Translator: AnubisTL
"Ah!!!"
A piercing scream tore through the air above the yacht.
Clearly, these pampered young ladies and young masters hadn't heard Hu Biao's warning amidst the chaos.
Rat-tat-tat!!!
The merciless gunfire erupted again!
In an instant, six or seven young ladies and young masters collapsed into pools of blood.
The energy shields protecting these young ladies and young masters were torn apart by the bullets as if they offered no resistance whatsoever.
In this situation—
The remaining young ladies and young masters, though their eyes still burned with terror, clamped their hands over their mouths and huddled in the corners of the yacht, desperately trying to stifle even a whimper. Yet the fear in their eyes threatened to spill over.
"Excellent."
Hu Biao grinned, hefting his rifle as he surveyed the terrified young men and women sprawled across the deck. "If you all continue to cooperate like this, I'm confident we'll have a wonderful evening."
The rifle in his hands had cost a staggering 1.8 million star coins!
1.8 million—an amount he could never hope to save in his entire life, no matter how hard he worked!
His rented house cost only about 10,000 star coins per year, yet this rifle had cost him a staggering 1.8 million star coins!
He had purchased the rifle using the 3 million star coin startup grant from Jiang Cheng Company.
Of that 3 million, he spent 2.8 million on various items and divided the remaining 200,000 into four shares for his brothers' families.
He dared not keep too much; excessive wealth would only attract unwanted attention.
This rifle had essentially one function: to easily penetrate energy shields with a strength below C+.
In simpler terms, it could effortlessly shatter single-person energy shields priced under 5 million star coins.
As for shields costing over 5 million, given the status of his opponents—mere young masters from Ash City—they were unlikely to possess such advanced technology. While wealthy, they weren't that wealthy.
A 1.8 million star coin rifle capable of shattering a 5 million star coin energy shield might seem disproportionate.
Yet this was the reality: offense always offered greater cost-effectiveness and ease compared to defense.
As for whether these young masters might possess rule-defense items, he hadn't worried about that. Such items were simply beyond the reach of young masters from a small city like this; even their fathers wouldn't have access to them.
If he did encounter someone with such an item, he'd just have to accept it. What else could he do?
To encounter someone with a rule-defense item in a place like this would mean his life was destined to be worthless. Since he couldn't change his fate, he might as well die.
When he set out, he had already prepared himself to fail here. Regardless of the outcome, he would accept it with equanimity.
Accept it. Isn't that enough?
The small, Magic Cube-like device he had tossed onto the deck earlier was another item he had purchased for this operation. It could isolate an area, blocking all communication signals within the Communication Zone.
It hadn't come cheap.
These two items had consumed the bulk of his startup funding.
Meanwhile—
Thorn Monkey and his men had rounded up all the young masters from the rear cargo power room and other areas, herding them onto the deck.
"Eldest brother, they're all here," Thorn Monkey said, a lit cigar clenched between his teeth. After taking a deep drag, he couldn't help but savor the moment. "Ah, that's the smell of burning money."
Hu Biao ignored Thorn Monkey, standing his ground with his rifle, his face icy as he stared down the young masters before him.
Maozi and the others quickly stripped the young masters and heiresses of their items and wristwatches.
Ash City wasn't far from here. Initially, their plan was to hijack the yacht, take all the young masters and heiresses to a secluded location, and then slowly demand ransoms. But this plan was quickly scrapped.
It was too risky.
Under constant satellite surveillance, any attempt to land the hijacked yacht would inevitably be detected by Ash City's Law Enforcement Bureau. Landing without leaving a trace was impossible, and those traces would expose them completely.
In such circumstances, it was impossible to abduct the young masters and heiresses from the yacht and land them safely without alerting anyone.
So, Hu Biao quickly changed his mind. If they couldn't leave, they wouldn't leave.
Soon—
Thorn Monkey and the others had collected all 27 wristwatches from the young masters and heiresses.
