C10 The Fierce Thug!

Niu Li found himself tossed into the corner by the broken wooden table again, courtesy of Stubble Man. He settled into a comfortable position and set his mind to work, pondering how to deal with the two thugs.

Yes, deal with them, not just escape.

They had the audacity to kidnap him, and they were going to pay for it.

Inside the Creating Ring, the Elf was fuming, "Big brother, beat them to death. They're all villains."

Niu Li rolled his eyes in exasperation, "I'd love to beat them to death. But how? Am I supposed to use my Water Lubricant Skill?"

Time flew, and within three minutes, the sound of engines revving came from outside the control room.

Stubble Man's face lit up with glee. "Mr. Hu, these guards sure are quick. Are we heading out now?"

A grave expression flickered across Mr. Hu's face as he replied, "Absolutely, we leave now. The whole of H City must be buzzing by now. If we don't go immediately, we'll be trapped."

"Got it," Stubble Man called out, then turned back to Niu Li with a sinister grin.

Niu Li shivered, preempting Stubble Man's grasp by standing and stepping forward.

Stubble Man paused, then chuckled as he stroked his stubble, "Well, aren't you a clever one? Quite endearing, really."

Inwardly, Niu Li seethed, "Just wait until I figure this out—I'll make sure you're done for."

"Okay, you lead the way. The kid walks in the middle, I'll follow," Mr. Hu instructed.

Without further ado, Stubble Man stopped his taunting, kicked the control room door open, and stepped out.

The trio made their way down from the control room, approaching a sleek new off-road vehicle parked at the factory entrance.

A burly patrol officer leaped from the vehicle, his face a mask of fury, as he locked eyes with Stubble Man.

"You and I are about the same size, and I've got to say, I'm not a fan. Not one bit," Stubble Man said with a mocking glance at the officer.

"Don't get too smug. I'll catch you," the officer retorted, his gaze then shifting to Mr. Hu, eyes narrowing. "Mr. Hu, you've slipped up this time."

Mr. Hu's face gave nothing away. After a brief silence, he spoke, "What if I told you I didn't kill Jiang Zhennan? Would you believe me?"

The burly officer clearly didn't buy it, responding only with a cold sneer.

"Forget it. You're all about the law, so much so that it's blinded you," Mr. Hu muttered to himself, shaking his head before heading to the off-road vehicle.

Stubble Man shoved Niu Li into the back seat, then climbed into the driver's seat himself. He saluted the burly patrol officer through the window, a smirk playing on his lips. "Back in my school days, I was a young pioneer. Consider this a salute, Officer Uncle."

With that, the off-road vehicle roared to life, turned around, and sped away from the factory.

The burly patrol officer, his face darkening, turned to the middle-aged patrol officer. "Deputy Chief, are we really letting them get away with this?"

The Deputy Chief's expression grew even darker, his glare sharp as he faced the burly officer. He thought to himself, "Who's in charge here, you or me?"

"Watch your tone," he snapped. "Do you think I'm condoning their actions? I'm safeguarding a hostage. Now, I'm ordering you to tail them closely. Make sure they don't slip out of our sight." The middle-aged Deputy Chief's command was firm and authoritative.

Feeling wronged but bound by duty, the burly officer saluted and acknowledged the order. He then led a squad of officers in a swift dash out of the factory and into their police vehicles.

Inside the jostling off-road vehicle, Niu Li admired the Stubble Man's knack for evasion as he navigated through narrow alleys. He was impressed by the criminals' savvy, their readiness to outmaneuver any patrol roadblocks.

After driving for some time, Mr. Hu suddenly pulled out a cellphone and dialed a number.

It rang several times before someone answered.

"Hello, this is Li Xiang."

Mr. Hu remained silent, phone pressed to his ear, eyes darting uncertainly.

After a pause, the voice on the other end spoke again, more firmly, "Is that you, Mr. Hu?"

Mr. Hu finally exhaled, his tone casual as he remarked, "Scarface, you're quite the strategist, aren't you?"

Silence fell on the other end once more.

"Mr. Hu, I'm not involved in this."

"Is that so? I find the whole situation rather peculiar."

"I'll provide you with an explanation."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the person on the other end hung up.

Niu Li watched the exchange in mute astonishment, a twinge of nervousness in his heart.

It was like a scene straight out of a TV show about mafia bosses—every word measured and loaded with meaning.

"Mr. Hu, that guy won't confess?" Stubble Man asked from the driver's seat.

Mr. Hu simply shook his head, "There's more to this than meets the eye. It's all very odd."

"It's got to be Scarface Lee's handiwork! I've never trusted him. He's definitely orchestrated this whole affair."

Mr. Hu remained silent, eyes closed, reclining against the seat to recharge.

The SUV sped on, weaving through the city. Niu Li, despite his years living here, was completely disoriented.

Abruptly, the vehicle halted at a side street. Stubble Man glanced back, "Mr. Hu, this is your stop. Monkey will meet you shortly."

"Alright, take care." Mr. Hu acknowledged with a nod, then gave Niu Li a measured look, "Make it a clean job."

"Got it." Stubble Man grinned slyly at Niu Li.

Mr. Hu stepped out and blended into the crowd.

The weight on Niu Li's shoulders seemed to lift slightly. Mr. Hu's presence was overpowering, almost suffocating.

But now, Stubble Man was the bigger threat.

"Kid, let's go somewhere and really enjoy ourselves," Stubble Man suggested with a wicked grin, steering the car down another alley.

"Brother, you have to take him out; he's a bad man," Diaochan nearly screamed herself hoarse in the Molding Space, her face alight with excitement.

Niu Li, lost for words, finally responded, "I'm working on a plan, but he's much stronger than me. I doubt I can take him down."

"Don't worry, we've got magic on our side! You can use it to take him down," Diaochan said, her eyes sparkling as she emphatically waved her hands.

"Magic? But all I know is the Water Lubricant Skill. Diaochan, do you have any attack spells? Even a beginner-grade would be fine," Niu Li inquired.

"Obviously, you're such a dunce. An elf with only one spell? I've mastered plenty," Diaochan replied with a hint of scorn.

"Really? What other spells can you do?" Niu Li's eyes gleamed with curiosity.

"You've got options like Wind Blades, Fireball Skill, and oh, there's also beginner-grade Nature Magic, like Plant Growth," the elf explained with enthusiasm.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Teach me, quick!" Niu Li's face flushed with excitement.

From the driver's seat, Stubble Man caught Niu Li's animated expression in the rearview mirror and felt a twinge of curiosity. Could he be gay?