Chapter 267: Ambush (Part 1)
"Lao Yi…" Zhang Yang glanced at the pale‑faced Lao Yi beside him, hesitated for a moment, and called out to him.
"Boss…" Lao Yi walked over after hearing him, looked at the mangled but still breathing Shaoying on the ground, and said calmly, "Don't worry. Whether the Green Scorpion is Li Ping or not… that's already the past."
Zhang Yang sighed, pressed his lips together, nodded, and patted his shoulder. The meaning in his eyes was obvious—thank you, Lao Yi.
If the Green Scorpion weren't such a troublesome opponent, he really wouldn't want to resort to such tactics.
"The fog has dispersed. The Green Scorpion might have a sniper rifle." Zhang Yang looked at the bulletproof glass of the Land Rover. Although modified, the bulletproof glass was theoretically capable of withstanding direct fire from a 7.62mm rifle at a hundred meters. But against sniper rifles—especially heavy ones like 12.7mm calibers or armor‑piercing rounds—this glass was practically useless.
And theoretical values were one thing, reality another. Earlier, it had already cracked from shots fired by a Type 92 pistol at thirty meters. If the Green Scorpion had even a light sniper rifle, especially at closer range, it likely wouldn't hold.
That was why Zhang Yang didn't want to hide in the car waiting for rescue. Instead, he struck first. He had luck on his side—the fog helped, and Lao Yi's coordination was flawless. Without those, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly.
"It's unwise to continue forward. Can the car turn around?" Zhang Yang checked the road.
He frowned. Turning the Land Rover around would be nearly impossible, and one of the tires was blown. There was a spare, but this wasn't the time to slowly change tires.
As for the large truck—no chance. The road wasn't wide enough for it to turn.
After the earlier firefight, the gunshots had stopped. The Green Scorpion guarding ahead wouldn't be stupid—she should be heading this way soon.
"Turning around won't work, but reversing shouldn't be a problem." Lao Yi observed the road and said.
"Alright. You drive the Land Rover. Xiao You drives the truck. Start reversing immediately…"
"Boss, what about you?"
Zhang Yang looked at Shaoying lying on the ground. Originally, if he kept Lao Yi behind, they could set up a far more secure ambush. But now that the Green Scorpion was most likely Li Ping—bringing Lao Yi into it would be… unpredictable.
"You all go first. We'll stay in contact by phone…" Zhang Yang lifted his modified phone. Mountain signals were poor—he had already considered this.
"No. It's too dangerous for you alone." Lao Yi hesitated. "Boss, I know you're worried that if the Green Scorpion is Li Ping, I might not be able to kill her—and might even get hurt by her. But don't worry. The past is the past…"
Zhang Yang interrupted him: "Enough, I know. But that's not the only reason. Think—your vehicles are big targets. You're actually more in danger than I am. Time is short. Move, now…"
"Boss…"
"Go." Zhang Yang looked at him, took out a prepared bulletproof vest from the trunk and put it on. He then turned to Tang Qiqi, but she was even more stubborn than Lao Yi.
"No. I'm killing the Green Scorpion myself. I'll avenge my father."
Zhang Yang glanced at her, grabbed her by the waist without a word, stuffed her into the car, buckled the seat belt tight, and said to Lao Yi, "Drive!"
Lao Yi hesitated, but still got into the Land Rover.
"Boss, be careful."
"Zhang Yang, you bastard! Let me out…" Tang Qiqi wasn't tied, but Zhang Yang cleverly pulled the buckle down and knotted it—a dead knot. She wouldn't get free anytime soon.
"Xiao You, move!" Zhang Yang ignored her struggling, held her wrists to keep her still, and signaled the truck to reverse first.
Tang Qiqi grew desperate and suddenly bit Zhang Yang's elbow hard. Pain shot through him, but except for a slight frown, he made no sound and didn't loosen his grip.
