Mandalay, in front of a small theater.

Hearing that Lu Li came alone, Sun Demin was dumbfounded.

In disbelief, he asked, "Mr. Lu... Mr. Lu, are you... you here alone?"

Lu Li calmly looked at him and said, "Yes, it's just me. Take me to meet those kidnappers."

Sun Demin was at a loss and said, "I know you're strong, but this situation is different. Those kidnappers all have guns..."

Lu Li bluntly interrupted, "Just take me there."

Sun Demin couldn't agree, after all, the kidnappers were armed.

If things went wrong and Lu Li got caught, how would he explain to Liu Kexin?

He shook his head like a car wheel, "No, no, I can't take you to meet the kidnappers."

Lu Li understood what the other was thinking, ultimately underestimating his abilities, afraid he would get shot.

But the longer they delayed, the more danger Brother Gu, Chen Man Ni, and the others faced.

Who knew if the kidnappers, having gotten a million, would just kill to silence witnesses?

Lu Li blinked and deceived him, "President Liu sent me to negotiate terms with the kidnappers. Whatever amount they want, we agree on, and then we exchange money for people. If you don't take me, how can I negotiate with them?"

Sun Demin suddenly realized, "Oh, you came to negotiate terms! I thought you were going to take down those kidnappers single-handedly. You scared me, haha. Okay, I'll find someone to take us to meet the kidnappers. If there's no local with us, I'm afraid we'll get captured too."

Lu Li casually asked, "Who are you finding?"

While hailing a taxi, Sun Demin replied, "The underground forces here in Mandalay. Yes, Brother Gu's jade raw materials were obtained through this route. They agreed to arrange a meeting but won't help us against the kidnappers. They can only guarantee our safety. To be honest, we wouldn't have had trouble here in Mandalay if not for Brother Gu's little lover insisting on going out. That's how this happened. Damn, women are trouble."

...

They arrived at a hotel.

Lu Li met the "mediator" that Sun Demin invited.

He was a typical Burmese man in his fifties, named Mo Juedu.

Said to be a capable assistant to the local jade raw material tycoon, Wana.

Through Sun Demin's translation, Lu Li communicated with Mo Juedu.

In the hotel café, Mo Juedu drank coffee and explained clearly, "I can take you to meet those kidnappers, but I won't help you rescue them. Regardless of whether we can save them, like yesterday, you must pay me twenty thousand US Dollars."

Lu Li immediately agreed, "Twenty thousand US Dollars is not a problem. When do we go?"

Mo Juedu, being practical, said, "Pay first, then I'll arrange for someone to drive you there immediately."

Lu Li glanced at Sun Demin.

Sun Demin quickly took out a stack of US Dollars from his bag, "Here's the money. Check if the amount is correct."

Mo Juedu picked it up, confirmed it was correct, and said, "Okay, I'll find someone to take you now."

Saying that, he took out his phone and made a call, speaking a lot.

Because Sun Demin wasn't translating, Lu Li didn't know the details.

A moment later, Mo Juedu hung up and frowned, "My guys have some matters today. Never mind, I'll take you myself."

He stood up and walked out, advising, "You'd better not start any conflict with those kidnappers, or if you get killed, I won't help you, got it?"

Lu Li pretended to agree, "Okay."

Sun Demin also quickly said, "I know what to do."

Mo Juedu nodded and continued walking out without saying anything more to Lu Li or Sun Demin.

His earlier advice was really just in passing.

Mo Juedu didn't think that Lu Li and Sun Demin, who were unarmed, would dare to have a conflict with the kidnappers.

The three went to the parking lot.

Lu Li and Sun Demin followed Mo Juedu into a Toyota Crown.

Soon after, the car sped out of the city.

...

The distance from Mandalay to Monywa is quite far, about one hundred and forty kilometers.

After more than two hours of travel, Lu Li, Sun Demin, and Mo Juedu arrived at a mountain village.

Along the way, when passing through the Bo Huangtong Mountain Range, Lu Li saw two giant Buddha statues.

One was a standing Buddha, the other a reclining Buddha.

The standing Buddha statue appeared to be over a hundred meters tall at a glance.

The reclining Buddha was about the same length.

This small mountain village was very small in scale.

The houses were mostly thatched huts.

Before the car entered the village, Lu Li used his spiritual power to probe the situation.

He found that the village seemed deserted.

Nearly all of the twenty-some houses were empty.

Only in the one brick house near the village entrance were four or five people sitting inside waiting.

Obviously, these four or five people were most likely the kidnappers.

Moreover, this was not the kidnappers' regular dwelling.

Rather, it was a place to meet and negotiate ransoms.

Therefore, Lu Li didn't find any trace of Brother Gu, Chen Man Ni, or the others.

He knew the kidnappers were cautious, afraid of an ambush, so the hostages weren't nearby.

Seeing this, if he wanted to rescue Brother Gu and Chen Man Ni, some thinking would be required.

Lu Li decided that if the other side was sincere and willing to get ransom for release, he wouldn't escalate the situation.

But if these kidnappers remained as insincere as before, he might have to resort to more drastic measures tonight.

