Chapter 27: Ultimately, It Was Disdain

The rapid gunfire from the machine gun echoed across the vast wilderness, immediately forcing the modified vehicles lingering near the all-terrain vehicle to widen their distance. But they didn't back down, retaliating with gunfire that clinked against Lu Yuan's car door. A few well-aimed shots shattered both of his side mirrors.

With this situation, Lu Yuan couldn't risk launching his drone, so he relied on the rear cameras to assess things. Sure enough, several off-road vehicles covered with spiked armor plating and gray-green camouflage nets followed close behind. The tires had wide treads, and cables were attached to their narrow, arrowhead-shaped hoods right beside the wheels. These vehicles were in full reverse, kicking up dust clouds as they dragged plowing claws behind them for traction, but the powerful engine of Lu Yuan's vehicle kept pulling them forward.

The four off-road vehicles at the rear only managed to reduce his speed by a dozen kilometers per hour, yet there were more of them—a mix of camouflaged off-road cars, armored trucks, and at least six or seven motorcycles circling his vehicle in taunting loops. Lu Yuan could clearly see the riders wearing menacing helmets, popping their front wheels off the ground as if to intimidate him.

The scene ahead was hardly better; two larger vehicles, even bulkier than his all-terrain car, blocked his path, preventing him from changing lanes to escape. Each one was bristling with heavy weapons, ready to fire, and Lu Yuan didn't want to bet on whether they were carrying flamethrowers or lethal grenades.

Lu Yuan quickly ran through his options. He thought about cutting the tow cables but worried about the motorcycles flanking him and potentially boarding his vehicle. Even without the cables holding him back, he knew he couldn't outrun those agile motorcycles at full throttle.

In the end, he was only one man.

One of the lead vehicles ahead popped open a hatch, revealing a metal loudspeaker. A garbled, shouting voice crackled out, and Lu Yuan caught only a few words. Frowning, he grabbed a universal translator from under his seat, flipped through several planetary dialects, and eventually found an Earth language.

"Hunter inside! You're on Scorpion Gang territory!" The voice continued with an unintelligible rant, though Lu Yuan had a pretty good guess they were cursing his family down to the third generation.

"Stop the car if you know what's good for you! Otherwise, we're coming for you!" The final phrase was crystal clear. Lu Yuan scoffed. With their pathetic skill, did they really expect him to surrender? Back when he was parachuting in outer space, these dirt-dwellers were probably still playing in mud!

Lu Yuan pressed his earpiece and replied, "Get lost."

Before the translation came through, he revved up, sending the engine into full power.

"Boom!" The engine roared, and the wheels spun wildly, the thrust pushing him forward with such force that the four off-road vehicles at the rear jerked backward, their front wheels lifting high into the air, and their plowing claws snapping under the strain.

With the all-terrain vehicle powering forward, the convoy surrounding Lu Yuan adjusted its position. Spiked vehicles moved closer, firing relentlessly. One of them attempted to swerve closer, and Lu Yuan slammed the brakes, cutting sharply and ramming into the side of the vehicle. The sheer weight of his car knocked it off balance, sending it tumbling.

"Bang bang bang bang bang!" Machine gun bullets rhythmically pounded against the window, sparking fiercely. Lu Yuan didn't flinch, jerking the wheel and skidding to the side. He turned again, flattening one of the spiked vehicles, rolling over it as he advanced. Machine gun fire from the front vehicle rained down on his windshield, the armored plate spraying sparks, briefly blinding him.

Undeterred, Lu Yuan braked hard and swung the car sideways, the heavy vehicle skidding at a near ninety-degree angle. Dust flew in a cloud around him as he used the thick side armor to absorb the enemy fire.

As he spun, he spotted a cluster of motorcycles trying to outflank him. Grabbing his submachine gun from beneath the passenger seat, he leaned out and aimed at the closest rider, shooting him down with a burst. His opponent, wrapped in ragged cloth, was shredded under the rapid spray of bullets.

But there was little he could do to stop the other motorcycles from slipping past him. As he reloaded, three motorcycles surged forward. Lu Yuan squinted; what were they trying to pull?

He slammed the door, but it was too late. The riders at the front tossed grappling hooks, jerking the door open. Black smoke from their exhaust flooded the cabin along with dust and grit.

Cursing, Lu Yuan reached for the rifle on the passenger seat. Just as he got his finger on the trigger, a motorcycle roared up beside him, its rider reaching to grab him. Without thinking, Lu Yuan slammed his elbow back, knocking the rider off his bike. The speeding motorcycles behind him couldn't dodge in time, crushing the fallen rider under their wheels. Just then, bullets pelted Lu Yuan's vehicle, forcing him to drop into a crouched position, pressing his foot to the accelerator as he lay contorted on the seat.

Wind whipped through his hair, almost blinding him, but his grip tightened on the familiar rifle stock. The sleek trigger felt natural in his hand, filling him with fierce energy.

