"I am a police officer!" Qin Lan declared solemnly.

Qin Lan gave Li Shan a standard military salute and strode forward, intending to exchange herself for the hostages.

"Qin Lan!" Li Shan called out urgently, trying to dissuade her.

"Mr. Li, don't worry, I will definitely come back safely because I still need to learn how to make dumplings from your wife!" Qin Lan said, and then she rushed towards the bandits without looking back.

The storm raged and the waters of Yi were cold, once a brave man departed, he never returned!

Li Shan was nearly in tears, for if something happened to this young lady, it would feel as if the sky had collapsed on him.

"Beautiful, so beautiful!" The bandit holding Ye Chen saw Qin Lan's beauty and almost drooled.

"Xiao Hei, now is not the time to think about women. If you want her, we can take her when we leave!" the lead bandit's voice boomed, awakening the lovestruck bandit.

"Great, boss!" that bandit laughed loudly.

After hearing these words, Qin Lan's expression remained unchanged as she calmly walked up to the bandits.

"I'm here, now release them!" Qin Lan said.

"Okay!" The leader pointed his gun at Qin Lan's head. "I'll release this little girl, one for one!"

"Shameless scoundrel, release both of them!" Qin Lan shouted furiously.

"I won't make a losing deal. I'll only release one, or none at all!" the leader was extremely firm.

"Then release me, let me go!" Ye Chen suddenly shouted.

"Coward!" Qin Lan immediately looked at Ye Chen with disdain.

"Haha!" Even the two bandits seemed to look down on Ye Chen, laughing mockingly.

The young girl was released, and Ye Chen and Qin Lan were pushed inside the bank, thrown into a pile of hostages, and watched over by two armed bandits.

"Boss, the police are starting to withdraw, is Gui ready? When do I withdraw!"

"They must have figured out that we are the Dongjiang Eight Tigers. Their manpower can't stop us. They're sending reinforcements, we can't delay a second longer!"

"You all grab the money bags. Xiao Hei and I didn't take any money, we'll just hold the hostages at gunpoint and cover your retreat!"

"..."

The bandits were not flustered, with the leader discussing the withdrawal plan. They have committed many crimes and this wasn't their first encounter with such a situation.

"Beauty!" Ye Chen nudged Qin Lan's arm.

"Coward!" Qin Lan responded.

It was undeniable that Ye Chen's earlier actions, eager to escape first, had left a very bad impression on Qin Lan.

"I am a coward. May I ask for your beautiful name?" Ye Chen smiled, unoffended.

Qin Lan took a serious look at him and noticed that his appearance wasn't bad; it was just his personality that was a bit weak.

But, who could suppress their fear in such a situation?

Even Qin Lan was a bit scared now. These bandits were ruthless killers, and she somewhat regretted trying to be tough and exchanging hostages.

"My name is Qin Lan, a police officer!" Qin Lan declared.

"Did you graduate from the police academy?" Ye Chen inquired curiously.

"I served two years in the military, and I've been in this line for less than a year!" Qin Lan replied somewhat preoccupied, as she surveyed their surroundings.

"What kind of soldier? Have you learned any martial arts?" Ye Chen asked.

"Combat soldier, I am the Sanda champion in the army!" Qin Lan boasted proudly.

"Well, a woman truly does not let herself be outdone by men!" Ye Chen praised her.

"Hmph!" Qin Lan was proudly satisfied.

"Do you have a gun?" Ye Chen inquired.

"I do!" Qin Lan replied instinctively.

"You ask so many questions, who are you?" Qin Lan expressed her astonishment, suddenly realizing that the man before her seemed quite extraordinary.

"There are seven bandits here, can you help deal with one of them?" Ye Chen whispered into Qin Lan's ear, his voice extremely low, his mouth almost brushing against her ear.

"What?"

Qin Lan had never been so close to a man before, but before she could feel anything unusual, she was stunned by Ye Chen's words.

"They're about to withdraw soon, we must not let them leave the bank, or they will disappear into the sea, making them hard to catch!" Ye Chen murmured in Qin Lan's ear.

"You?!" Qin Lan was shocked, her eyes widened.

"When they start to leave, five men will be carrying money bags and will be encumbered. I can only take down six, you handle the leader, okay?" Ye Chen revealed his plan.

"Okay!" Qin Lan swallowed her saliva, her face lit up with excitement.

"I have high hopes for you!" Ye Chen praised her once more.

Qin Lan suppressed the excitement in her heart, filled with many questions.

Ye Chen's earlier cowardice still lingered in her mind, but suddenly this coward transformed into a super-hero ready to relieve suffering, such a stark contrast made her momentarily unsure of what to ask.

"The police cars are leaving, boss, Gui has arrived!" Just then, one of the bandits suddenly called out.

"Brothers, let's go!" the head bandit roared, and five robust bandits slung the bags full of cash over their shoulders.

"Everybody, stand the fuck up, line up and walk out. Anyone who dares to run will get a bullet from me!" the leader threatened all the hostages, wielding a machine gun.

Ye Chen stood up and covertly signaled Qin Lan with his eyes.

All the elderly men and women shakily stood up, feeling the wretchedness of being hostages; their legs were numb from squatting.

Ye Chen and Qin Lan positioned themselves at the end of the line, close to the group of bandits.

As the police had withdrawn according to the bandits' demands, clearing a wide road, just then a military off-road vehicle raced into the scene, driven by their accomplice, Gui.

