The burly man speaking was nicknamed Pig Head Lin. He was a typical brute with more brawn than brains.
Because of his great strength and fighting ability, he always served as the muscle and porter in this team.
At this moment, the portable insulated box was on his back, containing four bear paws.
"We need to hurry. Boss Xu has already arranged for a vehicle. If we delay, who knows what might happen!" Xie Lao Si said with dissatisfaction.
"So what if who knows what happens? We're not doing this for the first time. What's wrong with a day or two late? At worst, we'll do a few days inside!" Pig Head Lin grumbled.
"They call you Pig Head, and you really are a pig head. Don't you have a brain? What are we doing this time? We're here to catch pandas!
If anyone sees us and reports it to the authorities, we're all looking at ten years or more! Not just a couple of days in jail!"
Xie Lao Si wasn't exaggerating. These men had been apprehended multiple times before. If they were caught this time for stealing pandas, even life imprisonment wasn't impossible.
Upon hearing this, Pig Head Lin's face immediately fell. Xie Lao Si knew this guy was a hothead, so he tried to placate him with kind words.
"Alright, alright, I know you've all worked hard. Once this job is done, I'll give you a bit more money. You guys can rest well.
This one job will be enough for us to rest for a year or two!
Everyone, grit your teeth and hold on for a bit. Perseverance is victory!"
Just then, a thin man nearby suddenly shouted.
"Boss, there's someone over there!"
This thin man was named Huang Shulang. His parents had given him this name, hoping he would study more and be more cheerful.
It was a good intention, but when combined with his surname, the meaning took a drastic turn.
Thus, this fellow couldn't shake off a nickname his entire life: Weasel!
Weasel had excellent eyesight and had grown up in the mountains, so he was responsible for scouting ahead for the team.
He had already spotted Ling Tian's figure.
"Boss, what should we do?" another poacher whispered to Xie Lao Si, leaning in close.
"What can we do? Nothing! You guys, stay quiet, don't let him run. Lure him closer, then kill him!
Weasel, go confirm if there's anyone else around! If there is, take them all out..."
Xie Lao Si laid out his plan, and his subordinates immediately sprang into action, several of them walking towards Ling Tian.
Ling Tian, acting as if nothing was wrong, waved at them.
"Hello there!"
Xie Lao Si saw Ling Tian at this moment and was somewhat surprised. This was a young man with delicate skin, fair and clean, not someone who spent his life traversing deep mountains and old forests. In fact, his attire didn't look like that of an ordinary hiker.
Generally speaking, hikers, regardless of their skill level, who dared to enter the mountains were almost always equipped with plenty of gear. Especially lone wolves like this, they should be fully armed.
However, Ling Tian was only wearing a regular hiking outfit, with a not-so-full backpack on his back. He didn't even have a hiking pole or a machete. He looked nothing like a normal climber.
Xie Lao Si, being a cunning old fox, immediately put on a smiling face.
"Oh, hello there, young man. Where are you from? Why did you venture into the mountains alone? Where are your companions?"
"I'm from Jiangshan City. I prefer traveling alone; it's very liberating."
As Ling Tian spoke, he walked closer to them, his gaze immediately falling on the cage they were carrying.
It was unavoidable, as it contained a panda cub, which was incredibly eye-catching.
"You guys are... Huh? A panda? Are these allowed to be caught?"
"We're a scientific research team, searching for stray pandas in the wild to rescue and breed them, expanding the population..." Xie Lao Si, accustomed to such situations, had a ready excuse.
"I see. What a cute little guy!"
Ling Tian said as he approached the panda. The panda cub inside the cage, upon seeing Ling Tian, squirmed and its eyes were full of pleading.
At that moment, Ling Tian seemed to understand the panda's thoughts: it wanted Ling Tian to save it!
While Ling Tian was busy looking at the panda, Xie Lao Si secretly made a throat-slitting gesture to Pig Head Lin, who was standing behind Ling Tian.
Pig Head Lin understood immediately. He pulled out the dagger from his waist, crept up behind Ling Tian, and fiercely stabbed towards Ling Tian's back.
The man's attack was steady, accurate, and ruthless, without a hint of mercy. Stabbing someone with a knife was like doing it to an animal; it was clear he wasn't doing this for the first time.
However, when the knife went in, Ling Tian vanished. The stab hit empty air, almost causing the attacker to wrench his back.
Just then, a hand chop landed heavily on his carotid artery.
Thus, this burly man, who was 1.9 meters tall and weighed over 100 kilograms, was instantly taken down by Ling Tian.
Ling Tian turned around, looking with amusement at Xie Lao Si and the others behind him, who were stunned.
"I say, you guys call yourselves researchers, doing sneak attacks from behind? Bah!
A bunch of wretched poachers daring to flatter yourselves!"
His identity exposed, Xie Lao Si's face contorted with rage, and his expression was extremely awkward!
"Kid, you're asking for death. This time next year will be your death anniversary!"
"Oh really? Are you planning to silence me?" Ling Tian said mockingly.
"You're very smart. We do intend to silence you, but it's too late now!
In these desolate mountains, even if we kill you, no one will see it!
By the time you're discovered, it might be decades later, and you'll have long since turned into a pile of bones, or even the animal scavengers will have gnawed away every last trace of your bones!"
Ling Tian nodded and even clapped his hands.
"I agree with your point of view. Indeed, being killed here makes it very difficult to see the light of day again.
However, you seem to have overlooked one issue, a serious one!"
"What issue?" Xie Lao Si asked, completely bewildered.
"The issue is, how can you be so sure you can take me down, instead of me taking you down?"
Before Xie Lao Si could finish speaking, Ling Tian heard two "bang" sounds, followed by the whistling of projectiles. Two crossbow bolts shot directly towards Ling Tian.
These poachers were quite skilled with their bows. They attacked from behind, the crossbow bolts aimed at Ling Tian's lower back and the back of his head.
In a flash, Ling Tian didn't even turn his head. He shifted his body slightly to the side, suddenly extended both hands, and caught the two flying crossbow bolts!
"Holy crap, is this even human?" the poachers exclaimed, their eyes wide with disbelief!