Samuel Qu said menacingly. "You're already on my ship—getting off isn't so easy."
The team leaders saw the situation and instantly regretted agreeing to Samuel Qu's offer for money.
Now they finally understood why Viper had pulled out so quickly.
His instincts were just too sharp.
It was their own dull instincts that had gotten them stuck on this sinking ship.
Samuel Qu knew he couldn't push these men too far, so he softened his tone to reassure them: "We're in this together now. If we band together and take down Max Mo and Mrs. Charles Yin, victory will be ours. If we back out now and Max Mo gets a chance to strike, we'll lose everything. Even if death is the outcome, let's at least die with some dignity. Who knows, maybe we can turn things around and snatch victory from defeat?"
Threatened and riled up by Samuel Qu, someone finally made up his mind: "Fine, I'm in!"
He grabbed his gold and turned to leave.
Seeing someone take the lead, the others hesitated no more and made their own choices.
Samuel Qu watched as everyone made the choices he'd expected, finally showing a satisfied smile.
With the decision made to fight to the end, the men went back to rally their teams, laying out the money to motivate them. Before dawn, they were determined to take down everyone in the Field Manor.
Everyone fighting in this battle was a passionate youth.
They all craved more powerful weapons than anyone else.
So Max Mo's rewards hit them right in their sweet spot.
The young men, who had been a bit worn out from the fighting, now stood tall and energized as if they'd been injected with adrenaline.
Watching Max Mo boost morale so easily, Cecilia Gu couldn't help but smile too.
Just two more hours and they'd make it through this ordeal.
Meanwhile...
Far away, a rescue team was racing toward their destination, pushing themselves to the limit.
"Captain, we've spotted a group up ahead," came the report from the front. "Should we take them out?"
The captain raised a hand, halting the team. He picked up his binoculars, studied the situation, and said, "If we can avoid a fight, do it. Don't alert them. Our mission is to reach the destination before dawn, preferably without being noticed. If we can't avoid them, subdue them first—finish our mission, then deal with them."
"Captain, they've spotted us too," came another message from the front. "They've sent a signal asking about our identity."
The team fell silent, everyone tense.
Of course, their real identity couldn't be revealed.
After all, it was hard to tell if the other side was sent by Samuel Qu to hunt them down.
Just as the captain hesitated, another message came through. The frequency was high, and they were being very proactive.
"They say their team is called Viper, and they've just left Samuel Qu's squad. They're asking if we're here to support the Yin Family and the Mo Family." The scout reported quickly.
The captain finally smiled. "This guy's got some guts. Tell them we're not looking for trouble. Both teams should move forward separately and not interfere with each other."
"Yes, sir!"
The signal was sent, and the other side quickly replied, agreeing to the arrangement.
So, soon enough, the two groups passed each other without incident.
The Viper team's members couldn't help but ask their captain, "Are they really our reinforcements?"
"Doesn't matter if they are or not, it's none of our business," Viper replied, glancing at the departing team and lowering his voice. "They're seriously well-equipped—no ordinary people could have that gear. No matter who they are, we can't go up against them. I've got a feeling Samuel Qu is really in trouble this time. Tell our people not to stir up trouble. Let's get out of here fast. The less we know about what's going on here, the better."
"Got it."
Viper's caution might've looked cowardly to outsiders.
But after that day, nobody laughed at Viper's caution anymore.
Because his team was the only one that survived.
It was thanks to his caution that they made it out alive.
As for everyone else...
They were all finished.
The final battle at Field Manor was about to begin.
This time, neither side was holding back. They unleashed all their firepower at each other.
Cecilia Gu wisely stayed out of the way, standing by the window and watching the crossfire outside, which nearly lit up half the sky.
A few morning stars were already shining in the sky.
Bean Sprout, standing behind Cecilia, couldn't help but mutter, "We're finally almost through this."
Xiao Wang and Yu Jie exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.
Yeah, this night was finally coming to an end.
Both sides suffered casualties in this battle.
But not a single person dared to back down—they all fought like mad.
They knew that if anyone retreated, the whole army would collapse.
So even if it meant dying, they pressed forward.
Outside, Samuel Qu's eyes were bloodshot as he roared, ordering his men to charge.
But no amount of shouting could change his fate of defeat.
Finally, the sky began to lighten.
Suddenly, the communications officer, who'd been keeping in touch with the outside, shouted excitedly, "Our reinforcements are here! They're only five kilometers from Field Manor! They've avoided Samuel Qu's sentries and broken through!"
Everyone perked up at the news. Their attacks, which had been losing steam, suddenly became fierce again.
Samuel Qu heard the news too, his face twisted in disbelief. "How is that possible? How could they sneak past my men? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Just then, someone stumbled in from outside. "Seventh Young Master, we're surrounded! We can't hold out any longer!"
"What did you say?" Samuel Qu pulled out his gun and fired at the messenger.
"I won't let anyone shake our morale!" Samuel Qu snapped, "Get out there and fight! Fight for me!"
As soon as he finished, desperate gunfire rang out behind them.
It was over—the tide had turned.
They had really lost!
Defeat spread like a virus, infecting everyone's heart.
Many instinctively dropped their weapons and surrendered.
No matter how Samuel Qu tried to rally them, nobody listened anymore.
Once the reinforcements linked up with Max Mo, they quickly surrounded Samuel Qu and his men, trapping them.
At that moment, Samuel Qu really lost it.
He charged out recklessly, ready to settle the score with Qu Zhengming.
A bullet calmly pierced his kneecap.
Samuel Qu collapsed to his knees.
Max Mo turned to Qu Zhengming and said, "If you didn't need him to take the fall for you, you'd have killed him by now, wouldn't you?"
Qu Zhengming coolly put away his weapon and replied, "Yeah, he can't die yet. If he dies, who'll take the blame for me?"
After that, the two men exchanged a knowing look.