Outside the grove.
Wang Hai's expression changed drastically when he saw Chen Mo being led out at gunpoint by a woman.
The worst-case scenario had come true.
Chen Mo had been taken hostage.
Wang Hai clenched his fists. Now that Chen Mo was in the enemy's grasp, their hands were tied.
"What do you want? Money? We can pay," Wang Hai said grimly, stepping out from cover.
Ruth sneered. "If it were just money, things wouldn't have gone this far. Don't try to stall for time. We've blocked the roads. The police won't be arriving anytime soon."
She turned toward the young man nearby. "Status on the others?"
"One dead. Black Cat's down. That big guy hasn't moved—probably joined them in hell." The young man shrugged.
"Let's go."
Ruth's expression was darker than before. The cost of the ambush was higher than she'd expected.
"Sure thing."
The young man popped open the rear of a large cargo truck. A red off-road vehicle rolled out from within.
He revved the engine with a smirk. "Hear that? Like a tiger growling. Remind me to buy one for myself."
"Get in," Ruth ordered sharply.
She shoved Chen Mo into the back of the off-roader, then climbed in beside him. The vehicle peeled out onto the road.
Wang Hai's jaw tightened as he watched the vehicle vanish into the distance.
His fists were clenched so tight they trembled.
"Black Hawk, report!" he barked into the comms.
"We stopped a passing car. Rushing to your position now," came Black Hawk's tense reply.
"Chen Mo's been taken. Red Land Rover, no plates. Get ready to intercept."
"The boss has been taken?!" Black Hawk's voice spiked with alarm. "I'll stop them!"
"Be careful," Wang Hai warned. "Don't push them. If they panic, Chen Mo might be hurt. His safety comes first."
"…Understood."
Meanwhile, in the city…
Zhao Min paced anxiously inside the police car, her nerves shredded.
Chen Mo had been attacked. His phone wasn't responding. The police convoy was crawling along—delayed by traps and roadblocks.
Every second stretched into eternity.
Beside her, Li Dong, head of the local Public Security Bureau, looked equally tense. "Step on it," he ordered the driver.
The officer accelerated. Earlier, tire spikes had shredded one of the lead cars. The ambush had been comprehensive.
Zhao Min's phone suddenly lit up.
Caller ID: Unknown.
She grabbed it.
"Chen Mo?!"
"President Zhao, it's Wang Hai." His voice was heavy with guilt. "The boss has been taken."
"What?!" Zhao Min's face went pale.
Wang Hai continued, "The attackers got away. Miss Xiao Yu is wounded—she needs immediate medical attention."
The words hit Zhao Min like a bomb. Her mind went blank. Her hands trembled.
Chen Mo kidnapped. Xiao Yu shot.
This was a disaster.
If anything happened to Xiao Yu, Chen Mo might lose control. She knew what that girl meant to him.
"We're almost there. Xiao Yu must be saved—no matter what." Zhao Min snapped out of her daze. "Director Li, activate citywide pursuit. Chen Mo was taken."
Li Dong's face went grave. "I'll contact SWAT immediately. Dispatch a helicopter. And shut down all roads out of the city."
At the Marching Ant Company, on the first underground lab floor, alarms began to flash.
"Target location confirmed."
"Satellite link established… Skynet system breached… City brain accessed… Surveillance live."
Two floating light panels popped up, showing:
– Live satellite imagery of the vehicle transporting Chen Mo.
– Real-time traffic feeds from city-wide surveillance.
Across Binhai City, three autonomous vehicles loaded with intelligent robots suddenly changed course—racing toward the kidnappers.
Inside the getaway vehicle.
Ruth fastened Chen Mo's hands with a zip tie and frisked him. She found his phone, checked it for trackers, then tossed it out the window.
Chen Mo remained silent, watching.
He'd already activated Mo Nu back in the grove. She had his location. She was coming.
Ruth didn't know that.
Between her and the white man, Chen Mo sat wedged. The white man had taken two bullets during the earlier fight. His face was pale, soaked in sweat, and he looked like he could faint at any moment.
Chen Mo's eyes flicked briefly to the combat knife at the man's waist, then looked away, calculating.
This wasn't an ordinary kidnapping.
From the fire diversion to the ambush, the attackers had planned meticulously. They hadn't harmed him—at least, not yet—which meant they had a specific reason for keeping him alive.
Calming his anger and worry for Xiao Yu, Chen Mo forced himself to stay composed.
"Who are you people?" he asked flatly. "I don't recall offending anyone."
"Now that's a dumb question for someone as smart as you," the young driver chuckled. "Why we took you? Money? Tech? Power? Pick one."
"I can give you money. Tech too," Chen Mo offered. "Just let me go."
"When we reach our destination, you'll find out exactly what we want," Ruth replied calmly.
"You won't get away with this."
"Oh? And you're in a position to decide that?" Ruth smiled. "Still calm under pressure. Impressive."
"The city's on lockdown. No road leads out now."
"Which is why we're taking the water route," the driver smirked.
"I wouldn't be surprised if customs is already waiting for you at the docks," Chen Mo said coldly. "Let me go now. Tell me who's behind this. I'll pay. Otherwise, you'll get nothing."
"Hah! After all we went through? Three of ours dead? You think we'll just take a payout and leave?" the driver laughed.
Chen Mo fell silent. It was no use reasoning with them.
BOOM!
Suddenly, the vehicle jolted. The driver cursed, trying to regain control.
A car behind them had rammed them hard.
"What the hell—where did that come from?" Ruth snapped, spinning around.
A black, unmarked vehicle was gaining on them, headlights glaring.
"Must be Chen Mo's guards. Probably the ones we left fighting earlier," the driver said.
Ruth cursed and reached for her weapon—but the car shook again under another impact.
"I'll deal with them." The wounded white man sat up, grabbed a rifle, and rolled down the window.
CRACK!
A single shot rang out from the pursuing car.
Screams.
The white man clutched his bleeding arm. "Goddamn it! Their aim's too damn good!"
His rifle clattered to the floor.
Ruth's eyes widened. **That shot had come from far—**yet it was pinpoint accurate. If she'd leaned out to fire just now, she'd be dead.
"Ram them!" Black Hawk barked from the pursuing car.
"On it!" the driver responded.
CRASH!
Repeated collisions rocked the vehicle. Ruth gritted her teeth.
"Damn bumper car maniacs! Our target is Chen Mo, not them! We need to shake them off fast or we're done when the police arrive."
The driver opened a side compartment, tossed Ruth a small black pouch. "Use this."
Ruth peeked inside—and her expression lit up.
"You brought this too?"
"Old habit," the driver grinned. "Always come prepared."