At the appointed time, Chen Du brought Bai Xi to the designated spot ahead of schedule.
It was the same forest, the same familiar tree stump where they'd gathered before.
Just before leaving, Xie Li had insisted on tagging along.
But Chen Du refused.
While he hoped everything would go smoothly, he knew better than to rule out unforeseen trouble.
This way, even if things went south, he could make a clean getaway without hesitation.
Chen Du and Bai Xi sat side by side on the stump, exchanging idle chatter to pass the time.
Thirty minutes ticked by, yet not a soul appeared.
"It's been ages—why haven't they shown up yet? The deadline's already passed…" Bai Xi murmured, her brows knitting together in confusion.
"Yeah, we've been waiting forever," Chen Du replied absently.
Bai Xi pulled up the chat window and muttered under her breath, "I'll check what's going on…"
Ping!
Suddenly, Chen Du's device buzzed with a new message.
"Hey, 1945, this is Black Tiger. Remember me from the other day?"
"I assume you're already at the meeting point. But first, I need to tell you something: you've been played by Bai Xianxing…"
Reading those words, Chen Du froze momentarily.
Played? What did that mean?
He vaguely recalled Black Tiger—the guy who'd clashed with Bai Xianxing, supposedly the group's second-in-command.
Chen Du stole a glance at Bai Xi, who was still deep in conversation with her father.
Then, quietly, he typed back:
"What do you mean?"
Almost instantly, Black Tiger responded.
"It's exactly what it sounds like. That sly old fox tricked you!"
"There aren't just eight vials of serum—there are sixteen! He and I each have eight."
"After you left yesterday, he claimed he'd cover all eight himself. But once we got back to camp, he put a knife to my throat and forced me to hand over four of mine!"
"He said it was to 'preserve our strength.'"
"To hell with that! What does your daughter have to do with me?"
Black Tiger's tone bristled with fury, laced with curses.
It was clear he'd long harbored resentment toward Bai Xianxing!
And now, Bai Xianxing had dared to meddle with his precious serum stash—a line Black Tiger wouldn't tolerate being crossed.
"Oh?"
Chen Du narrowed his eyes, sensing there was more beneath the surface.
"What's your angle here?"
Hearing Chen Du bite, Black Tiger chuckled darkly.
"Simple. How about we strike a deal?"
"I know you've got skills."
"If you help me take care of Bai Xianxing, I'll give you his eight vials—and throw in two extra for good measure. Sound fair?"
"A steal, right?"
Black Tiger grinned broadly, his demeanor oozing menace like a seasoned outlaw.
The offer sent a thrill through Chen Du.
Ten vials of antiviral serum!
In this unforgiving post-apocalyptic world, every single vial was worth its weight in gold.
And here he was, staring at the chance to snag ten in one fell swoop!
It felt like winning the lottery in the middle of a warzone.
Thankfully, Chen Du kept his head. He quickly reined in his excitement.
Was this really as straightforward as it seemed?
"Alright, you've got yourself a deal."
"Perfect! See you soon!"
Just then, Bai Xi turned suddenly.
"Chen Du, I spoke with Dad. He's sending Black Tiger to pick us up."
"What's wrong? Your face is flushed," she added, noticing the tension in his expression.
"Nothing. Don't worry about it."
With a faint smile, Chen Du grabbed her wrist firmly.
Bai Xi winced slightly from the pressure.
"We should hurry. You know where Black Tiger is, right?"
"Yes, Dad sent me the coordinates!"
She nodded, but as she moved behind him, a cold glint flickered across her eyes.
Meanwhile, on the far side of the woods,
Black Tiger and his crew had been lying in wait for some time.
"Boss Tiger, everything's ready!"
"Just waiting for that idiot to walk straight into our trap, haha!"
"He'll never see it coming—our boss is miles ahead of him, thinking he can waltz away with ten vials!"
The lackeys flattered their leader, laughing raucously.
Black Tiger sneered dismissively.
"Greedy little fool… He has no idea what he's getting into."
"Alright, bring the canister over and prep the gas masks."
With a wave of his hand, the henchmen dragged forth a container marked with a skull emblem.
As soon as the canister came into view, Black Tiger and his men donned their gas masks and retreated to a safe distance.
Inside lay the deadly cocktail of chemical gases they'd stockpiled—enough to drop an elephant in seconds flat.
This was their welcoming gift for Chen Du.
"Black Tiger, is the trap set?"
"Make sure nothing gives it away!"
A message popped up on Black Tiger's screen.
It was from Bai Xianxing.
"Relax, boss—I've got everything under control."
"We'll rescue Bai Xi first, then let him have it."
This whole setup was Bai Xianxing's masterstroke!
He'd ordered Black Tiger to contact Chen Du, pretending internal conflict within the group, making Chen Du believe he could capitalize on the chaos.
In truth, the snare had been laid long ago.
They were simply biding their time, waiting for Chen Du to step right into it.