Chapter 678: Chapter 678
Ding Fan glanced at the car behind Zhao Gang. Mali was a place where dragons and snakes mixed, yet Zhao Gang managed to procure a car. From this perspective, Zhao Gang could be considered quite the influential figure.
"Mr. Ding, after you," Zhao Gang gestured for Ding Fan to proceed.
Ding Fan nodded and returned the gesture to Zhao Gang.
This time, Ding Fan's role was to accompany Zhao Gang to pay the ransom. From this angle, Zhao Gang was the host and Ding Fan the guest, so naturally, Ding Fan gave precedence to Zhao Gang.
Zhao Gang grew increasingly appreciative of Ding Fan as he observed his understanding of etiquette.
The two men arrived one after the other at the entrance of the Ronin Bar.
The Ronin Bar, despite being called a bar, was not particularly luxurious. It was simply a two-story building with the words "Ronin Bar" spray-painted on the exterior.
Just as Ding Fan and Zhao Gang reached the entrance, a rough and tumble middle-aged man came out and directly blocked their path.
"My name is Zhao Gang." Zhao Gang did not hide his identity and spoke indifferently.
At this moment, Zhao Gang remained calm and composed amidst chaos, which was quite admirable.
"Zhao Gang?" The middle-aged man sized up Zhao Gang, then turned his gaze to Ding Fan standing behind Zhao Gang.
"Good, you're punctual," the middle-aged man said and gestured for Zhao Gang to enter.
Zhao Gang led Ding Fan directly into the bar.
The lighting inside the bar was quite dim, and it didn't seem spacious. Upon entering, a strong smell of alcohol greeted them.
There was no one inside the bar at the moment, suggesting that the Sankou Group had closed for the day just for Zhao Gang.
Zhao Gang, carrying a briefcase, and Ding Fan approached the bar counter, which was deserted.
"There are some gunmen ambushed here," Ding Fan whispered to Zhao Gang using his True Qi.
Only Zhao Gang could hear this; no one else could.
Zhao Gang nodded slightly.
Since entering, Zhao Gang had already anticipated an ambush. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹•𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒•𝙣𝙚𝙩
Ding Fan had already used his Divine Sense to scan the area. At least twenty gunmen were hidden in the upstairs private rooms, and there were also several Chunin from Japan and a Jonin.
Beyond these ninjas, Ding Fan also spotted an Earth Level Martial Artist.
Since Ding Fan had not met Bian Zhimu, he was not sure whether Bian Zhimu was there or not.
"Mr. Zhao, I'm pleased you could come to Mali," said a middle-aged Japanese man dressed in a kimono, descending the staircase from the second floor.
This middle-aged man was a Chunin.
"Where is my daughter?" Zhao Gang asked the middle-aged man directly.
"Mr. Zhao, why the rush? Your daughter is here. Once we've settled our business, you can naturally take her and leave," the middle-aged man walked straight up to Zhao Gang.
"Mr. Zhao truly has courage and integrity, coming here with only one attendant," the middle-aged man remarked after looking Ding Fan over, then continued.
"There are no hostages in this bar, you haven't kept your word. Where exactly is Mr. Zhao's daughter?" Ding Fan asked directly.
Ding Fan's Divine Sense didn't detect any hostages in the area.
The middle-aged man glanced at Ding Fan. "If you haven't seen her, how can you be so sure there are no hostages here?" he said, then looked at Zhao Gang. "I think we should discuss our terms first."
"We can talk about terms later; I want to see my daughter now," Zhao Gang spoke. "Once I've seen my daughter, we can discuss any terms."
The middle-aged man snorted lightly. "Once you're here, many things are not up for you to decide."
Having said that, the middle-aged man clapped his hands. As he finished clapping, gunmen hidden in the rooms on the second floor all rushed out.
Ding Fan's reaction was incredibly swift. He immediately grabbed Zhao Gang and dodged towards a corner on the first floor.
That corner, already scouted by Ding Fan, had a marble counter that could serve as effective cover.
Prior to this, Ding Fan had already considered how to respond if the gunmen emerged, so as soon as they made a move, he had already taken Zhao Gang and sought refuge.
The middle-aged Japanese was taken aback for a moment as Ding Fan had already pulled Zhao Gang into hiding in the corner.
The middle-aged Japanese, though a Chunin in cultivation, was utterly baffled by Ding Fan's speed.
And with Ding Fan's youthful age, such a movement technique was simply astonishing.
The middle-aged Japanese had encountered Ancient Martial Arts experts before. Typically, for someone of Ding Fan's age, reaching mid Human Level was already quite rare. But now, Ding Fan's movement technique suggested that this young man might already be at the Earth Level.
"Capture those two for me!" the middle-aged Japanese commanded his subordinates with a grand wave of his hand.
Upon the middle-aged man's order, the more than twenty gunmen charged towards the corner where Ding Fan had taken cover.
And just at that moment, a piercing sound suddenly tore through the air.
