Chapter 20: Escaping and Reaping

Watching the two pickup trucks getting closer, Pierce tightened his grip on a large screwdriver in his hand. Although he wasn't usually very brave, he certainly wasn't the type to sit idly by.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine this time. My intuition tells me that things are about to take a turn," Liang En nervously observed the situation between the three vehicles in the rearview mirror and offered reassurance to Pierce beside her.

"Now's the time, get ready—" Just as the leading pickup truck was about one or two meters away from their vehicle, Liang En shouted inwardly, simultaneously mentally directing the minuscule archers, no larger than grains of rice, with a command.

In an instant, these archers floated outside the window, then collectively aimed their bows at the right front wheel of the leading pickup among the two.

"Release—" With Liang En's command, all 31 archers simultaneously released the bows they were pulling with their right hands. The arrows, just released, instantaneously returned to their normal size and shot like lightning toward the front of the leading pickup truck.

Though shooting while in motion presented considerable difficulty, especially with the whistling winds affecting the arrow trajectories, these skilled archers managed to stay on target within a dozen meters.

In less than a second, these translucent arrows crossed the distance, and then fiercely plunged into the lower left section of the target pickup truck's front.

Due to the angle, most of the arrows hit the ground, the bumper, or the radiator grille of the truck's front, but two arrows accurately embedded themselves in the rapidly spinning left front wheel of the pickup.

A loud "boom" followed. The front tire of the pickup truck nearest them exploded. The entire vehicle veered abruptly to the left, crashing into the median.

The truck behind, due to its close pursuit and inability to brake in time, rammed into the sideways front truck. Similarly, it skidded 270 degrees on the road and ended up in the median with its rear.

Having executed this strike, the tiny warrior figures simultaneously saluted Liang En. Then, just like before, they lined up and re-entered the city gate. Subsequently, the entire gate slowly faded away.

"Your intuition is truly remarkable," Pierce exclaimed with excitement, gazing at the several individuals laboring to climb out of the deformed vehicles through the rearview mirror. He suddenly gripped Liang En's arm.

On the other hand, Old Pierce seemed more composed, but the pulsing veins on the hand clutching the steering wheel revealed his inner agitation.

Indeed, they hadn't seen those arrows flying through the air, yet the timing of the explosion of the pickup truck's tires was uncannily perfect. This led one to consider various implications.

"In truth, I just wanted to boost your morale a bit," Liang En said, spreading his hands. "Didn't you all feel a sense of calm after listening to me ranting back there?"

Liang En felt his hair stand on end as he gazed at Pierce, who regarded him with fervent eyes. Despite being Irish by heritage, the atmosphere of London easily influenced people to adopt some English customs.

"Understood, understood—" both Murphy father and son simultaneously chimed in, then Old Pierce reassured, "Rest assured, Laurence, this is our secret. I swear I won't divulge this information to anyone."

Evidently, the Murphys assumed that Liang En said this to keep his ability hidden. Having watched plenty of movies and read many novels, they quickly grasped how to proceed.

This outcome aligned with Liang En's intentions. At least this way, he would find convenience when dealing with various matters in the future.

For safety's sake, even though the pursuing vehicles couldn't continue due to the accident, Old Pierce decided to distance themselves from Leipzig as much as possible. He wasn't sure if the adversaries had any reinforcements.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Liang En began examining the four cards he had acquired earlier.

He noticed that three of the black cards were ones he had obtained before: [Detection (N)] and [Appraisal (N)]. However, unlike the last time, two of the cards were [Appraisal (N)] and one was [Detection (N)].

"In other words, the cards I acquire are related to the process of obtaining items or discovering certain things," Liang En began to formulate a vague conjecture.

"For instance, when I found the Kazan copper pot last time, what I did was locate the pot. This time, I've identified the contents of the warehouse."

"That's why the cards I obtained last time were more geared towards searching, while this time the focus is on appraisal."

Having acquired a new understanding of how to use the "Gold Finger," Liang En began examining the pristine card. This was an active skill card he had never seen before.

**[The Last German Army (R)]: Compared to the thoroughly Americanized West German Army, the East German Army retained more of its Germanic style. Just like that saying, the West German Army kept the Iron Cross, while the East German Army held on to the remaining parts.

Enhancement Card (Single Use). Consuming this card allows you to master the combat skills of a mechanized infantry under the command of the 7th Armored Division of the German Democratic Republic People's Police. Note that only the skills are acquired, without physical enhancement.**

"It doesn't seem very powerful, but it's sufficient." After reading the contents of the card, Liang En nodded. After today's incident, he realized the need to learn combat-related skills.

After all, his current job required him to navigate the streets and alleys, and the local security conditions were clearly not as favorable as those in the eastern Huaxia region. Learning some self-defense techniques was unquestionably crucial.

Otherwise, if he couldn't defend his wealth, that would be a minor issue; but if he ended up risking his life, that would be disastrous.

Compared to military or special forces units, or even certain powerful departments, the individual quality of these ordinary mechanized infantrymen paled in comparison to the elite.

However, Liang En didn't need to step onto the battlefield. Therefore, this level of military skill was already more than sufficient for him. At least when dealing with thugs and robbers in the streets, these specialized skills could be considered overkill.

Consequently, Liang En immediately chose to use this card. The card rapidly disintegrated into a bronze-colored powder and vanished into his mind. Soon, a multitude of combat-related skills were instilled into his brain.

At the same time, surges of bioelectric currents began to traverse his body, infusing his muscles and bones with muscle memory.

Naturally, this infusion made him uncomfortable for a while. Fortunately, he was securely fastened by his seatbelt, resting with his eyes closed. There was no need to worry that Murphy and his son would detect anything amiss.

After around ten minutes, the peculiar sensation faded from his body. By this time, he had acquired various military skills.

However, after a careful examination, Liang En realized that due to his physical condition, most of these skills couldn't be smoothly executed as instructed.

Hence, it was clear that achieving true mastery of these skills would require rigorous training.