Solving Middle Age Crisis by Intelligence System-Chapter 357 - 241: The Giant of France

Inside the business car, the driver frantically honked the horn, but the truck showed no intention of moving aside.

The bearded man in the passenger seat’s face turned pale, realizing the truck was deliberately blocking them, and shouted, "Get out!"

The car door opened, and the bearded man led several sturdy men, quickly rushing towards the truck.

In the driver’s seat of the truck, Niu Da glanced at his watch to check the time, then opened the door and got out.

Instead of retreating, he advanced fearlessly towards the aggressive bearded man and his companions.

Niu Da stood close to 1.9 meters tall, his frame was extremely robust, but compared to these big guys, he was a size smaller.

However, fighting and combat is not won by physical strength alone.

Niu Da’s feet moved quickly, dodging a punch aimed at his face, then twisted his shoulder and slammed into a man’s chest with an iron shoulder tackle.

The big man seemed to be hit by a train, flying backward several meters and crashing hard onto the ground.

Simultaneously, Niu Da threw two punches, hitting the throats of the two men in front.

The two immediately clutched their necks in pain, involuntarily retreating a few steps.

The bearded man’s gaze turned sharp, staring at Niu Da, "It was also you last time, wasn’t it?"

Niu Da stayed silent, having knocked down three people, charging straight at the bearded man.

The bearded man, with a dark expression, pulled a silver pistol from his waist, raising his hand to fire.

However, Niu Da didn’t give him a chance, swiftly sidestepping and delivering a high kick to the bearded man’s head, knocking him out cold with a single blow.

Within seconds, the four muscular men were all knocked down, showing the gap between ordinary thugs and mercenaries.

Though these folks might be tough and willing to fight, their skills were crude and no match.

Niu Da bent down, lifting the bearded man’s clothes and waistband, ready to toss him into the car.

This was Ah Jiao’s idea, catching the leader would hopefully lead to useful information.

The hefty three-hundred-pound weight wasn’t too heavy for Niu Da, his arm muscles bulging, easily lifting the man.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, his ears twitched, and in the next moment, he threw down the bearded man and quickly sidestepped without looking back.

A gust of wind swept through the air, a fist the size of a sandbag almost brushed past his cheek.

Niu Da froze, a hint of surprise on his face.

He had recognized the assailant as one of the two white men he previously fought on Hong Kong Island, the one who jumped into the sea, Bert.

After missing the attack, Bert didn’t rush to strike again, looking at Niu Da with a hint of excitement.

"Finally, I’ve met you again. I didn’t get to fight you properly last time, but now I finally have the chance," Bert said in English, gazing at Niu Da like a predator at prey.

Niu Da saw that the opponent wanted a head-to-head fight, so he pointed to the rooftop of the apartment building expressionlessly, "Fight there!"

Upon hearing this, Bert nodded and turned towards the apartment.

Having fought with Niu Da before, Bert knew Niu Da was skilled, so he regarded him as an equally matched opponent.

However, the instant Bert turned around, Niu Da didn’t follow but rushed to the driver’s seat instead, entered the cab with two quick strides, shifted gears, and floored the accelerator—all in one fluid motion.

The van spewed exhaust as it sped away from the intersection, leaving Bert standing bewildered in the wind.

Niu Da glanced at him through the rearview mirror, sneering disdainfully, "Crazy idiot."

"Fuck!" After pausing for a full two seconds, Bert finally reacted, kicking the bearded man aside and jumped into the business car, commanding the driver to quickly give chase.

...

Bird City, ten at night.

After dinner, Qi Yun was training in the yard with Chen Wei.

Summer had fully kicked in; even at ten, it was still bright outside.

"You’re progressing too fast, especially in fitness. I feel I might be out of a job within a couple of years," Chen Wei said, taking a sip from a water bottle.

Qi Yun wiped sweat from his face with a towel, then looked at his newly formed abs and chest muscles, laughing lightly, "Is it that exaggerated?"

He hadn’t intentionally built muscles; just trained with Chen Wei every day for stamina and striking. The muscles appeared naturally.

Chen Wei nodded, "You only lack practical experience and skill refinement now. I estimate even Mengzi isn’t your match anymore."

"Then after we return, I’ll definitely spar with him," Qi Yun grinned proudly.

"Ding ding ding~"

A phone rang.

Qi Yun picked up the phone from the small table and, checking the number, pressed the answer key.

"Hello."

"It’s been confirmed, the guy setting us up is that Charles de Gaulle Gwen. Just now, Brother Niu also encountered that white guy from Hong Kong Island," Ah Jiao’s voice came over the phone.

Qi Yun was slightly stunned, "Are you guys okay?"

"We’re fine, safe for now," Ah Jiao responded calmly. "We got some intel from a broker—De Gaulle is the head of the Gwen Clan in Paris, their base is in Lyon."

"This clan is influential and very discreet. Reportedly, over 10% of the energy business in France is controlled by them."

"They’re not involved in the underworld directly, but those who know their background wouldn’t dare offend them."

Qi Yun pinched his brow, though he anticipated complexities, he hadn’t realized the extent of their power.

"Try to approach De Gaulle’s inner circle; I need to know why they’re probing about me. We can’t use force anymore, need a different tactic."

Pausing, Qi Yun continued, "If things become unfavorable or you sense danger, retreat immediately, no risks."

"Understood," Ah Jiao replied.

"Yeah, I need to head out tomorrow, might be out of touch for a few days. I’ll provide Li Yaohua’s number; if there’s an emergency, contact him directly—he’ll manage things properly," Qi Yun instructed.

"Alright, we’ll be careful,"

"Okay, that’s all for now."

After ending the call, Qi Yun was about to put down the phone when another call came in—it was Wei Xueming, whom he met earlier that morning.

"Mr. Wei, do you need something?" Qi Yun inquired politely.

"When do you plan to leave for Lop Nur?" Wei Xueming asked directly.

"Leaving tomorrow morning, why?"

Wei Xueming hesitated, "I have a favor to ask."

"Haha, feel free to ask, sir," Qi Yun replied with a smile.

"Well, I have a student working on a Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions project; could you take him along?"

"Huh?" Qi Yun was surprised, not expecting this request from Wei Xueming.

He paused, a bit hesitant, "Mr. Wei, you must have a dedicated research team. Why follow me to Lop Nur? If something happens, I can’t bear the responsibility."

Wei Xueming persisted, "I value this student; he has considerable knowledge about the Thirty-Six Kingdoms, he’ll surely help."

"Furthermore, he wants to join you voluntarily. If anything does happen, no blame on you—I’ll ensure a written agreement for that."

Pausing, Wei Xueming continued, "Most importantly, knowing you, you’re up to something there and he might discover something with you."

"Were it not for my old bones, I’d like to join myself."

Qi Yun scratched his nose, resignedly smiling, "Mr. Wei, please don’t jest. I’m honestly just wandering around, sightseeing."

Wei Xueming seemed to see through him, scoffing lightly, "Cut the talk, just tell me if you’ll agree, don’t forget you owe me after that Chinese Academy of Sciences matter."

...

The next day, before dawn, a business car passed through the highway toll booth, heading south.

It’s about nine hundred kilometers from Bird City to Ruqiang County; luckily, a new highway recently opened, eliminating the need for mountainous detours, saving two hundred extra kilometers.

Nonetheless, it still takes over ten hours to reach.