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

Chapter 759 An Unexpected Attack!!
Zhang Jin and his companions rushed back to the trading company, and as soon as he jumped out of the car, he immediately called Li Ming, the emergency response team member who was staying at the company.

"Is Lao Liu home?" Zhang Jin asked anxiously.

To conceal their identities, the team members had already agreed to address each other by pseudonyms in public, instead of by their official titles.

Li Ming looked surprised: "Boss, why did you come back early?"

"Stop talking nonsense, where is Lao Liu?" Zhang Jincheng's tone was clearly anxious; he couldn't wait to discuss important matters with Liu Xiaotao.

Noticing Zhang Jincheng's unusually anxious expression, Li Ming immediately suppressed his smile and became serious.

He realized that the captain must have important military information to discuss with the instructor, so he quickly reported: "Old Liu took Balai to Molai Village early this morning, saying that he wanted to discuss cooperation on sugarcane planting with the local chieftain."

"How long have they been gone?" Zhang Jin asked in a deep voice, his brow furrowed.

Li Ming pondered for a moment: "We set off about an hour ago, and we should only be halfway there now."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jin immediately ordered: "Contact Lao Liu by radio immediately and tell him there is an urgent military situation. Tell him to rush back to discuss it!"

Li Ming quickly turned on his wireless equipment, adjusted the frequency, and attempted to contact Liu Xiaotao and his group.

"Old Liu, Old Liu, please respond!" Li Ming called out several times, but only heard the hissing of electricity.

Zhang Jincheng's expression grew increasingly anxious: "Try again!"

Li Ming called again, and this time he finally got a intermittent response: "Old Liu's signal is bad here."

"Old Liu, you guys go back immediately! There's an emergency!" Zhang Jincheng grabbed the microphone, his voice urgent.

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the radio, then Liu Xiaotao's voice became clear: "Understood! We'll turn back immediately."

After putting down the microphone, Liu Xiaotao patted Jiang Tao's shoulder in the driver's seat with a serious expression. "Xiao Jiang, turn around immediately. We have to get back to the old city right away!"

Jiang Tao slammed on the brakes, the tires screeching as they rubbed against the pavement.

He quickly turned his head, his brows furrowed: "Old Liu, what's going on?" On the empty road, the SUV skidded slightly as it braked suddenly, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Liu Xiaotao took a deep breath and looked ahead with a determined gaze: "The specific situation is still unclear, but we must return immediately. Drive quickly!" His voice was filled with an undeniable sense of urgency.

"Understood!" Jiang Tao deftly turned the steering wheel, and the SUV drew a beautiful arc on the spot before speeding off towards the old city like an arrow.

The roar of the engine echoed on the quiet highway.

Balai turned around, his dark face furrowed, his eyes flashing with worry: "Brother Liu, since the itinerary has changed, shouldn't we inform the Sangjin chieftain of Molai Mountain Village first?" He lowered his voice, his tone cautious as he asked.

Brother Liu nodded thoughtfully: "You're right. Honesty is especially important when dealing with the Sangjin chieftain for the first time. We can't leave the impression that we're untrustworthy." He paused briefly, then turned his gaze to the undulating mountains outside the car window. "Alright, Balai, contact Molai Village immediately by radio."

We sincerely apologize to Chief Sangjin, explaining why we had to break our promise today, and we are determined to express our apologies and sincerity.”

"Understood!" Bale replied readily, taking the portable radio with him.

As the only one of the three who was fluent in the local language and familiar with the Sangin chieftain, this task naturally fell to him.

Molai Mountain Village is located in the mountains 60 kilometers southwest of the old city, facing Langjia Village, which is located 30 kilometers to the north.

This large mountain village, with more than 3,000 people, is quite influential in the local area and is one of the largest settlements in the surrounding region.

However, it is heartbreaking that despite the large population, the people here have long lived in extreme poverty.

Suffering from hunger and lack of clothing is a true reflection of their daily lives, and the shadow of hunger constantly looms over this land.

