Liu Haofeng stopped halfway through his sentence, instantly piquing Chen Pingchuan's curiosity.

He couldn't help but lean forward, his tone rising slightly with a desperate need for the answer. "Where?"

Liu Haofeng didn't answer directly. Instead, he turned the topic back to himself. "Boss... I meant what I said earlier. I'm willing to be your underling, your lackey, your henchman—anything, as long as you don't kill me. I haven't lived enough yet. There are still so many things I want to do, I still have..."

"Stop!" Chen Pingchuan frowned, gesturing for the man to stop his rambling. In his view, deciding whether to kill Liu Haofeng was like deciding the fate of an ant; it wasn't worth wasting time on.

Chen Pingchuan slowly extended his right hand, palm up. In an instant, a small seed glowing with a vivid purple light materialized out of thin air.

"Swallow it."

Chen Pingchuan's tone was calm, completely devoid of any threat. Yet Liu Haofeng acted as if he had received a great blessing, snatching the seed from Chen Pingchuan's hand and swallowing it in one gulp.

As Liu Haofeng's throat bobbed, it signaled that he had officially brushed past the grasp of death. As for what the seed was, whether it was poisonous, or any other foolish questions, Liu Haofeng had no intention of asking. If it was poison, that would be for the best; at least it meant he didn't have to die right now.

"Don't you want to ask what I gave you?"

"No need! Once my Boss, always my Boss. I, Liu Haofeng, swear that from this day forward, I will wholeheartedly assist you, Boss!"

"Hahaha..."

Chen Pingchuan finally understood why the ancient Emperors enjoyed employing sycophants. Their words were so pleasant to hear, it put one in a good mood.

He didn't care whether Liu Haofeng was sincere. After all, the parasitic seed would eventually transform the man into exactly what he needed. The only pity was wasting a purple parasitic seed.

It can't be helped. Until I find a way to counter the side effects of my Dark Parasitic Talent, I won't use it wantonly in the real world. This one is already a huge headache, and now there's this Bloody Pillage, which has no mention of side effects. Am I slowly going to become a final boss?

Chen Pingchuan temporarily suppressed his doubts, because his new subordinate had already begun his dazzling performance.

Liu Haofeng's voice was low, each word seemingly the result of careful consideration as he methodically analyzed the situation. "According to my speculation, the first item being an Energy Crystal isn't actually that strange. After all, as the top leader of the wildlands mining operation, it's no exaggeration to call Li Laoqi the local emperor. It would be abnormal if he *hadn't* secretly stashed some valuable goods.

"The one who appears to covet nothing is often the greediest of all, and Li Laoqi is clearly not that type of person."

At that moment, Chen Pingchuan really wanted to interrupt and ask what Liu Haofeng himself coveted, but years of proper upbringing prevented him from such a rude interjection. So, he continued to listen.

"But the second item is a holomap, which is intriguing. You have to understand, maps like these aren't something you can find everywhere. They're rare and extremely valuable.

"Generally speaking, only caravans that travel far and wide through dangerous territories would need them. Locals who just stick to their own patch of land have no use for such a thing.

"So, a holomap appearing here must have some other special significance.

"Add in the third item, the armored vehicle key, and put the three known factors together. The answer becomes obvious—this was Li Laoqi's contingency plan!"

Liu Haofeng paused, a shrewd glint in his eyes.

"That ambitious man who clawed his way up from the bottom was prepared to flee at the first sign of trouble.

"These three items are like his personally prepared getaway kit.

"The Energy Crystal represents money. With money, his supply of resources on the escape route is ensured.

"The holomap represents a destination. He must have already selected a place to flee to.

"As for the armored vehicle key, that's even easier to understand. That beast combines speed, attack, and defense, making it the absolute best vehicle for an escape, bar none."

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

Chen Pingchuan couldn't help but applaud Liu Haofeng's brilliant analysis. Although he had a rough guess himself, he couldn't have laid it all out so clearly.

A faint smile touched Liu Haofeng's lips. Useful people don't die easily. That was a truth he had believed in his entire life. He continued, "Since Li Laoqi had it all planned out, ready to flee at a moment's notice, he certainly would have hidden the armored vehicle somewhere hard to find, yet convenient for a quick getaway."

"Eliminate all the impossible options, and only one truth remains." Liu Haofeng's voice suddenly rose, his eyes shining with confidence. "There must be a secret tunnel leading out of this mine, and along that hidden path, there has to be a place to conceal an armored vehicle.

"As long as we follow that secret tunnel, we'll definitely find it."

At dawn, the early sun shone like a brilliant pearl, casting its bright yet gentle light upon the scarred earth.

On a silent, deserted highway, a sleek, all-black armored combat vehicle raced forward like a bolt of black lightning. Its sturdy body glinted with a cold metallic sheen under the sunlight, kicking up a cloud of dust as it passed, exuding an imposing presence.

The highway was no longer smooth. Due to long-term neglect, large potholes and cracks scarred the road surface like wounds torn across the earth. Yet, the black combat vehicle didn't suffer a single jolt as it traversed these gaps.

The trees lining the road had mostly withered. Their twisted, dry branches seemed to be crying out to the sky in a silent scream. Occasionally, abandoned vehicles could be seen on the roadside. Some were overturned, others riddled with bullet holes. A few had their doors ajar, faintly revealing the skeletons inside. Their hollow eye sockets still seemed to retain a lingering fear of death.

A few crows perched atop the rusting roofs of cars, as if heralding doom.

Chen Pingchuan awoke, glancing at Liu Haofeng in the driver's seat and sighing inwardly.

This guy is actually pretty useful.

Last night—no, to be precise, at 4 AM this morning—the two had not only found Li Laoqi's secret tunnel but also the armored combat vehicle hidden nearby.

His Spirit somewhat exhausted, Chen Pingchuan had simply handed the driver's seat over to Liu Haofeng.

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