2020最新亚洲中文字幕在线

Looking at the crossbow bolt in his hand, he suddenly realized what Zhang Yi was implying. His face turned pale.

In his eagerness to show off and earn praise, he had forgotten that the bolt might be coated with poison—or even rigged with a micro-bomb.

In this ruthless era, enemies didn’t adhere to any moral code. If they wanted you dead, they’d use any means necessary.

“Slowly, put the bolt down,” Zhang Yi cautioned.

With trembling hands, Fatty Xu crouched and carefully placed the bolt on the icy ground.

“Step back!”

Zhang Yi gestured, and Fatty Xu obediently retreated. Zhang Yi then used his spatial ability to isolate and store the crossbow bolt in his pocket dimension.

Inside the spatial storage, Zhang Yi separated the bolt into its own secure compartment. Even if it contained a bomb, it could safely detonate there without harm.

Examining the bolt within his spatial space, Zhang Yi found no explosives but did discover a handwritten note.

“A declaration of war? Or a negotiation?” Zhang Yi wondered aloud, remaining cautious.

He glanced at Fatty Xu. “Toss those gloves and get a new pair. Just in case.”

Fatty Xu understood immediately, hurriedly removing his gloves and flinging them away like they were venomous.

Back inside the shelter, Zhang Yi called Zhou Ke’er to the medical room and handed her the crossbow bolt and the attached note.

“Check if there’s any poison on these,” he instructed gravely.

Zhou Ke’er looked at him with a hint of skepticism. “If they came to deliver a message, they wouldn’t poison it, would they?”

“Better safe than sorry. The moment you relax is the moment the enemy strikes,” Zhang Yi replied evenly.

Uncle You nodded in agreement. “On the battlefield, a single careless mistake can cost your life. We’ve learned that the hard way.”

Though Zhou Ke’er understood their reasoning, she couldn’t help but think they were being overly cautious. Nonetheless, she donned gloves and professionally inspected the bolt and cloth. �

When she applied a test reagent, the cloth and bolt changed color almost immediately.Nôv(el)B\\\\jnn

Her face darkened. “There’s poison on this!”

Fatty Xu turned ghostly pale, his knees nearly giving out as he recalled how carelessly he’d handled the bolt. If not for the gloves, he might already be dead.

Zhang Yi, however, remained composed.

“Never underestimate the enemy. They’re always looking for ways to kill us,” he explained. “I guessed as much because, if I were in their place, I’d do the same. Every enemy eliminated is one less to worry about.”

Zhou Ke’er placed the poisoned items under a glass cover. “There’s writing on the cloth. Do you want to take a look?”

Zhang Yi approached cautiously and examined the cloth. To his surprise, it wasn’t a war declaration but a string of coded characters.

“What’s this?” he muttered, puzzled.

Unfamiliar with the code, Zhang Yi summoned Yang Xinxin, the group’s tech expert. He also called Liang Yue, deciding there was no point in hiding the development from her. Her students’ fate was already sealed, and feigning secrecy would only arouse suspicion.

Hearing that something from Yangsheng Base had been delivered, Liang Yue rushed over with Yang Xinxin and Lu Keran.

The moment Yang Xinxin saw the string of characters, her eyes lit up. “It’s an address! If I’m correct, it can be used to contact Yangsheng Base.”

Zhang Yi remained cautious. “Is it safe?”

Yang Xinxin smiled confidently. “Brother, do you think I’d let anything dangerous happen while I’m here?”

Relieved, Zhang Yi nodded approvingly. “That’s my Xinxin—always the best!”

Yang Xinxin blushed at the compliment, her smile widening.

Meanwhile, Liang Yue took a deep breath, her nerves evident as she asked, “So, it’s confirmed? Yangsheng Base is behind my students’ abduction?”

“Most likely,” Zhang Yi replied. “There are no such things as coincidences in this world.”

Liang Yue clenched her fists. “Then let’s contact them! I want to know what they want.”

Zhang Yi didn’t respond immediately. Folding his arms, he lowered his head in thought.