During the dark years of Lang Laoda's rule over the old town, Molai Mountain Village was forced to become a planting base for the British and Soviets.

The ruthless Boss Lang strictly forbids the planting of any other cash crops. The local people can only watch helplessly as their fertile land, on which they depend for survival, is encroached upon by the Ying Su flower, and they struggle bitterly under the shackles of Boss Lang.

This greedy and tyrannical man pocketed all the huge profits from the "Number Four" transaction, leaving only scraps for his lackeys.

Meanwhile, the poorest people in the "Golden Three Regions" are exploited like livestock.

They plant these evil flowers day after day, but the meager income they earn is barely enough to sustain them even with the most basic needs for food and clothing.

To survive, people had to risk going into the mountains to hunt or searching for wild vegetables and fruits to fill their stomachs.

The headman of Molai Mountain Village, Sangjin, is a visionary young leader in the vicinity of the old town.

As the newly appointed successor, he took over the affairs of the mountain village after his father, Old Sambado, was murdered, and showed an enlightened style that was completely different from the older generation.

Old Sambado was brutally suppressed for resisting the Lang family's tyranny, a bloody past that forged an irreconcilable enmity between the Sangjin chieftain and the Lang family.

It was this deep-seated hatred that made Sang Jin and Boss Kang share the same goal in fighting against the Lang family.

When Chief Kang led his men to expel the Lang family's forces, Chief Sangjin did not hesitate to stand on the side of justice.

The Sangjin chieftains showed great enthusiasm during Zhang Jincheng's implementation of the alternative planting program.

He not only took the lead in responding to the new Z, but also mobilized all the villagers to participate actively, becoming one of the most steadfast supporters of the transformation and development of the old town area.

The off-road vehicle sped along the rugged mountain road, its wheels making a crisp sound as they rolled over the gravel.

Balai skillfully adjusted the radio frequency and spoke urgently in the local dialect with the liaison officer of Molai village.

After a moment, he turned to Liu Xiaotao, his expression slightly complicated: "The headman of Sangjin said he understands our difficulties, but hopes the rescheduled date won't be too long."

He specifically mentioned that several elders in the village still had reservations about alternative crop cultivation, and the details needed to be finalized as soon as possible.

Liu Xiaotao nodded slightly upon hearing this, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the car door: "It seems the situation is more urgent than we imagined."

In addition, the remnants of the Lang family have been colluding with mountain bandits and have been frequently active in the surrounding area recently. I suspect they are secretly instigating a counter-sabotage of the alternative planting plan.

"Old Liu, I've heard about it too. Recently, several villages that agreed to our alternative planting plan have been attacked, but fortunately the losses weren't too great..." Balai told Liu Xiaotao about the situation over the past two days.

at this time……

Jiang Tao gripped the steering wheel tightly, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Suddenly, he glanced through the rearview mirror and saw an unusual cloud of dust rising from the bend in the mountain road behind him. He said in a low voice, "Old Liu, it looks like there's a tail behind us."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiaotao immediately turned around, his sharp gaze piercing through the rear window.

Sure enough, on the mountain road about 500 meters away, two pickup trucks without license plates were approaching at an abnormal speed.

"Something's wrong, accelerate!" he ordered decisively, grabbing his Colt assault rifle from his seat and cocking it. "Barre, prepare for battle."

Bale nodded, picked up his M16, rolled down the car window, and prepared to fire.

Jiang Tao slammed on the gas pedal, and the off-road vehicle's engine roared like a beast, causing the vehicle to bounce violently on the winding mountain road.

In the rearview mirror, the two pickup trucks, like hyenas that have smelled blood, relentlessly pursued the "Warrior" off-road vehicle.

Liu Xiaotao squinted and noticed three masked men squatting in the back of the second pickup truck, each carrying an RPG rocket launcher on their shoulder.