Ding Fan didn't hesitate and directly launched a Wind Blade!
The space in the bar was already limited, and as the sound sliced through the air, it gave everyone a tingling sensation on their scalps.
THWACK... Ding Fan's Wind Blade reaped its way across, and a group of gunmen were instantly cut down by it. In an instant, the floor was covered with severed limbs and blood.
Seeing this scene, the middle-aged Japanese's eyes widened. He muttered to himself, "Condensing wind into a blade... how is that possible? How could it be Condensing Wind into a Blade?!"
The middle-aged Japanese had long heard that members of the Ancient Martial Sect could condense wind into a blade once they reached a certain level of skill, but that was said to require a very advanced level of expertise to achieve.
Yet the Ding Fan before him, judging by his age, seemed to be only around twenty years old. To possess such cultivation at this age was simply unbelievable.
"Shoot them down!" the middle-aged Japanese ordered, his face stern.
For a moment, the bar was filled with the sound of gunfire.
The spot where Ding Fan and Zhao Gang were taking cover was riddled with bullets in a flash.
Zhao Gang was shielded behind Ding Fan. By now, Zhao Gang knew just how wise his decision to bring Ding Fan along had been.
Looking at the situation today, it seemed clear that these Japanese had never intended to let him return alive. If Ding Fan hadn't taken action, Zhao Gang would probably be dead by now.
At this time, Ding Fan's Divine Sense constantly probed the noises outside.
The gunmen outside didn't dare to press too close, after all, Ding Fan's Wind Blade was still fresh in their memories, and they weren't about to rush forward and throw their lives away.
But at this moment, Ding Fan wasn't concerned about the gunmen. What he was wary of was the hidden Jonin in the bar, along with that Earth Level Expert.
After all, Ding Fan was currently encumbered with a burden. If those two joined forces, it could indeed prove troublesome for him.
Fortunately, Ding Fan noticed that the Jonin and the Earth Level Expert had no intention of teaming up, and judging from their positions, they were wary of each other.
"Stay hidden here. No matter what happens, don't show yourself," Ding Fan turned his head and instructed Zhao Gang, who was behind him.
Zhao Gang was stunned for a moment.
Their hiding spot had already been tightly sealed off by the enemy's firepower. What could Ding Fan possibly do at this point?
What happened next left Zhao Gang's mouth agape in shock.
Ding Fan charged fearlessly towards the enemy's gunfire.
Although Zhao Gang lacked combat experience, they regularly filmed action movies, and he knew that from the angle at which Ding Fan charged out, he should have been riddled with bullets.
However, contrary to Zhao Gang's expectations, Ding Fan was not turned into a sieve upon rushing out. Instead, that sharp sound of slicing through the air started emanating from outside again.
As those sounds continued, the gunfire outside became more and more sparse. Eventually, it stopped completely.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Zhao Gang cautiously raised his head from where he was hiding and peeked at the situation outside.
When Zhao Gang saw the scene outside, his mouth hung open in astonishment.
The ground outside was practically a river of blood – with blood, innards, and limbs scattered all over the place.
At this moment, Zhao Gang felt a surge of shock. Ding Fan had leaped into action for just a minute or two, and in that short time, he had slain so many people.
Even if those people stood still, waiting to be killed, it would have taken a while...
Not only was Zhao Gang astounded, but the middle-aged Japanese also found it hard to believe.
Even he himself would have found it difficult to emerge unscathed from such a situation, let alone break through the encirclement and kill all these people.
"Where is Bian Zhimu?" While the middle-aged Japanese was still dumbfounded, Ding Fan was already standing in front of him.
Upon hearing this name, the middle-aged Japanese's eyebrows furrowed. "You know Bian Zhimu? Who are you?"
"Red Spider," Ding Fan responded indifferently.
Ding Fan had come to settle accounts with Bian Zhimu; after the Red Spider organization had lost half of its elite forces, it was time for revenge, and he intended to make it known that Red Spider was not to be trifled with.
"Red Spider..." The middle-aged Japanese's face turned ugly upon hearing these three words.
The battle with Red Spider was well-known among the Sankou Group; no one was unaware of it. Although the Sankou Group had an early advantage, the Red Spider gradually turned the tide.
First, the Singaporean locals boycotted the Japanese, then the Japanese government had no choice but to repatriate all their expatriates, and the Sankou Group's businesses in Singapore were all shut down.
Furthermore, back in Japan, people were protesting against the Sankou Group, plunging them into a deep crisis.
The Sankou Group had agreed to deal with Zhao Gang's war documentary in hopes of securing government support to reverse their fortunes.
However, the middle-aged Japanese had not anticipated that Red Spider's vengeance was far from over, and that its agents had found their way here.
"Bian Zhimu has nothing to do with the Sankou Group now. We will have a resolution with the Red Spider. This is a private matter for our Sankou Group, so I would kindly ask you not to get involved," the middle-aged man said very respectfully.