Chapter 129: South of the City, The Quarry

Su Zheng felt something soft against him and was momentarily stunned. Qiao Lan, meanwhile, was caught completely off guard, her beautiful eyes wide with shock as her body stiffened.

"Whoosh!"

Su Zheng shifted to the driver's seat with an expressionless face, then pushed the rigid Qiao Lan into the passenger seat.

"Cough... fasten your seatbelt," Su Zheng said calmly, regaining his composure.

Qiao Lan’s pretty face flushed, her mind in a whirl. Before she could even speak, the car let out a violent roar.

"Vroom..."

Su Zheng floored the accelerator. The red car surged forward like a bloodthirsty beast, appearing as though it would collide with the vehicle ahead in an instant. Just as Qiao Lan opened her mouth to warn him, Su Zheng swung the steering wheel hard. The car drifted, using its immense momentum to overtake the vehicle in front in a flash. There were only a few centimeters between the two cars, but under Su Zheng's precise control, the perfect maneuver was executed without a scratch.

"Hold on tight!" Su Zheng warned Qiao Lan, driving the car forward at high speed.

Within moments, they easily overtook the car driven by Lao Liu, and without slowing down, they sped off until they disappeared into the distance.

Inside his car, Lao Liu was visibly stunned. He couldn't fathom how Sister Lan had suddenly become such an aggressive driver; it was something that would have been impossible in the past. As a former mercenary with extraordinary skills and even better driving, Lao Liu had initially intended to accelerate and catch up, but he soon realized that the gap was only widening. Before long, the car ahead was nowhere to be seen.

South of the city, at the quarry.

The site had been abandoned for a long time. Jagged rocks stood amidst the darkness, creating an eerie and chilling atmosphere.

"Vroom!"

The roar of the engine approached rapidly from the distance and then came to a sudden halt. Su Zheng stepped out of the car, his gaze sharp and murderous, scanning the surroundings in the dead of night. He had arrived in just fourteen or fifteen minutes—at least five minutes earlier than the time agreed upon in the phone call.

"Stay in the car. Don't come out!" Su Zheng commanded coldly upon hearing the car door move.

Qiao Lan, filled with resentment, managed to suppress her inner turmoil. She rolled her eyes at Su Zheng but stepped out of the car anyway. The high-speed drifting had left her nauseous; she feared she would vomit inside the car if she stayed any longer. Struggling to compose herself, a flash of astonishment crossed her eyes. She couldn't imagine how Su Zheng, who hadn't even obtained his driver's license yet, possessed such skilled and professional driving techniques. It was almost on par with professional racers!

And indeed, it appeared that even Lao Liu had yet to arrive.

"Just wait here. I'm going in to take a look."

Su Zheng pulled out his phone to call the number again, but it now indicated that it was an invalid number. After a brief moment of contemplation, he signaled for Qiao Lan to wait for him and walked into the depths of the quarry.

"It's dangerous to go alone! Just wait a little longer. Lao Liu will be here soon; let him handle it!" Qiao Lan urged hurriedly.

"No need. Do as I say!" Su Zheng looked back at her. The icy intensity in his eyes made Qiao Lan freeze; she wanted to speak again but found herself unable to utter a word.

Helpless, she watched as Su Zheng’s figure disappeared into the quarry. She had no choice but to take out her phone, check Lao Liu's location, and summon other subordinates to rush over for backup.

Entering the quarry, Su Zheng scanned his surroundings constantly. He was anxious, worried about his mother's safety, and uncertain if the person on the phone had been telling the truth. As every second ticked by, the cold intensity on Su Zheng’s face deepened, and the killing intent within him began to boil.

"Stop right there! Don't move!"

With a low voice, a piercing beam of light suddenly blinded him with a "click." It was a searchlight, shining directly onto Su Zheng, making it impossible for him to see the situation ahead. Then, footsteps echoed from the front, and several men hiding behind giant rocks emerged.

"Heh... you came quite quickly!" someone in front said, his tone laced with mockery and hidden murderous intent.

"I'm here. Release my mother immediately," Su Zheng said calmly, squinting his eyes.

The opposition remained silent for a moment, and then footsteps could be heard from behind a large rock. Su Zheng squinted further, as the searchlight still blinded him to the situation ahead, but he didn't show the slightest panic. He waited quietly. He knew it wasn't the time to strike yet. He feared the kidnappers might be armed, and any rash action could prevent him from ensuring his mother's safety.

"You, go over and tie him up!" the voice commanded, signaling a subordinate to restrain Su Zheng.

Su Zheng’s inner killing intent was limitless, but his face remained calm. He allowed the man to approach and pull his hands behind his back, securing them tightly with military-grade nylon rope.

"Kid, since you’re being so cooperative, I’ll make it quick for you later so you suffer less!" The man who tied him up was a hulking brute radiating malice. He shoved Su Zheng, "What are you staring at? Move!"

"Snap!"

The searchlight was extinguished. Seeing that Su Zheng’s hands were bound, the group relaxed.

"Damn, and here I thought this mission would be a hassle. Turns out he's just a weakling. Boring!"

"Look at that scrawny frame. I bet I could crush him with one punch!"

"Alright, put the weapons away and set up the cameras!"

"Big Bear, Fat Tiger, I want to see a show today. Remember, the employer’s requirement is to cripple him, not kill him directly, understand?!"

"Heh heh... just watch us, Boss!"

At this moment, Su Zheng stood with his hands bound behind his back, looking as fragile as a pampered youth. The men had let their guard down, believing the mission was all but complete. Yet, upon hearing their conversation, Su Zheng suddenly lifted his head.

In front of him, by a large rock, stood seven or eight men. All of them were tall, dressed in camouflage, and wearing expressions of cold, murderous intent, looking at Su Zheng with excitement. Elsewhere, his mother, Yu Qiulei, was also bound, her mouth sealed with black tape, her eyes filled with terror and despair.

Su Zheng’s killing intent turned ice-cold. He knew his chance had arrived.

"Move! What are you standing there for?" The man behind him shoved him.

Yet, it was as if he had shoved into a solid rock; Su Zheng’s body didn't budge an inch! Instead, the brute felt a stinging numbness in his own wrists from the rebound force.

"Uh, you..."

The hulking giant froze, his face shifting to one of sheer horror. Just as he realized something was wrong and prepared to cry out a warning, he felt a blur of motion before him. A split second later, he felt a pain in his chest as if he had been struck by a train. He was sent flying through the air, coughing up a mouthful of blood before losing consciousness.