As for the servants, they had already been dealt with.
"Hah!"
Hu Biao took a deep breath, pulled an opaque hood from his pocket, and covered his entire head. Only then did he simultaneously dial the numbers of the family elders on all 27 wristwatches.
Thirty seconds passed.
Twenty-seven communication screens popped up before him, all connected. Not a single call went unanswered.
This was a good omen.
After the video calls connected, the people on screen remained silent, patiently waiting for Hu Biao to speak. In truth, the moment they saw their child's wrist communicator displaying a man in a balaclava holding a rifle, they already understood what had happened.
"Greetings, everyone," Hu Biao said calmly, his gaze sweeping across the faces on screen. He delivered his rehearsed lines in a hoarse voice, each word measured and deliberate: "This location is a yacht. Don't bother looking around—it's where your children are holding their party tonight."
"From the moment you notify the Law Enforcement Bureau to when they dispatch personnel here, it will take at least eighteen minutes. Even if they send a drone ahead, it will still require nine minutes."
"Nine minutes—that's the absolute fastest response time."
"So let's make this quick. I'm giving you seven minutes. If I see your payments within that time, your children will live."
"Otherwise, we'll meet in hell."
"Two million per person."
"In seven minutes, I'll call you again. I hope you'll have the star coins ready by then. Remember, you have exactly seven minutes."
He pulled a stopwatch from his pocket, gently pressed the countdown button, and hung up.
The moment the call ended, he couldn't resist tearing off his helmet. Leaning against the deck railing, he gasped for breath. Whether it was the adrenaline coursing through his veins or something else, his calves trembled violently.
He knew there was no turning back now.
His future held only two possibilities: death or unimaginable wealth.
He had never imagined he would end up on this path. Even as he spoke, his voice had trembled slightly. He had learned these steps from the Forum:
When kidnapping, avoid unnecessary conversation. The more you say, the more you risk revealing.
He had rehearsed this line countless times in his mind, finally delivering it smoothly without stumbling.
"Huff!"
He took a deep breath and strode over to the table on the deck. Grabbing a bottle of expensive liquor, he gulped it down, forcing down the anxiety churning within him.
This wine was far superior to the bottles he'd bought for a mere dozen star coins.
A pity he couldn't take any of it with him.
He couldn't take anything from this place. Everything had to be burned to the ground. Yes, whether the ransom arrived or not, no one would leave here alive.
They had boarded the ship as waiters, without masks. If they let these people go, their faces would be plastered everywhere. They wanted to get rich, sure, but they wanted to live long enough to spend the money.
Six minutes left.
Hu Biao's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. He glanced at the young ladies huddled on the deck. Whether it was the alcohol or something else, he suddenly strode over to one of them, yanked her up, and pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her pale, jade-like neck.
"Damn, she smells good."
"Better than those hundred-star-coin-a-night whores back at the Red House."
This woman before him... if he had to rate her, she'd easily be a nine out of ten!
If he didn't pull off this job, he'd never have the chance to interact with a woman like this in his entire life. Not even interact—he'd never even see a woman like her, because she would never frequent the places he went.
He suddenly understood something a senior member on the Forum had once said:
"The fastest way to climb the social ladder is actually written in the law."
He finally grasped what it meant to transcend social classes. Right now, he was holding a woman in his arms—a woman he would never have been able to possess under normal circumstances.
Hu Biao took another deep sniff of the woman's neck before casually tossing her onto the deck. Hearing her pained whimper, the suppressed desire within him surged back to the surface.
But time was running out—only five minutes left.
Next time, if this job succeeded, he'd have enough star coins to buy even more powerful items, pull off even bigger heists, and snowball his way to the heights he once could only dream of.
"Brother Biao, if you're not going to, let me have a turn," Thorn Monkey said, his eyes bloodshot. "I'm fast—five minutes is plenty!"
