Chapter 682

Ning Chen slowly moved toward the ladder; there was only one possibility: to stop on the ladder. Since the ladder was attached to the side of the truck box, and with a ladder installed on the side, Ning Chen standing there would be less likely to be shot.

The snipers who discerned this thought could not help but sneer coldly.

In the eyes of those snipers, Ning Chen's idea was simply too childish. Setting aside whether the aircraft could adjust its angle to fly to the side of the truck, just considering Ning Chen's position, even if they did not fire, Ning Chen probably would not last long.

This road was already not very smooth, with some stones and pits on it. If the truck continued to drive at such a relatively fast speed, Ning Chen, lying on the ladder, would easily be thrown off.

But the snipers dared not underestimate Ning Chen; everyone had witnessed Ning Chen's strength with their own eyes. If they wanted to complete the mission smoothly, they could only use firearms.

Seeing that the snipers were not firing for a long time and that Ning Chen was almost climbing onto the ladder, Gayibu was not truly without anxiety, so he gave the order on the spot: "Forget whether you can hit him; just fire! Even if you cannot kill him, you must knock Ning Chen off the vehicle!"

After hearing Gayibu's order, the snipers' expressions all showed a hint of helplessness. Gayibu's order came truly too late; they did not want to fire, they just had not found the right moment.

If dealing with an ordinary opponent, they would have chosen to fire long ago, but because their opponent had become Ning Chen, if one shot could not be fatal, it would give the other party more time to catch their breath and would also cause them to miss the hard-won opportunity.

Just now, for instance, they had not hit Ning Chen on the truck box; if they wanted to attack now, they could only repeatedly adjust the aircraft's flight angle and find an opportunity to aim at Ning Chen, who was in the process of climbing, in order to hit him.

Soon, a sniper contacted a pilot, asking him to maneuver the helicopter to adjust its position, ensuring that when looking down, he could see Ning Chen's back directly, with no obstacles blocking the view.

A helicopter stopped above Ning Chen's head, its muzzle pointing at Ning Chen's back. Obviously, this helicopter was the main offensive force; Ning Chen must dodge the bullets coming from behind to survive.

But dodging bullets fired from behind was truly very difficult. The positions he could go to now were very limited; lying flat on the ladder, besides moving up and down, he could not even turn sideways to dodge.

If the bullets came from behind, that sniper could guarantee that within three shots, Ning Chen would definitely die under his gun.

It would be another soul under the gun.

But Ning Chen was calm and unhurried; he even had time to look up and flash a smile at the sniper aiming the gun at him.

This smile carried a slightly sinister flavor; when it appeared on Ning Chen's face, that person felt a fear that disaster was about to strike.

Ning Chen did not smile often, and precisely because he did not smile often, people found it strange. Indeed, after seeing the smile on Ning Chen's face, the sniper flying the helicopter behind Ning Chen was stunned, and a hint of anger suddenly surged in his eyes.

Because that smile carried a bit of provocation, both the pilot and the sniper on that helicopter felt somewhat indignant. After receiving Gayibu's order, almost the next second, the sniper raised his gun, aimed at Ning Chen's back, and pulled the trigger.

The bullet fired from the muzzle, pierced the air, and flew at maximum speed toward Ning Chen's heart.

The shape of that bullet was even reflected in Ning Chen's pupils. Seeing this scene, the sniper's face showed a smile of inevitable success.

But the next second, the smile froze on his face.

The place where Ning Chen had just been was now empty; no one knew where he had gone. In just that one second, the bullet hit the ladder, and after the collision, it made a quite ear-piercing sound.

By the time they looked closely again, Ning Chen was not only not on the ladder; instead, he had reached the platform at the front of the truck. Crouching there, he was steady and firm, looking like a rock that could not be easily shattered.

The sniper's eyes widened in an instant. He looked at Ning Chen's figure with great incredulity, his mouth slowly opening wide.

Ning Chen jumping from the ladder to the top of the truck box platform was also just a matter of an instant. He had gauged the distance perfectly, ensuring that after jumping up, he would not fall due to unstable center of gravity.

This was Ning Chen's fastest speed. Within a short one second, Ningchen leaped from the ladder to the platform; for an ordinary person, this was an impossible task.

Moreover, Ning Chen had to ensure he would not topple sideways due to inertia. After all, there was nothing on the truck platform that could be used for support; if the center of gravity was even slightly unstable, he would be forced to fall forward headfirst.

Fortunately, Ning Chen's control over his own speed had reached the extreme. While adjusting his center of gravity, he rushed onto the platform at the fastest speed. Only after dodging those few bullets did he barely breathe a sigh of relief.

While that sniper was dumbfounded, Gayibu's face did not look any better. He repeatedly rewound the action of Ning Chen leaping to the top platform of the truck several times, after all, Ning Chen's every move was displayed on a screen in front of Gayibu.

