Chapter 145: Friend or Foe, Hard to Discern

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“Oh, let me introduce myself.” The chatterbox slipped his phone into his pocket and spoke with solemnity, “I’m here to protect you. My name is Bai Tian, but you can also call me by my English name, Leon.”

As he finished speaking, another stranger entered through the door.

“This is my partner, Qin Qing. You can also call him by his nickname, ‘Qinqin.’”

“But are you really Mo Fei? Why are you out here alone?” Bai Tian stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Though, you do look a bit different from your photo—less fierce, actually.”

Mo Fei was carrying someone on his back and felt sore all over. Being spoken to like this by a stranger instantly darkened his expression, as if Bai Tian’s words were a bitter pill to swallow.

His gaze sharpened, causing Bai Tian to jump back startled. “Ah, now that’s more like it!”

No sooner had Bai Tian spoken than Qin Qing slapped him sharply. “Focus on the task!”

Mo Fei silently applauded ‘Qinqin’—well said, focus on the task! Didn’t they see he was about to be crushed?

“Oh.” Bai Tian responded with a nod, then with one hand lifted Li Momo away and with the other hoisted Mo Fei up. “Not bad, tall guy. You’ve got potential for acting.”

All three men were about the same height, around 1.8 meters.

Though Mo Fei looked lean, his body was solid muscle, and being lifted single-handedly made his eyes widen in surprise. “You’re here to save me?”

He felt more like Bai Tian intended harm rather than help.

“Yes.” Bai Tian examined him carefully. “That’s right, you’re Mo Fei, right?”

At that moment, footsteps sounded outside the cabin.

Qin Qing immediately went on alert, standing guard at the door with his gun.

He didn’t peek outside but fired a series of blind bursts into the corridor. The clang of bullets striking metal and flesh echoed.

Only when the hallway fell silent did Qin Qing switch to his pistol and step out to finish the job.

Bai Tian was accustomed to his partner’s cautious style and drove Mo Fei toward the exit. “Let’s go.”

“W-wait!” Mo Fei twisted back. “Take her with us.”

Bai Tian frowned. “We’re only paid for you, and stirring up this much trouble is already a loss. We can’t add anyone else.”

“This isn’t the market where you pick up some garlic on the side,” Bai Tian said, dragging Mo Fei forward. “Cooperate. Things have gotten dangerous, and if all of us get caught on this ship, it won’t look good.”

“No, really, she has to come!” Mo Fei struggled, but Bai Tian’s arm was as solid as iron—immovable.

With no other option, Mo Fei pressed a hard object against Bai Tian’s waist. “I’m telling you, take her with us.”

Bai Tian halted. “I go through all this trouble to save you, and you pull a gun on me?”

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In fairness, Mo Fei wasn’t entirely unreasonable, but he had no choice.

Li Momo was the key witness against Bai Yingxiong—her presence could dismantle Bai Yingxiong’s entire crime ring.

He couldn’t leave her behind.

“You hurt me, bro. Really hurt.” Bai Tian recited mockingly as he turned to pick up Li Momo from the floor.

The living woman felt light in his arms as he tucked her under his arm.

“All right, we’ve got her. Can we go now?”

Bai Tian’s tone was like soothing a child.

“Go? Where?” Mo Fei asked the most pressing question.

They were on a ship—where else could they go?

“To meet with our seniors,” Bai Tian replied matter-of-factly.

“Seniors?” Mo Fei thought for a moment. “Did Long Si send you?”

“Long Si? Who’s that?” Bai Tian chuckled. “Long Si, huh? That’s a sloppy name. Is there a Long One, Two, and Three too? A whole numeric dragon squad.”

Qin Qing stood guard at the door, thinking it might be time to switch their post.

They had been inside chatting for ages.

Bai Tian, however, remained silent.

Maybe next time they’d have to poison his voice before sending him on a mission.

After some disjointed intelligence exchange, Mo Fei roughly understood the situation.

These two weren’t sent by Long Er, but they had crossed paths with him. Who exactly hired them was unclear—mercenary rules meant they just took money to do a job; whose money didn’t matter much.

In short, they didn’t know.

Are mercenaries really this careless?

Long Er wasn’t like that.

With doubts swirling, Mo Fei followed them out of the cabin.

Inside, the captives continued begging, but these men were hardened and realistic.

There weren’t many fighters left among them. Add in the dead weight, and they wouldn’t make it back—only cannon fodder.

Besides, even if they weren’t freed, the navy’s arrival would still resolve the problem.

Staying locked up was safer for them.

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Though the captives didn’t know the navy might be coming.

No big deal.

Qin Qing glanced at the time. “We need to buy as much time as possible.”

“Or just kill everyone on this ship,” Bai Tian said eagerly.

“You can try.” Qin Qing sighed. “This ship’s a large passenger liner converted for other use. It can carry over eight thousand people, including crew. Even discounting the captives, there are still over six thousand aboard. Minus medical staff and the captain, the hired muscle alone numbers three to four thousand.”

“Forget three thousand, even killing three thousand rabbits one by one would make you sick of it,” Bai Tian counted on his fingers, admiringly. “Qing, that was a long speech, with a metaphor too. Rare.”

Qin Qing: …

Someone kill him now. Go!

Their radios crackled: “Cabin 18, level three, enemy attack!”

“We’ve been spotted. Time for a fight,” Qin Qing said, no longer in the mood to argue, checking his magazine.

“Fine, this is what our ancestors did anyway.” Bai Tian cocked his gun with one hand and carried Li Momo in the other as they moved out.

Mo Fei reflected on himself.

Hoping Bai Tian wouldn’t accidentally kill Li Momo.

It turned out he wouldn’t.

Regardless of their quirks, their skill was undeniable.

Bai Tian’s single-handed shooting kept recoil in check with good accuracy and decisiveness. Every enemy appearing before him fell the next second.

Qin Qing was taciturn but adept at follow-up shots and scavenging supplies from the fallen.

In tight quarters, they handled the low-level henchmen with ease.

Even rookies in the mercenary world were not to be underestimated.

No matter how unreliable they seemed, they showed no mercy in killing.

This was the basic mercenary ethic—something Mo Fei still lacked.

Though not squeamish about corpses, taking a life remained a difficult choice for an ordinary man.