Chapter Twenty-Three: Brother Yi! You are incredible.

Liangzi noticed the trailing vehicle behind them.

He said with a hint of panic, "Brother Yi! I truly had no idea we were being followed."

Xu Yi kept his eyes on the road and said calmly, "What are you panicking about? Stop the nonsense and tell me exactly what happened."

Liangzi’s eyes seemed to burn with fury. He gritted his teeth and said, "We tracked down that college student who owed Crazy a million in gambling debts because of those predatory 'nude loans.' Brother Bao had already made an arrangement with her, and she agreed to help us lure Zhang Feng out."

"Brother Bao picked a small pool hall as the spot. We had our people staked out all around it. We thought everything was under control."

"But who could have guessed! Dammit! That woman betrayed us. The moment we arrived at the pool hall, we realized the place was swarming with Crazy’s men."

As Liangzi spoke, his eyes turned bloodshot. "Our brothers were all captured! I was positioned on the perimeter, which is how I managed to break through and escape."

Xu Yi remained composed and asked, "How many of Crazy’s men were at the scene?"

Liangzi recalled, "A lot! It was packed. The entire pool hall was filled with his people. There must have been dozens of them."

Xu Yi shook his head. "That’s just what you saw inside. The other side clearly planned this in advance. They definitely had scouts, lookouts, and backup forces. We aren't talking about just a few dozen men; in all likelihood, Crazy mobilized over a hundred."

Liangzi was shocked. "Over a hundred! That’s everything Crazy has at his disposal. Why would he go to such lengths?"

"Exactly. So, with that many people surrounding the place, why were you able to get away?" Xu Yi asked.

Liangzi became agitated, his face flushing red as he roared, "Brother Yi! What are you implying? Brother Bao has been a benefactor to me. If he hadn't saved me back then, I’d be dead by now! I would never betray Brother Bao, even if it cost me my life!"

Xu Yi muttered to himself, "Indeed. Then why would they let you go? There is only one explanation: they know Brother Bao has someone backing him, but they don't know who. They released you to fish for that person."

"He is coming for me."

Xu Yi’s heart sank. Dealing with Scar had been too easy, leading him to underestimate Crazy. It now appeared that Crazy was far more sophisticated than he had imagined. If Crazy went to such lengths just because Brother Bao tried to approach Zhang Feng, he must have been prepared all along. Perhaps it wasn't the girl who betrayed them; perhaps from the very beginning, they had set this trap, and the moment Brother Bao reached out, Crazy was already ready.

How long had it been since the Scar incident? Three days? Crazy’s reaction time and operational capacity were terrifying.

Xu Yi’s vigilance deepened. He now knew Crazy’s goal was to find him. But why? What was the objective? And could this be connected to those mysterious individuals who forced that poison down his throat?

Xu Yi said in a low voice, "Liangzi! How long ago did this happen?"

Liangzi replied immediately, "Half an hour ago. I came straight to you as soon as I escaped!"

Xu Yi’s eyes brightened. Half an hour—the enemy’s layout was not yet fully solidified!

They were likely still interrogating Brother Bao. If he launched a counterattack now, he might be able to rescue him!

"Liangzi! Hold on tight and sit steady!"

Xu Yi slammed on the accelerator, and the G-Wagon roared as it surged forward. The four cars following them noticed the speed increase and quickly kept pace. Since he couldn't shake them off, he would have to take them out.

Xu Yi made a sharp turn, driving into a secluded construction road. The four cars followed closely behind. Soon, they realized the G-Wagon had stopped in the middle of the road. The four cars halted as well.

"Bang!"

The doors opened, and over twenty thugs armed with machetes stepped out. They were ruthless and didn't waste words, rushing straight toward Xu Yi.

In the car, Liangzi asked nervously, "Brother Yi! What now? I’ll do whatever you say! I’m listening to you!"

Xu Yi’s expression remained blank. He rolled up his sleeves and said slowly, "What else is there to do? Beat them first, talk later."

"As for you, just watch from the car. Getting out will only distract me."

With that, Xu Yi opened the door, let out a cold laugh, and charged at them without hesitation.

One man against twenty-plus thugs with machetes. The clash was instantaneous!

Xu Yi unleashed his full strength. 100% power, 100% agility, 100% mental focus. At the same time, a thin mist shrouded his left eye. The [Slow-Motion] ability was activated!

"Bang!"

Xu Yi’s first punch sent a thug’s machete flying, his body sent hurtling backward into a crowd of others. Xu Yi then moved like a fierce tiger, striking repeatedly within the crowd.

"Ahhh!" The screams echoed through the deserted road.

Three minutes later, the screaming ceased. Over twenty thugs lay on the ground, all incapacitated, their fates unknown.

Liangzi drove the G-Wagon up to Xu Yi, looking at him with immense admiration. "Brother Yi! You’re too strong!"

Liangzi had been beaten by Xu Yi before, so he knew how hard his punches were. But that was one-on-six; this was one-on-twenty-four! And they were armed with machetes, for heaven's sake.

Liangzi was now beyond impressed. If the situation hadn't been so urgent, he would have knelt down to beg Xu Yi to be his mentor.

Xu Yi climbed into the car and said, "Liangzi! To the pool hall! Quickly! Can you make it in twenty minutes?"

Liangzi said with absolute confidence, "Brother Yi, don't worry! This car is a beast. The pool hall is only seven or eight kilometers away. If I can't get there in twenty minutes, I’ll eat dirt!"

"Enough talk! Drive!"

Xu Yi knew that the enemy would eventually realize these twenty men had been dealt with, but they wouldn't know immediately. He had a window of about half an hour to exploit. Speed was key. He had to rescue Brother Bao before they moved him; otherwise, no matter how good he was at fighting, he would be blind to their location.

Before, Crazy was in the dark and Xu Yi was in the light. Now, the roles were reversed.

Liangzi didn't boast in vain. Fifteen minutes later, they arrived near the pool hall. To avoid drawing attention, Xu Yi had Liangzi drive away while he approached the building on foot.

As he walked, he scanned his surroundings. The pool hall was on the second floor, facing the street, right next to an internet cafe. Below were a barbershop, a bubble tea shop, and a bakery. The only entrance to the pool hall was a narrow staircase only two people wide. Several thugs were standing at the bottom, scanning the area.

Xu Yi stopped in front of the barbershop and looked up. [X-Ray Vision] activated!

It was too far; he could only see a dozen thugs inside the hall, but no sign of Brother Bao. They must be in a room toward the back, perhaps an office.

Xu Yi thought for a moment, then went upstairs and entered the internet cafe next door.

"Boss, start a terminal for me."

Xu Yi walked through the internet cafe with his X-ray vision active. Finally, in a corner, he peered through the wall into the pool hall and located Brother Bao.