The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 730 Encirclement and Suppression!

At the fork in the road, Ye Peng asked Captain Zhang Jin which road to take next.

"Stop the car first," Zhang Jin said, turning to Wang Tao in the back seat, "and hand me the map."

Zhang Jin quickly unfolded the map and looked at it; the border was not far ahead.

If they wanted to return to the stronghold, they had to take the road on the right. However, Boss Lang had deployed thousands of troops in this direction. If he ordered his troops to block them, it would be difficult for them to break through the blockade with just a few men.

The people in the car knew very well that if they continued driving forward, they would be safe in just a few minutes, but that would expose their identities. If they went south, they would definitely be in grave danger.

Zhang Jincheng's finger slowly traced across the map, his brow furrowed.

The atmosphere inside the car was so heavy that you could almost hear each other breathing.

Ye Peng gripped the steering wheel tightly, glancing at the rearview mirror every now and then, fearing that pursuers might suddenly appear.

"Captain, we can't hesitate any longer," Wang Tao said in a low voice, "Boss Lang's men could catch up at any moment."

Just then, gunshots rang out from behind, and the pursuing enemy troops were getting closer and closer.

Time was of the essence for Zhang Jincheng, and he decisively said, "Turn right, take the road to the south." He commanded in a deep voice.

Ye Peng floored the accelerator, the SUV's tires screeched, and then it shot off to the right like an arrow, kicking up a cloud of dust.

A few minutes later, a dozen Ford pickup trucks, fully loaded with heavily armed enemy soldiers, arrived at the intersection.

The leading officer saw dust rising on the road heading south and knew that the pursuers had fled south. He immediately reported the situation to Boss Lang via radio.

Boss Lang's voice came through the radio, carrying an unquestionable authority: "Chase! We need to find them alive or dead!" The officer immediately waved for the convoy to speed up, the roar of engines breaking the silence of the border.

Upon receiving the report from his subordinates, Boss Lang was overjoyed. He stood up and examined the map. In addition to instructing his men to continue pursuing Zhang Jincheng and his group, he also ordered the troops in the south to intercept them.

Lang Lao Er asked his elder brother with suspicion, "They don't seem to be from 'that side,' otherwise why would they choose to seek death instead of taking a path that leads to survival?"

"No matter where they come from, we'll wipe them out first. Even if they were sent by the Heavenly King himself, we'll still destroy them this time."

"These bastards dare to cause trouble on my turf..." Boss Lang cursed angrily.

After a moment of thought, Lang Lao Er said to Lang Lao Lao, "Brother, I have a feeling that even though they are fleeing south, these people are most likely from 'that side'."

"Second brother, what makes you so sure?" the eldest brother asked, puzzled.

"Brother, think about it. Given our current strength, which armed group in the surrounding area would dare to oppose us? Would they dare to provoke us so openly?"

Boss Lang shook his head, seemingly lost in thought, and said, "You know what, there really isn't one. The most likely culprit is that old codger Kang, but he's far away in Mengla, and he doesn't have the power to deal with us."

"I think their southward escape actually proves that they came from 'that side'. If they were Kang Laoda's men, they would have fled 'that side' without a second thought."

The eldest brother secretly admired the second brother's analysis, thinking that the second brother truly deserved to be called the "wise strategist" among the three brothers.

After Lang Lao Er's analysis, Lang Lao Da also felt that these people came from "over there".

Thinking of this, a thought suddenly struck him, and he quickly asked Lang Lao Er, "Lao Er, do you have something on your mind?"

Lang Lao Er knew his eldest brother was stubborn and wouldn't listen to others, so he deliberately sighed and said indirectly, "Alas, Lao San is still in their hands, and he's definitely going to die..."

Of course, the eldest brother Lang understood what the second brother Lang meant. If these people really came from "over there," then capturing them alive would allow them to exchange for the third brother.

He turned to his adjutant standing beside him and said, "Order the pursuing and intercepting troops to capture these people alive. The reward for each one captured is two hundred thousand US dollars."

"Yes!" The adjutant's eyes turned red upon hearing this. With such a high reward, he couldn't resist personally going to arrest the person.

This order from Boss Lang has inadvertently provided Zhang Jincheng with a great deal of help, as he still doesn't know what kind of people he's dealing with.

His troops would have a hard time eliminating these people, let alone capturing them alive.