The car stopped at the entrance of the village.

Lu Li and Sun Demin followed Mo Juedu out of the car.

A short Myanmar man in his thirties or forties, who was already waiting at the village entrance, approached and exchanged a few words with Mo Juedu, then led Lu Li and the others inside the house.

Inside the house.

Thanks to Mo Juedu's introduction, both sides first got to know each other a little.

Lu Li thus learned that the kidnapper responsible for negotiating with him this time was called Mo Ye.

He was a short, very ugly man in his forties.

As soon as they sat down.

Lu Li directly asked, "How much money do you want to release the hostage?"

Mo Ye looked at Lu Li and brazenly demanded, "If you give us another three billion Myanmar Kyat, we'll release the person immediately."

Four middle-aged Myanmar men were also standing nearby, each with their hands in their pockets.

Lu Li could probe with his Spiritual Power that each of these men had a small caliber handgun hidden in their pockets.

Sun Demin whispered, "Three billion Myanmar Kyat is roughly equivalent to 10.35 million US dollars. They asked for the same ransom yesterday, but they still didn't release the person."

Lu Li nodded once, then looked at Mo Ye and said, "Three billion Myanmar Kyat is not a problem, but I have one condition; it must be done simultaneously: money handed over, person released."

Mo Ye listened to Sun Demin's translation and showed a disdainful expression.

He lightly tapped the wooden table. "You have no right to set conditions. If you want me to release the person, you must first hand over three billion Myanmar Kyat!"

Fine!

Clearly, there was no sincerity.

Lu Li, still hoping to resolve this peacefully, spoke slowly, "Yesterday, you requested three billion Myanmar Kyat for ransom. I agreed and even transferred the money into your account. However, you didn't release the person. Now you're asking for three billion Myanmar Kyat again. How can I trust you to release the person this time? So, I only have one condition: money handed over, person released. If you agree, I will immediately have the ransom prepared."

Sun Demin translated this over.

During this time, Mo Juedu sat quietly beside them, listening patiently without intervening.

As a mediator, he must ensure the safety of both negotiating parties.

He won't intervene until the negotiations are over.

After hearing Lu Li's demand, Mo Ye's contemptuous expression grew stronger, and he asked back, "And if I don't agree, what will you do?"

Lu Li couldn't help but laugh, leaning back in his chair, he said calmly, "Don't agree? Then you die!"

Sun Demin was startled by this, afraid to translate it for the other side to hear.

He meekly said, "Mr. Lu, they have guns, saying something like that might not be wise."

Lu Li looked at him calmly and said, "Translate my words, do not alter a single word!"

Sun Demin still wanted to protest, "But..."

Lu Li squinted his eyes, "No buts, quickly translate my words to him!"

Sun Demin, having no other choice, steeled himself and conveyed Lu Li's words to Mo Ye.

As soon as he finished translating, Mo Juedu frowned.

Mo Ye's reaction was much more intense.

Rapidly, the four men standing there all drew their pistols, aiming them directly at Lu Li and Sun Demin.

Sun Demin's legs turned to jelly from fright.

As the mediator, Mo Juedu immediately said, "Mo Ye, tell your men..."

Before he could finish, Lu Li interrupted with a light chuckle, "Do you think I'd dare come here alone without being concerned about your guns? I'm giving you one last chance: agree to hand over money and release the person immediately, or... everyone dies here!"

Having said that, he looked at Sun Demin, "Continue translating."

Sun Demin was as pale as a ghost, but seeing Lu Li's confidence, he finally gritted his teeth and translated the meaning for the other side.

Seeing Lu Li so reckless, heading towards death, Mo Juedu didn't bother trying to mediate, wanting Mo Ye to teach Lu Li a lesson before stepping in.

Unexpectedly, Mo Ye, provoked, shouted angrily.

The next instant, a somewhat plump middle-aged man standing behind him pulled the trigger without a word.

Bang!

A loud gunshot echoed.

Sun Demin was scared out of his wits.

Mo Juedu's expression changed, though he wanted Lu Li to suffer a bit, if the man was killed right in front of him, it would damage his credibility, and who would trust him as a mediator afterward?

However, now that Mo Ye's men had already fired, it seemed beyond salvation.

Sun Demin, Mo Juedu, and everyone on Mo Ye's side all thought Lu Li was sure to die.

Nobody anticipated that in the next moment, a stunning scene would unfold!

Everyone merely saw the flash of a muzzle.

Then, suddenly, Lu Li moved his hand with unbelievable speed.

The next moment, they noticed that Lu Li, who was supposed to be dead, had already raised his right hand in front of him.

Moreover, between his index and middle fingers, he was holding a golden bullet!

Wha... What?

Even bullets can be caught?

The expression of cruelty on the fatty's face transformed into shock at a visible speed.

Mo Ye also looked in disbelief at the bullet clamped between Lu Li's fingers, gasping in astonishment!

Sun Demin and Mo Juedu were both extremely shocked, their eyes almost popping out.

The remaining three were in a similar state, all exhibiting faces filled with shock!

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