Almost the moment the cold glint flashed, Tang Xiaoquan instinctively charged forward.

Not only him, but even Lin Junfu, who had just been weighing the pros and cons inside the car, opened the car door at the first opportunity.

However, both Tang Xiaoquan and Lin Junfu were still too far from Hu Xiaodong, and by the time they reached to assist, the deed would already be done.

Besides, even if they had the ability and could rush over at superhuman speed before Lu Rui struck, the guard always watching them wouldn't stupidly allow it.

Indeed, as Tang Xiaoquan took a step, he felt a sharp pain in his back and instantly stumbled to the ground due to unsteady footing.

Meanwhile, Lin Junfu was even worse off; he hadn't even stepped out of the car when he was forced back by a bandit outside holding a riot gun.

In this way, Hu Xiaodong's mishap seemed unavoidable, as the knife Lu Rui fiercely thrust was barely a hair's breadth from his abdomen.

No one doubted the kind of harm this knife could bring to Hu Xiaodong, and almost every team member's heart was wrenched together, leaving them breathless.

It's hard to imagine the helplessness of seeing a brother stabbed while being powerless. Their fists clenched tightly, and everyone wished they could rush out and kill that damned Lu Rui, but the guard's gun barrel was pointed straight at the car door, ready to pull the trigger at the slightest movement.

The knife edged closer, its cold light shimmering under the sunlight, and Lu Rui's face was contorted, his jaw clenched to show the force he exerted.

On the other side, Hu Xiaodong was equally unflinching. He knew well what would happen next, but the seeds of hatred had long made him forget fear. Although his bound hands could no longer launch any counterattack or dodge, his eyes burned like a raging beast, displaying his determination to devour the person before him.

Like a locked bull and a stinger, both Lu and Hu entered their own worlds at this moment, and although their motives for anger were different, the intent to take down the other was exactly the same.

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

Two roars almost simultaneously sounded.

One came from Lu Rui wielding the knife, his roar intending to unleash force.

The other was from Hu Xiaodong, not just to show his fearlessness, but more to suppress Lu Rui's momentum.

But right now, no matter how Hu Xiaodong stared, shouted or roared, it seemed nothing could change his fate of being pierced by the knife tip.

Then, to everyone's surprise, just when it was assumed the knife would enter Hu Xiaodong's abdomen, a dramatic scene unfolded.

The knife point stopped less than a centimeter from Hu Xiaodong's belly—he could even feel the cold touch of the blade.

He was puzzled why Lu Rui didn't drive the knife in, nor did he believe the latter would have a change of heart and spare him.

So...

Instinctively pulling back his gaze, Hu Xiaodong looked towards Lu Rui's arm and saw a large hand firmly gripping his knife-holding right arm.

And the person restraining Lu Rui's arm was actually a comrade who had emerged with him from the armored truck.

This was also puzzling to Lu Rui. Despite his current fiery state, having his thrust halted abruptly was infuriating.

Immediately, without another word, Lu Rui cursed and turned back, his stance like a man-eating Evil Wolf.

However, this fierce Evil Wolf quickly crumbled like a mouse before a cat upon seeing the man holding his arm.

It was a comical sight, since just seconds ago, Lu Rui had been the tyrannical executioner, but now...

With an ingratiating smirk, Lu Rui's abrupt change disgusted onlookers.

"Hehehe, Brother Long, do you have any instructions?"

The man addressed as Brother Long didn't reply, simply gesturing with his hand, and Lu Rui immediately understood and stepped aside.

Witnessing this, Tang Xiaoquan, collapsing on the ground, essentially confirmed that this "Brother Long" was the leader of this gang.

Brother Long stood about 1.72 meters tall. Though not particularly imposing, his tight muscles made him appear extremely fit, particularly his bald head and chiseled face, reflecting light like a cold sculpture, conjuring a strange sense of fear just by looking at him.

Ignoring Lu Rui's ingratiating manner, Brother Long raised his brow and shifted his gaze to Hu Xiaodong. After sizing him up, he turned to his subordinates and said, "All TM open your eyes and see, this is what a real man is!"

With that, Brother Long approached Hu Xiaodong, patted his shoulder, and said with a faint smile, "Brother, I, Long Er, have always admired tough guys. After all, in our line, we rely on brotherhood, and I admire your actions just now. So, let's be straightforward, are you interested in joining us?"

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned. What was this situation? Just minutes ago, both sides were on the verge of a fight to the death, but now...

Especially Lu Rui, who couldn't believe his ears.

What a joke! The boss wants to recruit this guy? But he's his mortal enemy! If he joins, not only Lu Rui's second-in-command position might be threatened, his life could be...

With this in mind, Lu Rui certainly wouldn't sit idly by. He quickly tried to persuade, "Brother Long, we can't take him, he's Y totally a..."

"When is it your turn to interrupt when I'm talking, huh?"

Long Er's words were light, but in Lu Rui's ears, they were like a heavy blow from a hammer.

Seeing Lu Rui shut up, Long Er put on another smiling face and asked Hu Xiaodong, "So, brother? Are you willing?"

Feeling his previous words weren't weighty enough, Long Er paused for two seconds before adding, "I know you might have reservations, but let me remind you, the world has changed. Survival of the fittest will become the norm in the future. Consider this: do you want to live idly waiting for death, or do you want to make a big impact? If you're a real man, join us. I promise you'll have meat to eat and wine to drink, what do you say? Are you interested?"

Long Er's offer was undeniably tempting, but as for Hu Xiaodong...

"Heh." He let out a cold laugh, and due to serious injuries, even this small laugh made Hu Xiaodong's lips twitch involuntarily: "You really want me to join you?"

"Yes, I've made it clear I admire you."

"Alright, before joining you, I have a condition. Can you agree to it?"

"As long as it's within my power, I can agree."

"Hmm, my condition is simple and well within your capacity."

"Oh? Really? Let's hear it!"

At this point, Hu Xiaodong coldly glanced at Lu Rui beside him, then said word by word, "My request is...kill him!!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.