The fact that Yangsheng Base had initiated contact suggested two possibilities:

1. They intended to negotiate, leveraging their hostages to extract maximum benefit while holding Zhang Yi accountable for Gao Yuan’s death.
2. They wanted to gauge Zhang Yi’s strength and determine how much of a threat he posed before taking action.

Yangsheng Base likely knew Zhang Yi had killed Gao Yuan, but their hesitation to attack suggested uncertainty about his capabilities.

After careful consideration, Zhang Yi concluded that communication was the best option. If they wanted to test him, he could also use the opportunity to assess their stance.

And for Liang Yue’s sake, he could put on a convincing show of effort to rescue her students.

Raising his head, Zhang Yi declared, “Alright, let’s talk to them.”

Liang Yue’s face lit up with hope.

However, Zhang Yi’s expression turned stern as he warned, “Liang Yue, I need you to understand something. I know you’re desperate to save your students, but this negotiation is no joke—it’s incredibly dangerous.”

“If we show any weakness, they won’t hesitate to attack us. So, you can observe, but don’t let your emotions show. If they sense how much you care about those students, they’ll exploit it to make outrageous demands. Do you understand?”

Liang Yue hesitated for a moment before nodding firmly. “I understand. I promise to control myself.”

“Good.” Zhang Yi turned to Yang Xinxin. “Xinxin, set up the connection.”

The negotiation was set to take place in the living room. Zhang Yi sat at the head of the table, with the others seated nearby, waiting anxiously for the call to connect.

Using her laptop, Yang Xinxin sent the communication request through the encoded address and placed the laptop on the coffee table, its camera facing Zhang Yi.

After several tense minutes, the connection was finally accepted.

“Hello,” a deep male voice greeted from the other end.

Zhang Yi smirked. “Hello, I’m Zhang Yi.”

A pause followed. “One moment.”

The line stayed active. Moments later, a cold, clear female voice replaced the man’s.

“So, you’re Zhang Yi? Leader of the groups in Xu Family Town and Cloud Manor?”

Zhang Yi responded coolly, “And who are you?”

The voice chuckled. “I am Xiao Honglian, leader of Yangsheng Base.”

“The people I sent to the Hongyuan Materials Plant—did you kill them?”

Zhang Yi didn’t deny it. The discovery of the satellite phone made any denial pointless. Moreover, territorial disputes ensured Yangsheng Base would attack sooner or later, regardless of his answer.

Instead, he countered, “And the ones who kidnapped those students in Xu Family Town—was that you?”

“So, you admit it?” Xiao Honglian replied icily.

“Then you admit it as well,” Zhang Yi retorted.

Neither directly answered the other’s question, but their words confirmed the truth.

On the other end, Xiao Honglian’s eyes glinted with murderous intent. “You’ve got guts, Zhang Yi. No one in Tianhai City dares to provoke Yangsheng Base.”

“You’re courting death!”

Zhang Yi smirked disdainfully. “Funny, the last person who said that to me is now ashes.”

“Oh, you might’ve heard of him—Chen Xinian.”

Xiao Honglian’s expression darkened. As she suspected, Zhang Yi had been involved in West Hill Base’s downfall.

“Do you think I’m a fool? West Hill Base was destroyed by a missile. Claiming it was your doing is laughably arrogant.”

“Oh?” Zhang Yi chuckled. “And why do you think that missile hit West Hill Base in the first place?”

Xiao Honglian’s smug demeanor faltered. Zhang Yi’s words struck a nerve—none of Tianhai City’s factions had access to higher-level organizations or understood the missile’s origins. Could Zhang Yi have had a hand in it?

“Just a warehouse manager, huh?” Xiao Honglian sneered.

Zhang Yi’s tone turned icy. “Save your breath. Do you think I’d tell you anything?”

“I suggest you recognize reality and stay far away from me. If I can kill your men once, I can do it again.”

“And those students you took—return them immediately. If you don’t, you’ll regret it.”

Author\'s Note