C9 Smuggling Gang(2)

With a harrowing scream, the smuggler collapsed to the ground. Before he could cry out again, another gunshot echoed, a bullet hole appearing in his head, silencing him forever.

"Down there! Shoot him!" the man with the scarred face commanded, unleashing a barrage of gunfire. Their ranks thinned by one, their formation now had a noticeable gap. Although the "Feather Swallow" effect had worn off, the "Feather Lightening" still granted Chen Ye a 30% agility boost. With an agility score of 6.5, he was incredibly swift, quickly breaking free from the encirclement. He had intended to open the truck's cargo door to release Wang Jianguo, but upon seeing the locked mechanism, he muttered a curse under his breath and halted. Spotting the open door of another truck, he leapt onto it in a single bound.

"Ding! Ding! Ding!" Three shots rang out, blocked by the vehicle door. Chen Ye tumbled into the driver's seat, not daring to expose his head, and silently chambered a round in his Type 56 rifle.

Glancing up, Chen Ye noticed the rearview mirror. Acting on impulse, he used the butt of his rifle to knock it askew, using the skewed reflection to gain a partial view of the area in front of the vehicle. He then did the same with the side mirrors, gaining a visual on both flanks of the truck. Like a hunter lying in wait, he gripped his rifle and waited in silence.

Before long, two gunmen crept up on either side of the vehicle. The third, however, remained unseen. Chen Ye squinted, extending the rifle's barrel out the back seat and silently counting. Though the men were beyond the rearview mirror's visibility, he gauged their position by the rhythm of their footsteps. Suddenly, the rifle braced against the seat erupted with a loud bang.

"Ah!" Without a moment to spare for the man's scream or his fate, Chen Ye swung the Type 56 with all his might like a club at the assailant on the other side.

The enemy had barely managed to aim his weapon before a blunt strike met his face, throwing off his aim and sending bullets spraying into the sky.

Chen Ye leaped from the truck, delivering a fierce elbow to the man's nose. With a swift motion of his right hand across his chest, he drew a standard military dagger from the Celestial Vault, its blade glinting ominously. He slashed across the man's throat, and like a punctured water bag, a crimson tide gushed forth.

Suddenly, Chen Ye felt a wave of dread wash over him. He swiftly sidestepped, leveraging the waning seconds of his "lightness" to evade a lethal strike.

With a loud "Bam!" Chen Ye's left arm grew heavy, followed by a searing pain, rendering half of his body numb.

The adversary inflicted 35 points of damage. Current HP: 15. Status: minor bleeding.

Chen Ye's head grew heavy, nearly causing him to pass out. Clenching his teeth, he mustered all his strength to roll under the car. His thoughts turned to the man with the scar – the one who had climbed onto the roof and was firing from the shadows. It was a good thing the assailant was armed with a less powerful pistol; otherwise, that shot could have been fatal.

Despite his injury, Chen Ye's awareness sharpened. He knew his attacker had a leg wound, which hindered his mobility, and with his accomplices out of commission, it was unlikely they would engage him under the car. Chen Ye was acutely aware of his situation; aside from his right fist, he was virtually unarmed. But the scarred man was unaware of this.

Smugglers were driven by money, yet they valued their lives. The more desperate they were, the more they clung to life. True to form, the scarred man didn't come down to shoot. Instead, Chen Ye heard the truck's engine roar to life. He realized the other party was attempting to flee, possibly trying to draw him out for a clear shot. Chen Ye quickly clung to the undercarriage, his left arm now in a state of moderate bleeding due to the strain.

"I'll crush you! Ahahahaha!" The scarred man bellowed maniacally, flooring the accelerator and barreling toward the rough terrain beside the mountain path.

Chen Ye held on tightly to the truck's underside, his legs occasionally touching down before hurriedly lifting again. He was teetering on the brink of his limits. Not only was his HP dwindling from the blood loss, but his physical strength was plummeting rapidly. An ordinary person might have succumbed by now, but Chen Ye's body was digitized. Until his HP was depleted, he wouldn't lose consciousness, and until his physical strength was drained, he wouldn't lose his vigor.

Fortunately, as the minute ticked by, Chen Ye managed to exit combat mode. He quickly applied a first aid bandage and consumed some military rations, which gradually restored his health and energy. Despite this, his back was soaked in blood, and the severe pain caused him to clench his teeth in agony.

Five minutes later, Chen Ye resorted to using his last first aid bandage and devoured a second piece of military rations. Thankfully, with the bandage's effect kicking in, his health points finally stabilized at a precarious 17, and the bleeding ceased.

"This guy is trying to reach the heavens!" Chen Ye howled in pain. Left with no choice, he consumed a third piece of military rations. If he let go now, it was certain he'd be shot or crushed under the wheels of a car, or even dragged to death due to the inertia.

Achievement unlocked: [Run! Run! Run!], earning a [Basic Skill Upgrade Potion].

New achievement task: [Run 1 / 1000 km], with the reward of a "beginner skill book."

Upon seeing the prompt, Chen Ye was momentarily baffled. His current condition was being registered as a "running" state? Without a second thought, he downed the Basic Skill Upgrade Potion since his only fully proficient basic skill was physical fitness (F), which unsurprisingly leveled up to E.

Achievement unlocked: [I Am Not Weak], earning another [Basic Skill Upgrade Potion].

Chen Ye immediately checked his attribute panel, only to find that the proficiency of "Basic Steps (E)" was frustratingly stuck at 396/400, unaffected by his current ordeal. On the other hand, the proficiency of "Basic Fitness (E)" was soaring. He quickly realized that the rate at which physical strength was consumed directly correlated with the proficiency gains in "Basic Fitness."

Chen Ye was no longer in a panic, contentedly munching on his fourth piece of military ration. As he watched his skill proficiency soar, he planned to use the newly acquired potion to boost his basic physical abilities to a D-level. He did feel a twinge of regret for not exchanging more of the stamina-replenishing military rations. However, looking at the other food items in the Celestial Vault, which also served to replenish his strength, he felt a sense of relief. These were all acquired while improving his rapport with the cook, after exchanging enough bullets and casually picking up some extra provisions. At this point, he didn't want the other person to stop; this was a great way to help him power through the "basic physical abilities" proficiency!

Chicken Legs: Food item that quickly restores 70% of your stamina. To be used in non-combat situations.

White Bread: Food item, quantity of 4, replenishes 200 stamina at a moderate pace. Can be used in non-combat situations.

Millet Balls: Food item, quantity of 6, slowly restores 10 HP and 100 stamina. Can be used in non-combat situations.

Silver-ringed Snake Eggs: Quantity of 3, there is no specific way to use them. They are simply a type of food. Consuming them will increase your stamina by 100 points over 5 minutes.