Meanwhile, Zhang Jincheng's off-road vehicle sped along the rugged mountain road, its body shaking violently as if it might fall apart at any moment.

Ye Peng gritted his teeth, gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Wang Tao leaned out of the back seat, quickly checking the remaining ammunition, and whispered, "We're running low on bullets. We need to find a way to shake them off."

Zhang Jincheng's gaze swept across the rapidly receding scenery outside the window, then suddenly pointed to a dense forest in the distance: "Drive that way! Once we're in the woods, their cars won't be able to catch up."

Without hesitation, Ye Peng jerked the steering wheel, and the car swerved sharply into the woods.

Branches scraped against the car body, making a screeching sound, but the car did not slow down at all.

The pursuing convoy of pickup trucks was forced to slow down, and the officer cursed, jumped out of his vehicle, and ordered his soldiers to pursue on foot.

However, the terrain deep in the forest was complex, and the pursuers quickly lost their way.

Taking advantage of the situation, Zhang Jin and his men drove through the woods onto a secluded path, temporarily shaking off their pursuers.

He knew that Boss Lang had deployed a large number of troops along the southern line of the old city, and he had been thinking about how to break through the enemy's encirclement and suppression along the way.

Ah Gui said that Lao Ya Ridge was just ahead, and that it was a key defensive point for Boss Lang, with a division of troops stationed in the area.

Zhang Jin said he knew that saying it was a division was just an exaggeration and a bluff.

All the troops in the "Kim Jong-il region" are severely understaffed. A division is not even a regiment, with a maximum of seven or eight hundred people.

However, even these seven or eight hundred people are not something that they can currently contend with.

Zhang Jin said he had decided to give up on the Laoya Ridge hike. He asked A Gui, "Brother A Gui, if we were to hike over Laoya Ridge, what would be the best starting point?"

Ah Gui thought for a moment and said, "This Laoya Ridge is over a hundred kilometers long from east to west. The mountain is not very steep, but it is difficult to cross as long as you avoid the main peak."

The key issue is that most of the area is virgin forest, making it very difficult to traverse through the woods; you could easily get trapped inside.

However, there's a place in this area called Python Gully. We crossed Old Crow Ridge twice from Python Gully before, because you could get across by simply following the canyon.

"Where should we get off?" Zhang Jin asked again.

"That's fine. We can go through from here, and it'll also be convenient to hide our car." A-Gui looked in the direction.

Zhang Jin immediately said to Wang Tao, "Send a telegram to the instructor right away, and have him bring men to Laoyaling to meet us along the direction of Python Gully."

We parked ten minutes later and hiked through the woods.

Hearing that the car was going to be thrown away, Ye Peng said with some reluctance, "I just bought it a few days ago, it would be such a waste to throw it away!"

"Of course we can't let it go to waste. We'll prepare a few trinkets for the pursuers behind us."

"They've chased us for so long, we can't let them chase us for nothing."

Zhuang Yan, Ye Peng, and the others understood immediately and replied with smiles, "Hahaha... we understand."

After driving for a while, the off-road vehicle stopped. Everyone rushed to get out of the vehicle. After being jostled on the rugged mountain road for so long, like piloting a small boat on a turbulent sea, everyone was exhausted and wished the vehicle would stop as soon as possible.

After getting out of the car, Zhang Jin immediately asked, "Where exactly is Python Gully located? What is the terrain like?"

A-Gui pulled a yellowed hand-drawn map from his backpack and pointed to a winding curve on it, saying, "It's right here. There are cliffs on both sides of the canyon, but there's a trail worn by hunters at the bottom. However," he hesitated for a moment, "there are often flash floods in the valley during the rainy season. Although it's the dry season now, there are many poisonous snakes in the canyon, so the locals call it Python Gully."

Wang Tao gasped upon hearing this: "Captain, this..."

“There’s no time to hesitate.” Zhang Jin made a decisive decision. “Let’s go through Python Gully. Poisonous snakes are easier to deal with than bullets.” He turned to Ye Peng and said, “Hide the car, we’ll proceed on foot.”

Everyone quickly packed up their equipment, and Ye Peng drove the off-road vehicle into a thicket, carefully concealing it with tree branches.

