"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your generosity. However, we have other matters to attend to today. The robbery ends here. We'll meet again next time!" The white leader seemed to possess a sense of humor as he flashed a wide, white grin at the passengers, signaling his two accomplices to cease their looting.
The passengers in the rear, who had been spared, breathed a collective sigh of relief, silently thanking their fervent prayers for the mercy of the divine, while offering a brief moment of sorrow for those in the front rows who had not been so fortunate.
The victims of the robbery, meanwhile, could only curse the band of thieves with all their might in their hearts, their sense of injustice growing as they reflected on how the passengers seated in the back had been untouched.
Xiang Ri could sense the woman beside him finally relaxing, a clear indication that she was deeply concerned about the contents of her bag. However, at this moment, he had no time to spare on such trivialities. He had already sensed that the time to act was near.
After his companions gathered around him, the white leader instructed a terrified flight attendant to retrieve parachutes. Xiang Ri immediately realized the thieves' intentions—they planned to escape via parachute mid-flight, instead of waiting for the plane to land. He couldn't help but admire their audacity. After all, this was not a typical skydiving drill, but a daring escape at an altitude of several thousand meters—one small mistake could be fatal.
As the flight attendant entered the cabin and the thieves' attention shifted to her, Xiang Ri stood up. Fang Yingying, seated beside him, was startled and quickly reached out to stop him. Despite her disdain for the womanizer, she still didn't wish him harm.
Xiang Ri deftly sidestepped her hand and murmured under his breath, "Mind your business."
Fang Yingying froze for a moment, her eyes flashing with anger as she withdrew her hand. She couldn't believe that her attempt to help had been met with such disdain. Fine, if he wanted to die, that was his problem. She resigned herself, though her gaze lingered on him.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" One of the thieves, a burly black man, had noticed Xiang Ri's movement.
"I need to use the restroom," Xiang Ri said smoothly, his face adopting a nervous expression. The passengers around him felt a chill of sweat on their palms. In a situation like this, even if nature called, it would be wise to hold it in rather than risk provoking a robber.
"Just pee your pants!" the black thief laughed brazenly.
Xiang Ri, however, maintained his "pleading" look, his voice almost cracking as he spoke. "Sir, could you please…?" He looked as if he might burst into tears.
The passengers around him sneered in disdain at his pitiful display, unable to fathom how such a weak, whimpering young man could be a grown man. But they seemed to have forgotten their own fearful expressions when threatened by the gunmen.
Even Fang Yingying, who had no favorable opinion of Xiang Ri, now found herself further disillusioned, her contempt growing. It was clear to her now that he was nothing but a spoiled young master—acting so cowardly and spineless in front of forceful figures. She could hardly suppress her growing disdain.
"Enough, Andrew!" The white leader, seeing his subordinate's growing impatience, quickly intervened, turning to Xiang Ri. "You may go."
"Thank you, thank you," Xiang Ri responded eagerly, though inwardly, he cursed his luck. Had the black thug charged at him, he could have subdued him and used him to take down the other three thieves. That would have solved everything.
But now, it seemed he would have to wait until the right moment.
Xiang Ri had methods to deal with them from a distance, his "Sky Cleaving Fist" being more than enough to handle the lot of them. But he didn't want to reveal his strength just yet. Moreover, if he was to play the hero, he couldn't risk others getting hurt. That would certainly undermine his image.
The restroom was not far from the thieves, and as Xiang Ri moved closer, the bandits remained oblivious to any danger. This wasn't surprising, given that Xiang Ri's current appearance was far from imposing. His frail body, coupled with his tightly bandaged right hand, made him appear no better than an invalid.
But this was precisely the result Xiang Ri desired—he wanted them to underestimate him, for the more relaxed they became, the less likely they were to notice his sudden move.
The distance between them closed rapidly.
Now was the time!
Just as Xiang Ri was about to enter the restroom, he suddenly pivoted, his left hand striking the nearest robber with a powerful blow, while his right foot delivered a swift kick to the black thief. Having calculated the angle with precision, Xiang Ri was certain that the two thieves would crash into their comrades behind them.
"Bang!" "Bang!" The sound echoed as the robbers, completely caught off guard, were unable to react before they were violently knocked over by the force of Xiang Ri's attack.
The two directly struck collapsed, vomiting blood and losing consciousness on the spot, while the thief behind the black man wasn't much luckier. His head slammed into the cabin wall, joining the ranks of the unconscious.