Gayibu set the playback speed to the slowest, then repeatedly dragged the progress bar back and forth. Only after watching several times did he clearly see how Ning Chen leaped from the ladder to the top of the platform; this was almost an impossible thing.

The screen displayed Ning Chen's figure. From the ladder to Ning Chen's current destination, it was only one second of time, yet in this short one second, Ning Chen could actually move such a large distance.

Gayibu finally realized what kind of person he had provoked.

His hand trembled involuntarily, and the screen in his hand involuntarily slipped from his grasp, falling to the ground. Gayibu frowned while reaching out to grab the object below, his expression showing a worry rarely seen before.

"Now Ning Chen should have no chance to counterattack," Gayibu said, shifting his gaze to Ning Chen's waist and hands. After confirming that Ning Chen had no weapons on his body and could not attack the helicopter overhead, he breathed a slight sigh of relief. "Coordinate with each other. Ning Chen is now on a platform, which is relatively easier to shoot at. Moreover, I have confirmed that Ning Chen's hands and pockets are not carrying firearms, so do not worry about a counterattack from the opponent," Gayibu said.

Generally, people who work as snipers have very good eyesight. Those details, the snipers themselves had actually discovered long ago. Not speaking was one thing, but once spoken, one of the snipers said, somewhat like a complaint, "The main problem now is not worrying about a counterattack from the opponent. I will speak the truth: with his speed like this, it is difficult for us even to catch him."

"How could that be?" Gayibu blurted out this sentence, then immediately thought of Ning Chen's performance, so he slowly swallowed his words back. "Forget it, as long as we kill Ning Chen when we reach the national border."

But how easy was that to talk about? Ning Chen would not give them this opportunity at all.

This side had not been resolved yet, and bad news came from the other side.

The person following behind the truck transmitted a message to Gayibu via walkie-talkie: "Report, the situation here is getting worse and worse. The five people in the rear truck box have learned how to use guns. After Ning Chen handed the guns to them, these five people actually started attacking us! We have suffered many casualties among our brothers. Should we continue to follow or kill them directly? Please give clear instructions!"

Hearing that voice, a furrow appeared between Gayibu's eyebrows as if a valley had formed.

This was simply adding frost to snow. This time, to capture Ning Chen and the five people, the troops Gayibu brought were all elite soldiers. These soldiers had undergone professional training; theoretically, capturing five young people for research should not be difficult, yet they were somehow held up by Ning Chen.

Now, even the five young people who were powerless to tie a chicken could fire guns. Moreover, judging by the situation, Gayibu's side had suffered heavy losses. If they allowed the five people to continue to act with impunity, the military forces following behind the truck would soon be drastically reduced.

Gayibu gritted his teeth, as if a tug-of-war was taking place in his brain.

On one hand, he needed the five scientists to research new products for him, and before this, the new product had already taken shape; but on the other hand, Gayibu absolutely did not allow these five people to leave Cangbei, otherwise it would bring him huge trouble.

After weighing the pros and cons, Gayibu still painfully spat out a few words: "Let's see the situation again... I think they are not to be feared. If we still cannot kill Ning Chen in the next round of assault, then let them be wiped out completely."

No one objected to Gayibu's decision. After all, the number of casualties was already quite heavy. If this trend continued, it was estimated that after one hour, the military forces behind the truck would be wiped out completely.

At this time, someone offered an opinion: "Since those five people have threatened us, we might as well kill the one who poses the greatest threat to us, which would also serve as a warning to others... I think the person wearing the white shirt can be killed. He learned the fastest, and the most brothers have died under his hands."

Hearing these words from his subordinate, Gayibu actually vaguely realized who he was talking about. He glanced into the screen and found that the person he was talking about was indeed Chu Muyu.

Chu Muyu was the main person in charge of their project. If Chu Muyu was missing, the project could not proceed.

Gayibu began to hesitate, but he knew clearly that if he really killed Chu Muyu, even if the other four could be captured and brought back to Cangbei, it would be meaningless.

Because Ning Chen was the main person in charge of the project, the core of the project. He led the team of four people to conduct research. Anyone could be missing, but Chu Muyu absolutely could not be missing.

Gayibu directly refused outright: "No, Chu Muyu cannot be killed. Wait first. What does it matter if a few people die on your side? Chu Muyu cannot die. Keep him for me."

Gayibu's words were cold and left no room for compromise. Hearing this, Gayibu's subordinates felt very indignant in their hearts, but due to the difference in status, they could not say anything, so they could only suppress their dissatisfaction and other emotions in their hearts.

After a few exchanges, Chu Muyu's side seemed to be convinced that the other side dared not take action, so they had no more reservations. They raised their hands and started shooting outward with guns; they had enough ammunition in their hands.

The team coming to pursue Ning Chen was getting smaller and smaller, and there were fewer and fewer people. Obviously, these people did not dare to advance too recklessly. Although they had the conditions to kill the people in the truck box, due to Gayibu's order, they did not dare to act lightly.