Ah Gui led the way, a machete in hand, occasionally slicing through the vines blocking their path. As they ventured deeper into the jungle, the light grew dimmer, and the damp air was thick with the smell of decaying plants. After walking for about ten minutes, a sudden "boom" of an explosion echoed behind them. The group exchanged knowing smiles, realizing their pursuers had met their "gift."

After Zhang Jin and his men left, the enemy forces chasing them discovered the off-road vehicles hidden ahead.

Seven or eight enemy soldiers immediately jumped out of the first pickup truck and slowly approached the abandoned SUV with their guns at the ready.

Upon approaching, one of the soldiers couldn't resist opening the car door and detonating the booby trap set by Zhuang Yan...

The leading officer quickly reported the situation to Boss Lang via radio, and Boss Lang immediately ordered them to abandon the vehicle and give chase.

So the remaining dozens of enemy soldiers abandoned their vehicle and followed Zhang Jincheng and his men into the mountains.

After receiving the report, Boss Lang walked to the sand table to the side and began to think. Although this guy was a miner by trade, he was very clever and cunning, which was the reason why he had been able to live to his current position.

Having roamed the "Jin San area" for over twenty years, he was very familiar with the terrain. Judging from the location where the other party abandoned their vehicle, he guessed that these people might be crossing Laoyaling from Mangshegou.

Laoya Ridge is an important defensive line south of the old city. If these people cross this line, there's nothing we can do about them.

Therefore, they had to be stopped here. Boss Lang decided to take a gamble. He ordered the troops at Laoyaling to abandon other places and quickly assemble at Mangshegou, determined to capture these people here no matter what.

Old Lang squinted at the sand table, then suddenly grabbed the walkie-talkie and roared, "Have the Third Division Commander take his men and take the shortcut to the exit of Python Gully to ambush them!" His rough fingers traced an arc on the sand table. "Remember, capture them alive!"

After entering the mountains, Zhang Jincheng thought as he walked, and he also thought that Lang Laoda could guess that they passed Laoyaling from Mangshegou.

They've been dealing with Boss Lang since the first day they arrived in the "Jin San area," from Longzui Cliff, Jiaomo River Valley, and the old city all the way to now.

Zhang Jin said he felt this opponent was very difficult to deal with, and in their previous encounters, the opponent had even gotten ahead of him.

Therefore, Zhang Jin believed that Boss Lang would definitely be blocking their way ahead.

After A-Gui led everyone into Python Gully, Zhang Jin gathered everyone together and made arrangements, telling them to discard all other items except for weapons and ammunition. Wang Tao and Zhuang Yan led the way, aiming to cross Python Gully as quickly as possible.

Python Gully is about 20 kilometers long and runs north-south. It looks like a scar that was cleaved open by a god with a divine weapon on Laoya Ridge.

During the rainy season, the canyon is frequently eroded by floods, so there are few trees and bare rocks everywhere. Weeds grow among the rocks, and poisonous snakes and insects lurk there. The scene inside the canyon is like two different worlds compared to the scene outside.

The moment the group stepped into Python Valley, they were greeted by a chilly, fishy-smelling air.

The towering cliffs on both sides of the canyon squeeze the sky into a thin line, allowing sunlight to only dab onto the scattered rocks at the bottom of the valley.

Ahead, Wang Tao and Zhuang Yan gripped their machetes tightly. As the blades cleaved through the waist-high weeds, several brightly patterned venomous snakes slithered away, making a chilling rustling sound.

"Watch your step!" Ah Gui suddenly warned in a low voice.

Looking down, they saw a king cobra, as thick as a bowl, coiled in a crevice in the rocks ahead, raising its flat neck and hissing threateningly.

Ye Peng slowly drew his dagger, but Zhang Jincheng grabbed his wrist: "Don't waste time, go around it."

The deeper you go, the darker and damper the canyon becomes. The stone walls are covered with moss, making them extremely slippery to walk on.

Ye Peng stumbled and nearly fell into a ravine full of sharp rocks, but fortunately his comrade behind him grabbed his backpack strap.

This road is too difficult to travel. When everyone had passed through more than half of the canyon, Wang Tao and Zhuang Yan, who were scouting ahead, discovered that the enemy was gathering here.

Zhuang Yan immediately used a portable radio to report the situation to Zhang Jincheng behind him, "Calling 'Phoenix,' enemy spotted 200 meters ahead."

"Stay hidden and try not to get close to the enemy."

