Fortune Favors the Bold, an Unexpected Turn

"Holy hell, human bombs! The people from Marauder Prison are a bunch of lunatics."

Yu Yuan quickly analyzed the two thug factions' weapons and relative strength, preparing for any fighting that might come later.

But a moment later, he realized something, and his heart began to race.

All the Black Shield Police Department's remaining fighters had moved to Waterfront Street. Marauder Prison's attention was fixed there too.

Even the machine gunners and snipers he feared most were dead.

Which meant... no one was paying attention to Golden Orchid Avenue!

His gaze snapped to the corpse just two meters away, and his heart hammered.

Isn't this the chance I've been waiting for?

The sky was pitch-black by then. Only the burning vehicles nearby gave off any light, their dim glow flickering.

Yu Yuan stopped hesitating. He pushed open the manhole cover, scrambled out, and reached the corpse in a few strides. Then he dragged it over and dumped it into the sewer.

Boom...

The fighting on Waterfront Street grew fiercer. Marauder Prison's vehicles moved in, blocking the Black Shield Police Department's retreat as the attackers launched a final assault. They had to finish the battle and withdraw before reinforcements arrived.

Yu Yuan watched the fighting as he crouched and crept toward several more thug corpses. Without bothering to inspect them, he dragged them over and dumped them into the sewer too.

Then came the guns and ammunition scattered across the ground. He tossed every last piece down the manhole.

Just as Yu Yuan was about to climb back into the sewer, something caught his eye.

A backpack.

It was a large one, with a capacity of at least sixty liters by his estimate—far bigger than the thirty-liter pack he was using. It lay beside a wrecked car and several bodies sprawled on the ground.

"I have to get that backpack."

After two days of surviving in the Wasteland, Yu Yuan knew all too well how important a large pack was.

Getting his hands on it became his sole focus.

But the pack was at least twenty meters away, perilously close to the intersection. The Marauders from Marauder Prison and the thugs from the Black Shield Police Department were fighting on Waterfront Street, only thirty or forty meters beyond it.

No one's paying attention to what's behind them right now. As long as I get back into the sewer before they spot me, even if Marauder Prison notices me afterward, they won't bother with me. The Black Shield Police Department is their enemy.

Yu Yuan ran through the situation in his head and decided it was worth a try.

Decision made, he wasted no time. He gathered himself for an instant, then sprinted toward the pack, hugging the dark shadows along the wall.

The most dangerous moment came when he was five meters from it.

The flames from the burning vehicle lit him up.

He ignored them, reached the pack in a few strides, and began turning before his left hand had even closed around it.

The instant he caught the shoulder strap, he drove off hard with his feet.

Like a black panther, Yu Yuan vanished back into the shadows in under two seconds.

A few seconds later, he shut the manhole cover, locked its internal bolts, and found himself back in the sewer.

His hands and feet had gone numb. His heart pounded so violently it felt ready to leap from his chest.

He swallowed reflexively and gulped down air. Goose bumps prickled across his skin as adrenaline surged through him.

What a rush!

That had been one hell of a rush.

He had never felt anything like the thrill of snatching a prize from the jaws of danger.

He looked down at the pack and discovered, to his delight, that it was excellent quality.

[Outdoor Oxford-Cloth Hiking Pack]

Quality: Excellent

Description: A durable, highly functional outdoor backpack suited to various uses, especially long-distance carrying.

Capacity: 60 L

Features: Waterproof, abrasion-resistant, lightweight

Movement speed modifier: -4%

Turning speed modifier: -2%

Its contents were an even better surprise. Seven or eight packs of military rations were neatly stacked inside, along with canned food and a medical bag.

Everything in it was prized survival gear in the Wasteland, especially the medical bag. Yu Yuan had a vehicle first-aid kit for treating injuries, but he lacked medicine.

With these supplies, he would be better equipped to handle danger.

Boom... Another explosion rang out.

A vehicle had exploded.

Yu Yuan stopped checking the pack and began searching the bodies. He had thrown down six corpses in all. Without worrying about what he found, he stuffed the smaller items into his old backpack and hung the larger ones on Taotao Cave.

A chest rig, body armor, tactical gloves, a combat knife, a face covering... His hands flew as he sorted them.

But perhaps he was too keyed up. His hands refused to obey, shaking so badly it was as if he had Parkinson's. They were almost a blur.

Smack! His left hand struck his right.

"Damn it! Stupid hand, stop shaking! Fuck!"

The furious words burst from Yu Yuan's throat in a tightly suppressed growl.

But it worked. Having vented some of his tension, he quickly steadied himself.

In less than three minutes, he had stripped the corpses of everything useful.

His old backpack was half full, while the Outdoor Oxford-Cloth Hiking Pack was packed to the brim.

The gunfire from Waterfront Street had gradually died down after the vehicle exploded.

Only an occasional shot rang out, likely someone finishing off a survivor. Marauder Prison had probably wiped out the Black Shield Police Department's people.

Sure enough, engines started up again and quickly faded into the distance. Marauder Prison's people had left.

Yu Yuan slung the new pack over his back and wore his old one against his chest. It was time to return to the Hideout.

He had already gained plenty. There was no need to get greedy.

If he stayed, he stood a good chance of running into the Black Shield Police Department's reinforcements. The risk outweighed any reward.

But he had barely taken two steps when a flashlight beam flashed through the sewer from the direction of Waterfront Street. Yu Yuan's eyes turned cold.

He quickly set down his packs and moved to the corner of the sewer.

The flashlight drew closer, and he heard clear footsteps. Only one person.

He made his decision at once, pressed himself against the wall, and gripped his kukri.

"Fuck! Shit!" an angry voice roared through the sewer.

"Carmen, you son of a bitch. You just stood there and watched me die, huh? Wait till I get back. You'll pay for that..."

"And Marauder Prison too. Just wait. I won't forget this."

The voice drew closer. Soon the man rounded the corner, and his flashlight fell on Yu Yuan's face. Startled, he instinctively raised the pistol in his hand.

But Yu Yuan had been ready for him. Before the muzzle was fully raised, the kukri slashed into his wrist.

"Aah—"

His scream ended almost as soon as it began.

The kukri was already at his throat, and Yu Yuan's voice was ice-cold.

"Make another sound and you're dead!"