Ning Chen had been listening to the gunshots coming from behind the truck box. He naturally knew that Gayibu would not choose to take action at this time, so the only ones firing guns could be the five scientists. After learning that those people were not injured and not dead, Ning Chen also breathed a sigh of relief.

The guns aimed at him did not deviate at all; they seemed to be still waiting for Gayibu's order, like a sharp sword hanging over Ning Chen's neck, ready to fall at any moment.

But Ning Chen had full confidence—he wouldn't let himself die here so easily; those bullets alone weren't enough to kill him.

In a few instants, Ning Chen dodged another volley of bullets; he could sense the shooters' movements growing increasingly frantic, and as time passed, he felt his opponents gradually losing strength.

This was exactly what Ning Chen wanted. Though his stamina was good, constant, large-scale movement would eventually exhaust him.

And as the opponents grew more desperate, their mistakes multiplied—they could barely aim their guns properly. Ning Chen no longer needed to devise elaborate dodges; a slight sidestep was enough to avoid most shots.

As time passed, the truck neared the national border. Jia Yi stared at the radar and slowly furrowed his brow.

They couldn't delay any longer. Though Ning Chen's intentions weren't clear, Jia Yi sensed he was buying time—the worst outcome being that Ning Chen had a team waiting beyond the border. Jia Yi still had a chance to fight him now; once Ning Chen's reinforcements arrived, there'd be no chance to capture him.

Jia Yi's face darkened instantly. He glared at the screen and finally ordered: "... Open fire. Don't let them reach the national border."

"Kill them all?"

"All of them," Jia Yi said. "Leave none alive."

Jia Yi's men had long been itching for action. After losing so many brothers trailing the truck, their resentment toward the five inside had grown immense—they waited only for the order to unleash their fury.

At the same moment, Ning Chen leapt from the truck's roof into the rear cargo compartment. He had sensed Jia Yi's intent—Jia Yi had now decided to kill.

After stepping into the rear compartment, Ning Chen said nothing. He extended both hands and slammed the rear door shut. Instantly, darkness swallowed the interior.

Chu Muyu reacted first. He retracted his gun, turned, and told the others not to keep their weapons aimed at Ning Chen. Only then did he brush the dust off his hands and ask, "Are you safe now?"

In the darkness, Ning Chen said, "No. Prepare to jump. They've decided to kill us. Given Jia Yi's nature, they won't let any of you escape Cangbei."

The five had spent so long in the Bu Gu Group that they all understood Jia Yi's character. Chu Muyu, who had interacted most deeply with Jia Yi, nodded and said, "Yes. I've long suspected Jia Yi never intended for us to return alive." He rolled up his sleeves. "Get ready. Wait for Ning Chen's signal before jumping."

Ning Chen gave Chu Muyu a look of approval. This was his mission target—no wonder the system had labeled him a young genius. "There are many chasing us outside. I'll open the door soon and give you the right moment to jump. Whether you live or die… it'll come down to luck."

Someone sighed in the dark—it was Curly's voice. "Jumping won't guarantee safety. Won't they chase us after we jump? And there's still a plane overhead—we're unlikely to escape."

Ning Chen hummed softly. "But if you don't jump, you'll be shot dead. Jumping still offers a sliver of hope. The choice is yours."

By this point, everyone had already made up their minds.

Curly murmured lowly, "If we're lucky, we might escape from the roadside. Below is a river—jumping off the road lands us in the water. They probably won't pursue us there."

Ning Chen gave a strange chuckle. "Don't think those people are that simple. There's a saying: live, they want to see the person; dead, they want to see the body. Without exception, they'll follow it to the end."

Curly fell silent.

Ning Chen was right. Jia Yi was ruthless—he'd leave no chance for them.

The girl who loved guns spoke again, her expression thoughtful as she tapped her chin. "Without exception, all of us can swim. But as Ning Chen said, Jia Yi won't leave unless he sees our bodies. Just now, the door was open. This road is narrow—jumping into the river won't take long. But it's our only chance of survival."

Ning Chen looked at her. "You think the same as I do. Only by jumping into the river can we possibly survive. But timing must be precise. We must catch them off guard—otherwise, we'll be shot mid-jump."

Chu Muyu said, "That's fine. If they're caught off guard, we'll seize the chance—but we must move fast."

Ning Chen nodded, acknowledging his words.

Jia Yi stared at the screen in his hand, which displayed the truck's movement. But his gaze fixed on the rear door—he grew suspicious. He snatched up the radio. "Didn't Ning Chen just enter the rear compartment?"

Upon receiving confirmation, Jia Yi sneered. "I knew that Ning Chen was planning a surprise. Watch the rear door closely! If anyone pushes it open, don't hesitate—open fire immediately! Attack anyone without exception!"