Chapter 32: Entering the Mountains

Brother Guang acted as if he hadn't heard a thing. Instead, he jerked the steering wheel, sending the car into a violent drift. Amidst the swirling dust, Zhong Yuan was nearly thrown from the truck bed; had he not been gripping the railing with all his might, he would have been tossed onto the ground, only to be crushed under the tires.

However, Zhong Yuan’s reflexes were faster. The moment he was flung from the truck, his right hand, clutching his gun, reached through the shattered rear window. With a sharp pull, he hoisted himself up, kicked against the door, and vaulted into the cabin. Once inside, he rolled and immediately leveled his weapon.

The bullet grazed Brother Guang’s face, shattering the windshield upon impact. Brother Guang slammed on the brakes, bringing the vehicle to a screeching halt.

Thrown from his seat by the sudden inertia, Zhong Yuan watched as Brother Guang reached for his own sidearm. Suddenly, Zhong Da slid down from the windshield, pressed his torso against the hood, and aimed his gun directly at Brother Guang.

Brother Guang was startled. That momentary lapse in focus cost him everything.

Zhong Yuan delivered a swift kick to Brother Guang’s wrist, sending his pistol flying. Zhong Yuan caught it mid-air and pressed the muzzle against Brother Guang’s temple. "Kill the engine!"

Brother Guang’s expression turned grim. He gritted his teeth, shot a glare at Zhong Yuan through the rearview mirror, and exchanged a look with Zhong Da through the spiderweb-cracked windshield before finally turning off the ignition.

A similar pickup truck pulled up, driven by Xiao Hua. Zhong Da vaulted off the hood and yanked open the driver’s side door.

"Get out!" he barked.

Brother Guang remained motionless, his lips pressed into a thin line. Zhong Yuan didn't hesitate, slamming the butt of his gun into Brother Guang’s temple. As the man instinctively reached up to cradle his throbbing head, Zhong Yuan delivered a clean, precise strike to the back of his neck. Brother Guang’s body stiffened, then slumped forward onto the steering wheel.

Xiao Hua stepped out of his truck. Together with Zhong Da, they hauled the unconscious Brother Guang into their vehicle. The three men piled in and sped off, vanishing into the night.

"Brother, where to?" Xiao Hua asked the moment they pulled away.

"Head west, into the mountains," Zhong Yuan replied, as if he had already mapped out the path.

Less than an hour’s drive west of Ganna City lay the mountain range, and another thirty minutes beyond that was the border with Myanmar. Unlike the heavily fortified borders of China, crossing into Myanmar was a simple task for the three of them.

Zhong Yuan’s decision to head there wasn't an attempt to flee the country, but a tactical precaution. He feared that if the Buddha Hand Gang suffered too great a loss, they might enlist the local police. If Zhong Yuan were forced to engage the police, the situation would spiral out of control. Once the South Thai police felt humiliated, they would never let him go. Therefore, if the gang did involve the authorities, he would temporarily retreat into Myanmar, follow the Laubi mountain range along the border, and cross back into Thailand near Ranong Province. Since Ranong bordered Krabi, it would put them in a perfect position to launch a surprise counterattack against the Buddha Hand Gang.

Still, this route was fraught with peril. In recent years, criminal syndicates had run rampant in Myanmar, and given the country's complex political climate, armed militias and illegal firearms were everywhere. Navigating several hundred kilometers through Myanmar would be no easy feat for three fugitives.

This was a last resort. If the police didn't get involved, Zhong Yuan intended to hide in the mountains for a few days to extract information from Brother Guang, then travel further down the range to bypass the gang’s scouts before striking directly at Krabi. To dismantle the Buddha Hand Gang, the operation had to be fast, precise, and ruthless, leaving them no chance to call for reinforcements. Otherwise, the three of them would be surrounded by wolves, making a clean escape nearly impossible.

The roads leading to the border were desolate at night, devoid of any traffic or pedestrians. Their journey went smoothly; in less than an hour, they entered the mountains. The surroundings grew dim as dense foliage blotted out the sky, leaving them driving through a tunnel of shadows.

Soon after entering the mountains, Zhong Yuan ordered Xiao Hua to stop. After Xiao Hua and Zhong Da dragged Brother Guang into the roadside woods, Zhong Yuan took the wheel and continued toward the border alone. Half an hour later, the border was within sight. He steered the car onto a side path, concealed it in a hidden spot, and headed back into the forest on foot.

It was 4:00 AM. More than four hours had passed since the fire at the Ya River began to spread.

At the penthouse of the tallest building in Banni City, a woman draped in a pale pink camisole sat on a white mink rug by the floor-to-ceiling windows. She held a crystal wine glass, the red wine inside shimmering like a faceted ruby under the spotlight.

Nearby, a man knelt on the floor, his forehead pressed against the ground, trembling uncontrollably. Behind him stood a sturdy, middle-aged foreigner with his hands clasped in front of him. A gray-silver pistol tucked at his waist glinted with a cold, murderous metallic sheen under the dim lights.

"What did you just say?" The woman at the window turned, her gaze indifferent as it fell upon the kneeling man. She swirled her glass gently before standing up and slowly walking toward him. Her bare, delicate feet made no sound as they moved across the plush rug until she stood directly before him.

"Say it again," she commanded, looking down at him. This time, a trace of killing intent laced her voice.

The man’s body shook even more violently. After a moment, he stammered, "Everyone Brother Guang took is dead... and Brother Guang is missing."

The woman narrowed her eyes, then suddenly tilted her head back and drained the glass in one gulp. A soft, melodic laugh escaped her lips. "Interesting!"

Hearing her laughter, the man let out a faint sigh of relief. Even if he couldn't see what was "interesting" about the situation, as long as she wasn't angry, there was hope.

But before he could fully exhale, the woman’s voice turned chillingly cold. "Take him away. Make sure it's clean."

The man froze. In a panic, he looked up at her and reached out to grab her ankle, shouting, "Madam He, please, don't—"

The woman stepped back, effortlessly avoiding his touch. The foreigner stepped forward, pinning the man to the floor with a heavy boot. Pressed hard against the ground, the man’s face paled, contorted in agony.

"Madam He, I was wrong! Please, spare me! Give me one more chance, and I will bring those Chinese to you!" the man screamed in desperation.

The foreigner leaned down, grabbed the man by the hair, and prepared to slam his head against the concrete.

"Stop!" the woman suddenly commanded.

She crouched down, meeting the man’s eyes as his skin pulled taut against his skull. She gave a faint, chilling smile. "You just said you could bring those Chinese to me, didn't you?"

Unable to nod, the man could only choke out, "Yes! Yes! I can! Please, give me one more chance!"