Chapter 896: On the Road

That night, Li Huowang lay fully dressed on his bed, waiting for their arrival.

As Li Huowang watched the wall clock strike midnight, a harsh metallic screech echoed, and the steel mill gate was pushed open.

He grabbed his belongings and stepped out of the steel mill, where he saw two SUVs parked, their blinding high beams making it impossible to open his eyes.

"Get in," Zhao Shuangdian's voice called from behind the dazzling white light.

When Li Huowang reached the car door, he saw not only Zhao Shuangdian and the two siblings surnamed Ba inside, but also three strangers—two men and one woman.

After a glance at them, Li Huowang opened the back door and got in. As soon as he settled into the seat, he felt something beneath him.

He reached out and felt two military knives still in their sheaths.

When Li Huowang pulled them out, he recognized them as his own, the bloodstains still fresh on the blades.

"Thanks," Li Huowang said to Zhao Shuangdian, who was in the front passenger seat.

The engine roared to life, and the SUV headed toward the airport.

"You're welcome. We're in this together. Just remember, we're on the same side, and I won't hurt you."

Li Huowang tucked the two knives behind his back. "A bulletproof vest would be even better," he muttered.

Zhao Shuangdian didn't reply. She lightly rubbed her forehead, her delicate brows furrowed in thought.

Li Huowang's gaze shifted to the other three. The driver, a rugged man with a scraggly beard, wore only a short-sleeved shirt despite it being not long after the New Year, seemingly unfazed by the cold.

The man beside him had a stern expression and a lean, slender build. His incredibly agile fingers continuously flipped a coin.

The last person was a girl, thin and wearing glasses, appearing delicate and fragile. However, she had an unknown condition that caused her face to twitch intermittently.

Li Huowang scrutinized them, wondering what kind of Si Ming they were. "The bearded man's demeanor reminds me a bit of the 'Si Ming General' from the military strategists."

"Don't you think it's rude to stare?" the gloomy-faced man asked, turning his gaze from the window to Li Huowang.

"Li Huowang," he said, extending a hand, but the man didn't take it.

"I know you're Li Huowang. You're so famous, everyone knows your name," the man drawled, then turned his attention back outside.

Noticing their lukewarm attitude, Li Huowang didn't press them further. Instead, he turned to Zhao Shuangdian and asked, "Is this everyone? It seems a bit few. Going into another 'Elephant' like this, are we sure we're not just heading to our deaths?"

"Don't worry, we'll meet more people at the airport," Zhao Shuangdian replied, closing her eyes.

"What are our chances of success this time?"

"Sixty percent."

"Only sixty percent?" Li Huowang recalled how the late Qian Fu had already demonstrated the consequences of a forty percent chance of success.

"Don't expect a hundred percent certainty for anything. If something seems that certain, it's definitely a trap."

Hearing this, Li Huowang's heart sank. He could only hope the additional group at the airport would prove more capable.

"Put on the disguise," the gloomy-faced man said, tossing a rubber mask of Li Huowang's head into his lap. "Going to the airport looking like yourself is practically announcing your arrival."

Five hours later, they finally reached an airport in another city. The sky was just beginning to lighten.

As Li Huowang, now wearing a new face, arrived in the waiting lounge, several unexpected individuals appeared before him.

Qing Wanglai, impeccably dressed in a suit, extended his hand and lightly shook Zhao Shuangdian's. "It was a long journey," he said.

Behind him, sprawled on chairs, were Zhao Lei, Chen Hongyu, and Wu Qi.

"Them?! These are the helpers you mentioned?" Li Huowang stared at his former companions, utterly stunned.

"What else? Do we have other options? Not many people truly understand their current predicament."

The two groups merged and began moving away, leaving Li Huowang frozen in place.

By dawn, as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the sky, Li Huowang and the others boarded their plane, which soon ascended into the clouds.

Sitting in his seat, Li Huowang had now accepted the reality of allying with Qing Wanglai once more.

While Qing Wanglai was a deceitful opportunist, in fairness, he wasn't to blame for what happened with Nana that day.

Besides, they were all familiar faces. Even if he wasn't a good person, Li Huowang at least knew what to expect from him, which was better than dealing with unknown strangers.

Qing Wanglai sat down next to Li Huowang and offered his hand. "I never thought you'd join Zhao Shuangdian's side," he said.

"I had no choice. The last person I followed was too unreliable, so I had to find someone new."

Qing Wanglai, seemingly oblivious to Li Huowang's sarcasm, said genially, "Is that so? Good. I thought you might have endorsed her theories."

Li Huowang glanced diagonally at Zhao Shuangdian, who had already put on an eye mask and was dozing. He then turned to Qing Wanglai. "I don't endorse her 'Elephant Theory'," he said. "I think your 'Projection Theory' sounds more realistic."

"Oh, really?"

Li Huowang gritted his teeth and glared at Qing Wanglai. "Of course it's false! What do your ridiculous theories have to do with me?"

"I just want to resolve this trouble completely! I don't want the past to repeat itself! I don't want to be treated like a lunatic anymore!"

After a moment of thought, Qing Wanglai spoke to Li Huowang. "You might not believe me, but I want to explain that I truly never gave up on you."

"If we get through this crisis safely, I'll help you regain your freedom."

Li Huowang looked utterly unconvinced and turned his head away. "That sounds great," he scoffed. "I'm wanted nationwide right now! Tell me, how exactly will you make me free?"

"Once you return to the country, surrender immediately."

Li Huowang stared at him as if he were an idiot.

"Don't rush. That's just the first step. You're mentally ill. No matter how many times you've escaped before, your ultimate punishment will always be confinement in a mental hospital."

"Once you're in there for a cooling-off period, I can buy a psychiatric hospital. Then, I'll arrange for you to be transferred to my facility, and from there, whatever you want to do will be much simpler."

"Heh, Boss Qing, what a grand gesture. Buying an entire psychiatric hospital just for me? How touching."

Seeing that Li Huowang still refused to trust him, Qing Wanglai said nothing more. He stood up, went to Zhao Shuangdian's seat, and began to whisper softly to her, even though she was asleep.

Having been awake all night, Li Huowang decided to close his eyes and get some rest, aiming to conserve his energy for what lay ahead.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, his peripheral vision caught sight of a small white object beneath the table and chairs in front of him.

Li Huowang frowned, bent down, and reached for it. As he held the small object between two fingers, standing it upright before him, his pupils subtly narrowed. "A dice?"

He quickly glanced at the others, and seeing that they appeared normal, Li Huowang softly addressed the white dice in his hand: "Why are you here? Do you really think you're qualified to meddle in the great war between the Si Ming?"