"Bastard!" After biting for a while and seeing Zhang Yang unmoved, something inside her softened. She released him and glared bitterly. "Let me go. Otherwise, I won't forgive you."
Zhang Yang acted as if he didn't hear. He kept watching the distance, and once he confirmed Xiao You's truck was already reversing down the road, he turned to Lao Yi. "Drive."
With that, he jumped out of the vehicle.
"Die, Zhang Yang! Just wait—you bastard!" Tang Qiqi cursed nonstop.
Watching the vehicles slowly leave, Zhang Yang returned to Shaoying's location. Shaoying was struggling, apparently trying to roll off the slope.
Zhang Yang sneered, shot both his elbows again, and dragged him back to the middle of the highway like a dead dog.
Shaoying's eyes were full of unwillingness, but helpless. Zhang Yang had already told him—he would use him as bait to lure down the Green Scorpion.
Now, lying in the middle of the road so obviously—if the Green Scorpion truly cared about him, she would come down to check. Then Zhang Yang could strike.
If she didn't show, Zhang Yang didn't care—his reinforcements would arrive eventually.
After confirming Shaoying could no longer move, Zhang Yang looked around and found a hidden vantage point where he could still see Shaoying clearly.
He would wait like the hunter at the stump.
Time passed slowly. The mountains remained silent—no cars coming, none leaving. The scene looked frozen in time.
The wait felt endless. Zhang Yang even began doubting Ao Tian's intel. Wasn't the Green Scorpion supposed to be Shaoying's lover?
The gunfight had ended long ago. Zhang Yang had checked Shaoying's body earlier—a satellite phone was hidden on him. In this situation, shouldn't she have called?
Yet now—nothing. Not even a single call.
As the sun burned away the mist, dew from the grass dampened Zhang Yang's cheek. Insects and sharp grass blades began tormenting him.
He checked the time—he had been squatting for nearly twenty minutes. His limbs tingled with numbness. But he didn't dare move or stretch—not even breathe loudly—for fear of rustling the grass and revealing his position.
Because the Green Scorpion might already be here—watching from afar.
This kind of stakeout was torture. Barely twenty minutes in, he was already suffering. Real snipers could stay prone for hours—sometimes an entire day. How inhuman was their endurance?
"Bzzzzz!"
Suddenly, from the grass near Shaoying came a faint vibration sound.
His satellite phone was ringing—in vibration mode.
Zhang Yang's eyes narrowed. This call was very likely from the Green Scorpion.
Shaoying was still alive. He turned his head toward the satellite phone Zhang Yang had tossed out of reach. His expression was full of pain and anxiety. But Zhang Yang's shots were vicious and precise—his limbs were all broken. He couldn't move at all.
Since being shot, he was bleeding heavily. He wouldn't last much longer.
He felt unwilling—but helpless. He could only pray the Green Scorpion would be smarter, more patient than Zhang Yang.
He firmly believed Zhang Yang would break before she did.
But now? This Zhang Yang was too despicable—leaving him exposed on the road like bait. Even if the Green Scorpion had strong shooting ability, she hadn't received professional training. How could she know Zhang Yang had set a trap?
The moment the phone rang, he knew—this was bad.
The Green Scorpion clearly couldn't wait anymore. The call meant she had already spotted him from afar. They had agreed beforehand—Shaoying would call only after success. The phone had never been used.
Now, he could only hope the remaining two—Old Six and Old Three—could handle things. There were still three of them left, while Zhang Yang was alone. Though he admitted Zhang Yang was terrifyingly strong.
The phone stopped vibrating—then started again. After a few rings, it stopped once more.
After a while longer, Zhang Yang finally heard the faint rustling of grass being pushed aside.
"Sha-sha!" The sound was extremely close to his hiding spot.
Zhang Yang's grip on his gun tightened. They had already approached this close without him noticing. Fortunately, he had held still earlier—otherwise the consequences would be unthinkable.
He held his breath. The Green Group originally had eight people. Including Shaoying, five were down, meaning three were still out there.