Zhang Fan seemed to have regained some consciousness, but he still felt a little dizzy. He felt a chill on the back of his neck, which immediately perked him up, and his legs began to shake uncontrollably.

Hou Qiang grabbed Zhang Fan by the collar with one hand, and with the other hand holding a pistol, he stared at Zhang Fan's neck and shouted at the bespectacled man.

"Stop it, all of you! If you don't stop, I'll shoot!"

Seeing Hou Qiang pointing a gun at the back of his son's head, Zhang Chang felt his legs go weak. He worried that Hou Qiang might get too agitated and accidentally discharge the gun, injuring his son.

Zhang Chang quickly raised his hand and shouted loudly at the thugs, "Stop! Stop! We're not fighting anymore!"

Then Zhang Chang quickly took two steps forward, pointed at Hou Qiang, and said, "Old Hou, don't get agitated, let's talk this out! I'll let them go! Please don't shoot!"

Zhang Chang quickly ordered his men to leave, and the thugs put away their weapons and slowly withdrew from the courtyard.

At this moment, Lu Yuan's team members were all covered in bruises and were almost beaten to a pulp. They were supporting each other, and their eyes flashed with anger from time to time.

What the thugs found most unbelievable was that Lu Yuan had single-handedly taken down more than a dozen thugs in a row, and only suffered some minor injuries to his arm.

Lu Yuan glanced back at Hou Qiang, who was standing on the steps with a gun pointed at Zhang Fan's head, and was speechless.

This guy usually seems carefree and doesn't take anyone seriously, and you'd think he's just a hothead. But when he actually encountered a problem, he suddenly became a coward. Lu Yuan couldn't understand how this guy suddenly got such an overbearing aura, and even dared to take Zhang Fan hostage.

However, this move of his will obviously ruin his future. Not to mention that Zhang Fan has indeed admitted his crimes and signed the confession, and if he is dealt with now, he may face legal trouble. Hou Qiang's actions are a violation of the law. Although it is now the apocalypse and various laws and regulations are practically meaningless, there should still be rules. His actions have obviously angered the interests of some people in the survivor base.

Seeing Hou Qiang's tense expression, even more so than Zhang Fan whom he had taken hostage, Lu Yuan was speechless. If you don't have the skills, don't take on the job. This was clearly forced upon him; otherwise, although Hou Qiang was stubborn, he wouldn't have dared to do this.

Lu Yuan then coughed softly and said, "Hou Qiang, everyone's been evacuated. You don't need to carry guns anymore! Be careful of accidental discharge!"

Upon hearing Lu Yuan's words, Zhang Chang was immediately filled with gratitude: "Yes! Old Hou, please release my son, please don't kill him! Just tell me what you want! I'll do anything you can! He's my only son! Please don't hurt him!"

Lu Yuan's heart skipped a beat at Hou Qiang's trembling hands, fearing that the other party might accidentally pull the trigger.

Zhang Fan, who seemed to have just recovered, suddenly burst into tears, just like a child.

The area in front of the building, which had just calmed down, was suddenly filled with noise. Lu Yuan, whose head was throbbing from the noise, immediately shouted, "Shut up! Don't provoke Hou Qiang!"

Upon hearing Lu Yuan's words, Zhang Fan immediately shut his mouth, not daring to breathe.

So Lu Yuan slowly approached Hou Qiang and gently placed his hand on Hou Qiang's hand holding the gun.

"Listen to me! Put down your guns first, or if Zhang Fan gets hurt, we're all doomed!"

Hou Qiang was already at his limit. Upon hearing Lu Yuan's words, he loosened his grip, and the gun immediately fell to the ground.

Lu Yuansheng was afraid that Zhang Fan would pick up the gun, so he quickly kicked the pistol aside with his foot.

Upon seeing Hou Qiang without his pistol, Zhang Chang breathed a sigh of relief, instantly aging several years in appearance, and rushed over with tears streaming down his face.

The father and son embraced each other, and Lu Yuan did not stop them. At this point, Lu Yuan was no longer worried about what the other party might do. He had already done what he could, and the rest was up to Zhang Chang. As a small team leader, he had done more than enough.

Just then, the sound of cars screeching to a halt came from outside again. Several cars with garrison license plates stopped in front of the gate, and Minister Chen and a middle-aged man with gray hair walked over quickly.

After Niu Ping's introduction, Lu Yuan learned that the middle-aged man with gray hair was Ying Rui, the minister in charge of commerce in the inner city. He was in his early sixties. It wasn't that he was particularly capable, but rather that he used to handle commerce in the administration and had some influence in Anhui Province.

The people elected him as minister so that he could act as a mediator. If any conflicts arose, it would be easier for him to mediate, as these businessmen still had to give the administrative departments some face. The management of all the shops in question fell under his jurisdiction.

He came here because he heard that the garrison had captured the young master of the Zhang family. Zhang Chang was obviously very powerful. What was even more impressive was that his wife, Qin, found this Ying Rui and staged a dramatic scene of crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide, which forced him to take action to find out what was going on.

Minister Chen stormed up to Lu Yuan, staring intently at him as if waiting for an explanation.

However, Lu Yuan remained silent. He hadn't done anything wrong, but Zhang Fan had broken the curfew by riding his motorcycle and causing a disturbance, then he had abducted a girl and assaulted the garrison troops. These three crimes combined were enough to give him a hard time.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!