Chapter 191: Brother, What A Coincidence
"Then we'll have to trouble you to check it out, big brother."
Meng Ci and Shen Que noticed the greed in their eyes.
Especially the shorter man.
While the taller man was talking to Meng Ci, he held a flashlight and, whether intentionally or not, shone it into the SUV, as if checking for valuable items inside.
Meng Ci and Shen Que exchanged a glance, deciding not to alarm them prematurely, but to see what they were really up to and act accordingly.
Perhaps, if the SUV gets fixed, Shen Que wouldn't have to do anything.
After all, repairing a car was hard work.
"No problem, I'll make sure to fix it for you."
The taller man picked up the tire from the ground and, whether intentionally or not, headed straight for the SUV's right rear wheel.
"Brothers, we must be fated to meet. Look, the size of this tire fits perfectly."
Hearing these words, Meng Ci and Shen Que felt a chill run down their spines, realizing they had been on these men's radar for a while.
After a moment of thought, Meng Ci pondered silently.
These two would likely fix the car and then, under the pretense of going to their place to exchange items, climb into their car and follow them back.
And the three others lurking in the shadows would trail them all the way.
At that point, the five would collaborate, coordinating inside and out to raid their home.
"Young brother, this tire of ours is old and not in the best condition. When you drive, it's better to slow down a bit."
The taller man expertly replaced the tire and spoke casually.
"Alright."
Meng Ci had been wondering how the three behind them would follow, but here was the answer.
The shorter man's flashlight always illuminated the wheel, allowing Meng Ci and Shen Que to clearly see the entire tire replacement process.
Shen Que knew about cars, so he knew the man wasn't doing anything fishy.
"Young brother, it's impressive that you can still drive a car in this apocalyptic world."
"Sigh, unlike us, who can only scavenge tires."
"By the way, young brother, what brought you all the way out here?"
...
While the taller man was fixing the car, the shorter man kept talking to Meng Ci and Shen Que, trying to pry into their situation subtly.
Of course, Meng Ci replied calmly, only saying that they stumbled upon the car by chance and decided to explore, without giving away any important details.
Seeing that Meng Ci wasn't falling for it and that he couldn't get any useful information, the shorter man shut up.
They had chosen to handle these two after observing them for an extended period but hadn't anticipated their caution.
The hostile gaze of the shorter man was clearly visible under Meng Ci's night vision goggles.
However, Meng Ci remained unfazed.
Moreover, Meng Ci had no plans to bring them back to his place.
So, as the taller man was about to stand up after installing the tire, Meng Ci reached out and pressed his shoulder.
Meng Ci could feel the taller man's body tense up the moment he pressed down.
And in his heart, Meng Ci silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Luckily, the guy was wearing a short-sleeved shirt; otherwise, after touching his sweaty skin, he would probably have to wash his hands several times when he got back.
"What's the matter?" The taller man was not eager to stand up, striving to keep his voice calm.
"Is there something else with the car that needs fixing?"
Meng Ci said, "It's nothing."
"I'm just curious, we're just strangers passing by, how come the tire in your hands fits our car so perfectly."
"If we didn't know this was our first meeting, someone might suspect you have ulterior motives."
"And I'm also curious, how did you know it was the rear wheel that was damaged?"
Meng Ci brought all the suspicious points out in the open, wanting to see how they would react.
The shorter man laughed nervously and said, "Young brother, how can you think that of us!"
"We just happened to meet you."
"That's right," the taller man quickly regained his composure and chimed in.
"If you think we have hidden agendas, I can simply remove this tire again."
The two played along with each other, trying to allay Meng Ci and Shen Que's doubts.
They even counter-accused, claiming Meng Ci of ingratitude and refusal to help.
If it were someone else, they might feel remorseful after hearing their words.
But Meng Ci had already seen through their true motives and calmly said, "Yes."
"We do want to be ungrateful and refuse to help. What can you do about it?"
As soon as Meng Ci finished speaking, he noticed the taller man quietly picking up a wrench from the ground, while the shorter man drew a folding knife from his pocket.
The three men by the side of the road each picked up sticks from the ground and began quietly moving towards Meng Ci and Shen Que.
Meng Ci chuckled, "I was just kidding, why are you so tense?"
Although Meng Ci said this, his hand did not let go of the taller man.
"I was just saying that the young brother isn't the type to..."
Before the taller man could finish his sentence, he felt himself being pushed and crashed into the SUV.
Damn, if he hadn't been squatting for too long, his foot going numb, he wouldn't have been so embarrassed.
The short man reacted with lightning speed, and as Meng Ci pushed the tall man, the switchblade was already stabbing towards him.
Shen Que had always been protecting Meng Ci, and seeing the short man's movement, he swiftly grabbed the short man's arm, causing his attack to miss.
Three people approached from the roadside, one of them holding a flashlight and shining it at Meng Ci and Shen Que.
The tall man, still on the ground, rubbed his forehead and stood up, clutching a wrench tightly.
"Damn it, you actually hit me."
"You must be asking for it!"
"Brothers, let's get them!"
Meng Ci and Shen Que stood back to back, their eyes stung by the glare of the flashlights.
Hearing the tall man, Meng Ci rolled his eyes.
Inwardly, he scoffed, "Why do these criminals talk so much nonsense."
Meng Ci sneered, "I think you guys don't want to live!"
"Look at yourselves, how dare you lay down spikes to hijack a car."
Meng Ci had already seen it clearly just now—a row of spikes placed behind the SUV.
"We are the Five Tiger Generals, if you ask around..." the short man said boastfully.
"Bah!" Meng Ci spat on the ground before he could finish.
The Five Tiger Generals were loyal and righteous men, and these petty thieves dared to call themselves the Five Tiger Generals.
It was absurd.
"Just look at your sneaky and shifty looks, and you call yourselves the Five Tiger Generals."
"How shameless!"
Meng Ci didn't give them another chance to speak and gave Shen Que a nudge. The two of them immediately moved simultaneously, slashing towards the five men.
Of course, they had the same target, both charging towards the two holding flashlights.
Soon, due to the fierce offensive of Meng Ci and Shen Que, the flashlights fell to the ground without anyone noticing.
Without the light, these five incompetent men were quickly beaten to the ground.