Only the white leader seemed fortunate, as he was knocked into an air hostess, who happened to be carrying several parachutes. With the cushion of her body and his own agility, he managed to stand almost immediately, seizing the struggling flight attendant by the throat with one hand while pointing his gun at her temple with the other.
Xiang Ri hadn't expected such a turn of events. After a brief moment of hesitation, he quickly regained his composure. He could only blame the timing of the flight attendant's appearance. Meanwhile, the other passengers, stunned by the sudden shift, were wide-eyed. They hadn't expected the seemingly weak, spineless young man to act, and certainly not to take down three robbers in an instant.
The passengers, now hopeful of retrieving their stolen valuables, wore expressions of excitement and anticipation. However, the sight of the gun still in the robber's hand cooled their heads, and they wisely restrained their enthusiasm, avoiding rushing in.
Fang Yingying, the most surprised, had initially believed that the young man was so desperate to use the restroom that he had forsaken his dignity. She had looked down on him for that, but now she realized it had all been a strategy. He had willingly risked his life to prevent the thieves' escape. Was this truly the same playboy she knew?
For a fleeting moment, Fang Yingying felt something stir in her heart, but quickly discarded it. No matter what, this was still the same flirtatious young man—special abilities or not, he was still a heartless scoundrel.
"I misjudged you, you damn bastard!" The white leader, after calling for several of his companions with no response, turned his fury on Xiang Ri.
"That's not the most important thing," Xiang Ri said with a relaxed expression, seemingly unfazed by the black muzzle of the gun aimed at him. "Sorry, I may have gone a bit too far earlier. Perhaps your companions have already found divine favor!" He spoke with mock contrition, his face feigning regret.
"Scum!" The white leader's rage flared, but despite his anger, years of surviving near-death experiences kept him from shooting Xiang Ri in a blind revenge-fueled rage. His companions may be lost, but the mission was paramount. He believed that if he returned with the goods, the higher-ups would reward him generously, not punish him for losing a few men. For now, his priority was to escape. Of course, if he could eliminate that pesky young man along the way, even better.
"What, still thinking about escaping?" Xiang Ri sneered, watching the white leader's constant glances at the scattered parachutes on the ground. He could clearly see the man's intentions. "With me here, I think you'll find that rather difficult."
"Don't you fear I'll kill her?" The white leader pressed the gun tighter against the flight attendant's throat, causing her to tremble in fear.
"Then go ahead and shoot," Xiang Ri shrugged indifferently, his tone dismissive. This threat might work on some rookie police officers fresh out of academy, but it had no effect on him.
"Damn!" The white leader hesitated, his eyes seething with fury, but instead of firing, he suddenly shifted the gun and fired a shot at Xiang Ri's feet. "Don't forget, I can send you to hell anytime!"
"Then go ahead and try," Xiang Ri remained unperturbed, his steps moving forward slowly.
"Don't move! If you move again, I'll shoot!" The white leader's expression tightened, remembering how close he had come to being caught off guard earlier, allowing Xiang Ri to take down three of his men. If Xiang Ri came any closer, he feared he would share their fate.
"I don't know why, but you don't seem like a robber at all. You seem more like regular military personnel," Xiang Ri remarked coolly. It was a calculated observation; typically, robbers were ruthless and bloodthirsty, but this man's behavior suggested otherwise. If he were truly a thief, he would have been fighting for his life by now. The fact that he was speaking so calmly could only mean one thing—he was either certain of victory or mentally unstable.
The white leader's eyes flashed with a brief moment of panic, a fleeting shift that Xiang Ri caught with ease. Based on this, he became even more interested in the contents of that small blue notebook. If this country was sending such personnel for a robbery, the item they were after was likely valuable—possibly advanced military technology that a major nation was researching.
"I'll count to three. If you don't back off, I'll shoot!" The white leader, seeing no way out and feeling cornered, figured that if he couldn't avoid confrontation, he would have to risk it. If he killed this young man, it would deter the passengers, and then he could escape by parachute.
"One..."
Xiang Ri knew the man was now desperate, so he subtly flicked his left pinky towards the black barrel of the gun, a barely perceptible movement.
"Two..."
Without hesitation, Xiang Ri lunged forward. The white leader's face changed in an instant as he pulled the trigger.
"Bang!" A deafening roar filled the cabin. But the expected result did not occur—the white leader's right hand, still holding the gun, was struck with immense pain. He instinctively glanced down and was horrified to find only half of his hand left, the gun's barrel shattered beyond recognition.
He couldn't comprehend it—how had his perfectly fine gun exploded, and so thoroughly at that?