"Bang, bang, bang!" Three shots fired in quick succession, taking down a rider instantly. With his eye lined up with the iron sight, Lu Yuan fired a precise volley of caseless rounds. Be it the wild plains or the distant stars, the smell of gunpowder and brass remained a constant in war, calling countless men to stake their lives.

In seconds, two more riders fell, swallowed up by the wilderness. The remaining motorcyclists darted off in zigzag patterns, but Lu Yuan wasn't about to let them off so easily.

The rapid fire echoed with a smoky smell of spent gunpowder, which quickly dissipated into the air. Only the faintly glowing barrel remained, indicating that Lu Yuan had emptied his entire drum magazine in an instant. He tossed the rifle aside and reached for a new gun, ready to deal with the motorcycles still hooked onto his car door. Suddenly, a missile whooshed past, and Lu Yuan instinctively ducked, feeling a searing heat singe the back of his neck, causing him to let out a sharp yell.

"Son of a—!" he cursed. The spiked off-road vehicles trailing behind him seemed to have received some kind of command, as figures started standing up from the back seats, wielding rocket launcher-like tubes and firing relentlessly at his all-terrain vehicle. Several rockets flew straight at him, and one whizzed so close it scorched half his hair.

Explosions rocked the all-terrain vehicle, and Lu Yuan couldn't manage to close the door. He switched hastily to cruise mode, noticing that the two armored vehicles ahead had stopped firing and were moving steadily, blocking every possible route for him to overtake.

Lu Yuan scratched his head, pulling out a few singed curls, and swallowed hard. This outnumbered situation was turning grim, and he needed to find a way to split those two armored vehicles, ideally speeding away. By now, everyone's patience was wearing thin. He didn't know what these Earth scavengers planned, but paratroopers had only gunstocks and boots to offer imperial captives.

But in just a few breaths, the situation shifted again. The two armored vehicles ahead slowed down, almost as if they had figured out that Lu Yuan's all-terrain vehicle lacked front-facing firepower and that he was operating alone. Their speed dropped further, drawing closer together until they plowed into the muddy ground with a loud squelch and blocked his path completely.

Lu Yuan's head slammed into the headrest. He gritted his teeth, gripped the steering wheel, and slammed on the brakes, jerking the vehicle to one side. But he was out of options. The armored truck, which had stayed passive, suddenly reversed hard, ramming him from behind.

This pincer attack left Lu Yuan no room to maneuver. Seeing that his firepower was minimal, the guerrilla bikers who had nearly fled now circled back, iron hooks at the ready. Lu Yuan raised his gun to intercept, but the machine gun mounted on one of the armored vehicles opened fire, forcing him to duck under the dashboard.

A piercing sound of a chainsaw cutting through metal came from the rear of his vehicle. It became clear that this group of scavengers wasn't only after him—they wanted his flashy all-terrain vehicle intact, and capturing him alive seemed like a bonus.

Lu Yuan had never been captured before and didn't plan to start now. "Damn it," he muttered, elbow braced on the ground, crawling toward the rear compartment despite the hail of gunfire that almost shredded his armored windows.

Then, suddenly, the machine gun stopped. The rear door hung open, and Lu Yuan shouted, charging forward. He crashed into the rear door, slamming it open and knocking over two enemies who had been about to board. He tumbled into their vehicle, sprang to his feet, and grabbed the driver, snapping his neck with a sharp twist. The passenger whipped around, drawing a knife, but Lu Yuan sidestepped and smashed down his fist, breaking the man's forearm with a sickening crack.

But this truck had more than two people. As Lu Yuan grabbed the knife, a searing pain hit his lower back. Gritting his teeth, he growled, wrapping his arm around the attacker behind him and driving the knife into the man's skull. Using the body as a human shield, he shoved forward, pushing against two more scavengers who were scrambling to their feet.

In pure hand-to-hand combat, Lu Yuan had never lost. He ducked his head, letting the others fire into the dead body he was using as a shield, advancing step by step. The two scavengers couldn't hold their ground, and they were teetering on the edge of falling out.

"Bang!" Without a driver, the truck spun out of control, jolting over rocks and veering violently. With a sudden lurch, it hit a rock, flipping onto its side. The two scavengers lost their footing and tumbled out of the vehicle. Lu Yuan managed to steady himself, grabbing onto whatever he could, and scrambled into the driver's seat. He kicked the driver's body aside and took control of the steering wheel.

In the brief struggle, at least five or six scavengers had climbed onto his all-terrain vehicle, but Lu Yuan had no time to worry about them. Surviving this was all that mattered.

The truck hit another bump, and Lu Yuan forced the wheel to turn in a half-circle, skidding to a halt almost perfectly aligned with the path of his now-clear all-terrain vehicle.

He took a deep breath, looked up, and his face twisted into a grim expression.

"Holy... crap," Lu Yuan muttered, gripping the steering wheel wrapped in black tarp.