"Watch out for RPGs!" Liu Xiaotao suddenly shouted.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Tao maneuvered the car in a serpentine pattern. Almost simultaneously, the first rocket, trailing a plume of flame, roared past and exploded into a shower of rubble on the cliff to the right.

Jiang Tao jerked the steering wheel, the tires scraping against the edge of the cliff, sparks flying, and unsecured equipment scattered all over the floor. Liu Xiaotao leaned his upper body out of the window and fired a shot at the pickup truck behind them.

Colt spewed fire, and a storm of bullets pounded the windshield of the pickup truck at the front, carving spiderweb-like cracks.

The driver of the first pickup truck was shot and lost control. The vehicle swayed violently and crashed into the mountainside, exploding into a fireball.

But a second pickup truck took the opportunity to close within fifty meters, and an enemy soldier's RPG on his shoulder locked onto the off-road vehicle again.

"Turn right!" Liu Xiaotao's shout was drowned out by the explosion.

Jiang Tao almost floored the gas pedal, and the SUV swerved onto a side road at the last second. The rocket grazed the rear of the vehicle, collapsing half of the mountainside, and rocks rained down on the roof.

Taking the opportunity, Liu Xiaotao changed to a new magazine. Suddenly, Bale, who was sitting in the passenger seat, shouted, "Watch out, there's a roadblock ahead!"

One hundred meters away, in the middle of the mountain road, three felled spruce trees lay across the road, and five or six armed bandits were peeking out from behind cover.

Liu Xiaotao's pupils constricted sharply—this was clearly a meticulously planned ambush, aimed directly at them.

Without thinking, he roared, "Charge!" Jiang Tao gritted his teeth and pushed the car to its limit, the SUV crashing into the roadblock like a raging rhinoceros.

Amidst flying sawdust, the car body was lifted half a meter into the air before crashing down heavily.

Despite the violent jolting, Liu Xiaotao still managed to fire accurately, and the two bandits fell to the ground.

Bale suddenly groaned, blood blooming on his left shoulder, but the M16 in his hand was still roaring.

As the SUV broke through the last obstacle, the rearview mirror reflected the figures of the bandits angrily firing their guns into the air.

"The Kang family's checkpoint is just three kilometers ahead!" Jiang Tao breathed a sigh of relief when they arrived.

Bale stared intently at the rearview mirror, and after confirming it was safe, he breathed a sigh of relief and asked疑惑地问道, "Looks like they didn't catch up. Strange, who are these people? Why did they attack us?"

Liu Xiaotao turned to Bale with concern and gently patted his shoulder: "How's the wound? Is it serious?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing," Bale grinned, a憨厚 smile spreading across his dark face. "It's just a minor scratch from a stray bullet, nothing serious."

Liu Xiaotao nodded and turned to Jiang Tao in the driver's seat: "Xiao Jiang, find a secluded spot ahead to park and treat Bale's wounds first."

"Understood!" Jiang Tao gripped the steering wheel tightly, his sharp eyes scanning the road ahead.

Two minutes later, he skillfully turned the steering wheel, and the SUV steadily drove into a dense grove of trees by the roadside.

Jiang Tao carefully bandaged Bale's wound, his movements gentle and practiced. He looked up at Liu Xiaotao, his brow furrowed, and asked, "Old Liu, Bale's question was valid. What do you think this group of people are? Why are they targeting us?"

Liu Xiaotao took a deep drag on his cigarette, the embers flickering in the dim light.

He paused for a moment, exhaled a wisp of smoke, and slowly said, "In my opinion, there are only two possibilities."

“The first possibility is that it was sent by Boss Lang.” He flicked his cigarette ash, his eyes sharpening. “That old fox will never admit defeat easily.”

There might still be his spies lurking in the old town, and our every move could be under his surveillance.

Today we went to Molai Mountain Village to discuss the crop conversion plan. After they got wind of it, they sent men to attack us, trying to sabotage our cooperation with Molai Mountain Village.

Liu Xiaotao paused, then took another deep drag of his cigarette: "The second possibility is more troublesome; it's possible that other major drug lords are pulling the strings behind the scenes."