Zhang Jin quickly gave a hand signal, and the team immediately dispersed and hid in the depressions of the rock wall.

Zhuang Yan picked up his binoculars and discovered that they were just the advance team.

At the canyon exit, a dozen or so enemy soldiers could be seen setting up machine gun positions, while further away, soldiers were carrying sandbags to build fortifications.

Zhang Jincheng, who caught up from behind, hid behind a large rock and also used binoculars to observe the enemy troops in front.

This enemy force is small, only about twenty men in total. It is suspected that this is the enemy's advance team, and we must seize the opportunity to rush over as soon as possible.

At this moment, Wang Tao and Zhuang Yan approached the enemy at a distance of less than thirty meters.

Zhang Jin said into the microphone, "Charge!"

Wang Tao and Zhuang Yan in front leaped up like two cheetahs, charging towards the enemy while firing their assault rifles.

Zhang Jin and his five men stopped hiding, picked up their weapons, and charged after them.

Gunshots echoed piercingly through the canyon, bullets striking the rocks and sending sparks flying.

The enemy troops were clearly caught off guard by the surprise attack and were thrown into chaos.

The machine gunner had just touched the trigger when Zhuang Yan fired a single shot between his eyebrows, causing him to fall to the side onto the sandbag.

"Alternate cover!" Zhang Jin roared as he charged forward, his Colt assault rifle spitting fire.

Ye Peng and A Gui immediately flanked from both sides, their bullets accurately taking down two enemy soldiers who were about to throw grenades.

The shockwave from the explosion sent rubble flying everywhere. Amidst the smoke, Wang Tao rolled behind a large rock and threw two smoke grenades.

A thick white fog instantly enveloped the canyon exit. Under cover, the group quickly broke through the defenses.

After breaking through the enemy's first blockade, they dared not linger and continued to advance at top speed.

After advancing a few more kilometers, two wheeled armored personnel carriers blocked their path. Before they could even get close, the machine guns on the roofs opened fire on them, and a storm of dense bullets immediately blocked their way.

Bullets whizzed overhead, scattering rock fragments everywhere.

Zhang Jin rolled to the side and dodged behind a boulder, but a flying pebble grazed his cheek, leaving a bloody gash.

"Spread out! Find cover!" he shouted sharply, taking a smoke grenade from his tactical vest.

The group quickly dispersed to both sides of the ravine, using the jagged rocks as cover to avoid the hail of bullets.

The heavy machine guns on the armored vehicles continued to spew fire, bullets weaving a deadly web in the canyon.

Zhuang Yan crawled to Zhang Jincheng's side, his forehead covered in cold sweat: "Captain, this firepower is too intense. Charging in head-on is suicide! Wang Tao and I will find a way to get close and blow him up."

"Okay, you all need to be careful!" Zhang Jin said worriedly.

Zhuang Yan nodded, and he and Wang Tao used the gaps in the machine gun fire to gradually approach the armored vehicle.

Unexpectedly, enemies were also lying in ambush on both sides of the armored vehicle. They concentrated their firepower and fired wildly in this direction, suppressing the two men's approach with their fierce firepower.

Just then, Zhang Jincheng suddenly heard gunshots coming from behind him. He was startled, realizing that the enemy behind him had caught up.

They were about to be surrounded by the enemy like dumplings.

Zhang Jincheng lay behind a rock, calmly observing the situation before him. He suddenly realized that the enemy's fire was only blocking their path forward, and they were not desperately firing at the place where they were hiding.

The enemies behind them seemed to only want to surround them, without any intention of killing them. He didn't know what the enemy meant by this.
Zhang Jin checked his watch; there were less than two hours until dark. He decided to hold his ground and wait for nightfall before attempting a breakout. He then ordered his team, "Everyone, be careful not to charge forward. It seems like the enemy is intentionally trapping us rather than trying to eliminate us."

"Wait until dark to move out. Dapeng and Luda, watch out for enemies behind you; Taozi and Monkey, watch out for enemies ahead."

Liu Xiaotao received Zhang Jincheng's telegram around noon, instructing them to go and meet him. Although the telegram was brief, containing only a few words, he could sense the danger the action team was facing.

He knew very well that Boss Lang had a lot of defensive troops in the Laoyaling area, and it would be very dangerous for them to cross over.

(End of this chapter)