"Boss, quickly get in the car!" Gui didn't get out or even dare to roll down the window because he knew a sniper must be hiding somewhere.

"Damn it, everyone line up and form a meat wall on the perimeter!" the leader shouted as he herded the hostages out of the bank hall.

Dozens of hostages all walked out of the bank, with Ye Chen and Qin Lan following at the end of the line. The leading thug and another criminal, with guns pointed, were behind them, and the five thugs carrying sacks were at the very back, making sure it was absolutely safe outside before they would show themselves.

"We'll use the hostages to threaten them, Liang Zi, hurry up and load the money on the car, we're pulling out!" the leader yelled.

The situation was urgent now, with police lurking outside, for the authorities had surely sent a large force to surround them, so they had to accelerate their actions.

"Now that you've come, why not stay!" Just then, Ye Chen's eyes flashed brilliantly, and he made a powerful move.

Grandmaster aura fully unleashed, Ye Chen breathed out like a dragon, leapt up, and spread his wings. He breathed out fiercely into a thug's eyes, causing the thug to immediately scream in agony.

The criminal covered his eyes with both hands, blood slipping through his fingers.

As the Land God, one's breath could kill, and though Ye Chen had not reached that realm, by holding his breath and exerting force, he could still injure someone's eyeballs.

As Ye Chen breathed out powerfully, he threw two punches like dragons and snakes, striking the foreheads of two criminals.

Before these two thugs could react, they collapsed on the ground with a clang, unconscious, the money bags on them scattering all over the place.

"What!" the leader reacted swiftly, issuing a thunderous roar in an instant.

The leader was profoundly skilled, but his physical skills couldn't keep up with his quick thinking.

Facing the leader's roar, Ye Chen was not at all disturbed and struck like lightning.

The leader was the deepest in skill, just one step away from becoming a Martial Arts Master; although his brothers were also extraordinary, they were a whole level below him!

Ye Chen's thunderous strike, except for making the leader wary, went unnoticed by the other thieves.

At that moment, Ye Chen's inch punch continued, starting to attack the fourth thief.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye—the thief Ye Chen was attacking had not yet raised his gun when he was hit by Ye Chen's successive forceful punches.

Gun dropped, man severely injured.

"Bastard!" After Ye Chen had severely injured four men, the leader finally reacted, instantly raising his gun and pulling the trigger towards Ye Chen.

"Bang!"

The shot missed, as the leader was kicked on the arm by Qin Lan, the gun knocked out of his hand.

"You're all going to die!" the leader burst out furiously.

"I will capture you today!"

Qin Lan, with a valiant bearing, attacked proactively, a hook punch incoming, seemingly quite proficient in combat.

"A woman daring to fight!" the leader laughed furiously, not taking Qin Lan seriously at all.

The leader, with a ferocious aura, deflected Qin Lan's punch with a casual flick of his hand, and then powerfully slapped towards her face.

The palm hadn't arrived yet, but the force was overpowering, Qin Lan felt the threat of death, her body retreating explosively, breaking out in a cold sweat.

A professional's movement shows their skill, and this leader's kung fu was more than ten times stronger than hers!

"Humph!" the leader sneered, unrelenting in his advantage, his fists of iron booming out again, intending to kill this time.

Qin Lan saw the incoming fists of iron, wanted to dodge, but found herself unable to move, instantly realizing that this man had reached the realm of overwhelming others with his presence!

If this pair of iron fists landed, Qin Lan would surely be beaten to death on the spot; in that instant, her heart darkened, wrapped with the intent of death.

"Boom!"

The leader's body was suddenly struck by a heavy blow, sending him flying across the air.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness."

Ye Chen withdrew his fist lightly, his demeanor calm and composed as if the leader was not injured by him at all.

"You saved me, hero!" Qin Lan exclaimed with excitement and joy.

"Hmm, I'm called a coward!" Ye Chen modestly said.

"No, you are a hero, a great hero!" Qin Lan insisted.

At this moment, all seven thugs had been subdued by Ye Chen, all collapsing on the ground, probably lacking even the ability to resist anymore.

"Who exactly are you!"

The leader, grievously injured on the ground, spat blood, but the expression in his eyes was filled with reluctance to accept this.

"I see the mark on your hand, you've been in the Huanan Military Region's Snow Leopard?" Ye Chen approached the leader, his tone tinged with regret.

"You recognize this mark?" the leader raised his arm, displaying a tattoo of a leopard's head.

"Hmm, I've dealt with the people from Snow Leopard." Ye Chen nodded.

"May I ask your great name!" the leader said solemnly.

"Ye Chen!"

"Huabei Military Region?" the leader exclaimed in surprise.

Ye Chen nodded, it seemed this man had heard of his name.

"If it weren't for these hostages holding you back, you'd have acted sooner, wouldn't you!" the leader said with a wretched smile.

"Yes." Ye Chen did not evade the truth.

These criminals were extremely capable, but in his eyes, they were still somewhat lacking; had it not been for the safety of the hostages, he would have struck like thunder much earlier.

"Today we chose the wrong day to come out; facing Ye Chen, we, brothers, admit defeat!" the leader said spiritedly.

However, after he finished speaking, he spat blood from his mouth and died.

Ye Chen, being a Martial Arts Grandmaster, could kill a strong bull with one punch. His fists struck the leader and crushed his internal organs.

"He's dead?" Qin Lan asked uncertainly.

——

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Three updates today, one at 8 AM, one at 12 PM, and one at 8 PM!

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