Thus, Li Qingfeng directly blended into the fields and entered the area near the factory.
Li Qingfeng was currently located approximately to the northeast of the factory, about 1000 meters away from the massive structure.
From his vantage point, he could clearly see a large expanse of open ground ahead.
To the south of the factory, numerous police officers and patrol cars were densely surrounding the premises.
The factory was enclosed by a nearly two-meter-high wall, leaving only the south gate as an exit. The robbers were currently standing on the southern wall, armed and in a standoff with the police.
"A good opportunity..."
Seeing this, Li Qingfeng couldn't help but think.
Indeed, it was as he observed. He could clearly see that the number of robbers was likely not large, perhaps no more than a dozen.
However, with hostages inside the factory, the police dared not launch a direct assault.
Li Qingfeng stealthily made his way through the darkness towards the northeast wall of the factory.
Looking at the wall, Li Qingfeng picked up two stones from the ground and used them as makeshift tools, digging them into the wall and gradually climbing his way to the top.
It was true, ever since his physique had been optimized, his strength had increased significantly.
With that, he directly scaled the wall and entered the factory.
As the factory had been abandoned, the only power that was on came from a few rooms occupied by the robbers, presumably maintained by a backup generator.
"If I can cut off their power, I'll have a chance!"
Observing the general layout, Li Qingfeng thought to himself.
However, caution was still necessary. He activated his X-ray vision to survey the surroundings.
In a warehouse about 50 meters away, there were seven people: six men and one woman.
Qin Bingran was unmistakably among them, and beside her were two individuals in police uniforms.
Of course, all three were bound with ropes.
Around them were four men armed with AKs; these were undoubtedly the criminal gang.
What Li Qingfeng hadn't anticipated was their meticulous planning. A sniper was positioned on the uppermost level of the factory, hidden within a mezzanine.
This sniper was likely undiscovered by the police, and was armed with a .22 caliber sniper rifle.
These five criminals, plus the seven at the south gate in a standoff with the police, meant the gang consisted of a total of twelve individuals.
"What should I do?"
This was the biggest challenge Li Qingfeng faced. With so many criminals, how could he rescue Qin Bingran?
At this moment, Li Qingfeng's fingers brushed against the silver needles at his waist, and a plan began to form in his mind.
Silver needles were not only for treating illnesses and saving lives; they were also a weapon.
Since acquiring the legacy of the Medical Sage, Li Qingfeng had never used silver needles to harm anyone. It seemed today would be an exception.
With the aid of his X-ray vision, he could move through the darkness as if on level ground, something the criminals could not match.
Although they were armed, they lacked night vision equipment, so most of the lit areas were where they congregated.
"Disrupting the generator will double my chances of success!"
This was Li Qingfeng's primary thought. He had already located the generator room.
Perhaps due to overconfidence, the generator room was not guarded by any criminals.
In fact, the door wasn't even locked.
A hint of madness flickered across Li Qingfeng's face. He was going to destroy the generator.
Using the cover of night, Li Qingfeng crept along the factory wall, inching his way towards his objective.
Dozens of meters away at the south gate, the leader of the criminal gang was haggling with Li Xuelin, the deputy chief of police.
Criminal Leader: "Deputy Chief Li, have you considered my terms?"
Li Xuelin: "I'm afraid I cannot agree to your conditions."
Criminal Leader: "In that case, there's nothing to discuss. I'll start killing the hostages."
The man's words were chillingly indifferent, not sounding like a bluff.
Indeed, after the criminal leader spoke, Li Xuelin's brow furrowed tightly, unsure of what to do.
"Dad, we can't let them escape. How about we..."
Li Wanchao, standing beside him, made a throat-slitting gesture with his hand.
It was clear that he was suggesting abandoning the three police officers inside and focusing on apprehending the dozen criminals.
After all, from Li Wanchao's perspective, these officers, apart from Qin Bingran, held little significance to him. They could be sacrificed if necessary.
It was worth noting that capturing this criminal gang would be a great achievement.
Criminal Leader: "Deputy Chief Li, you have ten minutes to reconsider. Ten minutes from now, I will bring forth one hostage."
After saying this, the criminal leader at the south gate hung up the phone.
"Boss, will those scoundrels at the police station comply with us?"
As soon as he hung up, a gang member next to him inquired.
A cruel expression crossed the criminal leader's face as he replied, "After all these jobs, have you ever seen them not compromise?"
"Then boss, the woman inside, can we..."
Hearing this, all the gang members erupted in loud laughter.
Their laughter echoed through the silent factory, causing Qin Bingran and the bound officers to frown.
Similarly, Li Qingfeng heard their laughter and his gaze shifted towards the captive Qin Bingran.
Though only 50 meters away, Li Qingfeng moved with painstaking slowness, crawling to avoid any slip-ups that the gang might detect.
He could only pray that he would succeed in destroying the generator.
Seven minutes quickly passed. The criminal leader turned to a nearby member and casually pointed.
"You, go and bring a hostage."
"Yes, boss!"
Seeing his prompt response, the criminal leader called out again: "Make sure you don't bring the woman. We're saving her for the brothers!"
"Hahaha, don't worry, boss. We'll definitely save her for the brothers."
Hearing this promise, the criminal leader visibly relaxed.
That female officer was so attractive; he wanted to be the first. He couldn't let this guy get ahead of him.
The other gang members were unaware of his thoughts, believing their leader was being considerate of them.
"Shh, shh, shh..."
The member sent to fetch a hostage was in high spirits, whistling all the way and drawing the attention of the factory's occupants.
"Gongyang is being his usual self again," remarked a scar-faced man.
Listening to the scar-faced man, a tall, thin criminal beside him chimed in, "Gongyang can be serious at times. Have you forgotten the young lady we captured last time?"
"That young lady was truly a catch, but she can't compare to the one we've got this time."
At this point, their gazes were once again drawn to Qin Bingran.
Looking at her, their eyes held a certain glint.
"How about...?" the tall, thin man began.
"Are you crazy? The boss hasn't arrived yet. Wait for the boss's assignment."
As soon as he spoke, he was threatened by the scar-faced man.
Hearing his leader, he retreated, seemingly placing great trust in their boss.
At this moment, Gongyang also approached the warehouse door.
He whistled his way towards the warehouse, but then, as if seeing a figure pass by not far from him.
"Someone?" he questioned, puzzled.
His criminal instincts made him take a few steps in that direction.
Soon, Gongyang arrived at the dark corner of the warehouse.
The corner of the warehouse was exceptionally dim, sparking some thoughts in his mind.