"Take good care of yourself, if you need anything, just find Wu Jing," said Xiang Yu.

Xiang Yu always felt he owed Wang Qian. If it weren’t for him, Wang Qian wouldn’t have come back to Xiaoba. But this was for the best; although Xiaoba was chaotic, it was much safer than Xiaoxu.

After saying this, Xiang Yu hung up the phone before Wang Qian could speak.

Lin Youyong looked at Xiang Yu with some terror. He didn’t know how Xiang Yu got in.

"Surprised?" Xiang Yu said calmly.

"How did you get in here? Wolf Fang’s base is heavily guarded, and there are traps everywhere. A slight carelessness could cost your life," Lin Youyong said.

After speaking, as if realizing something, he continued, "Did Wang Qian guide you?"

Xiang Yu shook his head and said, "That’s none of your concern. I have my own ways. Come with me now."

Xiang Yu came up beside Lin Youyong, pressing a gun against his back.

"You’re threatening me?" Lin Youyong composed himself and said.

"Wrong, not threatening—capturing."

With that, Xiang Yu pulled Lin Youyong to his feet.

"I’m telling you, Xiang Yu, my people are all around. You won’t get out; you’re walking right into a trap," Lin Youyong said confidently.

"With you by my side, what do I have to fear? You better behave. Since I’ve come here today, I didn’t plan on going back alive. Worst case, we’ll die together," Xiang Yu said.

"You..." Lin Youyong gritted his teeth, too angry to speak.

He was the leader stationed in Xiaoxu for Wolf Fang. How could he die together with Xiang Yu? In his eyes, Xiang Yu was just a hustler, unlikely to achieve anything great.

"Let’s go, stop dithering," Xiang Yu said, then moved, taking him outside.

Just as they were about to exit, Lin Youyong suddenly sidestepped, kicking Xiang Yu’s gun to the ground.

Lin Youyong’s eyes were full of mockery. As long as he knocked away Xiang Yu’s gun, Xiang Yu would be useless.

To Lin Youyong’s surprise, Xiang Yu didn’t panic. Instead, he suddenly darted forward, a gleaming dagger appearing in his hand.

The dagger pressed against Lin Youyong’s neck, fresh blood oozing down. If Xiang Yu pushed just a millimeter more, it would threaten Lin Youyong’s life.

"Sorry for not telling you sooner, but I’m not good with guns. I’m best with a dagger," Xiang Yu said indifferently.

Lin Youyong was completely subdued. He understood that Xiang Yu’s current success was purely due to his outstanding skills.

Lin Youyong slowly raised his hands and said, "Don’t act rashly; I’ll do whatever you say."

"The one who shouldn’t act rashly is you. If it happens again, I won’t hold back," Xiang Yu said, removing the dagger, then stepped aside to retrieve the gun.

Xiang Yu did it with ease. If Lin Youyong made a move, Xiang Yu was confident he could stop him with the dagger.

"You’re very confident," Lin Youyong said.

Xiang Yu picked up the gun, smiled lightly, and said, "Let’s go, no more nonsense."

Xiang Yu, holding Lin Youyong hostage, walked boldly out of Wolf Fang’s base. Even when they encountered others on the way, no one expected their leader to be held captive.

Xiang Yu had arranged for his men at many key checkpoints in the base, so their escape was smooth.

Outside, a few men around Xiang Yu angrily said, "Commander, don’t wait. Just kill him."

"Yes, kill him," others chimed in.

Lin Youyong, however, showed no fear, saying, "Stop shouting, your commander won’t kill me."

"You sound confident," Xiang Yu asked.

"Of course, if you just wanted to kill me, you could have done it in the base. Why go to all this trouble to bring me here?" Lin Youyong said.

"Right. I didn’t plan to kill you, just wanted to negotiate," Xiang Yu said, sitting down on a rock.

They were still around the perimeter of Wolf Fang’s base. Lin Youyong was shocked by Xiang Yu’s intelligence and composure.

"Negotiate? Negotiate how?" Lin Youyong sat across from Xiang Yu and asked.

"Tell your men to retreat now, I won’t hold you accountable for invading me. Also, I’ll give the brothers at Wolf Fang some money as compensation," Xiang Yu said.

"Haha... Xiang Yu, are you joking? We’re about to take your base and you want my men to retreat? Impossible," Lin Youyong insisted.

"You better recognize the current situation. You’re in our hands. Also, do you really think your men can take the base? Do you know how COM’s people disappeared? They, like you, thought they could take the base. But overnight, they all died and were buried by me," Xiang Yu said dryly.

Lin Youyong involuntarily shivered, though he had considered such a possibility. Hearing Xiang Yu say it outright shocked him.

"COM’s people were really taken out by you?" Lin Youyong had already accepted this as fact, but he couldn’t help asking.

Xiang Yu didn’t answer but just smiled and said, "I’ll give you five minutes to consider."

After speaking, Xiang Yu stepped aside and called Tie Zhuzi.

At that moment, Tie Zhuzi was directing the battle tensely. Wolf Fang’s assault was fierce and had already breached the fourth line of defense. If they pressed on, they would have to keep retreating.

"Commander, the fourth line can’t hold," someone urgently reported.

"Retreat. Fall back to the last line, hold it at all costs," Tie Zhuzi shouted, grabbing his gun, ready to charge to the front lines.

As he stepped out, two guards stopped him.

"Commander, you can’t go. Leader Xi’er said you can’t enter the front line. Your battlefield is here."

Seeing the situation, Tie Zhuzi didn’t insist further. They were right; Xiang Yu entrusted him with this critical duty, not to go fight on the front lines.

Just then, Xiang Yu’s call came through. Tie Zhuzi quickly answered.

"Brother Yu, they’ve breached the fourth line and are close to the gate," Tie Zhuzi said anxiously.

"No worries. If it gets worse, retreat underground," Xiang Yu said calmly.

"Brother Yu, I’m sorry, I couldn’t hold it," Tie Zhuzi said, full of remorse.

"It’s not your fault. Wolf Fang’s attack is just too fierce. But don’t worry, things are progressing well on my side," Xiang Yu said.

Xiang Yu inquired about some basic updates before hanging up.

Xiang Yu appeared calm, but he had some worries internally, just not wanting Tie Zhuzi to notice. Although the underground base was safe, Wolf Fang’s group was not simple, either; whether they could truly hold out was hard to say.

"Five minutes is up. What have you decided?" Xiang Yu said, walking over after hanging up the phone.

If Lin Youyong didn’t agree to his terms, Xiang Yu wouldn’t hesitate. He’d kill Lin Youyong, then disrupt their base. He refused to believe that if Wolf Fang’s base was destroyed, their forces on the front lines could still fight...

ps: Will Long Wu come to his senses, and what decision will Xiang Yu make? All in Weihu’s new book, "The Female CEO’s Bodyguard"...