Reborn in 72, I hunt to support my family and spoil my younger sister rotten.

After the fleet expanded, Li Xiangyang established a strict management system.

Every vehicle must undergo regular inspections, and every driver must participate in safety training.

Even so, long-distance transportation is still fraught with unknown risks.

It was a late autumn afternoon when Li Daqiang was driving his truck back from the provincial capital.

The truck was fully loaded with Huasheng Trading's return cargo, and according to the original plan, he should have arrived at the factory at noon the next day.

"Xiangyang, I'm all set. I expect to arrive by noon tomorrow," Li Daqiang reported to Li Xiangyang via the car radio.

"Okay, be careful on the road," Li Xiangyang replied from the factory office. "Especially the mountain road section; it's been raining a lot lately, and the road surface might be slippery."

After hanging up the radio, Li Xiangyang felt uneasy.

I've recently heard that there are frequent road robberies on provincial highways, specifically targeting trucks.

Although Li Daqiang is a clever man, he's driving alone after all, so what if something happens...?

Just then, Wang Ergou walked in: "Xiangyang, I just came back from the county. I heard that things have been a bit dangerous on Provincial Highway 126 lately."

"What's wrong with things?" Li Xiangyang immediately became alert.

"I heard there's a group of out-of-towners who specialize in robbing cars on mountain roads," Wang Ergou said in a low voice. "They've already committed several crimes, but they're very cunning and always manage to escape."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangyang felt even more uneasy.

Provincial Highway 126 is the only way for Li Daqiang to return, and that section of the mountain road is rugged and sparsely populated, making it easy for accidents to happen.

"Do you have any specific information?" Li Xiangyang asked.

"I made some inquiries, and I heard there were four or five of them, driving a minivan," Wang Ergou said. "They specifically target lone trucks, first smashing the windshield with stones to force them to stop, then robbing the goods."

Li Xiangyang immediately stood up: "No, I have to contact Brother Daqiang right away."

He picked up the radio, but after several calls, there was no response from Li Daqiang. Li Xiangyang's heart sank. Could something really have happened?

"We're probably in the mountains, the signal's bad," Wang Ergou comforted him. "Don't worry too much."

"I have to be worried. Er Gou, you stay at the factory and keep an eye on things. I'll drive to pick up Brother Da Qiang."

Without saying a word, Li Xiangyang grabbed his car keys and headed out.

"Xiangyang, I'll go with you!" Wang Ergou followed closely behind.

"No need, you stay at the factory and keep an eye on things." Li Xiangyang said without turning his head. "In case I can't contact you either, you can report it to the police."

Autumn nights come early, and in the mountains it's pitch black.

Li Xiangyang drove at high speed on the rugged mountain road with his high beams on.

After driving for more than an hour, Li Xiangyang finally saw a light ahead at a bend in the road.

He quickly turned off his car lights and quietly approached.

Through the car window, Li Xiangyang could see the situation ahead: a Jiefang truck was lying across the roadside, its windshield shattered. Several figures were moving around the truck, two of whom were clearly Li Daqiang and another driver, Xiao Liu, surrounded by four or five strangers.

"Damn it, you'd better unload the goods!" A man with a non-local accent brandished a stick. "Otherwise, you're not leaving today!"

Li Daqiang wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and sneered, "Trying to steal our goods? Not so easy!"

Although young, Xiao Liu was very principled: "I'd rather fight you to the death today!"

"Hey, pretty tough, huh?" the leader of the robbers grinned maliciously. "Brothers, let's teach them a lesson!"

Several robbers raised their sticks, ready to attack.

Just then, Li Xiangyang suddenly turned on his high beams and honked his horn.

The blinding light instantly illuminated the entire scene, and the robbers were blinded by the sudden bright light.

"Who goes there?!" the leader of the robbers shouted.

Li Xiangyang pushed open the car door and got out, holding an iron rod in his hand.

"I'm here to pick up my brother," Li Xiangyang said calmly but with a menacing tone. "Now, get out of my way!"

"Who came from, you little rascal, minding your own business!" A robber charged over, brandishing a stick.

Li Xiangyang dodged to the side, his iron rod striking the robber's wrist with pinpoint accuracy. The robber screamed in pain, dropping the rod to the ground.

"Brother Daqiang, are you alright?" Li Xiangyang asked with concern while keeping a wary eye on the other robbers.

"Xiangyang? What brings you here?" Li Daqiang asked, both surprised and touched. "We're fine, we were just stopped by these bastards."

Seeing this, the leader of the robbers' eyes flashed with a fierce light: "Kid, you think you're so tough just because there's one more person? Brothers, let's attack together!"

The remaining four robbers pounced on them.

Li Xiangyang, Li Daqiang, and Xiao Liu stood back to back.

"Brother Daqiang, protect Xiao Liu," Li Xiangyang whispered. "I'll handle them."

As he spoke, Li Xiangyang took the initiative to go to meet him.

Years of hunting had honed his agility and accurate judgment. Facing the attack of four robbers, Li Xiangyang remained calm and composed, his iron rod moving like a nimble snake, sometimes parrying, sometimes counterattacking.

"Ah!" One of the robbers was hit on the shoulder with an iron bar and squatted on the ground in pain.

Li Daqiang was no pushover either. Although he wasn't as skilled as Li Xiangyang, he was still considered a strong young man in the village. He protected Xiao Liu and wrestled with another robber.

The situation quickly became clear.

These robbers usually only preyed on drivers traveling alone; they'd never encountered a tough nut like Li Xiangyang before. Within ten minutes, three men were lying on the ground, groaning in pain.

Seeing that things were not going well, the leader of the robbers tried to escape.

"Trying to run?" Li Xiangyang caught up in a few steps and kicked the other man in the back of the knee.

The robber knelt down with a thud.

"Brother, brother, spare our lives!" the robber pleaded repeatedly. "We were blind and didn't recognize your greatness; we offended you!"

Li Xiangyang looked down at him and said, "Tell me, how many of you are there? Do you have any accomplices?"

"Just the few of us, really just the few of us!" The leader of the robbers waved his hands repeatedly, his eyes filled with fear.

Li Xiangyang sneered, twirling the iron rod in his hand: "Do you think I'm a three-year-old? Robbing someone in a place like this without backup?"

"Brother, I'm telling the truth!" The robber's voice trembled.

“Alright, then let’s go to the law enforcement bureau.” Li Xiangyang looked at Li Daqiang. “Brother Daqiang, get the rope and tie them all up.”

Upon hearing that they were being taken to the law enforcement station, the leader of the robbers turned deathly pale: "Boss, boss, please don't! To tell you the truth, we all work for Liu Sandao, Brother Dao..."

"Liu Sandao?" Li Daqiang frowned. "Why does that name sound familiar?"

“Go on,” Li Xiangyang said, tapping the ground with his iron rod.

"Every time we robbed something, we had to take it to him to sell it," the robber said, not daring to hide anything. "Boss, we're just small fry, trying to make a living with Brother Dao. Please don't hold it against us..."

"Just trying to make a living?" Li Xiangyang's voice suddenly turned cold. "Robbery is what you call trying to make a living?"