Our replanting plan is tantamount to cutting off their source of income and undermining their foundation.

It's understandable that those DX warlords, unwilling to accept defeat, would want to deal with us.

His voice grew softer and softer, finally turning into a heavy sigh that dissipated into the rising smoke.

After Jiang Tao finished bandaging the wound, he took an antibiotic from the first-aid kit and handed it to Bale, adding in a serious tone, "Regardless of the possibility, it shows that our actions have touched a nerve with some people. Lao Liu, we must report this situation..."

"You're right, we need to hurry back and discuss our strategy with Lao Zhang." Liu Xiaotao nodded in agreement, then turned to look at Bale with concern, "Balai, are you feeling alright? Do you want to rest a little longer?"

Bale shook his head without hesitation, his tone firm: "I'm fine, I can leave anytime."

Liu Xiaotao patted his sturdy shoulder with satisfaction and laughed heartily: "Well done! Let's get going now. When we get back to the old town, I'll approve a few days off for you so you can rest and recuperate."

"Old Liu, really, it's not necessary. This little injury is nothing," Bale said hastily.

Liu Xiaotao smiled knowingly and said, "I understand, I understand. But Bale, you've been running around with us for several days in a row, and you haven't even had time to go home. It's time to go back and see your wife and children."

Seeing Liu Xiaotao's firm attitude, Balai had no choice but to compromise and nodded in agreement: "Okay, I'll go home and check on things, then I'll come back to report right away."

"You," Liu Xiaotao shook his head and chuckled helplessly, "are always so impatient."

"Hahaha..." The three of them laughed heartily.

Since Bale volunteered to join the commando team, he has been full of enthusiasm and truly regards the cause of crop substitution as his goal.

The three of them, weary from their journey, finally arrived back at the Old Town Trading Company at noon.

At noon, the three of them rushed back to the Old Town Trading Company, covered in dust.

Under the blazing sun, their clothes were already soaked with sweat.

As soon as I stepped into the company gate, Liu Xiaotao greeted me, complaining anxiously, "Old Liu! Why are you only arriving now? I've been waiting here for ages!"

Liu Xiaotao interrupted with a serious expression, "What's the rush? We had an accident on the way." He raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, his voice low and solemn.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jin's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly stepped forward: "Something happened? What exactly happened?" His gaze swept back and forth over the three of them, noticing the dust and minor scratches on their clothes.

“Here’s what happened,” Liu Xiaotao took a deep breath and began to describe in detail, “We were ambushed on our way back.”

"The other side was clearly prepared. They not only set up an ambush, but also arranged a pincer attack." His voice grew heavier as he recounted the perilous encounters he had experienced along the way.

After Liu Xiaotao finished speaking, Zhang Jincheng looked at Bale, whose arm was in a sling, and asked with concern, "Balai, is your arm alright? Should we go to Boss Kang's military hospital to get it checked out?"

"Hehe, Lao Zhang, don't worry. It looks scary, but it's just a scrape. It's nothing serious..." Bale scratched the back of his head and said embarrassedly.

“Okay, then you don’t need to go to work for the next couple of days. Go home and rest for a few days!” Zhang Jin immediately gave Balai a day off.

“Mr. Zhang, we’re so busy, I can’t hold you back…” Bale was about to decline.

Liu Xiaotao then pushed him out of the room, saying, "Alright, Bale, just go home and rest. We'll come find you if we need anything."

"Alright then!" Bale had no choice but to go home.

After seeing Bale off, Liu Xiaotao turned and went inside.

Zhang Jin hurriedly pulled up a chair for Liu Xiaotao to sit down, "Old Liu, I got some important information from Boss Kang."

That old fox, Boss Lang, is getting restless. Lately, his troops have been very active, harassing the mountain strongholds that cooperate with us.

Furthermore, according to information from an inside source, this old fox intends to side with Sha Kun, hoping to gain his support and make a comeback…

(End of this chapter)