"Are you insane?!" Hu Biao slapped Thorn Monkey aside. "Anyone who leaves behind even a drop of fluid will be wanted by the authorities!"
"I can use my head, chop it off afterward, and take it with me. No trace left behind, and I can reuse it multiple times."
Hu Biao stared at him blankly for a moment before striding over, grabbing Thorn Monkey by the collar. "We're kidnappers, not fucking perverts! Even if we were perverts, this is too fucking twisted!"
"Get the hell out of here!"
"Understood."
Thorn Monkey glanced regretfully at the group of wealthy young women huddled at the edge of the deck. "It just feels like such a waste."
Time passed quickly.
Hu Biao took a deep breath and dialed the 27 wristwatches again. Looking at the faces on the screens, he sent his payment keys with a hoarse voice: "I sincerely hope you've prepared the star coins."
All of this was thanks to a reform centuries ago.
Every star coin now had an absolutely encrypted key, making all transactions untraceable.
This change had indeed made the federation's commerce more prosperous—many times more prosperous, in fact!
But with this prosperity came a darker side. When currency became cryptocurrency, untraceable and anonymous, many unsavory things began to flourish.
For example, kidnappers no longer had to worry about collecting ransoms or laundering money, thanks to the untraceable nature of the transactions.
Soon after the encryption key was sent, Thorn Monkey, standing beside Hu Biao, whispered excitedly, his voice trembling with suppressed emotion, "The funds have arrived! A total of 54 million star coins!"
"Hah!"
Hu Biao forcibly suppressed his inner excitement as he gazed at the figures on the screen. His lips curled into a wild, uncontrollable grin. "Thank you all. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention—this entire operation was fully sponsored by Jiang Cheng Company."
"This gratitude comes from the bottom of my heart. This is the first time I've ever sincerely thanked you all!"
The next moment—
A firework exploded above his head, forming glowing white characters that lingered in the air, refusing to fade:
[Jiang Cheng Company: Fully sponsoring this operation! ]
The transmission then abruptly cut off.
As soon as the call ended, Hu Biao didn't hesitate. He grabbed his rifle and pointed it at the hostages huddled in the corner of the deck, unleashing a furious barrage of bullets. Each round tore through their bodies, blooming like crimson wine droplets on fresh snow, spreading vivid and alluring red stains.
Thorn Monkey stood beside him, firing follow-up shots to ensure every hostage was dead.
Without a moment's hesitation, the group retrieved small items from their pockets, placed them in their mouths to provide oxygen, leaned back against the railing, and plunged into the river.
Immediately afterward—
BOOM!!!
A massive explosion rocked the yacht, instantly transforming it into a fireball that erupted across the river's surface.
The explosion occurred almost the instant Hu Biao and his team had left!
With a droning hum, seven or eight drones swarmed in, circling the burning yacht before dispersing to search the surrounding area.
Moments later, over a dozen Law Enforcement Bureau patrol boats roared across the river, their wakes towering several meters high as they raced toward the burning yacht.
Moments later, dozens of magnetic levitation cars sped toward the scene, closely followed by news reporters.
In an instant—
The yacht, which had been enjoying its nightlife under the night sky, was completely surrounded.
Hu Biao's calculations had been precise. They had indeed been given a maximum of seven minutes.
More Law Enforcement Bureau personnel arrived, carrying specialized equipment to search for the group of criminals who had abandoned their humanity.
"We are currently above the Bafila River, just outside Ash City. As you can see, a yacht is engulfed in flames. And..."
A reporter holding a microphone stood on a hovering platform, gesturing toward the burning yacht behind him as he delivered his report.
"We can also see the glowing words floating above the yacht: 'Jiang Cheng Company fully sponsors this operation.'"
"Preliminary assessments suggest that Jiang Cheng Company is the mastermind behind this criminal act."
"The Ash City Law Enforcement Bureau is currently extinguishing the fire and searching for traces left by the fleeing criminals."
(End of the Chapter)
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