These people were not wary of him at all. They let him join in, and someone even poured him a drink.

Initially, Zhou You was seated far from the man in white. As he went around drinking, the seating shifted, and he got roped into placing bets.

He pulled out his backpack, revealing a packet of materials, "These are materials I've collected over the years. They're pretty valuable, and I carry them everywhere. Can I use these for betting?"

"Sure. But why would you carry so many materials while traveling?"

"It's not safe at home."

"Aren't you selling them?"

"I'm not selling it. I'm keeping it for my own use. I wanted to get Master Fan to custom-make a knife for me, but after all these years, I've never even entered his door. It seems there's no hope. Today, I might as well gamble with it."

Whether it was Zhou You being too naive, or he was being schemed against by this group, he always lost, forfeiting more and more with each round.

Seeing this, the two from the side rushed over to intervene. With an angered face, Long Gan said, "Stop this nonsense, get down from the table. You're squandering all the good stuff."

"No, I seldom meet someone I have a good connection with. I want to play with them a bit longer."

"This isn't right. Look at how much material you have left. This is too wasteful."

"It's none of your business. Let's continue playing."

Long Gan rushed over to grab him, but Zhou You sidestepped, and deliberately tripped when he got near the man in white, collapsing onto him.

Seeing this, Shao Qi, holding back his urge to tear the man apart, shouted, "Come over here, stop causing trouble near other people's carriages."

Zhou You looked up, locking eyes with the man in white. The man appeared a bit stunned, yet slightly amused, and said, "Are you throwing yourself at me?"

After getting what he wanted, Zhou You quickly jumped back, "Why are you like this?"

"Did I say something wrong? I saw that you have a lot in your backpack. Why not give it all?"

"Why? I'm not playing anymore, and I don't want what I've lost."

"Heh, but we're not done yet. Even if you don't want to play, you still have to. If you can't afford the loss, we'll take you as collateral!"

"Bang!" A gunshot echoed, the bullet grazing past the man in white's ear, scraping a layer of his skin and causing blood to flow.

That shot acted as a flare. Both sides instantly divided into two camps, with those having guns readying their guns and others wielding their weapons, facing off.

"Husband, save me!" Zhou You cried out, running behind Shao Qi, shocking everyone present.

Chapter 204: Accepting a Disciple

That cry of "husband" stunned everyone present. Perhaps it was unexpected for the young man to shout this out in public, or maybe it was due to the husband's impressive marksmanship.

No wonder he seemed so ordinary yet dared to venture into the mountains – he had a strong backup.

Although the other side only had three people, and they had dozens, the man in white wasn't frightened. Holding a piece of cloth against his bleeding ear, he glared at them, "You have two choices. One, break one of your own arms, the one holding the gun, or two, leave this kid with us for some fun, and I might spare the two of you."

Hiding behind Shao Qi, Zhou You quickly switched his items and peeked out, pointing to himself, "Use me as a trade for their lives?"

"Yes." The man in white indeed had a liking for lively and adorable young men like Zhou You. He'd make a fun companion on the road.

Holding onto Shao Qi's arm, Zhou You provocatively said, "My husband is more handsome and richer than you. Why would I want to be with you? What's in it for me?"

"Because if you don't choose me, all three of you will die."

"Hmph, the government just issued a law stating that killing outside the base is illegal. We three aren't without backup. Aren't you afraid of getting caught?"

"Hahaha, what a joke. Who can this law really restrain? Apart from those here, who will know if we kill someone? Will you talk?" The man in white asked his companions, who responded with boisterous laughter.

"There are surveillance cameras!" Zhou You pointed out, gesturing towards the cameras inside the supply station.

Bang!...” Successive gunshots rang out as the man in white shattered the surveillance in the hall. Such an act was obviously illegal, but he was indifferent. He'd be out for at least a month or two, and surviving was still uncertain. Who cares about the future?

"You...” Zhou You, trembling, looked at Shao Qi and suggested, "Why not... hand me over to them?"

"Only over my dead body!" Shao Qi's patience was running thin. Unwilling to partake in this foolish game any longer, he took the item from Zhou You's hand and approached the adversaries.

"Stop or I'll shoot!"

"Hmph!" In an instant, Shao Qi was right in front of the man in white. His speed was so swift that by the time everyone processed what happened, he had already thrown the man to the ground with a judo move and had his foot pressing against his face. "Who do you want? Should I break your arm to bring you back to your senses?"

Just as he was about to act, a man in a Zhongshan suit, with graying hair, calmly emerged from a room, seemingly amused by the ongoing chaos.

"My friend, always leave room for reconciliation when you're out and about. We might cross paths again in the future," the man said in a hoarse voice. If Zhou You didn't know him, he'd suspect this was a different person altogether. How could someone disguise himself so perfectly?

Masters in his line of work often had to use disguises. He was skilled, but compared to this man, there was a significant gap. Suddenly, Zhou You grew curious. Was his surname truly Li? Where did he hail from?

"Are you with them?" Shao Qi asked coldly.

"I hitched a ride with them. In respect to me, I propose returning your companion's possessions and offering some additional high-quality materials as a gesture of goodwill. What do you say?"

Releasing his hold and holstering his weapon, Shao Qi raised an eyebrow, "Are you in charge here?"